"Uncle! Are you really planning to choose Lord Yin? He’s offended quite a few people!" Gu Wanqian personally gathered this information and naturally knows the situation of Yin Kun.
"What’s there to fear? We’re just opening a restaurant in the Capital! Lord Yin isn’t involved in anything related to the restaurant, he just needs to sit in on the opening day. Since he dared to agree, he must have a way. We could give him a ten percent share! Can he really forgo this Silver?"
Gu Chengyu had already discussed the restaurant with Yin Kun the day before. Initially, Yin Kun did have concerns. But later agreed, and Gu Chengyu couldn’t help but think of the Anhe Marquis Mansion.
The Yin Mansion and the Anhe Marquis Mansion are in-laws, and although the Marquis Mansion has fallen now, a scrawny cal is bigger than a horse.
The Anhe Marquis Mansion received its title during the reign of Emperor Jia Ren. At that ti, during the plot to seize the throne, the first Marquis of the mansion had made significant contributions. Although the descendants of the mansion aren’t promising, Emperor Huiming, considering their previous ritorious service, wouldn’t neglect the mansion.
So, even though the current Marquis of the mansion is a scholar and doesn’t engage in military affairs, he can serve as a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue, holding the Standard Fifth Rank. The mansion’s second lord serves as a temple minister in the Guanglu Temple, but only holds the Secondary Sixth Rank.
Logically, since the Holy Emperor wants to care for the old nobles, the positions shouldn’t be so low, but who asked the Liang Family to produce a Grand Secretary? The mansion can only yield to the collateral branches.
Gu Chengyu guesses that perhaps to make up for the direct descendants, the teacher married the direct second daughter of the mansion to his eldest disciple, but that’s just his speculation.
The relationships between aristocratic families are intricate, and the Anhe Marquis Mansion isn’t without influential in-laws. The officials in the Capital must give face.
These reasons cannot be explained clearly in a short ti, so Gu Chengyu just asked Gu Wanqian to prepare for the opening.
"When I return, you will stay in the Capital to manage, Xiao Sanzi will follow you in the future, teach him so words, and just command him as needed. I might return to study at the Imperial College in the Capital after more than a month, and the affairs in the Capital will temporarily be in the hands of you and Steward Yu!"
Gu Chengyu went to the Yin Mansion yesterday, and Yin Kun told Gu Chengyu that the teacher ntioned in his letter wanting to recomnd Gu Chengyu for study at the Imperial College.
In fact, before coming to the Capital, the teacher had ntioned it to him, but at that ti Gu Chengyu hadn’t passed the Provincial Examination, so he felt it was premature to talk about it.
Yesterday Yin Kun ntioned it again, perhaps thinking that Gu Chengyu has a high chance of passing the Provincial Examination. Besides, even if he doesn’t pass, he can still enter the Imperial College as a student, considering his previous excellent grades.
Even though Liang Zhirui has retired, he still holds so influence in the court.
Gu Wanqian initially felt apprehensive about taking over such a big responsibility in the Capital, but upon hearing that Gu Chengyu could co to study, he was relieved. With Gu Chengyu around, he dared to act more freely.
"It’s great that uncle can study at the Imperial College, the highest educational institution, I congratulate you, uncle!"
"It’s just a spot at the Imperial College! Studying hard is for the purpose of achieving academic success, this Provincial Examination is the most important thing at present."
There are only five days left until the Provincial Examination results are announced, and even Gu Chengyu cannot remain unaffected.
"Uncle was previously the Little San Yuan! The Provincial Examination shouldn’t be difficult for uncle, right?" Gu Wanqian is very confident in Gu Chengyu, always feeling that difficult matters are solved when in Gu Chengyu’s hands.
Gu Chengyu shook his head and smiled, "You can’t speak carelessly about this, if others find out, they might think I’m being arrogant!"
In the following days, Gu Chengyu and Sun Xian wandered around the Capital, buying so Capital specialties for their family.
Five days later, it was the day of the announcent of results, Gu Chengyu and his companions were waiting early in the tavern hall. By this ti, all the scholars staying at the inn were already in the hall, anxiously awaiting the good news from the Provincial Examination.
"Son! This ti you must strive for success! You’re over thirty now, if you don’t make it again, I can’t afford it anymore, and you’ll have to go back and beco a teacher at an academy."
Beside Gu Chengyu, a father and son were talking. The speaker was an old man about fifty years old. He held the hand of a scholar in his thirties, speaking while wiping tears with one hand.
"Father! What are you doing? If I pass the exam, I can beco an official, and our family can also end its suffering. Didn’t I promise you? If I really don’t pass, I won’t take the exam again."
This scholar shook his head and sighed, looking visibly distressed. Gu Chengyu observed the other’s attire and thought that their family was in dire straits and truly couldn’t afford it.
Gu Chengyu had noticed this examinee before, he checked in on the third day after Gu Chengyu. However, he stayed in the lower rooms and was exempted from paying; Gu Chengyu often went downstairs to observe the scholars answering the questions and see how they perford.
The answers of this examinee showed his knowledge, indicating he wasn’t lacking in scholarship. But at check-in, there was a minor incident about room paynt exemption: his father didn’t get the exemption for himself. The scholar wanted to answer two more questions, but the tavern’s rule was he could try only once, so in the end, he had to reluctantly pay for the room.
What Gu Chengyu didn’t understand was, if they knew that traveling to the Capital was costly and an extra person ant extra room paynt, why did his father have to follow him to the Capital?
However, that was their own matter, and after not understanding, Gu Chengyu put it out of mind, because a constable carrying the good news was galloping towards their inn.
"Provincial Examination’s good news! Congratulations to Master Su Yang of Fengding Prefecture for ranking ninety-sixth in the Capital’s Provincial Examination..." A constable on horseback galloped to the inn’s entrance, raising the good news and loudly announcing.
"Father! It’s ! It’s ! I passed! I’ve beco a scholar!"
Gu Chengyu turned his head and saw that the speaking son from before was the first in the inn to receive the good news?
"Son! You really passed? Did you pass?" His father seed not to believe it and kept asking.
"Old master, your son passed! He’s now a Mr. Scholar!" The Shopkeeper Wan of the tavern imdiately ca to congratulate; many scholars and Advanced Scholars lived in their tavern every year, and this was the first good news from the Provincial Examination this year, so he was naturally delighted.
The tavern instantly beca lively, with all scholars congratulating each other regardless of their thoughts, even the waitstaff started coming up with clever phrases.
"Son! Now that you’ve passed the examination, we can talk about Da Lang’s marriage!" The old man was overwheld with joy, looking up, he saw tears in his son’s eyes.
"Old master, quickly let Mr. Scholar give so reward money to the constable!" Soone saw that the constable had already arrived and given the good news to Su Yang. Seeing he was still in a daze of joy, they kindly reminded him.
"Right, right, quickly, Yangyang, give so Silver!"
"Chengyu! Do you think we can pass the examination like him?" Sun Xian looked at Su Yang, feeling very envious. Although the rank wasn’t high, it was still a pass, right?
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