Starting from a thatched cottage, the farmer embarked on the road to wealth through imperial examina

After the Chinese New Year, Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng began to study and prepare for the exams intensively.

Last year, Your Majesty promoted Cai Zhengqing to the position of Prince's Grand Tutor without any warning. Because Cai Zhengqing avoided the position and did not even return to Beijing for the Spring Festival, Your Majesty seemed to have forgotten about the matter after promoting Cai Zhengqing to the position of Prince's Grand Tutor, and there was no particularly obvious action or statement afterwards.

This made many people gradually relax their anxious hearts, and the matter of Cai Zhengqing being specially promoted to the Prince's Grand Tutor was truly faded away.

In early March, Ye Changyan received a letter from Zhong Yunfeng, which mentioned that Wulang had passed the county examination held in Wanshou County in February and ranked very high.

After Liang Jingcheng learned the news, he was very happy for Wulang and the Ye family. In his heart, he felt proud and proud that Wulang passed the county exam. Perhaps Liang Jingcheng had not yet realized that, in fact, deep in his heart, he had already regarded Wulang and the Ye family as his own family.

"This is really good news. It happens to be a day off tomorrow. I will call Li Ping and Sang Li to celebrate at Yunfeng Tower in the evening."

Seeing Liang Jingcheng's genuine joy, Ye Changyan was also sincerely happy, but he shook his head and spoke.

"Wulang has only just passed the county exam, so it's better for him to keep a low profile. But I agree to invite Li Ping and Sang Li tonight. I haven't seen Li Ping for more than half a month. I wonder if there is any new news outside recently."

Liang Jingcheng nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice.

In his letter, Zhong Yunfeng also asked Ye Changyan to help him keep an eye out for houses in Shengjing. He had already discussed with his father and elder brother and decided to buy a house in Shengjing. He and Erniu planned to live in Shengjing permanently after their marriage. As for where to hold the wedding, they would discuss it in detail after the Ye family's parents had finished mourning.

Judging from what Zhong Yunfeng said in the letter, Zhong Dingyi was very open-minded. He felt that he was not so old that he could not move. While his children needed to visit him day and night, it was of utmost importance for his son to have his own career. Moreover, if Zhong Yunfeng could gain a foothold in Shengjing, it would be a great thing for the entire Zhong family.

In addition, although Zhong Yunfeng’s elder brother Zhong Yunhai followed Zhong Dingren, Kuizhou is not far from Yuzhou. If there is something at home, Zhong Yunhai can also rush back quickly.

Zhong Yunhai is also preparing for this year's autumn examination. Zhong Dingyi is open-minded. If Zhong Yunhai passes the examination, he will officially enter the aristocratic class and be qualified to be an official. When that time comes, he will not let Zhong Yunfeng stay in Yuzhou Prefecture. He hopes that his two sons can fly higher and go further.

It was almost evening when Li Ping finally arrived. Ye Changyan, Liang Jingcheng and Sang Li all shouted at Li Ping to drink a penalty drink. Li Ping could drink quite a bit and was very generous in front of Ye Changyan and the others. He picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Ye Changyan, Liang Jingcheng and Sang Li praised him for being straightforward, while Xing Wang, who was sitting next to Ye Changyan, was holding a chicken leg and chewing it with relish. Since the beginning of the new year, the young master's schoolwork has become increasingly heavy, and even on holidays, the young master seldom cooks by himself. Although he follows Lu Tingfeng and often eats out, most of the time he still eats the meals cooked by Aunt Zhen.

Xing Wang and Lu Tingfeng set out from Shigu Lane in the afternoon and came to the Imperial College to pick up the two young masters. When Xing Wang heard Ye Changyan say that he would get together with Li Ping and others at Yunfeng Tower tonight, he was really overjoyed. He couldn't be late for the dishes cooked by the young master himself, and being able to have a big meal at Yunfeng Tower was also what Xing Wang hoped for.

Li Ping put down his wine glass and saw Xing Wang holding the chicken leg and chewing it with relish. His appetite was instantly whetted. He signaled to Ye Changyan and the others, and everyone picked up their chopsticks.

Everyone ate something to fill their stomachs, had a few drinks together, and then started chatting.

"In fact, I envy you two brothers for being able to take the imperial examination. How far you can go and how high you can go depends entirely on your own ability."

When Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng heard Sang Li's words, a smile immediately appeared on their faces, but this smile was somewhat bitter and helpless.

Little did they know that Li Ping, who was sitting next to them, also agreed with Sang Li's words. Although he was born in an imperial family, he was the least valued prince. Not even a single court official showed any intention of getting close to him, because they all knew that getting close to them would be tantamount to destroying their own future.

Perhaps his best destiny is to be like the King of England, not involved in the fight for the throne, always keeping a low profile, making himself look like a transparent person, and when his father dies a hundred years later and the new emperor ascends the throne, he will become an idle prince who grows flowers and raises birds.

"Ah Li, you really don't know how lucky you are! Do you know how many scholars there are in this world, and how many of them can actually pass the imperial examinations and become officials? I can't wait to envy you. City Lord Sangxiong has managed Youshui City in perfect order. City Lord Sangxiong is so good to you. You only need two more years to complete your studies, and then you can go back and marry the Saint, and then learn how to govern Youshui City from City Lord Sangxiong. It can be said that your starting point is higher than the ceiling for us scholars, and you envy us instead."

When Sang Li heard what Ye Changyan said, he smiled bitterly and sighed helplessly.

"I hope to be like you brothers and sisters, relying on my own real ability to move forward step by step. When I think of the burden of governing the entire Youshui City, which will be on me in the future, I feel breathless. Moreover, once I take over Youshui City from my father, it will be difficult to leave Youshui City. I used to think that Youshui City was the largest city among the Sixteen Miao. But when I followed you and your master and disciples out of the Sixteen Miao, crossed thousands of mountains and rivers, and came to this prosperous Shengjing City, I realized what it meant that there are always people better than you."

Sang Li sighed again, picked up a few cups, raised his glass to Ye Changyan and the others, drank it all, and then continued.

"In fact, my biggest wish now is to take Ah Man with me and travel around. I want to see how magnificent the ocean is, how boundless the grasslands in Mobei are, and how sacred and majestic the snow-capped mountains are that are even farther away than the Qiang and Hu."

Except for Xing Wang who had no reaction to Sang Li's words, the other three people had longing looks on their faces.

"However, Ah Man, as a saint, shoulders the mission of protecting Youshui City. From the moment she became a saint, her fate has been firmly tied to Youshui City. And as the young city lord of Youshui City, my fate has been tied to Youshui City since the moment I was born..."

Sang Li sighed again, his tone revealing a hint of sadness and helplessness.