Traveling back to ancient times to get rich

After taking a deep breath, Dong Nanxi spoke again: "Only today did I learn that Young Master Ye is actually a subordinate of the Seventh Prince. To be honest, while copying books, I accidentally learned some palace secrets. Although the Seventh Prince is the Empress's legitimate son, his fate has been fraught with hardship; he has suffered from a serious illness since childhood. Because of this, the Empress had no choice but to send him away to be raised elsewhere, which is why the Seventh Prince has rarely appeared in public. However, now that I see that the Seventh Prince has such a talented and capable person as Young Master Ye under his command, I imagine..." This seventh prince is certainly not an incompetent person. Moreover, his maternal clan is wholeheartedly supporting His Highness the Crown Prince. But in my opinion, if the situation were to change one day, and the world were to be turned upside down, they would surely regret it! Of course, these are thoughts I only realized today. If I am fortunate enough to pass the imperial examination with flying colors and become the top scholar, I will definitely do everything in my power to assist the seventh prince and help him ascend to the pinnacle of power. Only in this way can I avenge the blood feud of my maternal family and repay the kindness of my aunt who gave me a second life!”

Seeing his resolute attitude, Ya'er knew that further persuasion would be futile, so she said no more. She looked tenderly at the energetic and ambitious young man before her and said softly, "Since your mind is made up, Aunt Ya will no longer stop you. However, you must know that we are now serving under the Seventh Prince. If you truly harbor such thoughts in the future, you must carefully observe whether the Seventh Prince himself can shoulder heavy responsibilities and achieve great things. If you find that he is indeed a wise ruler worthy of following, remember to send us a letter to inform us. The people in our village are not merely skilled at guarding homes; many among them are heroes who roam the martial world! It's just a pity that in recent years, after killing those corrupt officials who preyed on the people, they were forced to become outlaws. But as long as you follow the right master, Aunt Ya and the entire village will be your strongest and most reliable support, and no one will be able to harm you in the slightest!"

Dong Nanxi listened quietly, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up within him. Recalling the scene from back then, it was this gentle and kind Aunt Ya, this frail woman, and that compassionate old man who, disregarding their own safety, resolutely saved his life. And now, after countless trials and tribulations, these people had become his only remaining family.

He took a deep breath and said slowly, “Aunt Ya, please rest assured! No matter what difficulties we encounter, we will definitely be safe and sound. Because I firmly believe that the power behind someone with extraordinary abilities like Young Master Ye is far more than what he has achieved. We are just a group of ordinary people he rescued out of compassion and pity for all living beings. However, it is precisely because of this fortuitous encounter that we were able to meet such a remarkable person and receive his grace and protection. Therefore, no matter how many difficulties we face in the future, as long as we unite as one and closely follow in Young Master Ye's footsteps, we will surely be able to overcome everything and usher in a bright tomorrow.”

After listening, Ya'er and Dong Yijia nodded in strong agreement. They knew that the two of them would be accompanying Young Master Ye to Lucheng the next day. Therefore, tonight, Ya'er and Dong Yijia decided to sleep together. Meanwhile, Dong Nanxi returned to his room alone. He began to pack up his incredibly precious books. These were no ordinary books! They were far superior to common popular reading materials or storybooks. In fact, these were all rare and unique copies that Dong Nanxi had painstakingly copied over the years in Jincheng! Each book contained extremely useful and valuable information. As for the messy and worthless books, Dong Nanxi had already sold them to the nearby bookstore owner. After all, in this era, many people had a strong thirst for knowledge, but because most books were still made by hand, each book was extremely expensive. Therefore, by selling these useless books, Dong Nanxi actually earned a considerable sum of money. However, compared to the wealthy and powerful Young Master Ye, this amount was insignificant. But if we only consider Dong Nanxi's own past wealth, then it was undoubtedly a considerable sum!

He pondered silently, his gaze fixed firmly and resolutely on the distance. Once he arrived in the capital, next year would mark the beginning of his journey to become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations). After that, he would strive to become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), and then aim for the Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest level of the imperial examinations). Each step was crucial; only through continuous progress could he realize his grand ambitions.

As fate would have it, the triennial imperial examinations were to be held the following year. Such a rare opportunity was certainly exciting; how could one not be filled with fervor? He secretly vowed that if he could overcome all obstacles and achieve the highest honors in all three levels of the examinations, he would surely restore the Dong family to its former glory and prestige. In its heyday, the Dong family was incredibly powerful and their residence was always bustling with visitors, but unfortunately, it had gradually declined. However, as long as he was there, he was confident he could turn things around.

However, recalling the Gu family's cold attitude towards him, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. The Gu family was full of talented people; they didn't seem to need someone as insignificant as him. Therefore, from now on, he decided to no longer bear the surname Gu. This surname held little meaning for him, no longer bringing him any sense of belonging.

He was determined to carve out his own path through hard work. His first priority was to ensure his mother, who had raised him with such care and hardship, could live a happy and peaceful life, free from any further suffering. He also wanted to help his kind and gentle sister, Ya'er, and the impoverished people she had helped to escape poverty and live prosperous and fulfilling lives. Furthermore, he was determined to dedicate himself to assisting a wise and benevolent ruler, working together to create a prosperous and peaceful era.

Dong Nanxi never imagined that, before he was even 16, he would become the follower of a girl who wasn't even 15 yet. Even more unexpectedly, because of this girl, he coincidentally ended up following the then 18-year-old Seventh Prince, continuing his work as his follower. This series of seemingly unbelievable experiences felt as if fate was secretly manipulating things.

However, who could have foreseen that this dramatic journey would foreshadow Dong Nanxi's future? As time passed, Dong Nanxi, through his intelligence, hard work, and the trials and tribulations he endured, gradually distinguished himself. Ultimately, he embarked on a brilliant and illustrious path, rising rapidly to become the most renowned and powerful prime minister of the court, truly second only to the emperor! His power was immense, and his status unparalleled.