Chapter Seventeen: A String of Bad Luck

  Although Lin Laoxiu is a bit pedantic, Li Mingfeng owes him a favor. Now that he sees this situation, it's not good to just leave directly.

  "Sir, let's put it this way: as fellow Confucian disciples, we should help each other out. And on a more personal level, how could I not repay the kindness you showed me last night?"

  Lin Dehai heard Li Mingfeng say this, and he visibly let out a sigh of relief. He smiled wryly: "I'm not afraid to be laughed at, but Lin Mouzi is already fifty years old this year, yet still just a xiucai. When I was younger, it was okay, at least I could participate in the autumn examination. But during the last provincial exam, the examiner thought I was too old and didn't even let me pass the test for xiucai, so isn't my whole life without hope of becoming a jinshi?"

  Lin Dehai's voice became increasingly low and gloomy: "I'm nothing, but my incompetent son is about to reach the age of 30, yet he hasn't even entered school. Our Lin family is a scholarly family, with a tradition of farming and reading passed down through generations. How many ancestors have achieved great honors? But now, in my generation, we've become the laughing stock of the village. What face will I have to meet our ancestors after I die?"

  As he spoke, Lin Dehai actually shed tears, and Lin Xing Province, who was sitting next to him, blushed bright red with shame.

  Li Mingfeng heard this and was a bit confused, what's the point of this old scholar talking to himself like that? Although he was nominally a juren, what could he do with just that title? Could he even be a substitute test-taker?

  "I'm afraid I'm not clever, and I don't know how a humble and unemployed scholar like myself can be of any help. Please speak directly, sir." Li Mingfeng spoke straightforwardly.

  "Brother Li was accomplished at a young age and entered high school at the tender age of weak crown, naturally he didn't know the subtleties involved. In fact, there are many ways to interpret this subject on the exam scene."

  "I'd like to hear more about it." Li Mingfeng slightly furrowed his brow, silently sighing that it seemed no matter the era or industry, there were always unspoken rules at play.

  Lin Dehai took a sip of tea and told Li Mingfeng about many things that had happened in the imperial examination hall.

  Originally, although Xiucai had the qualification to take the imperial examination, not all Xiucai had the opportunity to participate in the county test. Before each county test, the director of education in the prefecture would examine the literary talent of Xiucai and select the best ones for the exam qualification.

  This qualification is relatively easy to obtain, but it's also relative. For someone like Lin Dehai who has been taking the exam for six or seven sessions and still hasn't passed after twenty years, getting a referral qualification would be more difficult, unless the supervisor thinks highly of you, otherwise it basically won't be approved again.

  Lin Xing province is now twenty-eight years old, and no one has passed the imperial examination to become a scholar. It's not that there are no talented scholars, but rather that the examination hall is too corrupt. After Daoguang, the imperial examinations became more and more corrupt every year. After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom rebellion, the Taiping army's influence was mainly along the Yangtze River, separating the north and south. As a result, it was very difficult for the provinces in the south to be monitored by the imperial court during the imperial examinations. The local examinations were slightly better, as the imperial court would send officials to supervise. However, when it came to selecting scholars to enter the imperial academy, the examination officials would openly sell the title of scholar, without considering the candidate's literary talent.

  Although the Lin family appears to be prosperous on the surface, in reality it is empty inside. Where would they get the silver to bribe officials? Many years have passed and as Lin Xing Province grows older, he may still have to follow his own path. How can Lin Dehai not worry?

  In the past few years, Lin Dehai finally couldn't bear it anymore, put down his airs, opened a school to teach and earn some money. He had planned to sell a few more acres of land, gather some silver, and this year he would be able to buy the position of county inspector, get his son a title of Xiucai and then talk about it. Who knew that man's plans are not as good as heaven's plans, Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Shi Dakai led his army to attack Hunan, the government issued a public notice, this year's imperial examination requires going to the provincial capital to take the exam.

  In the county, Lin Dehai still knew a few people, but when he moved to Guangzhou for the exam, Lin Dehai didn't even know which government office to send his silver to. Just now at dinner, I heard that Li Mingfeng was actually acquainted with the Vice Magistrate of Guangzhou Prefecture, which made Lin and his son extremely excited, they had finally found a connection, at least they could deliver their bribe successfully.

  Li Mingfeng only then realized that others sought him out not because of his status, but because of the face of that 'acquainted' Tongzhi. Li Mingfeng secretly laughed to himself, this matter that the father and son considered a big deal was in his eyes just a trivial matter like sesame seeds and green beans.

  This matter can be handled by the county's inspector, let alone the county magistrate, who is the highest in the county and only a seventh-rank official. Li Mingfeng wouldn't dare say this elsewhere, but in Guangzhou City, even officials of Bai Gui's rank have to show some respect for him. This matter will probably be resolved with just one order from him.

  A gentleman should help others to achieve their goals. Although Li Mingfeng is not a gentleman, he is still willing to do this kind of thing that can be helped by just opening his mouth: "I see, this is not a big deal, I'll take care of it myself. I'm going to Guangzhou today, you and your son get ready, when we arrive in Guangzhou, go to the Guangzhou government office and ask for me, I'll instruct someone to wait for you."

  Lin Dehai was thrilled upon hearing Li Mingfeng's guarantee, and Lin Xing Sheng was even more excited, his whole body trembling with gratitude, thanking him repeatedly.

  Li Mingfeng didn't have the energy to chat with them, looked at the sky and it was almost 9 o'clock in the morning, if he continued to chat with them for a while, there wouldn't be enough time to rush on the road.

  Li Mingfeng resolutely rejected the Lin family's father and son's invitation to stay, left the Lin residence, restrained the two people who wanted to send him off, and let them return home. Only then did Li Mingfeng rush to where he had tied his horse last night.

  Walking to the old tree, Li Mingfeng saw only a broken halter hanging from the tree. Li Mingfeng felt his eyes go dark, oh heavens, after traveling hundreds and thousands of miles, how could he continue without a horse? The Qing dynasty's law and order were also too poor, having just arrived here for a few hours and already being stolen, rivaling the rate of bicycle theft in later generations.

  Suddenly, Li Mingfeng found that the broken end of the reins was not smooth, but rather uneven. This also explains that the reins were not cut off, but were pulled apart. Given the strength of the reins, it's unlikely that anyone could have pulled them apart, which means that the horse must have pulled the reins apart and run away itself?

  This horse is not old, why does it want to run away? Li Mingfeng thought of this and suddenly slapped his own head, scolding himself for being stupid. Yesterday he ran all day, and he was already tired and hungry, let alone the horse. It must be that the horse is starving, and it broke free from its reins to find food.

  Since the horse went to find food, it shouldn't have gone too far, so it should be nearby. Thinking of this, Li Mingfeng searched for the horse's tracks in the vicinity.

  Although Guangdong has high temperatures, this season is also unsuitable for farming. The fields outside the village are endless and there is no crop to block the view. The soil in the fields is relatively soft, so the horse's hoof prints are clearly visible. After walking along the hoof prints for about 4 or 5 miles, several isolated houses can be seen standing in the distance. Li Mingfeng estimated that they were the tenant farmers of a wealthy family. From afar, he saw his sorrel horse tied up next to the house, it seemed that it had been caught stealing food from someone's field.

  Li Mingfeng lazily discussed the compensation issue with the farmers in the village, even if he didn't care about compensating them a few taels of silver, but these villagers might entangle him for several hours. He untied the reins tied to the horse post, tied his luggage on the horse's back, and Li Mingfeng mounted the horse, clamping his legs around the horse's belly, and directly galloped away.

  The sound of horseshoes rose, and a lone rider galloped across the fields. Li Mingfeng rode his horse at full speed, feeling exhilarated and wanting to burst out laughing to relieve the psychological pressure he had been under lately. Suddenly, everything before him seemed to turn upside down, and then his vision went black as he lost consciousness.