Qing Yao

Chapter 365 Master, all the reviews are bad!

When migrant workers don't receive their wages, they usually seek help from the local government.

If teachers don't receive their salaries, who should they turn to?

You should definitely contact the education bureau!
What if neither teachers nor students receive their salaries?

Where do students get their salaries?

Yes, students from Anqing Prefecture received state subsidies.

There are two types of allowances: one is a stipend for meals; the other is a stipend for oil and fire.

Not all scholars could receive the "staff allowance". Only those who achieved first or second-class results in the annual and provincial examinations could become stipend students and receive the equivalent of six dou of rice in silver each month.

This income is enough to support a single adult, but for scholars with families, other sources of income are still needed, otherwise life will be very difficult.

"Gao Huo Yin" originally referred to the lamp oil fee given to all students in school. Later, it came to mean various living allowances for students during their time at school, which was roughly equivalent to the silver money for two dou of rice.

Zhao An ordered the provincial treasury to stop paying the office expenses and staff salaries of the education administration office and its subordinate agencies, and naturally, the students' stipends were also stopped.

A typical one-size-fits-all approach.

This constitutes lazy and indolent governance.

But the effect was obvious. With the paralysis of the education administration, the first to be affected was the Anqing Prefectural School located in the provincial capital. The salary cards of all teaching staff, including the school officials, were frozen indefinitely. Then, the stipends and allowances that should have been paid in a timely manner were also frozen. The only answer was to wait.

They didn't say they wouldn't send it, they just said to wait.

But when exactly will we have to wait?

Students from well-off families don't care about the stipend, but students from poor families rely on it for food!
This is the third time this month that Song Wenqing, a 23-year-old scholar from a poor family, has come to the professor's office to inquire about information.

"Sir, I really can't hold on any longer,"

In front of the professor, Song Wenqing, as a student, dared not raise his voice, but with the stubbornness unique to scholars, he said, "My elderly mother has been bedridden for many years, and this little money is all she needs for medicine."

Professor Guo of Anqing Prefectural School is over fifty years old and has been engaged in education for nearly thirty years. He is well aware of the difficulties faced by these students from poor families, but his own salary has also been suspended.

What can he do if the higher authorities don't allocate funds?
"Wenqing, let's wait a little longer. The Education Bureau is already urging the Provincial Governor's Office."

Before Professor Guo could finish speaking, a commotion arose outside: "We can't wait any longer, we need to see the Grandmaster!"

"Why has the government stopped paying our tuition fees? This is money given to us by the imperial court, why won't it be given to us!"

"I'm sure someone is embezzling funds, which is why the provincial governor's office is investigating the accounts!"

"."

Dozens of scholars in blue robes arrived at Professor Guo's office, their spirits high. The leader, Scholar Zhang, was furious: "Sir, if you don't give us an explanation today, we'll have no choice but to go to the education office and ask the old master for clarification!"

"I can't do it, I can't do it!"

Professor Guo dared not send his students to the education office, so he hurriedly came out of the room and said to everyone, "Listen to me, the old master is also in trouble. It's no use you going there. Why don't you wait a little longer?"

Scholar Zhang complained, "Wait any longer! How long is that? It's been over a month already!"

"Sir, the provincial governor's office has stopped funding us, but even the governor has to give the old master some leeway. How come he can't even keep our tuition and living allowance now!" "We heard that someone in the education office is embezzling money, which is why the provincial governor's office sent people to investigate the accounts. Sir, please tell us the truth, have our tuition and living allowance been embezzled?"

"Sir, you are a professor at our prefectural school. Why don't you stand up for us?"

"."

Faced with this group of indignant students, Professor Guo stammered and couldn't give a clear answer. He had been to the education commissioner's office before, but each time he went, the commissioner's face became more and more unpleasant. Apart from telling him to come back and appease the students and wait a little longer, the commissioner had no other options.

"Dear students,"

Seeing that the professor was in a real predicament, Song Wenqing suddenly spoke up to the scholars, saying, "It's no use for us to pressure the professor here. Now that things have come to this, why don't we jointly write a letter to ask the old master to explain the reason!"

"Yes, we will jointly petition the venerable master!"

A group of scholars, living in dire poverty, were "bewitched" by Song Wenqing and actually gathered together to discuss the contents of their petition.

Professor Guo could neither persuade nor stop them, because these students were already scholars with official titles, not just beginners in their studies.

Politically, they have certain privileges.

Frustrated and unsure what to do, he could only quickly send someone to inform the Academic Commissioner.

At the market, the steward of the provincial education commissioner, thinking that his master hadn't eaten meat for several days, took out his own savings to buy some meat for him at the butcher shop. Just as he was waiting, he heard the voice of a tofu seller outside: "That's why I say, being an official isn't just about talking; you have to get things done! Look at Governor Zhao, he came here and immediately started disaster relief, bandit suppression, and commerce and industry promotion, which made Anqing's market much more vibrant. Unlike some officials who just shut themselves away and indulge in frivolous pursuits, now I hear that one of them is even struggling to afford food."

A vegetable vendor nearby chimed in, "Exactly! I heard that this isn't Lord Zhao's fault. It was that old master who deliberately made things difficult for him, which pushed Lord Zhao to the edge. In my opinion, that old master deserved it. Who is Lord Zhao? He's an upright official. How can he fight against an upright official? What kind of old master is he? I think he's just a treacherous official!"

The steward was furious upon hearing this. His master was an incorruptible and honest official, how could he be a treacherous minister with a white face!
Enraged, he was about to go out and yell at the vegetable vendor when the butcher, Zhu, who was selling meat, stopped him after settling his bill with the other customers. Then, he picked up his knife, walked up to the steward, and made a single stroke at the half-eaten pig on the counter: "Old Chen, how much to cut? The usual ten catties?"

"Uh,"

The butler's temper immediately subsided. Looking at the half-scoop of white pork, he said helplessly in a low voice, "Cut me a pound, pick the fatty parts."

"A pound?"

Butcher Zhu was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Old Chen, you're a regular customer here. When have you ever cut a pound of pork fat? Here's what we'll do: you cut five pounds, and I'll give you half a pound of pork fat for free."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the customer buying meat in front of him laughed: "I say, Master Zhu, aren't you making things difficult for people? Where would the Education Bureau get the money right now? I heard that they can't even get paper and ink on credit. You cut two catties for the steward, and I'll cover the extra catty."

After saying that, he looked at Steward Chen, whose face was turning red and then pale, and said, "I really have to say, your master is really something. Of all people to offend, why did he have to offend Lord Zhao? Who is Lord Zhao? He is a good official recognized by all the common people. He is also a person who has been bestowed with a double-eyed peacock feather and an Ebilun sword by the Emperor. Your master has offended such a person. He is not only asking for trouble, but he is also going against the people of Anhui!"

"That's right, we ordinary people can see who the good officials are and who the bad officials are!"

The tofu vendors outside also joined in the fun.

"Yes, the eyes of the masses are the sharpest!"

The vegetable vendors chimed in.

The housekeeper couldn't stand it anymore. He didn't even buy any meat, just picked up his basket and left. The group of people behind him laughed, their laughter like needles piercing his heart.

After the steward disappeared, the customer who bought meat turned around and came to the corner. A young man dressed in a scholar's robe casually threw two small pieces of silver into his hand and laughed, "Well done. The master said that we have to let that Xu know that he has a lot of bad reviews among the people, otherwise his Dao heart will be hard to break."

(End of this chapter)