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

"There's no point in scolding. The main thing is what to do now. Let's discuss it," Zhang Ping'an said, rubbing his forehead.

Hua Wanli saw it clearly: "We are just small fry, and we still have to see what the higher-ups mean in the end. When gods fight, the little devils suffer!"

Green Bean Eyes was quick-witted and, having been to sea, had a wide range of experience. He continued, "If you ask me, these aristocratic families should be whipped to shake off their arrogance. That would make life easier for the people. Otherwise, they control everything and have the final say. It's very frustrating. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have someone else be the emperor. I think Zhou Ziming is a good choice!"

"Be careful with your words!" Zhang Ping'an and Hua Wanli interrupted at the same time.

I'm really glad that there were no cameras or recorders at that time, otherwise this sentence would be enough to chop off my head a hundred times.

Seeing the two men's serious expressions, Green Bean rolled his eyes and said, "We've been suppressed for too long, and we have a slave mentality in our bones. I heard from Fatty Wu that the nobles in Luzon used to be so arrogant and domineering, but since the Russians took over, they have all been as obedient as little chickens. What's the use of nobility? It's a matter of time!"

Seeing that the two of them were still frowning, Green Bean Eyes could only wave his hands and beg for mercy: "Alright, alright, I won't say anything more. I was just complaining a few words in front of you two. I certainly wouldn't say these things normally, don't worry."

Then he looked at Zhang Ping'an: "You are usually thoughtful and smart, so you should have a plan in mind for this matter, right?"

Zhang Pingan didn't hide his thoughts and analyzed, "This is what I think. At present, this is just a test between the two parties. There is no direct conflict yet. I think Lord Zhou will definitely have some means to deal with it later.

Regardless of whether the commander-in-chief on the front line is changed or not, the Annan rice and sweet potatoes must be promoted, and we cannot wait for the court to promote them, we have to promote them ourselves.

This is all food, it can save lives. Who knows if God will be so kind as to give the people food next year! We can’t neglect farming and be deliberately passive and negligent just because of the court struggles!

"If the imperial court wants to suppress this matter and not allow it to be promoted, it will be quite troublesome," Hua Wanli frowned, fearing that it would bring trouble upon himself and violate taboos in officialdom.

"There's no official notice from the government telling me not to share these seeds. I plan to take action today. My eldest brother has already planted them in southern Fujian. Mr. Fan is also my fellow villager. He's the magistrate of nearby Qi County, not far from us. I'll send some to him as well. At least half of my classmates have been sent out. If I send some to each of them, there will always be someone who dares to plant them," Zhang Ping'an said decisively.

This is just a matter of taking advantage of the time difference. It does not count as exceeding the limit, let alone making a mistake. Anyone with some ambition in their heart will be tempted by such high-yield crops.

"But the problem of food and grass has not been solved yet. It is obvious that these aristocratic families just want to force Lord Zhou to give up power." Green Bean Eyes was a little worried. He felt that Lord Zhou was actually a good person.

At least they fought back to the north with real weapons and recovered some lost territory. They were not like those aristocratic families who were cowardly, hypocritical, and all talk and no action.

Speaking of aristocratic families, Green Bean Eyes now has a lot of curse words that he wants to spit out.

"Originally, collecting food and fodder is not my job. Who am I? I'm just a seventh-rank official. If I get involved in this, I'll be courting death," Zhang Ping'an shook his head.

"I just want to spread the word before the higher-ups take action. If we can promote it even a little bit, it will be enough. Once the farmers see the benefits, it will be widely planted. This way, at least the people won't have to worry about food, and their lives will be better. It will be worth the trouble you took to bring it back. Of course, it will also make it easier for Lord Zhou to raise food and fodder, and he won't have to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs."

"Wouldn't that mean we'd be at odds with your Yue family?" Hua Wanli was still worried.

"I just want to protect myself. This is the only solution I have. The people have benefited, and Lord Zhou won't blame me. At most, I will just live in Ci County and not get promoted!" Zhang Ping'an said self-deprecatingly.

Green Bean Eyes slammed the table and said, "Okay, I admire your courage. You should behave like a real person. Let's not be the lickspittles of the rich and powerful. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"You're not saying, there really is one. I came here to discuss something with you. Apart from my peers, the power of the gentry in various places should not be underestimated. They are far away from the court and hold the land in their hands. You take the Annan rice and sweet potatoes to the east and south and sell the seeds to them. I don't force you to sell them in large quantities. Sell to those who want it, and ignore those who don't. Let's make a quick decision." Zhang Ping'an replied.

"That's no problem. I love traveling around to do business and gain experience," the man with green eyes patted his chest and agreed.

"Don't rush to reply to me. Listen to me. Although the south is now unified and relatively peaceful, there are definitely dangers when you go out. This is not mandatory and it is not necessary. Once you have made up your mind, we can discuss the follow-up. I'll give you two days to consider it and give me an answer the day after tomorrow," Zhang Pingan said seriously.

"Well, don't think about it. I am a person who can't sit still. I am born to love adventure and am suitable to be a businessman," Green Eyes waved his hand and replied straightforwardly.

"But if you become rich in the future, don't forget me, your brother, hehe!"

"That's a must, but I don't know if that day will ever come!" Zhang Ping'an doesn't have that much confidence in himself. To get ahead, both luck and strength are indispensable.

He is a mediocre person at best.

"That's not necessarily true," laughed Green Eyes.

Now that the problem had been solved, everyone felt a little relieved.

When we got home, it was already dark.

Zhang Ping'an was just about to go see his wife and son when he was stopped by Xu.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

Xu said worriedly, "This afternoon, your fifth sister told me that your fifth brother-in-law is going to take a concubine. I heard it's the daughter of a captain of the police, also from a good family. Your fifth brother-in-law feels guilty and doesn't dare to tell us himself, so he asked your fifth sister to speak up. Alas!"

Zhang Pingan saw that Xu's reaction was not very strong. After thinking for a while, he asked, "Fifth Sister agrees?"

"Well, she agreed. I don't know what this damn girl is thinking. I scolded her this afternoon. She doesn't even have a child now. What will she do if this concubine comes in and gives birth to a son? Will there be a place for her in the Fang family?" Xu was angry and worried.

"It's late today and I'm a little tired. I'll ask my fifth sister tomorrow morning," Zhang Ping'an said tiredly.

"You're not angry?" Xu was surprised.

She thought that given her son's temper, he would have to talk to his fifth son-in-law no matter what.

"Alas, mother, everyone has their own life. My eldest sister, second sister, and sixth sister are all living well, but my fifth sister is living a mess. Have you ever thought about the reason?

If she gets bullied and comes home to me, I will definitely help her. Now she has agreed, why should I be angry? She can't always rely on me for the rest of her life, right? What if I fall?" Zhang Pingan said calmly.

"Sometimes I'm pretty tired too. To be honest, I don't have the patience to care about these trivial matters. Let her do whatever she wants. Anyway, no matter what time it is, she has a bowl of rice to eat at home!"

After saying that, Zhang Pingan went to see his son.

Seeing his son's smiling face, he didn't feel so tired.