After the cannon fodder father and daughter married into the family, the whole family regretted it

Or, only by exterminating their descendants from the clan can they succeed?

In fact, he also found his son a bit annoying.

In short, perhaps Chief Qin was persuaded by his grandson, and the matter was handled very openly, with only the clan land being taken back.

As for the house, it was built later by Qin Xiucai and was not inherited from his ancestors, so it was left to Qin Yan.

The Qin family secretly complained a little, thinking that Qin Yan had done it on the first day and they should do it on the fifteenth.

For example, the Qin family’s cake recipe and the land they bought later, should the Qin family get a share?

But the old patriarch Qin has always been powerful in the clan, and his grandson is now a scholar, so he suppressed these people and didn't let Qin Yan hear a single word.

After finishing the work, Qin Yan sent the old village chief home.

On the way, he told him about the self-made family tree. The old village chief patted him on the shoulder and said nothing more.

The old man knew that Fang Tong was a very lucky kid. He had found a good fortune and had a son who was no worse than his own.

When he got home, he heard his son and daughter-in-law arguing in the kitchen.

Chen blamed her husband for making the fire too big and the whole pot of porridge burnt, which was a waste of food.

The old village chief was a little disgusted. His son was so old and couldn't figure out such a small thing.

"You are talented. Otherwise, I will expel you from the clan. A man has to rely on himself to stand on his own feet."

What?

Du Youcai hugged his father's thigh and cried: "Dad, are you my real father? You don't want me for a pot of porridge?"

Chen looked at the father and son with an expression that was hard to describe.

A day later, Mr. Zheng and Mr. Zhou's carriages arrived one after another.

Both of them are quite old, and after sitting in the car for half a day from the provincial capital to the village, their backs and waists ached.

As a disciple, Fang Nanzhi has to be served carefully.

She helped the two gentlemen to go into the house to rest, served them tea and water, and massaged their shoulders. She was very busy.

"Alright, take a seat. As the saying goes, if you're too nice to someone without any reason, they're either a traitor or a thief."

Mr. Zheng was the first to make a joke.

Fang Nanzhi's eyes widened: "Sir, this is my sincere filial piety, how could you misunderstand me?"

"Oh, really?" Mr. Zheng said, half-smiled. "Did you remember the article I asked you to memorize during the days you were away from the capital?"

Mr. Zhou added fuel to the fire: "Have you taken note of the acupuncture method I just taught you?"

Fang Nanzhi immediately lowered her head and poked with her two little hands: "Almost there, just a little bit unskilled."

The two gentlemen smiled at each other. Both of them were cunning and shrewd. How could they not see the little girl's guilty conscience?

Qin Yan tried to smooth things over for his sister: "You two gentlemen must be exhausted from the journey. You should take a good rest. I'll ask Zhizhi to bring some snacks."

Fang Nanzhi looked up and glanced at the two gentlemen cautiously. Seeing that they had no objection, he ran away happily.

As soon as she left, Mr. Zheng and the other man looked much more serious.

"Qin Yan, you are quite courageous. You answered the test so abnormally that you almost failed."

Regarding the issue of nobles killing civilians, Qin Yan mentioned that they should be dealt with according to the law, the culprits should be punished, and money should not be used to redeem people or to atone for crimes.

It also discusses the disadvantages of atonement or lenient sentencing.

Take the example of the cruel and brutal King Liang who killed martial arts candidates from all over the country.

On the one hand, it undermines the law, encourages the arrogance of the powerful, and even damages the reputation of the royal family.

Secondly, water can carry a boat but can also capsize it, which can easily arouse public resentment.

Yue Fei killed the young King of Liang in anger and received support from the martial arts examinees. Isn't this a reflection of public outrage?

Third, from the perspective of Confucius and Mencius, it is unkind, unjust, and unmerciful.

Looking at this question alone, in people's eyes, Qin Yan's answer was somewhat youthful and impulsive, but not enough to offend anyone.

As luck would have it, during this period, a serious crime occurred in the capital. Princess Dongyue's son hacked a small vendor selling fried cakes on the street.

It was because of the frying pan of the small vendor that a drop of oil splashed onto his chair.

The vendor was also unlucky. He was setting up his stall when the princess's son got drunk and got close to the frying pan, causing him to die.

The Dali Temple handled the case according to the law and was about to execute her son. Princess Dongyue knelt at the gate of Taiji Hall for three days and pleaded for mercy for her son.

Princess Dongyue and the emperor were born of the same mother and had a deep sibling relationship. The princess only had one son, so the emperor usually loved his nephew very much.

Finally, the emperor relented and intended to have the Dali Temple change the sentence to exile.

But for the nobles, there are too many ways to escape punishment through exile, such as using money to redeem their sins, or finding a dozen guards to escort them, nominally exiled but actually traveling around, or paying someone to serve their sentence in their place.

In short, some ministers in the court were very dissatisfied with this, thinking that the emperor was emotional and indulged the nobles.

There are also some people who just stand by and watch. Since ancient times, the saying that if a prince breaks the law, he will be punished the same as the common people is just empty talk.

It’s just that most of the powerful people do evil in secret and cover it up well.

There are few cases as heinous as killing someone in public.

Beyond the law is human nature, and they don't think there is anything wrong with the emperor being partial.

But the prince who had just returned to the capital was not satisfied. He had many loyal ministers under him and was very dissatisfied.

The Shaoqing of the Dali Temple executed the prisoner first and reported to the emperor later, forcing him to drink poisoned wine directly in the prison. When the princess found out, she was furious and wanted to kill him to bury her son.

The prince tried his best to protect the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, saying that he acted according to the law and had done nothing wrong. Instead, he impeached his aunt for interfering in government affairs and failing to educate her son properly.

Princess Dongyue was almost angry to death. Her son was dead, and she was still being impeached?

No matter how much the emperor loved the princess, he still loved his son the most. So he demoted the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple on the grounds that he was not strict in his work, in order to appease Princess Dongyue.

Princess Dongyue was of course dissatisfied. She joined forces with some powerful families to put pressure on the emperor, hoping to severely punish the prince.

The capital was in turmoil, and prefects from all over the country received the news.

The prefect of Xin'an Prefecture, whose surname was Wang, came from a noble family, but he also disagreed with the prince's decision.

If they are sons of nobles or aristocratic families, and the royal family can kill them at will, then what dignity do they have?

The examiners of the academy examination knew what their masters were thinking, and intentionally or unintentionally eliminated those who disagreed with their masters' political views.

As Qin Yan ranked first in the first round, the examiners gave him face and his paper was temporarily retained.

It is not possible for them to get first place in the first exam but not make the list, which would make it seem like their first exam results were fake.

But when they came to the next question, which was about the views on the aristocratic families' occupation of fertile farmland, the examiners did not hesitate and directly rejected Qin Yan.

There is no other reason, Qin Yan's writing is too big and too offensive.

He wrote the Land Law for Improvement.

In terms of policy, the sale and purchase of permanent farmland was not allowed. The ownership of the land belonged to the imperial court, and each household signed a document with the imperial court.

In terms of taxation, land tax was changed from a head tax to an acreage tax. Land was divided into multiple levels, and different tax standards were assigned to different levels, which required local officials to make specific assessments.

Just these two things, if you really put them into practice, can change the world.

Lord Wang would certainly not use such a madman.

But just one day before the list was posted, the prime minister, the chief official in charge of the imperial examinations, came here for an inspection.

He looked at the papers of the top three candidates on the list and randomly checked the papers of those who failed. By coincidence, he picked Qin Yan's.

The prime minister of this dynasty came from a humble family and had many conflicts with the aristocratic families. He admired Qin Yan's courage and insight.

The Prime Minister personally selected Qin Yan as the top candidate.

But with this paper, he was destined to offend Princess Dongyue and some aristocratic families.

Mr. Zheng rubbed his brows and said, "Qin Yan, you are still young. It will take a few years for you to enter the officialdom. You must keep a low profile in the future and not do anything out of line. Otherwise, you will be easily broken if you are too stubborn."

Only Xin'an Prefecture and those who are interested know the examination papers of the academy. After a few years, they will forget them.

After all, Qin Yan is still a teenager. He has no power or influence, and some of his ideas are just empty talk. They cannot affect the interests of the powerful families, so they can still tolerate them.

Qin Yan bowed respectfully and said, "I understand."

He lost control in the examination room and was too reckless.

Mr. Zhou was in a complicated mood. "I used to be just an imperial physician. I can't say I've experienced the ups and downs of officialdom, but I have seen some things. Qin Yan, you have to know that some things can't be achieved overnight. You have to use methods and techniques."

The land law and reform ceremony not only depend on what the powerful families think, but also on what the person sitting on the dragon throne thinks.

If you express your opinions without understanding their thoughts first, you may easily end up in trouble.

Furthermore, there are skills in giving advice. Being too direct and reckless will only hurt others and yourself.

"Thank you for your guidance. I will remember it." Qin Yan was sincerely impressed.

The three of them talked for a long time until Fang Nanzhi came to invite them to dinner.

Qian Fengping cooked the meal herself, making dishes that were easy to digest and soft, and the two gentlemen were very satisfied with the food.

In the evening, Mr. Zhou invited Mr. Zheng to stay at his house, mainly because the Qin family had fewer houses.

Mr. Zheng was not polite either. Before leaving, both gentlemen "reminded" Fang Nanzhi to go to Zhou's house early tomorrow to check her homework.

Fang Nanzhi agreed reluctantly and worked hard for a long time before going to bed that night.

At daybreak, she carried the food box prepared by her mother and headed straight to Zhou's house.

When I walked into the village, I met Old Mrs. Fang.

Her hair was gray, her figure was thin, and she looked haggard. She blocked my way and asked, "Zhizhi, where are you going?"

Fang Nanzhi subconsciously hid the food box: "I'm going to my husband's house. Grandma, is there anything you can do?"

Old Mrs. Fang looked back, seemingly distracted: "Well, where's your father?"

"He's at home. I can tell him what you want to talk to him about," Fang Nanzhi said curiously.

Old Mrs. Fang shook her head and walked away with a staggering gait.

Fang Nanzhi was confused and afraid that the food would get cold, so she decided to go to Zhou's house first.

She had breakfast with the two gentlemen. She was first tested by Mr. Zheng for an hour, and then recited to Mr. Zhou for an hour.

The long period of concentration made her mentally exhausted, but fortunately she managed to pass the exam.

Mr. Zhou stroked his beard and said, "When you get back, you should make up for the lessons you missed recently."

"That's right. You are old, so you should add an hour of lessons every day." Mr. Zheng also said.

In fact, he knew that Qin Yan was about to take part in the provincial examination.

If he passed, Qin Yan intended to study at the Imperial College in the capital, study for a few years and then take the imperial examination.

Then Fang Nanzhi must go too.

Mr. Zheng is old, and no matter how much he loves his disciple, he cannot go to Beijing with her. Some things must be taught as soon as possible.

As for Elder Zhou, he had thought about it and was planning to return to Beijing. His disciples were too young, so he had to pave the way for them.

Moreover, Zhou Zijing's future lies in the capital. He has his children and grandchildren around him, so he will not be lonely.

Now that he has returned to Beijing, he will definitely take his disciples to meet his old friends. Maybe the disciples will even have some exchanges with each other, so Zhizhi cannot be allowed to slack off during this period.

Fang Nanzhi didn't know what they were thinking and lowered her head sadly.

"understood."

She feels that growing up is quite distressing, as she feels that there are more and more things to learn.

On the day when the Qin family held a banquet, Mushan Village was particularly lively.

All the former teachers and classmates of the academy came. Qin Yan personally entertained them and even lent a copy of his notes to Wei Qinglin and the others.

I hope I can help them pass the exam as soon as possible.

Wei Qinglin was deeply moved.

The county magistrate came in person again, and Fang Tong, who had experience and had many interactions with the county magistrate, arranged a seat of honor for the guest.

Then, most of the villagers came, including Qin Gaofei.

The Qin clan leader was ill, so he asked his son to come forward. Qin Gaofei did not make any trouble and even presented a gift of twenty taels of silver to thank Fang Nanzhi for saving his son.

The last thing that came was the Qian family. Qin Yan's uncle and aunt.

They came uninvited. Since their nephew had made it big, Uncle Qian wanted to ease the relationship and acted very enthusiastically.

Fang Tong was about to warn them when Qian Fengping showed up. She had invited her brother and sister-in-law to a side room to talk. It was unclear what they talked about, but the couple left halfway through the meal.

After that, the Qian family never came again.

Fang Tong was very curious, what did his wife say?

Qian Fengping didn't tell him that there were some secrets that she wanted to keep hidden for the rest of her life.

The banquet didn't end until the evening, and Fang Tong got drunk again. Tiezhu and the others kept pouring wine for him, and he couldn't control himself.

He staggered out of the toilet, wondering if he was dazzled by seeing two Hes.

"Snapped!"

He slapped himself in the face. How unlucky! When he was drunk, who else could he think of? Who could he think of? Was he crazy?

But after the beating, he touched his face and it still hurt.

"Third brother, third brother, is Doctor Gu at your house? I'm here to look for him." He's face was full of anxiety.

what?

Fang Tong covered his face in confusion. Is this a real person?

Doctor Gu was asked to leave.

The next day, Fang Tong heard a piece of gossip. He and the man she met later returned to the village to worship their ancestors. Ahem, the man's hometown was in the next village.

Somehow, they were seen by Old Lady Fang who was strolling by. The old lady was sure that they were an adulterous couple and had cheated on her son, so she beat them.

Originally, the old lady was so old that she couldn't beat them, but at the critical moment, a righteous old man stood up for her.

The old man was a hunter and thought they were bullying the old lady, so he helped them. The wild man was beheaded.

After hearing this, Fang Tong felt as if thunder was rumbling in the sky.

When did this happen? Did He find a new man? And why did the old lady go to the next village? Who is that old hunter? He sounds familiar.

Fang Tong was feeling nervous, always feeling that a big scandal was about to happen in Mushan Village, and he didn't dare to stay and watch the fun.

So, after settling their family affairs, they went to the provincial capital.

After two days of fun with his classmates at the prefectural school, Qin Yan graduated from the prefectural school.

In fact, there is no requirement for personal academic achievement after graduating from the provincial school. Some successful candidates are still studying, and relatively speaking, there are also people who have not taken the imperial examination and can graduate.

Anyway, you only need to complete the provincial school examination once.

Graduation does not mean the end of learning. Mr. Zheng used his connections to get him a post so that he could study in Songyuan for a few days.

The owner of Song Garden is said to be a fellow Jinshi who gives public lectures to students from Huainan Prefecture on five days of every month, which is a rare opportunity.

At the provincial school, Master Ye, who had always taken care of him, did not break off contact with him and often gave him special lessons, so Qin Yan was very busy.

Fang Nanzhi was even busier. She felt that her hair was starting to fall out, so she used this as an excuse to act coquettishly to Mr. Zhou and ask for less homework. As a result, Mr. Zhou gave her classes and taught her medical skills such as hair care, beauty and health preservation.

Especially beauty and skin care, which is actually quite useful for imperial physicians. Apart from the emperor and the crown prince, the people imperial physicians deal with the most are the concubines in the palace.

Among the three thousand beauties in the imperial harem, who doesn't love beauty? Old Zhou has a recipe for pearl cream that's very popular with the ladies.

Fang Nanzhi no longer dared to find excuses to be lazy and could only study harder.