Chapter 348: Chapter 139: The Xie Family
"With your knowledge, even the Provincial Examination should be no trouble for you. Will you be staying to take it as well?"
Zhao Jing cupped his hands. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Lord Prefect. It’s just that I am still young. While it may be considered brave to press on, I would rather take two more years to deepen my knowledge."
Mr. Sheng watched Zhao Jing with a profound gaze. After a long moment, he spoke with deep meaning, "You, boy... you have grand ambitions."
Zhao Jing didn’t deny it. He simply said, "I am still young. There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious."
Mr. Sheng gestured at him from a distance. "Since that is the case, I wish you swift success in achieving your desires."
"And I wish the same for you, Lord Prefect."
In just a few simple sentences, it seemed as if the two of them had said nothing at all, yet at the same time, had said everything.
A short while later, Zhao Jing shared a cup of wine with Mr. Sheng and exchanged a few more pleasantries before returning to his seat.
The moment he returned, De’an darted over to him.
"What did you talk about? What did you and the Lord Prefect say to each other?"
Wang Jun and the others didn’t say a word, but their eyes were fixed on Zhao Jing, eagerly awaiting his response.
Zhao Jing said calmly, "Not much. We just made some small talk."
"Bullshit! Who do you think you’re kidding? He’s the Lord Prefect! You think he has time to make small talk with you?"
"It’s true. The Lord Prefect asked if I was Chen Song’s son-in-law. I nodded and said I was..."
Zhao Jing paused, and De’an couldn’t help but press, "And then? And then?"
"The Lord Prefect said my father-in-law is sharp and capable, a man of great talent..."
The others were still listening with pricked ears, but Zhao Jing offered no more useful information.
De’an knew this wasn’t the right place to talk, but curiosity was killing him.
’He wanted to ask if the Lord Prefect had mentioned how to protect one’s family and prevent their inheritance from being seized. He also wanted to ask if the Lord Prefect hadn’t shown Zhao Jing special favor and invited him to study at the prefectural academy.’
Unfortunately, this truly wasn’t the place for such a conversation. De’an could only swallow his questions, shut his mouth, and drink his wine in frustration.
Since even De’an had returned defeated, the others could only return to their seats with a sigh of regret.
Wang Jun muttered under his breath, "I thought the Lord Prefect would summon us, too."
"Dream on."
"But we did have that fateful meeting... we had tea together..."
Shang Liangchun leaned over. "What’s this about tea? You had tea with the Lord Prefect?"
Wang Jun quickly denied it. "You misheard. What I meant was, if we had the chance to have tea with the Lord Prefect, I wonder if he could arrange a good position for us."
Shang Liangchun was surprised. "You’re looking for a position already? Don’t you want to continue with the examinations? Your family shouldn’t need you to support them. It would be a terrible waste if you didn’t take the Provincial Examination."
Wang Jun laughed it off, saying, "Of course I’m going to take it. I just thought doing some odd jobs at the government office first to gain some experience wouldn’t be a bad idea."
After Shang Liangchun turned to speak with Chu Xun, Wang Jun and De’an exchanged a look of lingering fear.
He’d almost let it slip.
If Shang Liangchun found out about their past dealings with the Lord Prefect, he might suspect that their titles as Scholars weren’t entirely legitimate.
Although a collection of the best essays would eventually be published, that was still a long way off.
Even if they were vindicated, there would always be whispers. Carrying that kind of reputation would be unpleasant.
...
The banquet was lively, the food a feast for the senses, and even the flattery from the other successful candidates was artfully subtle.
If not for his self-restraint, De’an would have been completely captivated by all the splendor.
He turned to look at Zhao Jing and saw that Jing’s gaze was clear and composed, completely unmoved. It was as if all this splendor were nothing but passing clouds, an illusion unworthy of his notice.
"Jing, are you really not moved by any of this?" De’an gestured at their surroundings. "Beautiful women, fine wine, exquisite food, all the flattery..."
Zhao Jing placed a piece of fish belly into his bowl. "It’s all illusory. Only your own abilities and achievements are real. Study hard, pass the exams, and you’ll have everything you could want in the future."
When the banquet ended, everyone walked out of the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office together, carrying the gifts bestowed upon them by the Lord Prefect: a brand-new set of the Four Books, a complete set of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and a new student uniform for each of them, made of blue silk with dark blue trim.
As he stepped down the stairs, the cool night air hit him, making his already clear mind feel even sharper.
He glanced back at the government office, from which the scent of wine and meat still emanated, then firmly strode away.
...
After the banquet at the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office, County Magistrate Mr. Cheng prepared to return to Qingshui County.
Some of the other men who had successfully become Scholars were also preparing to return home with him.
Zhao Jing, De’an, and Chen Wanqing, however, were not planning on returning just yet.
They planned to visit Mr. Xie’s Book Collection Building first.
