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

Although there were no communication tools such as mobile phones in ancient times, the wealthy families in the county were still well-informed.

The news that County Magistrate Yu's entire family had been arrested spread among the gentry in less than an hour.

There were no less than twenty waves of people who came to the county government office to inquire about the matter.

Zhang Ping'an, Green Bean Eyes, Hua Wanli and Magistrate Lu's advisor sorted out the case files together and did not rest until noon.

It is quite time-consuming and laborious to process the files of more than 600 people.

Although only half of Daxia was left, the law was still in place. Executing more than 600 people at once was no small matter; it was considered a major case.

All necessary procedures must be completed, otherwise it will easily give people a chance to criticize and the county government will lose its credibility.

Confucius once said, "Without the trust of the people, a country cannot stand." This is the reason.

Zhang Ping'an wanted to make a big splash in Ci County in the future, so of course he wouldn't be lazy.

"Thank you all for your hard work. The files are almost sorted out now. Master Lu, I'll trouble you with the rest. Master Hua, Master Ge and I will go back to the inn to rest first," said Zhang Ping'an.

Mr. Lu is a relative of County Magistrate Lu. He has studied for many years, but he didn't even pass the imperial examination. However, he is smart and tactful, and he knows how to act in moderation. He is a capable assistant to County Magistrate Lu.

After County Magistrate Lu leaves office, he will follow County Magistrate Lu back to his hometown. He poses no threat to Zhang Ping'an, so he treats him very politely.

"I dare not, I dare not, this is my job," said Master Lu, bowing repeatedly.

When Zhang Ping'an brought Hua Wanli and Luodouyan back to the posthouse for dinner, he found that even the people in the posthouse knew that County Magistrate Yu was imprisoned.

At that time, ordinary people did not have so much entertainment, and the slightest disturbance could spread from one person to ten, or from ten to a hundred.

Zhang Laoer and Xu were a little worried when they saw how hard their son worked. They warned him, "Son, staying up late is bad for your health. Don't do that again!"

As he spoke, he told Zhang Ping'an to drink the soup. This time it was not chicken soup, but the cuttlefish soup that people living by the sea often drink. It smelled very fresh and not greasy at all.

Seeing her son staring at the cuttlefish soup without touching his chopsticks, Madam Xu explained, "Here in Ci County, chicken is more expensive than fish. It's expensive, but the chickens aren't raised well. I heard from the people at the post station that they often drink cuttlefish soup here. It not only replenishes qi and blood, but is also mild and doesn't cause internal heat. It's especially suitable for conditioning the body and strengthening the constitution. I'm tired of stewing chicken all the time, so I thought I'd try something different. I've also stewed lotus root and ginger in the soup. How do you think it tastes?"

After saying this, he looked at Zhang Pingan with anticipation.

Then he thought of something and smiled, calling Hua Wanli and Green Bean Eyes: "You two should try it too. I made it myself. If you like it, I will stew it for you tomorrow. You are busy with official duties, and it is really hard for you to stay up late with Ping An!"

Zhang Ping'an had been up all night and busy for half a day, feeling a little tired. After massaging his forehead and nose, he felt much better. He smiled and said, "I haven't had cuttlefish soup yet, so I have to try it!"

After saying that, he scooped up a spoonful and swallowed it. His eyes lit up. "This cuttlefish soup tastes pretty good. The meat is soft and tender, and there are no bones. I'll make cuttlefish soup next time I make soup!"

Although Hua Wanli's family was ordinary, Lin'an was not far from the sea, and he had drunk cuttlefish soup. Green Bean Eyes' family was a wealthy royal merchant, needless to say, they had eaten all kinds of delicacies from land and sea. However, at this time, the two of them felt Xu's kindness and were very supportive, praising and thanking her.

When they woke up, it was already dusk, with only a ray of setting sun remaining in the sky.

After Zhang Pingan finished washing up, Qian Youyi said, "You were resting this afternoon, so I didn't disturb you. During the time you were asleep, quite a few people came to visit. I think all the famous families in the county came, more than twenty of them, and they all brought generous gifts. I've made a list for you to take a look."

"Wow, these people are spending a lot of money," Zhang Pingan said with a smile after taking a look.

Qian Youyi said disdainfully, "These people are very cunning. There's no need to be polite with them. They always judge people by their appearance. A few days ago, when you, a newly appointed county magistrate, came to visit, they were lukewarm and wanted to use the same tactics they used against County Magistrate Lu. Now that you've resorted to such a ruthless trick, to make an example of them, you must come and apologize with generous gifts!"

Zhang Pingan understood: "Don't be angry with them, they are just fence-sitters. We will need them in the future. Let them go for now and don't push them too hard!"

"Yes," Qian Youyi nodded, then asked, "So, are these several thousand taels of silver going to be used to buy some land in this county?"

"I was just about to tell you that I don't plan to buy any property for the time being. Apart from the several thousand taels of silver they gave me, I should be able to get another 100,000 taels after County Magistrate Yu's case is over. Although Guo Jia, Ge Li and Hua Wanli are here to help me, I can't treat them unfairly. I have to take out 15,000 taels from the 100,000 taels and divide them among the three of them. I will have a great use for the remaining huge sum of money in the future, and nothing is as flexible and convenient as cash," Zhang Ping'an analyzed slowly.

Qian Youyi's expression was calm as he nodded, "Okay, I understand. You always do things in moderation. I won't interfere with you."

After saying that, he reminded me, "Remember to take the time to write a letter to your fourth brother in the next two days. He's in Xiangshan, which is geographically very similar to Ci County, and not too far from here. I think you'll have a lot of time to help each other in the future. Father is getting old, and the family will still have to rely on you brothers."

"I understand. I'll send someone to deliver the letter later," said Zhang Ping'an.

He sighed again, "I wonder how Fourth Brother's handover in Xiangshan went?"

Qian Youyi was not worried at all when he heard this. He said calmly, "Although my fourth brother is the worst at studying among my brothers, he is born with a very smart mind and a very cruel heart. Since he was a child, the other brothers have never been able to beat him. Fortunately, our family has always been upright, so there has been no conflict between the brothers. Even if Xiangshan is a mountain of swords and a sea of ​​fire, he will conquer it!"

He paused and laughed, "The gentry there aren't as lucky as those in Ci County. With my fourth brother's behavior, they'll have plundered everything in less than two years. But he does have some governing ability, which is a good thing for the local people!"

Zhang Pingan didn't respond foolishly. After all, they were siblings, and it was not his place to comment on their affairs.

Time flies and it’s the next day.

Guo Jia acted quickly. Before 3 p.m., he rode back on a fast horse and brought back official documents from the Ministry of Justice.

Also traveling with them was a member of the Qian family, whom Zhang Ping'an knew. He was one of his brothers-in-law, and he married a concubine of the Qian family.

This man himself was born into a wealthy family as a illegitimate son, so this marriage was considered a good match.

Zhang Ping'an knew that this person was here to get the money.

Even if he is the father-in-law, it makes sense not to share the profits after helping out, not to mention that the Qian family has too many sons-in-law.

In the morning of today, Zhang Ping'an had reached an agreement with Magistrate Lu. Of the more than one million taels of silver, the Qian family would take 60%, he and Magistrate Lu would each take 10%, the court would take 10%, and the rest of the people would get the final 10% according to their merits.

The Yu family still has a lot of land and ships, which can be used as government property. The profits can be used to build bridges and roads, and to provide relief to the elderly and the weak. In this way, the people will also benefit, and no one will care about the Yu family's affairs!