Chapter 129 Returning Home in Splendor

Chapter 129 Returning Home in Splendor

Setting off from the capital back to Xiangping Prefecture, with a minimal entourage and escorted by imperial soldiers, the journey was even quicker than before. Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse arrived in Xiangping Prefecture within ten days.

It was already the end of March, and the fields along the way were planted with crops. The green seedlings flourished in the fields, a delightful sight.

When passing by several imperial estates, Qiu Huanian noticed traces of cotton.

Under the Crown Prince's arrangement, imperial estates across the country had begun experimental cotton planting and collecting data. If all went well, it could be promoted nationwide next year.

Judging by the Crown Prince's tone, it seemed he had taken a keen interest in Qiu Huanian. After returning to the capital, Qiu Huanian would have to work with officials from the Ministry of Revenue who managed the imperial estates to compile the data reported from various regions and find suitable solutions.

Of course, the Crown Prince also implied to Qiu Huanian that if this task was done well, his title could be promoted to County Lord.

In the Yu Dynasty, titles for women and sons were divided from lower to higher as Township Lord, County Lord, and Commandery Prince.

Actually, there were also Princess and Azure Phoenix Lord above these, but those were titles only for the emperor's daughters and sons.

Among the other three titles, Commandery Prince was generally only granted to those of royal lineage, so County Lord was the highest title an ordinary person could achieve.

In the Yu Dynasty, Township Lord had no rank, County Lord was of the fifth rank, Commandery Prince was of the third rank, and Princess or Azure Phoenix Lord was of the first rank.

Currently, there was only one Azure Phoenix Lord in the entire Yu Dynasty. He was a son born to the late emperor, a half-brother of the Yuanhua Emperor, with the title Azure Phoenix Lord of Qiwu.

It was said that the Yuanhua Emperor lost his mother at a young age, and the mother of the Azure Phoenix Lord of Qiwu had once taken care of him. In the late years of the late emperor, the mother of the Azure Phoenix Lord of Qiwu died during childbirth, and the late emperor considered this an ominous sign, developing a strong aversion to the Azure Phoenix Lord of Qiwu.

Later, when the Yuanhua Emperor ascended the throne, he took the then three-year-old Azure Phoenix Lord of Qiwu to be raised in the empress's palace and bestowed him with the title. It could be said that the Azure Phoenix Lord of Qiwu was raised by the empress and grew up with the Crown Prince.

Unlike the Crown Prince, who had been frail since childhood, the Azure Phoenix Lord of Qiwu was lively and active from a young age, disliking constraints and not fond of staying in the palace. In his teens, he became a disciple of a Taoist master and left the palace to seek immortals, rarely returning to the capital, often not even once a year.

Qiu Huanian had only heard of his renowned name but had never actually met this first-rank Azure Phoenix Lord.

However, he vaguely heard someone mention that this year was the Yuanhua Emperor's fiftieth birthday, and the Azure Phoenix Lord of Qiwu should return to the capital to celebrate before summer.

At that time, he might have the chance to meet him.

Life in the capital, the heart of the Yu Dynasty's economy, power, and culture, was vibrant and full of promise.

On the third day of the fourth month of the twenty-third year of Yuanhua, Qiu Huanian and his party arrived at the city gate of Xiangping Prefecture.

Their return had already been known to everyone, and the imperial soldiers' escort was quite a sight. News had long been sent into the city, and when they were still three miles from the city gate, a crowd had already gathered at the pavilion to welcome them.

Qiu Huanian lifted the carriage curtain and saw from afar Jiu Jiu, Chun Sheng, Yun Cheng, Meng Yuanling, Su Xinbai, the Zhu brothers, the Shu couple, the Huang sisters, and others standing at the forefront.

In addition, a group of officials from Xiangping Prefecture led by Si Jing were also present.

"They're here, they're here!"

"Brother and Brother Hua are back!"

The carriage stopped nearby, and Xing Mi helped Qiu Huanian jump down. Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng immediately rushed up, ignoring decorum and embracing them immediately.

This trip to the capital for the exams had taken over two months, and for the two children, they had never been separated from their brothers for so long.

Jiu Jiu calmed down quickly, while Chun Sheng hugged Qiu Huanian for a while, then went to hug Du Yunse. Du Yunse patted his head, this time refraining from lecturing him on etiquette.

Chun Sheng's nose twitched, and his eyes turned red, but he didn’t express his feelings impulsively. Instead, he stood aside with his sister, waiting for the adults to conclude their formalities.

The past year had passed, and Chun Sheng was almost nine years old. Having been without his parents for over two months, he appeared to have matured significantly.

After the two children stepped aside, Si Jing, the magistrate of Xiangping Prefecture, stepped forward to congratulate Du Yunse.

"At the Dragon Boat Festival poetry competition two years ago, I knew that Du Yunse, the Number One Scholar, was extraordinary. In just two years, he has already achieved the top rank in the imperial examination. It truly makes me both admire and feel ashamed!"

The magistrate is a fourth-rank official, several levels higher than Du Yunse's current sixth-rank position. However, Si Jing was well aware that this higher rank was only temporary. The future prospects of the Number One Scholar were far beyond those of ordinary imperial examination candidates. In a few years, Du Yunse's official position would surpass the accumulation of Si Jing's entire career.

Therefore, Si Jing spoke to Du Yunse as an equal.

Having the Number One Scholar emerge from Xiangping Prefecture was a significant political achievement for him. As the magistrate of Xiangping Prefecture, he naturally had a close relationship with Du Yunse. In the future, when Du Yunse rose to prominence, Si Jing would have a connection in the court.

Du Yunse showed no signs of arrogance and respectfully clasped his hands to Si Jing, "Your Excellency is too kind. I must also thank you for your previous care and support."

Si Jing chuckled, "It is my fortune to have been able to support the Number One Scholar."

"Du Yunse, the Number One Scholar, should be returning to your hometown to pay homage to your ancestors, right? How many days will you stay in Xiangping Prefecture?"

Du Yunse looked at Qiu Huanian.

After thinking for a moment, Qiu Huanian said, "Xiangping Prefecture is a considerable distance from the capital, and Zhang County is even further. With just a month's leave, time is tight. We can stay in Xiangping Prefecture for at most three to five days."

At the Dragon Boat Festival poetry competition that year, Si Jing had already known how much Du Yunse valued his husband. Seeing this scene, he was not puzzled but mused to himself at how rare it was to find someone who remained unchanged despite wealth and status.

"That should be enough. I would like to request a day of Du Yunse's time."

"Many scholars in Xiangping Prefecture wish to learn from the Number One Scholar. The prefectural office should also hold a grand banquet to celebrate. How about choosing one day to engage in literary and philosophical discussions with the scholars at Qingfeng Academy during the day and hold a grand feast at Mingfeng Terrace in the evening?"

As the newly minted Number One Scholar, these hometown activities were unavoidable. The magistrate had personally come out of the city to welcome him, and if he didn't attend, it would surely be seen as arrogant and disrespectful.

Du Yunse nodded, "Then let's set it for the day after tomorrow."

After Si Jing established a relationship with Du Yunse and received confirmation, the other officials also stepped forward to congratulate Du Yunse.

While Du Yunse was mingling, Qiu Huanian took a moment to chat with his old friends.

"Why didn't you rest properly at home and came straight out of the city?"

Su Xinbai adjusted his satin cloak, "I've been stuck indoors for too long. The weather is nice today, so I wanted to take a stroll outside the city."

Qiu Huanian raised an eyebrow, "You didn't come just to pick me up?"

Su Xinbai seemed to take a great interest in the jade pendant on Qiu Huanian's waist.

Zhu Jingcheng smiled and quickly came to his husband's rescue.

"Little Raccoon can already smile and turn his head towards sounds. It's a pity the wind is too strong to bring him here. When will you come to see the child, Huanian? Xinbai has been waiting for a long time."

Qiu Huanian laughed, "I've already prepared the gift for Little Raccoon. Have you prepared the ceremony for the godparent ceremony?"

Seeing Qiu Huanian bring this up, Zhu Jingcheng's smile grew even wider.

"We've been prepared for a while. Not just us, even my grandparents have been reminding us every few days."

This was no exaggeration. Ever since the news of Du Yunse passing the metropolitan imperial examination came back, the entire Zhu family had been overjoyed. Later, when the news of Du Yunse becoming the Number One Scholar arrived by express courier, the Zhu family patriarch was so delighted that he drank an entire jar of wine.

A twenty-one-year-old Number One Scholar, an unprecedented six-time top scorer in the imperial examinations—such a rare talent had been discovered by the Zhu family in his humble beginnings, and they had formed a close bond with him. How could they not be excited and overjoyed!

In his drunken state, the Zhu family patriarch held the hand of his most accomplished eldest grandson and went on.

"Our Zhu family has risen through several generations to become a major merchant family in Liaozhou. We thought there was no further opportunity for advancement, but then we had such an outstanding descendant like you, who married the eldest son of a second-rank official and befriended the new noble who achieved six top scores in the imperial examinations..."

"Jingcheng, your destiny isn't confined to Liaozhou. Who knows, one day you might step into a wider world to make your mark!"

...

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse exchanged greetings with friends who had come out of the city to welcome them. Everyone had been eagerly anticipating their return, and the excitement was palpable.

However, they also knew that Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse were tired from their journey, so after a brief chat, they let them go home to rest, promising to visit another day.

So, a crowd trailed the Number One Scholar's carriage procession, making a grand return to Xiangping Prefecture.

Following orders, the leader of the capital army escorting them hoisted a large wooden plaque proclaiming the Number One Scholar's success and his appointment to the Hanlin Academy, while two others played gongs and drums.

The army escorting the Number One Scholar home, complete with ceremonial items, was a display of the emperor's grandeur. Failing to showcase these at the destination would be seen as disrespectful to the emperor, a serious offense in ancient times.

As the gongs and drums sounded outside the carriage, Qiu Huanian softly drew back the curtain. As the procession neared Xiangping Prefecture and passed through the city gates, some headed home, while throngs of curious onlookers lined the broad streets.

Some educated folks explained the meanings of "Number One Scholar" and "Appointment to the Hanlin Academy" to those nearby, eliciting gasps of wonder from the crowd.

Cheers, clapping, and prayers blended together, wafting over Xiangping Prefecture in early April.

The procession bearing the large red wooden plaque sliced through the swelling crowd like a sharp blade through water. People naturally cleared a path ahead and closed ranks behind, steadily following the Number One Scholar's carriage procession all the way to their home.

With Wu Da at the helm, a group of servants had assembled at the gate to greet them. Upon their arrival, they promptly ignited a lengthy string of hundreds of red firecrackers.

The crackle of firecrackers echoed for a while, and the festive scent of gunpowder hung in the air.

"Welcome home, Master and Township Lord! Congratulations on becoming the Number One Scholar!"

Qiu Huanian smiled and ushered everyone inside.

Lark had readied hot water for washing beforehand, while old lady Jin and Uncle Mumian had laid out a large spread of dishes, all kept warm in steamers.

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse freshened up and changed in the tidy main room before joining the meal in the flower hall.

"Serve the dishes, then you're free to go. Bai Quan and Xing Mi have been with us for over two months, and your families must be missing them."

Wu Da, Lark, and Mumian indeed missed their children and had plenty to ask them. After expressing their gratitude, they departed.

Meng Yuanling spoke up, "Brother Hua, during your two-month absence, the plum blossom ointment sold like hotcakes. Together with the earnings from oyster sauce and other snacks, we netted over five hundred taels of silver!"

Qiu Huanian recalled that before departing the capital, they had thrown a farewell banquet. The renowned opera troupe was secured through the connections of Taiping Marquis Kang Zhong, who had reached out to them. The banquet had set them back over three hundred taels of silver.

This left him with six to seven hundred taels of silver, along with the five hundred taels he had left at home before leaving and the over five hundred taels freshly earned by Qiu's Six Staples, totaling one thousand seven hundred taels of silver in household savings.

This sum, taken to the capital, would suffice for a comfortable living for at least half a year, provided they didn't splurge.

However, to play it safe, after this visit, they should set up Qiu's Six Staples in the capital.

After Meng Yuanling wrapped up the business talk, Yun Cheng also touched on his studies.

In another month, around the Dragon Boat Festival, the new academy exam would take place. Yun Cheng had already signed up to attempt the scholar title. Du Yunse believed Yun Cheng would pass without a hitch this time.

A seventeen-year-old scholar would be hailed as a prodigy in a farming family.

Next up was Jiu Jiu. In the two months Qiu Huanian was gone, Jiu Jiu had kept the household in impeccable order and had joined Zhu Xian and Su Xinyao at several flower banquets.

Jiu Jiu was at an age where she was growing rapidly, and after two months, she seemed to have grown taller. Qiu Huanian looked at the graceful eleven or twelve-year-old Jiu Jiu with a sense of pride, as if seeing his own daughter blossoming.

After Jiu Jiu finished speaking, Qiu Huanian waited for Chun Sheng's "long speech."

However, Chun Sheng's lips moved as if he had something on his mind, and he didn't speak up immediately.