Chapter 29

（Today's update is late, sorry sorry, I'll definitely post earlier tomorrow!）

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When he saw this name, the clerk Diao frowned. He had a very poor impression of Wang Xian. As a prominent figure in the county, he should have had no dealings with a petty ruffian. However, over a month ago, his daughter came home crying, saying that she had been humiliated by a ruffian named Wang Er at the dock. The phrase "a low person is just being pretentious" was relayed by his daughter, but it still made him so angry that he almost spat blood.

If this were the only incident, it wouldn't have been enough to make Clerk Diao so furious. There was another matter, the unresolved position of the criminal registrar!

Clerk Diao had already promised to help his brother-in-law secure this position, but who knew that the scribe Sima Qiu also wanted it!

Clerk Diao was afraid of his wife and would have to kneel on a搓板 (washing board) if he couldn't complete the task, so he refused to back down. In his view, County Magistrate Wei would definitely give him this face, but who knew that Sima Qiu had recently earned merit, making it difficult for Magistrate Wei to decide. The matter was thus at an impasse.

Clerk Diao learned from Magistrate Wei that the person Sima Qiu wanted to recommend was none other than Wang Xian!

What do you think he felt when he saw this name?

With a cold face, Clerk Diao closed the dossier and thought about getting rid of Wang Er, but before he could speak, he realized it wouldn't be right. "Am I giving Sima Qiu a handle? Besides, I can't ignore Wang Ziyao's face."

After a moment's thought, he changed his mind. "I've heard that Wang Er is uneducated. Why not test him? If he makes a fool of himself, I can refuse him with righteous indignation. This way, I've given Wang Ziyao's face, and Sima Qiu can't say anything."

"Let him in," Clerk Diao said firmly. "Hmph, you have a way to heaven but don't take it, and you come to hell of your own accord! It's fitting that you fall into my hands. We'll settle all old and new accounts together!"

As he was thinking, he saw a tall, slender young man enter, wearing an ill-fitting robe. He had a fair complexion, delicate features, and large, bright eyes that were not at all unpleasant.

"Indeed, one cannot judge a person by their appearance," Clerk Diao thought to himself, his face expressionless. "Are you Wang Xian?"

"I am," Wang Xian replied after bowing.

"The registrar's office recommends you as a clerk. This position requires good character and the ability to write and calculate," Clerk Diao said with a cold smile. "Do you think you meet any of these requirements?"

Wang Ziyao, standing nearby, frowned. It was just a clerk position, and he had recommended Wang Xian. It should have been a formality. Why did it sound like Clerk Diao was about to make things difficult for Wang Er?

He suddenly remembered the recent rumors that Clerk Diao and Scribe Sima had been arguing over the position of the criminal registrar. But Wang Xian was only seeking a clerk position, which was a completely different matter!

"I dare not boast," Wang Xian replied modestly. "But I have never broken the law, and I can write and calculate." He thought to himself, "No matter how ugly my writing is, at least I can write, and that can't be denied."

"Good at dodging the important points," Clerk Diao sneered. "Why do I hear that you are idle and fond of gambling?"

"Your Excellency, my father was wrongly imprisoned, and my family suffered as a result. At the time, I faced many obstacles and didn't know what to do. As for the gambling, it has been proven false, and the county magistrate has cleared my name."

Hearing his quick and clever response, Clerk Diao knew he couldn't catch him in his words. "I don't care about your past. Let's see your skills." He paused and said, "A clerk must assist officials in handling administrative affairs. First, they must have good handwriting, and second, they must be proficient in law and mathematics." He pointed to a table in the corner. "There are paper and pen. Write out the 'Kidnapping and Selling People' section of the 'Great Ming Code' for me."

Wang Xian, who was sweating, knew the 'Great Ming Code' was thick and he couldn't possibly memorize it. But when he heard it was this section, he was overjoyed. He had read this section many times to convict He Chang. However, he remained calm, replied, "As you command," and began to write:

"Anyone who devises a plan to lure a free person or sell a free person as a slave shall be caned one hundred times and exiled three thousand miles. If they are sold as a wife, child, or grandchild, they shall be caned one hundred times and imprisoned for three years..."

"Not just the main text, but also the detailed rules below," Clerk Diao added.

Wang Xian cursed inwardly but continued to write: "If someone buys a free woman under the pretense of adopting her and then sells her, the punishment is the same..." There were nine more clauses, which he remembered less clearly, but he wrote the general idea, ensuring the meaning was correct.

As he wrote, he wondered, "Does Clerk Diao have a grudge against me? My father couldn't even memorize the 'Great Ming Code.' Why is he making it so difficult for me? Fortunately, it's this section. If it were something I didn't remember, I would have been in trouble."

Clerk Diao, sitting behind the desk, couldn't see what Wang Xian was writing but noticed that he was still writing, indicating he had something to write. He was somewhat surprised, not expecting this young man to have put in so much effort. However, the next test in mathematics wouldn't be as easy.

"The second question is a math problem. Listen carefully. Suppose a pawnshop lends one thousand coins, and the monthly interest is thirty coins. Now, someone borrows seven hundred and fifty coins and returns it after nine days. How much interest is due?"

"Six and three-quarters coins," Wang Xian answered after a quick calculation. What could be more delightful than being tested in mathematics?

"Have you read 'The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art'?" Clerk Diao asked, incredulous. This young man couldn't be uneducated.

"No, I calculated it myself," Wang Xian replied, suddenly remembering that the 'low person is just being pretentious' incident at the dock involved the daughter of the county clerk.

"Then solve another one," Clerk Diao recalled a poem he had read years ago and had never solved. He decided to use it to make things difficult for Wang Xian. "A grand ancient temple stands in the forest. No one knows how many monks are inside. There are three hundred and sixty-four bowls, all used without any left over. Three monks share one bowl of rice, and four monks share one bowl of soup. How many monks are there in the temple?"

Wang Xian set up a system of linear equations and quickly gave the answer: "Six hundred and twenty-four monks."

"Are you guessing?" Seeing him come up with the answer so quickly, Clerk Diao found it hard to accept.

"Three hundred and sixty-four bowls, two hundred and eight bowls for rice, and one hundred and fifty-six bowls for soup. You can do the math yourself, sir," Wang Xian thought, "This old scoundrel is deliberately making things difficult for me. Seeing his surprised look, I know he can't solve it himself!"

Clerk Diao picked up a pen and calculated, and indeed, it was the correct number. He was puzzled, "Have you seen this problem before?"

"No, I calculated it myself," Wang Xian maintained his composure, but his heart was cold. Encountering such a vindictive old scoundrel, even if he passed this test, how could he survive in the county office?

"How is this possible..." Clerk Diao shook his head, having given several high-difficulty math problems, all of which Wang Xian solved easily. He was speechless...

Wang Ziyao, standing nearby, was amazed. "No wonder Wang Xian frequents the gambling den; his math skills are so impressive!"

Such a talented person in accounting was exactly what the county needed. He couldn't understand why Clerk Diao was so hostile toward this young man.

"The next question, write a poem for this 'Yellow Mountain Welcoming Pine' painting," Clerk Diao, out of options, decided to test poetry. His plan was that even if Wang Xian could write poetry, he could still test his essay writing. He wouldn't believe that this young man could also write a formal essay. This was the advantage of having the upper hand; he could test one thing after another until he found something Wang Xian couldn't do.

"Third Sir, a clerk doesn't need to write poetry," even the cunning Wang Ziyao couldn't help but speak up.

Clerk Diao glanced at Wang Ziyao and said coolly, "Wang Ziyao, you are mistaken. 'Poetry expresses one's aspirations.' I want to see his character."

Wang Ziyao was speechless and could only look at Wang Xian, hoping he would continue to excel and show his extraordinary talent in poetry.

Wang Xian was thoroughly frustrated. "Is it really necessary? It's just a clerk position. If I could write poetry, I would have gone for the scholar examination long ago. Why am I here with you? If you want me to fail, just say it; why be so disgusting?"

But in this situation, where he was at the mercy of others, he had no choice but to suppress his anger and think of how to deal with it. He looked at the painting, which depicted a welcoming pine tree rooted on a cliff. He racked his brain, recalling the poems he had memorized.

To be honest, Wang Xian knew quite a few Tang and Song poems, but unfortunately, it was the Ming dynasty...

The poets of the mid-to-late Ming and Qing dynasties were not well-known, and their famous works were few. Wang Xian wanted to find a mediocre poem to bluff, but who memorizes mediocre poems? So, the ones he could recall were the famous ones.

Seeing that he had finally been stumped, Clerk Diao breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "If it weren't for the grudge, he would be more than qualified for a registrar position. But why did you offend me?"

Clerk Diao was about to say, "You're not qualified, go back and try harder," but he saw Wang Xian pick up a pen, not to write on the paper, but to write on the blank space of the painting!

"Don't..." Clerk Diao's heart leaped to his throat. That was his favorite painting. But before he could say "don't," Wang Xian's pen had already landed, and he began to write with swift, flowing strokes.

"Such terrible handwriting..." Seeing Wang Xian's clearly novice handwriting, Clerk Diao was almost driven mad. "Stop it!"

Wang Xian's handwriting was terrible, but he wrote quickly. Before Clerk Diao could finish his sentence, Wang Xian had already written the last line, threw down the pen, and looked at Clerk Diao with a puzzled expression.

"Who told you to write on the painting