Chapter 127
The city seems calm, but in fact there are undercurrents.
Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He had been watching the news from the city. They had no idea what the salt administration was thinking. They had been staying in Siyang for four or five days but had not seen any merchants being summoned.
No one knew the salt administration, let alone how to meet him, so with no clues, they could only go through the magistrate.
It is said that the threshold of the county magistrate's residence was almost trampled down, and generous gifts were sent to the county government one after another like wild flowers blooming in spring. Zhang Fangyuan thought that the Salt Administration had not yet enjoyed such benefits, and wondered if the Salt Administration knew about these things.
The weather is getting hot again. There are a lot of things going on at home these days. Xu He is worried about the salt industry and is also concerned about Rui Jin. He tossed and turned at night because he had a heat cold, and his head was stuffy and his throat was sore.
Zhang Fangyuan brought the medicine from the kitchen, cooled it down, and handed it to Xu He. Seeing him frown as he drank the medicine, he joked, "Rui Jin is just taking the exam, but you are so worried about him. If he is to be an official somewhere else in the future, do you want to follow your son to the local area to guard it, or stay in this house with me?"
The taste of the herb was not appetizing, but he was not old enough to complain about the bitterness. He held his breath and drank it all in one gulp. He said to Zhang Fangyuan, "Little Li has a slick tongue. I think it is probably you who taught him to be bad."
Zhang Fangyuan laughed: "He said he was smart and clever without any teacher. Why does he need his father, a pig butcher, to teach him?"
Seeing Xu He finish drinking the medicine, he touched his head as if praising him and took the bowl: "Is it bitter?"
"This medicine is so strong, how can it not be bitter?" Xu He pursed his lips and said, "You are stronger than a bull, rarely catch a cold, and even if you soak your feet in hot water once or twice, you will be fine the next day. Of course, you don't know how bad soups and water taste."
Zhang Fangyuan raised his eyebrows slightly: "Then let me try whether this medicine is bitter or not?"
"I've already drunk it all, how about you taste it? I think there are more than just this bowl of medicine, you can drink some. The doctor said yesterday that the medicine he prescribed is for reducing fire and relieving fever, you can drink some..."
Before Xu He could finish his words, the person in front of him suddenly leaned forward to kiss his lips. He gave the person a false push but failed to move him away.
This man still has the same temperament as when he was in his early twenties. After so many years, he appears calm and experienced, but actually he is still the same inside.
"Daddy, Daddy!"
Little Li ran into the house excitedly with the letter in his arms, and he bumped into the tall figure of his elder father, who was squatting and covering his younger father.
He turned his head slightly to see what his father was doing, but it turned out that his older father was pushed up by his younger father.
Xu He blushed: "W-what's the matter?"
Seeing Xiaoli's eyes slightly wide open and a silly look on his face, Zhang Fangyuan wiped the corner of his mouth and said, "Your father has a fever and a cold. I just gave him some medicine."
"Daddy, are you okay?" Little Li walked forward and looked at the medicine bowl beside him: "I was wondering why Daddy's face was so red, it turns out he has a cold."
He was about to touch Xu He's forehead when his father held his hand and said, "Dad has checked and it's okay. What's wrong with you rushing in in such a hurry?"
If Zhang Fangyuan hadn't mentioned it, Ruili would have almost forgotten that he had come here, as his mind was distracted by his father's illness.
He quickly took out the letter and gave it to Zhang Fangyuan, his eyes almost popping out of stars: "Brother has passed the imperial examination! Now he is already a Jinshi in the double list, and he can come back home after the palace examination!"
Zhang Fangyuan hadn't finished reading the letter yet, but he had heard Xiaoli'er briefly and concisely explain the important points. He didn't want to finish reading the letter, so he asked anxiously, "What's the ranking?"
"Seventh place in Class 2!"
Xu He stood up excitedly, the blush on her face had not faded, and it became even redder because of the sudden good news: "Great, great! Last night I dreamed of the capital, and I thought it was your brother who was worried about home, but I never thought I would receive good news today."
Zhang Fangyuan was also overjoyed. It was extremely rare to be a juren, let alone to be a jinshi in both lists and rank high.
Three years ago, no one from the entire Siyang made it to the list in the imperial examination. Now that good things have happened, how can the family not be happy?
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Tell Master Luo about this news. He must be waiting for your brother's results."
Xiaoli nodded: "Xingge also asked me several times."
Zhang Fangyuan originally thought that Xiaoli could just take the letter to Luo Yan to let him know, but considering that it was only a few steps away and Luo Yan had taken meticulous care of Ruijin over the years, he thought it would be necessary for him and Xu He to make the trip in person.
"Master, Mr. Zhang and his wife from next door want to see you."
Luo Yan was entertaining guests in the hall, and when the housekeeper came to report, he hesitated slightly, thinking that it would be inconvenient to meet with guests. They had been visiting freely for many years, so they would definitely not mind. He asked, "Is there something urgent?"
"It didn't say it was urgent."
The person who was sipping tea at the guest seat put down his teacup upon hearing this: "Brother Luo, if you have any guests, you may as well meet them. I am not in a hurry. It is a good time to meet an old friend. Please don't let Brother Luo delay important matters."
Luo Yuxing brought some tea and snacks into the room, and first politely said to the guests: "Uncle Yu, please try the green rice dumplings from Siyang, which I just asked the servants to buy from Sanxiju."
"Very good." The man smiled and said, "I remember when I first met Xing Ge'er it was at his full moon banquet. He has grown into a very handsome man in the blink of an eye."
The man praised Luo Yuxing, then turned to Luo Yan and said, "Even if he were in the capital, he would definitely be a top-notch guy."
Luo Yan said: "You are still good at praising people."
The man was interested, and asked half seriously and half casually, "Brother Luo, have you asked Xingge to keep an eye out for someone? I wonder if she is interested in the capital or Siyang?"
After hearing this, Luo Yan roughly understood what the other person was thinking: "You are such an old man who has no shame in saying these things in front of a child. Xing'er's parents passed away early, and I only have this little grandson. Naturally, I don't want him to go far away. I am old, and I can't arrange anything for the child. It's up to him to decide. As long as he has good moral character, that's fine."
Luo Yuxing stood aside, and was slightly worried when listening to the conversation between the two elders. However, he felt relieved after hearing what his grandfather said. He thought that his grandfather still favored the person he liked more.
Since he came of age, his grandfather's old friends in Beijing have frequently written to him to ask about his well-being. He was always a little nervous when he received a letter, fearing that his grandfather had a crush on a certain family.
In order to stop the two elders from discussing the matter, he said shyly, "Grandfather, Uncle Zhang is still waiting outside the door. Did Brother Ruijin write to you?"
Luo Yan's eyebrows moved: "Calculating the day, it's time to reply to the message."
He turned to Yu Mingda who was standing beside him and said, "I once recruited a student after I resigned from my post and returned to Siyang. He studied very hard and went to Beijing to take the exam this year."
"The children that Brother Luo teaches will definitely be good, but I don't know who is so lucky. When Brother Luo resigned, many officials and nobles in the capital wanted to send their children to Brother Luo, but they never got this honor."
Luo Yan waved his hand and said, "He is a boy from an ordinary family, a neighbor next door, a little older than Xing'er. He taught Xing'er when he was young. The boy is also looking for a teacher to teach him, so it's fate."
A light flashed in Yu Mingda's eyes. Although Luo Yan spoke modestly, his words could not hide the respect and fondness for him. Luo Yuxing is only fifteen years old, and that child is only a little older, probably about sixteen or seventeen. At this age, he can go to Beijing to take the imperial examinations. It is not easy to do so at this age, and it is worth it for him to receive Luo Yan's teaching.
"Brother Luo, why didn't you tell me earlier that your last disciple was going to Beijing to take the exam? Although I came to Siyang, I could have sent a letter back to ask the people in Beijing to take care of it. It would be better than a child rushing around aimlessly."
Luo Yan smiled and said, "There's no need to mobilize a large force. Although this kid is calm, he's still young after all. It's a good thing for him to be tempered more. If we arrange everything too well for him from the beginning, he will still be confused when we go back next year."
"Brother Luo is too polite." After saying that, Yu Mingda said, "Just take care of the two of us. Hurry up and invite the parents in. Why let them wait outside?"
Luo Yuxing quickly said, "I'll go."
Yu Mingda looked at the young man who was walking outside in a hurry with a dignified smile, and suddenly understood what he meant. He turned around and looked at Luo Yan with a meaningful smile: "It turns out that Brother Luo has already made a plan in mind."
Luo Yan just smiled and said nothing.
Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He waited outside for a while. When they saw that the person coming out was Luo Yuxing, they couldn't help but ask, "Are there any guests at home?"
Luo Yuxing nodded: "Sorry for the delay, Uncle Zhang and Uncle, please go in quickly."
"It's not a big deal. Ruijin has replied. Come and tell the teacher. There's no rush."
Luo Yuxing's eyes sparkled: "Grandfather was still talking about it just now, I didn't expect it was really a letter from Brother Ruijin."
He did not rush to ask about the test results. He led people to the hall first, ready to listen to the results with his grandfather. Although he did not ask, seeing Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He looking so happy, he thought it was a good result, and it was nothing more than waiting for the ranking.
"Hit?"
"Very good, very good. Ruijin really lived up to everyone's expectations and my years of teaching were worthy of his efforts!" Luo Yan was always calm and composed. He smiled when he heard the news and stroked his beard several times with satisfaction: "Second place is very good, very good."
Seeing that it was the same as what he thought, Luo Yuxing clasped his hands together happily.
"Congratulations, Brother Luo. It is indeed a great joy."
Upon seeing this, Yu Mingda actually wanted to meet Luo Yan, his favorite student. However, there was no need to rush. After the joint examination, it would be the palace examination, and normally no one would be eliminated, unless one was rude in front of the emperor and could not answer the polite questions, which would displease the emperor, thus eliminating the candidate.
This kind of thing often happened in the early years when donations were allowed to buy official positions, but now students are no longer allowed to donate money to buy them. Those who can come before the emperor are outstanding people who have passed layers of screening, and they can usually answer the emperor's questions fluently.
It just means that those at the bottom of the examination list may not be able to get an official position. If they don’t have family members to help them, those who are lucky may be assigned to be minor officials in the local area, while those who are unlucky can only stay in Beijing and wait for local official positions to become vacant before being arranged.
However, Zhang Ruijin was Luo Yan's student. With Luo Yan's connections, as long as he was on the two lists, it would not matter even if he was at the bottom. There were many ways to let him stay in Beijing and continue his position, so he would not even need to go to the local area. What's more, Ruijin had a promising future and was ranked among the top in one fell swoop, so Luo Yan didn't have to make arrangements.
When we return to the capital, we will have plenty of opportunities to meet each other, and we will be colleagues.
Yu Mingda explained the interest relationship between them with a smile and a congratulation, and also became polite to Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He.
"You can rest assured now."
At the dinner, Luo Yan invited Zhang Fangyuan and his wife to have a small gathering with Yu Mingda, which was also a celebration to wish Ruijin success in the imperial examination.
He was in a good mood and ate a few more mouthfuls of food at the dinner. As he got older, his health was not as good as before. A few more mouthfuls of food and a few glasses of wine would make him feel a little indigestion. The moonlight was just right, so he took a few steps in the garden to help digest the food.
Just when he was lamenting the fact that he had to accept old age, he saw a young man sitting in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, fanning himself and gazing at the bright moon, and he walked up to him and asked him a question with concern.
When Luo Yuxing saw his grandfather coming, he stood up and helped the old man to sit aside: "Grandfather is in a good mood today."
"Of course it's good, meeting an old friend." Luo Yan patted the back of Luo Yuxing's hand: "My student has been admitted to the university again, which can be said to be a double happiness."
"Grandfather has spent half his life teaching students. Ruijin is smart, and I know he will have a bright future. But when he really has a bright future, Grandfather is still happy."
Luo Yuxing smiled and frowned. Seeing the moonlight scattered all over the pool, there was a trace of sadness in his eyes: "Grandfather, the capital is rich and prosperous, and there are many talented people. If he is favored by a young lady or a young man, will he not come back?"
"He dares!"
Hearing this, Luo Yuxing looked at his grandfather and pursed his lips slightly: "Grandfather loves me the most."
"But what is gained through coercion is not true after all."
Luo Yan touched Luo Yuxing's hair lovingly: "Grandfather knows that you are uneasy, but Grandfather will never make mistakes in judging people."
Luo Yuxing nodded: "Yeah."
"But this kid is the same. He has been gone for such a long time and didn't even say he would send you a letter. He made you worry."
Luo Yuxing didn't comment, but he felt a little angry that Ruijin didn't write to him.
After having a full meal and a few drinks, Yu Mingda returned to his lodgings. He chatted during the meal and was so happy that he drank a few more cups. He could not help but doze off in the swaying sedan chair on the way back. When the servants called him, he had already arrived at his residence.
He got off the sedan chair and saw the county magistrate Huang Guan still guarding the door. His eyes became clearer: "Is the county magistrate not resting yet?"
"Master Yu has been away for a long time and has not returned. How can this humble official feel at ease?"
"I went to meet an old friend, but it made the magistrate worried."
"I have never heard you mention that there are old friends in Siyang. I should host a banquet to invite them." The magistrate led Yu Mingda to the house while asking for details.
"It's okay. He doesn't like socializing."
Yu Mingda took a nap in the sedan chair, but now that he was at the house, he didn't feel sleepy at all. Seeing that Huang Guan seemed to have something to say, he sat idly on a chair, waiting for someone to speak.
Huang Guan knew that this was his chance, so he said respectfully and carefully, "Master Yu came here to help with the salt business, and I regret that I can't help."
Yu Mingda raised his eyebrows and glanced at Huang Guan: "Salt business is an important industry for the country, and it is normal for the county magistrate to worry about it. I don't know much about the merchants in Siyang, and I thank the county magistrate for his concern."
This is what Huang Guan was waiting for.
"I will do my best and will do whatever it takes."
"It is great that the magistrate has such intention. You don't need to worry too much. Gather those who meet the requirements of salt merchants and let me take a look."
"yes."
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