Chapter 656 The Autumn Examination
Although the emperor disliked spicy food, he still sampled two prawns.
He remembered that the Empress seemed to like spicy food, and waved his hand: "Eunuch Ming, send half of the crayfish to Kunning Palace, three catties to each of the other palaces, and distribute the rest equally among the first, second and third-rank ministers."
Grand Tutor Lin and the others quickly stood up: "Your Majesty, we thank you for your great kindness."
"The Kingdom of Laji has done a good deed," He Hanhai said. "The people of our Great Yu Kingdom are now enjoying a feast."
“Lord He, you are wrong.” Lord Zhang shook his head. “If it weren’t for Lady Sui Gong’s early warning, these crayfish could very well have overrun the Great Yu Kingdom. Once they entered the rice paddies and ditches, they would have caused a huge reduction in crop yields. These crayfish are a delicacy, but they are also the nemesis of crops… Fortunately, Lady Sui Gong was there and nipped all the disaster in the bud.”
"Sui Gongren is truly an auspicious omen for our Great Yu Kingdom," Grand Tutor Lin exclaimed. "After returning home from the capital last year, Sui Gongren did many good deeds for the country and its people. First, she donated winter clothes and blankets to the soldiers in the capital. Second, when Nanyang City was flooded, Sui Gongren personally went to provide disaster relief, not only donating a large amount of grain but also relieving the disaster victims of their worries. Third, what Sui Gongren is currently doing is said to be building a canal from Huzhou to Yangzhou. The Yangzhou canal connects to the capital, and if the road to Huzhou is also opened, the journey from the capital to Huzhou can be shortened to less than ten days. This is a great thing that benefits the country and its people."
Lord Zhang immediately said, "Lady Sui has performed countless merits; shouldn't His Majesty bestow some reward upon her?"
Upon hearing this, He Hanhai's face turned green.
This woman had just been promoted two ranks, and the Emperor and Empress had bestowed upon her countless gold and silver treasures. How long had it been before she was being rewarded again?
If they had known the Emperor valued these matters, the He family could have done it too. It would just cost more money; the He family had plenty of that.
He Hanhai originally wanted to voice his opposition, but his He family had been questioned by the emperor many times recently for raising assassins. His eldest son, He Ling, was almost dismissed and investigated, and his second son lived in the military camp and never came back. The whole capital knew that his second son was estranged from the He family... During this period, he kept a low profile, which finally made everyone's attention stop on him. So now, he tried to remain silent and reduce his presence.
"Consort Sui has rendered countless merits, and I have already bestowed upon her all the rewards she deserves." The Emperor played with the jade ring on his thumb, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Ping'an County is a poor and remote place. To build a Grand Canal connecting it to Yangzhou would be as difficult as climbing to heaven. In that case, I will allocate 50,000 taels of silver from the national treasury to help Ping'an County build the canal. This money will be allocated through all levels of government. Anyone who dares to embezzle it will not be able to blame me for stripping them of their official hat."
The assembled officials below replied in unison, "Yes!"
The 50,000 taels of silver from the national treasury were quickly carried out and sent to Dahe Town in Huzhou by the Imperial Guards.
In just half a month, the silver was delivered to Lord Wei of Ping'an County.
Lord Wei was extremely terrified. He knelt down to receive the imperial decree, took the silver and put it into the treasury. He then rushed to Dahe Town and explained in detail about the emperor's allocation of funds.
Cheng Wanwan was overjoyed. She had already raised enough money for all the things she had done before, but who would complain about having too much money?
The original budget was only enough for the basic expenses of the canal. With an additional 50,000 taels of silver, the waterway near Ping'an County could be widened further, more wharves could be built along the banks, and the food for the workers who were building the canal could be improved.
"Lord Wei, there's no need to be alarmed. With the Emperor overseeing the Grand Canal, this is a great thing. I'm sure the Prefect of Yangzhou will also provide some assistance." Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "You're just a low-ranking county magistrate. Just do what you're supposed to do. Remember, make sure everything is implemented thoroughly and there are no oversights. Also, since the court has allocated funds today, be generous and give the workers extra chicken legs."
After Cheng Wanwan's words, Lord Wei was finally relieved.
However, adding chicken legs was a difficult task because there were no merchants in Ping'an County who specialized in selling chicken legs. So he had people buy a lot of chicken, duck, fish and meat to provide extra meals for all the workers at noon.
These workers from Nanyang were already extremely grateful to Cheng Wanwan, and with the occasional extra meals, they worked even harder.
The first phase of the canal progressed exceptionally smoothly, and it was completed in just over a month. Next, the second and third phases of the canal were put on the agenda.
These matters were all handled by Lord Wei, with Cheng Wanwan only offering suggestions from time to time.
Amidst the rich autumn atmosphere, the time for the provincial examinations was drawing ever closer.
Zhao Sidan studied even harder, often disappearing all day and frequently staying up all night reading.
Besides him, there was also Yu Zhan, who was also a study fanatic. He specially built a small study room at the entrance of the pigsty and spent his days reading and writing there.
More than 20 people from Dahe Academy went to Huzhou to participate in the provincial examination. There were not many locals in Dahe Village; most of them were students from other places studying at Dahe Academy.
Three days before the college entrance examination, a group of more than 20 people, funded by Dahe Town and led by Mr. Zhou from Dahe Academy, went to Huzhou to prepare for the exam.
When Cheng Zhao went to Huzhou to take the exam, Cheng Wanwan canceled all her plans to accompany him. This time, with her own son taking the exam, she, as his mother, naturally went along.
After arranging everything at home, the group set off, enjoying the cool autumn air.
It's not far from Dahe Town to Huzhou; it only takes half a day to reach Huzhou City.
Cheng Wanwan has a large courtyard in Huzhou, which can accommodate more than 20 students. So, everyone stayed in her courtyard.
Mr. Zhou was still giving the students last-minute cramming, using the collection of exam questions compiled by Master Yu.
Ever since Cheng Wanwan mentioned it, Master Yu has made it a daily routine. He wrote several sets of practice questions for the provincial examination and sent them to the Reading Pavilion in the capital. He also compiled various reference books for the provincial and ministerial examinations for the students of Dahe Academy. After they were compiled, he had the students copy them themselves, and almost everyone had a copy.
"Take a look at the second question. It tests people's livelihood," Mr. Zhou said, stroking his beard. "Similar questions about people's livelihood have appeared at least five times in the past few years' provincial examinations. With frequent livelihood issues in the last two years, this year's exams may also be related to it. I've listed a few sample questions above. Take a look and let's discuss your thoughts..."
The students began to discuss it enthusiastically.
"Sister Wanwan, do you think Xiaozhan will pass the exam this time?" Lu Yingxue asked nervously. "He is so hardworking, God should not let his efforts go to waste."
Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "All efforts will be rewarded. If you don't see the reward right away, it just means it's not the right time yet. Don't get anxious and upset. Let's go shopping and buy some good writing materials for the children to help them pass the imperial examination."
Lu Yingxue had no choice but to suppress her anxiety and go sightseeing in Huzhou with them.
With the provincial examination approaching, Huzhou was exceptionally bustling, and places selling writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were crowded with people.
Many stationery items are given nice-sounding names, such as "Top Scholar's Pen" and "Golden List Inkstone," and although they are a bit pricey, it doesn't stop wealthy people from buying them.
Cheng Wanwan bought more than twenty sets in one go.
These children are the future stars of Dahe Academy, and she hopes that each of them can be listed on the honor roll.
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