Chapter 59: Make arrangements early [Jinjiang genuine exclusive release · one month]...
"Liu Ji, what are the assessment results? What are Zhi Dianlang's final assessment results?!"
As soon as Lu Zhi heard the conversation between her father and Liu Ji in the hall, she could no longer sit still. She quickly stood up from her seat and hurried out of the hall. As soon as she ran to her father, she stared at Liu Ji and asked loudly. Because she was too nervous, the tone of her voice trembled when she asked.
Seeing the girl's anxious look, Liu Ji didn't bother to show off. He just smiled and opened the stack of notices in his arms.
The next moment, the familiar names and hometown information written in eye-catching ink characters in the first row on the brown-yellow "silk cloth" clearly caught the eyes of the father and daughter!
Seeing the first-name information, Lu Gong was completely stunned. He widened his eyes in disbelief, rubbed his eyes with his hands, and then looked down again.
Lü Zhi's eyes lit up, her nose sore. She couldn't help but lift her slender, fair right hand and gently stroke the two characters "Lü Zhi" written in large seal script on the "silk cloth" in front of her. She couldn't hold back her tears and murmured happily:
"I passed! I really passed!"
Liu Ji has been living in Pei County since he was born. He is good at speaking and socializing. He has been idling around since he was a naked child until he was 37 years old. In these few short decades, he has never worked hard for anything.
Looking at the charming and ecstatic Lü Zhi in front of him, with her hands covering her mouth and tears falling, although he could not fully understand the girl's sour and swollen heart and the overwhelming joy of surviving a disaster, he still grinned at Lü Zhi and said with a smile:
"Oh my! Congratulations to Sister Lu! Congratulations to Sister Lu!"
"Sister Lu, your elegant demeanor is truly as worthy of your robe! Competition for the position of Administrative Officer in the imperial capital is fierce across the counties this summer, and the assessment is incredibly difficult. Sister Lu is young, not only beautiful, but also able to stand out from the crowd of men with her talent and ability, becoming the only Administrative Officer under twenty years old on the list! Your future is truly bright and limitless!"
"I, Liu Ji, don't have any special abilities. At the age of 37, I'm still hiding in Pei County as a gangster. I'm hoping that when Sister Lu gets a foothold in Xianyang, I can shamelessly ask for her help when I need it."
The words were spoken in a very intimate manner, and the underlying meaning was to say - I, Liu Ji, am really not worthy of this ill-matched marriage between an old man and a young wife. Sister Lu should just go and make her own way in Xianyang City!
Hearing what Liu Ji said, Lu Gong, who finally recovered from his shock, couldn't help but turn his head and look at his strong-willed second daughter with a complicated expression. He really didn't expect that he had been working hard to plan for his two sons in the county, but in the end, the one who really succeeded in the exam was his daughter who followed behind and secretly ran to the head of the village to sign up without telling him!
The second daughter not only broke through the siege this time, but also passed the examination and became the youngest person to get the first place in all the counties in the world!
This achievement was truly a great event for the Lu family! Even after seeing his daughter's name clearly on the admission list, he still felt a hazy, unreal dreamlike feeling.
Not only did Lu Gong feel that she was being deceived, but even Lu Zhi herself did not expect that she could get the first place in the exam.
She hadn't had time to wipe the tears of joy from her face when she heard Liu Ji, who had always spoken in a slurred and vague manner in front of her since they met at the housewarming party, finally speak in a normal tone.
Lu Zhi couldn't help but raise her eyelids and glance at Liu Ji who was grinning with his teeth bared.
In the past, she was extremely resistant to this mismatched marriage arranged by her father. Not only could she not talk to Liu Ji calmly, she didn't even want to look directly at this old gangster who was always teasing people. Now that Liu Ji no longer pestered her, she had the confidence to make her own decisions, and her attitude towards Liu Ji also became much better.
Thinking of Liu Ji's extremely noble face that her father had just praised to her in the hall, Lu Zhi also subconsciously observed Liu Ji's three parts and five eyes.
Although the Liu family had long since fallen from the aristocratic class, it was only within the past three generations that they were reduced to poverty.
Putting aside Liu Ji's gangster nature and age, just looking at Liu Ji's appearance is actually not that unpleasant. After all, his ancestors were able to be "doctors", and the bloodline of beauty passed down from generation to generation among the nobles has not become completely diluted.
If Liu Ji was 27 years old instead of 37 this year, and did not have a 10-year-old illegitimate child, she would not be unable to accept this marriage even if he was a playful and idle person who never tried to stir up trouble.
Unfortunately... there is no "if" in this world.
Lü Zhi knew Liu Ji's status as a local tyrant in Fengyi. Now that she was in a good mood, she gave Liu Ji a rare smile:
"Brother Ji, you're being too polite. You're on good terms with my father, and our two families are pretty familiar with each other now. When I get to Xianyang and can take care of myself, if Brother Liu needs help, I'll definitely do my best to help if I can!"
"But my younger sister will leave Pei County in the future. I will have to trouble Brother Ji to take care of the whole family, both old and young, if you can."
Hearing that Lu Zhi's way of addressing him changed from the cold "Liu Ji" to "Brother Ji", which old man could resist a beautiful sister who was twenty years younger than him calling him brother?
Liu Ji was delighted on the spot, and he freed one hand to pat his chest, then waved his hand proudly and said with a smile:
"Sister Lu, feel free to go to Xianyang and edit the book. I, Liu Ji, will help you keep an eye on your hometown!"
"Thank you so much, Brother Ji!"
When Lu Zhi heard Liu Ji's promise, the smile on her face became more genuine, and she immediately bowed to Liu Ji in a graceful manner.
Lu Gong, who was standing beside the two of them and watching the scene, could hardly contain himself. The "couple" he had been optimistic about turned into "half-sisters". For him, an old father, Liu Ji could no longer be his son-in-law. The regret in Lu Gong's heart was no less than Liu Ji's!
Liu Ji looked up at the sunset glow, then rolled up the notice in his hand and tucked it under his arm. He looked at the father and daughter in front of him and said with a smile:
"I think it's getting late. Today is Sister Lu's good day. I won't stay here to bother Mr. Lu and Sister Lu."
"The notice says at the end that the one hundred Imperial Capital Administrative Officers who passed the exam this year can arrive in Xianyang by January next spring at the latest. Sister Lu, please plan your time accordingly. Pei County is over two thousand miles away from Xianyang, so even if you travel at a leisurely pace, it will take about a month."
"It's cold, the road is long, and the going is difficult. There might be wild beasts and thieves lurking in the dense forests on both sides of the official road. As far as I know, there will be a caravan from Pei County heading to Bashu in Qin territory at the beginning of next month. The county magistrate has some connections with that caravan. The journey to Qin is long and difficult, and Miss Lu is as beautiful as a flower. It would be safer to go with a reliable caravan."
It was precisely in the acquisition of this kind of first-hand information that the role of Liu Ji, the head of the Sishui Pavilion and the local tyrant of Fengyi, was greatly revealed.
Knowing that Liu Ji was trying to curry favor with her, Lü Zhi also appreciated it and nodded with a smile:
"Thank you, Brother Ji, for letting me know. I'll make arrangements for the trip now that I know."
Smart people always pay great attention to propriety in what they say and do.
Liu Ji saw that Lu Zhi had a clear idea in her mind and knew that he really couldn't become the son-in-law of the Lu family. Seeing that it was getting dark, he bowed again, turned around and said goodbye with a roll of notice.
Looking at Liu Ji's graceful back as he left, Lu Gong couldn't help but stretch out his hand and twirl his beard.
Thick-skinned, well-informed, able to take on and let go, Liu Ji is truly extraordinary! If he ever gets the chance, this humble pavilion chief will surely prosper rapidly.
Seeing Liu Ji leave, his daughter turned around and walked back with a happy face, as if she couldn't wait to go to the backyard to tell the good news to her mother, sister, brother and sisters-in-law.
The daughter walked quickly in front, and Lu Gong also quickly followed behind her. Seeing his daughter's excitement, he couldn't help but frown and said:
"Chi'er, I'm naturally proud of you for successfully passing the exam to become a Zhidianlang. However, I still think Liu Ji has a bright future. If you can marry him now, you will definitely live a good life in the future."
After hearing that Liu Ji had given up, her father started talking about the marriage that had made her avoid it and upset her all summer. Things were different now. The position of Zhidianlang had given Lu Zhi great confidence!
With a solid support behind her, she felt at ease and calm. She was too lazy to argue with her old father or try to persuade him. She hurried to the backyard, changed her mind, and said to her old father who was following behind her in a light tone without turning her head:
"Father, I'm afraid you didn't hear the second half of Liu Ji's words clearly, right?"
"The imperial court has a clear requirement that all one hundred Palace Guards arrive in Xianyang City by January of next year at the latest. If we can successfully travel all the way from Pei County to Xianyang, the time lost on the road alone will take a month."
"It's already September, and next month is the New Year. If father can manage his connections well, your daughter will leave home at the beginning of the New Year. With such a short time, there's no time or possibility for marriage with Liu Ji, Li Ji, Lu Ji, or Fan Ji, let alone Liu Ji!"
"Father, since he's so proficient in the project and said Liu Ji would definitely have a great future, how could he not have seen that I could also pass the exam to become a Zhidianlang through my own unremitting efforts!"
Hearing his daughter's last words questioning his professionalism, Lu Gong couldn't help but choke and shut up completely.
Lu Zhi glanced sideways and saw her old father's hair, which had turned much whiter, as he lowered his head in silence. He had brought their whole family to hide from place to place under the shadow of the war when Qin conquered Qi, and then ran from their hometown to Pei County in Chu. Naturally, her father had suffered a lot, both openly and secretly.
Seeing that her father's hair and beard had turned a lot white in just a few years, the resentment that had accumulated in Lu Zhi's heart in the past few months disappeared at this moment after she brought herself a great sense of security.
Her emotions calmed down, and she turned to her father who had come to her side, and whispered slowly:
"Father, I know you're doing this for my own good, but I've always felt that no one in this world can truly rely on anyone else to live the good life they dream of."
"As the saying goes, if you lean on the mountain, the mountain will fall; if you lean on the water, the water will flow. Perhaps one day Liu Ji will really become as prosperous as my father expected, but even if he becomes prosperous, the woman who can enjoy his life by his side may not be me."
"Liu Ji is such a playful and playful person! He's still unmarried and a mere pavilion chief, yet he's already fathered an illegitimate child with a young widow. Who knows how many concubines he'll have when he becomes a high-ranking official? By then, I'll be by his side, raising children for him, managing the household, taking care of my parents-in-law, and doing everything myself. I'll definitely be old and faded."
"Oh, using beauty to serve a man, but when beauty fades, love fades. When that day really comes, whether I can live a good life with him, it's really hard to say."
"It would be fine if there were no opportunities, but now there's a great opportunity before me. I'm naturally strong-willed. Instead of waiting for a man to give me an uncertain future, why can't I seize the opportunity and rely on my own abilities to live the life I want?"
"No matter how precious Liu Ji's appearance is, can it be more precious than the current emperor? Isn't the most promising man in the world Qin Shi Huang, who lives in the Xianyang Palace?"
"My daughter can compile a book for the First Emperor. Once she has established herself in Xianyang City, won't she be able to help my eldest brother, second brother, and several nephews and nieces?"
"Even if Liu Ji becomes more prosperous in the future, he will only support people with the surname 'Liu'. We, with the surname 'Lü', will never see a future."
Listening to his daughter's logical and clear words, Lu Gong's two gray brows couldn't help but frown and relax, and then frown again.
The father and daughter talked while the other listened. One tried hard to "paint the cake" while the other pursed his lips to "eat the cake". They walked through the front yard, the middle yard, and the back yard.
When they finally arrived at the backyard and told the rest of the family the good news, the entire Lu Mansion became lively.
Aunt Lu was even more delighted as she held her daughter's right hand, which was so thin that the joints on the wrist were protruding, and she cried and laughed at the same time.
Although the brothers Lu Ze and Lu Shizhi did not pass the exam to become Zhidianlang, the five siblings had a close relationship. Seeing their second sister pass the exam was no different from the two of them, and they were equally happy.
The brothers' wives and Lu Zhi's eldest sister Lu Changzuo all looked at their second aunt/sister with envy and admiration. The three of them were gentle ladies and had never thought that one day they would see with their own eyes a woman in their family rush into the court and have a fierce argument with a group of men over a political matter in the court of the imperial capital.
Although they all came from Qi, and although they all knew that before the fall of Qi, the mother of the last King of Qi, Tian Jian, the Queen Mother, was also a regent who had ruled for many years as a woman, they still couldn't imagine how the second sister-in-law/second sister, who ate and drank together every day at home, could achieve such a dazzling achievement.
On the contrary, several young children who were lying, sitting or walking around were all looking at their second aunt with admiration. Although these children had no idea where Xianyang City was or what "Zhi Dian Lang" did, they all knew that their second aunt was more powerful than their father (eldest uncle)!
My second aunt is going to the imperial capital to be an official soon!
Several children stared at Lu Zhi with sparkling eyes. Lu Ai also took her daughter's hand, as if she had won a great victory. She looked up and said to Lu Gong with a smile:
"Father, Chi'er has achieved first place in the exam and will soon be going to Xianyang to serve as an official. Your Lu family hasn't produced such a promising person in three generations. After all, you are the head of our family. Do you think we should make some arrangements?"
Seeing his wife now as energetic as if she had taken a tonic pill, with no more back pain or leg pain, no more yelling or raging, no more scratching her face with those sharp red nails, and even after they were done, she still sobbed and pulled the rope, shouting that she didn't want to live anymore and was going to hang herself! Lu Gong couldn't help but tremble violently.
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