Chapter 129: The Year of Great Examinations
Fu Tingyun felt a strange curiosity but hesitated to ask Xiuzhu's family about any news from Bi Bo's household. Though she wavered several times, the words remained unspoken even after seeing them off.
On her way back, she heard the crackling of firecrackers from some household.
"Who's getting married or celebrating a birthday?" Zheng Sanniang murmured.
Fu Tingyun paid it little mind.
The next day, two maids came to clean the back room. After they left, Zheng Sanniang reported: "The second son of Vice Minister of the Court of Revision Lord Ji, who lives next to Lord Li, has passed the provincial examination. They're just waiting to confirm his ranking before hosting continuous feasts."
Suddenly, Fu Tingyun understood.
This was the year of Jiǎxū—the Year of Great Examinations.
A thought struck her.
Last year was Guǐyǒu, when provincial examinations were held.
Could Xiuzhu's family's hesitation be related to this?
She called Yu Wei aside for a private word: "I recall Young Master Yu's father serves as Left Censor-in-Chief in the Censorate, overseeing all officials and investigating misconduct. It should be easy for him to make inquiries, shouldn't it?"
Yu Wei was startled. "Miss, what do you intend?" she asked nervously.
Fu Tingyun smiled. "I'm just curious why Xiuzhu's family still seemed somewhat regretful after confirming Ninth Master hasn't taken any wives or concubines..."
Yu Wei somewhat rudely interrupted: "Even so, Miss shouldn't make such inquiries. What if Lord Zhao's people find out and it reaches his ears?" Her expression showed concern.
Zhao Ling?
Fu Tingyun recalled how he'd confessed that after she agreed to accompany him to Zhangye, he'd resolved to marry her—hence his more affectionate, less formal behavior toward her. Such a confident man probably wouldn't mind...
The thought made her heart feel sweet.
"It's just curiosity," Fu Tingyun said, now less interested in knowing. "If you think it improper, forget it."
Having grown up with her, Yu Wei knew all too well what "just curious" had led to in the past. Headache looming, she decided to discreetly inquire about the Yu Family of Nanjing Fengle Ward.
To her surprise, the Yu family was remarkably well-known in the capital. Everyone could offer some information. She quickly learned that last spring, the Yu family's second uncle Yu Guoliang had been appointed Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Profundity and promoted to Minister of Rites; the eldest uncle Yu Guocai now served as Provincial Administration Commissioner of Fujian; and the third uncle held office as prefect of Shaoxing, Zhejiang. But most enviable was the family's promising next generation—last autumn, their eldest son ranked first in the Zhili provincial examination, and this year he again placed first in the palace examination. At just twenty-one, rumors circulated he would surely be named either Zhuangyuan (top scholar) or Tanhua (third-place finisher).
Fu Tingyun was surprised. "Father always said Young Master Yu was brilliant with boundless prospects. Who knew it would prove true?"
By comparison, Zhao Ling paled.
She could only hope her father wouldn't compare Zhao Ling to Young Master Yu.
Though she knew it unlikely.
Fu Tingyun heaved a long sigh.
Yu Wei cautiously added: "Though I heard Young Master Yu married last winter!"
Fu Tingyun froze.
So soon!Although news of her death had spread in July the year before last, Young Master Yu did not marry until last winter. However, for prominent families, the process from selection to betrothal to formal engagement typically took over a year. Moreover, Young Master Yu had "lost" his fiancée, and families who were particular about such things would consider it inauspicious to marry their daughters to him, especially since he had not yet passed the provincial examination at that time...
She couldn't help but ask, "Do you know which family's daughter Young Master Yu married?"
Yu Wei, hoping Fu Tingyun would let go, replied, "She is the second daughter of Fan Dajin Fan Kun, a renowned Confucian scholar from Jiangnan."
No wonder.
The two families knew each other well. Young Master Yu had studied the art of examination essays under Fan Kun, who naturally had a thorough understanding of his student's character, temperament, and knowledge. Though Young Master Yu's fiancée had "passed away," to Fan Kun, it was likely just a minor flaw in an otherwise flawless jade.
Still, between arranging a marriage, taking the provincial examination, getting married, and then participating in the palace examination, Young Master Yu had managed to achieve such outstanding results despite so many events happening simultaneously. This showed his diligence and genuine talent!
She found herself curious about the palace examination results.
By mid-April, when the results were announced, Yu Jingxiu, the eldest son of the Yu family, also known as De Pu, was indeed named the top scholar (zhuangyuan).
A twenty-one-year-old zhuangyuan.
For a time, Yu Jingxiu's fame spread far and wide.
But within days, the excitement that had captivated the streets was overshadowed by news that the Emperor had fallen too ill to attend morning court. Public attention quickly shifted to whether the Emperor would recover, when Prince Zhuang—the Emperor's only son—would be named crown prince, and whether the current Grand Secretary Shen Shichong could retain his position if Prince Zhuang ascended the throne, given that the former Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Profundity and Minister of Rites, Mo Yingbo, had always supported Prince Zhuang's succession. Even the two maids who came to work at the house couldn't resist whispering a few words about it to Zheng Sanniang.
Fu Tingyun, however, paid little attention to these matters.
The Emperor had only one son, Prince Zhuang, so it was only natural for him to succeed. Moreover, Marquis Yingchuan was Prince Zhuang's brother-in-law, and Zhao Ling served under the Marquis. Even during the transition of power, the Marquis would at least retain his position, if not rise further.
Her only concern was whether this would affect Zhao Ling's journey to the capital.
Adding to her worries, Xiuzhu's family from Four Happiness Alley had visited once but never returned. On the eighth day of the fourth month, the birthday of the Buddha, when the entire capital flocked to temple fairs, Fu Tingyun sent Yu Wei to wait at the entrance of Fu Family Alley, but no women from the Fu family appeared.
She decided she must find a way to meet her elder brother, Fu Tinggui.
If she could persuade him, she would gain another ally.
If Zhao Ling traveled quickly, he should arrive in the capital by May. She didn’t want him to suffer any indignities from her father on her account.
She wrote a letter and instructed Yu Wei to deliver it to her brother on his way to study.
Just then, a visitor arrived.
Fu Tingyun was surprised.
Perhaps because their neighbors were all officials' families, they were particularly sensitive to political shifts. First, there was the birthday celebration of Commander Shi Wenbin of the Tengji Guard, then the announcement of the new Presented Scholars, and now the Emperor's illness. Everyone was busy—first with congratulatory banquets, then with hosting fellow provincial graduates. Now, with Prince Zhuang's potential succession, some families rejoiced while others worried. No one had time to visit her.
"Show them in at once!" She set down her brush and instructed Zheng Sanniang.
Zheng Sanniang hesitated. "It's the third manager of Datong Company. Where would you like to receive him?""Ah!" Fu Tingyun couldn't conceal her astonishment. "Quickly invite Shopkeeper Ye San to the southern reception hall. Have A Sen keep him company first while I change clothes. I'll be right there."
The southern wing had six rooms: one for the gatekeeper, one serving as the main entrance, three as reception halls for external guests, and the remaining two divided by a courtyard wall—these served as both study and private quarters, typically used by resident tutors or studying youths.
A Sen, now Zhao Ling's sworn younger brother and already eleven years old, had been assigned to live in the southern wing's study.
When Fu Tingyun arrived, A Sen was inquiring about Shopkeeper Ye San's injuries with such grown-up demeanor that it drew a faint smile from her.
Upon seeing Fu Tingyun, Shopkeeper Ye San immediately stood and clasped his hands to bow.
Fu Tingyun hurriedly stopped him: "Shopkeeper Ye is my senior and a good friend of our Ninth Master. Such formality would make me uncomfortable."
As someone accustomed to traveling, Shopkeeper Ye San combined careful prudence with bold straightforwardness. Seeing Fu Tingyun's sincerity, he smiled and relented: "In that case, I won't stand on ceremony."
After exchanging pleasantries, they took their respective seats as host and guest.
Before Fu Tingyun could ask his purpose for visiting, he explained: "After returning home, my elders decided I was no longer suited for the northwest, so they sent me to the capital to assist my elder brother with business here. I arrived last November. Two days ago, I received a letter from Lord Zhao mentioning your arrival in the capital and suggesting I visit when free to offer any assistance needed. So here I am at the first opportunity." He added with a laugh, "Please don't stand on ceremony—I've ample free time these days, and visiting here provides good exercise."
Clearly, he'd been sidelined by the Ye family.
Fu Tingyun suddenly felt a kinship with this fellow exile: "Shopkeeper Ye, please visit whenever you wish. Coincidentally, Shopkeeper Lu is also in the capital. Though he can't compare to your experience managing camel caravans of thousands, you're both in the same trade and should have much to discuss."
"You flatter me, Miss Fu," Shopkeeper Ye San chuckled. "That's all in the past. Now I'm merely a warehouse supervisor."
Noting his composed expression, Fu Tingyun nodded inwardly. She had Zheng Sanniang summon Shopkeeper Lu, exchanged a few more polite words, then returned to the main residence.
At noon, Shopkeeper Lu hosted Shopkeeper Ye for lunch on Fu Tingyun's behalf. After seeing him off, Shopkeeper Lu consulted with her: "Shopkeeper Ye proposed we collaborate on grain trade. I believe it's viable." He then detailed the capital's official households, their annual grain stipends, exchange rates between old and new rice, and Shopkeeper Ye's excellent connections with grain transport officials—clear evidence of thorough prior research, with today's visit intended to secure her agreement.
Official salaries included both silver and grain/silk, called "stipend rice." Typically consisting of aged rice unpalatable to elite households, officials would either sell it cheaply to grain shops or exchange it for fresh rice at set ratios—a practice offering staggering profit margins, but requiring exceptional political backing to prevent being forced into unfavorable one-to-one exchanges that would ruin the business.She couldn't help but feel suspicious: "Apart from us, who else is Shopkeeper Ye planning to invite to invest?"
"Just our two families," Shopkeeper Lu hesitated for a moment before continuing, "He said the capital isn't much, just ten thousand taels of silver. The biggest taboo in business is a fifty-fifty split—when two parties disagree, the business can't continue. Knowing we've just bought a house, he proposed an eighty-twenty investment ratio, with him taking eighty percent and us twenty..."
If successful, this would be like manna from heaven.
Fu Tingyun pondered and asked, "Did you clarify whether we're doing business with the Ye family or just with him?"
Shopkeeper Lu wavered: "It's with Shopkeeper Ye."
Then what qualifies him to make this deal?
Fu Tingyun remained silent.
Shopkeeper Lu's aged face flushed red as he said, "If the young lady thinks it's unsuitable, I'll go and decline Shopkeeper Ye!"
"That would be best," Fu Tingyun said softly. "We'd better not get dragged into the Ye family's internal conflicts!"
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My mind was preoccupied with today's update, so I couldn't sleep at all. Then I got up to write... There might be quite a few typos—please bear with them for now while I go fix them.
O(∩_∩)O~
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(End of Chapter)
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