Chapter 132

Chapter 132

Liang Boqing and Mr. Lu came back home together and discussed the whole story of how Chen Qingyan was framed in the imperial exams.

Since ancient times, the imperial court had placed great importance on the imperial examinations, and almost no scholar who had been disqualified was ever allowed to retake them.

Liang Boqing was an exception, and Chen Qingyan became the second exception.

"Thanks to Wang Ying cultivating the new crop strain, I sent someone to deliver them to the capital and sought help from the Minister of Agriculture. That’s how Qing Yan’s status as an examination candidate was restored. Otherwise, relying solely on my efforts, he might have had to wait until he gained fame before having another chance to re-enter the civil service."

Lu Zhongqi sighed, "I never imagined Qing Yan went through so much. It couldn't have been easy for him to get back on his feet."

Liang Boqing nodded, "It was precisely because he shared a similar experience that I took him as my disciple. Although he usually keeps a low profile, he studies extremely hard and has remarkable talent. He grasps things quickly with just a little guidance."

"I noticed that too. At the prefectural academy, the questions he asked me were always tricky, but once explained, it all clicked into place."

As a teacher, having a good disciple brings even greater joy than achieving personal success.

In his earlier years, Liang Boqing was cynical and felt as though the whole world was against him. Though he claimed to disdain the imperial exams, he always carried a sense of regret in his heart.

Since taking on these three disciples and watching them gradually grow, it was almost as if they were walking the path he himself couldn't take, which gave him a huge sense of fulfillment!

Liang Boqing said, "I just hope both of these children can pass the exams."

*

As the saying goes, bad news travels fast.

Just yesterday, Xu Rui had been in a teahouse spreading the story about Chen Qingyan being caught cheating and expelled from the exam hall. By today, the story had already spread throughout Jizhou.

Previously, most people had only read his poems and knew nothing about the man himself. Now, learning that he had been disqualified but was still able to take the prefectural exam, all sorts of rumors started flying.

Most people tend to assume the worst about others. Some claimed he used his family connections to pull strings.

Somehow, they dragged his fourth uncle, Chen Jing, into it and alleged that Chen Qingyan had relied on his uncle’s influence to regain his eligibility.

If Chen Jing really had that much clout, he wouldn’t have been demoted to Shanzhou in the first place, and he certainly wouldn’t still be stuck in that godforsaken backwater trying to scrape together some achievements.

Others said it was Liang Boqing who helped pull strings. This was closer to the truth, but ultimately, it was because the evidence clearly showed Chen Qingyan had been wrongfully accused. Otherwise, his reinstatement would never have been approved.

Even Wang Ying was dragged into the controversy. Since he had previously used Deputy Prefect Wang’s name to help his business, people connected the two and assumed Wang Ying was Deputy Prefect Wang’s nephew. They gathered outside the vegetable shop to protest.

Early in the morning, just as the shop opened, four or five scholars gathered outside, pointing angrily at the entrance and loudly condemning Chen Qingyan for his shamelessness. The uproar quickly drew a crowd of onlookers.

Inside, Lin Sui was pacing anxiously. "Sister-in-law, what should we do? Cousin hasn’t even finished the prefectural exam yet. If this reaches him, it’s sure to affect his performance!"

"Don’t panic. It's not as if we haven't dealt with this kind of thing before."

It was precisely because they had been through it before that she was worried. Last time, she heard her cousin had been deeply affected and had to retreat to the manor to recover. Now, in an unfamiliar city, if he had to go through it again, he'd have no choice but to return to their hometown.

"I’ll go out and explain to them!"

Wang Ying held Lin Sui back. "Once rumors like this spread, even if we had a hundred mouths, we couldn't talk our way out of it. Besides, if Qing Yan can’t handle a setback like this, he might as well give up on the exams and go home to farm."

"Then... should we just let them slander him like this?"

"They can say whatever they want—we can’t control that. These scholars have sharp tongues. The more you argue with them, the more they’ll egg you on, and they might even make up even worse rumors. If we ignore them, they'll have no outlet for their anger, and it’ll die down in a few days."

"But what about our business…"

"Those who want to buy groceries won’t be stopped, and those who don’t can’t be persuaded. Let things take their natural course."

In his previous life, Wang Ying had seen plenty of trolls online. These people loved to argue, and the more you engaged with them, the more it fueled their desire to fight. The best way to deal with them was to ignore them completely, leaving them with no one to argue with.

The scholars outside ranted all morning until their voices were hoarse, but no one from inside came out. It was utterly unsatisfying, like punching a pillow. By the afternoon, they didn't come back.

Chen Qingyan only found out about the incident three days later. The prefectural exam results were posted three days after the exam ended. That morning, he went with Qing Huai and Qing Song to check the results.

As soon as they arrived outside the government office, they were surrounded by dozens of scholars. Leading the group was none other than Fang Wenke, who'd had a run-in with him at the Poetry Society.

Swaggering forward, fanning himself smugly, Fang Wenke said, "I thought that since you studied under Liang Liufang, you would be a talented and upright gentleman. I never expected you to stoop to such despicable behavior. It’s truly disgraceful!"

Chen Qingyan was startled. "Sir, may I ask your name? There must be some misunderstanding."

Fang Wenke’s fanning hand stiffened. He doesn't even remember me!

"You really are forgetful, aren’t you? But no matter. Do you remember being caught cheating during the county exam and getting thrown out?"

Chen Qingsong and Chen Qinghuai, standing beside him, paled and hurriedly stepped forward to shield their older brother.

Chen Qingyan gently pushed them aside and said calmly, "That did happen, but I was framed at the time. His Majesty saw the truth clearly and exonerated me, which is why I was able to regain my eligibility."

"You—" Fang Wenke hadn’t expected him to admit it so openly. The retort he had ready died in his throat, leaving him momentarily speechless.

One of his lackeys piped up, "How do we know if what you’re saying is true? It’s just your word."

Chen Qingyan replied sternly, "Are you questioning His Majesty’s judgment?"

"N-no… I wouldn’t dare…"

Another person chimed in, "Don't try to hide behind the Emperor's authority. Why is it that no one else was disqualified except you? It must be because your conduct was improper!"

Fang Wenke jumped in, "Yes, yes! Why weren’t any of us disqualified during the county exam?"

"I was framed. Instead of condemning the real culprit, you’re questioning me? Using your logic, if you're walking down the street and a thief stole your wallet, would you blame yourself for carrying money instead of blaming the thief?"

"Sophistry! If there were so many people on the street, why would the thief only target you?"

Chen Qingyan smirked coldly, "Perhaps it’s because I have too much talent (or wealth) that I attract ‘thieves.’ After all, the poor and shabby hardly tempt anyone."

Before the other man could retort, the government officials began posting the results. Chen Qingyan ignored them and pulled his two brothers forward to check the list.

As the red list was fully posted, everyone held their breath, their eyes scanning the list, name by name. The densely packed sheet contained thirty-seven names in total.

To avoid confusion from candidates with the same name, the list included not only the names of those who passed but also their place of origin and ages.

"First place: Chen Qingyan, Qingshui Town, Longquan County, twenty-one years old… Brother, you’re first! You’re the top candidate in the prefectural exam!" Chen Qingsong and Chen Qinghuai jumped with excitement.

Chen Qingyan stood frozen, his ears ringing as if all sound had been pulled far, far away…

He had thought making it into the top ten would already be an achievement, but he never expected to take first place. For a moment, he was speechless.

After a long pause, he finally regained his composure. "Quick, check Qing Huai’s ranking!"

The three of them carefully scanned the list and found Chen Qinghuai’s name in seventh place. Overjoyed, they cheered, pumping their fists in the air.

Both brothers had made the list, and one of them had even taken the top spot. Instantly, the voices of the doubters were silenced.

Some of the scholars who had been watching the spectacle murmured among themselves, "With skills like his, how could he have cheated?"

"He must have been framed…"

"No wonder the talented Scholar Liang was willing to take him as a disciple—he must have seen his talent."

Fang Wenke never expected him to secure the top spot in the Prefectural Exam either. Hiding his face with a fan, he slipped away in embarrassment.

Seeing this out of the corner of his eye, Chen Qingyan laughed heartily and said, "Let's go! We must hurry back and share the news with everyone!"

The three of them boarded the carriage and sped home. As soon as they entered the gate, Chen Qingsong couldn't wait to shout, "They made it! Both eldest brother and second brother made it!"

Inside, Li Shi, holding Yuanbao and accompanied by Fang Ling, hurried out. "They passed?!"

Yuanbao reached out his arms and called, "Daddy!"

Chen Qingyan hoisted his son onto his shoulders and replied, "Yes, we both passed."

Fang Ling asked, "What ranks did you get?"

Chen Qingyan gently squeezed his son's soft little hand and said, "I came in first, and Qing Huai came in seventh."

Li Shi exclaimed excitedly, "Excellent, truly excellent! I’ll ask Aunt Chen to buy fish and meat—we’ll celebrate at noon!"

Fang Ling, holding her son, her eyes glistening with tears, said, "Later, we’ll write a letter to your father and share this good news with him."

"Yes!" Chen Qinghuai gave a firm nod.

Liang Boqing also came out and looked at his proud student, unable to hide his smile. "You performed well. Keep up the effort for the Academy Exam."

"Understood."

The Academy Exam was a re-evaluation. All scholars who passed the Prefectural Exam would earn the title of Xiucai. The re-evaluation determined their ranking.

Those who achieved Rank A would become state-supported scholars, entitled to free education at the prefectural school and a monthly government stipend, equivalent to a scholarship.

Those in Rank B would be recognized as Xiucai and allowed to study at the prefectural school but had to cover their own expenses without any stipend.

Those in Rank C could only return to their local county schools. If they wished to study at the prefectural school, they would need to pay extra, much like modern-day fee-paying students.

Both brothers were determined to achieve Rank A in the re-evaluation, if only to silence those who had spoken nonsense about them.

After playing with his son for a bit, Chen Qingyan handed Yuanbao to Qing Song and said, "I’m going to the shop to share the news with your sister-in-law. Yuanbao, be good and play with your uncle."

"Go ahead."

Chen Qingyan walked with a spring in his step toward their shop, his spirits lifted by the good news. Even the trees and flowers along the way seemed to delight him.

He greeted everyone he met, whether he knew them or not, leaving passersby scratching their heads in confusion, wondering who he was.

When he arrived at the shop, Wang Ying was serving a customer buying vegetables. Looking up and seeing Chen Qingyan’s beaming face, he knew immediately that he had passed.

After seeing off the customer, Chen Qingyan stepped forward and said, "A Ying, I passed!"

Wang Ying wiped his hands and asked, "What rank did you get?"

"Take a guess."

"You must be in the top ten, right? Fifth place?"

"Guess again."

"Third?"

Chen Qingyan shook his head again.

"Don’t tell me… you came in first?!"

"Your humble husband has, with modest talent, brought home the top rank in the Prefectural Exam."

"You rascal!" Wang Ying exclaimed, hugging him tightly as tears streamed down his face. His little husband had truly made him proud!

Chen Qingyan reached out and gently wiped the tears from the corners of Wang Ying’s eyes. "What are you crying for?"

"Out of joy! With a husband like you, what more could I ask for?"

After the excitement subsided, Wang Ying asked, "What about Qing Huai?"

"He passed too, ranking seventh."

"Xiao Ma and Tian Ju, tidy up the shop. Brother Sui, lock the main gate—we’re closing early today. Let’s go home and celebrate!"

"Alright!" Everyone quickly got to work, while Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan headed off first.

On the way, Wang Ying asked whether Chen Qingyan had encountered any of those gossipy scholars when checking the results.

"Not only did I run into them, but I also used my results to shut them up completely!"

After years of humiliation, Chen Qingyan had finally wiped away that old shame and vented all his pent-up frustration. The feeling was beyond satisfying!