Top Scholar

Chapter 158 The Rich and Powerful
The third day of the Lunar New Year.

An official boat bearing the flag of Hejiang County Government sailed slowly across the vast river.

The river water has returned to its clear, blue state, and the charred planks and floating corpses are no longer visible.

Magistrate Lu also calmed down from the euphoria of his great victory and the boundless flattery. At least when speaking to Su Lu, he no longer boasted so readily…

"Those old gentlemen speak very highly of you. Many of them say that a child prodigy has emerged from our county." He was talking to Su Lu about the phonetic symbols. The training course ended on the 27th of the twelfth lunar month last year. Magistrate Lu missed the opening ceremony, so naturally he wouldn't miss the closing ceremony.

On the 27th, he not only visited the county school in person, but also spent an hour explaining to the old teachers the importance of phonetic symbols, the glorious mission of the community school, and his own great goal!
What could be explained in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea took him half the morning to talk about...

But at least the elders realized how much importance the county magistrate attached to this matter. Teaching children of all ages the phonetic symbols became a key focus of their teaching this year.

"Now that the county has money, the goal of building 120 new community schools can be achieved! With your phonetic symbol scheme, it's a piece of cake for 70% of the children to learn 2,000 characters within a year!" Magistrate Lu said with great pride and an alarmingly arrogant tone:

"At that time, our Hejiang County will be unique in the world, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the 'Confucian and Mencian Land of Southwest China'!"

"This year, sir, you've achieved both literary and military success—a double blessing!" Su Lu hurriedly flattered.

"Hahaha, absolutely right!" Magistrate Lu, somewhat carried away with his words, exclaimed, "Now, let's see who dares to look down on this county!!"

“No one would want to humiliate themselves,” Su Lu said.

"Hahaha." Magistrate Lu looked at Su Lu happily and said, "Hongzhi, you are my lucky charm! Since we met you, the fortunes of this county have greatly improved!"

I thought to myself, "Even my hemorrhoids that I've had for years are cured..."

“Teacher is a benefactor to his students. Without him, my uncle’s case would certainly not have been so simple,” Su Lu quickly added.

"Haha, so it seems that we, teacher and student, are mutually supportive and complement each other perfectly!" Magistrate Lu liked Su Lu more and more as he looked at him, and suddenly sighed, "It's a pity that my daughter married too early, otherwise I really wanted to find you to be my son-in-law."

"Hehe, although I know you were joking, I am still flattered," Su Lu said with a smile.

“I’m not joking, but a son-in-law like you will surely end up in the wrong family,” Magistrate Lu said regretfully.

"You're still a student, a nobody..." Su Lu was embarrassed by the comment.

"Haha, fame and fortune are something many people strive for their whole lives but can never attain, but for some, it comes naturally." Magistrate Lu smiled and said seriously, "Of course, you can't be complacent; you still need to study diligently."

"Rest assured, sir, I have nothing to be proud of," Su Lu said softly.

“Alright.” Magistrate Lu nodded and then instructed, “When we arrive in Luzhou, I will take your second brother to the Daotai’s office to see if there is any opportunity to introduce him to the military governor.”

"Thank you for your trouble, sir," Su Lu said hurriedly.

Fearing that Su Lu might misunderstand, he paused and then explained, "The Military Commissioner is the Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, a high-ranking official in scarlet robes. I am but a lowly subordinate in his presence. Without a sufficient reason, it would be inappropriate to take you along."

“Sir, you are joking. What use is it for a mere student like me to meet a high-ranking official like a deputy provincial governor?” Su Lu said with a smile.

“It is still very useful,” said Magistrate Lu. “Huang Bingxian is a famous minister who came from your Sichuan region, and he also studies the Book of Rites. If you can gain his favor, you will soon become famous throughout Sichuan.”

"Really?" Su Lu asked in surprise, "How could Huang Bingxian be appointed as an official in this province?"

“He’s not a people-friendly official, but a military officer, so he doesn’t need to avoid the issue of his place of origin,” said Magistrate Lu with admiration. “Besides, Military Commissioner Huang is a well-known capable official. The court won’t let him serve in one place for too long; he’ll be transferred wherever there’s trouble.”

"By the way, his daughter is exceptionally talented and beautiful, and is hailed by gossips as the most talented woman in Sichuan." He paused, then winked at Su Lu and smiled, "And she's still unmarried. I wonder if Hongzhi has the good fortune to be chosen?"

"Hahaha." Su Lu couldn't help but laugh and said, "I think we should just keep Princess Shang as our ideal, since we can't achieve it anyway."

“Alas, life is unpredictable…” Magistrate Lu said, realizing it was impossible himself, and laughed out loud, “Forget it, let’s not joke like that. If you become obsessed, then I would be guilty.”

"Don't worry, it won't happen. This disciple knows his own limitations," Su Lu said with a smile.

"Yes. It's better to be realistic. Once you pass the imperial examination, I'll help you find a reliable wealthy family in Hejiang County!" Magistrate Lu's greatest strength was his connection to the people, and his greatest weakness was that he was too down-to-earth.

"You can go to the Zhu family's place with Zihe by yourself. Large families have many rules and regulations, and they like to look down on people. I dislike getting close to them." He then instructed Su Lu:

"If you suffer any injustice, don't take it too hard."

"Yes, sir, don't worry." Su Lu smiled and said, "I'm going to become your apprentice, not to marry into your family."

"Haha, well said. The most important thing is to learn the true essence." Magistrate Lu nodded and smiled, "Just consider it as cultivating your inner strength."

~~
The journey from Hejiang to Luzhou by water is over 140 li (approximately 70 kilometers). Even the official boats with eight oarsmen took a full day and night to reach Luzhou, arriving only on the morning of the fourth day. Of course, the advantage of traveling by boat is that it's not tiring, especially on inland waterways, where you can eat and sleep as you please—it's very comfortable. Traveling by land would be faster if you were riding a horse or in a carriage, but after traveling 140 li, you'd be exhausted.

The boat docked at Guanyizui Wharf, where the county government's steward had already prepared a sedan chair and was waiting for a long time.

Before getting into the sedan chair, Magistrate Lu introduced Su Lu, saying, "Steward Tian, ​​this is Su Lu, Su Hongzhi, our county's prized student. He and his elder brother will be studying in Luzhou, and we entrust them to your care during this time."

"Rest assured, sir, I will make sure you two young masters are comfortable and don't miss home." Steward Tian was a wealthy-looking man with a friendly demeanor. He smiled at Su Lu and Su Tai and said, "Please get in the carriage, young masters. We'll chat there."

"My second brother is going with Steward Tian, ​​and I need to pay a visit to my classmate's home first," Su Lu said politely. "I would appreciate it if Steward Tian could give me an address."

"Young Master Su, you can just call me Old Tian." Steward Tian said with a smile, "I'll send someone to accompany Young Master Su, firstly to have someone to serve you, and secondly to take you back to the office when you're done."

He then beckoned to a clever-looking servant boy and told him to follow Su Lu.

"Then I'll take my leave now, lest I keep the master waiting." Steward Tian apologized and got into the carriage behind the sedan chair with Su Tai.

Su Lu watched Magistrate Lu and his second brother leave, then asked the servant, "What's your name?"

"My surname is Yu, but you can call me Little Fish, sir," the servant said crisply.

"Alright, Little Fish," Su Lu nodded and asked, "So, how are you getting there?"

“Keep your legs still.” Little Fish laughed, “When you’re free, just pretend I don’t exist. When you need me, just call out ‘Little Fish,’ and I’ll appear.”

"Alright." This was the first time Su Lu had someone serving him, and he wasn't quite used to it yet.

Zhu Zihe urged impatiently from inside the carriage, "Hurry up and get in the carriage. You're a fine horse, don't act like you have no taste."

"Even a fine steed comes from the mountains," Su Lu said with a nonchalant smile. "Isn't it normal to lack experience?"

Having said that, he boarded the Zhu family's carriage. The driver, dressed in a blue robe and wearing a small hat, was clean and efficient. He flicked the reins and urged the carriage slowly into the city.

This wasn't Su Lu's first time in Luzhou, but last time he was preoccupied with his elder brother's illness, so he came and went in a hurry and didn't get a good look at the city.

It was only then that I realized Luzhou City was much larger than Hejiang County. The reason this place could become one of the most prosperous places in Sichuan was not only due to the benefits of the Yangtze River, but also largely thanks to this mountainous plain.

The entire city is centered around the Bell and Drum Tower, with four main roads running east, west, south, and north intersecting to form a cross-shaped framework, dividing the city into four corners.

Zhu Zihe told Su Lu that the prefectural government, the circuit office, and the command office were all in the west of the city, while the prefectural school and academy were in the south of the city.

“My home is also in the south of the city. If you ask around, everyone knows about Zhujiashan,” Zhu Zihe added.

"Which side of the mountain do you live on?" Su Lu asked.

“The entire Zhu Family Mountain is it,” Zhu Zihe said. “Our Zhu family settled in Luzhou at the end of the Tang Dynasty, and over the centuries we have occupied the entire mountain. That’s why it’s called Zhu Family Mountain.”

"I see." Su Lu nodded. When the carriage arrived at the foot of Zhu Family Mountain, he saw the densely packed buildings with white walls and black tiles covering the entire hillside, numbering at least several hundred households. Only then did he realize what a truly large family was.

The Su family, with only sixteen branches, is simply not enough...

The carriage passed through a series of archways and headed towards the Zhu family mansion. Zhu Zihe introduced, "These are all Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) from our ancestors. Five were from the Song Dynasty and two are from our current dynasty. It's a pity that no one has passed the exam for several decades."

"Maybe we can add another one in a few months," Su Lu said with a smile.

"Are you talking about my Ninth Uncle?" Zhu Zihe said, "Let's get to the capital as soon as possible."

"What kind of nephew are you?" Su Lu said speechlessly.

“I’m the kind of person who always stands on the side of reason, not personal ties,” Zhu Zihe said. “I love my uncle, but reason is reason. He did set off too late.”

"The headmaster knows what he's doing." Su Lu didn't argue, because the carriage had already arrived at the gate of the Zhu family mansion.

The Zhu Family Mansion is backed by Zhu Family Mountain and faces the Jade Belt River. With the mountain as its backdrop and the water as its backdrop, and the jade belt around its waist, it has excellent feng shui.

After getting off the car, Su Lu saw three red ribbons with gold inscriptions bearing the words "merit" standing in front of the house, fluttering in the wind, which was quite eye-catching!
This thing isn't something you can just erect anywhere; there are strict rules. Only those who pass the imperial examinations can erect a tall flagpole in front of their door, but they can't hang the flag.

Only after passing the provincial examination would the prefecture and county send a report of success, along with a gold-background red banner bearing the words "Top Scholar," "Top Scholar in the Imperial Examinations," or "Second-Rank Scholar." Only then could the flagpole be put to use.

However, a Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination) could only display a single-column banner; one had to wait until they passed the Jinshi (highest level imperial examination) to display a banner with two columns. Su Lu had heard that if one achieved the Zhuangyuan (top scholar) rank, a banner with the words "Zhuangyuan" (top scholar) written in gold on yellow silk would be erected and displayed, making it a spectacle unparalleled for miles around!

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(End of this chapter)