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Chapter 116 The Humble County Magistrate
"..." Upon hearing this, Su Lu was torn between two conflicting thoughts. Should he reveal his family's situation to the magistrate? What if the magistrate still held a grudge?
But in the blink of an eye, he realized the pros and cons. Even if Lu Zhaoye held a grudge, today's atmosphere was the perfect opportunity to bring it up.

If we don't speak up now, the truth will eventually come out, and it might explode in the future.

He steeled his resolve, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice, "My family is from Erlangtan. My grandfather's name was Dacheng, and he was originally a centurion of Yongning Guard. My father's name was Youcai..."

After he finished speaking, he saw that Magistrate Lu's face remained completely expressionless, clearly having long forgotten about this matter.

That's true. The county judges hundreds of cases every year. How could Magistrate Lu possibly remember that small case from ten years ago?
The dispute between the two clans over a well was a huge matter for both clans, but for the county magistrate, it was a trivial matter.

Magistrate Lu then asked him if anyone else in his family was studying.

Su Lu then answered truthfully, "My father was a scholar, and I was taught by him."

"Oh? Is that so?" Magistrate Lu asked with interest, "Only a great teacher can produce a great student. Friend Su must be very learned. Did he study at the county school or the prefectural school?"

Su Luxin thought to himself that his father had only been in the clan school, and then said with a wry smile, "My father's studies were full of setbacks, and he failed to win the favor of his parents in the county examinations several times."

"Ah? Haha..." Magistrate Lu laughed awkwardly, "That's how the imperial examinations are. You'll be stuck in the examination hall until your time comes, and you'll have bad luck year after year. Let him try again next time, and his luck will surely change."

"Yes." Su Lu hurriedly agreed, and then flattered her, saying, "Although my father has always struggled in the imperial examinations, he has always said that my parents are the most fair people."

"Of course, this county has always been impartial in selecting talents for the country." Magistrate Lu nodded hurriedly, afraid of leaving a bad impression on Su Lu.

“Yes, my elder brother took the county exam this year and ranked third, which shows that my father was right,” Su Lu said softly.

"Oh?" Magistrate Lu thought for a moment, then realized who it was: "Isn't your elder brother named Su Man?"

"It is indeed my elder brother," Su Lu nodded.

"Alas, what a pity. His learning was enough to pass the county-level imperial examination..." Magistrate Lu sighed, "It's a pity he didn't catch the eye of the prefect. What can be done?"

As he spoke, he gave Su Lu a deep look and said, "This is also why the county has summoned you. I have read your articles, and your talent is even more outstanding than your brother's, but you must also avoid repeating the same mistakes."

"Please enlighten me, Your Excellency." Su Lu hurriedly stood up and bowed, which was exactly what he was most worried about.

"Well..." Magistrate Lu finally stopped beating around the bush and looked directly at Su Lu, asking, "Would you be willing to call me... 'Sir'?"

"Huh?" Su Lu was dumbfounded, never expecting that Magistrate Lu's request... would be so humble.

He had assumed that Magistrate Lu wanted him to become his apprentice, but it turned out that the other party only wanted to be his teacher...

The differences here are huge.

Because there can be many teachers, such as Su Youcai, Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhu, and even the headmaster, all of whom are his teachers.

But there can only be one teacher.

Su Lu was no longer the naive man he once was; he knew that within the scholar-official circles of the Ming Dynasty, the title of 'teacher' could not be used casually. This was because once a teacher-student relationship was established, a strong personal bond was formed.

Take, for example, the teacher-student relationship in the imperial examinations. Successful candidates had to acknowledge the chief examiner as their 'teacher,' thus forming a bond between teacher and student. From then on, they shared both glory and misfortune; the student could not betray the teacher, and the teacher could not let the student down.

Therefore, in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, the master-disciple relationship was strongly dependent on one's career advancement. In reality, it was a way to gain favor and recruit followers, disguised with a veneer of warmth and affection.

The teachers in the academy only imparted knowledge and did not form a bond with the students, so they could not be called teachers.

Returning to the matter of Su Lu and Magistrate Lu, if Magistrate Lu were to ask Su Lu to become his apprentice today, Su Lu would undoubtedly agree. This is because the other party holds his future in their hands. If he doesn't agree, as long as Lu Zhaoye remains in Hejiang, he can forget about passing the county examination…

Su Lu valued chastity more than moral integrity. Besides, becoming the county magistrate's apprentice offered real benefits! For someone who would do anything for money, this was no problem at all.

So Su Lu was somewhat taken aback, and even a little regretful...

You ask me to become your apprentice! How do you know I won't agree if you don't ask?
What's the point of just paying respects to a teacher? It's like scratching an itch through a boot—the more you scratch, the itchier it gets…

Only becoming a teacher, or even a master, is useful! If the conditions are high enough, even becoming a godfather isn't out of the question...

Zhu Liu and Magistrate Lu were both shrewd individuals who could see through his thoughts at a glance. Zhu Liu chuckled and shook his head but remained silent.

Magistrate Lu then spoke frankly to Su Lu, saying:
"You are a rare prodigy in this county, and what's even more precious is your kind heart. This county is determined to nurture you into a pillar of society! But precisely because of this, this county cannot hold you back!"

"Why do you say that, sir?" Su Lu asked hastily. "To be honest, of course I would like to take you as my apprentice. Who wouldn't want a good disciple?" Magistrate Lu said with a self-pitying expression, "But that would be too disadvantageous for you."

As he spoke, he chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "You may not know, but I was born into the Imperial Academy... Back then, I couldn't pass the provincial examination and became a Juren. I had some family wealth, so in a moment of desperation, I donated money to get into the Imperial Academy. As a result, I made a mistake that I will regret for the rest of my life, and I am still ridiculed to this day."

"Your Excellency is too kind," Zhu Liu said, trying to comfort him. "Your background only represents the past. Now you are the magistrate of a county, powerful and influential. Who would dare to ridicule you? Who has the right to ridicule you?"

“Those who think like Brother Dejia are actually a minority.” Magistrate Lu smiled gratefully and sighed, “Others certainly won’t laugh at me to my face, but only the person drinking the water knows whether it’s hot or cold. They do look down on me, there’s no mistake about that.”

As he spoke, he looked at Su Lu and said, "In the future, people will ask about your lineage countless times. Every time they ask, it will feel like a slap in the face. Are you willing to accept that?"

"I don't mind," Su Lu quickly reassured him. "Let them say what they want, as long as they don't actually smoke..."

"That's because you haven't experienced it yet. Of course, it's easy to say, but since this county has high hopes for you, I naturally have to consider your future," Magistrate Lu said in a deep voice.

"You may not know this, but apart from the county examination which can be decided by the county itself, each subsequent stage cannot be passed by simply studying and taking the exam. It requires the combined efforts of all parties."

"Yes." Headmaster Zhu nodded in agreement, "The imperial examinations are never just about academic studies." This was something he had always instilled in Su Lu.

"At most, this county can get you into the provincial examination, but the provincial education commissioner will definitely not give face to a mere county magistrate like me." Magistrate Lu said with a bitter smile, "On the contrary, he is a pure stream, while I am a muddy stream. Pure and muddy streams cannot be mixed. If you have this county as your teacher, the commissioner will definitely not take you."

"Didn't they say the names would be anonymous during the provincial examination?" Su Lu asked softly.

"Hahaha." Magistrate Lu and Zhu Liu looked at each other and laughed. The latter said, "You are still young and do not know how treacherous the world is."

"No matter how strict the rules are, they are enforced by people. As long as there are people, there are ways to implement them." These words, spoken by Lu Zhaoye, the head of a county, carried particular weight.

"I'm not saying that all grandmasters are corrupt and abuse their power. They are upright officials with promising futures who value their reputation far more than money. They won't accept money from you."

“However, while ensuring basic fairness, there are still some human relationships that need to be taken into account.” Zhu Liu continued, “Grandmasters are not all alone; they all have a large group of fellow disciples, fellow villagers, and classmates. This is all inevitable.”

"Even after the examinations are completed and the list is finalized, the Grandmaster may still make adjustments at any time. For example, to protect his own reputation, he might remove disciples like me, who belong to the lower classes, from the list and replace them with members of the more upright families, such as the nephews and nieces of Brother Dejia," Magistrate Lu said with a wry smile.
"This is all within the authority of a Grandmaster. He can do it openly and honestly, and no one will say anything."

“But that’s not fair,” Su Lu said in a low voice.

"So what? They're 'two-time Jinshi graduates, upright officials, and tigers with no taboos,' so naturally they can weigh the pros and cons. Even if they slightly overstep the bounds, no one will criticize them, no one will impeach them; on the contrary, they'll be praised for their sense of responsibility and for not being bound by convention," Magistrate Lu complained.
"And for corrupt officials like those in this county, if they even slightly cross the line, the sky will fall. Of course, we'll never have the chance to become Grandmasters..."

"So you must pass the imperial examination before becoming an official! Don't be like me. Be as ambitious as your headmaster. Don't take the exam even if you fail for ten years!" Magistrate Lu instructed again.

"There's no need to use me as an example..." Zhu Liu couldn't help but smile bitterly, "But it's true, it's much easier for a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) to become an official. For a Juren (successful candidate in the provincial imperial examination) or a Jiansheng (student of the Imperial Academy) to become an official, there are indeed many restrictions, which makes people unhappy."

"Finally admitting it, huh? Haha!" Magistrate Lu didn't laugh for long before hissing and gasping for breath. He then asked Su Lu again, "I've told you so much, both what I should and shouldn't have said. I'll ask you one more time: are you willing to become my student?"

"Of course, I would be more than happy to accept this," Su Lu said, his face full of emotion. "But I am deeply grateful for your thoughtful consideration of your students, and I already regard you as my teachers!"

"The students don't care about mere mockery. I will definitely slap those people in the face! I'll avenge my elderly parents!" He bowed deeply, pleading with utmost sincerity.

"Therefore, I humbly request that my parents kindly accept me as their disciple!"

Su Lu's reaction was completely unexpected by Lu and Zhu.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Liu looked at Su Lu with some surprise, not understanding why he insisted on becoming his disciple.

But Zhu Shanzhang's skill level was undeniable, and he immediately understood—this was the only correct solution!

There are no problems.

The reason why Magistrate Lu refused to accept Su Lu as an apprentice was because he was worried that his own lack of education would be a burden to Su Lu.

If Su Lu readily agrees, it means he agrees with Magistrate Lu's point of view and feels that Magistrate Lu will be a burden to him.

In this way, even if Magistrate Lu took the initiative to prevent him from becoming an apprentice, he would inevitably feel resentful afterward.

That's why Su Lu acted as if he was even more eager to become an apprentice. This wouldn't change the final outcome, but even if it was just for show, Magistrate Lu wouldn't have any lingering resentment...

This is very important, because only by being open and honest can we go the distance!
P.S. Which day will be the fourth update? I don't know, I just know it's going to be a battle! To be continued tomorrow!! Please vote and subscribe!!!
(End of this chapter)