Qing Yao

Chapter 141 The Governor is truly a confidant!
"The subordinate is here!"

Upon hearing the governor call his name, Zhao An quickly responded loudly and took the initiative to report, without needing any introduction from others.

Upon hearing Zhao An's response, the governor at the front showed delight and said, "Please invite Commissioner Zhao to come to the front."

He then glanced indifferently at the few scholars and officials representing the Education Bureau, seemingly dissatisfied that the Bureau had placed the supervisors, whom the Emperor had "specially" rescued from prison, at the back.

The academic officials were well aware of the governor's intentions, but they couldn't say that it was Commissioner Zhao who had strongly requested this matter, and they couldn't persuade him otherwise.

He could only stand there awkwardly, head bowed, saying nothing.

"Your humble servant Zhao Youlu greets Your Excellency the Governor!"

Zhao An stepped forward and with a swift, practiced motion, flicked his sleeves and knelt down.

There was even a "thump" when it landed, followed by the standard Qing Dynasty official's kowtow greeting.

Her waist was drooping low, her head was only a hat brim away from the ground, and her buttocks were sticking up high.

It was taught by Teacher Lou.

The higher the rank of the official you're meeting, the more you have to stick your butt out; otherwise, it's considered disrespectful to the higher-ups.

I don't know where this rule came from, but it made Zhao An practice it in bed for five minutes last night.

"Please rise, Committee Member Zhao."

The fifty-two-year-old governor had a blessed appearance, not only in his face but in his entire being—a standard round and chubby fat man.

She's so fat that her belly looks like she's at least nine months pregnant.

To Zhao An's surprise, this Lord Fu actually reached out and helped him up himself, a scene that drew the attention of all the officials present.

Well?
Zhao An felt quite "honored" by this, thinking that the governor's amiable and approachable demeanor was mostly due to the 17,000 taels of silver.

If it were him, he would do anything for 17,000 taels of silver, not only being kind and friendly, but also wearing mourning clothes, breaking basins and waving banners, and even taking the place of the groom.

Nearly ten million dollars.

If you don't have money, don't talk about dignity and ambition.

Only when you have money can your dignity and aspirations be respected.

After carefully examining Zhao An, the governor said meaningfully, "The provincial judicial office previously told me that Commissioner Zhao writes excellent articles and is a promising young talent who deserves to be nurtured. Today, I have seen Commissioner Zhao and he is indeed a man of great talent. His Majesty also has a great fondness for him. Given time, Commissioner Zhao will surely become a pillar of our Great Qing Dynasty."

Well, it's not that Eqina did nothing; he must have tried to get Zhao An out by asking the governor, but perhaps because they weren't in the same "system," he couldn't get Zhao An out.

It's also possible that two old foxes are watching to see which way the wind blows.

Now that the wind has blown, one of the old foxes has come to "take credit."

Zhao An knew that his release from prison was definitely not due to the effects of Suzhou, but rather to the effects of the capital.

However, this did not prevent him from being humble in front of the governor and subtly expressing his gratitude.

"Commissioner Zhao has been appointed by the imperial court to oversee and assist in the administration of education in this province, and I, the governor, have also been ordered by the emperor to temporarily take charge of education affairs."

After some pleasantries, the governor, surrounded by the crowd and Zhao An, stepped into the school administration office and took his seat in the main hall.

Several charcoal stoves had been set up in the hall, and while the effect wasn't exactly like a gentle breeze, it was at least ten degrees warmer than outside. Zhao An, being cunning, wanted to find a spot close to the stoves to stand, since his hands were freezing cold.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the governor sat down, he ordered his men, "Commissioner Zhao is the provincial education inspector. How can he stand? Go and bring Commissioner Zhao a chair."

"Whoo!"

At that moment, a servant brought a chair for Zhao An. Zhao An cooperated by showing a sense of being flattered and humble that he should not accept such a reward without having done anything right. He repeatedly declined, but the governor insisted that he sit down.

This scene once again made the officials in the hall, including the prefect of Changzhou, focus their attention. However, everyone had a bright smile on their face, so it was difficult to notice the subtle changes in the adults' eyes without careful observation.

Teacher Lou, like an outsider, watched everything unfold and envied Zhao An for being able to perfectly blend two completely different expressions on one face.

Thinking about it, that's a skill in itself.

Thinking about how this kid, who only donated his official salary to become an imperial commissioner, and even more so as an assistant education commissioner, he couldn't help but admire him even more, while at the same time feeling quite disappointed.

A sense of loss, as if one has studied for decades but is not as good as an illiterate person who cannot read a single character.

The governor's main purpose in coming here this time is to inspect the provincial examinations, so the education department here naturally has to report on the provincial examination situation of each prefecture.

Each department head gave a presentation.

Overall, thanks to the current prosperous reign of the emperor, the education situation in Jiangsu is not just good, but excellent, with student enrollment rates in various regions reaching new highs.

Suzhou had the highest acceptance rate, admitting 126 scholars, while in previous years Suzhou only admitted a maximum of 70 or 80.

Zhao An heard this and frowned slightly, because in previous years, Yangzhou would only admit a maximum of fifty or sixty people. Even with the bonus from the special imperial examination this year, the maximum number admitted would be no more than seventy or eighty, which is more than a third less than Suzhou.

When the province compares the total admission rates of each prefecture, the professors from Suzhou will definitely come out on top again. If they maintain their leading position in next year's provincial examination, they will be promoted even if they don't want to.

He made up his mind and decided to send someone to the Suzhou Prefectural School after the New Year to seek a son with a large sum of money.

If you don't come, we'll offer you five times the salary, and that'll see how many famous teachers you have in Suzhou!
It's not like Zhao An would target the headmaster of Suzhou Prefecture just because Suzhou is excellent; he's not that kind of petty person.

The Changzhou Prefecture next door also did well in the exam, admitting ninety-six students. I was there in person and was even praised by the governor, which made me very proud.

Little did they know that Commissioner Zhao had already visited him three times. If he were to visit a fourth time, the teachers at Changzhou Prefectural School would probably all quit.

After reporting on the results of the provincial examinations for each prefecture, it was natural to talk about the three prefectures that had not yet taken the exams, mainly concerning organizational matters.

Everything had been agreed upon beforehand, and the procedures were standardized. Zhao An hadn't paid much attention to it until the governor, satisfied, got up to visit the educational administration office and then called on Zhao An, saying, "Commissioner Zhao, would you mind accompanying me on a tour?"

"How dare I disobey your orders, sir!"

Zhao An hurriedly stepped forward to accompany this Master Fu on a tour of the Education Bureau.

The governor made a special trip to visit the Education Bureau because the Education Bureau in Jiangyin was extremely large in scale, with many beautiful sights inside, and was known as the number one government office in Jiangnan.

Since you've come all this way, Your Excellency the Governor naturally wants to take a look.

This was also Zhao An's first time venturing deep into the educational administration office. After walking with the governor for a while, he found the office to be quite impressive. Before he knew it, they had arrived at the temple of the academy. Looking at the many sages enshrined in the temple, the governor was filled with reverence. He then casually asked those around him, "Was the essay question set by the old master of the provincial examination this year related to personnel selection?"

An aide hurriedly stepped forward and said, “Reporting to the Governor, this year’s essay topic is ‘Yi Yin assisted Tang, Fu Yue assisted Emperor Gaozong, and Lü Wang met King Wen. On the Way of Using People.’ I believe that this is the old master’s way of hoping that candidates can use examples of sages to illustrate the importance of talent selection for our Great Qing.”

Well?
Zhao An couldn't help but look at the governor, only to find him staring intently at the portrait of Confucius.

(End of this chapter)