The visitor was an old man. From the look of his clothes and his tone, he was also a scribe. He seemed to be working as an errand at the Yamen of East Sichuan Province. He had eaten supper and as soon as he entered the door, he talked about going to the capital to make an offering. He talked to Han Xiufeng for nearly half an hour before staying.

Next handwritten list of farewells.

Pan Er and Zhu Zhu were very hungry, but they didn't dare to disturb Han Xiufeng's business talk. They waited until Han Xiufeng had collected the list before taking a bowl to serve rice.

"Fourth brother, what is the sealing knot you and Sixth Uncle just talked about, and what other sealing knots are there for money?" Zhuzi asked curiously.

"To submit a donation is not as simple as going directly to the capital and handing over the license from the Ministry of Household Affairs to the Ministry of Personnel." Han Xiufeng put down his bowl and chopsticks, glanced up at the pillar, and then looked back at Pan Erdao: "Donating your birthplace and official title is just the beginning. If you want to fill the vacancy, you must first

I took the donation license from the Household Department to the county government office and asked the elder to issue two documents stating my name, age and appearance, and proving that I was innocent, that I did not owe taxes, and that I had no criminal record.

Take it with you to the capital and submit a copy to the government office, which will then submit it to the Ministry of Officials step by step."

When it came to whether the vacancy could be filled, Pan Er was particularly concerned and subconsciously asked: "Has this been done?"

"It was done as soon as Zuma returned to the city. The uncles in the official office were very helpful and handed it over without saying a word. The elder's long-term attendant was not easy to talk to, especially Zhang Biao, who was working in the same yamen.

He actually had the nerve to reach out and ask for money, but fortunately he didn't ask for much, so he gave me 500 yuan and finally got the job done."

"It's good to get it done. Otherwise, how can we go to the capital without official documents from the Yamen?"

Han Xiufeng nodded slightly and continued: "Just having an official document from the county government is not enough. When the capital city has to find several fellow countrymen of rank seven or above to sign seals as guarantees, it will prove that my life experience is true. At first I also thought

It’s easy. I thought that I would just wait until I got to the capital and ask some fellow officials from the same town for help. It would cost me a little money at most. After listening to what Uncle Liu just said, I realized that each province has a seal in the capital. If you need to get a seal, go to the seal.

The price for printing is clearly marked."

Pan Er seemed to understand and asked: "In the end of Yin, there is also this yamen?"

"The end of the seal is not a yamen. How can I put it? It's a bit like a hometown association. Uncle Liu has been to the capital. He said that the high-ranking officials in the capital have people to send ice tributes, carbon tributes and farewells, but the small officials in Qingshui Yamen don't have them. They all point to

To help the candidates who went to the capital to make donations, they were guaranteed to collect money from the seal. In order to prevent the low-ranking officials in the capital from starving to death, the heads of each guild advocated the establishment of this seal, to help the candidates from their respective provinces who went to the capital to make donations.

Officials apply for guarantees in a unified manner, and the seal money collected is distributed to the capital officials from the same town on a monthly basis, so they have to pay as much as they should, and there is no way to bargain."

"Fourth brother, do you know how much this seal will cost?"

"According to the official position, I am only a ninth-grade inspector, the smallest official. Uncle Liu estimates that thirty or fifty taels should be enough."

"Three to fifty taels is okay, but if it were three to five hundred taels, then they would really be called black-hearted."

"Thirty-fifty taels is just the official seal money. I don't know how much it will cost to make up for the shortfall!" Han Xiufeng sighed softly, frowning and said, "If you go to the official department to submit supplies, you have to give the door bag, no.

I can't even submit a license to a doorman. After passing the junior official level, you still have to respect the senior officials in the official department, otherwise you won't be able to be selected after waiting for decades in the capital."

Pan Er subconsciously asked: "Fourth brother, have you ever estimated how much money it will cost to fill this gap?"

Han Xiufeng muttered: "What I want to make up for is a ninth-grade sesame seed. A thousand taels should be enough."

Pan Er asked: "How many taels do you have?"

"One hundred and eighty taels. If I can't get on the smooth sailing ship that transports Yunnan copper, my own travel expenses will cost fifty taels. I have to save everything."

"Only one hundred and eighty taels, that's not enough."

"Yes, that's why I'm worried." Han Xiufeng sighed again, with a sad look on his face.

Pan Er suddenly reacted and immediately grinned and said: "Fourth brother, I don't know about others, but you and I know. If you are capable, there must be a way, and you can definitely make up for this shortcoming!"

Now that money has been discussed, Han Xiufeng didn't want to beat around the bush anymore and said bluntly: "Brother Pan, I just heard you telling Zhu Zhu that we are now grasshoppers on the same rope, saying that we will be in the same boat in the future. This is true.

The point is, you even brought your luggage. As soon as the copper ship arrives, you will go with me. This journey is thousands of miles. If I can't make up for this shortcoming, let alone my uncle owes you a family.

How can I pay back the money? It’s not worth all the hard work and travel.”

Pan Er had already made up his mind not to catch rabbits but not let go of hawks. How could he be fooled? He actually tried to comfort him by saying, "Fourth brother, everything depends on man and God. If you are a lucky person, you will be able to make all your wishes come true."

Han Xiufeng would not let him fool him. He stared at him and said, "No matter how talented you are, if you don't have money, you can't make up for it. Brother Pan, tell me how much money you brought on this trip."

"Fourth brother, you are filling the gap, not me!"

"Now that we're talking about this, what's the difference between me and you?" Seeing Pan Er scratching his head and trying to change the subject, Han Xiufeng continued: "Brother Pan, I know best what kind of person your father is.

However, he can't let you go so far away with nothing. Besides, you won't let this money go to waste, so you can just lend it to me. When I make up for the vacancy and make money as a Shangguan, I can pay it with the money my uncle owes me.

Return it with interest."

Pan Er originally planned to have a showdown after he was forced to have no choice but to expect that Han Xiufeng would bring up the money issue now. He had indeed told Xiao Wuzuo just now about "grasshoppers on a rope", "sharing weal and woe" and "

You can’t slap someone who is self-sufficient in the face with words like “We are all in the same boat.”

He weighed it up and simply gritted his teeth and said: "Fourth brother, my father gave me some money before I came out, but the total of those few money tickets is less than forty taels. If you don't go back, you don't know, no matter what

My father doesn’t really care about things at home or on the counter now, it’s all my boss who has the final say.”

Han Xiufeng asked calmly: "Your brother won't give you money?"

Pan Er pretended to hesitate for a while, then patted the table and said through gritted teeth: "Fourth brother, they all say that family scandals should not be made public. Since you asked, there are no outsiders here, and I am not afraid of being laughed at by you and Zhuzi. Changxi would have looked at me.

It's not pleasing to the eye, and his mother-in-law is not a good person either. I don't know how much money she has embezzled from the counter over the years, and my father is an old fool. He believes whatever Chang Xi says, making me look like a stepmother!"

"No way, I was having a drink at your house that night. I think Chang Xi was very happy."

"That's for you to see. He is the one who says one thing in front of others and another behind the scenes! If you don't believe me, ask someone to go and find out. How many times have I fought with him over money over the years? This time my father came out.
Chapter completed!