Chapter 5

Asheng stared at Pu Dianli and said earnestly, "Mr. Pu, I wouldn't joke about something like this. I have thought it through carefully. It's not as difficult as you think. Apart from this county, there aren't many people in the prefecture who know me."

Pu Dianli was surprised, "After the county examination, how could there not be many people in the prefecture who know you?"

Asheng replied, "I didn't want to draw attention or cause unnecessary trouble, so I didn't interact with other candidates during the prefecture examination. A lot of candidates were eliminated in the county examination, and this time, only a few of the remaining candidates will meet me. After the county examination, I was afraid that there might be people in the prefecture who remembered my father, so I didn't attend the celebratory banquet held by the prefecture. I confirmed that I passed the examination and came back. I didn't even participate in the celebratory banquet held by the prefecture.

"To avoid drawing too much attention before going to the capital, I didn't try my best in the county examination, so my ranking wasn't high. Even if all the candidates from the prefecture gather again, I won't be the focus of attention. Even those who have seen me only had a brief encounter. Who would remember an unfamiliar person? In the prefecture, those who know my name don't know me personally, and those who know me personally don't know my name."

Pu Dianli frowned, "If it's really as you say, perhaps we can think of a way."

Ying Qing was already wide-eyed, his mouth twitching, unable to believe it, thinking that these two were being too reckless.

Asheng cautiously instructed, "Mr. Pu, there are a few things you need to do. The other two candidates from this county who are retaking the examination must leave with me. Ying Qing should not get too close to them, otherwise, if they fail this time and take the examination with me again in the future, it could cause problems. So, you need to prevent them from taking this examination. You can use the story of the monster to scare them. Think of a way to stop the two from taking the metropolitan examination.

"After the last county examination, the magistrate held a celebratory banquet, and I couldn't refuse, so many people got to know me. This time, when I go to the capital, I need to complete the formalities, and the magistrate and others will likely see me off. You need to prevent this. You can use the chaos caused by the monster to your advantage. You can say that to protect me, it's not appropriate to make a big fuss, and you can scare them. Mr. Pu, you can take all the responsibility for this.

"The constables assigned to escort Ying Qing should be carefully selected. They should be people who don't know me. When Mr. Pu vouches for Ying Qing as me, the constables won't suspect anything. Mr. Pu, if you do these three things, there shouldn't be any major problems."

"Master has thought it through," Pu Dianli nodded, having calmed down from his initial shock and now thinking seriously. "In that case, Master's examination papers and writings in the county need to be handled. Otherwise, if the handwriting doesn't match the ones in the capital, there might be trouble. I can handle the county's side, but I can't access the writings Master left in the prefecture examination."

Asheng said, "You're overthinking it. If I do well, there's a possibility that the capital might want to review the papers from here, but it's unlikely. Do you think I can pass?"

Pu Dianli smiled slightly, realizing he was overthinking it. If he can't even pass the examination, who would bother to review the papers of a failed candidate?

Asheng continued, "We can handle it if I pass. The problem is that time is short, and we need to leave soon. You have a lot to prepare, so don't worry about less important things."

"Alright!" Pu Dianli agreed, understanding the plan.

Ying Qing, however, was not pleased. He looked around, first at one, then at the other, wanting to ask what was going on, but they didn't even ask for his consent. They just made plans for him. He immediately objected, "What are you doing? Are you trying to play with my life? What about stopping those two candidates, restraining the magistrate, and all these other things? Do you think this is something you can just do as you please? Bookworm, do you think he can handle all these things alone?"

Asheng lay there calmly and said, "It shouldn't be a problem. Most of the clerks in the six departments of the county are my people."

Ying Qing retorted, "Why don't you say the magistrate is also one of your people?"

Asheng replied, "Placing someone in the magistrate's position has no real significance and is not a long-term strategy. How long can a magistrate stay in one county? It's normal for them to be replaced. The clerks in the six departments are different. They can serve for seven or eight years, and some can even serve for a lifetime. They are the true power brokers in the county. Once they work together, stopping those two candidates and preventing the magistrate and others from meeting you will be a small matter. You don't need to worry."

Ying Qing was speechless, realizing that the clerks in the six departments might indeed be under the bookworm's control.

He then realized that the official Yu had already laid the groundwork before his demotion, and this entire county might be his territory.

Asheng gave Pu Dianli a meaningful look, "Mr. Pu, please go and take care of it."

Pu Dianli understood. The task of convincing the substitute was left to Asheng. He nodded and quickly left.

The two men, one lying and one standing, looked at each other.

After a while, Asheng sighed, "The person who will take my place in the capital examination should be around my age, have a basic foundation in writing, and have considerable courage and adaptability. Otherwise, facing unexpected situations could easily raise suspicion. Most importantly, the person must be reliable. Where can I find such a person in a short time?

"Finding someone else would be risky, but I know you well. You're bold, resilient, and quick-witted. As long as the groundwork is laid, the troubles along the way will be manageable for someone like you. Your ability to handle such matters, as long as you are willing to be cautious, I am not worried at all."

"Bold and resilient, is that a compliment?" Ying Qing snorted, feeling somewhat helpless. He had to vent, "Bookworm, I really don't understand. That Mr. Pu also said that using your real name for the examination in the capital is dangerous. Why not use a fake name to achieve the same goal?"

Asheng knew he was worried about the risks. The capital was a place of hidden dragons and tigers, not a place for the abbot of Linglong Temple to run wild. He explained earnestly, "No! Even the names of my parents must be correct. The point is that once I pass, people will know that Asheng, the son of Ajiezhang, has returned."

Ying Qing was shocked, "Why? Isn't that asking for trouble?"

Asheng said calmly, "The emperor's pursuit of immortality has caused hardship for the people. My father was punished for his words, but do you think he was the only one with such thoughts in the court? There are many. Success in the imperial examination does not guarantee a promising career or opportunities to serve. Many remain obscure! But appearing as the son of Ajiezhang is different. Shared ideals are important, and there will be people who will support me openly or secretly. Once I pass the examination in the capital, no one will dare to act against me openly."

Ying Qing was stunned, understanding the deep strategy of the father and son. He sighed, "If they can't act openly, can they act secretly?"

Asheng smiled faintly, "If they can't act openly, that's enough. Are political enemies not used to acting secretly against each other? If you choose a career in the government, should you be afraid of this?"

Ying Qing was speechless, realizing he was overthinking it. How could they not understand the risks and benefits? Using a real name was a big decision, and they had already weighed the pros and cons thoroughly.

Despite this, some realities had to be faced. He sighed, "Bookworm, have you thought about it? I have never studied for the examination. I don't know how to break down, solve, or answer questions. I don't even know the basic format and rules. Can I learn all this in a short time? Can I find someone to teach me on the way? Asking anyone would raise suspicion. There will be many problems to face in the capital."

Asheng's face, still pale from his injuries, did not answer these questions. Instead, he asked, "Where is the basket?"

The basket was in the corner of the room. Ying Qing walked over, picked it up, and placed it beside the bed, then sat down. Just as he was about to continue complaining, Asheng spoke, "Untie the hemp rope on the handle on the right side. There's something inside."

Something? Ying Qing was taken aback, remembering that Asheng had mentioned something important in the basket when he was injured. He immediately forgot his complaints and quickly followed the instructions.

Once the hemp rope was removed, a clear saw mark was visible on the bamboo handle.

Asheng reminded him, "You can pull it out directly."

Ying Qing did as instructed and easily pulled it out, revealing a metal tube inside the bamboo cylinder.

What was so mysterious? Ying Qing pulled out the metal tube, which looked quite intricate. Without waiting for Asheng's instructions, he unscrewed the cap at one end of the metal tube, eager to see what was inside.

Asheng was helpless, unable to move and unable to stop him. He guessed that even if he tried, he couldn't stop this guy's curiosity.

Ying Qing had already poured out the contents of the metal tube, which turned out to be a scroll of paper. He unfolded it and couldn't understand it.

He examined it from all angles, front and back, but it was just half a painting. He was puzzled, "Half a broken painting, what does it mean? Is it a famous painting that's very valuable? With half missing, it should be worthless, right?"

Asheng replied, "You're overthinking it. It's just half a painting, not by a famous artist. It was originally a complete painting, but my father cut it into two halves. One half is with my father, and the other half is with a wealthy merchant surnamed Zhong in the capital. The two halves of the painting are actually tokens of engagement. When I was very young, I was engaged to the daughter of this wealthy merchant.

"My father and the merchant arranged for the painting to be both a token of engagement and a dowry. When you go to the capital, you can directly visit the merchant and present him with the half of the painting. When he sees it, he will naturally recognize you as me. You don't need to worry about the examination. If you need any help with your studies, you can quietly ask him for assistance. He should have the ability to help you."