Twenty-Seventh Section: Kuaiji County Government (Lower)

  After waiting for a meal, County Magistrate Li finally arrived late, and when he saw a handsome young man standing under the steps, he couldn't help but smile and say: "You little kid, why didn't you kneel when you saw this official?"

  He bowed deeply and calmly, saying: "I report to the respected sir, I represent my father as a student. My father is a scholar by birth, and our great ancestor was granted an imperial audience without kneeling. Now that I have not yet received permission from you, sir, I dare not kneel, lest I bring disloyalty and injustice upon you." No wonder they say "a xiucai is worthless, but seeing an official is valuable".

  The originally gloomy Magistrate Li couldn't help but laugh, and said with a loud guffaw: "You sly little rascal! If I were to make you kneel, wouldn't that be unloyal and unjust?"

  "The student didn't dare." Shen Mo said with a terrified face: "Whatever you say, it's not okay?" He first showed off and then showed weakness, giving people the feeling of being clever and understanding of advance and retreat. If he had only shown off, he would have definitely caused dislike.

  "Alright, alright." County Magistrate Li chuckled and said, "It's rare that you can make this official happy, so I'll let it go this time."

  "Thank you, Master." Shen Mo stood quietly at the bottom of the hall, absolutely not daring to take a step forward.

  "Are you the only son of Shen Xiuciai?" County Magistrate Li looked at the young man and exclaimed with a series of admiring clicks: "With such an extraordinary appearance, he must be a brilliant and exceptional person; his forehead is full and round, his eyebrows are spirited...he's destined for great wealth and nobility!"

  Shenmo Xin said: "It can't be that amazing, right? You can tell what the future holds just by looking at me?" Indeed, Li County Magistrate's words took a turn and he said: "But don't take it too seriously, others have blown up this official even more in the past, so how did it turn out? At the age of heaven's fate, only a seventh-rank county magistrate."

  Shenmo sincerely said: "The respected governor, as the son of heaven, guards and pastures one side, and tens of thousands of parents in the county look at you like a father and mother. In our hearts, you are closer to us than the imperial court."

  This remark made County Magistrate Li's face flush with heat, but his heart felt as smooth as ironed clothes. He chuckled softly and then turned to Ma Dian Shi, who was standing beside him, and said with a smile: "Get...Shen a chair. What's your name, do you have a courtesy name?" This remark was directed at Shen Mo.

  "The student Shen Mo, since he had never attended school and was also under twenty years old, therefore did not have a style name." Shen Mo said softly.

  "Haha, alright, on the day you pass the imperial examination, I will personally bestow a title upon you. How does that sound?" Magistrate Li said with a gentle smile.

  "The student was deeply honored." Shen Mo said with a grateful face: "I will definitely work hard to study and strive to enter the school as soon as possible." But in his heart, he wondered: 'It is said that at this time, official power is the most important, why is this county magistrate so kind?' This was because he was ignorant and did not understand that in the great Ming dynasty, the hierarchy was strict, and those who stood at the top were the scholars, or it could be said that they were the 'scholar class'.

  People of this generation are not the aristocrats of ancient times, but simply refer to scholars, because only they can pass the imperial examination and become officials, becoming the ruling class. Therefore, these people regard each other as equals, consider themselves superior, and look down on practitioners in other industries. To say something extremely disrespectful, even the emperor of this great Ming dynasty, they secretly look down on him a bit.

  Of course, no one dares to say this, but it can indeed be clearly felt from some memorials and some responses.

  Scholars are a group of people who consider themselves extraordinary, although they both vie with each other and help each other, but in the aspect of 'rewarding latecomers and cultivating new talents', they are absolutely tireless and rarely show jealousy or resentment towards others' abilities.

  Why? He must have his reasons for doing so. What are the benefits? For example, after Shen Mo passed the imperial examination and became a Xiucai, he no longer addressed Li County Magistrate as "Uncle" but as "Mr." And in this era, to some extent, the relationship between father and son is not as close as that between teacher and student...

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  Of course, most of the time, superiors often put on a 'strict teacher' attitude towards newcomers. Now, Magistrate Li is so amiable, possibly because he has long been neglectful of his official duties and has kept company with scholars and poets, roaming freely in the mountains and waters, making him more intimate with young talents.

  Even if silence is intelligent, it is impossible for some implicit rules of this era to be self-taught, and these things still need to be pondered later.

  At this time, Ma Dian Shi moved a chair over, silently gazing at County Magistrate Li. Seeing him nod, he then placed half of his buttocks on it and thought to himself that the main topic had arrived.

  Who would have thought that Magistrate Li didn't have the slightest interest in a straightforward interrogation, but instead asked him with a smile how old he was when he started school, how many years he had studied, and upon hearing that Shen Mo had participated in the county examination but had to drop out due to his mother's passing, gently advised: "It's better to be late by two years, for achieving success at a young age will inevitably lead to youthful arrogance, which ultimately ends in a great fall."

  "The student has learned."

  "Are you still in school?" asked Magistrate Li with a smile.

  "Since mother fell ill last year," Shen Mo said with a silent and helpless shake of his head: "I haven't been back to school since."

  "How can studies be neglected?" County Magistrate Li frowned somewhat displeased and said: "Young people not working hard, old age will only bring regret!"

  "Thank you, sir, for your teachings." Shen Mo hastily cupped his hands and said: "Although I have not had the chance to study under you, I have been diligently studying at home and have never dared to slack off. A few days ago, Old Master Shen also graciously allowed me to continue my studies at the clan school, but..."

  Magistrate Li nodded repeatedly, seeing him suddenly reveal a sorrowful expression, and couldn't help but ask: "What's wrong?"

  "It's all because of my poor father..." The silent eyes turned red, and with a choked voice said: "In order to support students in their studies, he gave up his own education, and even put aside his dignity to go on the streets to sell calligraphy. He suffered from strange looks, and was envied by his peers, who found someone to beat him up. My poor father's bones were broken, and now he can't get out of bed..." As she spoke, she burst into loud sobs.

  His crying was nothing, County Magistrate Li's heart also ached with sorrow, his eyes were red and tears almost fell.

  Ma Dian Shi Zhang was watching this scene with his big mouth open, thinking: 'How can they cry like that, is this how you interrogate?'

  Shen Mo was also shocked and secretly exclaimed, "Oh my god, this official is too sentimental!" Taking advantage of the situation, he added fuel to the fire and told Li County Magistrate about Shen He's story in vivid detail: how he had knelt down to beg for help at the medical clinic, begged his own family for food, and even saved grain to feed him, eating only three beans per meal.

  A loving and selfless father to his son appeared before County Magistrate Li... It was not Shen Mo's father, but rather his own. His father, Li Pengcheng, was a xiucai who had given up on the imperial examination for the sake of his son and spent his whole life for him, only to pass away three years before he went to high school.

  What is the saddest thing in the world? When you want to take care of your parents but they don't live long enough.

  Magistrate Li could no longer hold back his inner sorrow, covering his face with his sleeve, he burst into silent tears.

  Shen Mo finally shut his mouth and accompanied County Magistrate Li in wiping away tears. Ma Dian Shi also didn't dare to slack off, squeezing out a few more tears with all his might, putting on an appearance as if he had lost his beloved son.

  It took County Magistrate Li a good half day to stop crying, and he instructed in a stuttering tone: "Ma Feng, go to the accounting room to withdraw two taels of silver... no, five taels of silver for Shen Mo." Ma Tian Shi felt even more depressed. What's going on? He was actually giving out money now. But who dared to slack off? He hurriedly ran to the front yard with a scurrying sound.

  Division line

  Found out that I'm on the list, excited, so got up early to write a chapter to thank everyone, but there's always the danger of falling off, dear ones still need to continue voting for support...