After coming ashore, Zhao Xing and Xu Laoba returned to the dockworker's stall. They returned the voucher, retrieved a tael of deposit, and rewarded Xu Laoba. One is one, and two is two; this settled their accounts.
It was already quite late, otherwise Xu Laoba would have dragged people to boast for a while. Zhao Xing glanced at the time and returned to Grain City.
"A wind is rising~"
With the wind at his feet, his walking speed quickened, covering two to three meters with each step. He made it back home just before the end of the Hai hour.
"Today's harvest was quite good. I only intended to make a small profit, but I didn't expect to gain so much in the end."
"It seems my second-tier Fortune is indeed extraordinary."
If it were a first-tier Fortune, he would probably have missed this fourth-tier pearl.
"With this harvest, I won't have to worry about food and drink for a while, and my Gathered Essence speed won't slow down either." Zhao Xing packed the pearl, locked it in a box.
He still had some spare money and wasn't in a hurry to sell; he needed to sell it at a high price.
For an ordinary person, gaining a windfall would make it hard to sleep, but Zhao Xing ate and slept as usual.
The next day, he went to the Agricultural Affairs Bureau to work and study as usual.
Once the summer solstice passed, the old Agricultural Officer began to emphasize theory over practical work.
He directly informed everyone that the next seasonal examination would focus on theory.
Reading became the top priority for the Agricultural Bureau officials.
"Old Agricultural Officer, can you reveal which classics will be examined? Please highlight some key points for us!" an official asked.
Xue Wenzhong smiled slightly: "Of course, listen carefully. Da Guan Mu, Ben Cao Jing, Tian Shi Bai Jie, Si Nong Zhen Zhang, Yue Ling Wu Hou, Di Mai San Guang, Li Wu Wan Pian..."
Well, that was like asking a question for nothing; all of it was key material!
Having a broad knowledge and a good memory is a necessary quality for Agricultural Officers. The Nineteen Provinces are vast and rich, with many variations in climate and geography, not to mention the various plants.
If the court sends you to a place, and you don't even know what crops are suitable for that area or when to plant them, what use are you?
The above are merely basic requirements, akin to begging the heavens for a meal.
In many special environments, Agricultural Officers are required to use spells to alter the weather, seek out ley lines, and create a favorable environment before deciding what to plant.
"In the southern part of Guangling Prefecture, there is a Yuanling County, where in spring, five varieties of grain can be planted, spring sown and spring harvested, with one ear enough to feed five people."
"In summer, one can plant Bai Xue Teng, summer sown and summer harvested, the vine fruits can replenish all blood types."
"In autumn... Qian Dong, what was it in autumn?" Chen Ziyu tilted his head to look at Qian Dong.
The latter shrugged: "Why are you memorizing such obscure material from 'Dong Tian Li Wu'? Are you expecting to have a chance to work in a blessed land?"
"That's true." Chen Ziyu planned to let it go, but he heard Zhao Xing leisurely say, "In autumn, one can cultivate Golden Soy, autumn sown and autumn harvested, gathering essence in three days, entering the market in a month, priced like gold."
"In winter, one can dig up Xu Gu Shen, which can reconnect bones in ten days and regenerate severed limbs in a hundred days."
Chen Ziyu opened his book and sincerely praised, "No wonder you are my elder brother; your foundation is truly solid."
Zhao Xing reminisced slightly, "It's not entirely that; if you could stay there for a few years, you would also know it like the back of your hand."
"You're speaking as if you've been there yourself; Guangling Prefecture is separated from our Pinghai Prefecture by more than a million miles!"
"Is it not okay if I went there in my dreams?" Zhao Xing laughed.
"Sure, of course, who told you to be the elder brother?"
"Hahaha."
Time passed, and soon the White Dew solar term approached.
Zhao Xing was also studying day and night in preparation for the examination. Once he officially entered the ranks, he would not only be part of the Fortune Dynasty system, increasing his blessings and longevity, but he could also attempt many things.
For example, the Grand Dream Academy, after entering the ranks, he would likely be able to try to gain benefits again.
Becoming an official Agricultural Officer would also expand Zhao Xing's capabilities, allowing him to learn more spells and lay a more solid foundation for future revival versions.
Zhao Xing was not striving for official status merely for the sake of it, but for longevity. If he were thrown back to the distant version of the founding emperor, he would simply give up.
However, placed in the era of Emperor Jing, he felt he could still strive to survive until the revival version.
This motivation was simple yet powerful. Just think, if someone told you that if you start exercising and maintain a healthy lifestyle from now on, you could live another twenty years to witness a technological breakthrough that grants immortality, would you do it?
"Not marrying, not having children, rising in rank and receiving benefits, the Fortune and blessings of longevity will not be dispersed, but will all belong to the official himself."
"Moreover, any treasures that extend life should be used as early as possible; otherwise, the constraints will become stronger and the difficulty will increase."
"When receiving rank, other aspects will also be elevated, but if I reach the corresponding rank when receiving it, all will be used to extend my lifespan. Therefore, by next spring, I must reach Gathered Essence Ninth Level, so that all the benefits of receiving rank will go towards my lifespan." Zhao Xing calculated in his heart.
Doing so also had the advantage that if he were to lose his position or rank, the impact would be minimal, or even completely negligible.
It would be as if he had the ability to jump onto the fast track of Fortune in the Great Zhou Dynasty without needing too much assistance; he just needed the door to be opened for him. When the time came, even if he was pushed off the car, he would have the ability to jump off without harm.
"Destiny is my destiny, fortune is my fortune, longevity is my longevity, and what about the court? Not a bit." After contemplating the future, Zhao Xing returned to the matters at hand.
On September 7, White Dew.
The Agricultural Affairs Bureau welcomed this year's first theoretical examination.
The entire examination lasted two days; latecomers would not be admitted, but early submissions were allowed.
The main examiner was still Xue Wenzhong, but the other Agricultural Officers had to review the questions together, ensuring they aligned with the examination philosophy of Nanyang County, neither too far-fetched nor too rigid.
After grading the exam papers, they needed to be archived and submitted for review to Nanyang County. Other seasonal examination scores also had to be archived, but Nanyang County generally wouldn't scrutinize them closely, only conducting random checks unless someone reported an issue.
However, the theoretical examination would be thoroughly reviewed.
Because if an official's spells went awry, it wasn't a big deal, but if their theoretical understanding was flawed, it could be very dangerous.
During the founding emperor's time, there was an Agricultural Officer in Nanyang County who, not knowing where he read some misguided texts, wrote a theory called "Absolute Communication Between Heaven and Earth" during the examination to showcase himself. As a result, he offended both the Weather Faction and the Geography Faction, and was directly imprisoned.
Even our faction does not deny the Weather Faction and Geography Faction; there are just primary and secondary roles, but "Absolute Communication Between Heaven and Earth" denied the current calendar and even the Dao itself, which was clearly heretical thinking. This was not merely deviating from the norm; it was outright betrayal and insult to the nation.
The Great Zhou Dynasty is relatively free in terms of speech. Later, this person was investigated, imprisoned for half a year, and then released. He didn't face any serious consequences, but those who sold heretical texts suffered greatly; after a severe crackdown, their entire families were executed.
"I must be careful during the exam and not write anything too advanced; even a small step too far could earn me a failing grade." Zhao Xing repeatedly reminded himself in his heart as he walked into the examination room.
(End of Chapter)