Chapter 70

Ying Qing left the Zhong family residence again and returned to the Liezhou Guild Hall.

This time, he was going back to pack his things. There was no choice; the Zhong family had found him, and he did not want to stay at the Zhong residence, nor did the Zhong family want him there.

They sent people to take him back, and he only needed to pack his belongings, with no other concerns. The Zhong family would naturally handle the official paperwork, and these were not issues.

In the main hall of the inner residence, the couple who had just seen Ying Qing off fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Wen Jianhui broke the silence and asked, "Didn't you say that he would finalize his daughter's marriage this time? Why hasn't he mentioned it?"

Zhong Su snorted, "Is my daughter unmarriageable? Am I begging him to marry my daughter? He should be the one to propose the marriage."

He had intended to bring it up, but found that Ying Qing was completely indifferent, as if there was no such marriage agreement. He tried to hint at it, but Ying Qing seemed to be pretending not to understand, deliberately avoiding the topic of marriage. He couldn't bring himself to say it. After all, he couldn't accept the idea of devaluing his daughter.

Wen Jianhui rolled her eyes, finding him overly sentimental. However, she had her own thoughts and tried to reason, "Master, do you think it's likely that Shi Heng will pass the imperial exams and stay in the capital? Or are you really going to let your daughter marry into that remote countryside?"

She hadn't thought this way before, but after learning that Shi Heng's parents and family were all deceased, she began to view the marriage agreement differently.

She knew how powerful the former Minister of the Yu Department had been while in office, and even after being dismissed, he still had enough influence to intimidate her.

Now, with these factors aside, she still hoped her daughter could marry into a family of equal status.

When she had married a shop assistant in her youth, she hadn't thought this way, but now, after experiencing wealth and as she grew older, her thoughts gradually changed.

Zhong Su said, "Even if he fails the exams, he doesn't have to return to Liezhou. He can stay in the capital to continue his studies and try again next year. Can't we support their living expenses?"

Wen Jianhui replied, "What if he keeps failing? Are we going to support him indefinitely? When others mock us, will he be able to bear it, or will we be able to endure it? If he returns to Liezhou, he might get a position and have a future. We don't have to delay his prospects... My daughter cannot go to that poor and remote countryside; she must stay by my side."

She was almost saying that they should not delay each other.

Zhong Su gave her a cold glance, "What are you trying to say? Now that you know his parents are dead, do you want to break the engagement?" After so many years of marriage, how could he not understand her?

Wen Jianhui, caught in her thoughts, refused to admit it and mumbled, "I'm not trying to break the engagement. You saw his attitude, and you're not willing either. Are you worried about what the steward and Du Fei might think?"

"Li and Du, whom I have cultivated for many years, are reliable. Our relationship with them is no less than with that person," Zhong Su stroked his beard and turned to look at his wife, "But some things are not as simple as you think. A dead centipede doesn't stiffen, and the cost of breaking the engagement... our Zhong family may not be able to bear it."

Wen Jianhui was unconvinced and said resentfully, "Even that person's family was targeted by assassins. Once it's known that his son is our son-in-law, aren't you afraid of involving our family?"

"Now it's too late to worry about that. We are already bound together, and you won't understand," Zhong Su sighed.

In the afternoon, the Zhong family took Ying Qing away from the Liezhou Guild Hall.

A small courtyard in the easternmost part of the Zhong residence was quickly prepared to welcome Ying Qing.

Under the instructions of Lady Zhong, only a few people knew Shi Heng's true identity; the servants only knew that he was the son of a friend of Mr. Zhong.

To facilitate Ying Qing's exam preparation, Steward Li personally inquired about what he needed for his study.

Ying Qing had no interest in things he couldn't take with him. He was not particular and was quite casual, as long as he had something to use.

Moreover, the conditions here were already excellent. The small courtyard had a pavilion and a pond, more elegant and refined than any place he had ever lived.

However, there were still some things he needed to ask for.

After Steward Li showed him around the small courtyard, he finally spoke, "Uncle Li, could you help me find a tutor, preferably someone with experience in the imperial exams? You see, this is my first time taking the exam, and having someone with experience to guide me might be helpful."

This was what Shi Heng had instructed him: failing the exam was not a problem, and they didn't expect him to pass, but he couldn't be so bad that the examiners would immediately suspect him. He was clueless about the format and needed someone to teach him.

Originally, he didn't want to visit the Zhong residence, but since he was already here, he might as well take advantage of the convenience and save himself the trouble.

Steward Li smiled inwardly, thinking that Ying Qing must know his ranking in the provincial exam was not good. He smiled and said, "Don't worry about that. The master has already thought of it and has sent someone to contact a well-known tutor."

Ying Qing quickly waved his hands, "No, no, any tutor will do. There's no need to spend a lot of money on a famous one."

Steward Li replied, "How can we be casual about this? If we are going to find a tutor, we must find a good one."

Ying Qing couldn't argue, as the other party was not short of money. He had no reason to object, especially since it wasn't his money.

Steward Li continued, "However, we can't guarantee that we will be able to hire him. He is in high demand, and many people are willing to pay a high price for his services. Fortunately, he has been teaching at the home of one of the master's friends for the past two years, and we hope that they will consider the master's request."

Ying Qing was sensitive to the term "high price," and given that it could make a wealthy household's steward say it, he was surprised, "Is a tutor really that impressive?"

Steward Li solemnly said, "You shouldn't underestimate this tutor. It is said that he has a good grasp of the examination system in the capital and is very skilled at predicting the questions. Once the examiners set the questions, he can have a good idea of the scope. This is not just flattery; there is evidence. In the past eight sessions, he has guided twelve candidates, and three of them have passed the imperial exams, one of whom became a Jinshi (high-ranking official)."

Ying Qing couldn't help but laugh, "Only three out of twelve passed. Is that considered impressive?"

Steward Li was speechless and looked him up and down, wondering how someone who ranked over a hundred in the provincial exam could mock him. He sighed, "Young master, even one successful candidate is impressive. If someone can produce a Jinshi, they will never lack for students in the capital, and many families will beg to have their children tutored by him.

In each session of the imperial exams, over ten thousand candidates participate, but only two to three hundred pass. The odds are one in several dozen or even a hundred. If three out of twelve of his students pass, that means one in four, which is already a remarkable success rate, and not just any family can afford such a tutor."

Hearing this, Ying Qing understood and nodded in agreement, but he was still skeptical, "If he is so capable, why is he still a tutor? Why doesn't he take the exam himself and become an official? Is he too proud or unwilling to serve?"

Steward Li shook his head, "Not exactly. This tutor's surname is Ming. He comes from a poor background but was very intelligent from a young age. He passed the provincial exam at sixteen and came to the capital to take the imperial exam, but he failed. He stayed in the capital to study and retake the exam. Unfortunately, living expenses in the capital were high, so he started tutoring to earn extra money, which led to a funny situation: he failed the exam, but his students passed.

Perhaps it was fate. He took the exam every three years for nine sessions, from the age of sixteen to forty. It's unclear if he suddenly understood something after turning forty or if he became disillusioned, but he stopped taking the exam. He never returned to his hometown and didn't even collect his monthly salary, which he left for his wife. Perhaps he felt ashamed to face his hometown. Of course, his income from tutoring in the capital was enough for him to live a comfortable life."

Ying Qing was amazed, never expecting such a stubborn person who spent nearly thirty years on an exam, wasting the best years of his life, and even abandoning his family. If he had returned home and taken a position as a local official, with his perseverance and hard work, he might have achieved success and even entered the imperial court.

That evening, Mr. and Mrs. Zhong hosted a dinner for Ying Qing, but their two daughters did not appear, citing their status as young ladies.

After the dinner, Mr. Zhong said he wanted to check on Ying Qing's living arrangements and accompanied him back to the eastern courtyard, without letting anyone else follow.

They toured the study, bedroom, and hall, and eventually returned to the main hall.

Mr. Zhong sat in the main seat, clearly thinking about something.

Ying Qing sensed that this visit was not just a casual check.

Sure enough, Mr. Zhong's words made him uncomfortable, "Shi Heng, did your father ever tell you about the marriage agreement between our families?"

Ying Qing was puzzled. He had hoped to avoid this, but it was inevitable. He couldn't pretend to be ignorant, and he couldn't deny it on behalf of Shi Heng. He had to face it, "I know."

Mr. Zhong continued, "Years ago, your father and I agreed on an item as the marriage token and dowry. Do you know what it is?"

Ying Qing hesitated and nodded, "I know."

Mr. Zhong asked, "Did you bring the dowry with you?"

He couldn't bring himself to ask Ying Qing to propose marriage, so he used this pretext. If Ying Qing brought the dowry, it would mean he was proposing marriage.

Ying Qing felt helpless. Could he say he forgot to bring it? Such a significant matter couldn't be forgotten, and it would show a lack of respect to the Zhong family. He couldn't say that Shi Heng was disabled and that he was a stand-in.

He wasn't stupid. Since mentioning that Shi Heng's parents were deceased, he had noticed a subtle change in Lady Zhong's attitude, making him even more hesitant to reveal Shi Heng's disability.

Some things couldn't be fixed just by saying there was a chance to cure them.

After a moment, he reached into his robe and pulled out the metal cylinder that Shi Heng had repeatedly instructed him not to lose, presenting it to Mr. Zhong with both hands.

Seeing the item, Mr. Zhong's eyes sparkled.