Compared to the matters that the Minister of Revenue was concerned about,
The results of the palace examination came out first. The top scorer was a student from Yangzhou. He was very talented.
The second runner-up was a student from Shanxi. He was quite old, in his thirties. He was one of the only two students who said that he wanted to govern the Loess Plateau in the exam paper. The third runner-up was a student from Sichuan.
He was very good-looking.
He was worthy of the title of the third runner-up. The key was that he was still very young.
He was only eighteen years old and had yet to marry.
As for Jia Zhen, he was ranked twenty-first in the second grade.
In fact, Jia Zhen's ranking in the palace examination should be far higher than that.
However, when Tu Chen decided on the ranking, he met Jia Jing and showed Jia Zhen's exam paper to Jia Jing.
He said,
With Jia Zhen's ranking,
He could definitely enter the first grade.
Jia Jing tactfully declined.
He said directly, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid you don't know my son's wish. My son used to be a foppish playboy. Ever since he married his current wife, he has worked hard to improve himself. This is because he wants his wife to wear the title of noblewoman, not because of the ancestral title, but because he earned it with his own ability. In fact, my son doesn't have much talent, and he still has some feelings for women. My son has never thought of entering the first grade. He once told me that he was lucky enough to pass the general examination. In the palace examination, he can even be the last in the second grade, as long as he doesn't fall into the same category as the Jinshi."
"Jia Zhen and the rumors outside are the same. Lord Jia, don't you have any opinions on this?" Tu Chen teased. "Only a man would be afraid of his wife.
How could he be afraid of a weak woman? If he didn't love her, how could he be willing to endure it? This old man thinks that this is quite good. Everything will prosper if the family is harmonious. Our family already has so many children, and there's no need for us to have more children. As long as the two children are well, the entire family will be harmonious. Zheng'er also knows how to improve himself because of his wife. This is more important than anything else. For this reason, I'm not deaf, mute, or a father. This old man will pretend that he doesn't know anything. "On this point, as a father-in-law, Jia Jing was very open-minded.
"You're right." Tu Chen thought of the rumors outside, but Jia Zhen himself acted as if nothing had happened. He had to ask his wife about everything, fearing that his wife would be unhappy. Tu Chen suddenly felt a trace of envy in his heart. If only he had a woman by his side who forced him to work hard and fight for her. The two of them complemented each other, supported each other, and walked to the end of their lives together. Unfortunately, as the Emperor, he was destined not to have such a woman.
Jia Jing breathed a sigh of relief. Since the Emperor valued Zheng'er so much, presumably, he wouldn't let Zheng'er stand in the teeth of the storm.
As Jia Jing said, in the top ten list for the Emperor to choose from, the Emperor removed Jia Zhen from the list. He ordered people to make Jia Zhen the twenty-first place of the second. After all, Jia Zhen's reputation of being henpecked had already spread. At this time, the three people in the first place might not be able to stop the leisurely mouths of the scholars. After all, henpecked was indeed a bad reputation for those who were upright. It was more appropriate to put him in the twenty-first place of the second place.
Jia Zhen didn't have any thoughts about his ranking. As he said, it didn't matter if he was last in the second place of the second place, as long as he didn't fall into the same category as the Jinshi. After all, he was a person who got in through connections. The Hanlin Academy was the territory of the Ministry of Rites. His father just had to give a call to the Hanlin Academy scholars, and he would be able to enter the Hanlin Academy. After he stayed in the Hanlin Academy for two or five years, his father would secretly arrange for him to be sent to the Ministry of Rites. With his father's help, he would be responsible for one or two things, accumulate merits, and then slowly be promoted. When his father retired, it would be best if he could be the left and right assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites.
Compared to the other departments, the Ministry of Rites was still a little easier. He also had more time to earn more money. There were so many sons in the family. In the future, the betrothal gifts for their marriage would cost a lot of money. Moreover, these sons would have to live separately. Even if they were separated from the family, he didn't have to worry about them living a bad life. Jia Zhen thought like an old father.
After becoming a Jinshi, naturally, they would be paraded through the streets on horseback. The top scorer, the second place, and the third place of the Jinshi would be paraded through the streets on horseback. The rest of the Jinshi would be paraded through the streets according to their rankings. At this time, the streets were bustling with noise and excitement. There were commoners on both sides of the street who were watching the fun. Some girls were even holding many flowers and sachets in their hands. The families who were particular would rent the shops by the windows on both sides of the street for the ladies of the noble families to watch.
Jia Zhen walked in the parade procession and looked at the flowers and sachets thrown at them by the two girls beside him. He finally understood Meng Jiao's poem, "Flushed with the spring wind, the horse gallops at full speed, seeing all the flowers in Chang 'an in a day." However, the girls would usually throw such things at the three people in front of them. The three people in front of them would usually get the third flower. The top scholar looked average, and the role model was older. The third flower, on the other hand, was fresh and bright. Compared to the first two, she looked like a fairy. Moreover, not only was she good-looking, she was also young and unmarried. Naturally, she was more popular with the girls.
After the parade, it was time for the Qionglin Banquet. The Emperor would invite the new Jinshi, and then all the civil and military officials would accompany him. The main characters of the day were the new Jinshi. After the Emperor gave the top scorer, role model, and third place of the Jinshi official positions, what would they do tomorrow? Generally speaking, the top scorer would be awarded the title of a sixth rank editor in Hanlin Academy, while the second place and third place of the Jinshi official would be awarded the title of a seventh rank editor in Hanlin Academy. As for the second place of the Jia Zhen, if they did not have other connections, they would have to take the exam if they wanted to enter Hanlin Academy. After passing the exam, the second place of the Jinshi official could also become a seventh rank editor in Hanlin Academy. As for the third place of the Jinshi official, after passing the exam, they would be in the lower class of Classics and Scribes. Therefore, it was said that the starting point of a Jinshi official was much lower than the first and second place of the Jinshi official.
However, this was not absolute. It depended more on one's ability and planning when one became an official in the future. Both were indispensable. There were many officials who were good at reading but did not achieve anything in their official career. In fact, many top scorers could not even compare with their peers after becoming an official in the imperial court. After becoming an official in the imperial court, the competition was no longer about knowledge. For a bookworm, the situation was quite worrying.
Although the main characters of the Qionglin Banquet were the Jinshi officials, it was also necessary for them to greet the other officials. When the Qionglin Banquet began, it was a good time for the new Jinshi officials to recommend themselves. Therefore, they had to show off their talents at the Qionglin Banquet and show off their talents to those who appreciated them. After all, after today, the top scorers would only be seventh rank editors, while the officials sitting here were at least fourth rank officials. If they liked them and supported them, they would be successful in their official career in the future.
Therefore, even Su Jiusi and Yuan Lin kept showing off their talents at the Qionglin Banquet. Every Jinshi was like a peacock spreading its tail, attracting the attention of the officials. However, Jia Zhen was an exception. He hid himself and drank a little wine. The wine on the table today was the tribute wine. It was not particularly good for him, but it should be good wine for ordinary people.
Jia Zhen hid, unintentionally blocking the light of others. However, someone did not let him hide and relax. This person was naturally the Minister of Revenue. He had been asking about that matter these days, but the Emperor had not given him an answer. In the end, the Emperor was so pestered that he had no choice but to say that Jia Zhen was busy and did not have time to deal with this matter. How could the Minister of Revenue not be anxious? If the imperial court allocated money for one more day, the cost would be huge.
"Count Jia, why are you hiding here and drinking alone? Let me drink with you." The Minister of Revenue walked over with a smile and sat beside Jia Zhen.
Jia Zhen glanced at the person who came and scolded in her heart, "Old fox, looking at your smiling face, I know that you want to scheme against someone. Humph, humph, I gave you the cold shoulder for two days and you can't wait."
Although he cursed in his heart, Jia Zhen still smiled and said, "Of course I'm happy to drink with you, Minister of Revenue." Jia Zhen picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for the Minister of Revenue. Then, he filled his own cup and said, "Here's to you." After that, he picked up the wine cup and clinked glasses with the Minister of Revenue.
The Minister of Revenue drank with a smile and thought, "It's easy to get drunk." He had been paying attention to Jia Zhen just now and had drunk a lot. His alcohol tolerance was not bad. He didn't believe that he couldn't get him drunk today.
Jia Zhen also smiled and thought, "His alcohol tolerance is not the same as his father's. His father can only drink a few cups. When he married his mother, he had already mixed it with water, but he fainted after drinking a few cups. It is said that his father missed the wedding night perfectly. Others say that his father's alcohol tolerance is completely different from his grandfather's. His grandfather drank from a jug, and his alcohol tolerance was the same as his grandfather's."
However, whether he could drink well or not and whether he liked to drink were two different things. In any case, he had never been drunk since he was born. This Minister of Revenue wanted to drink with him? After seeing his father's alcohol tolerance, he wanted to bully him. Not only was there no door, but there was also no window for him.
Jia Zhen and the Minister of Revenue drank one cup after another. Yang Sheng reminded Tu Chen to look at the Jia Zhen and the Minister of Revenue in the corner.
Tu Chen looked at the two of them competing in drinking, raised his eyebrows, and said, "Find someone to watch those two beloved officials. They are both pillars of the imperial court, it's better not to lose face in front of outsiders." Tu Chen thought that he was indeed a considerate master, even considering the face of his subjects. Tu Chen smiled and looked at the two who were fighting. He didn't need to think to know why they were fighting. It was also good for them to fight. In any case, he wouldn't lose out.
"Yes." Yang Sheng also smiled and quickly left. He specially sent two eunuchs to watch the Jia Zhen and the Minister of Revenue.
Jia Zhen and the Minister of Revenue drank one cup after another. As they drank, they said, "The Emperor should have told you about that matter. Have you thought about it?"
"He did tell me, but why should I take it?" Jia Zhen looked at the Minister of Revenue and said, "My wife hates this kind of thing the most. I might as well tell you the truth. In the capital, that shop with no name is also my family's. It's because my wife doesn't like this kind of thing that we only receive female customers."
The Minister of Revenue narrowed his eyes and looked at the Jia Zhen. He smiled and said, "I knew it, that shop must be yours. My wife is also a frequent customer there and often goes there. The things sold there are not cheap. This old man spends most of his monthly salary on that shop. Count Jia really knows how to make money." The Minister of Revenue looked at the Jia Zhen. Such a good money maker, if he wasn't in the Ministry of Revenue, wouldn't it be a waste of talent? He had to be patient. He couldn't act rashly and alert the enemy. If he alerted that old fox Jia Jing, it wouldn't be good. Taking advantage of the fact that the little fox hadn't matured yet, he had to get him under his wing. That was the right thing to do.
"You get what you pay for. It's mainly because the things are good that they're expensive, right? If the things aren't good and they're expensive, then they're really profiteers. "Jia Zhen smiled and thought about how to trick the Minister of Revenue. Spending his monthly salary on his shop? Wasn't that natural? How much could the Minister of Revenue's monthly salary be? Most of it was paid out of filial piety. How many of these officials actually relied on their monthly salary to make a living?
"Alright. Speaking of which, you won't suffer any losses. Besides, you have such a big shop. Are you willing to let others seize it? When the time comes, the customers will be scattered. You won't be able to recoup the money you invested, "said the Minister of Revenue.
"That's not true. You have to know that the background of my shop is not ordinary. How many people in the capital would dare to do that?" Jia Zhen said.
"Although the background is extraordinary, you make it sound as if you can put it out in the open. When the time comes, people will pretend that they don't know anything. What will you do? You have to know that there's an old prince in the capital who's eyeing that chair covetously. When the time comes, he'll pretend that he doesn't know anything. Then he'll go up to the Minister of Revenue and act coquettishly. With his mother's help, pillow talk is better than anything else. Even the Minister of Revenue can't go up against it directly. He can only suffer in silence, right?" As the Minister of Revenue, Lord He was obviously not to be trifled with.
"You're right. How do you plan to sell it?" Jia Zhen asked.
"If Earl Jia can resolve this matter, you won't have to pay a single cent," said the Minister of Revenue.
Jia Zhen looked at the Minister of Revenue. Not a single cent? Such a good deal? There was no such thing as a free lunch in the world. "Not a single cent? Such a good deal? You're planning to split the money earned by these people with you, right? "
"Not half to me, half to the national treasury. The Ministry of Revenue will take half of the money earned by these people. What do you think?" The Minister of Revenue corrected the Jia Zhen. Some things had to be made clear. If someone with ulterior motives heard this, they would think that he was using the Ministry of Revenue to earn money.
The Jia Zhen sneered and said, "Let's drink."
The Minister of Revenue clinked glasses with the Jia Zhen and said, "What do you think?"
"Nothing much?" The Jia Zhen downed the wine in his glass in one gulp. Hmph, you old fox. You want to trick me? No way.
"This is a profitable business with little capital." The Minister of Revenue was anxious.
"Lord He, as expected of the Minister of Revenue. You're so good at earning money. The people in the barracks were originally allocated by the imperial court. Now that you've changed hands, not only do you not have to bear the expenses here, but you've also earned so much. Your business is doing well, but business is business. Don't you think that you're exploiting me too much? Do you really think that I'm stupid and easy to cheat?" The Jia Zhen rolled his eyes and picked up the wine jug again. He filled his glass and looked at the Minister of Revenue, who was calculating with his abacus. You old fox, you still want to scheme against me? Dream on.
"How can you think like that? This can only be considered a win-win situation. It's beneficial for both of us. The imperial court doesn't need to allocate any more funds, and we're even making a profit. What about you? You don't need to train new people either. Those people are already experienced, and their quality is much better than the ones outside, "the Minister of Revenue said anxiously.
"Win-win? I think you're the only one who's winning. Not only did you get rid of this burden, but you also turned it into a source of income. What about me? Not only did I lose money, but in the end, the official barracks became private. Although the orders were given by the higher-ups, I was the one who had to bear the infamy. Moreover, no matter how private it was, it was still under the official name. I still had to be responsible for their safety. When it really started, I still had to be responsible for their retirement. You'll get half of the money they earned. Don't even think about it.
The Minister of Revenue was a little frustrated when he saw that he couldn't trick the Jia Zhen. "Drink," the vexed Minister of Revenue could only say.
The Jia Zhen glanced at the wine cup. Fine, I'll drink. Am I afraid of you?
Thus, the Jia Zhen and the Minister of Revenue drank one cup after another. In the end, the first one to collapse was naturally the Minister of Revenue. At this time, the Jia Zhen was also a little dizzy. In the end, he had already drunk a lot before drinking with the Minister of Revenue. The Minister of Revenue came over to drink with the Jia Zhen, so it was obvious that his alcohol tolerance was not weak.
Seeing the Minister of Revenue collapse, the eunuchs serving at the side hurriedly came over and helped the Jia Zhen and the Minister of Revenue to the side hall at the back to rest. Yang Sheng came over and reported, "Both of them are drunk. Lord He has already collapsed from drinking, and Count Jia is also a little dizzy. The palace servants have already fed them hangover soup. I estimate that the two of them should be able to wake up by the end of the Qionglin Banquet."
Tu Chen raised his eyebrows and said, "It seems that the battle is still very intense. Minister He's alcohol tolerance is not weak. Even he has collapsed from drinking. It seems that Jia Zhen's alcohol tolerance is even higher." Tu Chen gloated.
"Isn't that so? According to the eunuchs serving them, the two of them argued very fiercely over that matter. In the end, it seemed that Lord He was faintly at a disadvantage. "At that time, the eunuchs serving the Jia Zhen and the Minister of Revenue were naturally Tu Chen's trusted aides. The Jia Zhen and the Minister of Revenue also knew the eunuchs' identities, so they did not hide it from the eunuchs serving them.
"No matter what, Jia Zhen has to learn from his mistakes. After being schemed against so many times, how can he continue to be schemed against? Forget it, we only need to wait for the result of the argument between the two of them. There's no need to participate." Tu Chen smiled and was in an extremely good mood. At this time, it was right not to participate. The palm of the hand and the back of the hand of the hand were flesh and blood. If one of them pulled him to make the decision, he would be in a difficult position. As expected, if one was not deaf and mute, one would not be a father.
Yang Sheng looked at Tu Chen's expression as if he was watching the tigers fight from the other side of the river. If the two of them were here, they might do something disgraceful.
The hangover soup from the palace was definitely a special medicine. Before the Qionglin Banquet ended, even the Minister of Revenue, who had fainted from drinking, woke up at this time. He and the Jia Zhen looked at each other. It was very obvious that they were still thinking about that matter.
"It's not impossible for me to take over, but the rules have to be changed," the Jia Zhen said.
"Speak," the Minister of Revenue said.
"Let's change the people in the barracks into rentals. Let's rent everyone in the barracks for a year. Five thousand taels of silver. I'll rent them for thirty years first. When the time is up, I'll have the priority to continue renting them. What do you think?" the Jia Zhen said.
Even though the Minister of Revenue was still a little muddled because of the alcohol, after hearing the Jia Zhen's suggestion, his mind started to work quickly. Indeed, this was the best choice for the Jia Zhen. If it became private, the Jia Zhen's reputation would only increase. Something that didn't cost money was something that everyone wanted to do, as long as they gave half of the dividends to the Minister of Revenue in the end. However, if it became rentals, there would still be officials, but they would no longer provide services to officials. Moreover, they would pay rent before that.
"What do you think?" The Jia Zhen raised his eyebrows. He was sure that the Minister of Revenue would make this choice. After all, the only person who dared to do such a big thing was him, who had the Emperor's support. The Minister of Revenue couldn't find any other officials with such a big appetite. Of course, that was on the Emperor's side. That foolish and bold Prince Zhongshun was another matter.
"The rentals are too little. Ten thousand taels a year. I'll give you all the nannies who teach them," the Minister of Revenue said.
"Are you robbing me? Six thousand taels, no more. My shop hasn't even opened yet. I need to spend money everywhere. "The Jia Zhen refused.
"Nine thousand taels. Once they officially start, the money will only flow in," the Minister of Revenue said.
In the end, the two of them agreed on a price of eight thousand taels a year. However, once the contract was signed, the Jia Zhen would fully take care of the food and clothing of all the people in the camp. Because of the cash flow problems, the two hundred and forty thousand taels of silver would be paid in four installments. The first installment would be ten percent, the fifth installment would be forty percent, the fifteenth installment would be thirty percent, and the last year would be the remaining twenty percent.
After the two of them finished their discussion, they were quite satisfied with the price. For the Minister of Revenue, not only did he not have to bear the burden of the camp, he even made a small profit. This was a pleasant surprise.
Tu Chen immediately found out about the two's discussion. The next day, the Jia Zhen specially made a trip to the Ministry of Revenue to sign the contract. After the contract was signed, the Jia Zhen called Halcyon over and told him to hurry up with the construction of Xiaolan Village. They couldn't wait until the latest time to open. They had to open as soon as possible. Otherwise, the daily expenses would be too much for him to bear.
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