After coming out of the Sichuan Guild Hall, they ate a bowl of braised pork from Beijing across from the courtyard where the famous Lin Zexu Lin lived. The three of them rushed to Master Ji's house in the northern half of the alley without stopping.

Mr. Ji's hometown is Jiangjin, and he is an official in the Hanlin Academy. Although his rank is not high, his future is promising. The five officials of the Chongqing government in the capital follow his lead in everything, no matter how big or small. However, the Hanlin Academy is a noble official, and he can see that his family is

His life was very poor and he couldn't even support himself, so naturally he didn't care much about the guild hall. As soon as Mr. Fei said it, he nodded in agreement.

Han Xiufeng saw that he was not very interested, so he left two taels of silver and went back home with Mr. Fei.

On the way back, Mr. Fei explained: "Zhixing, Master Ji is not looking down on you, but his career is not going well and he is in a bad mood. After suffering all these years in the Hanlin Academy, I thought it was his turn to preside over a provincial examination.

I worked as an examiner once, but when things came to a close, my job was snatched away again."

"I asked him why he was so listless."

"It's okay if he can't pass the exam. Last month, a military aircraft Zhang Jing returned to his hometown Dingyou. A vacancy opened up, but he couldn't get it. The Chinese New Year is about to come, and the expenses are inevitable. Do you think he is worried?"

Han Xiufeng asked puzzledly: "Second Master, Mr. Ji lives such a miserable life, why doesn't he want to find a way to find a job as a foreign official? Either he doesn't work outside, or he works as a 'tiger class' to fill in any vacancies."

, it would be great to go to a local place and be a county magistrate!"

"Be sent out to be a county magistrate?" Mr. Fei looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"Well, isn't it good to be the county magistrate?"

"He is different from you and me. He is a Hanlin master. To you and me, being a county magistrate is like smoking from the ancestral graves. To Mr. Ji, being a county magistrate is shameless."

“But it’s not a problem if we continue to suffer like this!”

"Everyone has his own ambitions, so what's the use of being anxious." Fei Erye sighed softly, and then said: "Mr. Ji has suffered a little bit, but at least he has hope. The other four officials in Beijing are really not doing anything interesting.

, If I had known this, it would be better to stay in my hometown and buy a few acres of land and enjoy the happiness of family."

Du San asked curiously: "Second Master, Master Qian, I know which yamen the other three are working in, and what rank do they live in?"

"A person like me was a failed candidate, but he was lucky enough to be selected during the general election and was assigned to the Ministry of Household Affairs. Now he is working as a walking and learning worker in the Fujian Division of the Ministry of Household Affairs. He has no official salary, and there are actually two Yuanwailang who are waiting to fill the vacancy.

Fourteen, even if the household department can open one vacancy a year, he will still have to wait for twenty-four years. Fortunately, the household department is rich, and he has more than a dozen taels of rice money every month."

Mr. Fei paused and then said: "Then there is Mr. Wang who I mentioned to you this morning. In the 25th year of Daoguang's reign, he was an Enke Jinshi. He was not elected to the Hanlin Academy and was sent to the Ministry of Industry to study walking. He is also waiting to fill the vacancy.

, they also have no official salary, not only no official salary, but even food and money. Fortunately, the Hubu Hall officials are considerate of them and let them take turns to go out on errands, otherwise I really don’t know how to live this life."

"Where are the other two?" Han Xiufeng asked.

"One was Enke Jinshi in the 21st year of Daoguang's reign. He served as a scholar in the Hanlin Academy for three years. When he was dismissed, he was assigned to work in the Ministry of Punishment. After five years of hard work, he finally managed to get ahead. After his father died, he wanted to return to Changshou.

My hometown is Ding You. After three years, Ding You returned to Beijing and was assigned to the Ministry of Punishment. He has been learning to walk until today." Fei Erye looked back behind him and continued: "There is another person like you who donated his family background and spent some money.

He was assigned to the Ministry of War to travel. At first he often came to the guild hall, but then he disappeared. He may have returned to his hometown in Fuzhou."

Han Xiufeng pondered: "So they don't want to interfere with the guild hall's affairs."

"We don't have any money, so why bother?" Mr. Fei stepped aside to let a group of chasing and fighting children pass, and said helplessly: "The reason why I haven't returned to my hometown at such an old age is that I am unwilling to give up, and I can't let go of the guild hall. If

The guild hall is so abandoned, I don’t know how to explain it to Mr. Gu after I go back."

"After all, we in Chongqing have no one in the court!" Han Xiufeng said in a low voice.

"Yes, it would be great if Mr. Ji could enter the military base." Mr. Fei was convinced.

Du San couldn't help but ask: "Second Master, how come we have no one in the court? Didn't Director Zhang of the Provincial Library say he recognizes Mr. Yang?"

"Master Yang is not from our Chongqing Prefecture, or even from Sichuan. Director Zhang recognizes Master Yang because he served as Master Yang's teacher for several years. Master Yang later became more and more powerful, and now he is the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

."

"Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs!" Han Xiufeng exclaimed.

Mr. Fei said with a smile: "Yes, otherwise Director Zhang can give you that guarantee. By the way, your ancestral inkstone is really a treasure. Even I am jealous when I look at it. It's a pity that I can't afford it."

Unexpectedly, the things unearthed from the den of thieves could be of great use. Han Xiufeng was so happy that he secretly thought that after two days of free time, he would take Pan Er to Liulichang to see if he could find some more treasures.

Just as I was thinking wildly, the Chongqing Guild Hall arrived.

Du San shouted, and Pan Er hurriedly came out and opened the door.

When I walked into the yard, I saw that he and Datou had cleaned the yard cleanly. They also tied up a few ropes and hung all the bedding brought from their hometown on the ropes to dry.

Fei Erye nodded with satisfaction, then turned around and said: "Zhixing, from now on, you will be the chief minister of the Chongqing Guild Hall. Come on, let's go in and handle the handover."

"Second Master, there is only such a courtyard, what is there to hand over?" Han Xiufeng couldn't help but laugh and asked.

"Of course we have to hand over the work, we have to start and end everything, and the accounts must be clear." Mr. Fei walked into the main room, took out a dirty account book from the corner, put it on the table and said with an embarrassed look: "I have only known all these years.

I read the books of sages but don't know how to run a good guild hall. I think I'm really ashamed of myself when I turn a good guild hall into this."

"It's hard for a clever woman to make a meal without rice. How can you manage such a shabby yard?"

"Let's not talk about this anymore. Please take a look at the account book first."

…

You won’t know if you don’t look at it, but you will be shocked when you look at it.

When Mr. Gu advocated the establishment of the guild hall, not only all the Chongqing officials in Beijing contributed money, but also several foreign officials from Chongqing contributed tens or even hundreds of taels. After buying the yard, there were more than 800 taels left, and the cost was 2 taels.

I must not be greedy. After taking over, he put more than 800 taels into a bank to make profits in accordance with the club's regulations.

As a result, only a year later, the original owner came to look for repairs. After three attempts and more than 600 taels of repairs, the original owner signed the "Sighing Contract" and the yard truly belonged to the Chongqing Guild Hall.

However, this was something that Mr. Gu and other Chongqing officials had long expected. The guild hall had to rely on management if it wanted to survive.

It stands to reason that examinations are not held every year, and Enke is not held every year. When there are no candidates coming to Beijing for examinations, they should rent a few rooms like other guild halls and collect some rent for maintenance. From the account book, in the past ten years,

It has been rented out three times in the past year, and only one or two rooms have been rented out, leaving them empty the rest of the time.

As the head of the guild hall, Fei Erye could receive fifteen taels of silver per year according to the regulations. The balance of more than one hundred taels that year and the more than one hundred taels of hall fees later collected by the governor who came to Beijing to take the exam, more than fifty taels were used.

It was used for repairs one after another, and the rest was already collected by Mr. Fei. After careful calculation, it seems that the club still owes him forty-five taels!

Han Xiufeng scratched his head and asked with a grimace: "Second Master, you always give me the accounts. Do I have to make up for the forty-five taels that the guild hall owes you?"

"It's natural. I don't have anything to offer. If you don't make up for this money, I won't even have the means to return to my hometown next year. I'm a civil servant after all, so I can't just die in a foreign country like this."

Han Xiufeng didn't want to shell out the money, so he couldn't help but ask: "Second Master, it's not a good idea to have this guild hall with no entry or exit. We won't be able to sustain it for a few days at this rate, so why don't we sell the yard?"

"We can't sell it. Don't say we can't be the master. Even Mr. Ji doesn't dare to say this."

"Second Master, I can't do this job. You'd better hire someone else."

"You have already agreed, in front of Mr. Ji! In the letter, Mr. Gu praised you for being upright and open-minded. How can you not keep your word?"

Old debts have not been repaid, new debts have been added!

Han Xiufeng never expected that it would end up like this, and he couldn't bear the old man in front of him to die in a foreign country. He closed the account book and said, "Second Master, otherwise, wouldn't you have to give it a try? Don't leave in a hurry. These four
Chapter completed!