Qing Yao

Chapter 83 Teacher, how come you look so young?
"Don't hit someone in the face, and don't insult someone by revealing their shortcomings"—this is a principle that even ordinary people know!
But what are they saying in this room!

How did Professor Zhao disgrace Jiangsu? How could he not be an examiner?

To be a good examiner, I just crammed a whole sack of knowledge into my brain this afternoon. It's all for nothing if you ask me to do that.

Hey!
With his fiery temper flaring up, Zhao An rolled up his sleeves and respectfully called out from outside the government hall, "This humble official, Zhao Youlu, professor of Yangzhou Prefectural School, greets Your Excellency the Prefect!"

The sound was loud and clear.

Education officials were not under the jurisdiction of local officials, but their ranks and status were still established.

If you should bow, then bow; if you should kneel, then kneel. There's nothing to be uncomfortable about.

Others also kneel before Professor Zhao.

After a few breaths of silence in the hall, the voice of Prefect Fang rang out: "Professor Zhao, please come in."

After straightening his clothes, Zhao An stepped inside, not minding the prefect's disrespectful address of him by his official title.

In officialdom, unless there is a significant difference in rank, such as when a governor or provincial treasurer addresses a county magistrate as "County Magistrate So-and-so," other officials, even if they are in a superior-subordinate relationship, will politely address each other as "Lord So-and-so."

The prefect of Yangzhou was a fourth-rank official, while Zhao An was a seventh-rank official. The difference of four ranks was quite significant, but Zhao An was a distinguished scholar-official, so the prefect should have addressed him politely as "Lord Zhao."

The fact that Professor Zhao was summoned undoubtedly indicates that the prefect was dissatisfied with Zhao An.

He was more than just dissatisfied; he even considered killing the kid.

The intention was clearly to use this kid to remind the emperor that officialdom was too corrupt and to quickly abolish the system of fines for discussing crimes. However, not only were the fines not abolished, but this kid also rose five ranks to become the head of education in Yangzhou, thanks to his reputation as the first person to discuss crimes. How could the prefect, the descendant of a virtuous minister, not be furious?

Thinking about it again, it's still a great fortune that I personally bestowed upon this kid; that spark could burn all the way to the moon.

I just can't stand it!

After entering, he glanced at her and then turned his head away.

The person who just looked down on Professor Zhao was Lou Sanqiang, the proctor sent to Yangzhou by the provincial education commissioner. He was also a professor of the seventh rank, but Professor Lou had a very strong academic background, as he was a "supplementary candidate in the imperial examination".

The so-called "supplementary list of successful candidates" were not formal successful candidates, but rather a number of candidates selected separately from the main list of successful candidates in the provincial examination. They were essentially candidates for the preliminary list of successful candidates, and were commonly referred to as "half-successful candidates." If cheating or special circumstances occurred among the newly appointed successful candidates, the supplementary list of successful candidates would have the opportunity to be promoted to the main list of successful candidates.

Although those who passed the provincial examination as supplementary candidates could not participate in the metropolitan examination like the provincial candidates, they could enter the Imperial Academy to study and become "supplementary tribute students" of the first rank. After graduation, they would be appointed as officials starting from the eighth rank.

However, the reason why Teacher Lou was able to pass the supplementary list of Juren was because he was too old. He started his studies at the age of seven and took the exams until he was fifty-three, but he still failed to pass the Xiucai level.

At the age of fifty-seven, he took the provincial examination again. The chief examiner at the time, considering that Mr. Lou might not have another chance to take the provincial examination in his life, made an exception and admitted him as a supplementary candidate, sending him to the Imperial Academy in the capital for a year of further study.

After graduation, it was this same examiner, who had already risen to the position of Grand Councilor, who specially contacted the current Jiangsu Provincial Education Commissioner and arranged for Teacher Lou to become a professor in the Jiangsu Provincial Education Commissioner's Office.

The examiner who had been kind to Teacher Lou was Sun Shiyi, the current Minister of Personnel and Grand Secretary.

With the Grand Secretary backing him up, Teacher Lou was naturally intolerant of any wrongdoing. In addition, he was getting old and had lost interest in everything, often portraying himself as an incorruptible scholar, which made him very unpopular in the education department.

Therefore, he was sent to Yangzhou to proctor the exam.

Well, let him come. Unfortunately, the professor of Yangzhou Prefectural School is Zhao An, who was recently promoted to the seventh rank for paying a thousand taels of silver as punishment. For Teacher Lou, who cannot tolerate any dissent, this is not only a disgrace to Yangzhou Prefecture, but also a disgrace to the entire Jiangsu education community!

Therefore, upon arriving in Yangzhou, he did not go to the prefectural school to "report for duty" but went directly to the prefect Fang Weidian to suggest that Zhao An, the prefectural school professor, be stripped of his power as an examiner.

The reasoning was that a student who couldn't even pass the county-level examination had no right to grade papers, nor did he know anything about grading papers. Asking such a person to participate in the prefectural and metropolitan examinations was a joke.

Although Teacher Lou was not popular in the provincial education administration, he represented the provincial education administration, so his opinion could be understood as the province's opinion.

Prefect Fang, who was already dissatisfied with Zhao An, was naturally very tempted when he saw that the people from the Education Bureau were willing to step forward.

However, Zhao An was, after all, a professor at the prefectural school, and it wouldn't be appropriate to prevent him from participating in the prefectural examination without a sufficient reason. Therefore, the prefect invited him over to subtly remind him that it would be best if Professor Zhao were ill and unable to participate in the examination.

In this way, we can give an explanation to both our superiors and subordinates.

Regardless of the circumstances, it was indeed excessive to appoint a student who had only recently obtained a degree as a deputy examiner.

Yangzhou can't afford to lose face like this.

No matter how the prefect tried to subtly probe, or how sarcastic Professor Lou was, Professor Zhao simply refused to engage.

The meeting ended unhappily.

Teacher Lou is from Songjiang Prefecture. He met two candidates from Yangzhou when he took the provincial examination. They corresponded as pen pals for many years and became close friends.

That evening, I met with my two pen pals and had a good drink with them, sharing our joys and sorrows in life and work.

The drinking lasted until about 10 p.m. After seeing his two pen pals off, Teacher Lou returned to his residence alone.

They did not stay at the Prefectural Academy Guesthouse, but at the Prefectural Government Guesthouse.

Just as he entered the house and was about to ask someone to fetch water to wash up and go to bed, Zhao An knocked on the door.

Upon opening the door and seeing Zhao Youlu, whom he greatly despised, Teacher Lou frowned slightly and asked, "What are you doing here so late?"

Zhao An didn't say anything, but simply placed a two-hundred-tael silver note on the table.

"Lord Lou is from the province. According to the rules, the prefectural school should be responsible for all of Lord Lou's expenses during his stay in Yangzhou. However, Lord Lou seems to be dissatisfied with me and is unwilling to even stay in the accommodation arranged by the prefectural school. Therefore, I have no choice but to personally deliver this money to you, sir."

Zhao An had a very good attitude, and his face always wore a humble beauty.

Unexpectedly, Teacher Lou grabbed the silver note and stuffed it into Zhao An's arms, angrily pointing to the door and saying, "Take it away, take it away! I am an honest official and have never accepted such filthy money!"

Seeing that he was an honest official, Zhao An had no choice but to step outside and cough lightly. Tong Xundao, who was waiting at the corner of the stairs, immediately brought over a pretty girl.

Before Zhao An could speak, Teacher Lou's face darkened: "You bastards, what kind of person do you take me for!"

The door was about to slam shut with a loud bang.

The door didn't close properly because Zhao An managed to block it with his foot in time. He smiled through the pain and said, "Didn't Lord Lou recite a line or two of poetry when he saw his friend off?"

"Hmph, what does my recitation of poetry have to do with you, a mere student of the Imperial Academy!"

Teacher Lou was even angrier, never expecting that she would be followed by such a despicable person.

"It has nothing to do with me, but it has something to do with our Great Qing Dynasty,"

As he spoke, Zhao An turned to look at Instructor Tong, "What poem did Lord Lou recite when he came down from the restaurant to bid farewell to his friend?"

Instructor Tong had a good memory and quickly replied, "Reporting to Your Excellency, Lord Lou just recited the lines: 'The bright moon is affectionate and still cares for me, the gentle breeze is unintentional and does not linger.'"

"It seems that Lord Lou has a deep longing for the former Ming Dynasty. Since the winds of our Great Qing cannot keep you here, I have no choice but to report this matter to the Education Commissioner's Office."

After saying that, Zhao An made a move to leave, but as expected, he was grabbed.

"No, Lord Zhao, we can talk things over, we can talk things over."

Teacher Lou, who is in her sixties, looks much younger.

Like a grandson.

(End of this chapter)