I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 60 Monkey King
Now Lin Shisan was already a minor flag of the Imperial Guard. The secret police stationed in the streets and alleys of Shuntian Prefecture had to give him some face, so it was easy for them to find out where a tribute student who came to Beijing to participate in the imperial examination lived.

Wu Cheng'en was indeed a wealthy man.

The Ministry of Personnel's "Da Tiao" refers to the Ministry of Personnel selecting people from among the Juren and Sui Gongsheng and sending them to serve as officials in county governments of the eighth and ninth ranks.

The selection process is a long one. If you are lucky, you can get a job in a few months. If you are unlucky, you have to wait for three to five years.

Therefore, most of the juren and gongsheng waiting for the grand examination would usually choose to live in the guild halls of various provinces in Beijing.

Although the tribute room in the guild hall was simple and shabby, and the food provided was hard to swallow, it was free of charge.

Juren and tribute students with wealthy families would choose to stay in inns in Beijing.

However, the successful candidates in the imperial examinations and tribute students whose families were extremely wealthy would directly choose to buy a house in the capital city where every inch of land was valuable.

Wu Cheng'en chose the latter and bought a clean and tidy courtyard house on Zhuniapao Street in the south city.

Old Wu predicted that it would take at least two to three years before he could find a real vacancy.

He is very self-aware.

The selection process does not consider talent, reputation, or ability, but only looks.

Wu Cheng'en had thin cheeks and high cheekbones, which was not the kind of "official appearance" favored by officials in the Ministry of Personnel. If he wanted to be appointed, he would have to wait and buy a courtyard house and live in the capital.

South city, Dazhalan.

Fifty-one-year-old Wu Cheng'en was strolling around riding a rare "jade-eyed" white mule.

Only officials in the capital could ride horses, while tribute students could only ride mules. But the value of this big white mule was probably no less than that of a horse.

The person who led Wu Chengen's mule was a servant named Wu Jing, who was about forty years old, strong and sturdy, with a big beard, thick eyebrows and big eyes.

The servant Wu Jing carried a macaque on his shoulders. The macaque had a thunder god's mouth, a dark yellow body, and a pair of round eyes that were rolling around.

It was Wu Chengen's pet "Sun Wukong" that Huang Jin asked Lin Shisan to steal.

Behind the big white mule followed Wu Chengen's servant. This servant was called Gao Laoba, and he looked to be in his early twenties. He was even fatter than Sun Yue, probably weighing about 230 or 240 kilograms. He had a pair of big ears that protruded into the wind, and his earlobes reached his cheeks. When he walked, he looked like a big water tank that was sticking out.

Lin Shisan and Sun Yue followed from a distance behind a master, a mule, two servants and a monkey.

Sun Yue whispered, "Hey, this old man Wu is really rich! He has to bring two servants with him when he goes out to visit Dashilan."

Lin Shisan was a little worried: "I didn't expect that he raised a macaque. Macaques are the smartest monkeys. Their intelligence is comparable to that of a seven or eight-year-old child. They are not easy to steal."

A group of people gathered on the south side of Dazhalan to watch a monkey show.

The monkey trainer banged the gong and shouted, "Look, look! My monkey can wield a spear and a stick. He is just like the Monkey King in Journey to the West."

This is really a case of Li Kui meeting Li Gui.

Wu Cheng'en pulled the reins, dismounted the mule and saw what kind of Monkey King it was.

The monkey trainer gave the monkey a stick. The monkey picked up the stick and gestured twice, showing its teeth.

The book boy Gao Laoba seemed to have a nasal problem. He cleared his nose with a "hmm" sound and said sarcastically, "You are worthy of being called Sun Dasheng? You can't even play with a stick. You are just a stupid monkey."

The monkey trainer rolled his eyes at Gao Laoba after hearing this: "What's the matter? You look like Zhu Bajie, but you look down on your senior brother?"

The onlookers burst into laughter.

Lin Shisan, who was following behind, thought to himself: You never say, the Zhu Bajie described by old man Wu might really be this book boy.

Wu Cheng'en stroked his beard and said slowly, "Brother. The ancients said that a gentleman does not stumble before others, does not lose face before others, and does not lose his words before others. How can you hurt others with your words?" The monkey trainer saw that Wu Cheng'en was dressed gorgeously and looked like a man of status. He was very polite: "Dad, he said my monkey was stupid in front of me. Isn't this ruining my business? How can I not scold him?"

Wu Cheng'en smiled and said, "As the ancients said, rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of dung cannot be plastered. A stupid monkey cannot be educated. He said this for your own good."

Lin Shisan secretly laughed in his heart: He is full of nonsense, what a sour intellectual.

When Old Wu said this, the monkey trainer looked unhappy. He saw Wu Jing standing next to Wu Cheng'en with a monkey on his shoulders: "Dad, it seems you came here specially to pick on me."

Wu Cheng'en said, "The ancients said that people know how to make deals, but it is difficult to make friends. I have always made friends with people, not enemies. Why do you say that, brother?"

Sun Yue, who was watching the fun, couldn't stand it anymore: "Dad, stop talking nonsense! You each brought a monkey, and we can see who is the stupid monkey and who is the smart monkey by comparing them."

The crowd of onlookers started to make a noise: "Yes, yes, let's compete!"

"Boss Huang, you've been a monkey in Dazhalan for more than ten years. Don't lose face!"

"Yes, be energetic!"

The monkey trainer was provoked by the crowd and cursed: "Zhao! Let's compete. Dad, please show us your precious monkey. I want to see how capable it is."

Wu Cheng'en bowed and said, "Ah, then I will obey your command. Wu Jing, put it down."

Wu Jing put "Sun Wukong" down from his shoulder and untied the ropes on its feet.

Sun Wukong swaggered to the center of the monkey show stall.

The book boy Gao Laoba picked up the stick on the ground and threw it to Sun Wukong: "Monkey brother, take the stick!"

Sun Wukong took the stick and held it with both hands. Then everyone saw what a real monkey stick was.

The stick flew up and down in Sun Wukong's hand, as fast as a whirlwind. Everyone could only see the shadow of the stick flickering. The stick in his hand was like a nimble shadow.

It was not enough to just play with the stick in place, Sun Wukong began to move his body, threw the stick high into the air, and after turning it more than ten times, caught it steadily in his hand.

The onlookers cheered: "Good! Good!"

"Well done!"

"This is the real Great Sage!"

After playing with the monkey stick, Sun Wukong placed the stick on the ground and climbed up directly, scratching his head with his monkey hands.

The monkey trainer bowed to Wu Cheng'en and said, "I am convinced! I am convinced! Dad, you, the monkey, are the reincarnation of the Monkey King!"

Gao Laoba shouted: "What do you know? Journey to the West is my master."

In addition to strolling around Dazhalan, Wu Chengen had another important thing to do today. He didn't want to show off, so he pulled Gao Laoba's sleeve.

The monkey trainer asked, "What is your master?"

Gao Laoba sniffed and said, "My master has seen it."

The monkey trainer laughed and said, "Many people have watched Journey to the West."

Wu Cheng'en strolled around Dazhalan for a long time, and Lin Shisan and his disciples followed him for a long time.

Near noon, Wu Cheng'en went into a teahouse near Dazhalan. The name of the teahouse was "Gaosheng".

When Lin Shisan saw Wu Chengen entering Gaosheng Teahouse, he was surprised and said, "How did he get into a den of liars? Damn!"

(End of this chapter)