Top Scholar

Chapter 492 Regret it now?

On the day the imperial edict was posted, the guild halls of each province stationed in Beijing quickly copied the entire text and dispatched express horses to deliver it to their respective provinces.

Before the dust from the post horses had even settled, the good news arrived in Taiyuan City, nine hundred li away, in just two days.

Because the governor of Shanxi had been dismissed, the good news was sent to the provincial governor's office.

Upon learning of the great success of the Shanxi candidates in this year's imperial examinations, the two provincial governors were overjoyed and, having rarely met before, gathered together to discuss how to extend their congratulations.

Upon seeing the top scholar's name, Hu Rui, the Left Provincial Governor, exclaimed, "Oh my, isn't this our Provincial Governor Huang's son-in-law?"

"It really is!" Right Provincial Governor Wu Sanle exclaimed in admiration, "Good heavens, six consecutive top honors! This is truly a literary star descended to earth!"

“Yes, someone even Eunuch Liu couldn’t stop must have great fortune on his side.” Governor Hu ordered a sedan chair to be prepared. “Let’s go, let’s go and tell Governor Huang the good news first before we talk about anything else.”

"Let's go together!" Wu Fantai also ordered a sedan chair to be prepared.

~~
The Shanxi Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office.

Huang Ke had just finished his business and returned to the back hall to rest for a while before dealing with official duties.

"Dad, have some tea..." Huang Feng served him tea, trying to awaken his fatherly love.

"Don't call me dad, I'm not your dad," Huang Ke said irritably.

"Dad..." Huang Feng said with a wronged look, "I have worked hard for the past six months without complaint. Even if I have not made any great contributions, I have still put in a lot of effort. You can't treat me like this."

"Did I ask you to manage the household?" Huang Ke was furious. "Did you even do the things I actually asked you to do?!"

"Isn't my son afraid of getting into trouble? He's offended Liu Jin..." Huang Feng muttered under his breath.

"Are you even speaking human language?!" Huang Ke slammed his fist on the table, furious. "That's your brother-in-law! Can't you have a little humanity?!"

Just as he was so angry that he wanted to smash the teacup over his stubborn son's head, the steward came to Huang Feng's rescue at the door, saying, "Master, two provincial governors have come to visit!"

Huang Feng felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly said, "Father, something big must have happened."

"Do you need to talk nonsense?!" Huang Ke didn't bother to scold him, quickly put his official robe back on, and hurried out to greet him.

"Hahaha! My dear brother Jueshan, great news! Great news indeed! Your son-in-law has become the top scholar in this year's imperial examination!" Governor Hu announced with clasped hands.

"He's the first person in history to achieve the highest rank of six in the imperial examinations!" Wu Fantai also loudly congratulated him.

"Ah, really?!" Huang Feng was struck dumb, his head buzzing, and he was instantly stunned.

He didn't know why he was so unlucky. He spent his whole life trying to curry favor with others, but when the opportunity was offered to him, he refused to take it and ended up offending them terribly!

Good heavens, this is terrible!
"Ah? Really?!" Upon hearing this, Huang Ke was overjoyed at first, then breathed a long sigh of relief.

Since leaving Sichuan last year, he had been worried about his daughter and son-in-law for more than half a year... Although the young couple wrote to say that they were out of danger and asked him not to worry, they had offended Liu Jin, so how could he not be at ease?

Huang Ke wrote to his fellow students in Beijing to inquire about the case. There were many different opinions. Some said that Liu Jin wanted to force Su Lu to smear Wang Shouren, and Su Lu was arrested because he refused. Others implied that the two Yangs wanted to fight Liu Jin again, and his son-in-law unfortunately became a tool in the struggle.

Even more outrageous claims were made, such as that his son-in-law had become a favorite of the emperor, so he no longer needed to worry...

In short, all sorts of rumors circulated, making him constantly uneasy. Now, upon hearing that Su Lu had achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination, he realized that the most outrageous rumor was actually true—now that his son-in-law had caught His Majesty's eye, there was no need to worry about the eunuchs framing him anymore!

Thinking of this, he smiled with relief. Then his laughter grew louder and louder until tears almost streamed down his face.

He laughed for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before stopping and bowing to the two provincial governors in apology.

"Hehe, this is the first time I've seen you smile since Brother Jueshan took office!" The two provincial governors were naturally happy for him.

"I am ashamed," Huang Ke sighed. "When my son-in-law was in danger, I was restless day and night and could not smile at all."

"That's great! Scholar Su has become the first scholar in the nation to achieve the highest rank in the imperial examinations. Let's see who dares to mess with him now!" Governor Hu laughed.

“Indeed.” Wu Fantai also said with great envy, “Brother Jueshan’s eye for choosing a son-in-law is almost as good as that of Grandfather Lü.”

"I'm ashamed..." Huang Ke blushed. How could he tell people that he had confined his daughter to the house for a year to break up the couple?

Looking back now, I'm incredibly grateful. First, I'm grateful that I didn't really go all out and managed to restore my relationship with my son-in-law. Second, I'm grateful that I left Luzhou; otherwise, those officials and gentry who knew the inside story would surely have laughed at me behind my back for being so old and senile.

His colleagues in Shanxi were completely unaware of the entanglements of that time, and kept praising him for his good judgment, saying that his children and grandchildren would be secure in the future...

Huang Ke had no choice but to swallow his pride and endure it. For a gentleman like him, who was true to his word, this was actually a form of torture.

The two provincial governors, noticing his growing displeasure and his son's apparent grief, realized something was amiss at Governor Huang's home and stopped there, saying:

"Brother Jueshan's son-in-law has passed the imperial examination with flying colors, which is certainly something to celebrate. However, our province's candidates have also shone brightly this year, which is a great honor for Shanxi! We, the officials of the three departments, should first congratulate our province's new candidates."

"Of course." Huang Ke nodded hurriedly. After the governorship was abolished, they, as the heads of the three departments, were the heads of a province, and he had to be involved in these matters. "In that case, the three of us will split up and go to the homes of the successful candidates to announce the good news!" Governor Hu handed a list to Huang Ke and said, "I'll trouble Brother Jueshan with these few."

"It's my duty." Huang Ke quickly accepted it with both hands.

After seeing off the two provincial governors, he turned back to look at Huang Feng, who was ashen-faced behind him, and laughed angrily:

"Are you stupid, you idiot?!"

"No, he offended Liu Jin, how could he still become the top scholar?!" Huang Feng said with a mournful face, "This is too unreasonable. Isn't offending Liu Jin worse than death?"

"I've already told you, your brother-in-law might already be favored by the Emperor, but you just wouldn't believe me!" Huang Ke roared.

"How could I have given birth to such an idiot?! For the past six months, I have been urging you to go and help your brother-in-law while he is still in trouble. Maybe that would help to smooth things over and at least save face."

She was so angry she wanted to punch him, "You kept making excuses and wouldn't budge an inch! Now that he's become the top scholar and risen to the top in one step, even if you want to climb up to him, you can forget about ever setting foot in his house again!"

Huang Feng hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, "Then...is it too late for my son to apologize now?"

"It's too late, you idiot!" Huang Ke shouted angrily, "Get out! Get as far away as you can!"

~~
Two days later, the imperial edict was delivered to Nanjing.

Upon learning that Su Lu had become the top scholar in the imperial examination, several high-ranking officials from Nanjing were surprised and immediately went to Yang Yiqing's house together.

"Mr. Shi Cong is indeed remarkable!" Huang Xun exclaimed to Yang Yiqing as soon as he entered the courtyard, "You actually managed to get that matter done!"

Yang Yiqing, who was chopping firewood shirtless, paused with his axe upon hearing this, looked up and asked, "What have I accomplished?"

“Didn’t you insist on ensuring Su Jieyuan passed the imperial examination? Now he has indeed become the top scholar!” He Jian said.

"And an unprecedented six-time champion!" Hong Zhong exclaimed in a booming voice.

"Oh?" Yang Yiqing's hand trembled, and the axe almost struck his own instep. He quickly dropped the axe, straightened up, and asked in surprise, "Really?"

"Of course it's true! The ministry has already received the official document from the capital, there's no mistake!" He Jian nodded emphatically.

"Well done, Su Hongzhi! I knew he was destined for greatness!" Yang Yiqing clapped the sawdust off his hands, praised him profusely, and then vehemently denied it.

"However, I dare not take credit. I only helped him muddy the waters a bit. He got to where he is today entirely on his own merits."

"Didn't you do him a single favor along the way?" Huang Xun asked in surprise.

"Not at all." Yang Yiqing shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. "On the contrary, we'll probably have to ask him for favors in the future."

“Indeed.” The ministers each had their own connections and knew that Su Lu was now a favorite of the emperor.

Now he has become the first person in history to achieve the highest score in six imperial examinations. How could he not become incredibly famous?

"Sigh, I wonder where I can buy a pill to undo my regrets. Give me two." Yang Yiqing washed his face dejectedly, and said with a wry smile as he dressed:

"If I had known he would have such good fortune, I shouldn't have done that in the first place. Now look what's happened, I've lost both my wife and my army, and I've shot myself in the foot."

"Alright." The ministers were speechless for a moment, then He Jian asked, "So what should we do now?"

"Let's go, let's go to Scholar Wang's residence to report the good news," Yang Yi said, banging the dial on the counter.
"Old Wang is a well-known upright gentleman. If we keep him in check, we can ask him to speak to his grand-disciple if we ever need anything in the future."

"You really are cunning!" Several ministers exclaimed with sudden realization, "Let's go together!"

Immediately, Yang Yiqing, along with several ministers, headed in a grand procession to Wang Hua's residence in Shangshu Lane.

Although Wang Hua saw them, he didn't give them a friendly look, asking in an unfriendly tone, "What are you doing here?"

After Su Lu was framed, he fell out with the officials in Nanjing. If it weren't for the danger in his hometown of Yuyao, he would have already taken his elderly mother back home and left these bastards.

"Oh my, old scholar, congratulations! Your grand-disciple Su Lu has once again become the top scholar in this imperial examination!" Yang Yiqing said with a beaming smile, cupping his hands in congratulations: "Like father, like son; a great teacher produces a great student!"

The other ministers also smiled awkwardly: "Congratulations, congratulations, brother."

"Hahaha!" Wang Hua was taken aback at first, then clapped his hands and laughed, laughing even more heartily than Huang Ke from Taiyuan!
He was not only happy for his grand-disciple's future, but also secretly relieved for his son—with such a grand-disciple who achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations, that eunuch Liu Jin would no longer dare to easily harm his son!

Even he and his elderly mother were finally at peace. How could he not laugh with joy?
After laughing for a while, Wang Hua wiped away his tears and teased Yang Yiqing, saying:

"Regret it now, don't you?"

"What do I have to regret?" Yang Yiqing said shamelessly, "I already apologized to him before, and he even whipped me. Look, I still have a scar!"

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves to show Wang Hua the non-existent whip marks, and laughed, "Then we made up, and even became close friends despite our age difference..."

P.S. This is a post I'll edit later. Please vote with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)