roccoschili Chapter 70 Even the wicked need the wicked to grind them down.
Chapter 70 Even the wicked need the wicked to grind them down.
Shulan was happy for Zhou An upon hearing this, but her mood also became somewhat downcast.
Unless the whole family moves to Tongzhou, Zhou An will have to go to Tongzhou to study with Scholar Hu, and the couple will have to separate again.
However, for the sake of Zhou An's future, she did not show it.
"If your father has a solution, let's resolve this problem first, and then discuss it with your in-laws."
"Um!"
Zhou An nodded, took her hand and said, "Don't worry, whether Mom and Dad go or not, I will take you with me."
"what?"
Shulan was delighted to hear this, but she quickly shook her head and said, "My lord, let's forget it. Since you're away studying, I should stay home and serve my parents-in-law."
"It's alright, your parents are more than happy about it."
Zhou An laughed and said, "I have servants to take care of me at home, and now that I've passed the imperial examination, no one in Qinghe County will deliberately cause trouble for me."
There are many scholars in Qinghe County who have achieved the title of Xiucai (a lower-level scholar), but very few who have achieved the title of Juren (a higher-level scholar).
Because the palace examination abolished the elimination system, the difference between a provincial graduate and a metropolitan graduate was only one step. He was also young, and in a small place like Qinghe County, no one wanted to offend him.
"But…"
"There's no 'but' about it."
Zhou An interrupted her, saying, "I'll talk to my parents about it later."
Shulan didn't say anything after hearing this, but she was very happy inside.
The carriage stopped outside the Sheng family's gate, and the gatekeeper immediately went in to report.
After the two got out of the car and entered the gate with servants carrying gifts, Sheng Changsong hurriedly came out to greet them.
"Greetings, brother-in-law and elder sister!"
Sheng Changsong bowed and said, "Why didn't you let anyone know you were coming?"
"My husband just returned today and came here specifically to share the good news," Shulan said with a smile.
"Good news?"
Sheng Changsong was taken aback upon hearing this, then his face lit up with joy.
Congratulations, brother-in-law!
Thank you!
Zhou An smiled and nodded, then asked, "Is your father-in-law home?"
"Father is home, brother-in-law, please come in."
Sheng Changsong led the two to the main hall, where Sheng Wei was already sitting in the main seat, waiting.
"Father, my brother-in-law passed the imperial examination and became a scholar!"
As soon as he entered the main hall, Sheng Changsong couldn't wait to speak.
"real?"
Sheng Wei paused in stroking his beard, pulling out a few strands without noticing.
"Xiao Xu greets his father-in-law!"
"Daughter greets Father!"
The couple bowed deeply in respect.
"Okay, okay!"
Sheng Wei, regaining his composure, greeted them, "Please sit down!"
"Thank you, Father-in-law!"
After Zhou An thanked him, he turned around and pointed to the servant behind him who was carrying things, saying, "Xiao Xu brought back some gifts for my grandmother-in-law, father-in-law, and mother-in-law from Tongzhou."
"You can't do that again. We have everything we need!"
Sheng Wei said that, but he was actually very happy.
He originally thought that it would be great if Zhou An could pass the provincial examination next time and achieve top honors before the age of thirty.
Unexpectedly, Zhou An passed the exam on his first try.
If I pass the provincial examination again next year…
After the couple sat down, Sheng Wei inquired about Zhou An's experience in the provincial examination.
He had just finished speaking when Madam Li arrived at the main hall.
After exchanging greetings, Madam Li learned that her son-in-law had passed the imperial examination and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), and she was overjoyed.
After chatting for a while, Zhou An took the initiative to visit the old lady, and the group went to the old lady's courtyard.
After sitting and chatting for a while, Zhou An and Sheng Wei left, leaving Shulan to keep the old lady company.
"There's still about a year until the imperial examination. What are your plans, son-in-law?" Sheng Wei asked.
"Replying to my father-in-law..."
Zhou An explained his plan to go to Tongzhou to study under Hu Yuan.
"Your uncle wrote to me a few days ago, saying he's going to Bianjing to report on his work and asked me to accompany him."
He still has some connections in Bianjing. I was thinking of taking you with me, which is why we didn't set off.
"I've heard of Scholar Hu's name. If I can study under him, there's no need to travel all the way to Bianjing," Sheng Wei said with a smile.
Zhou An smiled and said, "Congratulations, Uncle Yue! I'll prepare a congratulatory gift later, and my father-in-law can take it over for me!"
Only the prefectural governor was qualified to go to the capital to report on his duties; in a prefecture, only the prefect and the vice-prefect had this qualification.
However, the performance review was not a regular event; he would only be summoned to the capital for a performance review when he was promoted.
A performance review can be seen as an assessment; it determines whether a promotion will be made, but it doesn't specify the exact assignment.
Going to give a performance review is equivalent to participating in an assessment, which determines the final appointment for promotion the following year.
However, this also gives officials the opportunity to exploit loopholes, and promotion is not always a good thing.
Once you're promoted from a position of real power to a sinecure, your career prospects are probably basically over.
Therefore, officials who came to the capital to report on their duties would make special arrangements after arriving in the capital in order to secure a good assignment.
Sheng Hong wanted Sheng Wei to come with him, and in addition to asking Sheng Wei to provide money, he also needed Sheng Wei to help him deliver gifts.
He couldn't possibly visit officials with lavish gifts, as that would easily give them ammunition against him.
It has to be said that Sheng Wei, his father-in-law, treated him exceptionally well.
Having served as an official for many years, Sheng Hong not only inherited his father's network of connections but also cultivated his own.
Furthermore, he had connections through his wife, Madam Wang's, family.
It should be noted that Madam Wang's father died while serving as Vice Chancellor, and was posthumously awarded the title of Grand Tutor and honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
He had quite a few protégés and former officials in the imperial court.
Sheng Wei asked him to come along so that Sheng Hong could help him find a teacher.
"There's no need for a congratulatory gift for now. We can wait until the official decree for the promotion comes through," Sheng Wei said, waving his hand.
"Then we will do as my father-in-law says!"
Zhou An pondered for a moment and said, "Father-in-law, Xiao Xu has come this time with a matter he would like to trouble you with for advice."
"What is it?"
Sheng Wei thought Zhou An had encountered some trouble, so he quickly asked.
Zhou An explained Zhou's situation and said, "If she just wants to borrow some money to get through this difficult time, then we can lend it to her."
But she's too greedy. Once Xiao Xu gives in, there will likely be endless trouble ahead.
"You did the right thing!"
Sheng Wei nodded approvingly and said, "If you really agree, you'll have plenty of trouble waiting for you in the future."
"That's what Xiao Xu thinks, but she's making a scene at our doorstep, which isn't a good thing. I really don't know what to do right now," Zhou An said.
Sheng Wei pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's easy. I know some people over there. I can ask someone to pass on a message and have the local gentry who owes her money send someone to arrest her."
"Um?"
Zhou An asked doubtfully, "Even so, won't she still cause trouble later?"
"Her family owes money and can't repay it, so they have to become tenant farmers. With someone watching them, they can't run away!" Sheng Wei explained.
"But will they agree?"
Zhou An understood Sheng Wei's meaning: tenant farmers and tenant households are two different concepts.
Tenants rent land and are required to pay rent to the landlord, but they are free in terms of personal freedom.
But tenant farmers are different; they are the landlord's servants, who work the land specifically for the landlord.
The landlord only needed to provide food and drink for the farmers; all the grain produced belonged to the landlord.
The Zhou family's land was rented out, while Shulan's dowry land was leased to tenant farmers.
Some people lost their land for various reasons and could only rely on landlords as tenant farmers.
They were propertyless and jobless, and would starve to death once they left their master's house.
Some tenant farmers also chose to run away because they could no longer bear the exploitation.
Therefore, landlords would send people to keep an eye on the tenant farmers.
However, Zhou's husband's family owed a lot of money, and the few people in the family alone were not enough to pay off the debt.
"Don't worry, I still have that much face. Even if they don't give me that face, I can still pay them secretly. Why would a few tenant farmers refuse a free gift?" Sheng Wei said.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, father-in-law!"
Zhou An wasn't a saint either; although his methods were somewhat dishonorable.
But evil people need evil people to teach them a lesson.
Moreover, in a sense, he had saved their family.
Otherwise, the creditors would sell Zhou's grandchildren and daughter-in-law. Zhou and his wife would be worthless, but they could still be tenant farmers.
With Shengwei's intervention, although they were still tenant farmers, their families were not torn apart, and they were able to survive.