The Li family members hurried out to greet the yamen runners who came to deliver the good news.
Yan Min hurriedly went to prepare the wedding money.
Someone in her family was taking the imperial examination, and to bring good luck, she had prepared a lot of copper coins to give to the yamen runners as a celebratory gift, but she hadn't had time to prepare them yet.
"Don't go. They're probably almost home. I'll have the maid pack about ten purses; that should be enough."
Liu Yun quickly pulled Yan Min aside, reminding her that she was the main character today.
"Clang! Congratulations to Master Li Qingyao of the Li family for passing the imperial examination with flying colors!"
"Clang! Congratulations to Master Li Qingyao of the Li family for passing the imperial examination with flying colors!"
"Clang! Congratulations to Master Li Qingyao of the Li family for passing the imperial examination with flying colors!"
The constables marched all the way to the Li family's gate.
The villagers watching the commotion heard the gongs and drums banging and the shouts echoing clearly.
"Heh! Scholar!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, their voice sharp and then cracking, clearly shocked.
"Thank you all for bringing good news. Please come in and have a cup of hot tea!"
Yan Min and Li Xuming, along with their spouse, invited the yamen runners to tea and presented them with celebratory money.
"You've all worked hard, please share this joy."
It has not been easy for them to get here, so the Li family's wedding gift was a bit bigger.
The constables could tell at a glance that it was quite heavy. They were all very happy; after all, they had come all this way for this lucky money.
“I’ve met Li Qingyao before. What a handsome young man! He’s only this age, yet he’s already a scholar who passed the imperial examination!”
"You can't call him by his given name directly. From now on, you can only call him Li Juren. You're truly a member of the Li family."
"Since the Li family came, our village has been blessed with one happy event after another! Life is just so wonderful! From now on, we will be the only village within a hundred miles with a memorial archway for those who have passed the imperial examinations!"
"The Li family's clan school is doing very well. My child is also studying there this year. Who knows, he might even pass the imperial examinations and come back with a title, then I can be a grandfather!"
"Next year, when my son reaches that age, I'll definitely send him to the Li family's clan school to learn a few characters. There are even scholars there teaching!"
"I don't know if they'll still accept it if I send it now."
The villagers were talking about it with envy, and many families even set their sights on their own children, hoping that their ancestral graves would also emit auspicious smoke.
"We have a happy occasion at home today, so let's throw out some lucky money!"
The servants of the Li family also brought out a basket of copper coins and scattered them all over the village, where villagers rushed to grab them.
This was a celebratory gift from a scholar's family, and it might even have been blessed with the literary energy of the God of Literature. The cheers echoed to the nearby villages.
The Li family hadn't been together like this in a long time. Passing the imperial examination was a momentous event that brought honor to their ancestors, so naturally they had to celebrate properly. However, since the person in question hadn't returned yet, they could only wait patiently.
Gao Chuan's father personally went to the Li family to congratulate them and invited Li Qingruo and her son back to the prefectural city. His son had passed the imperial examination with flying colors on his first attempt, and when the news reached the Gao family, he was extremely proud.
However, Gao Chuan's wife and children were not there, and the relatives did not see them. Only then did they realize that he had gone to stay at his wife's parents' house, and their gazes towards the couple changed in private.
Even several clan elders summoned him and gave him a stern talk, the main point being that Gao Chuan and the Gao family must not be alienated. Gao's father's face turned red with embarrassment.
When Li Qingruo gave birth, Madam Gao had sent someone to deliver gifts. As for coming to offer congratulations, that was out of the question; the Li family was the Li family, not Gao Chuan, and she understood the difference very well.
Now that Gao Chuan has passed the imperial examination, becoming a scholar in his twenties is a prestigious achievement, highly valued by the clan. They are certainly eyeing this memorial archway for him.
When Gao's father came to pick up Li Qingruo, he put on quite a show. Li Qingruo, being the younger generation, naturally couldn't act arrogantly. She returned to the prefectural city with her child and wet nurse.
With Gao Chuan away, as his wife, she naturally had to maintain close contact with his family and handle those personal relationships properly.
Not only the Gao family coveted Gao Chuan's memorial archway, but the villagers of Lijia Village also coveted Li Qingyao's memorial archway.
After passing the imperial examination and becoming a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), one was entitled to have a memorial archway erected. While the archway primarily served to honor the Juren, it was also a significant event for the local people.
This is an honor for the family and the local area. If a person from this place has passed the imperial examination, their voice will be the most influential within a ten-mile radius. In places with a flourishing literary culture, people will even compete with each other to see how many memorial arches they have for people who have passed the imperial examination.
The expectations of the villagers of Lijia Village are understandable; the archway is not only an honor but also a symbol of power.
If the archway is erected at the entrance of Lijia Village, this place will become the most blessed place in the world.
However, the Li clan members had different ideas.
“Sister-in-law, Madam Yan, our Li family’s ancestral home is in Nanze. Our family has already been absolved of our crimes, and the young clan leader has passed the imperial examination. We should go back to Nanze to rebuild this memorial archway!”
Li Si and Li Shida took advantage of the presence of everyone and spoke their minds directly.
Although he had established himself in Shaoguan County for three years, in his heart everyone was born and raised in Nanze, and the roots of the Li family were still in Nanze, where many relatives and friends were.
It's hard to leave one's homeland; it's unavoidable.
Li Shijie of the seventh branch nodded repeatedly.
"Fourth Brother is right. The Li family's roots are in Nanze. We'll have to go back eventually. Why don't we use this scholar's memorial arch to announce the return of the Li family to Nanze?"
Upon hearing that a memorial archway for the Li family would be erected to announce their return, the other clansmen's eyes lit up. They had slunk away, naturally wanting to return in glory.
Li Xuming certainly wanted to return to Nanze, but not now. The Li family's businesses were all located here, and many relatives and friends had gotten married or had children here in the past year or two. Leaving wouldn't be so easy.
Besides, what would the villagers think if we didn't place the memorial archway here? It's not that we value their opinions too much, but we're mainly worried about the potential negative impact.
I heard that the servant in the house went to distribute lucky money and was asked about the archway the whole way, he was very enthusiastic.
"What is your aunt thinking?"
Cheng, from the fifth branch of the family, also spoke up. She had received a letter from Li Xuhai a few days ago, and after Li Qingzhang's wedding, she would take the children to the capital.
She didn't care where the memorial archway was built, but she felt that her fourth uncle and seventh uncle made some sense, and emotionally she was more inclined to support Nanze County.
"Qingyao still needs to take the exams. The archway for the Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination) will be placed here, while the archway for the Jinshi (successful candidate in the metropolitan examination) will be placed in Nanze. Xu Ming should talk to the villagers and tell them not to covet the Jinshi archway."
Pan Jinhua didn't hesitate and finalized the deal immediately. Nan Ze didn't know if she could go back, but she had already decided to go to the capital.
She had been thinking about this for quite some time. It would be a waste to spend the whole trip in the countryside without ever seeing the splendor of the capital.
For the Li family to have a long-term future, they need to make contact with people at higher levels. Ouyang Cheng is already the most powerful person they have been able to reach. Through him, they can probably establish connections with the Empress.
Their soap production is controlled, so it hasn't been sold outside the prefectural city yet. Once they enter the capital, with the backing of the Ouyang family, they should be able to make a big splash.
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