As night fell, the study was illuminated like daylight. Zhan Feiyu was examining the official documents copied from the county yamen, meticulously noting down everything from the format to the titles to ensure she wouldn't make any elementary mistakes during the examination.
The prefectural examination was scheduled for April, with three consecutive sessions. The first session would test three questions on the Four Books and four on classics. The second session would include one essay, five judicial pronouncements, and one document each of edicts, proclamations, and memorials. The third session would consist of five policy questions on classics and history.
Compared to the county examination, the prefectural examination covered a broader scope. Candidates who were younger or came from impoverished backgrounds did not have an advantage. Take, for instance, the judicial pronouncements in the second session, which referred to the judgments a candidate had to make on "doubtful cases."
The ultimate goal of the imperial examinations was to enter officialdom. Even a seventh-rank county magistrate, besides governing a county to ensure the peace and prosperity of its people, had to preside over all cases within their jurisdiction.
At that time, plaintiffs and defendants would kneel in the courtroom, each side arguing their case. It was then up to the county magistrate to make a ruling.
It was also due to Magistrate Chen's intention to foster good relations with Zhan Feiyu that he had the non-confidential official documents transcribed by a scribe and sent to her. These documents were far more useful than what was taught in the county school from textbooks.
Meanwhile, the kitchen was also lit up.
"Is the little fatty still studying?" Chong Guang returned to the farmstead under the cover of night. Even though the weather had warmed up, the deep night still made one shiver with cold.
He Nuan skillfully cooked a large bowl of noodles, added two eggs, and after taking it off the stove, sprinkled some chopped scallions on top before serving it to Chong Guang. "Miss won't rest until after the hour of Zi (9 PM to 11 PM)."
Chong Guang quickly took a few bites of the noodles and a large gulp of the broth, feeling as if he had come back to life. He teased with a smile, "This little fatty is destined for a life of toil. With the care Lord Qi gives her, why does she need to study so diligently? Her short stature must be due to staying up late."
Placing a small dish of pickles on the table, He Nuan glanced at the nonchalant Chong Guang. "Lord Qi is already of age. Even if he doesn't plan to marry, His Majesty won't allow it. It won't be appropriate for Lord Qi to show such care to Miss after he takes a wife."
From this, He Nuan could see that men and women thought entirely differently. Lord Qi could care for Miss for a while, but not for a lifetime.
"Lord Qi treats the little fatty like his own daughter. Even after he marries, having a wife to look after her will only be more fitting," Chong Guang retorted with a grin. He hadn't expected He Nuan to become so motherly after becoming the little fatty's personal maid.
He Nuan almost didn't want to speak to the oblivious Chong Guang, but she also knew that Chong Guang was close to their young lady. If he said anything inappropriate in front of his future wife, it would ultimately be Miss who suffered.
"Miss is nine years old this year. Her looks are not exceptional, but her knowledge and demeanor are certainly no less than that of a noble lady from a prominent family. Many young ladies have their marriages arranged from childhood. If, in a few years, Miss reaches the age where she can marry, do you think Madam won't have any reservations?" He Nuan laid out her point, making it clear and thorough.
Looking at Chong Guang, who was paused with noodles in his chopsticks, He Nuan continued, "The Imperial Guards have handled so many cases, and whenever the inner chambers are involved, how many secret murders have there been?"
He Nuan, He Sheng, and Chong Guang had different statuses. The siblings had received training since childhood. If they hadn't been sent to Zhan Feiyu, they would have been sent to the capital or other prominent families, generally responsible for gathering intelligence.
Therefore, He Nuan was most aware of the struggles and schemes among women in the inner chambers. No matter how glamorous those madams and young ladies appeared in public, how many maids and servants had they privately killed?
For women from large families, before marriage, they were in conflict with their siblings. After marriage, they were in conflict with their sisters-in-law, mothers-in-law, and sisters-in-law. It was either you scheming against me, or I scheming against you. If you wanted to remain detached, you might end up being gnawed down to the bone.
Thus, He Nuan understood and agreed with Zhan Feiyu's efforts. Without the backing of a family, Miss could only rely on herself. No matter how good Lord Qi was to Miss, once he married and had children, this closeness would gradually fade.
Even if Lord Qi remained the same, what about his wife? What about Lord Qi's children? If even one of them harbored malicious intent, Miss would inevitably be the one to suffer.
It was also because Chong Guang was Yin Wuyan's personal guard that He Nuan had to caution him. Otherwise, with his loose tongue, he would sooner or later harm Miss.
"Isn't that too alarmist?" Chong Guang replied awkwardly, barely maintaining his expression.
Chong Guang naturally understood what He Nuan was saying, but when he thought of how their Lord Qi protected the little fatty, Chong Guang felt that He Nuan was worrying unnecessarily. Who would dare to touch someone that Lord Qi intended to protect?
However, Chong Guang suddenly recalled Yin Wuyan's childhood life in the palace. At that time, the Emperor doted on Lord Qi, but those princes still made secret moves. Even though they knew the Emperor would be angry, they acted with impunity due to their princely status. How could outsiders be closer than one's own children?
With this thought, Chong Guang shed his flippant demeanor and became more serious. "Alright, I've noted what you said."
...
A quarter of an hour later, just as Zhan Feiyu put down her documents to rest, she saw Chong Guang, having eaten his fill, entering under the cover of night.
"Little fatty, I heard you received a secret letter this afternoon." Chong Guang took the letter Zhan Feiyu handed him and scanned it, raising an eyebrow. "It truly is the methods of the inner chambers."
If it were someone in the court, they would not act rashly. When they did, it would be a killing blow! Whether in the capital or in various prefectures and counties, these prominent families secretly trained some death warriors for the purpose of silencing people.
He pulled over a chair and sat beside Zhan Feiyu. Chong Guang placed the letter back on the table. Threatening the little fatty with Old Master Zhan would not have any substantial effect, at most it would damage the little fatty's reputation in private.
But if the little fatty achieved success in the imperial examinations one day, who would dare to say a word against her? Therefore, Chong Guang immediately recognized that this letter came from a woman in the inner chambers. Reputation was sometimes worthless. Lord Qi's reputation in court was comparable to that of a ferocious demon, yet who in the court dared to disrespect him?
"Uncle Chong Guang, have you found out why the Qin clan went to such lengths to deal with me?" Zhan Feiyu was genuinely curious. After reading the letter that afternoon, she had paid it no further mind, refocusing her attention on her studies. After all, compared to these insidious tricks, the prefectural examination in April was the most important.
Chong Guang glanced at the documents on the desk, realizing that Zhan Feiyu, like He Nuan, believed in relying on herself rather than Lord Qi.
"I investigated, but found nothing useful." The reason the Imperial Guards struck fear into the hearts of everyone in the court was their all-pervasive investigative methods.
Once the Imperial Guards took action, they could investigate a person's entire life from childhood to adulthood. Afterward, the information would be sent back to the capital, where specialized personnel would analyze and judge it. Once a person was thoroughly analyzed, their every word and action could be deduced, leaving them nowhere to hide.
This time, the timeframe was short, but Chong Guang still sent people to investigate the Qin clan's affairs since childhood.
Before her marriage, Madam Qin had an excellent reputation. Not only was her appearance beautiful, but her temperament was also gentle, knowledgeable, and understanding. Many of the matriarchs in Nanxuan Prefecture had chosen Madam Qin as their daughter-in-law.
After marriage, Madam Qin was a model of a virtuous wife and loving mother, raising her husband and children. It could be said that half of Wan Yunhao's good reputation among the scholars in Nanxuan Prefecture originated from his wife, Madam Qin.
"At that time, this marriage was originally arranged for Madam Qin's cousin. However, the other party disliked Wan Yunhao for being a peasant and was unwilling to marry him. She even planned to scheme for Madam Qin to fall into the water, so that Wan Yunhao could save her and create a fait accompli. Unexpectedly, although Madam Qin had a gentle disposition, she was intelligent. After seeing through her cousin's scheme, she did not make a big fuss. Instead, she complied with the family's wishes and married Wan Yunhao."
If Chong Guang hadn't investigated deeply, he would have also believed Madam Qin to be a virtuous and dignified lady from a prominent family. Her主动 marriage to Wan Yunhao had earned her the favor of the entire Qin family, while her scheming cousin was severely punished according to family rules.
"Madam Qin's dowry was thirty percent more than the Qin family's usual custom. Her cousin, being older, married a year later. At that time, there were some rumors in Nanxuan Prefecture." If her character was impeccable, why did her younger cousin get married while she remained unmarried? These were easy to investigate, and Chong Guang was always accurate.
When the families who had intended to marry her inquired further, they discovered that the cousin had schemed against her younger cousin. This completely ruined her reputation, and she eventually had to marry someone else, and moreover, marry far away. m..oΓg
Hearing this, Zhan Feiyu asked with a smile, "These pieces of information were likely all released by Madam Qin, weren't they?"
Furthermore, because of the previous incident, the cousin was not favored by her elders in the Qin family, and her married life could be imagined. Madam Qin's move was brilliant, securing both substance and reputation.
Chong Guang pouted disdainfully. "There's even more disgusting behavior. Madam Qin also sends things to her cousin who married far away from time to time, using the other party to enhance her own reputation."
And the cousin's feelings upon receiving the gifts could be imagined!
The key was that those gifts were merely flashy and impractical items. However, the Qin family elders, unaware of the truth, only saw Madam Qin taking care of her cousin without holding any grudges, and they praised Madam Qin highly. The more benefits she received, the better.
As for the cousin, she was so angered by Madam Qin's hypocritical tactics that she almost vomited blood. She wrote letters home complaining and even cursing Madam Qin. In comparison, the difference in their standing was clear.
"The inner chambers are comparable to the imperial court, but women have smaller scopes, scheming for their own small domains," Zhan Feiyu said with a sigh. Her gaze swept across the desk, and she suddenly felt motivated to study hard again.
Chong Guang patted her shoulder encouragingly. "Little fatty, you should focus on your studies!"
"I will work hard!" Zhan Feiyu nodded vigorously. Compared to the bloody storms in the inner chambers, she preferred to become a great scholar after passing the imperial examinations and then find a place to teach mathematics. With her reputation and wealth secured, her life would be peaceful and comfortable.
Zhan Feiyu could understand the Qin family's actions. The Qin family had no successor. Qin Ye, who had the most literary talent, was too young at the time, so they chose Wan Yunhao. After all, he came from a poor background, and even if he entered officialdom in the future, he would need to rely on the Qin family.
Once Qin Ye could stand on his own, the Qin family could reclaim all the resources and connections that Wan Yunhao had. To put it bluntly, Wan Yunhao was merely a tool chosen by the Qin family to facilitate the transition of family power.
If he was sensible and willing to assist Qin Ye, the Qin family would not mistreat him. However, if Wan Yunhao proved to be ungrateful in the future, it would be easy for the Qin family to deal with him.
"Madam Qin is a smart woman. Her choice of Wan Yunhao instead of a husband of equal social standing likely stems from her ambition to seize power," Zhan Feiyu recalled seeing Madam Qin in front of the yamen that day, dressed in white mourning attire, appearing frail yet resilient, evoking pity from many scholars.
Chong Guang laughed heartily and teased Zhan Feiyu, "Wan Yunhao wasn't poisoned by you, but he died because of you. Madam Qin is now a widow. According to the Qin family's rules, she can only be a chaste widow for the rest of her life. Do you think she hates you?"
The Qin family wanted to use Wan Yunhao, and Madam Qin and Wan Yunhao also harbored ambitions to seize power. Both husband and wife had considerable ambitions. If Wan Yunhao had not died, it would have been a fierce struggle, depending on who was more skilled.
"Destroying someone's future is like killing their parents. I understand," Zhan Feiyu shrugged helplessly. "So, Madam Qin wants to end my path to the imperial examinations. An eye for an eye."
Chong Guang raised an eyebrow and added, "If you had truly killed her parents, Madam Qin wouldn't have hated you this much."
Over the years, Wan Yunhao and Madam Qin had used the Qin family's connections to secretly sponsor many rural scholars and discreetly befriended some merchants. If they hadn't been worried about the Qin family finding out, the couple would have likely wanted to befriend more court officials.
These rural scholars might not have prominent statuses now, but if someone achieved success in the imperial examinations in the future, they would become powerful assets to the couple. Even if some stopped at the level of Xiu Cai or Ju Ren, a Ju Ren could still become an official. With the Qin family's connections, the couple had significant room for maneuver.
In ten to twenty years, these people would belong to them, and the accumulated strength would be considerable.
"Are Mao Zhengfeng and Qian Pingchao among them?" Zhan Feiyu couldn't help but smile. "I'm afraid it wasn't just about help, but also about holding leverage over these scholars. Even if they didn't have any, the couple would create some."
Righteousness often comes from the common folk, while betrayal comes from scholars! To prevent the scholars they cultivated from escaping their control, Madam Qin and Wan Yunhao must have held tight onto their leverage. If they didn't have any, they would create it.
"Mao Zhengfeng is not. He's just a lunatic who's read himself silly. He's always been jealous of talented scholars, and you particularly struck a nerve with Mao Zhengfeng. So, after being subtly prompted, Mao Zhengfeng went mad." Chong Guang had secretly interrogated Mao Zhengfeng before. He was purely jealous of the little fatty's talent due to his own repeated failures.
Qian Pingchao was indeed someone secretly cultivated by the couple. While he didn't have much talent, his mind was reasonably agile. If Zhan Feiyu hadn't stood in his way this time, Qian Pingchao would have been the county's top scholar.
There wouldn't be much trouble in the prefectural or provincial examinations either. The title of Xiu Cai was a certainty. With a few more years of training, he might even become a Ju Ren. As for becoming a Jin Shi, that was unlikely, but a Ju Ren could become an official. Even as a registrar, with the Qin family's support, becoming a seventh-rank county magistrate was a certainty.
Chong Guang looked at Zhan Feiyu, who was deep in thought, and said, "Madam Qin has always remained in the background all these years. These matters were handled by Wan Yunhao. This time, the death of Feng Er was planned by her wet nurse and Huang Bin."
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