After the cousins bought their official positions, they would take office separately in a few days.

Shen Shuren only lived for more than a month before and after coming to Nanjing, and in the end he had to go his separate ways.

One day in early September, Shen Shuren rented a boat on the Qinhuai River and gave Zhang Huangyan a practice. There are also a few new friends who also came to join in the fun.

Zhang Huangyan is also the first like-minded buddy that Shen Shuren met after coming to this world, although the risk of going here is not great, but no one dares to guarantee absolute safety in troubled times.

Shen Shuren is in line with the mentality that he will be drunk today, and the singing and dancing women invited are all the best, and they do not hesitate to spend a lot of money. Several of them are still the popular Oiran invited by Wu Weiye at the previous Bailuzhou Buying Official Conference.

"Sending you a thousand miles must be goodbye in the end, this time to Tongcheng, cousin must be careful to guard the city, do not move lightly. After surviving this winter, after next spring, as long as I perform well, Elder Yang Ge will find a way to move my position. When the time comes, we will join forces to deal with the Fifth Battalion of the Revolution and make a great contribution!

What Zhang Xianzhong is best at is to pretend to be a refugee and a rout of thieves to sneak into the city, and take the city from inside and outside. Its strength in attacking the city is far inferior to Li Zicheng. The Fifth Battalion of the Revolution was coerced out by Zhang Xianzhong, but he also learned Zhang Xianzhong's style, so you must be careful. ”

Zhang Huangyan held the wine glass in front of him and drank it all: "Virtuous brother rest assured!" I will check the people and soldiers who come in and out of the city every day. It's you, Zhu Dadian obviously has a grudge against your family, and he gave you a fat shortage, there must be fraud behind it. These dark tricks are terrifying. ”

Zhang Huangyan said, poured another cup, and thanked another friend who came to see him off: "Brother Fang, don't say anything else politely, your generous fist to help, Zhang Mou must be careful to keep the place, as a reward." ”

On the opposite side, a twenty-seven or eighteen-year-old man with a thick beard also arched his hand and accompanied him with a cup: "What should be done, the interpretation of the official position is the official weapon of the imperial court, how can you thank the private door."

Fang Mou had a slight friendship with Hou Chaozong, and he just helped you say a few words. When you took the township test a month ago, Brother Cangshui, your riding and archery skills were amazing.

Since the imperial court wants to choose a few new officials to guard Tongcheng, Fang Mou certainly hopes to choose practical talents, not mediocre talents who are unrestrained and unknowing, and helping others is helping himself. ”

It turned out that this person's name was Fang Yizhi, and he was the first name of the current Konan Zhili Township Test, Xie Yuan, and he also took the initiative to make friends with Zhang Huangyan and Shen Shuren after the official document buying meeting a few days ago.

And Shen Shuren knew that Fang Yizhi had not been a traitor in history, and of course he would not refuse this kind of olive branch extended by a decent literati.

(Note: Historically, Fang Yizhi also succeeded in high school in the next year's examination and palace examination, and was finally admitted to the fifty-fourth place in Chongzhen's thirteenth year. ）

Fang Yizhi is a native of Tongcheng County, Anqing Prefecture, Nanzhili, and the flood of the fifth battalion of the left has caused a lot of harm to his hometown.

And most of the people who send money to buy officials are also reluctant to go to those places.

The situation in Tongcheng is slightly better than that of Qianshan and Huoshan next door, anyway, the vacancies in the three counties are empty, Fang Yizhi used his old friendship with Hou Fangyu to help make peace, and finally got Zhang Huangyan to Tongcheng.

In terms of the other party's wisdom, this arrangement is not a loss. Zhang Huangyan can be literate and martial, and he seems to be more reliable than other scholars, and when he goes to Tongcheng, the safety of the Fang family is also more guaranteed.

This year's township test is the first time to take the riding archery test, Zhang Huangyan shot three arrows in a row during the test, and one of the arrows hit the bull's-eye.

Although this kind of martial arts is nothing among the generals, it definitely stands out among the talents, and it left a very deep impression on Fang Yizhi.

……

The three of them drank until the glass was dry, and everything that should be explained was finished.

Zhang Huangyan also set sail on a few boats of the Shen family and a hundred or so families with martial arts and muskets.

After seeing his cousin leave, Shen Shuren also rarely gave the other party a wise arch and said politely:

"Brother Fang, I'm not good at reading, and I never like to deal with people who are dead readers. I really didn't expect that you, as the current branch of the Jieyuan, would be willing to hand over to those of us who bought officials. ”

Fang Yizhi also smiled warmly: "Win people with words, and lose them." Just because I don't buy an official doesn't mean I can't be friends with someone who buys an official.

Although you are not good at learning, but looking at your words and deeds, you can be regarded as a gentleman and frank, and that day he openly told Wu Shanchang about buying officials, and it made sense to say it, which is really shocking.

In the future, you will know that I have a wide range of hobbies, strange skills, general knowledge of physics, and everything is good. I think you're also an eclectic person, and you'll have a chance to learn more in the future. ”

Shen Shuren nodded, the other party knew each other with wisdom, and he could be regarded as completely recognizing this friend.

Fang Yizhi's words are really not bragging, he has written "Physics Knowledge" and "Tongya" in history, which are all encyclopedic books.

Of course, his "physics" is not Newton's physics, and the content of the book includes astronomy, geography, biology, machinery, mineral smelting, and so on.

"Physics Knowledge" should still be in its infancy now, and it will take Chongzhen sixteen years to write it. And "Tongya" is more complicated, and it was written behind closed doors after the death of the Ming Dynasty.

Shen Shuren had been thinking about the matter of becoming a magistrate and climbing science and technology to farm for the benefit of the people, but now that he knew that Fang Yizhi was interested in these, he couldn't help but test the other party's level.

While drinking wine, Shen Shuren gestured on the table with wine, and casually picked a question: "Since Brother Fang is interested in astronomy and geography, industrial and agricultural machinery, I don't know if you have read Xu Gelao's "The Complete Book of Agricultural Administration" and Song Changgeng's "Heavenly Creations"?" ”

Fang Yizhi originally just thought that Shen Shuren was eclectic, and did not expect him to know much science and engineering knowledge. Hearing Shen Shuren casually say two books, he was suddenly a little more surprised, and looked at Shen Shuren again.

Fang Yizhi said: "Xu Ge's old-timer Daxian, of course I have read all of his "Complete Book of Agricultural Administration". However, Song Changgeng's "Heavenly Creations", I have only heard of it slightly, and I have not heard that the book has been printed, has the virtuous brother actually read it? ”

Xu Guangqi's "Complete Book of Agricultural Administration" was not completed during his lifetime, and some of the posthumous manuscripts were sorted out by the descendants of the Xu family. However, Xu Guangqi's family is rich and has a prominent status, so it is faster to take it to engraving and printing, and this book has now been published for five or six years, and readers who love science and production and food practice can read it more or less.

Song Yingxing's "Heavenly Creations", Chongzhen only completed the book in ten years, only two years ago, Song Yingxing's family is still poor, and he can't afford to carve this kind of book that can't be sold at a loss, and it has not been printed so far.

Shen Shuren only had a sentence or two, and roughly figured out Fang Yizhi's level, and then asked a question with a smile:

"Brother Fang, do you know that when we plant cotton and weave cotton cloth in the Susong area, if we accidentally 'top' off the cupola buds of cotton when cotton is growing, then cotton may survive?"

Fang Yizhi frowned: "Therefore, according to the old legend, the cupola of cotton must be well protected, so that the cotton plant can grow taller and bigger." If the top bud is picked, the cotton plant must be short and thin, which is said in Xu Gelao's "Complete Book of Agricultural Administration". Brother Shen Xian asked, could it be that on Song Changgeng's "Heavenly Creation", there is another strange theory? ”

Shen Shuren shook the folding fan lightly and casually revealed the mystery:

"Brother Fang is talented, and his reaction is really fast. That's right, after the cotton buds are picked, although they will be short, the power of water and fertilizer will be poured into the flowering and peaches, and more flowers will be produced. If you don't pluck your heart, you just look tall, and the nutrients are wasted on the empty and long man, and there are more useless straws. ”

Shen Shuren instinctively thought of giving this example, also because this example was the most famous in "Heavenly Creation".

He remembers watching "One Hundred Thousand Whys" when he was a child, and there was a quote in it, saying that "the top advantage of crops" was first discovered by Chinese scientist Song Yingxing, earlier than the West.

Fang Yizhi really hadn't heard of it, and for a while he felt that this new friend in front of him, who didn't learn and didn't know how to learn, was actually stronger than himself in miscellaneous studies.

His curiosity was fully stimulated: "Then how do you know if it's Xu Ge Lao or Song Changgeng?" ”

Shen Shuren smiled and spread his hands: "I tried it with my own hands, our Shen family is in Suzhou, thousands of manors, hundreds of sea ships, Suzhou embroidered silk tea, Songjiang cotton cloth, are the largest business in my family."

As soon as I read this paragraph in "Heavenly Creations", I immediately asked the family in Zhuangzi to try it, and I really harvested two or three percent more cotton that year, and the growth period was shortened. My family relied on this cotton to collect tens of thousands of extra pieces of cotton cloth a year, and earned an extra few thousand taels of silver.

Later, I generalized, and also found that other farming, there are a lot of touchable bypasses, to apply Song Changgeng's discovery, the top buds pinched, not let the straw grow taller, water and fertilizer nutrients focused on filling the pulp of the grain, and the yield of the edible part increased. ”

Fang Yizhi was completely stunned, he didn't expect Shen Shuren to be such a direct doer.

Any theory can deceive people, but the money earned back will not deceive people. The Shen family can collect so much more cotton for nothing by topping, which is ironclad evidence.

"On paper, I finally feel shallow, I never know that this matter has to be done, the ancients are honest and do not deceive me, the virtuous brother is vigorous and resolute, and the foolish brother admires." Fang Yizhi didn't care if he was Xie Yuan, he stood up frankly and waved it, which can be regarded as convincing Shen Shuren.

Shen Shuren hit the snake with the stick, and took the opportunity to persuade: "Then I don't know if Brother Fang has other things to do after staying in Nanjing for a long time after this township test?" Or just wait until the end of the year in Nanjing, and then go north directly to take the entrance examination?

If you have time, the younger brother is willing to invite Brother Fang to travel to Suzhou for a few months, we will see each other at first sight, and we can also learn about astronomy and geography, industrial and agricultural machinery. ”

Shen Shuren has always spared no effort to attract scientists and science and engineering talents in this era, since he met Fang Yizhi, there is no reason to let go, even if it is just to make a friend and learn first.

In the future, when he becomes a big official, he will definitely dig up Song Yingxing.

Fang Yizhi thought about it, and there was nothing to do in Nanjing for the next three or four months, so he agreed.

Shen Shuren was still a little embarrassed, and kindly reminded: "Brother Fang, you still can't lose the eight-share article, otherwise if you can't pass the spring next year, don't blame me." ”

Fang Yizhi was stimulated with arrogance, and said proudly: "I can take the Xie Yuan exam today, even if I don't write articles for four months, I will still have a spring next year!"

I can see it now, these two sessions of the township examination, the importance of the eight-share article is getting lower and lower, the original policy theory that could not open the gap is worth it, otherwise, people like me who are more knowledgeable will not be able to understand the yuan.

Brother Xian, it's not me who said, although your Bagu article is not very good, but the times create heroes, and today's talent selection standards are gradually beneficial to you, next spring, you should also try, since you donated the prisoners, you don't take the test in vain. ”

What Fang Yizhi said is the truth.

Historically, next year's spring will last be Wei Zaode as the champion, according to the "History of the Ming Dynasty", this Wei Zaode's eight-share article is not outstanding, but his current policy theory is more to Chongzhen's taste, it stands out, and in just four years, he became the first assistant of the cabinet, which can be called the promotion of God (the last first assistant before Chongzhen hanged himself).

It can be seen that in the last two sessions of the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen also had to make major concessions and reforms in the imperial examination.

If Shen Shuren really wants to take the exam, as long as he makes up for the eight-strand foundation a little, it is not completely out of chance.

After all, Shen Shuren has read the biography of Wei Zaode in the "History of the Ming Dynasty", and what is the policy question of the palace examination in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen's examination is written on this biography, which is nothing more than some questions on how to pacify the thieves, and Shen Shuren is equivalent to opening the eyes of heaven to leak the question.

If he is allowed to take the township examination, there is absolutely no hope, who makes the level of the township examination too low, and the exam questions will not be written on the "History of the Ming Dynasty". However, the more advanced examination may be reversed.

However, Shen Shuren didn't deliberately pursue these, his current purpose was just to persuade Fang Yizhi to go back with him to travel and learn for a while, and talk about the rest later.

The two talked completely, and Fang Yizhi also went back to pack his luggage, and said that he would leave and travel with Shen Shuren.

The few Oirans who were singing and dancing on the side were also surprised to see that the top talent Fang Xie Yuan could be impressed by this local tyrant Shen Gongzi.