Chapter 140 What kind of attitude is this?
Ming Er became the top scholar in both the civil and military examinations, and the Ming family's "Top Scholar Porridge" and "Top Scholar Skewers" became incredibly popular. Ming Sheng took Ming Da to stay with Ming Er at the Top Scholar's Mansion, leaving the two of them to focus on making money.
Thinking this way, Mingsheng, who originally wanted to save money, still bought a house nearby so that it would be convenient for Mingyi and his wife to do business there.
The scholar's residence has been quite lively these past few days. Mingsheng, a former country hunter, has suddenly become the grandmother of a top scholar. He has learned a lot during this time and is increasingly displaying the demeanor of a high-ranking official.
They also know how to be polite and considerate in dealing with people.
As the first scholar to achieve the highest rank in both civil and military examinations in this dynasty, the official position he was ultimately given was one rank higher than that of previous scholars.
Everyone could see that His Majesty the Emperor intended to support children from humble backgrounds; otherwise, he wouldn't have directly given Mingyang the title of Martial Arts Candidate, allowing her to participate in the martial arts examination.
Those were all people who had earned their positions through hard work and integrity, especially the officials who were watching during the martial arts examination.
Mingyang was not only incredibly strong, but also quite skilled in horsemanship and archery.
There are precedents of those who ranked second and third in the imperial examinations, and they went on to serve in the Hanlin Academy.
Both women were from prominent families and their academic achievements were originally quite outstanding. However, compared to Ming Yang, the top scholar in both the civil and military examinations and a favorite of the emperor, they were clearly relegated to the sidelines.
Many people who saw this felt that Mingyang, at his current age, probably had a very promising future.
Some people even had designs on the position of Meiji's second husband.
Those families that weren't so prominent, thinking they couldn't get a wife like Mingyang for their sons, turned their attention to Mingyang's sister, Mingzhuo.
With two members of the same family passing the imperial examinations, Ming Yang's fame was so dazzling that people almost forgot her sister was also on the list.
Some people are happy, while others are unhappy.
Mingzhuo received a position in the Ministry of Revenue. Logically, she should have been sent out to serve as a county magistrate. Her fellow graduates from the same cohort were all assigned to various places as county officials.
After a moment of confusion, Mingzhuo guessed that her ability to stay was probably related to Ming Er.
Although she held a low-ranking position in the Ministry of Revenue, her superiors still treated her with special regard, subtly inquiring whether she had a man she admired.
It seems that he intends to marry his son to her.
In the past few days, many matchmakers have come to Ming Er's residence, some to test Ming Er's feelings, and others to test her.
Those people used to be so enthusiastic that Ah Zu couldn't handle them all, so he simply closed his doors to visitors.
Aside from the lively atmosphere at the Ming family's house, Ming Er's side was also quite bustling.
I don't know who made the joke, but the top scholar and the second-place scholar both have the surname Ming, so could they be related?
On that day in the Golden Palace, many people saw that the appearance of the top scholar Ming Er was very similar to that of Marquis Jing'an Ming Yan.
They share the same surname, Ming; they might be related in some way.
Even Mingyan stared at Ming Er for a long time, but Ming Er just nodded at her and didn't linger on her for even a moment.
Some people, trying to get closer to Ming Er, approached her and asked if she knew the Marquis of Jing'an.
"I have never met Hou Jun before, how could we be relatives?"
But the speaker meant no harm, while the listener took it to heart.
Mingyang's appearance is unusually similar to that of the Marquis of Jing'an. Furthermore, some people have noticed that Mingyang's older sister, Mingzhuo, a first-class scholar, looks about 80% like Mingxi, the second-class scholar.
These were all people who had spent a long time in the imperial court; seeing this situation, how could they not have some thoughts?
A little more inquiry revealed that Mingyang and Mingxi apparently shared the same birthday.
However, since the two of them didn't say it themselves on the birthday, everyone was unsure whether it was true or not.
No matter how you look at it, Mingyang seems more like the Marquis of Jing'an than Mingxi.
Rumors gradually spread in the court, and Marquis Jing'an, upon hearing them, was furious.
"Absurd! Who is spreading these rumors?" Marquis Jing'an slapped his hand as he stood up from his seat.
Just as she was about to send someone to find the person who was gossiping behind her back and teach them a lesson, someone handed her a secret letter.
After reading the letter, the Marquis of Jing'an's face was filled with disbelief.
"My lady, what happened?"
Looking at the person beside him, Marquis Jing'an's lips moved, but he ultimately remained silent.
"It's nothing." Mingyan closed the letter, but his brows remained furrowed.
But thinking about the contents of the letter, Mingyan thought of Mingyang and the events of that year, and decided to investigate further.
Meanwhile, the Ming family, having received the letter, hurried to the capital.
Upon hearing that Ming Er had become the top scholar in both the civil and military examinations, the Ming family immediately packed their bags and headed to the capital.
While thinking about Ming Er, Ming Ren was also worried about Ming Da. His mother's letter only mentioned that Ming Er had become the top scholar in both the civil and military examinations, and was the most outstanding person in the country.
She didn't mention how things were going with Mingda, but she was a little worried. If Mingda didn't get into university, seeing her sister so successful would probably make her feel bad.
When they saw the magnificent mansion of the top scholar, they were so amazed that they couldn't speak.
"Elder sister, Mother said in her letter that this was a gift from His Majesty the Emperor to Ming Er. Does that mean our family will be living here from now on?" Ming Li looked at the imposing gate and didn't dare to step onto the steps.
I heard that there are many servants in the house, all of whom were bestowed upon the family by His Majesty the Emperor.
"We'll listen to Mother's arrangements when the time comes. We'll do whatever Mother says," Mingren said, looking at the magnificent mansion gate.
Throughout the journey, she kept thinking about Mingda. Both children were her flesh and blood, and she couldn't possibly favor one over the other.
Old Man Ming, on the other hand, was in a very good mood. He straightened his clothes and stepped forward to the gatekeeper, saying, "Is this the home of Ming Yang, the top scholar? I am her grandfather. May we go in?"
The gatekeeper sized them up, especially noting Mingren and Mingli, who looked very much like Mingsheng.
Upon hearing this, the doorman guessed their identities and said politely, "You flatter me. Please wait a moment while I go in and inform them."
Old Man Ming knew this was the custom of wealthy families, so he didn't say anything. After the gatekeeper went in, he put his hands behind his back and examined the gate.
The more I look at it, the more impressive it seems.
He also inquired about family matters with another gatekeeper and learned that his eldest granddaughter, Mingzhuo, had also passed the exam and was now working in the Ministry of Revenue.
"Boss, did you hear that? Two of our family members have become officials."
"Father, I heard you." Mingren immediately smiled; this was wonderful.
Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, could finally be put at ease.
A short while later, Mingsheng came over with the gatekeeper.
Upon seeing his long-lost wife, Old Man Ming was so moved that tears streamed down his face. "My wife!"
Mingsheng patted his hand, "Is everything alright at home?"
"Okay, that's what I've been worried about, my wife."
"What do I have to worry about? I'm more worried about you guys. I hope the journey has been smooth?"
"That's natural."
As they were talking, Mingsheng led them into the house, and the doorman, being very perceptive, instructed people to carry their luggage inside.
Upon entering the mansion, they found it to be even more magnificent inside.
Mingda has now become an official, but her rank is too low, so the higher-ups cannot allocate her a residence. For now, she lives with Ming Er in the Zhuangyuan Mansion.
Those with low-ranking official positions do not need to attend court, and this place is also relatively close to the Ministry of Revenue.
Their family, the Ming family, suddenly became officials' wives.
The family had a meal together, and Mingsheng shared his decision.
"From now on, let the children study in schools in the capital. I don't expect you to be like your second sister and become the top scholar in both civil and military examinations, but you can't be worse than your eldest sister either."
This made Ming San and Ming Si feel their scalps tingle.
The eldest sister is no less impressive; she's a top-ranking scholar in the imperial examinations.
After entering school, Ming San and Ming Si naturally learned what it meant to be a first-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).
Mingsheng looked at his daughter and said, "Eldest son and his wife will stay in the mansion, and the children will stay in the mansion too. Third son, you and your husband will move to the second son's place. That house is also ours. You can do business with them."
In the capital, Mingsheng also learned some things.
The eldest son's biological mother will definitely live with Ming Er. Leaving the eldest son behind will affect the future of Ming Er and Ming Da.
So the eldest son and his wife have to stay.
The second and third children could also live here, but Mingsheng felt that since their family had started from small stalls, they should at least have a skill to support themselves.
If all else fails, we should find the third son a job as an accountant in the capital. He's not that old, and it would be too unreasonable to let Ming Er support them.
“Those who have hands and feet should work more. Ming Er asked someone to send Ming San and Ming Si to school. You should also save more money to pay for the children’s tuition.”
The academies in the capital city have good facilities, but the tuition fees are also expensive.
Mingda's salary is barely enough to support herself. Ming'er's salary is high, but it can't withstand her extravagant spending.
During this period, Mingsheng carefully considered all aspects of the family business and came to the conclusion that there were many places where money was needed and the family business could not be abandoned.
Ming Er said he would listen to Azu.
She has no husband, and during this time, her grandmother has been taking care of everything at home.
She hopes her great-grandmother will live to be a hundred years old, and she wants to take good care of her great-grandmother.
Besides his granddaughter, his grandson also had to stay. When matchmakers came to visit, Mingsheng thought about whether there were any suitable families to arrange a marriage.
A boy who used to live in a small mountain village can now marry into a family in Beijing; that's quite a leap.
She didn't ask for a wealthy or noble family; she just wanted to treat them well.
Ming Sheng simply couldn't bring herself to marry off her daughter's unborn son. Especially now that two members of the Ming family had become officials, her grandson couldn't be married off so easily.
"By the way, boss, did you tell your two brothers when you came?"
“I already told you, my two younger brothers pooled together five taels of silver for me to give to Mother.”
Ming Sheng nodded. "Send a letter to the two brothers, telling them not to do anything bad in their hometown using Ming Er's name. If they affect Ming Er's future, I won't let them off the hook."
"Shall we accept this silver?"
“Don’t accept it. Return the money to them and send them some things from the capital back home. I’ll also give them an extra five taels and the recipe for skewers so they can have a skill to make a living back home. With Ming Da and Ming Er around, as long as they behave themselves, my wife’s family won’t kick them out.”
After all, he was born of his own child, and the child hadn't done anything particularly heinous. Mingsheng wouldn't abandon his own child.
As long as they can live a peaceful and stable life, that's fine.
Mingsheng doesn't care about anything else; he can't even handle the things right in front of him.
"Okay, Mother, I'll go write the letter in a bit."
Mingsheng thought for a moment and felt that there was nothing to forget. "You must be tired from traveling all this way. Go and rest first. Tomorrow, I'll pack up and take you to see another house."
Just as Mingren was about to leave, he brought up another matter, saying, "Mother, I also saw the gate of the Marquis of Jing'an's residence when I came here."
"You know him?" Mingsheng asked in surprise. The Marquis's family was a high-ranking official.
That second-place scholar, Mingxi, is the daughter of the Marquis of Jing'an.
"I know him. The high-ranking official who had his child with me back then was the Marquis of Jing'an."
Mingsheng gave an "oh" and said dismissively, "Her daughter is just the runner-up, not as good as our Ming Er."
Ming Er slammed his chopsticks down on the table and stared blankly at Ming Ren.
"Mother, what did you mean by what you just said?"
Akihito, oblivious to her expression, repeated what he had said.
“When I gave birth to you, the Marquis of Jing’an was also about to give birth. I gave birth to you in a dilapidated temple. The Marquis of Jing’an also had a daughter back then.”
She also mentioned that when the heavy snow collapsed the dilapidated temple and they hurriedly ran out with their children, she went to the carriage of the Marquis of Jing'an and drank a bowl of chicken soup.
"That chicken soup smelled so good, I've never had such delicious chicken soup in my life."
"Look at you, so pathetic." Mingsheng patted Mingren's arm.
Ming Er pursed his lips and remained silent, his expression somewhat grave.
Xiang Bei naturally knew the reason, and after looking at the original plot again, she felt that Ming Er's identity might need to be revealed ahead of schedule.
The original text explains that the two identities were revealed because the Marquis of Jing'an was involved in a factional struggle in the court. Someone found out about this incident from back then and used it to make a big fuss.
Who would have thought that the two families actually switched the babies at birth?
Then the Jing'an Marquis's mansion took Ming Er back, beginning the path of torturing the female protagonist, Ming Er.
Xiang Bei still has confidence in Ming Er now. If they can beat her, then Xiang Bei admires their ability.
Ming Er drank a lot of alcohol, and his family didn't stop him, thinking that how could one not drink in official circles?
Especially when Ming Er is drunk, he remains silent.
His face wasn't flushed, and his heart wasn't racing; you couldn't tell he was drunk at all.
His family thought it was because Ming'er had a high alcohol tolerance.
Back in his room, Ming Er sat on the bed for a long time before finally speaking, "Master Xiang, you are a deity. Tell me, is this true?"
Xiang Bei knew what Ming Er was asking about, hesitated for a moment, and then answered her.
【yes. 】
Ming Er closed his eyes, his face revealing no emotion.
"You already knew, didn't you?"
Xiang Bei did not answer, but Ming Er already knew her answer.
The next morning, Ming'er had adjusted his mindset. However, seeing his family busy taking care of him still made him feel suffocated.
He had originally planned to find an opportunity to explain to his family, but before he could even open his mouth, Marquis Jing'an came to his door first.
Everyone was somewhat surprised to see her coming.
Although they both share the surname Ming, their two families have no connection whatsoever.
Mingren was somewhat surprised. Her memory of her appearance had become hazy, and now that the person was standing in front of her, she realized that she looked just like Ming Er.
Marquis Jing'an also recognized Mingren as the person who gave birth with her in the dilapidated temple years ago.
When they met again, she came to their door because of the baby swapping between the two families.
There have been many rumors circulating in Beijing lately, and Mingyan eventually listened to them.
Recalling the birth of Mingxi and thinking about Ming'er's striking resemblance to himself, Mingyan carefully questioned those who had been there and discovered that the babies might indeed have been switched at birth.
They sent people to Mingjia Village to inquire, but they couldn't find out anything. Those people only knew Ming Er, but they didn't know that Ming Er's real name was Ming Yang.
The baby swap was just an accident, and the Ming family didn't know about it. They loved Mingyang as their own son, which is why they supported her to become the top scholar in the imperial examination.
If Mingyang is truly her daughter, she is her bloodline after all, and she cannot be allowed to wander outside.
After thinking it over at home, she went to their house to ask for her child back.
When the Ming family heard Mingyan say that the babies were switched at birth, that Mingyang was her daughter, and that the second-place scholar was their Ming family's child, they were so shocked that they couldn't sit still.
If the babies were indeed switched at birth, then the top scholar in both the civil and military examinations would not be their child.
Mingsheng racked his brains, but couldn't remember what the second-place finisher's name was.
The Ming family remained silent regarding the Marquis of Jing'an's plan to take Ming Er back.
The Marquis's family holds a noble title, so they are naturally more powerful than the Ming family. Going back would be beneficial for Ming Er.
"If you're going to take me back, what about my mother's child?" Ming Er asked.
Mingyan frowned, disliking Ming Er's tone. After all, she was Ming Er's biological mother; was Ming Er's attitude towards her too harsh?
“Naturally, they will stay in the Marquis’s residence. They are just two children; our Marquis’s residence can afford to raise them.”
Ming Er chuckled.
Upon seeing this, Mingyan frowned even more deeply.
What kind of attitude is that?
Facing the Ming family, Ming Yan still maintained a somewhat arrogant attitude, saying, "Isn't the Marquis's mansion's resources far greater than this family's? Coming back to the Marquis's mansion with me will only bring benefits, not harm."
"No matter how wealthy your family is, it's still not as good as the scholar-war champion I, raised in a farming family, have. What do you have to be arrogant about in front of my elders?" Ming Er also disliked Ming Yan's arrogant attitude.
Mingyan looked down on her relatives. Even though she knew she wasn't their biological child, in Ming'er's heart, her great-grandmother, great-sister, second aunt, and third aunt were her family.
Now, this person who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, claiming to be his biological mother, not only showed no gratitude to the family that raised him, but even made decisions with such a condescending attitude. Ming Er was very unhappy about this!
Ming Sheng, who had been silent, pulled Ming Er aside. "Ming Yang, say less."
Ming Sheng glanced at Marquis Jing'an, then at Ming Er. At such close range, she could clearly see that the mother and daughter were almost identical.
It turns out that even their own ancestral graves weren't emitting much smoke.
Having realized this, Mingsheng was still somewhat saddened.
Although that granddaughter was the second-place scholar, in a family like the Marquis's mansion, it would be unacceptable for her to do poorly on the exam. Even Ming Da got fifth place in the first class.
She just couldn't bear to part with Ming Er. From the very first exam, she personally took him to the exam venue and then personally picked him up from school every time.
After all these years, the result told her that Ming Er was not her biological granddaughter.
Mingsheng's mind was in turmoil, but he still forced himself to make a decision.
Ming Er has to go home, he absolutely has to go home.
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