The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

Upon hearing the term "feng shui formation," Zhang Ping'an knew that Zhang Lao Er had truly put in a lot of effort to inquire about it.

He immediately ordered everyone to eat their fill and put the matter on the agenda.

He ate his fill, smiled, and agreed, full of energy.

Ever since Xiaoyuer passed the imperial examination, he had been looking for an opportunity to mention to Zhang Ping'an the idea of ​​having his sons come to the manor to help out.

He also intends to gradually cultivate a few young men to take over his position and become capable assistants to Xiaoyuer in the future.

From then on, the whole family would depend on the Zhang family for their livelihood.

This situation is very common in wealthy families, and it is also a means of binding interests to make subordinates work more diligently and loyally.

Having been by Zhang Ping'an's side for nearly twenty years, Chi Bao had always been very diligent and hardworking, so Zhang Ping'an was not averse to this behavior and agreed without much hesitation.

Over the past month or so, the boys have been diligently and steadily getting on their feet in the household, a far cry from their half-dead state when they were studying at the private school. As a father, seeing this, I know I made the right decision, and I am happy. Naturally, I am even more proactive in my work.

They were so grateful that they wanted to do anything for Zhang Ping'an, even risk their lives.

"By the way, has the list of candidates for this palace examination been copied down? Let me see," Zhang Ping'an asked.

The rankings in the palace examination would definitely differ from those in the metropolitan examination, and these changes often reflected the distribution of power in the court and the relative importance of each power's background in the emperor's mind.

Of particular concern are the newly appointed scholars with no background. These individuals make up no more than 30% of the list. By observing the emperor's arrangement of their rankings, one can get a glimpse into the emperor's future plans for the court.

It's no wonder that people with beady eyes don't like to roam the court. There are too many things to worry about, and they have to take care of all aspects in order to gain a foothold in the court and remain invincible.

One wrong move and you're in trouble, losing everything.

"Sir, it's all copied. Here's the list," the man said, bowing as he handed over the list after finishing his meal.

Zhang Ping'an opened the document and glanced at it. He raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected Li Chengye to be ranked in the second tier. Back then, Li Chengye's ranking in the imperial examination was neither high nor low, and he had no background. If nothing unexpected happened, he would definitely be pushed into the third tier.

He was quite surprised that he was still able to maintain his second-class ranking in this imperial examination. Besides luck, he must have performed very well during the examination.

Objectively speaking, he has a promising future and can be considered a talented individual!

Not long after they finished eating and went out, just as the family was about to have dinner, Xiao Hu arrived at their door. This was the third time he had come to congratulate them this year, following his visits during the New Year and the imperial examination.

Xiao Hu brought quite a few gifts this time. Although they weren't particularly valuable, it was clear that he put thought into them. They were the most presentable gifts he could offer within his means.

The joy on his face was undisguised; it was clear he was genuinely happy.

With a wide grin, he excitedly said, "I heard from others at the manor that Xiaoyuer had become a third-ranked scholar, so I didn't dare delay for a moment and immediately packed my things and rushed over! Xiaoyuer is so smart. He came in third place in the provincial examination, and this time he was even personally selected by the emperor to be a third-ranked scholar. On the way here, I even heard children singing a nursery rhyme about a father and son both becoming Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations)!"

His voice carried a sense of pride, knowing that because of Zhong Zheng's matter, there had been a rift between him and Zhang Ping'an. Therefore, after Zhong Zheng joined the army this year, he no longer came to the manor casually, but simply did his job diligently on the estate.

But he kept everything that happened in the manor in his heart.

Zhang Ping'an glanced at the things Xiao Hu had brought and knew that it had cost a lot. He said with some helplessness, "We have everything in the manor. You don't need to buy these things in the future. If you want to bring something, just bring some peanuts and mung beans from the estate. These are things that the manor can use. You're getting married soon, so you need to be frugal. There will be many places to spend money when you have children!"

Xiao Hu smiled sheepishly upon hearing this: "It's alright, it didn't cost much, I know what I'm doing!"

Zhang Ping'an didn't argue with him and continued, "You must not have eaten yet since you came all this way from the manor. We haven't had lunch either, so let's eat together. We'll stay at your manor for two days and go back to the manor after Xiaoyuer's Jinshi banquet is over."

Xiao Hu felt a warmth in his heart, but was also a little flustered. "Hey, I'll listen to Brother Ping An!"

Upon seeing this, Madam Xu interjected with a smile, saying, "Little Tiger, it's been a while since I've seen you. You've lost weight. You must take care of yourself and eat well. Don't neglect yourself. When you leave, I'll have the servants pick out some bird's nest and astragalus for you to take back and make soup with. You need to nourish yourself properly. You're going to be a groom soon, so be more energetic!"

Seeing that Xiao Hu was about to refuse, Zhang Lao Er waved his hand before anyone could speak and said, "Don't be so polite with us, we're all family, don't be distant. Alright, alright, let's go eat!"

Xiao Hu was deeply moved, but he had to put on a brave face.

After they were seated in the flower hall, Zhang Ping'an asked casually, "How is Zhong Zheng doing after joining the army? I haven't heard from him in a long time."

Speaking of this, Xiao Hu was also a little worried: "I haven't received any news since he left. I don't know if he's settled down yet, or where he is. I'm really worried about him!"

“It’s been three or four months, they should all be settled by now. We’ve received news,” Zhang Ping’an said.

Xiao Hu is much more sober now. He knows that there are some things that can't be said openly, no matter how close you are. So he waved his hand and didn't say anything more about the topic. "Forget it, let him be. Everyone has their own fate. I have a clear conscience towards him. Let's see what fate has in store for him!"

"That's true," Zhang Ping'an pondered, then didn't ask any further questions.

After finishing their meal, Xiao Hu continued to discuss the banquet for the successful candidates with the Zhang couple.

He's the kind of person who can't sit still, so his presence is a good opportunity to chat and talk with the elderly couple.

Zhang Ping'an went to his study to read. Not long after, a servant came in to report that someone from the Qian family had arrived.

Xiao Yu'er has now been selected as the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination. As the maternal family, the Qian family will definitely send someone to congratulate him. Zhang Ping'an had already anticipated this. He was reading in his study while waiting for them to come and entertain them.

When they went outside and entered the main room, they discovered that the person who had come was none other than their fourth brother-in-law, Qian Yu, whom they hadn't seen in a long time.