My British Empire

  Chapter 478 Marriage of bureaucrats and nobles

  After the qualifying exam and the results came out, William bid farewell to his friends, left Oxford University where he had studied for a year, and returned home.

  The academic year at Oxford University is four years, starting on January 7th every year, and taking one day off every ten days until June. After all, many students have not enough living expenses and are away from home for a long time. It is time to go home.

   Classes continued on August 1st.

  William just finished his studies again. He turned 18, and then went his separate ways.

   "Master William, the master ordered me to pick you up!"

  As soon as he packed up and saluted and came to the door, William saw his family's dilapidated carriage parked at the gate of the university.

  The carriage is open, except for some yellowing, the cushions are clean and tidy, and it feels cheap.

  The coachman was tall and thick, with thick arms, and his face was full of signs of time, like a farmer.

  He is a servant of his own family, a groom, a housekeeper, and a guard...

All right! William looked at the classmates who were also riding in the family carriage with some embarrassment. They were gorgeous and expensive, and he felt ashamed.

  Although he was a little ashamed, he still gave an 'en', lowered his head, and got into the car with a salute.

  Not to mention the gorgeous carriages of those rich and wealthy students, but in the eyes of those students who poorly carry bags and go home in a public carriage, the carriage of William’s family is enough to make them envious for a lifetime.

   "Master, you don't know, the original white horse is already pregnant, so I can only let this new **** horse come to pick you up. The mare is better, the stallion is too jumpy!"

  ...

  Before William could speak, the housekeeper and groom of his family moved his mouth up and down, and he kept talking along the way, which was a bit noisy.

  Compared to the butlers trained by noble families, they are still too poor.

   Helpless, William could only close his eyes and rest up.

   "However, fortunately, this horse is not bad!"

   Soon, the carriage left Oxford, and after driving another ten miles, it came to a place called Burton Village.

  Because it used to be a fiefdom called Burton Knights, after the War of the Roses, the knight family dissipated, and the name remained.

  When the carriage passed the village, the passing villagers cast respectful glances at him as a college student, which made William a little proud.

   Immediately afterwards, the carriage stopped in front of a country house.

  Red brick and white windows, large triangular window sills, sloping roof, large chimneys erected, and column-style fences in front of the balcony. This is a country house style (Tudor style) popular throughout England.

  Outside the fence, a gray and white shepherd dog was barking in the direction of the carriage, while a middle-aged man and woman were waiting anxiously.

   "Mother, Father!" After the carriage stopped, William jumped out of the carriage and hugged the waiting parents tightly.

"William, how glad you are to be back at last!" said his mother, with red eyes, touching his arm, and looking him up and down.

  And his father William Sr. slapped him on the shoulder, very proud:

   "Boy, you are very good, you have obtained the qualification, it is really a credit to me!"

   "Father, mother, how do you know that I am qualified?"

  William was suddenly surprised.

   As soon as the news came out, his parents who were far away in his hometown found out, so why wasn't he surprised.

  You must know that his family is not a nobleman or a gentleman, but a Yomannon who rents hundreds of acres from the nobles and then manages it. He lives by his good farming techniques.

  The annual income is only one hundred pounds. In the countryside, he is considered an upper-class figure. In the city, he is just a farmer in the countryside. The news is blocked, so how do you know?

   "Oh! This news was told to me by the head of a hundred households and the head of the district, and some gentlemen and squires nearby also sent a lot of gifts, which filled the entire yard!"

   Speaking of this, his father had to smile all over his face, then pointed his finger behind him and said.

  William took a look and saw that the yard of his house was full of various gifts, and there were a few new horses in the stables, which attracted his attention unconsciously.

   "Yes, young master, even Master Gruer in the village sent some fat pigs to make up for your body!"

  The housekeeper and groom who had just put him down to salute, hurried over and said excitedly.

  Seeing this, William breathed a sigh of relief and started chatting with his parents. For a while, the yard was filled with a happy atmosphere.

  Since the birth of the official admission examination, those who have obtained qualifications in the county every year will receive gifts from gentry and gentlemen from all over the county.

  Especially the country gentlemen near their hometown, they are extra positive when giving gifts.

  William qualified in the county, that is to say, within three years, he could go to London to take the exam without qualifying again.

  Three chances, the probability of becoming an official is very high, it is worth betting once.

  The family sat on chairs and chatted non-stop. Most of the time, it was the parents who were talking and William was listening.

  Boom! Boom!

  The butler hurried over to open the door, while William and his parents stood up, ready to welcome the guest.

  In front of the gate, a middle-aged man dressed in high-grade linen came in, but he was wearing a housekeeper's clothes.

   "Excuse me, are you Mr. William Jr.?" The butler took a look, then bowed to his parents first, and then greeted William politely.

   "Yes, may I ask?" William was stunned for a moment, looked at his high-grade sackcloth, compared it with his own clothes, and asked suspiciously.

   "My master is Baron Alston of Oxfordshire. He specially sent me here today to congratulate you, Mr. William. You have obtained the qualification with the second place!"

  The housekeeper did not look down on William's expression at all, but said it very friendly.

   As he spoke, a box appeared in front of William while he was in a daze, and then the butler opened it lightly, and a box of gold coins dazzled his eyes.

   "Please forgive my faux pas, such an expensive gift, please forgive me for not accepting it!"

  William swallowed and looked at the gleaming golden wooden box. It was conservatively estimated to be worth thousands of pounds, but he refused with difficulty.

  He understands that even though there is nothing wrong with giving a little gift, such a big gift makes him understand that it is not normal.

   "It's just a small gift, Mr. William doesn't need to pay too much attention to it!" But the housekeeper smiled and continued.

   "Our baron intends to marry the young lady to you, these are just deposits in advance!"

   Speaking of this, the butler only showed a domineering expression, as well as that annoying and enviable sense of superiority, which made William feel like being given alms.

  Although marrying a baron's daughter is no less than one step to the sky for him, William still wants to go to London to become an official, and then marry a noble lady with a higher family status, and he is a little entangled.

  Seeing William's hesitant look, the housekeeper frowned. The people are really not enough, and the conditions are still too low?

   "Mr. William, Miss Anna is the Baron's only daughter!"

  According to the new inheritance law, the daughter still owns half of the property, and if she marries her, it is equivalent to owning half of the baron's property. The dowry is really surprising!

   "Now, do you still need to think about it?"

  The butler looked at William and asked with a half-smile.

  Thinking of this, William is also a smart person, so he immediately agreed.

   One unknown future, one is the property and connections of the current baron, there is no need to consider it at all.

   And all over England, such transactions are constantly going on, the bureaucratic class begins to merge with the nobles, you have me, and I have you!

  (end of this chapter)