The day of the announcement of the results arrived again. Yu Xiao had booked a table at the teahouse early and invited Yuan Jing and Sun Wenmin to wait there together.
Sun Wenmin was quite nervous. He got up early in the morning and walked around in circles in the yard. Seeing the dark shadows under his eyes, Yuan Jing suspected that he did not sleep well at night. Tao Dayong was not much better either. Only Yuan Jing and Sun Wenmin's strong and powerful servant slept soundly until dawn.
Seeing Yuan Jing coming out of breakfast looking refreshed, Sun Wenmin smiled bitterly and said, "I am a few years older than you, Yuan Jing, and I am not as calm as you, Yuan Jing. But I think this is also because you are confident."
As for him, Master Chen said that he was on the line where he could be admitted or not, and if he was lucky he could get in, and he would be the last one in the class, otherwise he would fail if he was unlucky. However, he had communicated a lot with Yuan Jing on the way to Wenchang City, and after living in this small courtyard, Yuan Jing gave him some advice. Sun Wenmin felt that he had made some progress, so he cared more about gains and losses and hoped that he could still pass the exam.
"Let's go. Yu Xiao must be getting impatient."
When the group arrived at the teahouse, it was already packed with people, and there were people outside as well, but the door opposite was still closed, as it was not time for the results to be announced.
Yu Xiao waved at them from upstairs. Tao Dayong told his son to go upstairs quickly, but they did not go upstairs and stayed downstairs to wait for the results to be announced so that they could see them early. Yuan Jing knew that he could not stop his father this time, so he had to let him go.
During this period, he also got to know some students. On the way up the stairs, he greeted many people, but Yuan Jing was too short and was not as eye-catching as Sun Wenmin.
Yu Xiao upstairs was quite popular. When they came up, a student in his twenties was complimenting Yu Xiao. Yu Xiao, who was much shorter than him, held his head high and looked arrogant, as if no one else could do it better than him. When Yuan Jing and the others walked to the table, the student just nodded slightly at them, and it seemed that he didn't take them seriously.
Yuan Jing didn't care, he was just curious. Yu Xiao's identity was obviously higher than he expected, but he was not in a hurry. When he went to the capital in the future, his family background would definitely be revealed.
After the man left, Yu Xiao curled his lips and said to Yuan Jing, "This early in the morning, everyone is talking about who is most likely to win the case this time."
Yuan Jing smiled and said, "Brother Yu, your voice is quite loud."
Yu Xiao is quite proud in front of others, but after coming into contact with Yuan Jing, he knows that there is always someone better than you. He feels threatened by Yuan Jing, but that doesn't stop him from making friends with Yuan Jing. Of course, the friends he makes must be of the same level as him, so that they can be a match, right?
Yu Xiao curled his lips again and pointed at a guy over there: "See that show-off over there? Many people sincerely think that show-off will be the first in this case."
Sun Wenmin looked over and was amazed by Yu Xiao's appearance. "It's Zou Weiting. I know him too. He has been famous for his talent since he was very young. He won the first place in the county examination when he was 14. I think the reason why he is taking the imperial examination now is that he is aiming for the first place in the imperial examination. Otherwise, he would have won the title of scholar in one go."
Yu Xiao said disdainfully: "That's why I look down on him. If he had the ability, he could have taken down both the county and the court cases in one go. What kind of ability is it to wait two years to take them down?"
As they were talking, Zou Weiting came over. He bowed to Yuan Jing and Sun Wenmin and then said to Yu Xiao, "Brother Yu, I went to look for you a few days ago, but you were not there. It turns out that you have made new friends."
Yu Xiao said unhappily, "Mr. Zou, I have nothing to do with you, so stop calling me Brother Yu."
Zou Weiting smiled good-naturedly, appearing to be very tolerant of Yu Xiao's bad temper.
Yu Xiao changed the subject again: "Don't think that you are sure to win the first place this time. Mr. Zou, I bet you won't win the first place this time."
Zou Weiting raised his eyebrows: "Could it be you, Yu brother?"
Yu Xiao pointed at Yuan Jing who was watching the show and said, "I bet it's my good brother."
Yuan Jing just took a sip of tea and then spit it out. Zou Weiting looked at Yuan Jing seriously for the first time and surprise appeared in his eyes. This guy is even more immature than Yu Xiao. Yu Xiao should not randomly point out someone just to attack him.
Yu Xiao continued: "If I win the bet, don't come in front of me anymore and get in my way. Get as far away as possible."
"I am the one who lost to you?" Zou Weiting laughed.
Yu Xiao shrugged: "Don't say I won't lose. Even if I lose, I will satisfy one of your requests."
"Okay, Brother Yu is a straightforward person." Zou Weiting is like a glowing ball. He attracts a lot of attention wherever he goes. Therefore, this table has become the focus of everyone's attention. Regarding the bet between Yu Xiao and Zou Weiting, most people are not optimistic about Yu Xiao, but who is that half-grown boy?
Someone who had contacted Yuan Jing during the past two days told Yuan Jing his identity. It turned out that he was also the top candidate in a county case and was younger than Yu Xiao.
"The results are out! The results are out!"
No one had the leisure to chat anymore, and they all looked outside. They were in the teahouse and could look down from above, taking in the entire scene on the opposite side. Of course, one needed extremely good eyesight to see the words on the posted list clearly.
If Yuan Jing can't do it, then no one else can do it either.
Yuan Jing couldn't find his father any more. Yu Xiao was most relieved: "Don't worry, I have asked several people to check the list. Whoever sees it first will send it out the fastest."
Yuan Jing could only give him a thumbs up.
"Master, Master passed the exam," someone squeezed out of the crowd, his shoes were squeezed off, and he kept running and shouting, "Master passed the exam third, Master Tao is the first!"
"What? I'm only third? Who's the bastard who got second place?" Yu Xiao asked, leaning over the railing and sticking his upper body out.
The servant ran to the bottom of the teahouse and shouted, "It's Master Zou Weiting."
"Damn it!" Yu Xiao was furious. Whoever took the second place was better than Zou Weiting. Why should someone with the surname Zou be better than him?
"Yuan Jing, you are the top candidate in the case again?!" Sun Wenmin said in surprise.
Yu Xiao immediately became happy again, and laughed loudly, looking for Zou Weiting's people everywhere: "Zou, did you hear that? My good brother got the first place in the case, and you ranked behind him. But I won the bet just now. I told you to look down on others, and now you have come to this day, Zou."
Those who were still waiting looked at Yuan Jing in shock, who was still calm. Could it be that this kid who hadn't even grown up yet got the first place in the college entrance examination? Some people were wondering if they had made a mistake, but then someone else announced the name of the first place, and it was still Tao Yuanjing, no mistake.
"Young Master passed the exam," this time it was Sun Wenmin's servant who squeezed out from the crowd. A strong and powerful servant showed his advantage at this time, "Young Master passed the exam and ranked 49th!"
A total of fifty people were admitted this time. Sun Wenmin was the second to last, but he was still among the admitted students. Sun Wenmin was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. Yuan Jing congratulated him.
"Let's go back quickly. The good news will be delivered to your door soon. Brother Yu, let's make an appointment next time." Sun Wenmin urged Yuan Jing to go back and receive the good news.
"I'll go downstairs with you. I should go back too."
Zou Weiting was left behind, still in a daze. When his people came to confirm that he ranked second and Tao Yuanjing ranked first, Zou Weiting smiled bitterly, "I didn't expect that Yu Xiao would be right. Although he is arrogant, he has good taste. I think Tao Yuanjing, who caught his eye, has some merits."
After going downstairs to meet up with the overjoyed Tao Dayong, they returned to the small courtyard together. When the good news was delivered to the door with drums and gongs, neighbors on both sides came to congratulate him. Tao Dayong had a bright smile on his face that couldn't be taken down. If he hadn't had another trip next, he would have been impatient to pack his bags and go home to tell his family the good news.
"Dad, maybe the official who brought the good news will arrive at Taojia Village before we go back."
"Really?" Tao Dayong was happy but also a little regretful that he couldn't stay at home in such a scene.
After the results were announced, there was a Deer Ming Banquet hosted by the academician and the prefect. Yuan Jing, Yu Xiao and Sun Wenmin traveled together again. When they arrived, they inevitably bumped into Zou Weiting. This time, Zou Weiting greeted Yuan Jing very seriously and did not look down on him because of his age and immaturity. They took part in the college examination together. Of course, he knew that getting the first place was not just a matter of luck.
After entering, because Yuan Jing was the first on the list, his seat was of course at the front. However, both the academician and the prefect could not help laughing when they saw such a young boy acting so maturely.
All the names were anonymized when the papers were marked, and when the seals were finally opened, no one expected that the top candidate they admitted would be such a half-grown child. But it must be said that this top candidate well deserved the title.
Both of them loved talents. If one was not about to return to Beijing and the other was about to leave his post, both of them would have thought of accepting Yuan Jing as their disciple. However, out of cherishing talents, the two of them jointly recommended the top three students in the college examination to study in Bailu Academy.
When the academician made the announcement, Yuan Jing and the other two quickly stood up to express their gratitude. The other students looked at him with envy and jealousy. The Egret Academy was very famous and had produced many Jinshi (imperial examination candidates), including the top three in the imperial examination. If one entered the academy for further study, he would surely pass the imperial examination and be appointed an official in the future.
The three of them left with the business cards and recommendation letters from the two adults. Yuan Jing was very happy. Currently, he had too few books to access and knew very little about the court. The Egret Academy should be able to meet his needs. The only downside was that it was too far from home and he could not go home often.
The three of them agreed on a time to set off for Bailu Academy together, and then went home separately. Yuan Jing and Sun Wenmin set out on their journey home together.
When they left Wenchang City, Yuan Jing discovered that the group of people with the smell of blood on their bodies had also left Wenchang City. He did not go to the mountains outside the city again. With his lover's status and ability, she should be able to escape this disaster.
On the first night out of the city, Yuan Jing stayed in an inn. He fell asleep at midnight and suddenly opened his eyes as if something had happened. He looked towards the window vigilantly and saw the window was pushed open and a hand stretched in. As if it noticed that someone was awake, the hand stiffened for a moment and then continued to throw the things in its hand in.
Yuan Jing quickly got up, pushed the door and walked out. It was a man in black. The man stood at a distance, bowed to Yuan Jing, then turned around and quickly disappeared into the darkness.
It's him! Yuan Jing knew that only one person might do this, which meant that he was safe. Yuan Jing turned back to the room and picked up the things on the ground. A handkerchief contained a piece of paper and a jade pendant. On the paper were a few large characters written with flying dragons and phoenixes:
Exchange favors for tokens of trust.
Yuan Jing smiled. This man was really safe. The man in black was his subordinate, who came to deliver the letter for him. It seemed that the other party knew his whereabouts very well.
He straightened the paper and then found a book to put it in. As for the jade pendant, Yuan Jing shamelessly treated it as a token of love and tied it with a rope and hung it around his neck.
It was obvious that this jade pendant was of extremely high quality, and it was not something that a family like them could own, so it was better to keep it close to the body for safety.
Yeah, that's it.
On the other side, in a house, a man in black floated in and opened the study door. Mu Chengan looked at him and asked, "Has the stuff been delivered?"
"Yes, but..."
"Did he notice you?" Mu Cheng'an guessed when he saw his subordinate's confused look.
"Yes, Your Majesty is wise. Young Scholar Tao even chased him out."
Mu Chengan laughed and said, "You are indeed a brave man. Got it. You can go down now."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Mu Cheng'an was thinking about Tao Yuanjing while drinking tea. His behavior was not in line with his age. How could a ten-year-old child be so vigilant? But when it came to Tao Yuanjing, he didn't feel surprised at all. He even felt that it was as he expected.
However, which ten-year-old child can win the first place in the county examination and the first place in the imperial examination? Of course, he is different from others. Mu Chengan is looking forward to Tao Yuanjing coming to the capital to meet him in a few years.
On their way home, just as Yuan Jing had said, the good news had been delivered to Taojia Village by the officials. The beating of gongs and drums attracted the whole village. When they heard the result, they were all ecstatic. Mrs. Song and Little Mrs. Song cried with joy and wiped their tears on the spot. It was the clan leader who reminded them of the wedding money, so they did not ignore the officials who brought the good news.
"Okay! When Dayong and Yuanjing come back, we'll kill some pigs and sheep and have a good time with everyone."
The villagers congratulated them and looked forward to Yuan Jing and his friends' early return.
A ten-year-old scholar is rare even in the whole of Daxia.
Yuan Jing and Sun Wenmin first went to pay their respects to the county magistrate, and then went to see Master Chen, and then they went back to their respective homes and agreed to support each other when they had a banquet together.
As soon as Yuan Jing and his father returned to Taojia Village, they were surrounded by enthusiastic villagers, who showered them with compliments. What made Yuan Jing even more amused was that some aunts held their own children and tried to let their children touch Yuan Jing, even if it was just the corner of his clothes, as if they could get some of the young scholar's talent and blessings.
On the second day after arriving home, no one could stop the Song family from slaughtering pigs and sheep to celebrate. The Tao family had a great time for two days. In addition to the villagers and the guests invited by Yuan Jing and Tao Dayong, some people came uninvited and brought not a small amount of gifts. Yuan Jing left all these matters to his father.
His father hadn't been out there for nothing these days. He knew some things better than he did. He knew what to accept and what not to accept, and would never let his son's future be cast in any shadow. He was not that short-sighted.
After Yuan Jing came back from the banquet hosted by Sun Wenmin, some things had to be put on the agenda. Now that he had a certain say, the people in the clan would no longer treat him as a child who was incompetent.
He is going to study at Bailu Academy and may only be able to come back once or twice a year, so he has to get things done at home before he can leave with peace of mind.
Yuan Jing asked his father to invite the clan leader and several elders to his home for a talk.
"Yuan Jing, what do you want to do? You don't have to worry about things at home, your father is here." Tao Dayong patted his chest. If he walked out now, everyone would say that he was the young scholar's biological father. He would be so proud.
"Dad, our family's life will be better and better. The gap between us and the villagers and clansmen is widening. This is not good, so I have thought of a way to let the people in our village live a good life together. Niu Niu will also live in Taojia Village in the next few years. The environment in the village has improved, which is also good for Niu Niu." Yuan Jing told his father his idea. He also had a concern. Tao Yuzhu's existence was always a time bomb. Even if she was no longer in the family tree, the clan leader and the clansmen would stand on his side. But this heroine was too troublesome, so he had to be on guard.
After he was able to make the villagers and clansmen live a good life with his family, no matter what other methods Tao Yuzhu used, he would have no room to use them in Taojia Village. For a scholar these days, reputation is extremely important.
"Really? Yuan Jing, what do you want us to do? Raise sheep with dad?" Tao Dayong had to admit that his son was more considerate than him, his elder. He was worthy of being his son.
"Dad, our family is the only one that can raise the sheep, but we can all grow herbs together to increase our income."
"Is it really possible?"
"Of course I can. I have been doing experiments in the past two years. The piece of land I have fenced off in the yard is where I grow herbs. I have saved a lot of seeds in the past two years."
"Okay, if Yuan Jing says it's okay, then it's okay. Dad will go find the clan leader right away." What his son said could be wrong? It definitely wouldn't be wrong.
When the clan leaders and elders heard Tao Dayong say that Yuan Jing had a way to make everyone live a good life, they all came over excitedly. Just look at the changes in Tao Dayong's family in recent years and you will know that who would want to live a poor life when there is a good life to live?
Yuan Jing told the clan leader and elders about his idea. Tao Yonglin also came to listen. He admired this ten-year-old scholar very much. He thought to himself that Tao Dayong had the great fortune to give birth to such a good son, and he really wanted to snatch him away to raise him.
Yuan Jing then took them to the backyard vegetable garden to see the herbs he planted. The old lady and Mrs. Song had no idea what he was tinkering with, but no one interfered and let him do what he wanted. Instead, Xiao Niu Niu often came to help his brother, although most of the time he ended up making things worse.
Although the place is not big, several kinds of herbs grow very well. After listening to Yuan Jing's introduction of the names and values of these herbs, the clan leader and elders were all tempted. This is much more profitable than growing crops.
In his first life of traveling through time, Yuan Jing had people set up several medicinal herb planting bases. He knew exactly which herbs required what kind of land and growing environment, so after screening he was able to pick out the herbs that were most suitable for the soil environment of Taojia Village and had relatively high economic value. In addition, he used some herbal seeds cultivated with spiritual spring water, so he had no worries about not being able to develop the base.
"Good! Good job! I will call all the villagers to a meeting in the ancestral hall tonight and inform the whole village about this to see if everyone is willing to follow you, Yuan Jing, to grow these herbs. However, my family will definitely be the first to respond." The clan leader took the lead in expressing his opinion.
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