Chapter 64 The Officials Eat Duck This is the first time today that Shenji Duck Shop has ever served duck...

The current emperor, Zhao Boyun, is still very young.

He was born at the end of the year, so he won't turn twenty-one until next month. He inherited Zhao Kuangyin's square face and not-so-fair complexion, with a full forehead and a pair of thick, long earlobes that symbolize good fortune. Like the founding emperor, he was a tall, sturdy, and dark-skinned fat man.

Just past the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), Zhao Boyun was awakened by the clamor of the marketplace outside the palace walls, a sound even more punctual than the crowing of roosters. The Song Dynasty imperial palace was small and compact, originally just a seat of the former Tang Dynasty's military governor. After Emperor Taizu established Kaifeng as the capital, he tidied it up, built several palace walls, and slightly expanded it before moving in.

Moreover, unlike other dynasties, the Song Dynasty did not issue an edict to relocate all the residents living near the palace. Firstly, Zhao Kuangyin believed that it was morally reprehensible for an emperor to seize the people's private property and force them to relocate. Secondly, when he established the Song Dynasty, everything was in ruins, and he was so eager to use every penny he had that he wanted to negotiate with the Liao people to redeem the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. In order to save money, he did not use large amounts of gold and silver to relocate residents or build palaces on a grand scale.

Just make do with this place!

Just how small was the inner palace? Rumor has it that if you stood on the highest building in Fanlou, the West Tower, you could overlook the entire inner palace.

Therefore, although the Song Dynasty was wealthy, generations of officials still lived in noisy residential areas.

In particular, Bianjing City had morning markets and night markets, and the vendors and laborers all had good voices. They also liked to wait near Donghua Gate for ministers who were in a hurry to attend court and had plenty of money, as well as officials and eunuchs coming and going. So, often before dawn, they would carry baskets, push carts, and carry loads, starting from Donghua Gate and spreading out to set up stalls and sell their wares along the foot of the not-so-grand palace wall.

Freshly cooked rice, freshly baked ring-shaped cakes, olives with skin from the south, and walnuts from the north.

Zhao Boyun sat up with a yawn, and after listening to the conversation in a daze, he could roughly guess what the civil and military officials had eaten for breakfast at the court meeting that day.

That's nothing.

Two years ago, the Dengwen Drum outside Xuande Gate, which had been silent for over a decade, was suddenly struck by a farmer. This startled Zhao Boyun, who had only recently ascended the throne, who thought some extraordinary injustice had occurred. During his court session, he immediately inquired about the matter. Unexpectedly, after the eunuchs asked, they learned that the farmer who struck the drum had no grievances; he had simply lost his pig.

He was herding his pigs when one of them suddenly went berserk, knocking him away and disappearing without a trace. He wondered if the imperial guards on duty might have let his pigs sneak into the palace and if they could help him find them.

Zhao Boyun was both amused and exasperated, but he still ordered the imperial guards to search the city walls for him. Of course, they searched everywhere but found nothing. The farmer was crying so sadly because he had lost his pig that he sent an eunuch to take two thousand coins from his private treasury to help the farmer so that he could buy another pig.

As a result, good intentions led to bad outcomes, and it fostered many distorted trends!

After that, many people claimed to have lost pigs, dogs, cattle, or sheep and came knocking on the palace gates. Some clever ones even threw their own chickens over the palace wall, claiming they had flown in in fright. This caused the imperial guards to search all over the palace for the chickens, and when they finally caught them and returned them, they would insist that they weren't theirs, clearly trying to extort some money.

The commander of the Imperial Guards was furious. He defeated several cunning soldiers and sent a few others to the Kaifeng Prefecture prison for a few days. He then ordered a wire mesh fence to be installed under the eaves of the palace wall. Now, if any chickens flew in, they could be driven out of the palace before they even landed by simply poking them with a pole.

This finally curbed the audacity of ordinary people who dared to extort money from the government.

Zhao Boyun was naturally sweating bullets, and he dared not be so kind indiscriminately again—he couldn't stand this life of constant chaos and mischief!

In short, even without a water clock or sundial, Zhao Boyun could guess the approximate time just by the sounds outside, rendering the roosters kept in the palace to crow useless.

After getting up this morning, a palace maid came forward to ask if he wanted breakfast served, but Zhao Boyun waved her hand and refused, only asking, "Has Liang Da Dang returned?"

The palace maid was lifting the curtains of the dragon bed and bending down to fold the bedding when she hurriedly replied that it was not yet ready.

The Song Dynasty's court assemblies were held late, between 9 AM and 11 AM. Zhao Boyun thought for a moment that there was still plenty of time, so he changed into some light clothes and practiced Taizu Changquan (a style of martial arts) several times in the jade-paved corridor outside Funing Palace until he was covered in sweat. Then, the palace maids helped him bathe and change his clothes.

When he emerged from the hot spring, his stomach growling with hunger, he saw Liang Qian, wearing a curved-wing turban and a dark green eunuch's robe, already waiting respectfully with a food box at the foot of the steps of the side hall where he usually lived.

Just in time!

Zhao Boyun's face lit up with joy, but with so many palace servants around, he quickly suppressed his smile, coughed lightly, and ordered the other eunuchs and maids to wait outside the hall, leaving only Liang Qian to enter and serve him.

"My dear eunuch, you've finally returned."

There was no one else in the inner hall. Zhao Boyun sat cross-legged on the warm couch expectantly. His slightly dark, square face finally revealed the youthful exuberance. He stared at the food box with great interest and said:

"Is this the first batch of duck at Shenji Duck Shop today?"

"It's the first batch, and I went right on time. According to Your Majesty, the fruitwood used for this first batch was freshly chopped this morning, so the aroma is the strongest. I also ordered the shopkeeper to pick the tenderest and best quality wood. The duck carcass has also been given to the Imperial Kitchen to make duck soup, so Your Majesty can have it for lunch." Liang Qian did not correct the Emperor's impression of Shen Ji. In any case, it didn't matter to the Emperor whether Shen Ji was a soup noodle shop or a duck shop, as long as the duck was delicious, that was enough.

Zhao Boyun nodded in satisfaction. He had eaten at Shenji Duck Shop's roasted duck several times, and although it tasted very good every time, he still thought the first batch was the most fragrant!

Having eaten so much of it, he had become an expert in the art of roasting duck.

"His Majesty entrusted me to buy some yesterday morning, so I went with Magistrate Wang. Magistrate Wang has that... 'VIP card' from Shen Ji. A duck only costs 143 coins, but with Magistrate Wang's card, His Majesty can save 16 coins. I heard that Magistrate Wang also keeps 30 ducks at Shen Ji, and his wife eats a roasted duck every day, she can't stop eating them!" Liang Qian chatted with Zhao Boyun with a smile, personally setting up a brazier, placing a low table on it, and putting the roasted duck, still wrapped in oil paper, and the small cakes in the food box on the brazier to warm them up a little.

As the weather turned cold, the ducks and other food that Liang Qian had bought were inevitably mostly cold when they were brought into the palace. So, heating up the ducks and the small pancakes made them taste even better.

Zhao Boyun also praised Liang Qian's thrifty behavior, saying, "Very good, very good! Even a mosquito's leg is meat. Liang Da Dang is really good at managing the household!"

The Empress Dowager insisted that meals should be light and bland, and instructed the kitchen staff to use less salt. If word of his eating greasy roasted duck so early in the morning reached the Empress Dowager's palace, he would surely be reprimanded.

Therefore, Zhao Boyun had no choice but to secretly send Liang Qian out of the palace to buy ducks, using his own private savings to avoid attracting attention. He was so frugal because he had no other option; he wanted to develop firearms!

This year, Qin Prefecture was in turmoil, and Ji Xiang could not spare any extra money or taxes to support Zhao Boyun's wild ideas about firearms. He also felt that the projectiles previously made by the emperor were useless against the Liao and Jin dynasties, as both Liao and Jin were known for their cavalry, which moved too fast on the battlefield to be hit. Making so many projectiles was a waste of money and of little use, so he refused to approve any gold or silver.

However, Zhao Boyun believed that firearms would definitely be of great use in the future. Fireballs were just one example. He thought that craftsmen would be able to make other firearms in the future, but even he didn't know what they would make now.

He argued with his court officials to no avail, and in a fit of anger, dismissed the original prime minister and replaced him with a more obedient one. However, the treasury was indeed tight this year, and he could not disregard the people's welfare for the sake of firearms. Therefore, he temporarily allocated a sum of money from his private treasury specifically for digging fire wells to develop more firearms.

Of course, we should save as much as possible and never waste a single penny.

Moreover, it was sixteen coins. Zhao Boyun calculated this in his mind.

Seeing wisps of steam rising from the stove and the sizzling sound of melting oil, Liang Qian finally opened the oil paper. Instantly, the steam, carrying an even richer aroma, wafted out. The roast duck, sliced ​​evenly and neatly inside the oil paper, was a tempting bright red, with clear marbling and a juicy gray-brown color that shimmered with a hint of green.

This duck meat is the freshest! Zhao Boyun has loved eating meat since he was a child. Besides mutton, his favorite is roasted duck. How much does he love it? He even wanted to raise ducks on a plot of land in the inner palace and had even thought of the official position of "Duck Herding Supervisor". But in the end, the Empress Dowager firmly rejected this idea, saying that the Imperial Street outside was already noisy enough and she really didn't want to hear ducks quacking in the future.

Unfortunately, whenever Zhao Boyun got tired of the imperial chefs' cooking, he would secretly send Liang Qian out to buy roasted duck from the streets. He had eaten at almost every duck shop in Bianjing.

Before encountering Shenji Duck Shop, the roasted ducks he had eaten tasted pretty much the same, and were indeed not as good as those cooked by the imperial chef. He would eat a couple of pieces for the novelty and fun, and then forget about them.

Until the Lotus Viewing Festival in June, he summoned Wang Yong and other important ministers to the palace late at night to discuss the matter of increasing the number of civil service examinations and expanding the selection of officials this year.

At the time, Wang Yong and his wife were strolling in the marketplace when the eunuchs searched for them for a long time. Finally finding them, they dragged him directly into the palace, panting. Wang Yong didn't even have time to go home to change his clothes; he was still carrying several roasted ducks he had bought from Shen Ji—originally intended to be taken to the government office for his subordinates, the clerks and officials.

As soon as Wang Yong entered the palace, the fragrance was so strong that even the usually serious Zhao Boyun forgot his business. After sitting down and finishing the three or four ducks in Wang Yong's hand with his ministers, he still licked the sauce off his fingers with relish before he remembered that he hadn't originally summoned his ministers to the palace to eat ducks.

That was the first time Zhao Boyun had ever eaten Shenji roasted duck, and after eating it, he could never forget it.

Now, every few days, he would borrow Wang Yong's "VIP card" to buy a few ducks to eat. At first, he would ask Wang Yong to buy them for him with some modesty, but later, Zhao Boyun became more and more addicted to them and felt embarrassed to always ask Wang Yong to buy ducks for him.

After all, in his eyes, Wang Yong came from a poor family and was not as wealthy as the sons of noble families. He already lived a very simple life. It was really inappropriate for him to buy roasted duck for him for several hundred coins a day. It felt like he, as an official, was taking advantage of his subordinate.

So later he paid out of his own pocket and asked Liang Qian to personally go out of the palace to buy it.

Zhao Boyun also heard Wang Yong say that most of the other shops in Bianjing City had unsold roasted ducks and would continue selling them the next day, but only Shenji's ducks were freshly killed and roasted every day, which is why the duck meat was so fresh and shiny, and could be roasted to produce such a beautiful diffraction luster.

How could the meat of a duck that was still lively and jumping around two hours before going into the oven not be delicious!

If only he could raise ducks in the inner garden. The ducks in the inner kitchen are all slaughtered at Fengjin Garden, a place in the suburbs that specializes in raising cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks and fish, and then transported into the palace through the Donghua Gate by palace eunuchs.

When they arrived at his imperial table, the creature had already been dead for quite some time!

Liang Qian was wrapping roast duck for him, and in just a short while, the hall was filled with the aroma of fruitwood smoking. Zhao Boyun savored the aroma of the roast duck, um, the fruitwood fragrance with a hint of oil, the charred aroma with a touch of richness, and the wheat fragrance of the small lotus leaf pancakes, the sweet fragrance of sweet bean sauce, the cool fragrance of cucumber shreds... Who on earth came up with this way of eating? Dipping roasted duck in sauce and wrapping it in pancakes, and then adding cucumber and scallion shreds, they really know how to eat!

The chefs at that Shenji Duck Shop were exceptional.

"It smells so good." Seeing that Liang Qian had rolled up the pancake for him, Zhao Boyun smiled with his eyes narrowed, silently stretched out his chopsticks, and accurately picked up the rolled pancake with his chopsticks.

Take a bite, mmm, this is exactly the taste!

The duck skin is crispy and oily, fragrant but not greasy. The duck meat is just right, not too soft and mushy, nor too dry and hard to chew. It is tender and firm, fatty but not greasy. Especially when paired with the small pancakes and sweet bean sauce, it becomes more and more fragrant with each chew.

Zhao Boyun really likes the crispy, oily duck skin. He wraps a piece of duck meat in two extra pieces of skin, dips it in sauce, and then chews it to make it even more delicious!

Having eaten a whole duck early in the morning, all the sweat he'd worked up from practicing his boxing earlier was wasted. He patted his even rounder belly and whispered, "Dang Liang, remember to tell the palace servants at Funing Palace to keep their mouths shut these next few days. If the madam asks later, make sure they don't let anything slip."

Liang Qian smiled and nodded: "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant understands."

Although the Emperor was not the Empress Dowager's biological son, he was raised in the Empress Dowager's palace for several years after his birth mother passed away when he was young. He was not moved to Duanben Palace until he was made Crown Prince at the age of sixteen. Therefore, Zhao Boyun was usually very capable and decisive in dealing with his ministers and handling political affairs, but he was afraid of the Empress Dowager's earnest admonitions.

Zhao Boyun was relieved and then asked carefully, "Has Shen Ji's cook been arranged? I will be hosting a welcome dinner for the two generals on the eighth day of next month."

He had a major task to attend to and had already secretly summoned Generals Xi and Yue back to the capital.

“Everything is settled, and I have paid the deposit.” Liang Qian bowed and reported, “Once General Xi and General Yue arrive in the capital in a few days, I will go to Shen’s shop in advance and explain to Madam Shen in detail the two generals’ dietary preferences, and ask her to cook more of their signature dishes. I have heard that the spicy soup that has become famous at the Feng family’s several grand banquets was made by this Madam Shen.”

"With Liang Da Dang taking such good care of things by my side, I have no worries at all." Zhao Boyun patted Liang Qian on the shoulder, then smiled with some regret, "It's a pity that General Xi has just quelled the rebellion in Qin Prefecture and is not in good health, so he can't come back. Otherwise, I would definitely have a good drink with the three generals I haven't seen in a long time! By the way, this time let's not hold a banquet for the two generals in the palace, but hold a banquet at Yujin Garden, it's quieter there... and invite Prince Lu as well, he always complains that he's tired of the food made by the imperial kitchen, so this time let's take him to eat something good."

"Yes, I've got it."

At this moment, the morning bells of the Bell and Drum Towers echoed through the palace like ripples on water; it was almost 9 AM. Zhao Boyun didn't delay any longer. He changed into his court robes, humming a cheerful tune of contentment after a good meal, and went to court.

***

The morning bell tolled gently, its sound piercing through the morning mist and echoing among the houses in Yangliu East Lane. As soon as Chenmiao opened his door, he sold three roast ducks, four bowls of soup noodles, and six bowls of mutton soup. Sure enough, when the weather got cold, hot soups and broths sold much better than in the summer.

She went to the pottery kiln again to order a small stove for warming wine. She hand-molded clay, not caring about any particular shape, as long as it was palm-sized, big enough to hold a small piece of charcoal at the bottom and a pot of wine on top. It didn't matter how strange it was shaped; the point was to capture that rustic charm. Moreover, even after the small piece of charcoal burned out, it would still retain heat, slowly warming the wine for an hour, so that diners could come to drink day and night without the wine getting cold.

After selling out the morning batch, and with no one else in the shop, Shen Miao left A Tao to watch over the shop while she went into the backyard to cook duck blood vermicelli soup with Fu Xing in the kitchen.

With so much roast duck sold, the duck heads, feet, and internal organs were put to good use. Duck blood, intestines, liver, gizzards, feet, and heads could not only be eaten by the ducks themselves, but also braised with pork head meat and sold as appetizers.

Some diners didn't like the duck carcass and only wanted roast duck, so Shen Miao kept the remaining carcasses to make soup. She also collected all the duck feathers, first picking out some long feathers to make shuttlecocks for Xiang Jie'er, and then washing and drying the rest before storing them in a burlap sack—later, when she had time, she would remove the impurities, leaving only the soft down, to stuff into quilts and winter clothes; it would surely be very warm!

In short, every part of this duck is valuable, and nothing is wasted.

Fuxing was sprinkling fresh duck blood into a little salt water, stirring it slowly until it coagulated. In the soup pot behind him, the duck broth made from duck carcasses had already turned milky white and thick, and was bubbling and boiling.

Shen Miao slowly added two handfuls of fine, hair-like "silver rice noodles" into the soup. The noodles softened instantly, absorbed the duck broth, and became crystal clear. The duck blood was also ready.

Fuxing carefully and gently shoved the congealed fresh duck blood into the wound.

The duck blood is deep red, and becomes even more tender and smooth when heated, melting in your mouth; the duck intestines and liver have also been cleaned and prepared by Fuxing. The intestines are cut into sections and the liver into slices, and they are blanched until they are crisp and tender. These two should not be blanched for too long, otherwise they will not taste good. As soon as they change color or curl up, they are taken out of the pot immediately.

Sprinkle with coriander, scallions, and shredded ginger, and drizzle with a little sesame oil; the fresh and fragrant aroma will penetrate right into your lungs.

This soup was almost entirely prepared by Fuxing alone. "Duck blood rice soup" already existed in the streets of the Song Dynasty at this time, so he knew how to make it. Shenmiao only occasionally gave some pointers on the details, and he didn't need to do everything himself all the time.

When Ji Ge'er and Xie Qichen ran back, the duck blood vermicelli soup was already ready. Fuxing was serving soup to everyone, and Shen Miao was personally frying dumplings. The heat and aroma emanating from the kitchen filled the entire courtyard.

Ever since Xie Qi came to teach Ji Ge'er some basic martial arts, Yan Shu has been very clever in bringing an extra set of clothes with her, so that Xie Qi doesn't have to go through the trouble of traveling back and forth.

Yan Shu chuckled to himself, thinking that this way he could legitimately mooch meals off the Shen family.

Xie Qi borrowed Ji Ge'er's room to wash and change into a clean cotton-padded outfit. When he came out, he saw Shen Miao frying meat buns on a griddle. As the bottoms of the buns turned yellow, she poured water and flour batter on them and quickly put the lid on the griddle.

She was very focused while cooking, and Xie Qi watched quietly through the window, a smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

Once you estimate that the water has almost evaporated and the bottom has turned golden brown, sprinkle some chopped green onions and sesame seeds on top, and fry for a little longer until the bottom of the steamed bun is crispy and the surface is fluffy. Then you can take it out.

Pan-fried buns taste best when they're freshly fried and hot. Shen Miao came out carrying a large plate and called out, "Dinner's ready! Everyone come back to eat!"

Yan Shu had already obediently set out the bowls, chopsticks, tables, chairs, and benches, and even wiped them clean.

Xiang Jie and Chen Chuan were dragged back by Lei Ting and Zhui Feng.

Chen Chuan's leg has been splinted and he has recovered remarkably well. Now he runs and jumps around, and you can't tell at all that he used to limp. Now he walks his dog every day to get his leg back in shape.

Having not walked for three months, Chen Chuan struggled to walk for two days while holding onto the wall after the boards were removed.

Today's breakfast consisted of a bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup and two large meat-filled pan-fried buns for each person. It looked simple, but it was especially comforting to eat in this chilly autumn season. After taking a sip of the fresh and smooth hot soup and then taking a bite of the pan-fried bun with its rich filling on top and crispy bottom, Xie Qi felt warm from head to toe after finishing the meal.

He ran around a long way with Ji Ge on an empty stomach, and he was indeed hungry.

Seeing that he was eating so fast, Shen Miao was worried that he wasn't eating enough, so she asked with concern, "There are still some pan-fried meat buns on the stove, Ninth Brother, would you like another one?" In her eyes, Ninth Brother's age would be considered a half-grown boy in later generations, enough to eat his father out of house and home, so it was normal for him to eat more.

Before Xie Qi could even open his mouth to reply, Yan Shu had already picked up the small plate containing the meat buns, stood up, and said earnestly, "Thank you, Madam Chen. I'd like to have another one. Please let me help Youyu clear the dishes in a bit."

Xie Qi glared at him.

Yu didn't know what he was saying, but when she heard her name, she turned around and grinned at him. Yan Shu could only grin back at her, and the two of them kept grinning at each other.

Everyone at the table was amused by him. Tang Er hurriedly went into the kitchen to get him a piece of bread with a large, burnt bottom. He reached out and rubbed the boy's head, blurting out, "Yan Shu is about the same size as my little brother. I just love him."

Shen Miao glanced at Tang Er and saw that his expression wasn't sorrowful when he mentioned his younger brother, indicating that he had already let go of his resentment, so she felt relieved. Tang Er had gotten very drunk with Fu Xing on the night of the Lotus Festival. After Shen Miao returned from setting off fireworks, Fu Xing was fast asleep in his room, but Tang Er silently hugged the large water vat and shed tears, crying without making a sound, calling out softly for his mother.

Shen Miao tried to push him, but he wouldn't let go, talking to the water vat over and over.

From the things he said when he was drunk, Shen Miao guessed most of the truth. It turned out that Tang Er was not so much sold by his stepmother, but rather that he did it voluntarily.

His stepmother was only eight years older than him! When his father died, his stepmother wanted to take her young son to live with her maternal uncle, but after the funeral, they were penniless and couldn't even afford the travel expenses for the three of them.

"...We were really desperate, and at this critical moment my brother fell ill. The three of us had nothing left but our pockets, which were emptier than our faces. We couldn't afford the medicine, and the pharmacy clerk detained us in the shop and wouldn't let us leave. My stepmother was holding my feverish brother and was so anxious that she kept crying. So I said, let her sell me."

“My father is dead. Actually, even if I secretly left, I could have just ignored her. But I couldn’t bear to see her like this, so I wanted to leave her some money before she died, at least enough for her and her younger brother’s travel expenses, medicine, and two cotton-padded coats. Otherwise, in this freezing weather, they’ll freeze to death before they even get home.” Tang Er’s eyes were glazed with drunkenness as he rambled on to Shen Miao. He laughed, but it looked worse than crying. He had a long face and single eyelids, and when he laughed, his eyes were just slits. His voice lowered, “This is for the best. If she had stayed with her, she would have been a burden. Without me, her eldest son, by her side, she could have married someone else even if she had a younger child with her.”

Shen Miao then learned the inside story. She had found it strange when Ya Bao said that Tang Er had been sold by his stepmother. He was such a grown man, he could go anywhere.

Now I have the answer.

But the next day, after sobering up, Tang Er didn't mention it at all. Neither Fuxing nor Atao knew that he had such a past, and Shen Miao was even less willing to say anything, treating it as if it were nothing.

While she was lost in thought, Ji-ge'er was asking Xie Qi about the upcoming provincial examination next month.

The results of the prefectural examination had barely been released when the date for the provincial examination was posted at the government office, causing a stir throughout the streets about this year's additional examinations. Most people were happy about it, as students no longer had to wait a whole year to take the exams, and merchants who ran taverns, restaurants, and inns were even happier, with their shops packed with customers every day. Zhou's bookstore was also selling out of writing materials, and no one was unhappy.

Xie Qi replied with a smile, "I'll accompany you to Chenliu. I'll head to the examination hall upon my return."

The Xie family all went to Chunzhuang to spend the autumn, and even Chef Fang was taken away. Xie Qi and Yan Shu were left unattended. They paid thirty strings of cash for food and ate three meals a day with Shen Miao.

They ate the same food the Shen family usually ate. So when Shen Miao went to Baijia Village in Chenliu Town to organize a banquet, Xie Qi and Yan Shu followed along like little tails.

Shen Miao did not miss the worry that rose in his eyes, and said softly, "Ninth Brother, are you worried that things will not go smoothly? How about we go with you to Taiqing Temple tomorrow to buy two talismans, just to comfort you?"

There's nothing we can do about Ninth Brother's fate; we guess we can only rely on metaphysics!

Xie Qi shook his head, but before he could speak, Yan Shu sighed like an adult, "Madam Chen, don't waste your time. We've tried all those talismans and robes you mentioned before! Other people pray to Confucius and Wenchang Dijun when they take the exams, but our family is different. We pray to Zhong Kui, Guan Yu, and the Earth God. Before the exams, we even have Ninth Brother step over a fire basin and burn mugwort. He's covered from head to toe with peace charms, peach wood swords, and five-zhu coins obtained from various temples, Taoist temples, and nunneries, but they're completely useless."

As he spoke, he spread his hands to both sides.

Shen Miao was greatly shocked. What kind of evil spirit possessed him? It was so difficult to expel!

Xie Qi was both amused and exasperated by Shen Miao's gaze, and helplessly turned his head away.

but……

He wasn't actually worried about whether he would be unlucky, but rather about the hidden meaning behind the government's increased examinations—expanding the number of candidates and increasing the number of examinations would inevitably create a large number of poor scholars entering officialdom. However, official positions are like radish pits in the Shen family's vegetable patch; each pit can only hold one radish. For every one who enters, there must be one who leaves.

Who would be demoted and dismissed from office?

Even if he passed the imperial examination amidst such turbulent waters, it might be difficult for him to be granted an official position.

Xie Qi saw things clearly, but he never considered giving up on the exam.

The imperial examination was more of a way for him to give an account of his many years of studying. He could only speculate about the emperor's intentions. As for how much the emperor wanted to suppress the powerful families, no one knew openly.

The trend is inevitable, and worrying is useless. It seems that when the car reaches the mountain, the path will surely appear.

These worries were no longer an immediate concern, and life went on as usual. Before they knew it, it was time to go to Baijia Village in Chenliu Town. Bai Laosan sent a large flatbed truck to pick them up early in the morning.