The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 252 The Liang Family's Sugar-Coated Bullets

With the conclusion of the first special imperial examination in Baoning Prefecture, the names of the successful candidates quickly spread throughout northern Sichuan.

Wu Xi's name soon appeared on Liang Tingsi's desk.

The butler respectfully presented a list:
"Master, this is the information I've gathered."

"Wu Xi, whose ancestral home is Tuanshi Village, Jianzhou, was born in the thirty-seventh year of the Wanli reign. He is twenty-five years old this year and has never been married."

"His father died early, his family was destitute, his elderly mother was bedridden, and he had younger siblings. They all depended on him to make a living by farming."

"This time, I have passed the imperial examination and been appointed as the Assistant Magistrate of Jianzhou. It is truly a meteoric rise to the top."

Liang Tingsi stroked his beard and raised an eyebrow:
"Tuanshi Village?"

"Could it be that dilapidated village just across the river from my Liangjia Village?"

The butler nodded: "Exactly."

Liang Tingsi was overjoyed upon hearing this:

"Isn't this just half a fellow villager?"

He immediately and energetically gave instructions to the steward.

"Prepare gifts! Prepare five hundred taels of silver, one hundred bushels of fine rice, and some top-quality nourishing medicinal herbs from the storeroom!"

"In addition, immediately clean up that unused two-courtyard house at the east end of the village, and equip it with all the necessary supplies and maids and servants."

"You personally lead a group to Tuanshi Village and politely invite Old Madam Wu and her two children to the new house, saying that they are neighbors looking out for each other."

"Let's ask the clan doctor to come and examine the old lady."

The housekeeper understood and quickly led people to tidy up the house in preparation for bringing the Wu family over.

Wu Xi, who was far away in Baoning Prefecture, was naturally completely unaware of this.

After the banquet, he strolled around the city and, taking advantage of his spare money, bought some things for his family.

Three days later, Wu Xi rushed back to Jianzhou in a carriage to take up his post.

Upon arriving in Jianzhou, he immediately went to pay his respects to his superior, the prefect Li Xinghuai.

Prefect Li is about forty years old, with a calm and composed demeanor, and is the current head of the Li family in Jiangyou.

He first gave Wu Xi a routine word of encouragement and then assigned him to oversee several villages in the southern part of Jianzhou, including Liangjia Village and Tuanshi Village.

Finally, Li Xinghuai casually offered a suggestion:
"Prefect Wu, the prefectural government has arranged accommodations for you."

"At the beginning of your term, it would be best to bring your family to the city and settle them in, so as to avoid any mistakes that would cause unnecessary trouble."

Wu Xi was already worried about his elderly mother, and upon hearing this, he was even more eager to return home.

After thanking Prefect Li, he hurried to Tuanshi Village, eager to personally tell his mother the good news of his passing the imperial examination with top honors and being appointed as a sub-prefect.

But when he stepped into that familiar little courtyard, he was greeted only by emptiness.

Upon seeing this, Wu Xi's heart sank.

Could it be that the house has been burgled?!
But his family is so poor they can't even afford to eat, how could they possibly be robbed?
After inquiring with his neighbors, he learned that his relatives had already been taken away by the Liang family.

A surge of anger instantly rose in Wu Xi's head. What a Liang family! They actually tried to bribe his own family members while he was away.

Wu Xi immediately gathered the dozen or so militiamen from the prefectural government who accompanied him, and they rushed towards Liangjia Village on the other side of the river.

Even though he was mentally prepared, he was still stunned by the Liang family's extravagant spending when he saw the new house at the east end of the village.

The house occupies nearly two acres of land. Outside, there are pavilions and gardens, and inside, it is simple and elegant, with servants moving about.

Inside the courtyard, the elderly mother lay on a clean and warm bed, breathing steadily and with a rosy complexion.

Outside the main room, a doctor was sitting in the outer room tending to the medicine stove.

In the dining hall, younger brother Hongyu and younger sister Hongyao were enjoying the chicken, duck, fish and meat on the table, their little faces covered in oil.

"Big brother!"

Hong Yao, with her sharp eyes, spotted Wu Xi first and jumped off her chair in delight, rushing towards him like a whirlwind.

Hongyu followed closely behind, his mouth still stuffed with braised meat, and mumbled indistinctly:

"Big brother! You're back!"

"I heard you passed the imperial examination with top honors! And you're now the highest-ranking official!"

Wu Xi hugged the two little ones who rushed into her arms, feeling their warmth and excitement.

Hongyu and Hongyao clung tightly to their older brother's waist, as if afraid he would leave them even for a moment.

Looking at the ornately decorated mansion and then at the two little ones' brand-new cotton-padded jackets, Wu Xi felt a deep sense of melancholy.

Once upon a time, when he was still a down-on-his-luck scholar, did anyone ever give him a second glance?

Even the matchmaker who arranged the marriage complained that his family was poor and he couldn't even afford a prescription after working hard for several days.

But now?

He had just passed the imperial examination and topped the list, receiving the official title of Assistant Prefect.

Before they even returned to Jianzhou, the Liang family, a local tyrant who had been entrenched there for a century, had already surrounded them like jackals smelling blood.

Their access to information and their speed of action are astonishing.

Not only did they bring his ailing mother and young siblings over in advance, but they also thoughtfully prepared warm clothes, delicious food, and even arranged for medical treatment.

All this utmost courtesy was simply because of his official position.

Where is this supposed hometown camaraderie?
"Ah"

Wu Xi sneered inwardly. What a pity, that old fox Liang Tingsi was still a step too late.

So Wu Xi found the manager in charge of the Liang family here.

His expression was calm, and his tone was detached:

"I appreciate Lord Liang's kindness." "However, I cannot accept a reward without merit. Please take this house back."

"As for the meal my younger siblings ate today, and the cost of my mother's medicine..."

He paused, straightened his back ramrod straight, and raised his voice a few decibels.

"Settle the accounts, and I will pay you the full price!"

In the past, Wu Xi would never have been able to say such assertive words to the Liang family.

But things are different now. He has risen to the rank of Assistant Magistrate of Jianzhou, wielding power in the region, and has the support of the warlord behind him.

The official silver bestowed upon them by the commander-in-chief before their departure came in handy at this moment.

Upon hearing this, the Liang family steward quickly stepped forward to advise:
"Wu Tongzhi, this is all thanks to my master!"

"Our two families are separated only by a river, so we should support each other."

"When the master heard that you had achieved the highest honor in the imperial examination, he was overjoyed and specially instructed us to take good care of the old lady and your younger brother and sister and not to neglect them."

His eyes darted around, and he lowered his voice, a hint of flattery in it:
"Sir, I have also heard that you, the Assistant Magistrate, are still unmarried. Coincidentally, my eldest daughter is eighteen years old and has a dignified appearance."

"The matriarch of the family is looking for a suitable match, so please don't refuse."

“Wu Tongzhi is serving as an official away from home, while his younger siblings and his sickly mother all need someone to take care of them. What do you think?”

The Liang family's considerations were thorough; most people would probably not have been able to handle such a move.

But Wu Xi had made up his mind, and he resolutely refused:

"No need!"

"As the saying goes, 'He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding, and he who takes another's money is bound to do his bidding.' I am used to living alone, and I can take good care of my mother by hiring a few servants."

"After you have settled the accounts, send someone to the Jianzhou government office to report the matter, and I will settle the payment myself."

After saying that, he ignored the Liang family steward and squatted down to look at his younger siblings who were eating with their mouths full of oil.

"Hongyu, Hongyao, are you full?"

"Go pack your things after you've eaten. We're not staying here."

The two children were stunned for a moment. They had just been immersed in the joy of delicious food and new clothes, thinking that they would live a good life from now on. They did not expect that their older brother would turn around and take them away.

My younger sister, Hongyao, asked timidly:

"Brother, shall we go back to Tuanshi Village?"

Wu Xi smiled and ruffled her hair, full of confidence:

"I won't go back."

"My brother has a big house in the city! Let's move to the city and live there!"

"real?!"

The two children's eyes lit up instantly, and they cheered and skipped back to their room to pack up their meager belongings.

Wu Xi sighed and led the doctor Zhang Jisheng behind him into the inner courtyard.

Hearing the noise, Wu's mother, lying on her sickbed, struggled to open her eyes:
"My son... Is it my son who has returned?"

Wu Xi's eyes reddened, and she knelt down in front of the bed with a thud:

"Mother! Your child has passed!"

"Topping the list of this year's candidates, achieving the highest rank, I'm now riding through the streets and feasting at the Imperial Garden! I am now the Assistant Magistrate of Jianzhou!"

Tears welled up in Wu's mother's cloudy eyes, and her withered hand trembled as she touched Wu Xi's cheek:
“My son, you have been intelligent since childhood, but I have been a burden to you.”

"Otherwise...otherwise you should have passed the imperial examination and become an official in the court long ago."

Wu's mother choked up as she spoke, her voice filled with heartache and guilt.

"Mother! Please don't say that!"

Wu Xi hurriedly grasped her mother's hand and pointed to Zhang Jisheng at the door:

"It was the General's great kindness that led him to specifically mention my name."

"Before his departure, the commander-in-chief not only bestowed gold, silver, and medicine, but also sent a renowned physician from the prefectural city to treat you!"

"With Dr. Zhang here, you will definitely get better."

Looking at the composed old doctor and then at her son's official robes, Wu's mother nodded with satisfaction.

She was panting heavily when she carefully instructed him:

"In that case, my son, you must do your job well and not let down those who have shown you kindness."

Just as Zhang Jisheng was carefully examining Wu's mother's pulse and prescribing medicine, the Liang family steward rushed back to the Liang family mansion and reported Wu Xi's reaction to Liang Tingsi in detail.

Liang Tingsi paced back and forth in his study, his brow furrowed and his hands behind his back.
"No reward without merit? Or pay the full price?"

"Where does this poor, pedantic scholar who toils in the fields year-round get such confidence? Could it be that he received his salary in advance?"

"Money, a new house, and marriage. Even the most hard-hearted person would soften a bit after all this!"

"Is Wu Xi really so stubborn?"

Liang Tingsi was completely baffled. His family and the entire official and gentry circle of the Ming Dynasty were masters of this method of winning over the new elites.

In dealing with newly powerful figures, the Ming Dynasty officialdom employed a three-pronged approach: offering gifts, inviting, and flattering.

Sending gifts involves offering generous presents under the pretext of "fellow villagers" or "helping those who are less experienced," thus resolving their predicament.

"Inviting" meant inviting people to meals, operas, or brothels; these methods were used to bring new officials into the circle of local officials and gentry.

"Peng" refers to officials and gentry using their local connections and influence to embellish the achievements of new officials, thereby promoting each other and forming alliances in the officialdom.

Many newly rich people from humble backgrounds are gradually lured in and corrupted in this way, eventually becoming one of them.

But Wu Xi, for one, did not play by the rules at all!
　Here's one chapter, more to come later, before midnight.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)