Chapter 623 - 254 Tearing the Face Off (Part 1)
Time flew, and the spring imperial examination had arrived. As always, it was a bustling event, and this year was no exception. However, all of this had nothing to do with Yueyao, and she didn’t bother to pay it any attention.
Ever since she secured second place in the competition, Yueyao felt that destiny had opened a grand door for her, and she no longer needed to worry about the future. As long as she continued down this path, she would undoubtedly make a name for herself across the world.
One day, returning from the fields, Yueyao heard that a letter had arrived from Ma’s Mansion.
After washing her hands, Yueyao opened the letter. It was written by Zhuang Ruolan; this time, instead of the usual family small talk, she mentioned two things.
The first was that Tingli had achieved first place in the second echelon. First place in the second echelon, also known as Second Place Scholar, ranked just after the top three ranks and was considered a very prestigious position.
Yueyao was not surprised by this news; in his previous life, Tingli had been Second Place Scholar, then married a daughter of the Peng Family, and had a smooth career in the government.
But the second piece of news caused Yueyao concern. In the letter, Zhuang Ruolan told Yueyao that Li Guoxing had been appointed by the emperor as the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi. The position of Governor-General was that of a Second Rank official, a high-ranking official in charge of a territory. With Li Guoxing’s promotion to such a position, his capability was evident. If things continued on this trajectory, without any mishaps, entering the Cabinet would be within reach.
After reading the letter, Yueyao became deeply worried.
Xiang Wei noticed that Yueyao seemed a bit off and asked, "What happened?" There must have been something wrong, or Yueyao wouldn’t have looked like this.
Yueyao shook her head and said, "Uncle Li has been appointed Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi by the emperor and will set out soon. I’m worried about Tingzheng." Yueyao was genuinely pleased with Li Guoxing’s promotion, but his departure would turn Tingzheng into a problematic matter.
Her first choice was naturally to send Tingzheng to an academy, but given Tingzheng’s talents, he would not be admitted to a good one; plus, due to Tingzheng’s appearance, Yueyao couldn’t rest easy even if he did attend an academy. Moreover, now that Tingli had become Second Place Scholar, the Lian family was on the rise. Yueyao was very concerned that Great Uncle Lian Dongfang would meddle in Tingzheng’s affairs for the sake of reputation, and that was something she would never allow.
After much thought, Yueyao couldn’t come up with a good solution and decided to return home the next day; even if there were problems, she couldn’t solve them from so far away.
When Yueyao returned to Ma’s Mansion, she happened to meet Ma Chengteng. It was only after seeing Ma Chengteng that she learned the second-highest scholar of the top three ranks this time was Li Heng, Li Guoxing’s eldest son.