Qing Yao

Chapter 74 Finding Wealth in Danger

Happiness comes too suddenly.

Although Zhao An thought that he might have caught the eye of the old master Tong Hezhongtang with the help of one thousand taels, he did not expect that one thousand taels would have such a good effect. The old master directly promoted him five levels, from the ninth rank to the seventh rank.

A deputy township head was promoted to the principal of a key prefectural middle school. This was definitely jaw-dropping, if not unheard of.

In particular, this principal doesn't even have an elementary school diploma.

I have to say that the old man was quite casual and the Qing Dynasty was quite wild.

Of course, Zhao An was also tall and strong, and he used his wisdom to bet on the right thing, becoming the first person to profit since the implementation of the custom of negotiating the crime of silver.

This bite of crab was really the perfect one.

Getting promoted is a good thing, a very good thing.

It’s just that the power of this seventh-rank professor is not very high. After all, an official in charge of education is not as happy as a county magistrate with a real seal.

Moreover, teaching and educating is actually beyond Zhao An's business scope.

To be honest, he is not very good at the Four Books and Five Classics. Not to mention explaining the mysteries to students, he even has difficulty writing a "paper" himself.

If given a choice, Zhao An would rather be an eighth-rank county magistrate than a crappy school principal.

But the matter has been settled, and he has to be the principal whether he wants to or not. For the sake of his own career and the future of the students in his hometown, he must be attentive.

Zhao An, who was alone in the academic registrar's office, began to think that the provincial examination was about to begin. Before, he was just a ninth-rank primary school registrar who was ignored by everyone. The superiors ate meat and shared soup without him. Now he became the deputy examiner second only to the prefect. Does he have to be the first to pick up two big pieces of fat meat from the bowl of braised pork in the provincial examination with his chopsticks?

The first place in the county and prefectural cases is the job of the county magistrate and the prefect, which Zhao An knows, but as the deputy examiner of the prefectural examination, it should be no problem for him to take the top ten to five places in the prefectural examination.

If you don't have a bad heart, just give it a few thousand taels as a token of your appreciation.

After all, education cannot be too rotten.

As a professor at the provincial school in charge of education in Yangzhou, Zhao An still has some moral bottom line and conscience.

No matter how much, as long as it is there, it’s fine.

As for how to improve the quality of education and enhance the competitiveness of Yangzhou students in the provincial examinations, it is not within his consideration at present.

He is not the chief examiner, so how can a teacher who participates in marking the papers expect to have many students all over the world?

Even if he devoted himself to improving the teaching quality of Yangzhou Prefecture School, and the good students he taught passed the imperial examinations and then the jinshi examinations, no one would remember his kindness as a professor of the local prefectural school, and no one would take him, a seventh-rank official, seriously.

The real beneficiary of the relationship between the imperial examination students and the examiners is the chief examiner!

Because this person's level is high enough.

Only those with a high level can bring benefits to their students and form a so-called teacher-student relationship with each other.

Moreover, the starting rank for a Jinshi is the seventh rank, and he, the principal, is also only the seventh rank.

Who leads whom?
Zhao An was too lazy to do anything that would make wedding dresses for others.

Besides, he wouldn't be so foolish as to be a principal for his whole life.

Now he was waiting for his predecessor, Professor Jiang, to come and hand over the work to him. However, Professor Jiang did not come, but the "old leader" of Ganquan County, County Magistrate Ding, came instead.

Along with County Master Ding came Teacher Song from the county school. In theory, this director had become Zhao An's subordinate.

Although the prefectural school and the county school have no direct affiliation, they do have a guiding relationship.

If the government school is strong enough, it is not impossible to form a de facto leadership relationship.

Teacher Song must have felt bad when he saw Zhao An, who had become the head of the provincial school by making fake documents of his own.

But what else can we do?
Only you can understand your own suffering.

"What brings you here, Master Ding?"

Zhao An, beaming with enthusiasm, habitually extended his hand to shake the "old leader," but luckily he quickly retracted it. The county magistrate's face was not looking good, and he plopped down in Zhao An's chair in a huff.

Why are you angry?
Before, Zhao An always called him County Master, but now he has become "Lord Ding". Not to mention the rank, just this ungrateful and arrogant attitude is enough to make anyone angry.

"No one comes to the temple for no reason. Now that you, Lord Zhao, have been promoted to professor at the prefectural academy, don't you have to give an explanation to this county?"

The county magistrate also spoke in a sarcastic tone.

Teacher Song had a sullen face and moved a small stool to sit next to the county magistrate.

One tall and one short are quite distinct.

"What statement?"

Zhao An didn't quite understand. "I don't quite understand. Lord Ding, please speak frankly."

"Then I'll speak frankly!"

The county lord snorted slightly, "Zhao An, do you think that now that you have been promoted and become rich, and are now a seventh-rank official like me, you will no longer take this county seriously?"

"Master Ding, what are you talking about? Am I that kind of person? If it weren't for Master Ding's support, would I, Zhao An, be where I am today?"

Zhao An smiled and was about to pour tea for his two former leaders, but after searching around he couldn't find the second tea bowl, so he had to give up.

This made County Magistrate Ding even more angry. He thought to himself, Professor Zhao, how could no one bring the tea set just because you shouted outside!
Being so pretentious, it's clear that he's looking down on others just because he's a professor.

In a rage, he asked Zhao An to pay.

Zhao An was stunned: "What money?"

The county magistrate was furious: "Of course it's the money for the criminal investigation!"

Zhao An was stunned again: "I have already paid the money for the negotiation."

"You paid, but we didn't!"

If the other party was not now on equal footing with him, the county magistrate would definitely hit him with the book.

Zhao An was still puzzled: "Why do you want me to pay for the criminal fine?"

"If it weren't for you, would we have to pay the fine?"

The county magistrate was so angry that he almost burst into flames, and Teacher Song was also so angry that his teeth were itching.

Good man, it turns out that this kid is such an ungrateful person. Both the county magistrate and he had misjudged him in the past. They were deceived by this kid!
He suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Zhao An, you know why Lord Ding and I have to pay the fine. But Lord Ding and I are both short of money now. If you consider the favor Lord Ding and I have done you, shouldn't you make some compensation?"

"oh,"

Zhao An nodded. "In that case, I should indeed contribute some money to help you two get together. After all, this matter was caused by me."

After a pause, he spread his hands and said, "But I don't have any money now."

"No money?"

County Magistrate Ding looked at Zhao An with an unpleasant expression, "The provincial examination is coming up soon, how come a professor like you has any progress?"

Zhao An helplessly explained, "Professor Jiang has always been in charge of the provincial examination. How would I know the ins and outs of it? Besides, my transfer order hasn't arrived yet. How can I find the money to pay you two right now? Besides, the two of you together have to pay 15,000 taels. You can't even come up with that even if you sell me."

"You're not going to pay! Well, if you want us to have a hard time, then you can't have a good time either. The worst that can happen is that the three of us will die together!"

County Magistrate Ding, who was extremely angry, stood up suddenly, acting as if he was ready to die together with his partner.

Teacher Song also stood up angrily and looked at him coldly.

"Are you two forcing me? Well, it shouldn't have come to this."

Zhao An sighed softly and shook his head in distress. "To be honest, I don't have any money right now, but I have a way in Dongtai. The risk is a bit high, but the profit is very high. As the saying goes, fortune and wealth are sought in danger. I wonder if you two are interested in discussing this business with me?"

(End of this chapter)