Su Luo paused for a moment and first explained the origin of these words to the village chief.
"Village Chief, Brother Li, the Imperial Advisor to His Majesty, is a very powerful figure. His specialty is divination."
He said that Nanning will experience a severe drought next year, which may cause people to lose their entire harvest, so everyone should plant more double-cropping rice if possible.
"The soybeans used for making soy sauce may not be able to be grown next year, so we need to prepare to purchase a large quantity before this winter, just in case."
Although the village chief had never left Yongle County, he knew that anyone who could become the Imperial Advisor was no ordinary person.
"A severe drought is coming. No wonder it hasn't rained for the past six months. It seems there were signs all along."
Li Chang'an felt very uneasy. Life had finally improved, but now there was a great enemy outside and natural disasters in the future. What would Heaven do to let the world live in peace?
"What Your Highness says is very true. What you said is correct. Chang'an, your uncle, and I will do it as soon as possible."
But the sky doesn't look like it's about to rain. Will a rainstorm really come to save the second crop of rice?
The village chief is quite old, but he's still very good at predicting the weather. With weather like this, it's impossible for it to rain in the next few days.
"You don't need to worry about that. The Imperial Advisor's calculations are accurate. We just need to wait."
Su Luo planned to bring artificial rain tonight. She checked the cloud density in the sky and concluded that the conditions were ripe for it.
"Okay, then we'll wait."
The village chief was worried after hearing the news Su Luo brought back, but his abilities were limited and he could only manage Changping Village well.
Late at night, Su Luo rode out alone. She found a hilltop, took out the artificial rainmaking equipment from her spatial storage again, and fired twenty shells.
The material from these shells can remain in the air for four to five days, which is enough for five days of rain.
After doing all this, she returned to the Chen residence.
Sure enough, it rained the next day, and Changping Village became lively as everyone went to repair the fields in the morning.
Seeing that the second crop of rice, nourished by the rain, had all come back to life, everyone finally felt relieved.
In the afternoon, the village chief, looking worried, called the entire village to a meeting at the soy sauce factory and told them what Su Luo had said.
Everyone now trusts Su Luo, and the fact that the rain came out of nowhere makes them even more confident in the news she brought back.
If there is a drought next year, it means they won't be able to grow any food, but they don't know when the drought will end.
We must prepare for next year's food supply this year to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.
...
On this day in early November, the entire Chen family was busy, with all sorts of pastries being made in the kitchen.
These are not for eating, but for Zhao Ruyun to offer in the ancestral hall, along with a portrait of the Sage of Calligraphy, in the hope that Yanchuan will pass the preliminary examination.
He became the first formally educated person in the Chen family, passing the ranks of student, scholar, and then provincial graduate...
"May the saints bless us, may the ancestors of the Chen family bless us, bless Yanchuan to pass the imperial examination and bring glory to the family... Bless him, bless him..."
Su Luo changed into a light green dress and went to the ancestral hall to help Zhao Ruyun up.
“Grandma, you’ve been praying all morning. If you keep praying, our ancestors’ ears will get calluses. We should get going.”
Seeing her mother-in-law like this, she was even more nervous than Yanchuan.
"Luo Luo, you should also pay your respects. This is Yan Chuan's first exam, he can't be careless, it's a major event in his life, you should quickly pay your respects to the Sage..."
Su Luo tried to help Zhao Ruyun, but instead Zhao Ruyun pulled her down and gave Su Luo three incense sticks, making it impossible for her not to bow.
"Luo Luo, hurry up..."
Helpless, Su Luo bowed three times and then spoke to the portrait and the ancestral tablet.
“Sage, Ancestor, if Yan Chuan can pass the imperial examination and become a scholar this time, the Chen family will offer incense every day and will never break our promise.”
Only after Su Luo finished her prayers did Zhao Ruyun leave the ancestral hall with her.
While they were busy running around, it was a stark contrast to the East Courtyard, where Brother He had checked all the items needed for the Yanchuan exam two or three times.
Only after confirming that nothing was left behind did I feel relieved. I then carried all my belongings on my back and stood at the door to wait.
Sun Feizhang appeared arrogant and had great confidence in Yanchuan, but his body language and words betrayed him.
"Yanchuan, have you memorized the article I asked you to recite yesterday?"
Sun Feizhang had asked this question three times already.
"I've memorized it, as well as the articles you highlighted in the book."
Although Yan Chuan was studying at the academy, Sun Feizhang treated him differently.
Sun Feizhang taught him everything he knew, and sometimes things that he couldn't understand at the academy could be easily explained by him.
"Good, good, good... I must do well on the exam today and I'm sure I can pass the preliminary exam."
"Yes, I will certainly live up to your expectations, Master."
Su Luo asked Qiu Yue to come and call them, and the whole family personally escorted Yan Chuan to the examination hall.
As long as the candidate is under fifteen years old, they can be selected based on their academic knowledge. This time, almost all the schools in the county participated in the examination.
Only some younger students who haven't yet reached the required study time will have to wait until next year.
At the entrance of the examination hall, Su Luo smiled at her son. With just a slight bend, she could meet Yan Chuan's gaze.
"Yanchuan, act according to your ability."
Taking the imperial examination was Yan Chuan's own choice; he wanted to make a name for himself.
Even without the imperial examination, his future was bright. Su Luo herself was the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, and with her abilities, she could certainly secure an official position for her son.
Given Nangong Chiyu Yuwang's status, Yanchuan is already the heir of Yuwang Mansion. Even if he does nothing, he will be assigned an official position in the future and serve the court.
"Mom, Grandma, don't worry, I know my own level."
After saying that, Yan Chuan looked at Yi Huan and said, "Sister, it's a pity you are a girl. If you could also enter the examination hall, you would definitely be no worse than me."
Yi Huan was a little envious of her brother, but she didn't care. A wonderful life wasn't only possible through the imperial examinations.
"Brother, since I'm not bad, why do I need an exam to prove it? I'll prove it to everyone in the world. I don't want to become a rotten bookworm."
Yan Chuan looked at his younger sister with affection, "Alright, alright... I misspoke."
"Cough cough..."
As the group was still chatting, Sun Feizhang coughed twice, reminding Yanchuan that it was time to go inside.
"It's almost time, Yanchuan. Don't forget what your teacher taught you."
"yes!"
...
Even after the preliminary examinations for the young scholars, it would take a month to find out the results.
However, judging from how leisurely Yan Chuan had been since leaving the examination hall, Su Luo knew that he must have done well on the exam.
With her around, the soy sauce business in Changping Village thrived even more.
Business in Yongle County is as good as ever, and the second crop of rice can be harvested.
Su Luo and the county magistrate purchased large quantities of second-crop rice, fearing that if a drought came, the grain would fall into the hands of merchants who would then sell it at high prices, leaving the disaster victims to suffer.
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