Chapter 689
The Rat Emerges from Its Hole
Chapter 689 The Rat Emerges from Its Hole
Everyone burst into laughter.
Those people with the same surname weren't from the same family five hundred years ago.
The scene immediately became lively.
Qin Yuan whispered a few words, and Qin Siyuan continued, "Among the eight prefectures in Jiangnan, apart from Suzhou and Hangzhou, the number of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) from Changzhou Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture has been roughly the same over the years. Wuxi is not an attached county of Changzhou Prefecture and does not have the advantages of favorable timing and location, but it accounts for 60% of the number of Jinshi from Changzhou Prefecture. This shows that this place is a famous county for the imperial examinations and has extraordinary strength."
"Why is Wuxi's cultural heritage so thriving?" someone couldn't help but ask.
Qin Siyuan said, "Wuxi is one of the four major rice ports, as well as a cloth port, a money port, and a silk port. Of the dozen or so richest people in the country, two or three are from Wuxi. Jiangnan is already prosperous, but Wuxi is even richer. After the local gentry became wealthy, they encouraged their descendants and clansmen to take the imperial examinations, striving to make the family fortune last forever."
"I wonder what exactly Young Master Nantang meant by mentioning Wuxi?"
"Wuxi has many Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), most of whom come from prominent families and hold official positions. This is common knowledge. But I will only mention one person: Lord Lü You, who was appointed as a Censor."
This man was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) from fifty years ago in this dynasty. He had an excellent reputation as an official and was also from Wuxi. He lost his father at a young age and his family was poor. He once sold the roof beams and railings of his house to exchange for rice to make ends meet, but he persevered in his studies and passed the Jinshi examination.
He served as an official in the imperial court, and was known for his benevolence and kindness, earning him an excellent reputation.
The people of Wuxi nodded in agreement: "Indeed, the Wuxi County Annals record the story of Lord Lü. After his death, he had very little private property. He was truly a man of integrity."
Qin Siyuan said, "Jiangnan is a prosperous region, so it is very hard to be a scholar there. Why? Because one must resist many temptations to succeed."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Qin Siyuan added, “Lord Lü comes from a poor family, but he is not lazy and studies hard every day, just like the people from Jiangxi.”
I have heard that people from Jiangxi study very diligently. Each person in the same dormitory sits on a wooden couch, and benches are not allowed, in order to prevent them from falling asleep while studying.
Jiangxi families are known for their love of learning. In the first hundred years of the dynasty, Jiangxi produced the most Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), hence the saying, "Many of the Hanlin scholars are from Jishui, and half of the court officials are from Jiangxi." However, in the later period, Zhejiang surpassed Jiangxi.
In recent years, Suzhou and Changzhou have caught up and surpassed them.
Taking all eight prefectures in Jiangnan as an example, they were considered to have produced the best Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) in the country.
Everyone agreed.
Qin Siyuan said, "Although Lü You was from Wuxi, he was not as wealthy as most of the Jinshi families in Wuxi. He passed the Jinshi exam entirely through hard work, but his poems and essays still belong to the Wu style. It can be seen that a white horse is still a horse."
The stubborn scholar fell silent.
Everyone laughed and said, "That's right, a white horse is still a horse."
Qin Siyuan continued, “I speak of Wu in Wuxi and Chu in Jishui, Jiangxi. Jiangxi is a large province where everyone loves to read. Even wealthy families, farmers, and laborers are knowledgeable. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), Grand Secretaries, and great Confucian scholars. But what do people in Jiangxi like to do? They like to quote classics and debate with each other, mainly for the sake of arguing. Therefore, the cultural style of people in Jiangxi is simple, upright, and rigorous.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Qin Siyuan glanced at Qin Yuan.
Qin Yuan smiled and said a few more words.
Qin Siyuan continued, “Someone once traveled through Jishui, Jiangxi, and said that the local people were refined and cultured, and that the people valued education. The sound of reading could be heard everywhere in the streets and alleys. Before entering the official school, most of the scholars had received a good education at home, and their fathers, brothers, teachers and friends had also achieved academic success.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Qin Siyuan continued, "This person also went to Wuxi and said that this place is a famous city in Jiangnan, with fertile land, picturesque scenery, many merchants, and the people are knowledgeable and worldly-wise. Therefore, the customs emphasize elegance and respectability."
The common people were good at reading and writing, but they did not like to argue. In their leisure time, they would gather to enjoy the scenery, compose poems and paint, and listen to operas and songs.
Everyone said, "That's right, that's right, that's all. Young Master Nantang has already explained the differences in customs between Wu and Chu, and the differences in the writing styles of scholars from Wu and Chu."
Qin Siyuan smiled and whispered to Qin Yuan, "How do you even remember such records?"
Qin Yuan said softly, "I read some travelogues when I was bored, and I also flipped through the Wuxi County Annals. I managed to remember a few sentences, and I never expected to use them."
Qin Siyuan was full of admiration. His younger sister wanted to learn needlework, serve her aunt, and manage the household affairs, and she also had such achievements in her studies. He couldn't help but admire her.
Qin Yuan shoved him: "Go ask the people below if they have any more questions. I've finished explaining this topic."
Before Qin Siyuan could speak, Mr. Songshan handed over a scroll of paper and said, "What else is there to ask? You're from Jinling, Wuxi, and Jishui. You occasionally quote from county records and can recite poems you've found from who-knows-where. You're so well-versed in all sorts of sources that even a person with a sense of shame wouldn't be able to ask you any more questions."
Qin Yuan took the scroll of paper and blinked, "What are you doing now, sir?"
Mr. Songshan said sternly, “Don’t pretend to be stupid. I’ve left the rest of the questions they put forward to you. You’re so talented, and you have Siyuan helping you out, so don’t keep relying on me to do all the work.”
Qin Yuan said, "Isn't this just a lucky coincidence, like a blind cat catching a dead mouse?"
Mr. Songshan sneered repeatedly: "Tonight, all the rats will come out of their holes to admire the moon. It's quite common for a few to die from overeating mooncakes."
Qin Yuan: "..."
Next, Qin Yuan had to answer some more policy questions. Although her knowledge was not as solid as Mr. Songshan's, she had the advantage of novel ideas and a good memory, which gave people a lot of inspiration.
People admired him more and more, and would ask him questions from time to time.
Even the noble ladies who were listening in could understand what was going on.
Wang Zichuan sighed repeatedly from below.
Someone nearby asked, "Why is your brother sighing?"
Wang Zichuan said sadly, "I never expected that this person would be so intelligent at such a young age. And with such intelligence, his ambitions are not in fame or fortune."
Staying here is heartbreaking, but leaving is also unbearable.
How unfair is God!
If he had such talent, why would he have become a bandit?
A bell tolled in the distance; it was already past midnight.
Everyone quieted down and waited for the 108 sounds to pass.
Qin Yuan turned around and saw Lord Gu standing in the shadows, staring at her blankly.
"What is the Marquis thinking?"
Lord Gu came to his senses and, without ordering Yang'er and Hehua around, poured himself a cup of tea and handed it over, his eyes sparkling as he said, "Quickly moisten your lips. You must be thirsty after talking for so long."
Qin Siyuan was stunned for a moment, then turned his face away, pretending not to see, and silently walked to the table to pour himself a cup.
Qin Yuan didn't refuse and readily accepted it.
Downstairs in the pavilion, Princess Fuyun said to Prince Qi, "Third Brother Gu is incredibly considerate to Young Master Nantang."
King Qi gave Princess Fuyun a strange look: "It was just something I did on the spur of the moment."
Princess Fuyun shook her head.
Men just can't see the subtle details here.
Gu Sange was intimate and attentive to this young master from Nantang.
That was no ordinary camaraderie.
Besides, how can a warrior and a scholar become comrades-in-arms?
Princess Fuyun's expression darkened, as if she had thought of something.