Chapter 127 - 128: The Return
Startled, Deng Yuanhang rushed to an escort agency to hire a carriage the moment he left the government office, traveling through the night with Wang Biyi, his servant, and Ancient Wen Heng in tow.
"You’re making a mountain out of a molehill," Wang Biyi fumed. "You’re just new Scholars. Do you really think those officials would take a fancy to you?"
"Back when I became a scholar, I never saw anyone trying to force a match on me."
Deng Yuanhang retorted, "How old were you then, Teacher? And were you already married?"
Wang Biyi pursed his lips. When he had become a scholar, he was already past thirty; naturally, he had a wife and children by then.
"You young rascal! Once you’ve been weathered by time, you’ll understand just how important a good Yue Family is. Don’t play coy now that you’re in a desirable position."
Deng Yuanhang quickly put his hands together in a plea for mercy. "You’re right about everything, Teacher. Unfortunately, the elders in my family make these decisions. If I dared to agree to anything on my own, my parents would skin me alive when I got back."
"Besides, I’m still young and want to seize this opportunity to see if I can advance further. I don’t want these romantic entanglements to hold me back."
Wang Biyi didn’t buy his excuses for a second. He pointed at Ancient Wen Heng. "You should learn a thing or two from your junior brother here. Getting married and studying aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, his ranking is even better than yours! Sometimes, having a stable home front allows us men to strive even harder..."
Ancient Wen Heng deliberately ignored Deng Yuanhang’s pleading expression. ’Serves him right,’ he thought. ’Who told him to hit one of Teacher’s sore spots? If he hadn’t been older when he became a scholar, he probably would have pushed himself to take the examination for Advanced Scholar.’
He stole a glance at Wang Biyi. ’I never realized Teacher could lecture so relentlessly. Even Deng Yuanhang can’t handle it.’
The moment they arrived at the county town, Li Yong was already waiting for them at the gate.
A barrage of congratulations kept Ancient Wen Heng and the others stuck inside the carriage.
"News certainly travels fast," Deng Yuanhang said. Seeing his parents in the crowd, he stopped hiding, lifted the carriage curtain, and jumped out.
Ancient Wen Heng carefully helped Wang Biyi out of the carriage. He and Ping’an made sure the older man was steady on his feet before letting go. "Brother Li, why did you come all the way to the town gate today?"
Li Yong laughed heartily. "My brother became a Scholar today, and the top scorer at that! How could I not hurry over to welcome you?"
Ancient Wen Heng looked at everyone, bewildered. ’But we made a run for it,’ he thought. ’How could they know? Are they fortune-tellers?’
"Wondering how we all knew?" Li Yong chuckled, seeing Ancient Wen Heng’s completely unguarded expression.
"You may have been in a carriage, but don’t forget about lone riders. The constables from the Prefecture City who came to announce the happy news arrived just a moment before you did. They must have passed you on the road and let it slip."
Just then, Ancient Wen Heng saw Jin Qianqian hurrying toward him. Suppressing a surge of excitement, he said, "Thank you, Brother Li. I’m grateful for all your help recently. Let’s have a drink together later."
Li Yong could tell at a glance that the young man’s mind was elsewhere, so he didn’t want to overstay his welcome. "It’s my pleasure. But there’s no rush for today. When you throw your celebratory banquet, we’ll be sure to drink until we drop."
"I see your wife is here, so I won’t disturb you two."
After thanking him, Ancient Wen Heng turned and went straight to Jin Qianqian. Luckily, he managed to restrain himself at the last second and didn’t pull her into an embrace in front of the large crowd.
"I didn’t expect Ancient Chief to be such a romantic," teased He Xiaodong, the constable standing beside Li Yong.
Li Yong replied, "It just shows he’s a man who values his relationships. It’s a good thing Brother Gu chose to settle here. Otherwise, we would have just handed this political achievement over to someone else."
Because Ancient Wen Heng had become the top scorer, Magistrate Tian was still celebrating in the main hall of the government office. If Ancient Wen Heng could also become the top scorer in the provincial examination, it would be a massive political achievement for him.
"You’ve worked so hard while I was away," Ancient Wen Heng said, looking Jin Qianqian up and down. "Why do you look a little worn out?"
Jin Qianqian touched her cheek. "Really? I feel like I’ve gained a little weight."
She’d been eating and sleeping at the shop, and all those pastries she’d been snacking on were packed with calories.
Ancient Wen Heng asked, "Did you get the news as well?"
Jin Qianqian grinned widely. "The government office sent someone to the shop to tell me. I knew you were the best! You always come out on top, no matter what."
Ancient Wen Heng felt a little embarrassed by her praise. "We survived that grueling, exam-focused education system. It would have been pathetic to fail the Scholar exam after all that."
"I just never expected to actually place first. That was a pleasant surprise."
Jin Qianqian glanced back at the ever-growing crowd. "Can we go home now?"
Ancient Wen Heng shook his head. "I’m afraid it won’t be until later this evening."
Jin Qianqian pressed a brocade bag into his hand. "Here, take this. And don’t be stingy. This is a joyous occasion, so spend what you need to."
Ancient Wen Heng was just about to say he hadn’t even used up the Silver Taels she’d given him last time when a pair of hands suddenly grabbed him and pulled him aside.
"Why wasn’t my name on the list?" Li Hesen demanded, his face a mask of anxiety. ’The four of us went together, so how could I be the only one who failed?’
Ancient Wen Heng could only try to console him. "There will be other opportunities."
"Opportunities?" Li Hesen’s eyes were bloodshot. "That’s impossible. This was my last chance. My family has supported my studies for so long, and my brothers have been complaining for ages. If I had a capable wife like you, then of course I’d know there would be other opportunities!"
Ancient Wen Heng’s expression hardened. "Becoming a Scholar isn’t just about family background. We were once refugees, yet we still managed to forge our own path. Your starting point was much better than ours, at least."
If so many people weren’t watching, he would have stormed off.
"Maybe there was a mistake?" Li Hesen asked, suddenly filled with hope. "Did you see the list with your own eyes? Is it possible you misread it?"
Ancient Wen Heng spread his hands. "Ping’an was the one who copied down the names. But even if he made a mistake, the messengers from the Prefecture City also came with the news, didn’t they? There’s no way they could be wrong."
The man’s expression grew darker. Ancient Wen Heng subtly shifted his position to shield Jin Qianqian behind him.
"How can this be? How? Something must have gone wrong! Even if I’m not as good as you and Senior Brother Deng, how could Zhou Ping pass when I failed?"
Ancient Wen Heng was speechless.
Jin Qianqian immediately understood. ’Just a few days ago, this man was so suave and composed when he visited the shop. Now he’s completely unhinged.’ It was a stark reminder of how much this dynasty valued the imperial examinations.
Wang Biyi naturally noticed the commotion and came over with several other teachers from the academy. "Hesen, it’s not the end of the world that you didn’t pass this time. The imperial examinations have been reinstated, so I’m sure another opportunity will come along soon. I still have faith in you."
Li Hesen covered his face. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand.
But his family could no longer afford to support him. For the sake of his livelihood, he had to make a difficult choice.
Ancient Wen Heng took the opportunity to quietly pull Jin Qianqian away from the scene.