Unconsciously, six days have passed, Wen Xiangzhen, who is holding a waist card, is really thirsty for knowledge, and the first two days are after the afternoon work, and then he simply does not go home in the evening, and lives in the bookstore.

Lin Qingyuan, Wang Agui and others are translating every day, but no matter how fast the translation is, they can't catch up with him. There are many places that I have seen but can't understand, so I made a list and asked Eun Jun and Datou to present it to Han Xiufeng, and wanted to ask Han Xiufeng to send it to those people who specialize in inquiring about the situation. When there is nothing to see, he tinkers with the Western artifacts in the exhibition hall, and especially likes to disassemble the handguns and firebird guns cast by Xiyi.

Han Xiufeng has a headache every time he sees the list he asked the big head to send, after all, Lin Qingyuan, Wang Agui and others are all halfway "two knife" translators, and it is okay to simply translate and translate the newspapers of foreigners, and expect them to translate the mountains of Xiyi books in the library cabinet, especially those books about arithmetic and the theory of things, which is tantamount to letting the big head go to the top exam.

Thinking that he couldn't always know what it was but didn't know why, Han Xiufeng simply asked Qingxian to translate the list listed by Wenxiang into secret words, and then asked Enjun to send two ticket numbers to the semicolons of "Houyitang" stationed in various places, and asked Wang Naizeng, Yun Qijun, Jiang Zhengxin, Gu Jinyan and Fugui and others to quickly find a way.

Wen Xiang knew very well that it was even more difficult to do this than the compilation of the "Siku Quanshu" during the Qianlong Dynasty, and knew that if he wanted to hurry, he would not be able to reach it, so he simply put down Xiyi's arithmetic, astronomy and geography and extraordinary principles first, and specialized in the history of Britain, Mi, Buddhism, Russia, the Netherlands and other countries together with a principal who had just come to the "Houyi Hall Walk" from the Russian Pavilion of the Li Fan Academy.

Han Xiufeng was happy to see it, he didn't want to disturb them, he had just returned to the inner courtyard of his house from the bookstore, and was about to clean up the study and go back to the inner house to wash his feet and rest early, Yu Youfu came to report with a post that someone asked to see him.

Who asks to see you on the big night?

Han Xiufeng felt very strange, took the name card and looked under the candle, and couldn't help but look up and smile: "Please, invite guests to come to the study to talk." ”

"Come here?" Yu Youfu asked subconsciously.

"I'm not an outsider, I'll see you here."

After waiting for a while, a Confucian student in his forties walked in with Yu Youfu, and as soon as he saw Han Xiufeng, he bowed down and said, "The student visited Master Han, disturbed him late at night, and asked Master Han to forgive him." ”

"Mr. Huang doesn't need to be polite," Han Xiufeng beckoned him to sit and asked with a smile: "Mr. Huang, it's been a year since Shanghai was separated, how is your family?" ”

Wu Jianzhang's friend Master Huang hurriedly bowed his hand and said, "Master Han, my family Dong Weng is quite fine." ”

"You stayed in Shanghai for a good time, why did you come to the capital?"

"Is this the end of the year, my family Dong Weng ordered me to go to Beijing to pay you an early greeting on his behalf." Master Huang took out a stack of silver tickets from his sleeve and respectfully presented them, bowed down and said, "Then my family knows that you like Western objects, and after Mr. Wang left, he collected some more, and ordered me to send them to Master Han together." ”

Han Xiufeng picked up the silver ticket and looked at it, estimated that there were five or six thousand taels, and said in a deep voice: "There are so many as soon as you make a move, it seems that your lord's tea trading in Fujian has done a good job this year." ”

Master Huang was stunned for a moment, and immediately reacted: "I didn't expect that little business of my family's Dong Weng, Master Han, you also know." ”

"More than 100,000 quintals, a whole fifty-five boats, most of the tea in Wuyishan this year was taken away by your Dongweng, it is difficult to make such a big move!"

"Master Han, this is a serious business, and the tax that should be paid is not a penny."

"The tax is not less paid, but the Guangdong Xinggang who originally operated Wuyi Mountain tea and those porters who relied on transporting Wuyi Mountain tea to Guangdong have nothing to eat. But then again, why do you have to go near and far when you can buy it nearby, why do you have to spend that unjust money when you can buy it at the bottom price. ”

"Master Han is right, in this chaotic world, it is really not easy to make some money."

"The reason why I tell you this is that I don't mean anything else, but I just want to remind you that the fall of Shanghai is not over, and you must be cautious in the future, and you must not publicize it."

"Master Xie Han mentioned."

"By the way, you just arrived in the evening?"

Master Huang finally breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly said: "Master Han, I arrived at noon yesterday, and I only found out today that you live here, thinking that the yamen are in Beijing these days, and I didn't dare to come to see you during the day." ”

"You are cautious, but I am different from others, since I am walking extra on the military plane Zhangjing, I will not participate in the Beijing inspection of the Yamen of the General Administration Department as a rule."

"Master Han's official fortune is prosperous, and my family's Dong Weng is also stained." Master Huang hurriedly bowed his hand.

"Don't talk about that, what about what your family Dong Weng asked you to send?"

"It's all in the inn outside the city, a total of twelve boxes, and in addition to bringing you forty firebird guns, all of which are fired by fire caps."

From seeing the urgent report of the Fujian branch of "Houyitang", Han Xiufeng realized that "Selling Chickens" had been dismissed, why he was still uneasy, why he still had to donate his official body, and even to this day he is still in Shanghai to help Gil Hang'a deal with foreigners. Because he is still doing the business of making money every day, it is much easier to do this business with an official body.

Because of this, Han Xiufeng generously accepted the silver ticket, picked up the teacup and said, "I'll send someone to pick up the twelve boxes of Western objects with you later, and as for the forty firebird guns, I have to ask you to help me send them to Zhuozhou." ”

"Dare to ask Master Han, where are the students going to send those guns to Zhuozhou?"

"Zhuozhou Prefecture Judgment Yamen, handed over to the current Zhuozhou Prefecture Judge Wang Qianli Wang."

"Yes, the students will do it early tomorrow morning." Seeing Han Xiufeng serving tea to the guests, Master Huang got up very interestingly and prepared to retire.

Han Xiufeng didn't rush to let him go, but asked him to go to the concierge with Yu Youfu first, and asked Xiao Shandong to hurry up to find Feng Xiaowhip and Feng Xiaobao's brothers. Then he went to the bookstore again, asked the big head to call the two guards on duty tonight, and when the Feng brothers arrived in a hurry, they asked everyone to go with Master Huang to transport the things back to the bookstore overnight.

When everything was arranged and returned to the inner house, the little one was already asleep, and Jean was collecting the soles of her shoes under the candles.

"Why don't you rest?" Han Xiufeng asked with a smile.

"Isn't this waiting for you," Qin'er hurriedly put down the needle and thread, got up and lifted the kettle on the stove, poured some into the washbasin first, and then put down the kettle to serve the wooden basin for washing her feet.

"You're pregnant, but you can't move the fetal gas, I'll do these things."

"It's okay, it's not heavy." Qin'er put down the wooden basin and urged him to wash his face, while saying with a smile: "Fourth brother, Cuihua asked again in the afternoon, when will you choose a name for the baby." said that the girl is not as good as the boy, but she can't even have a name. ”

"Why do you ask her baby for a name?"

"She doesn't think the name of the big head is good, and she wants to ask your uncle to help pick one."

"Doesn't she have two Hanlin brothers, and besides, her two sisters-in-law haven't been here."

Qin'er said with a smile: "She originally wanted to ask the two Ao masters to help the baby get it, but she heard her two sisters-in-law say that Ao Master Ao and they want to Jingcha, and they have to go to the Hanlin Academy every day these days." She didn't want to bother her two brothers about this, so she told me. ”

"The big-headed baby, let the big-headed take care of himself."

"Fourth brother, you can help the baby take one, the girl's name is not the name of the male baby, just help take one."

"Take one?"

"Well, it's still on in her room, waiting!"

"Okay, then take whatever you want." Han Xiufeng sat on the chair and muttered while taking off her shoes: "Her name is Cuihong, their hometown is full of Fengang, there are rivers and ponds everywhere, and there are a lot of lotus flowers growing in the ponds in the river, so her baby is called Lotus." ”

Qin'er laughed and laughed, and couldn't help shaking his arm and said: "Lotus, this is too casual, let's say lotus is the same in our hometown!" Fourth brother, you be serious, help to get a literary tone, as soon as you hear it, you will know that it is the kind of official lady. ”

"Then the lotus, out of the sludge but not stained, clear ripples but not demons, it is said to be a lotus, enough to be gentle, right?" Han Xiufeng looked back and asked with a smile.

Qin'er thought for a while and asked puzzledly, "Fourth brother, isn't the lotus flower the same thing as the lotus?" ”

"The illiterate people see the lotus, and the scholars see the lotus, doesn't she want to be literate, the lotus is more literate!"

"Cuihua Lotus, Lotus Cuihua, it doesn't sound polite at all, it's better to call it Lian'er."

"It's okay to call Lian'er, Lian'er sounds more gentle than a lotus."

"I'll ask first, she can just say okay, by the way, what did that dye what demon said just now, say it again, I'll tell her."

"Out of the sludge but not stained, clear ripples but not demons!"

"Yes, yes, yes, just these two sentences, out of the sludge but not stained, clear ripples but not demons, remember, I'll go tell her!"

Qin'er happily opened the door to find Cuihua, and Han Xiufeng couldn't help but laugh.

After washing his feet, he poured the foot-washing water into the yard, put the foot-washing bucket, took off his clothes and got into the quilt, hugged his son who was sleeping soundly and kissed him, remembering that the stove had not been sealed, and was about to get up to seal the stove, Qin'er came back happily.

"Fourth brother, Cuihua said that the name Lian'er is good, not to mention how happy she is, and said that she would ask the second master to help write it tomorrow, and even write those two lines of poetry together."

"It's good if she's happy."

Qin'er sealed the stove, took off her clothes and got into the quilt, and asked curiously: "Fourth brother, what is Jingcha, the day before yesterday afternoon, Master Jiang's family came to visit Cuihua seems to have also mentioned it." said that Master Jiang has to go to the yamen every day these days, and he can't go home until he finishes work. ”

"Jingcha is...... It is the officials of the various yamen of the examination school, and this official is incompetent. Once every three years, according to the size of the official position divided into three ways to test the school, the first one is called the list of questions, where the three grades of Beijing officials above, the book below; Governors, governors, and officials at or above the level of Shengjing should have their merits and deeds during their three-year term of office written by the Ministry of Officials and submit them to the emperor, who would then personally examine them and listen to the order. ”

"What about the second bell?"

"The second type is the Beijing officials below the third grade, the cabinet attendant bachelor, the Hanlin Academy's attendant bachelor, the attendant bachelor, the left and right Chunfang concubines and the secretary of the three courts of the Internal Affairs Office, and the official department and other yamen will issue a resume list, which will be determined after introduction; The third type is called Huinu, Fan Han, Zhan Kedao and the ministries and courtyards, the Yuanwailang, the director, the cabinet secretary and the pen paste style of each ministry, and the officials of their respective yamen annotate the examination language, and then the officials of the ministry together with the scholars, the Metropolitan Inspectorate, and the officials section finalize the draft of the ministry and Gyeonggi Province, respectively. Moreover, during the Jingcha period, all officials were not allowed to be promoted until the results of the examination school were released. ”

Looking at Qin'er's appearance as if she understood or not, Han Xiufeng patiently explained: "There are rushes, complexities, fatigue, and difficulties in official vacancies. Shou is an official's ethics, which is divided into four categories: clear, cautious, peaceful, and indifferent. Cai, that is, talent, is divided into long, flat and second; Politics is not diligent for officials, and it is divided into two classes: diligence and equality; Year, refers to the age, divided into young, strong, healthy and so on.

Those who are 'clear', 'talented', 'politically diligent' and young and strong are called 'diligent duties', which are the first class; Those who are 'cautious', 'talented' or 'talented', 'politically peaceful' or 'politically diligent' and young and vigorous are called 'competent' and are ranked second-class. Those who are 'prudent' or 'keep peace', 'caiping' or 'caichang', 'zhengping' or 'zhengqin' are called 'serving' and are classified as the third class. Officials of the first class in Jingcha can not only be added to the rank and registered, but can also be released or reappointed after introduction. ”

"What about the second-class ones?" Qin'er asked.

"Don't expect to be promoted to the second class."

"What about the third class?"

"Jingcha third-class, I don't know if I will be demoted, but demotion is nothing, I think that the promotion record can be donated with money, and the most afraid is demotion. If you can't even pass the third-class exam, then it's a big trouble, and you won't have to roll up and go back to your hometown! ”

Qin'er thought about it and asked, "What about you, how much can you wait for this time?" ”

"I walked extra on the military plane Zhangjing, and I didn't participate in Jingcha as a rule." Han Xiufeng smiled, and continued: "What's more, even if I participate in the Jingcha, even if I can get a first-class, I won't be promoted in Beijing." ”

"Why can't you go up?" Qin'er asked again.

Han Xiufeng said with a smile: "Because the bigger the official, the less there is a shortage, and the Beijing officials from the fourth grade only have a few shortcomings, such as the cabinet attendant bachelor, the Hanlin Academy, the Hanlin Academy's attendant bachelor and the Guozi priest wine, and the waiter, the attendant bachelor or the Guozi priest wine, those who are born in Jinshi may not be able to do it, only Hanlin like Master Huang, Master Ji and Master Ao have a chance." ”

Qin'er muttered: "Don't talk about Hanlin officials, it's not so easy to take the Xiucai exam!" ”

"Yes, I have no hope in this life, I can only count on our dogs."

"Fourth brother, are you saying that you, the official, can only do it now?"

"It's not like this, there is no hope of being promoted to the fourth grade in Beijing, but if there is a chance, you can release it, and if you can release it as a prefect, you will be from the fourth grade." Han Xiufeng thought for a while and said: "If you just want to wear one from the top of the fourth grade, it's easier, just spend the silver to donate one, but it's not interesting to spend the silver to donate." Even if you can make up for the lack of a prefect, you will still be looked down upon. ”

Thinking that it was hard to settle down, Qin'er put her arms around him and smiled: "The five products are the five products, and it's good to be the current five products." ”

"Yes, it's not peaceful today, the prefect just says it's good and looks majestic, but it's not easy to do."