When An Yuping returned home, the sky had already turned dark.
The first thing he did when he returned to the yard was to look for An Jingzhi. When he opened the door, he saw him and Gong Rong looking at the account book, muttering to each other, and he didn't know what they were thinking about.
Seeing An Yuping coming back, An Jingzhi just glanced at him and said, "You're back."
An Yuping couldn't hide his excitement, but when he saw An Jingzhi so calm, his emotions gradually stabilized.
"Brother, fortunately I have not let you down."
"You still have a long way to go." An Jingzhi put down the account book in his hand, pointed to the seat next to him, and asked An Yuping to sit down.
Gong Rong stood up and stood behind An Jingzhi.
An Yuping sat cautiously in front of his elder brother as instructed, and did not become complacent about his success in the imperial examination.
"How did you get the top spot?" This was An Jingzhi's first question.
He knew that An Yuping's academic performance was good, but compared to the world full of talented people, it was still not good enough.
An Yuping also looked puzzled and told everything that happened in today's palace examination one by one.
After hearing this, An Jingzhi understood that the imperial examination was the fairest way for rural students to turn their lives around, but in reality it was still unfair.
The educational resources are completely different.
Only a few people can enter the palace examination. An Yuping is one of them, and he is the most knowledgeable among the ordinary candidates.
"It seems that His Majesty wants to change the situation in the court."
An Yuping was greatly surprised when he heard this, "How did you know this, big brother?"
"Don't worry about it. Let's pack up. We need to move to another place." An Jingzhi handed the account book next to him to An Yuping:
"This is our expenditure and income for the past six months. We still have more than two hundred taels of silver left."
"You decide for yourself whether to bring Mrs. Bai here or let her stay in the country?"
An Yuping glanced at An Jingzhi secretly, and seeing that he looked normal, he thought for a moment before bowing and saying, "Brother, I've been so busy studying and taking exams these past few years that I've neglected you and mother."
He paused and said:
"My assignment has been finalized. His Majesty has appointed me as a compiler in the Imperial Academy, and I will serve as an official in the capital."
"My mother is old now, and I want to take her to live with me and take care of her."
An Jingzhi nodded and said, "Okay, then you write a letter and ask Madam to bring the remaining money from home to Beijing. If it's not enough, sell the land that's not worth it and make up the three hundred taels."
"We want to settle down in the capital, and these two hundred taels are not enough."
"When you become an official, you can slowly buy land and property."
Although the editors in the Hanlin Academy were only responsible for clerical work such as copying books, these people would become the elite in the future and had a bright future.
An Yuping was lucky this time. He was not comparing himself with students from all over the world. He was just comparing himself with ordinary and down-to-earth students from all over the world.
Although he lacked his strongest competitor, it was enough to prove An Yuping's ability.
An Yuping immediately wrote a letter and sent it home, asking them to make preparations as he also planned to return to his hometown.
No matter what, he had to inform his ancestors about his success in the imperial examination, so he had to go back in person.
An Jingzhi didn't want to have a bumpy journey, so he let An Yuping be the full agent, while he stayed in the capital to look for a house and deal with the sublet houses.
By then, there will definitely be a need for servants at home, and this house is not big enough no matter how you calculate it.
…
"I don't know how Jingzhi and Yuping are doing." Bai Chunniang looked at the food in front of her and felt a little tasteless.
The butler beside him bowed and said, "I think the imperial examination is over. We are just waiting for the announcement of the results."
"The second young master studies hard every day, and with the help of the eldest young master, he will definitely pass the exam this time."
The butler was sincere in what he said. If it was the young master from the past, he would be extremely worried.
"If that's the case, it would be great. My son has finally reaped the rewards of his hard work and has not let down the ancestors of the An family."
Bai Chunniang smiled and asked the servants to take the food away.
Half a month later, a letter was hurriedly delivered to the house.
After reading it, Bai Chunniang burst into tears, then immediately stood up and ordered her family to prepare for the ancestor worship.
When the old housekeeper learned the contents of the letter and knew that An Yuping had passed the imperial examination and been appointed an official, and was already on his way home to worship his ancestors, he excitedly began to prepare immediately.
The entire An family was busy as if a stone was thrown into a calm lake.
The county officials also learned about this year's imperial examination. The county yamen runners competed with each other and fought with each other until they were bloody. In the end, three people won.
He came to the village happily to announce the good news.
When the villagers heard the familiar sound of the gong, they realized that they were going to look for the An family again.
I silently wondered, could it be that An Yuping passed the imperial examination this time?
The curious people followed these messengers, and when they heard the messenger announce the good news that An Yuping had won the top spot in the imperial examination, everyone was stunned.
What followed was overwhelming ecstasy. Although An Yuping and they did not have the same ancestor, they lived in the same village, and the village had produced a top scholar.
As people from the same village, they also have honor. Even if they go out to work, if they say that there is a top scholar in their village, no one will dare to bully them.
Even if local officials come to their village to collect taxes, they will be much more disciplined than usual.
Everyone was ecstatic, and after the group of messengers received their rewards and left, they all congratulated the An family.
She was busy preparing for the ancestor worship, receiving messengers and meeting with villagers. Ordinary villagers sent their housekeeper to help, but the elders in the village wanted her to entertain them personally.
She was so busy that she felt dizzy, but Bai Chunniang's heart was burning with anticipation. She waited day and night until An Yuping finally came home.
After An Yuping returned home, even the county magistrate came to congratulate him in person.
The county magistrate of their remote little brother was only a seventh-rank official, and An Yuping, who now worked in the Hanlin Academy, was a sixth-rank official.
The county magistrate usually had to call himself "your humble official" when facing An Yu.
An Yuping was grateful for the county magistrate's kindness and treated him very politely.
If the county magistrate had not written a letter introducing his classmates in the capital to him, his writing would never have improved so quickly.
During the time he was in the capital, in addition to discussing academic matters with his fellow tenants, he also often received guidance on articles written by the county magistrate's classmates, which was of great help to him in solving problems.
After sending off the guests who came to congratulate, he turned away the next guests on the grounds that his family was busy worshipping their ancestors. Otherwise, if he continued to receive them like this, the time for the next ancestor worship would definitely be postponed.
It took him a month to get on the road, but after returning he had to pack up his luggage, which would take an estimated month and a half. He would also have to settle down in the capital. If he didn't hurry, he might not be able to take office in time. The emperor only gave him three months.
After holding a grand ancestor worship ceremony to comfort the ancestors of the An family, An Yuping left the old housekeeper behind to look after the family's land and property. He prepared to take Bai Chunniang and a group of servants with him and set off on the journey back to Beijing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com