Chapter 697 The Zhao Family Comes to the Provincial Capital

Cheng Wanwan had someone inquire about the Commander's affairs.

A fourth-rank military officer, who has been in office for more than ten years and is far from the capital, appears to have no connection with the He family on the surface, but there must be some exchange of benefits between them.

She's not capable of dealing with the He family right now, but giving the Commander a warning shouldn't be too much of a problem.

However, Si Dan is still in the examination room, and taking action now would alert the enemy, so we can only wait.

During the days of waiting, Cheng Wanwan was not idle.

In wealthy families, the most common secrets are those that cannot be made public. To deal with the Commander-in-Chief, who is merely a pawn, one can start by targeting his inner quarters.

She had Cheng Jia sneak into the commander's mansion in the middle of the night and hide listening devices with an antique design, resembling jewelry, throughout the house... Although it was somewhat unethical to do this, since the other party had already plotted against her son, why should she care whether it was ethical or not?

Nine days and nine nights passed quickly.

That evening, Cheng Wanwan, Lu Yingxue, and Mr. Zhou waited anxiously at the entrance of the examination hall.

The provincial examination, held every three years, attracts approximately two to three thousand participants, including last year's successful candidates and those from more than a decade ago, making the competition extremely fierce.

However, many people were physically unfit and were eliminated after only a few days of the exam. It is said that a total of twenty-three people fainted in the examination hall during this provincial examination...

With a heavy tolling of the bell, the gates of the examination hall opened to both sides, and soon, exhausted students emerged from inside.

Lu Yingxue tiptoed and peered inside: "Why isn't he out yet? I'm so worried! This child is such a slowpoke, he likes to do everything at a leisurely pace, he doesn't even think about how impatient I am!"

"They're out, they're out." Mr. Zhou stroked his beard. "Of the eighteen people who entered the examination hall this time, seventeen of them successfully completed the exam, which is already quite good."

The seventeen students from Dahe Academy walked out together. Two of them were unsteady on their feet, their legs trembling. Their classmates helped them carry their luggage and bedding. The seventeen students looked like a united whole, supporting each other as they slowly made their way outside.

"Finally out!" Lu Yingxue rushed over first and hugged her son tightly. "I was so worried! Are you alright... Ugh, why do you smell so bad!"

She immediately released her son and quickly retreated.

Yu Zhan: "..."

I had planned to give my mother a warm hug, but she rejected me instead.

"Brother Yu, it's the toilet again, it must smell a bit bad," Zhao Sidan said. "Mom, I did very well this time, I should be able to pass the exam."

Cheng Wanwan raised her hand and patted his shoulder: "Very good, very good. Let's go back and wash up first, have a meal, and then get a good night's sleep."

These children stayed in the examination room for nine days and nine nights. When they were hungry, they could only eat dry food and biscuits. When they were sleepy, they would just lie down on the wooden planks to sleep. Their clothes hadn't been changed for eight or nine days, and everyone smelled bad. Moreover, everyone's spirit was on the verge of collapse, and they needed to rest for three days and three nights to recover.

Granny Qi in the courtyard had already prepared food. Because the children hadn't eaten meat for a long time, she didn't dare prepare too much; it was all light and simple food.

The group of people devoured the food on both tables in no time, like hungry wolves hunting their prey, and then went back to their rooms to sleep soundly.

"I just asked Jing Si a few questions, and he answered them very well." Mr. Zhou said with a look of satisfaction. "Xiao Zhan's answer was also very unique. In my opinion, the chances of the two of them being on the list are very high. It is a blessing for our Dahe Academy that two out of eighteen people can pass the exam."

Cheng Wanwan knew that Si Dan had a talent for studying, but she still couldn't quite believe that he could pass the imperial examination on his first attempt: "Was it because the teacher was too kind to him?"

"No, no." Mr. Zhou shook his head. "Jing Si is naturally intelligent. He discusses academic matters with Headmaster Yu every day and works hard with Xiao Zhan. His passing the provincial examination was not due to luck, but to his own ability. However, I can't say for sure about the metropolitan examination next spring."

Cheng Wanwan nodded.

She had originally planned to go to the capital to attend Zhao'er's daughter's full-month celebration and meet with the He family.

There's no reason for her to be on guard against the He family all the time; she has to take the initiative.

Now that Si Dan has passed the imperial examination and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examination), it is even more legitimate for her to go to the capital.

The results of the provincial examination would take a month to come out. Mr. Zhou did not stay in the provincial capital to wait for the results, but the other students stayed, firstly to wait for the results, and secondly to participate in the various flower appreciation and poetry gatherings held by literati in the provincial capital, and take the opportunity to make some connections.

However, Zhao Sidan and Yu Zhan had no interest in any of these things. The two of them locked themselves in the study and read and wrote diligently. The other dozen or so students originally wanted to go out and see the world, but seeing how hard the two of them were working, they were too embarrassed to go out. So they simply stayed in the courtyard to read. If they couldn't concentrate on reading, they would practice calligraphy and painting.

If an outsider who didn't know the situation saw this, they would think it was the eve of the provincial examination.

Cheng Wanwan asked Cheng Jia to drive back to Dahe Town to pack up her official seal for her third-rank lady-in-waiting dress, as well as some autumn, winter, and spring clothes, and send them to the provincial capital.

After the results of the provincial examination were announced, she packed her bags and headed north to the capital, too lazy to return to Dahe Town.

Cheng Jia was responsible for delivering the message back, while Cheng Yi and Cheng Ding would escort it to the capital.

After all, Cheng Jia is now married to Daya and has a family, so it's not appropriate for him to go on business trips to the capital with her anymore.

Cheng Yi and Cheng Ding returned to the provincial capital on the third day, bringing a large group of people with them.

"Auntie!" Zhao Donghua rushed over like a cannonball. "I've missed you so much for so many days!"

Cheng Wanwan was almost knocked over by her. This girl is eleven or twelve years old, how come she is still as fierce as when she was a child?

Zhao Ergou followed and said, "When Grandpa and Grandma learned that Mom was going to the capital, and that she would be gone for at least half a year, they came along to say goodbye. It just so happens that none of us have been to the provincial capital before, so we stopped our business for a few days and came to have some fun together."

In the carriage behind, sat Old Man Zhao and Old Lady Zhao, along with Zhao Youyin and Zhao Youcai. In another carriage were Madam Wen and Madam Sun, as well as Xia Hua, Qiu Hua, and Erwang, who had also come along.

Zhao Dashan and Wu Huiniang stayed home to oversee things, while Cao Yingying, who had just given birth to her second child, couldn't afford the long journey, so everyone else came.

With so many people getting off the bus at the same time, the entrance to the courtyard suddenly became lively.

Cheng Wanwan felt as if she had returned to Dahe Town, a feeling that was wonderful.

"You must be tired from the journey. Come on in." Cheng Wanwan smiled broadly. "There are many fun places in the provincial capital. You can rest for the night, and I'll take you out for a good time tomorrow."

She's been here so long, and all she's done is stay at home or attend official banquets; she hasn't had a proper chance to go out and have some fun yet.

Grandma Zhao's face was full of smiles: "Whether he plays or not is secondary. Where is Sidan? Hurry up and bring him out. I heard from Mr. Zhou that Sidan will definitely pass the imperial examination this time. Oh my, our Zhao family finally has a scholar!"

Hearing the commotion, Zhao Sidan immediately came out of the study. As soon as he stepped out, Zhao Youyin and Zhao Youcai lifted him up: "You're really something, kid! You've made your dad proud, and your second and third uncles are proud too!"

"Second Uncle, Third Uncle, put me down quickly!" Zhao Sidan struggled. "I'm fourteen now, not four years old. How can you lift me up high?"

"When you become successful in the future, you'll marry a woman from the capital!" Old Zhao took a puff of his pipe. "At that time, our entire Zhao family will benefit from your success and go to the capital for a banquet. Just thinking about it makes me feel so proud!"

Zhao Sidan coughed: "I'm not going to marry a woman from the capital, we're not familiar with her."

Cheng Wanwan sensed something was amiss and asked gossipily, "So, who do you want to marry?"

"Nobody!" Zhao Sidan blushed. "Grandpa and Grandma, are you thirsty? I'll go get you some tea..."

Cheng Wanwan couldn't help but laugh.

It seems that Si Dan's marriage doesn't need his mother's worry anymore. I wonder if San Niu has someone he likes now.