Farmhouse Green Plum

Chapter 635: Living Up to What You Have Learned

Unexpectedly, Zhu'er secretly resents this, believing that her mistress is jealous and deliberately blocking her future. When the cook is not paying attention, she pours the water soaked in puffer fish ovaries into the fish soup.

"She came into the mansion at the age of eight. I thought I treated her well, but I didn't expect that she would raise such a heartless person!" Although it has been a long time, Yu Lingwan was still very angry when she mentioned it. She was the mother of twins. If it were not for the Bodhisattva's blessing, allowing her sister Lingwei to go with them, even if she was lucky enough to survive, the child in her belly would definitely not be saved.

Song Ying comforted her, "Sister, you have a kind heart, but you don't know that there are some people in this world who will take a foot if you give them an inch..."

On their side, Yu Lingwan was extremely angry, but in the outer cabin, Zhang Renzhi no longer took the matter to heart.

At this time, Zhang Renzhi was playing chess with Yuan Qing to pass the time on the long journey.

Yuan Qing, holding the black piece, frowned in deep thought for a long time before finally sighing and admitting defeat. Zhang Renzhi said nothing more. He glanced outside and saw that the setting sun was already spreading across the water. He said, "Let's stop here for today."

Yuan Qing responded, put the chess pieces into the chess box one by one, and then stood up and left.

He had just taken a few steps when the boat suddenly shook violently, and all the documents, books, pens, inkstones, and brushes on the desk were overturned.

The worst thing was that the celadon brush washer was broken, and the dirty water from washing the brushes inside contaminated a lot of documents.

He quickly squatted down and picked up the books near the water stains. Zhang Renzhi did the same thing, but unfortunately the backs of several books were still contaminated.

Yuan Qing and Zhang Renzhi quickly took out handkerchiefs and covered it with them, trying to wash away the water stains. Zhang Renzhi even shouted, "Yinzhu, bring some cotton cloth!"

His handkerchief was made of silk, which was not as absorbent as cotton. Yuan Qing's handkerchief was made of cotton, and it quickly absorbed the water stains on the book.

He wanted to turn the pages, but he was afraid that the wet pages would stick together, so he stopped.

After all, this is a book written by a Hanlin official. If it contains confidential information...

Thinking of this, he put the book on the table and said, "It needs to be dried in the sun. It would be best to separate the wet pages and dry them in the sun."

His expression and movements naturally did not escape Zhang Renzhi's attention, and his impression of him improved. He said in a gentle voice, "This volume of 'A glimpse of the sea in the sea' is the first edition published by the Ma family's Guanhaitang during the Qiande period. I went through three book dealers before I finally bought it from the descendants of the Qi family in Ningbo. Could you please help me absorb some water?"

Yuan Qing understood what was meant, that this book did not contain anything to hide.

"I was inconsiderate." He said politely, and continued to use the cotton handkerchief to absorb the water stains on the book. He turned over each page that was wet and absorbed them one by one.

Not long after, Zhang Renzhi's servant Yinzhu came in with cotton cloth and called other servants. They quickly fixed the scroll that was soaked in dirty water. However, there were still many places smudged by water stains, and it was difficult to see what was written on it.

The servants carried the wet books and documents out to dry in the sun, while Yuan Qing helped to clean up other documents that had been found in the house.

He opened a book and suddenly came across a few pages with frayed edges. Written on them in neat official script was this: "I have heard that in matters of the world, careful consideration is essential, and vigorous action is essential. In recent years, there has been too much discussion within the court. Sometimes one person may approve a matter, while another may disapprove. Sometimes one person may change his mind from morning to night. Right and wrong are confused in words, and appointments and dismissals are decided based on likes and dislikes. Policies are constantly changing, and there is no order or discipline..."

Obviously, this was a memorial to the emperor. Just a glance at the content made Yuan Qing applaud.

"Is this the memorial that Ci Zhang submitted to His Majesty? It really hits the nail on the head!"

Zhang Renzhi looked over and after seeing what it was, his face suddenly looked a little lonely.

After the palace examination, he was granted the title of Shujishi and entered various departments to observe government affairs.

At that time, I was young and full of energy, and I thought that from then on I could realize my ambitions. So I worked day and night under the lamp, pouring all what I had seen, heard, thought and worried about in the past two years into this article "On Current Affairs".

This was the first time he submitted a memorial to the emperor, other than the routine memorials. Although he pointed out the problems and shortcomings of the dynasty, his words were extremely tactful and thoughtful, and he did not offend the emperor or the prime minister.

But after reading it, they praised his literary talent and knowledge, but did not mention a word about the questions he raised.

After spending the past few years in the Hanlin Academy, he was only promoted from a seventh-rank editor to a sixth-rank compiler.

Yuan Qing couldn't help but read on. The more he read, the more excited he became. When he read the part about "strictly evaluating achievements, presenting them in words and clearly testing them based on their performance", he clapped his hands and praised, "Excellent! Nowadays, officials are evaluated based on written correspondence. Who can actually conduct on-site inspections?"

If it were really as Mr. Ci said, our county wouldn't have seen the ridiculous incident of rewarding people who sold their daughters to brothels for political achievements a few years ago..."

At this point, he realized that something was wrong. How could a student like him get so carried away as to criticize the current personnel system?

"What's the use of it, no matter how brilliant it is?" Zhang Renzhi stared at the yellowed scroll, a hint of bitterness on his lips. "As a mere Hanlin editor, my influence carries little weight. Even if I have a thousand insights, they are nothing but empty talk."

The river wind was howling outside the window, as if responding to his self-mockery. He recalled the scene when he presented the memorial in the imperial study that day. The emperor and the ministers all praised his brilliant writing and elegant literary style. Those river management strategies and tax reform measures that he had painstakingly written seemed to have turned into smoke and disappeared without a trace.

"The more clearly you see the world, the more troubles you'll have." He exhaled slowly, picked up the freshly poured tea from the servant on the table and drank it all in one gulp. "It would be better to be a farmer. At least I can manage a few acres of land and live in peace and quiet."

In the afterglow of the setting sun, his profile looked particularly tired.

Yuan Qing thought for a moment and said, "The Master said, 'Those who are capable should be listed, and those who are incapable should stop.' It is precisely because the government is plagued by corruption that we need pillars of integrity like Ci Zhang. If all the wise and capable people retire because their teachings are not working, wouldn't this magnificent Daqian fall into the hands of mediocre people?"

By then, the people will suffer.”

Zhang Renzhi's eyes trembled slightly, and he felt as if his heart was hit hard by something. The cool river breeze blew in from the window, lifting the corner of Yuan Qing's plain robe. In a trance, he seemed to see himself in the past, wearing a blue robe and holding a book, studying hard in the flickering candlelight.

If I really give up my career as a government official, how can I be worthy of all the hard work I put into studying?

The setting sun outside the window had already sunk, but the afterglow was still struggling to illuminate the canal boat and the "Essay on Current Affairs" in Yuan Qing's hand.

Zhang Renzhi suddenly stepped forward, took the "On Current Affairs" from his hand, and said in a loud voice, "Brother Yuan, your words are truly as true as the morning bell! A true man should conduct himself in the world as Sima Qian said: do not miss the opportunity and establish a name for himself throughout the world!"

Outside the window, the last ray of afterglow finally dimmed, but the light in Zhang Renzhi's eyes became brighter and brighter, as if to drive away the dark twilight.