binnovel Chapter 451 Want to sneak away
Chapter 451 Want to sneak away
Not to mention how these people performed in the exams, just figuring out how to bypass their masters to take the exams became a difficult problem for many slaves.
If they come across a kind family, they will have no reason to stop their servants from taking the exam. They are just servants. If this one is lost, they can buy another one. If they can pick someone who can pass the exam, even if he is just a minor official in the government, as long as he remembers their good deeds, it will be easier for them to work in the government in the future.
Even if you fail the exam, you can still try once, give up the idea, and come back to live a peaceful life.
But there were also cruel wealthy families who issued a strict order that their slaves would not be allowed to take the exam. Anyone caught taking the exam would be beaten to death with sticks, and would remain a slave even if they failed the exam. Even if the master beat someone to death, no one would care.
Li Gu was born in a branch of the Li family. Although it was a branch that could not be more remote, he was still implicated because of the Li family's previous treason. However, because the relationship was distant enough, Li Gu was only reduced to a slave and was not beheaded. It was also because the emperor did not want to be a tyrant, otherwise Li Gu would have lost his head long ago.
Although Li Gu is a descendant of the Li family, he is too distantly related to the direct branch. Apart from being able to attend the clan school, he has not enjoyed much of the clan's glory. His parents died early due to poverty. Li Gu sold his family's land to barely raise enough money for his parents' funeral. Just after burying his parents, the Li family's verdict came down. The Li family's situation changed dramatically. Many elders and brothers were beheaded. Recently, only Li Gu and a few young and distant relatives survived.
At that time, Li Gu hated the imperial court and the Li family in the capital very much, but he met a good master who did not treat him harshly because he was a government slave. Instead, he gave him a relatively easy job because he could read and write. As he grew older, he gradually realized that the Li family deserved it. Although he was unlucky, at least he was still alive.
Now that the government's notice for recruiting civil servants had come out, Li Gu saw that he could have his civil service status restored if he passed the exam. Hope rekindled in his eyes. He struggled for several days before asking his master for permission.
The owner was a kind man and agreed immediately.
"I know you're not one to accept your fate. Since this is an opportunity given by the court, you must seize it well."
"Thank you for your kindness, Master."
Another person with a similar but completely different fate to Li Gu was Lu Jiao, whose family was also implicated by his clansmen and he became a government slave. However, he was not as lucky as Li Gu. He met a black-hearted master. His daily job was to accompany the young master. To put it nicely, it was to accompany him in his studies, but in reality, the young master did not treat him as a human being. Daily insults and punishments were commonplace. If the young master got into trouble, they, the servants, would be beaten with sticks.
Today, Lu Jiao was beaten with a few sticks. The new wounds on his back were piled up on the old ones, which made Lu's mother cry.
"Son, if our family hadn't been implicated, you wouldn't have suffered so much today."
"Mother, don't cry. I followed the young master to the streets today and heard that the government is recruiting people recently. It is said that as long as you pass their examination, you can be restored to a good citizen directly. Mother, I want to give it a try."
Upon hearing this, Mother Lu immediately stopped crying. After a long moment, she placed her trembling hand on her son's forehead, her eyes filled with pain. "Son, are you talking nonsense because of a fever?"
Lu Jiao grabbed his mother's hand and said in a strong voice, "Mother, I know you don't believe me now, but just wait. Once I pass the exam, I will take you away from this den of tigers and wolves."
It’s not that Mother Lu doesn’t believe it, she just doesn’t want her son to have his hope dashed again, so she tactfully reminded him that if there really was such a good thing, why would his master let him go?
"I've actually heard of the exam you mentioned, but as slaves, how can we take it without the master's order? Regardless of whether we pass or fail, do you really think the master and mistress will let you off?"
Her words woke Lu Jiao up. Their master was not a kind person and would definitely not allow his servants to escape from his control. It was unlikely that Lu Jiao would be able to take the exam.
But Lu Jiao was unwilling to give up. Not only was he beaten and scolded every day, but even his mother was often punished by the mistress in the backyard. He didn't want to go on like this for even a single day. He made up his mind to find a way to take the exam. Even if he failed, the worst that could happen was a beating. But if he passed, he and his mother would be free from suffering.
Song Chunlin still didn't know what kind of uproar this civil service exam would cause at the bottom of the Dajing Dynasty. He had just completed a big project and was feeling proud of it. However, he couldn't enjoy himself for a few days and felt that if he stayed any longer, he would probably be assigned another mission. He was not afraid of business trips and he was eager to go out and play. Now he was considering whether to sneak off to the border. It had been a year since they last saw each other and Song Chunlin missed him very much.