I just wrote a love poem, how did that make me so powerful?

Before Su Man could think any further, Song Yao had already walked in.

She was wearing a light blue dress, holding a handkerchief in her hand, and her face appeared somewhat pale in the candlelight.

Her slender branches and abundant fruit set off a figure that evoked a sense of pity and tenderness.

Even women would feel sorry for her.

Song Yao walked slower than usual, looking somewhat hesitant.

After entering, instead of sitting at the table as usual, she hesitated for a moment and then sat down on the embroidered stool by the window.

Looking at her like that, Su Man felt a vague, inexplicable premonition rising in her heart.

She didn't press further, but simply asked Cui'er to brew another pot of hot tea and personally poured a cup for Song Yao.

Song Yao took the teacup and warmed it in her hands.

She felt the warmth travel to her fingers. She looked down for a while before speaking softly.

"Miss Su, I'm leaving for the capital tomorrow."

Su Man paused slightly. "I know, Xu Qing told us."

Song Yao looked up at her, then lowered her head again, her voice still very soft.

But every word seemed to have been carefully considered before being uttered.

"Miss Su, there are some things... I don't know who to tell. My parents are thousands of miles away, so I don't have a chance to talk to them. If I tell Xu Qing, he will only reassure me, but I myself am not confident."

She paused for a moment, then gripped the teacup tighter.

"I don't know how many years I'll be gone, or if I'll ever come back. Doctor Li said that if I take good care of myself, I might last a few years, but if I don't..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but Su Man understood the unspoken part.

Su Man didn't reply, but just listened quietly.

Song Yao remained silent for a while before continuing, her voice even lower than before.

"Miss Su, what will happen to Brother Qing if I don't come back?"

Su Man raised an eyebrow slightly. "Yao Yao, don't say things like that."

Song Yao shook her head, as if she had made the decision after thinking about it for a long time.

"I used to think, how could someone like you possibly be interested in Brother Qing? But things are different now. His couplets, his bras, and the methods he uses to deal with the Chen family."

Although I don't understand the intricacies of the business world, I know that in the entire city of Hengyang, you won't find another young person who can do what she has. You also feel that Miss Su is somewhat different, right?

Song Yao's hand suddenly froze, and she almost dropped the teacup.

But she quickly regained her composure, her tone remaining steady and even.

"Yaoyao, don't talk nonsense. I'm just... I'm just curious about what's in his head."

But she spoke with noticeable more hesitation than usual, lacking her usual decisiveness.

Song Yao raised her eyes, and her gaze seemed to brighten for a moment.

"I understand, attraction always starts with curiosity."

Su Man quickly put down her teacup, her words tinged with embarrassment.

"Okay, stop talking about this. I won't... I won't do that."

Song Yao lowered her head and smiled softly, but there was a clear bitterness in that smile.

"If I'm gone, if you still want him, would you be willing to spend the rest of your life with him?"

Su Man was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up, walked to Song Yao, and squatted down.

She looked into Song Yao's eyes, her tone extremely serious.

"Yaoyao, don't overthink things. Getting better in the capital is more important than anything else."

Song Yao's lips twitched slightly, with a hint of bitterness in her smile.

"I hope so..."

She stood up and walked out. Just before she left, Su Man asked softly.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to Xu Qing tonight?"

Song Yao paused for a moment, turned around, and looked at Su Man very seriously.

"I don't dare, I really don't dare. I'm afraid that if I see him, I won't be able to bring myself to leave..."

After saying that, she quickly pushed open the door and ran out, her footsteps fading into the distance.

Su Man stood at the door until her figure disappeared before glancing down at the untouched teacup on the table.

She silently sat back down, picked up the cup of tea, took a sip, and found it was already cold.

She didn't ask anyone to refill her cup, but simply held Song Yao's teacup. She examined it carefully for a while, as if trying to find something remarkable about it.

Finally, I made up my mind and downed it in one gulp.

……

……

The next morning, the academy only had half-day classes.

After class, Xu Qing didn't rush to leave. Instead, she stood under the corridor and called out to Li Yan.

"Brother Li, don't rush off. There's something I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Li Yan turned around. "Don't be so polite, go ahead and speak."

Xu Qing carefully considered her words.

"I would like to meet your uncle, Magistrate Li, as there are some things I would like to ask him in person."

Li Yan glanced at him and raised his eyebrows.

"You know what, you really don't know, my uncle has been quite busy lately, but..."

He deliberately drew out a long note.

"But he said he would have time to see me if I wanted to."

Xu Qing touched his handsome nose and blinked. "Do I really have that much influence?"

Li Yan patted him on the shoulder and chuckled. "Yes, you have it. Come on, I'll take you there."

The two walked through the side gate of the county government office one after the other and entered the back hall.

Li Yan was about to open his mouth to ask for an audience.

Li Chun was reviewing documents behind his desk when he heard footsteps and looked up.

Seeing that it was Xu Qing and Li Yan, he put down his pen and gestured for them to sit down.

After Li Chungang closed the file, Xu Qing got straight to the point and recounted how Niujiazhuang and the village had blocked roads due to the river silting up.

Li Chungang remained silent for a while after listening.

When he finally spoke, his tone was tinged with helplessness.

"The government doesn't have the funds right now for water conservancy projects. We either have to wait for the imperial court to allocate funds, or the local gentry can take the lead in donating money."

There is a third possibility. It's one thing for a wealthy family to fund the repair of a bridge or the paving of a road, but large-scale projects like river restoration are extremely expensive, and most local gentry are unwilling to undertake such a undertaking alone.

Xu Qing nodded and didn't ask any further questions. However, he did say one thing.

"When it's convenient, I'll go to the site to check it out. Then I'll see if there's any other way."

Li Chungang, however, praised it.

"Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles. Go out and see more of the world."

Xu Qing stood up, about to take his leave.

Li Chungang added a sentence at this point.

"Xu Qing, there's something you need to pay attention to. The county examination is only a few months away, so don't waste too much energy on these things. You can put them off for later."

Xu Qing cupped his hands in thanks, "Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency."

Li Chun lowered his voice and continued.

"Furthermore... I've heard some rumors that Instructor Chen Chengbo might be planning a written exam to limit the number of candidates for the county-level exam. If it's an open conspiracy, I might not be able to protect you."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing paused for a moment, and his heart sank slightly.

If Chen Chengbo really holds a qualifying written test before the county-level examination, it would be equivalent to the high school graduation exam before the college entrance examination.

Only those who pass the exam will be eligible for the county-level examination. Those who fail will be excluded, and even if Li Chungang wanted to help them, he would not be able to openly intervene.

Xu Qing took a deep breath. "Thank you for the reminder, Your Excellency. I will remember it."

As Xu Qing walked out, her mind raced:

The qualifying competition had a limited number of participants, and Chen Chengbo was the one who set the questions. How were these questions set? What standards were used for evaluation? It was all in Chen Chengbo's hands. If he wanted to tamper with it, it would be too easy for him.

When they returned to the Xiao residence, the sun was already setting in the west.

As soon as Xu Qing stepped inside, Xiao Liu quickly came to greet him, his face showing urgency.

"Mr. Xu, the young master requests that you go to the front hall immediately."

Xu Qing frowned at his expression. "Did the young master say what it was?"

Xiao Liu's voice lowered slightly.

"The Qian family from the prefectural city has sent people."

Xu Qing frowned.

The Qian family of Fucheng, Qian Sanjiang's silk shop, the Chen family gets their goods from him, what is he doing here at the Xiao family now?