Jia Min's Counterattack

"It's like this. My eldest grandson loved reading diligently since he was a child, and was fortunate to be admitted to Xixi Academy to study. However, although our Liu family is rich in gold and silver, the identity of this merchant has been repeatedly looked down upon by others. My grandson My son has been studying in Xixi Academy for seven or eight years, but no gentleman is willing to accept him as an apprentice, and even he couldn't find five sponsors when he was a scholar. Sigh..." Da Ming said to the businessman The official requirements are very demanding.Not only are the three generations of merchants eligible to take the exam, but more than five sponsors must write a letter of recommendation before they can participate in the college examination.

"Hasn't Mr. Liu participated in the hospital examination?" Lin Ruhai asked Liu Guanjie.

"Master Hou just call the student Guanjie! According to Master Hou, the student passed the Tongsheng exam five years ago, but he is still not qualified to take the college exam, so he is still a white man!" Liu Guanjie stood up and replied respectfully.

"Well! Sit down and talk, you don't have to be so formal!"

"Thank you, Lord Hou!" Liu Guanjie saluted respectfully again before turning around and sitting next to Liu Jinbao.

"Does Mrs. Liu want me to write a recommendation letter for Guanjie?" Lin Ruhai asked again.

Liu Jinbao looked back at Liu Guanjie again, eyes full of expectation, Liu Guanjie suddenly stood up, walked to Lin Ruhai and knelt down, saying: "Although the students are less talented, their desire to learn is not weaker than others. Students have admired Hou Yewen for a long time. , hoping to get advice from Master Hou. Students know that they are stupid, but they still have the audacity to ask Master Hou to accept students as apprentices! Students should follow Master Hou as an example, and dare not say that they are like Master Hou, but anyone who can learn from Master Hou The students are already satisfied with the ability of two points!"

After Liu Guanjie finished speaking, Lin Ruhai did not speak immediately, but seriously looked at this somewhat thin and delicate young man.Liu Guanjie looks to be 24 or [-] years old, maybe because of nervousness, his complexion is slightly pale, his appearance has the unique gentleness of Jiangnan men, his eyes are clear, and although he has his own little schemes, he is very open in front of others.She was wearing a beautifully tailored sky blue cloud brocade robe, and an ordinary mahogany hairpin was inserted into her hair.It can be seen that although this young man grew up in the family of an upstart salt merchant, he is not very concerned about foreign things.The clothes should be made by the embroiderer at home, and the mahogany hairpin is obviously his own preference, because the hairpin is engraved with a roc, and it seems that this young man also has ambitions in his heart.

When Old Master Liu said those words, Lin Ruhai already understood the reason why their grandfather and grandson came to him.If Liu Guanjie had always let Liu Jinbao answer his questions, then Lin Ruhai would simply reject them.However, Liu Guanjie finally mustered up the courage to put forward his own ideas.

"Guanjie, since you want to worship me as your teacher, then I have to ask you a few more questions, and you must answer truthfully!"

"Yes! Students must know everything and say everything!"

"The first question, your family has a lot of assets, why don't you spend money to hire someone to be a sponsor like other students?"

"Students grew up studying Confucius and Mencius. Although they were limited by their backgrounds and could not compete fairly with other classmates, they didn't bother to do these small tricks. Parents at home also thought about spending money to hire sponsors, but they were all rejected by the students. Refused. Fortunately, my grandfather has always supported the student, so the student has persisted for so many years!"

"Hmm! The second question is, if you pass the examination as a scholar, have you ever thought about whether you should continue to take the examination of Juren Jinshi, or just stop here and go home to inherit the family business?"

"Students are not talented, and I have always had a dream in my heart, which is to make the people of the world no longer have to worry about rice and grain. Students know that if they can be appointed by officials, they can help more people, but if they fail to pass the exam, students will not I will not give up on this, and after the students inherit the family business in the future, they will also help the people, teach them the skills of survival, and enable them to live a good life with their own hands."

"The last question, you have studied in Xixi Academy for so many years, you must have known a lot of great Confucianism, that is, my brother, your Dean Qin's knowledge is not inferior to mine, why do you have to worship me as a teacher?"

"Because of Lord Hou's status, status and connections, students can't wait for them. Students have great ambitions in their hearts, and they also want to find a famous teacher for themselves, a guide who can help students realize their dreams!"

Lin Ruhai picked up the tea bowl and drank a few sips of tea, pondered for a moment and said, "You are an aspiring young man, but you are too pedantic! Let's take the sponsor as an example. If you don't have the ability to be admitted as a scholar, that's all. You are capable, but you are imprisoned by the so-called way of a gentleman. You must know that not everyone in this world follows the way of a gentleman as you do. If you can’t get along with them in harmony, then it is Even if you become an official in the future, you will soon become the target of others to crush you, and you may eventually lose your bones! You can’t be too rigid in your behavior, you must be flexible in order to stand in the world.”

"Does it mean that you have to follow the wind to get a foothold in the officialdom?" Liu Guanjie asked with a frown.

"Not only to follow the wind to make the rudder, but also to learn to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, double-faced! Because there are all kinds of people in the officialdom, if you face those villains, how do you deal with them? The most stupid way is to face them head-on. The result is a loss for both sides. Fight evil with evil and save yourself, only then can you have a chance to realize those dreams of yours!"

It was probably the first time Liu Guanjie heard such remarks, he was a little dazed by the shock, he knelt there with frown and thought for a long time, but he didn't understand.

"Guanjie! I won't recognize what I said to you today when you get off the boat. You go back and think about it carefully. If you understand it, write a policy theory. I will return to Yangzhou in a few years. Come to me again! If you can’t figure it out, I advise you to stop thinking about taking the imperial examinations to get fame as soon as possible. With your current level, you are at most a scholar. Since you can’t make any progress, you might as well give up early and go back to help your grandfather Good business is good."

"This... Lord Hou! Is Guanjie really just a scholar at best? His articles are praised by even Dean Qin in the academy!" Liu Jinbao asked a little uneasy.

"Yes! I'm pretty sure that if he's going to test for fame like this now, he's only a scholar at most. And he can't gain a foothold in the officialdom at all with his temper! In the officialdom, it's not just about who has good articles and who has high character. of!"