Chapter 192: The Affair of Dujia Village

Chapter 192: The Affairs of Du Village

Du Yunse returned home in the evening, untouched by the heavy rain.

Rumor had it that the new emperor had personally arranged for a palace carriage to take him all the way to the east gate of Chang'an. When Quan Yu came back and talked about it, he looked like he was sharing in the glory.

However, upon seeing Wu Da, who had already returned, the smile on his face immediately stiffened, then deepened.

The two men addressed each other as brothers, exchanging insincere pleasantries while secretly competing.

The master's household was visibly thriving, and they too had to strive to keep up, lest they be left behind!

Today, distant relatives were visiting, so the kitchen prepared several extra dishes and brought out the large dining table.

On the table was a steamed sea fish, a foot and a half long, placed right in the center, making a big impression.

Wang Yinzhi and Deng Die, a couple from nearby Haijin Town, sent the sea fish. Since Haijin Town is close to the capital, the fish arrived still very fresh. The kitchen simply prepared it, steamed it in a pot, seasoned it with a bit of soy sauce, and topped it with shredded scallions and red chili, then poured hot oil over it, making it incredibly delicious.

Once they moved to Tianjin, Qiu Huanian thought about how they could enjoy such delicacies daily, lifting his spirits.

Over dinner, Ye Taohong and Qiu Huanian talked over family matters with Du Yunse.

When a new emperor took the throne, it was tradition to hold an extra round of exams—sometimes just the big city and palace tests, and other times including the local ones too.

This special examination added an extra chance to the regular triennial imperial examination cycle, effectively giving scholars another shot.

To demonstrate the new emperor's magnanimity and to seek good fortune, the pass rates for this special examination would be higher than usual, making it an unmissable opportunity.

Ye Taohong wanted to find out if Yun Cheng could take the local exam in this special round.

Yun Cheng had already aced the county test; if this special round included the local exam, he could give it a shot this fall.

To allow the people to recuperate and encourage production and daily life, the Yu Dynasty's laws had humanely shortened the mourning period significantly—one month for deep mourning and twelve months for regular mourning.

As long as he wasn't in deep mourning, Yun Cheng could take the local exam in August.

The new emperor hadn't officially taken the throne, and with the court on hold, regular folks couldn't get any info on the special exams.

But for Du Yunse, who was in and out of the imperial city every day on government business, it was no big deal.

"Yun Cheng's studies have progressed rapidly, and he is ready to take the exam. I will compile some provincial exam questions and study materials and have them sent back to him."

While the imperial intentions could not be directly stated, subtle hints at this level would surely make Yun Cheng understand the underlying message and prepare diligently.

Ye Taohong's face lit up with genuine happiness for Yun Cheng.

Her big brother and his wife were fair folks. Back in the village, Yun Cheng had looked out for Cun Lan. Even though Ye Taohong had drifted apart from her father-in-law and couldn't stand the third brother's family, she still saw her big brother and his wife as family.

After dinner, everyone dispersed, and Qiu Huanian asked Wu Da to inquire in detail about the events in Du Village.

Du Yunse went to the nursery room to watch the two children fall asleep and, upon returning, casually closed the doors and windows.

"The old master got sick out of the blue, and when we got there, the village was in a bit of a mess."

"Mostly, it was the Du Bao Li family stirring up trouble. With the clan school, the village had grown fast and gotten more mixed. Wei Liuhua, swamped with her kid, didn't have the time to run the school, and some shady characters took advantage."

Last year, after Du Yunse won the title of Number One Scholar, Qiu Huanian's family returned to their hometown. At that time, Wei Liuhua was already four to five months pregnant. The child was born in mid-October last year, and Qiu Huanian had specially sent gifts back.

Once Gu Gu and Yang Yang came along, Qiu Huanian really got how tough it is to look after babies, needing to keep an eye on them all the time to avoid any trouble.

Wei Liuhua had no servants to help her, nor did she have a mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, or a younger sister-in-law to assist. Youge was still young, and Yunhu was busy with heavy fieldwork, so most of the childcare responsibilities fell solely on her, which was truly exhausting.

"Jiu Jiu wants to start a business in clothing and accessories. Let her write back and ask Sister-in-law Liuhua if she would like to join and help."

Wei Liuhua's exceptional talent in needlework and her extraordinary embroidery skills shouldn't be wasted on mundane household chores. She deserves a better career.

Wu Da continued to talk about the village affairs.

After Wu Da and others returned to the village with Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse's instructions, those with restless minds immediately calmed down.

Going against the County Lord and the Number One Scholar was like throwing an egg against a rock. No one was foolish enough to do something that offered no benefit.

The clan leader, after taking the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician, felt a bit better. He summoned his eldest son, Bao Ren, to his bedside. After hearing about the village events during his confused state, he remained silent for a long time.

Though Bao Yi's family had returned, it was obvious they weren't close to the clan leader. Ye Taohong only came in to offer her greetings when she first arrived, Cun Lan remained silent, and Yun Ying, though he didn't remember much from before he was three, followed his mother and sister's example and didn't stay long in the clan leader's room.

The clan leader lay on the kang, feeling waves of sadness, but he also understood that this was the result of his own favoritism and couldn't blame others.

Bao Li's family cried outside the clan leader's brick-walled courtyard every day, saying they wanted to see their old father one last time and fulfill their filial duties. After consulting with Bao Ren, Bao Yi allowed them in.

When Bao Li saw the clan leader, he didn't say much but subtly hinted that his three sons were growing up and would soon need to marry and start families. His family was too poor, and he wanted to seek some benefits from the clan leader again.

The clan leader's eyes scanned the father and sons, their expressions identical. He closed his eyes and said nothing, never mentioning his third son's family again.

"During the funeral procession for the elder master, almost all the prominent figures from Zhang County came. That family suddenly rushed out during the funeral procession, knelt in the middle of the road, and wailed, accusing Bao Ren and Bao Yi of mistreating their brother."

Yun Cheng, Bao Ren's son, was preparing for the imperial examination, while Bao Yi served as a court official. The accusation of mistreating a brother was not a good reputation for either family.

Wu Da sneered, "They were clever for once, but not clever enough. Everyone who came to the funeral was there because of your influence. As long as you support the two masters, who would speak up for them?"

"Besides, Yun Cheng was there. With a few words, he exposed their lies and showed everyone the true nature of that family."

After the elder master's funeral, Yun Cheng had the ancestral hall opened and, according to the clan rules, expelled them from Du Village for causing trouble during their father's mourning and slandering their clan. The outsiders who had been guiding them were also identified and expelled.

Wu Da finished recounting the events and their outcome, then took a breath.

Qiu Huanian nodded, relieved, and motioned for Wu Da to take a sip of tea.

Although life in Du Village had its minor disturbances, everything was on track. After the clan leader passed away, Bao Ren took over the position as the new clan leader. Qiu Huanian was confident that Bao Ren and Meng Fuyue would excel in their roles.

However, with the new emperor ascending the throne and opening an additional imperial examination, the clan school teacher, Liao Cang, would likely not miss such a good opportunity. If Liao Cang passed the examination, Du Village would need to find another teacher.

Qiu Huanian wasn't worried about this. Given Du Yunse's reputation for acing six levels of the imperial examination consecutively, finding a skilled teacher would be a breeze.

Qiu Huanian let Wu Da go to rest and smiled at Du Yunse, "After a few years of twists and turns, everyone will be gathering in the capital again."

Not only might Wei Liuhua, Yun Cheng, and Liao Cang come to the capital, but once the establishment of Tianjin Prefecture is officially announced, Zhu Jingcheng and Su Xinbai are also likely to come.

Old friends gathering together, how could it not be joyous?