Though she didn't make it to the military exam, Jiang Nianli became fascinated by the days of training with the general. Every morning, before it was even dark, she rushed to the training grounds to join the soldiers in the morning light. The dust billowed, and the sounds of trumpets and cries of battle echoed across the training grounds. Nianli felt at home, her small figure agile and resolute amidst the ranks. She wielded her spear with a powerful swiftness, each movement audacious and decisive, as if she had found her own world on the training grounds.
Meanwhile, back home, Si Yan's sharp eyes were focused on the business opportunities hidden behind the imperial examinations. One day, sunlight streamed through the window onto the study desk. Si Yan rushed into the room, clutching his precious abacus. With a face full of excitement, he announced to Su Jinli, who was examining Nianli's archery target, "Mom, I want to take the exam!"
Su Jinli was slightly startled, and nearly dropped the target in her hand. She turned around, eyes filled with surprise and disbelief, looking at her eight-year-old son and saying, "You're only eight!" Her tone was filled with surprise at her son's bold idea, but also with a hint of worry.
"Jiang Yan could recite the Analects at the age of six!" Si Yan shook his abacus unyieldingly, the crisp clinking of the beads accompaniment of his determination. His eyes sparkled as he continued, "Passing the Tongsheng exam will give me tax exemptions, and I can even open a bookstore selling my accounting textbooks!" His words were filled with longing and planning for the future.
Jiang Yan had just emerged from his study, clutching a copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Upon hearing Si Yan's words, his hand trembled, and the heavy volume clattered to the floor. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he asked, "Are you taking the imperial examination?" His thoughts were instantly drawn back to his long years of arduous study. Scenes of those long days of toiling, burning the midnight oil, flashed through his mind like slideshows, and he suddenly felt a headache.
"Exam!" Si Yan slammed his abacus on the table. The sound was particularly resounding in the silent room, as if he was declaring war on the path to the imperial examination. A determined glint shone in his eyes as he declared, "I will be the top scorer in the imperial examination, the best at accounting!" His childish yet powerful voice echoed in every corner of the room.
From that moment on, life in the Jiang family instantly became like a blazing fire, filled with enthusiasm and busyness, yet also with a touch of chaos. In the early morning, before the first rays of sunlight fully illuminated the courtyard, Nianli was already in the yard, practicing archery. Her posture was nimble, and she drew her bow and shot her arrows. Each arrow shot out with a whoosh, aiming straight at the target in the distance. However, sometimes she used too much force, and the arrow would miss the target, lodging in the ground beside it. But she never gave up, quickly picking up the arrow and drawing her bow again, repeating the process over and over again.
At the same time, Si Yan was sitting at the desk in the room, reciting his lessons while shaking his head. His voice was clear and loud, and the sound of recitation echoed in the room. But a child's attention is inevitably easily distracted. Sometimes a bird flew by the window, or Nian Li shouted while practicing archery, which would make him look up. Whenever this happened, Su Jinli would tiptoe in, holding a plate of exquisite snacks or holding medicine. She would first carefully wipe the sweat from Nian Li's forehead, apply medicine to the abrasions on her arms caused by archery practice, and gently remind her to be careful; then she would hurried to Si Yan's side, hand the snacks to him, and gently urge him to continue to concentrate on reciting.
Jiang Yan flitted back and forth in this hectic scene, mediating between the two. Sometimes he worried that Nianli would overexert herself in archery practice and get injured; sometimes he worried that Siyan wouldn't focus enough on memorizing and miss the golden opportunity for the imperial examination. He would sometimes walk over to Nianli, gently reminding her to pay attention to her posture to avoid injury; sometimes he would come back to Siyan, patiently teaching him how to study and encouraging him to persevere. The entire Jiang family was immersed in this tense yet hopeful atmosphere of exam preparation.
Finally, the day of the Tongsheng examination arrived. In the early morning, the sky was as blue as a gem, and the sunlight sprinkled softly on the earth. Siyan got up early and carefully put the abacus in his arms, as if it was his secret weapon to conquer the examination room. The moment he stepped into the examination room, the sunlight just passed through the mottled shadows of the trees and sprinkled on his small body. The chief examiner was sitting behind a high desk, watching this delicate baby walk in, and he couldn't help but frown slightly, his eyes full of doubt. He cleared his throat and asked, "Can you recite the "Three Character Classic"? " There was a hint of temptation and contempt in his tone, as if he didn't believe that the child in front of him was really capable of taking the imperial examination.
Siyan, however, remained unhurried. He placed the abacus steadily on the table, and his clear voice echoed through the quiet examination room: "I can calculate how many characters there are in the Three Character Classic and how much each character is worth!" With that, his small hands began to skillfully fiddle with the abacus. The beads danced around his fingertips like nimble spirits, emitting a series of crisp and melodious sounds. The examiner was speechless at this sudden response, his expression frozen in an instant, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
However, Siyan didn't stop there. He quickly spread out the paper, dipped it in ink, and began writing. His expression was focused and serious, his small face radiating a composure that belied his age. The title of the article was "On the Benefits of Commercial Tax Reform to People's Livelihood." His pen flew, his words flowing freely as he expressed his daily thoughts on business and people's livelihoods. Though his handwriting was a little childish, it exuded a unique insight and power.
On the day the results were announced, the sun shone brightly, and the entire capital was immersed in a bustle of activity. The Jiang family was filled with anticipation and nervousness. Siyan, Nianli, Su Jinli, and Jiang Yan arrived early in front of the list, their eyes anxiously searching the densely packed list. When Su Jinli saw "Jiang Siyan" prominently listed, indicating that she had been selected as a Tongsheng, tears welled up in her eyes. She hugged Siyan tightly to her chest, kissing him again and again, and kept saying, "My dear son, you are amazing!" Her joy was beyond words.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
