Do you know: I, a commoner prime minister

Chapter 12 Wangjiang Tower

"My grandson dares not look down on others."

Hai Simian shook his head and said, "But what he said was neither new nor did he mention any specific reasons, which shows that his vision is still a bit narrow."

"You said what he said was nothing new and he didn't talk about the specific reasons, but are those things important?" Hai Xiuyuan asked rhetorically.

Hai Simian asked doubtfully, "This is a test from his grandfather, so it's naturally important to him!"

"When I asked him what he thought about the public's discussion that the government intended to restart reforms, he replied that there were only two answers: yes or no. His answer was simple and clear. What's the problem?"

"But if this is a test, and he says the government has no intention of reforming, shouldn't he explain why?"

Hai Simian wondered if his grandfather was getting senile. This was a test; how could he only answer yes or no?

But his grandfather seemed quite satisfied, which puzzled him greatly.

"Think about it carefully. Among those people arguing outside, has anyone ever said why the Emperor would restart the reform? And has anyone ever said why the Emperor wouldn't restart the reform?" Hai Xiuyuan said.

"This…"

Hai Simian pondered for a moment, realizing that those who said the emperor wanted to restart reforms had indeed not explained the reasons in depth.

The most frequently mentioned event was Han Zhang's promotion to Grand Chancellor, after all, Han Zhang was a supporter of the reform movement back then.

Those who disagree mostly said the same thing Zhou An had just said.

If the Emperor truly intended to implement reforms, he should have brought it up directly when Han Zhang was serving as Grand Chancellor.

Both sides have their own version of events, but neither has mentioned any deeper reasons.

"Whether or not to implement reforms, if we discuss it in depth, we will inevitably touch upon some sensitive issues."

Hai Xiuyuan said, "The reason you think he should have a deep conversation is because you feel that this is my test of him."

But I only met him for the first time today. If he were to have a deep conversation with me, it would seem both that he lacks composure and that he's trying to curry favor with me.

"But if he doesn't talk about it in detail, how will Grandfather know the extent of his talent?" Hai Simian asked doubtfully.

"Didn't I already tell him that he needs to take a test to get into Jinling Academy?"

Hai Xiuyuan said, "You're too one-sided in your judgment of people. My casual conversation with him about other things was the real test!"

"That counts as an exam? Isn't that way too easy?" Hai Simian muttered.

Grandfather and Zhou An had just chatted about the local customs and culture of Qinghe County, as well as their experiences on the way to Jinling.

"I'm asking you."

Hai Xiuyuan's face darkened as he said, "Do you know how much grain the people outside Jinling City can harvest per mu (unit of land area) and how much tax they have to pay?"

"I don't know!" Hai Simian shook his head, still looking rather unlucky.

"Do you think it's normal for him to know these things because of his humble background, and that knowing these things is of no use to him in the imperial examinations?" Hai Xiuyuan asked.

Hai Simian remained silent, expressing his meaning through silence.

"He came from a humble background, so he might understand how much a farmer could harvest from an acre of land and how much tax he had to pay. But he also talked about the difficulties faced by the local people and how to solve those difficulties."

Hai Xiuyuan said, "He talked about what he had seen and heard along the way, pointed out many drawbacks, and talked about solutions."

These are what he saw and thought along the way, not what he personally experienced.

Hai Simian thought about it carefully and realized that Zhou An did seem to have mentioned these things, but he hadn't listened carefully because he looked down on him.

But he was still somewhat unconvinced, after all, Zhou An had seen all of this, and his so-called solution was just empty talk.

He vaguely remembered that after Zhou An finished speaking, he said that these were just some of his ideas, and he hadn't verified them. He wasn't even sure if they would work.

"That's enough!"

Hai Xiuyuan waved his hand and said, "Once he's settled in, you should spend more time with him. Don't underestimate him in any way. Otherwise, you can go live with your father."

"Grandson has remembered!"

Hai Simian's heart tightened, and he quickly replied.

…………

Zhou An was unaware of what had happened to the Hai family. After leaving the Hai family, he found a brokerage firm and, through the brokerage firm's introduction, rented a small courtyard in the west of Jinling City.

Brokerage firms were somewhat similar to intermediaries in later times, but different brokerage firms operated within different areas.

He originally wanted to rent a house near Jinling Academy, but after inquiring, he found out that it was a bustling area of ​​Jinling, and houses there were very expensive.

They could only rent somewhere relatively close by, and even such a small courtyard cost twelve taels of silver per month.

Of course, there are cheaper options, but the yards are too dilapidated.

With financial support from his father-in-law, Zhou An could not spend money lavishly, but he was not short of money for the time being, so there was no need to mistreat himself.

After he rented the house, Shi Keng and Che San Niang said they wanted to leave.

They just wanted to confirm whether Zhou An had really gone to study at Jinling Academy, but after visiting the residence of the Imperial Academy Director, they were completely relieved.

Zhou An tried to persuade them to stay, but to no avail, so he could only treat them to a meal.

"Alright, it'll only be about six months before you can see your brother and sister-in-law," Zhou An said, patting Shi Tou on the shoulder.

"Young master, I'm alright!"

Although Shi Tou was filled with reluctance, he remained resolute.

Zhou An didn't say much, saying that these things would be fine in a few days.

When he first left home, didn't he also miss home a little?

Zhou An arranged for Jiang Fan to go to the Hai family's house to tell them his rented address, and then took Shi Tou to go shopping.

The house has basic furniture, but bedding and toiletries still need to be bought.

When he and Shi Tou arrived home with their bags full of things, the gate opened, and Jiang Fan was standing at the door looking around.

Upon seeing Zhou An and Shi Tou return, they hurriedly came to greet them.

"Young Master, Young Master Hai has arrived and is waiting in the courtyard."

Jiang Fan took the things from Zhou An's hands as he spoke.

"What?"

Zhou An was taken aback, but without asking any further questions, he entered the courtyard.

There is a grape trellis in the yard; the leaves are lush and green, and the grapes are just beginning to bear fruit.

There was a stone table and several stone stools under the shelf. Hai Simian was sitting in front of the stone table, with a little servant standing beside him.

"Brother Hai, we just rented this house and haven't prepared anything yet. I'm truly sorry for any shortcomings in our hospitality," Zhou An said apologetically.

"Brother Zhou, you flatter me."

Haisi smiled slightly and said, "I came without informing you, and I've become an unwelcome guest."

"Brother Hai's visit is an honor to our humble abode; we are hardly unwelcome guests."

Zhou An said, "I don't even have any tea here. Why don't we find a teahouse to sit down and chat?"

"No need to trouble yourself. I came here to see if Brother Zhou needs any help."

Hai Si smiled and said, "My courtesy name is Ziqin. Brother Zhou, you can just call me by my courtesy name."

"My courtesy name is Huai De."

Zhou An said, "Everything else in the house is still there. It has been tidied up, and the valuables have been bought. There's nothing else I need to help with. Thank you for your trouble, Ziqin."

"In that case, I'll head back now."

Hai Siqian said, "Tonight I'm hosting a banquet at Wangjiang Tower to welcome Huaide back. Huaide, you must do me the honor of attending."

"This... has cost Ziqin a lot."

After a brief hesitation, Zhou An agreed.

After seeing Hai Simian off, Zhou An led Shi Tou and the others to decorate the room.

That's when I remembered that I forgot to eat.

The three men had absolutely no cooking skills. Although Jiang Fan said he could cook, Zhou An didn't dare to eat it.

We'll have to think of another solution later.

Seeing that it was getting late, Zhou An changed his clothes, left Jiang Fan to watch the house, and took Shi Tou to the banquet.

Wangjianglou was the premier restaurant in Nanjing. It was named Wangjianglou because it had four floors and the Yangtze River could be seen from the fourth floor.

"Zhou Huaide?"