Chapter 128

Chapter 128

Wang Ying hadn’t expected a messenger from the imperial court after such a long time.

He did possess methods to increase crop yields, though they involved a lengthy cultivation process. However, he was unsure whether revealing all this knowledge would ultimately be beneficial or detrimental.

Liang Boqing, sensing his hesitation, spoke up, "I’ve already replied on your behalf, stating that you only know how to cultivate wheat and nothing else."

"Teacher..."

"The tree that stands tallest is the first to be felled by the wind. Agriculture is the nation's bedrock. If its secrets fall into the hands of ordinary people, it could bring calamity rather than prosperity. You must understand that not everyone desires peace and abundance for the common folk. Once you threaten the interests of certain individuals, there’s no guarantee they won’t resort to ruthless measures against you."

Wang Ying shivered. This was a prospect he hadn’t considered. Old Liang’s words sent shivers down his spine.

"Thank you for helping me decline. Otherwise, I truly wouldn’t know what to do."

Indeed, older ginger is spicier, especially someone like Old Liang—a seasoned political thinker who had weathered many storms and traveled extensively. He had long seen through the court’s machinations, and to safeguard Wang Ying and his disciples, he had flatly refused the request.

Liang Boqing continued, "You needn’t feel regret. At present, Qing Yan lacks official status. Even if you were to offer your methods, the credit wouldn't fall to you. In the future, when Chen Qingyan can stand on his own, your skills will have their moment to shine, and they will undoubtedly benefit the people."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master!" Wang Ying knelt and kowtowed, his gratitude heartfelt.

"Rise quickly. I need to rest. My bones are rattled from the long carriage ride. If Qing Yan and the others return, send them directly to the study. I’ve left lessons for them."

"Understood."

After Old Liang departed, Wang Ying wiped the cold sweat from his brow, his heart still pounding.

He had been too simplistic in his thinking, believing that his memories from another life made him superior to the ancients. Little did he realize that feudal society operated on its own set of rules, which often superseded formal laws.

He recalled a history lesson from his previous life, where his teacher spoke of a Qing Dynasty anecdote: governing the populace with three taels of silver. This meant keeping the common people’s income slightly below their basic living expenses, forcing them into ceaseless labor for survival, thus leaving them no time or energy to resist the government.

Sometimes, the court didn’t desire an overly prosperous populace—only an obedient one...

Returning to his bedroom, Wang Ying entered his experimental plot and organized the notes he had been compiling. He needed to continue writing this book; otherwise, he feared he would gradually forget everything. However, he had no immediate plans to release it, choosing to wait for a more opportune moment.

He also took stock of the vegetables. He had sold a fifth of his inventory today, and there were still plenty left in the experimental plot. He planned to bring out more to sell tomorrow.

By the time he finished, it was already late. Chen Qingyan and his two younger brothers had just returned home. Seeing the carriage in the yard, they knew their teacher was back and eagerly rushed to greet him.

Wang Ying quickly stopped them. "Old Liang just went to rest. He’s exhausted from the journey. Don’t disturb him."

The three halted and lowered their voices.

They had gone to the prefectural office to register today. The county exam results had already been sent to Jizhou Prefecture along with the exam papers, so their registration went smoothly. All they needed were their household registration documents.

They had also secured Liu Changyi, a licentiate, as a guarantor. In total, there were four guarantors: Liu Changyi, his good friend Song Shi’an, and two other scholars who frequently served as guarantors.

According to custom, Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai needed to pay them a fee. Acting as a guarantor carried risks—if either Chen Qingyan or Chen Qinghuai were caught cheating, the guarantors would also be implicated.

Penalties ranged from losing government stipends and the right to act as guarantors to being barred from the imperial examinations altogether.

For this reason, most young scholars avoided such responsibilities. It was usually older licentiates who took on the role to earn extra money.

Liu Changyi and Song Shi’an waived their fees, but the two older scholars each received five silver taels as a guarantee fee. They also signed a contract stipulating that if Chen Qingyan or Chen Qinghuai caused them to lose their guarantor status, Chen Qingyan would have to compensate each of them one hundred silver taels and provide three pecks of rice per month. (The court provided three pecks of grain monthly to licentiate scholars.)

After registering, they only had to wait for the exam on the sixth day of the fourth month.

With half a month remaining until the county exam, it was the perfect time to review and solidify their knowledge.

In the study, Liang Boqing had already prepared assignments for the three, tailoring their review to address Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai’s specific weaknesses.

This highlighted the advantage of having a master nearby. In a district school, though instructors could teach them, a class of dozens of students meant individual attention was scarce. Success there relied heavily on one’s own effort and talent.

The three studied late into the night before resting. The next morning, they rose early and waited outside Old Liang’s room for him to review their essays.

Life returned to its usual rhythm—simple, fulfilling, and warm.

*

Time flew by, and soon it was April. Around the Qingming Festival, the rains were plentiful, and it drizzled nonstop for three consecutive days.

The rain wasn’t heavy, but it was persistent. If one ventured out without an umbrella, clothes would be soaked within minutes.

In the Liu family courtyard, Lord Liu was tilling the soil to plant flowers, with two servants holding umbrellas for him.

Before long, Mrs. Liu emerged. "Still tending to your flowers? Did you find out what I asked you to?"

Ever since she saw Chen Qingyun at Wang's Vegetable Shop, Mrs. Liu had been thinking about her. The girl was not only beautiful but also poised and well-mannered, without any hint of pettiness. She was simply captivating.

Coupled with the fact that the three Chen brothers were all cultured and polite, Mrs. Liu viewed Chen Qingyun through an even more favorable lens. She had been urging her husband to find out if the girl was betrothed.

Lord Liu wiped his hands and said, "I only found out that their family does have a daughter named Chen Qingyun, two years younger than our son."

Mrs. Liu’s heart leapt with joy. "Is she already engaged?"

"How would I know? Instead of me asking, why not let our son find out himself? He’s on good terms with the Liu family’s children, isn’t he?"

Qin Furong, being fiery-tempered, grew impatient at her husband’s attitude. "Marriage is a matter of parental arrangement and a matchmaker's word—it’s no trivial matter! What kind of impression would it leave if we let the child ask? It would seem as though we look down on their daughter. We might end up making enemies instead of in-laws!"

"Don’t worry…"

"How can I not worry? The Ma family’s son next door is a year younger than our son, and his child is already a month old. Our son hasn’t even settled his marriage yet!"

"We can ask after the Autumn Exams…"

"You’re not in a hurry, but what if the girl is? What if she’s already betrothed by then? It’ll be too late!"

Seeing his wife about to erupt, Lord Liu quickly relented. "I’ll find out tomorrow!"

"That’s more like it." Qin Furong calmed down. Still, their son’s opinion mattered most. Once they had the information, they would visit the family and arrange for the two young people to meet.

As luck would have it, the next day was a day off, and Liu Changyi was going to study with Chen Qingyan and the others.

Since he didn’t have their address, Liu Changyi had to go to Wang's Vegetable Shop to ask where they lived.

The rain was heavy in the morning but let up by noon. Liu Changyi headed out alone under an umbrella.

After searching along Zhengyang Street for a while, he finally found Wang's Vegetable Shop. Just as he was about to enter, a voice called out to him.

"Young master, the book bag on your back is coming undone."

Liu Changyi turned around and saw a young woman in a pale green ruqun dress standing behind him. She held an umbrella in one hand and a lunch pail in the other. She nodded slightly to him before walking straight into the vegetable shop.

By the time he snapped out of it, half of his clothes were soaked.

He quickly adjusted his umbrella and checked his book bag. Sure enough, it had come undone. If the young woman hadn’t warned him, his books would have fallen out.

He closed his umbrella and entered the shop. The young woman in green was counting money, while two young men sat nearby eating.

"What can I get for you, sir?" Lin Sui put down his chopsticks and stood up to greet him.

Liu Changyi hurriedly looked away and said nervously, "I'm here to find someone. Last time, Brother Chen Qingyan mentioned he didn’t know the name of the alley where they live, so he told me to ask at the shop..."

Wang Ying realized, "So you’re Young Master Liu, right?"

"Yes, yes, I’m Liu Changyi."

"If you’re not in a hurry, my little sister can take you along when she heads back later. Otherwise, I can't really describe the name of the alley we live in clearly."

"No rush, no rush." Liu Changyi glanced up at Chen Qingyun again.

Coincidentally, she was also looking at him. Their eyes met, and Liu Changyi, flustered, quickly turned away, which made Chen Qingyun smile.

After Wang Ying and Lin Sui finished their meal, Qing Yun packed the bowls and chopsticks into the food box and headed home with Liu Changyi.

The shop wasn't far from the alley where they lived—about a fifteen-minute walk. Along the way, Liu Changyi kept his head bowed, following behind Chen Qingyun, afraid that looking up might be rude. His eyes remained fixed on the light green skirt hem.

"We’re here, this is the place."

Chen Qingyun stopped and stepped forward to knock on the door. Shortly after, the gatekeeper opened the gate.

"Please come in, Young Master."

Liu Changyi closed his umbrella and followed Chen Qingyun into the courtyard. The yard wasn’t large but was peaceful and elegant, with many flowers and plants growing in it. In spring, they had sprouted, lush and green, looking quite charming.

"Big brother, your classmate is here to see you!" Chen Qingyun called out.

Hearing this, Chen Qingsong hurried out. "Brother Chang Yi, you’re here!"

"Brother Song."

"Come inside quickly. Big brother and second brother are writing practice exams." These past few days, Liang Boqing had found many past Prefectural Exam papers for the two to practice, much like modern mock exams.

Liu Changyi entered the room and saw Old Liang sitting to the side reading a book, while Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai were hunched over their papers, writing diligently.

He quickly bowed to Old Liang. "This junior greets Uncle Liang."

Liang Boqing looked up and said, "Chang Yi, you’re here. Come, have a seat."

Liu Changyi obediently sat beside him, placing his book bag on his knees as he watched Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai answer the exam questions.

"It’s been half a year since we last met. How has your master been lately?"

"Master is in good health, but his leg condition has been getting worse. Whenever it’s rainy or overcast, the pain makes it hard for him to walk."

Lu Zhongqi also suffered from rheumatism, even more severely than Liang Boqing. Both had developed the condition from exposure to wind in their younger years, and now it was becoming more pronounced with age.

"Just wait a moment. When Wang Ying returns, I’ll have him draw up the plans for building a heated kang bed for you. Take it back and have Zhongqi build one too. It’s exceptionally comfortable to sleep on. I slept on a kang all winter at the estate, and his leg ailment didn’t act up once."

Liu Changyi felt a surge of joy and quickly expressed his thanks.

Since the two would still need some time to finish their papers, Liang Boqing asked Liu Changyi to take out the essays he had written recently.

Such an opportunity was rare and precious, so Liu Changyi hurriedly took the essays and poems he had written from his book bag and handed them to Uncle Liang.

A short while later, Chen Qingyun came in carrying a pot of tea. Her gaze unconsciously drifted toward Young Master Liu, who was sitting nearby listening intently. She was so absorbed that she forgot to put down the teapot.

It was only when Liang Boqing noticed something amiss and gave a light cough that Chen Qingyun’s cheeks turned pink. She quickly set down the teapot and hurried out.