The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

The Xiao family is in the north of the city, and it is quite a distance from the Caoyunsi Yamen. You definitely cannot go there empty-handed for the first time.

Zhang Ping'an went to a large dim sum shop and bought a few bags of dim sum, which were both beautiful and practical. Then he called a cart and went to the Xiao family in the north of the city according to the address given by Xiao Yifei two days ago.

The further north you go in the city, the quieter it becomes, and most of the pedestrians around are dressed much more respectably than the people in the south.

When they arrived at the Xiao family's door, Zhang Ping'an got off the cart, paid the money, and walked up with snacks to knock on the door. From the front door, the house looked ordinary and there was nothing special about it.

After a while, footsteps were heard from inside, and then the door opened. It was Xiao Yifei who opened the door.

Seeing that it was Zhang Ping'an, Xiao Yifei showed a pleasant smile on his face. He hurriedly welcomed him in and helped him take the things he was carrying. As he closed the door, he asked, "Ping'an, why are you here? I was just planning to find time to visit you tomorrow. You came just like that. It's too expensive to carry so many things. Don't do it next time. You just settled down in Lin'an and everything costs money. Save as much as you can!"

Zhang Ping'an walked into the yard and saw that although the yard was not big, it was well tidy and there were some vegetables planted in the corner.

After entering the house, Xiao Yifei poured Zhang Ping'an a cup of hot tea. The two sat in the main room and chatted. Zhang Ping'an asked about the water bandits with concern.

Xiao Yifei lifted his arm, kicked his legs, and said with a smile: "I'm fine, it's nothing, I just got a small cut on my arm, just apply some medicine and it will be fine. After all, my father is a county lieutenant, and I have been wielding swords and guns, riding horses and shooting arrows since I was a child. I know a few tricks, so it won't be that easy to get hurt!"

Then he asked about Zhang Ping'an's situation at the Canal Transport Bureau: "Tsk, I didn't expect you to be picked up and put to work so quickly. No one gave you any trouble, did they? How are you feeling today?"

Zhang Pingan smiled and said, "I'm relieved that you're okay! Anyway, I have to work morning and night, so it doesn't matter whether I work early or late. I've been busy all day at the Canal Transport Bureau today. Although I'm tired, I feel pretty good. The whole government office is in perfect order, which is very different from what I imagined!"

Xiao Yifei understood immediately: "Why, you originally thought that the world was in such chaos, the court was torn apart, and the people in the government must be a bunch of good-for-nothings, just sitting there doing nothing, right?!"

Then he shook his head and said, "You don't understand Lord Zhou. He is very strict with his subordinates, but he also clearly distinguishes between rewards and punishments. No one under him dares to be half-hearted or take advantage of the situation!"

"Who is he? He dares to act so tough, he must have a background," Zhang Pingan was not stupid, he asked after drinking half a cup of tea.

Xiao Yifei looked outside, then leaned over the table and whispered, "I heard that his master's father was a eunuch from the palace, and he has a close relationship with Wei Xingzhou, the eunuch who is currently in charge of ceremonies, the East Factory Director, and the Military Supervisor. He was powerful during the reign of Emperor Taizu, so he's good at eliminating dissidents and building up a faction. Now that the emperor is young..."

Zhang Ping'an understood and knew what Xiao Yifei meant by what he hadn't finished saying. The emperor was young now and was just a puppet. Everything was decided by several powerful figures in the court. With the support of such a great eunuch, he did have the capital to be tough.

However, Zhang Pingan was very curious and asked softly, "Is he a eunuch? He doesn't look like one!"

"What? He is not a eunuch, and his father is not a eunuch. It's his father's master who is a eunuch, so he calls him master," Xiao Yifei explained.

After that, he patted Zhang Ping'an on the shoulder and said carelessly: "You don't have to worry too much. Lord Zhou is a practical person. I just said that he is clear about rewards and punishments. As long as you do your job seriously and don't make any mistakes, there will be no problem. Look at how he treats me, a small follower, and he is quite nice. You can tell a thing or two!"

Afterwards, Xiao Yifei took Zhang Pingan to visit his house and told him some interesting stories at home. During this time, Xiao Yifei's mother also came out. This was the first time Zhang Pingan saw Xiao's mother. She looked much younger than her peers. Although she had no makeup on, she was dressed neatly and tidy. It can be seen that her facial features were very good when she was young, and her whole temperament was very quiet and peaceful.

Zhang Pingan quickly bowed and greeted them. Because Xiao Yifei was the only male member of the Xiao family, and they were newly married, Xiao's mother had not come out just now. Zhang Pingan thought it was inconvenient for her to meet guests, so he did not ask. But now that Xiao's mother had come out, he had to follow the etiquette carefully.

Xiao's mother exchanged a few pleasantries, then warmly invited Zhang Ping'an to stay for dinner, and asked her son to bring back some delicious dishes from a nearby restaurant.

Xiao Yifei was about to go out after hearing this.

It was his first visit, so he didn't want to let someone spend so much money. Zhang Ping'an quickly said goodbye and declined, "Aunt, thank you for your kindness. I've just settled down and have some things to deal with at home today. I will definitely visit you another day."

Seeing that he was sincere in his words, Xiao's mother didn't want to force him to stay any longer, so she just told him to come often when he was free.

Xiao Yifei walked Zhang Ping'an to the door, stuffed some of the snacks Zhang Ping'an had brought back to him, and said, "Ping'an, these are precious. Take some home and share them with your family. The work in the government office is hard, so you have to take good care of yourself. If you need any help in the future, just let me know."

Zhang Ping'an couldn't refuse and had to accept it.

After leaving the Xiao family, Zhang Pingan returned along the way he came. When he passed by a small stall, he heard a commotion. Turning his head to take a closer look, he saw that a few hooligans were bullying an old man selling candy figures.

Zhang Ping'an despised this behavior in his heart. Thinking that the Street Office seemed to be not far away, he was about to go over and say something when patrolling officers passed by. Seeing this, the gangsters fled in panic.

Seeing that the matter had been dealt with, Zhang Pingan no longer cared about it and continued to rush home. His family must be worried after he returned home so late today. He thought to himself that although Lin'an City seemed prosperous, it was actually not completely peaceful. There were too many foreign populations and it was a mixed crowd!