Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

It was as if someone had poked his cheek with a needle; his lips drooped, and he remained silent for a long time.

Zhang Shouren was still lying on the ground, his face covered in tears and snot, but he suddenly stopped crying when he heard these words.

He wiped his face haphazardly with his sleeve, turned his head to glare at Zhang Silang, his voice still trembling with tears, but his tone had changed: "You refuted it? Didn't you say that Young Master Wang had pulled some strings for you?"

"Didn't you say that Young Master Zhou's maternal grandfather had put in a good word for you at the prefectural government? How come it was rejected? You've used all your connections and influence, but in the end, the Ministry of Rites still won't acknowledge it? All the money you spent has gone down the drain!"

Zhang Shiqing raised his hand and pressed the wrinkles on his face. "Fourth Brother, what exactly happened? What did Young Master Wang say?"

Zhang Silang sniffed. "Young Master Wang was also very surprised. After I begged him, he took me to see his grandfather, Wang Boyong. As expected, Grandfather Wang knew more. He said that this matter was probably related to my second brother."

"My second brother was originally appointed as the Vice Prefect of Tanzhou, with a promising future. Who knew that just a few days after he took office, he executed a clerk in court. This incident had a very bad impact, and several ministers in the court submitted memorials to impeach him, especially the Ministry of Rites, who were very angry with my second brother."

"The prince said that by calculating the dates, the petition would arrive at the Ministry of Rites just in time. The official in charge saw that the document was from Juancheng and also happened to be surnamed Zhang, which made him furious."

"The officials in the capital don't know that our family has severed ties with my second brother. They just assume that the two of us are from the same clan, so it's not uncommon for them to reject our application. I can only blame my bad luck."

After listening, Zhang Shiqing's right cheek remained motionless for a long time. "What else did the Prince say about your second brother's matter?"

Zhang Silang shook his head. "The Prince didn't say much. He only said that although Second Brother's matter is troublesome, it may not necessarily be a bad thing. He guessed that Second Brother did it on purpose, with the aim of getting a local official position, not a sub-prefect."

Zhang Shiqing did not respond immediately.

He looked out the window. It wasn't dark yet, and sunlight streamed in through the window paper, casting a yellowish glow throughout the room.

Zhang Dalang retorted angrily, "It's all that beast Zhang Shouli's fault! Otherwise, why would Second Brother sever ties with us? Fourth Brother, do you know that this bastard has now become the clerk of the Household Registration Office, and he's also in charge of the Criminal Division!"

Zhang Silang was shocked. "He's only been a junior officer for less than a year, and he's already a clerk? How is that possible?"

Zhang Dalang snorted angrily, "I heard that Xu Shoufen mention Zhang, the clerk in the county yamen, so I asked which Zhang clerk it was. He looked at me like I was a fool and said, 'Besides Zhang Shouli, who else could there be a Zhang clerk in the county yamen?'"

"And just a few days ago, I vaguely heard someone say that the county government of Juancheng is now under the Zhang family's name—not our Zhang, but the Zhang of Zhang Shouli! And when I heard that Xu guy say that, it all made sense, didn't it?"

Zhang Shiqing glared at him. "What 'former bailiff'? It sounds impressive, but it depends on who you're comparing him to. Magistrate Li can call him a bailiff with a single word. There's nothing special about it."

"Erlang passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi. I heard that he was born in the same year as this Magistrate Li and their rankings were similar. Even just to be on good terms with Erlang, I would still give this rebellious son some preferential treatment."

Zhang Dalang then realized, "Father, so that's how it is! I thought this rebellious son of his really had some talent!"

Zhang Shiqing rolled his eyes slightly but didn't explain. Instead, he looked at Zhang Silang seriously and asked, "Silang, do you understand what I mean?"

Zhang Silang nodded, his face contorted with worry. "Father, you mean being an official has no future. But now that my appeal has been rejected and I can't get my reinstatement document, I can't participate in the provincial examination. How can I end up like my second brother..."

Zhang Shiqing's right cheek twitched, and the corner of his mouth turned up slightly. "Your second brother has been stubborn since childhood, but he is never reckless. He speaks and acts with a clear plan in mind, and the prince's guess is probably seven or eight parts true."

Zhang Shouren blew his nose and suddenly interjected, "Father is right, Second Brother has been smart since he was little. He's incredibly clever, a hundred times better than me."

Zhang Shiqing rolled his eyes at him.

Zhang Shouren, oblivious to the danger, leaned forward again. "Father, how about we ask the clan chief to mediate and get him back into the family register? My second brother is now an official in the imperial court. If he's willing to come back, our family will prosper."

"Besides, the clan is somewhat dissatisfied with us because of the matter of severing ties with my second brother. Otherwise, why would only Uncle Shi'an send Xi'er to take care of Father after his stroke? Especially..."

Zhang Shiqing tapped his cane on the bed, his voice changing from muffled to harsh, "Shut up! Are you a pig-brain? Erlang came back this time pretending to be a beggar to deceive you, and then he schemed to force me to sever ties with him."

"You think he'll easily rejoin the family line? He wants to distance himself from us all, so as not to affect his career! You idiot, you're nothing like me!"

Zhang Shouren was stunned by the scolding, his knees buckled and he knelt down. "Father, I'm your own son! I..."

Zhang Shiqing ignored him and turned to Zhang Silang, "Silang, you've had it too easy before. Experiencing some hardships now might not be a bad thing. The rejection of your appeal is just bad luck."

"The preliminary examination will not be held for another two years, so there's no need to rush. If you avoid the matter of Erlang beheading the official, you can submit your appeal next year or the year after, and there should be no obstacles then."

He paused, his voice becoming slightly muffled, "Don't follow Sanlang's example and go to register officials. He's all the rage now, but it's only because Magistrate Li and Erlang both passed the imperial examinations in the same year, so he gives him some leeway."

"When a new magistrate comes in three years, he'll have to be very careful. You can't go to the prefectural school, but studying at home is just as good. When you're free, help your older brother manage the shop; don't just study all the time."

Zhang Silang nodded and then shook his head. "Father is right. But Young Master Wang wants me to work as a clerk in the prefectural government. He said that if I don't want to continue studying, I can be registered as a clerk."

"I can choose from the Judicial Officer, Revenue Officer, Clerk, and Judgement Office. At least I can be given a junior position to start with. It's not a big deal to gain experience for three to five years and then become a senior officer. If I do well, I can even be guaranteed a position as a Clerk within ten years."

Zhang Shiqing looked at him, his brows furrowing. "Young Master Wang is willing to help you because he values ​​your talent and believes he can rely on you in the future. If you pass the imperial examination and become an official, he will have even more opportunities to use you and will think highly of you."

"If you were to become an official now, you would be nothing more than a house dog in front of the Wang family. If he tells you to go east, you wouldn't dare to go west. If you hold fast to your original intention and continue to study diligently, everything will be different once you pass the imperial examination."

Zhang Silang's eyes welled up slightly. "Father, I understand that. I'd naturally like to continue my studies. But with all these misfortunes happening in the family, I'm afraid it will be too much of a burden... Father, I'm out of money..."

Zhang Shiqing was silent for a moment, then sighed: "Things are indeed a bit difficult for the family now. I've long suspected that your sister-in-law is unreliable, so I've hidden all the gold and silver in the house in a safe place where she can't find it."

"Silang, don't worry. No matter how difficult things get at home, we still have a thousand strings of cash. Supporting your studies for another ten or eight years won't be a problem!"