Chapter 13 The Way to Be an Official

Xiao Jiading bowed and said, "I have no talent for the first time except for a few wrong poems. Therefore, I dare not expect to be a scholar in this imperial examination. It is better to be a clerk and live a good life."

Du Dayin nodded and said, "Yesterday, a second girl kept nagging in my ears that you are righteous and talented and asked me to help you. I didn't believe it very much, so I wanted to see it myself. Now I know that you are good at poetry, and based on this alone, it is more than enough to be a clerk in the yamen. But there are different officials in the yamen. Which room do you want to do in?"

"I studied the law of criminal law hard in my late years, but I dare not say that I am proficient in it, and I still have some understanding. So I want to go to the torture room, but I don't know if it's okay?"

Du Dayin smiled and said, "As a clerk in the punishment room, you don't have to be proficient in the criminal law. I have worked in the punishment room of the yamen for decades and have seen too many people. It can be said that those who are proficient in the criminal law are not. Even if you know a little or two, there are not many. Many clerks have never even read the criminal law. Have you done it for many years? Do you know the trick?"

Xiao Jiading hurriedly bowed and said, "Wansheng was about to ask grandpa for advice. Listen to grandpa's teachings."

Du Dayin stroked his white beard and said, "I want to do well in the yamen and be able to climb up. One key word is: 'round'!"

"round?"

"Well! Round means smoothness. There is great knowledge inside. For the superior, this kind of sleekness is flattery, flattery, willing to give gifts, and heavy gifts. The cases assigned by the superior themselves must be handled quickly and in line with the superior's wishes. For colleagues, this kind of sleekness is to welcome people with a smile, plant more flowers and less thorns, and people's feelings must not be missed, and people in the world must be said to be good. For subordinates, you must be serious in the yamen. The so-called kindness does not lead soldiers, and outside the yamen, you must be brothers and brothers, care and enthusiasm, and make subordinates always respect you and be grateful to you. In short, there are many ways in this word Round, and it is hard to explain clearly. The key depends on your own understanding. Hahaha."

He read too many modern official novels of Xiao Jiading, so he was naturally very clear, but he looked surprised and admiring, and bowed repeatedly: "I heard from my grandfather's teachings, and I suddenly realized my feelings when I was confused. Now I am already seeing the sun, and I am very cheerful. Thank you!"

Du Dayin looked at him, nodded, sighed, and said, "It's easy to say it, but it's actually very difficult to do it. It's like I. Although I understand these principles, I'm too easy to be serious and cannot be smooth in everything, so I missed countless opportunities for promotion, and finally I'm still a little clerk. The young master should take the lessons of the old man as a warning!"

Xiao Jiading laughed in his heart. If I had known that you were talking on paper, otherwise why would you not be able to get promoted after so many years? Not even a small official who was not a good person? He thought so in his heart, but his face was full of respect and said, "Grandpa is too modest. The official who is a yamen who has been working in the yamen for decades will have no one else except grandpa. If you can learn such skills, you will be very satisfied."

Du Dayin smiled and glanced at Du Erniu, saying, "This young man is very good at talking."

"Isn't that just right? Grandpa, are you agreeing to help him?" Du Erniu said happily.

Du Dayin pondered and said, "It's no problem to help and talk, it's just..."

Xiao Jiading knew what the old man was worried about, so he quickly interrupted: "This is a small job for the rest of his life."

Du Dayin smiled relievedly and said, "Are you very smart, how many have you prepared?"

"Yi Guan money, plus a jade pendant worth nine Guan money. How about it?"

Du Dayin nodded: "In theory, the only one who can decide that you can become a clerk in the yamen is the county magistrate, but other county magistrates, chief clerks, and county magistrates are used to talk to county magistrates, because these are the right-hand men of county magistrates, and the people they sponsor are generally not opposed. It is not easy for you to see the county magistrates, and he is very careful and does not see outsiders. So, let's go to the county magistrates, chief clerks, or county magistrates, and ask them to help speak, and this matter will be done."

"Who is the best to contact?"

Du Da pondered for a moment and said, "Let's find Deng Quansheng, he is my old boss. We have always had a good relationship and he gives me a good face. Besides, your little money is only enough to find him. If you find a county magistrate, the chief clerk will not be enough, let alone find a county magistrate."

Xiao Jiading stuck out his tongue, thinking that the price of buying an official in the Tang Dynasty was really high enough, and he didn't expect it enough, so he quickly stood up and bowed, "Thank you grandpa!" He took the copper coins from his waist and placed them in front of Du Dayin, and said, "This is Wansheng's little intention. Grandpa helped to recommend it. Wansheng was very grateful."

Du Dayin smiled and nodded: "You have already achieved some smoothness and goodness. I believe you will be as good as a fish in the yamen."

Xiao Jiading said sincerely: "Wansheng is just grateful to his grandfather for helping him for the first time when he met, and just expresses his feelings. When he arrives at the yamen in the future, Wansheng will not do things against his conscience for his own benefit."

Du Dayin nodded, looked at his granddaughter Du Erniu and said, "If Erniu hadn't been begging me again and again in my ear, I wouldn't care about this kind of thing. If you want to thank me, just thank Erniu."

Xiao Jiading hurriedly bowed to Erniu again: "Thank you, Miss Erniu!"

Du Erniu had a little shyness on her chubby face and said, "Okay, aren't we help each other?"

Du Dayin looked at the two and smiled, pushing the money he had always done to Du Erniu: "You keep it! Grandpa has given it to you."

"Thank you grandpa!" Du Erniu took the money he had.

At this time, the food and drinks came up one after another. Xiao Jiading raised his glasses toast and could speak again, making the old man go around.

Finally, after drinking and eating, Du Dayin said, "Tonight, I will take you to the Wei Wei's house in Deng. When it's dark, you are still waiting for me."

Xiao Jiading agreed quickly.

Du Dayin looked at his granddaughter and said, "We should leave too, right?"

"Grandpa, go first, I'll talk to Mr. Xiao."

Du Da smiled faintly, burped, and said, "Okay, then I'll leave first, you two continue eating and talking!" After that, he squeezed at Du Erniu.

Du Erniu was a little shy and gently slapped Du Dayin's arm with a angrily, twisted his fat waist and said, "Grandpa! If you are drunk, be careful when you walk, don't fall."

Du Dayin waved his hand: "Grandpa is not drunk, don't worry!" He slowly walked out of the elegant seat and walked downstairs and left.

Du Erniu hurriedly closed the door, took out a form from the cuff bag, and placed it in front of Xiao Jiading: "Here, fill in this, after filling it out, I will send it to the household house for you to register, and you can send it to you. You will not be a refugee in the future! Hehe."

Xiao Jiadingxi said: "You are really capable! You have all this!"

"This is nothing, you can fill it out quickly."

Xiao Jiading had asked about the hometown and address of the old man Xiao’s nephew, Jiulong County, Yizhou, and now he filled in the name column. The name column was written with his real name, and the name was written with Xiao Qilang, whom he impersonated.

After writing, he handed it to Du Erniu. Du Erniu glanced at it and said, "Your hometown is Jiulong County? That place is so remote. I heard that it is mostly grazing."

"Yeah yeah."

"Are you ranked seventh in the family?"

"Yes, hehe."

"You guys have so many brothers!" Du Erniu said with a smile, pushing the money around her back to Xiao Family Ding, "You can take back this money!"

"Why?"

"Who of us is with us? Help me and I will help you. Isn't this even? In the future, we will hold a poetry meeting and I will tell you the topic in advance. If you help me again, I won't give you money. Is that okay?"

"Hehe, you can't give money, but you have to give chicken and wine. It's very brain-consuming to write poetry!"

Du Erniu rolled his eyes and said, "You know how to eat!"

"Isn't it good to like to eat? Don't you become so fat because of your love to eat?"

"What's wrong with being fat? Many people like fat women! You don't like it?"

Xiao Jiading shrugged: "It doesn't matter, you are fat and thin. We are friends, and we are not looking for a wife. Naturally, there is no need to be picky about the weight."

Du Erniu's fat face turned slightly red and said, "Can you continue to eat?"

"One other day, you have to quickly get the road in. Maybe it's necessary to drink too much at night, otherwise I will have a bad impression when I see the county magistrate at night."

"That's right, then let's go!"

After Xiao Jiading checked out, the two came out and broke up at the door. Xiao Jiading returned to the inn and asked Li San to give him a bowl of sobering soup. He didn't let him drink it too much, so he quickly returned to normal. He went out to a jewelry shop on the street and bought two exquisite boxes for gifts, one big and one small. When he returned to the inn, he put the copper coins in a large box and placed the jade pendant in an exquisite small box. The two boxes were wrapped in a piece of blue cloth.

After finishing his work, he took out the book "Yonghui Rule" and waited for Du Dayin while flipping through it.

The sun sets in the west and the colorful clouds are everywhere.

The sound of footsteps sounded in the corridor outside the door, and then someone knocked on the door, and the voice of the waiter Li San from the shop came: "Young Master Xiao!"

"Who?" Xiao Jiading asked when he heard the footsteps of several people.

Before Li San answered, the people who were traveling with him had already said loudly: "Brother Xiao! It's my younger brother Zhu Haiyin. We agreed last night that we would go to Cuiyulou together today!"

Xiao Jiading hurriedly got up and went to open the door. Sure enough, he saw the chubby Zhu Haiyin standing at the door with a few servants, bowing to him.

Xiao Jiading bowed and said, "It's still early."

"It's getting late, let's go to have a meal first. It's better to drink after eating. Drinking on an empty stomach can easily hurt your body. Let's go, I'll take everything today, and find a place to eat!"

Xiao Jiading said: "Sorry, I still have something to deal with. I can't go there yet."

Zhu Haiyin was a little disappointed and said, "Then..., when will it take to wait?"

"This is hard to say. Otherwise, you can go to Cuiyulou and wait for me first, and I will come after I finish my work."
Chapter completed!