Chapter 80

In the grand residence of the Cao family, the garden was in full bloom.

As they spoke, they arrived at the small courtyard where Xu Fei lived. Chong'er ran in first to announce their arrival, and soon Xu Fei and Zhan Muchun appeared, but there was no sign of Su Yingtao and the others.

"Brother Shiheng." Xu Fei descended the steps to greet them, his smile somewhat forced, as he had a good idea why Yu Qing had come.

"Brother Shiheng." Zhan Muchun also stepped down to greet them.

He was quite impressed by Yu Qing, who was the only one among all the candidates who didn't treat him, the top scholar, with special respect.

Young people generally enjoy being the center of attention, and he was no exception. However, he also had a deep respect for Yu Qing.

Yu Qing immediately put on a smile, "Brother Xu. Oh, Brother Zhan, what a pleasant surprise to see you here. It's a great honor."

Xu Fei looked at him with some surprise.

Zhan Muchun replied, "We had planned to meet half a month ago, to gather after the exam and discuss how we did. We just arrived."

Yu Qing understood. These guys had already gathered before the exam, while he was stuck inside, unable to go out. He had been less free than them, but what could he do? He had to bear the burden of not doing well in the preliminary exam. He accepted it.

Before he could say more, Xu Fei gestured for Yu Qing to step aside to talk.

Zhan Muchun tactfully excused himself and went back inside.

Yu Qing followed Xu Fei to one side, ready to listen.

Xu Fei whispered, "Brother Shiheng, let's not talk about the money in front of others. My uncle has already agreed, and I'll get the funds from the accountant and give them to you later."

Yu Qing nodded, understanding. This guy didn't want him to mention the debt in front of the guests. He replied, "Of course, with our life-and-death friendship, the money isn't urgent. But I did bring the promissory note, so I'll give it to you later."

Xu Fei smiled wryly and then gestured for him to come inside.

Yu Qing, feeling much better, thanked him and entered with him. Upon entering the living room, he found not only Zhan Muchun but also Su Yingtao and the others.

He had thought they disliked him and were avoiding him, but it turned out they were just too lazy to go out and greet him.

Su Yingtao and the others looked at Yu Qing with obvious disdain.

Xu Fei smiled wryly again, not knowing why Su Yingtao and the others disliked Yu Qing so much. He had tried to persuade them, but it was no use. He decided not to say more and invited Yu Qing to sit down. As they did, he noticed a peculiar look in Yu Qing's eyes when he glanced at Su Yingtao and the others, which made him uneasy.

He subconsciously looked at Su Yingtao and the others again, but told himself he might be overthinking it.

Chong'er silently poured tea and water.

Su Yingtao, without looking at the newly seated person, continued the previous conversation, "Brother Zhan, how did you approach the topic of the fu essay?"

Zhan Muchun thought for a moment and replied, "In short, the question is whether a national scholar becomes one because of the emperor's favor, destiny, or personal effort."

Everyone except Yu Qing and Chong'er nodded slightly.

Su Yingtao followed up, "Brother Zhan, which one did you choose?"

Zhan Muchun slowly said, "All three!"

Clap! Fang Wenxian clapped and exclaimed, "Great minds think alike!"

Su Yingtao, Zhang Manqu, and Pan Wenqing all nodded in agreement, clearly on the same page. The quality of the essay would depend on their individual writing skills.

Feeling it was worth a toast, they raised their cups, but noticed Xu Fei hadn't joined them and seemed deep in thought.

Zhang Manqu asked, "Brother Xu, do you have a different opinion?"

"I made the only choice: the emperor!" Xu Fei said, looking at their reactions, feeling somewhat uneasy. He hadn't expected his early access to the exam questions to create such a gap.

Pan Wenqing immediately waved his hand, "There's no absolute right or wrong in literature. Brother Xu, your choice isn't bad. Praising the emperor is always safe, as long as the wording is appropriate. Any examiner would have to give you at least a good grade."

"Exactly."

"The court's people and affairs are always top-down, not bottom-up. There's no fault in that."

Everyone agreed.

Yu Qing slowly sipped his tea, feeling a bit amused. Although he didn't fully understand, he grasped the general idea. He realized these literati liked to play word games and argue over things that were hard to resolve.

However, hearing their discussion made him feel more at ease, as he remembered that Mr. Ming's answer was different from theirs.

In his view, Xu Fei had the answers beforehand, and Zhan Muchun was the top scholar of Liuzhou, while Su Yingtao and the others had also done well in the preliminary exam. Mr. Ming's answer was significantly different from theirs, and the result was clear.

After another toast with tea, Xu Fei, who had been deep in thought, noticed a smile on Yu Qing's lips and asked, "Brother Shiheng, how did you answer the fu essay?"

Chong'er perked up his ears, and Zhan Muchun looked curious, while Su Yingtao and the others gave him a look of disdain.

Yu Qing, taken aback, waved his hand, "I don't have much to offer. I'll just listen to your insights."

Zhan Muchun smiled, "Brother Shiheng, who can be sure of passing? We're all just sharing and learning from each other."

Yu Qing didn't want to reveal his answer and be laughed at, especially with those four present. He waved his hand again, "I'm truly not good enough!"

Chong'er looked at him more closely, finding that Shiheng was as modest as ever.

He knew Yu Qing had the answers beforehand and thought this was the reason.

Xu Fei, who had a similar thought, said, "Brother Shiheng, I doubt that. You've always been modest, and I've often underestimated you."

Yu Qing chuckled, "I can't compare to you guys. I don't have much to be modest about."

Xu Fei said meaningfully, "Like pretending to be poor in front of us!"

Upon hearing this, Su Yingtao and the others, who had been ignoring Yu Qing, looked at him closely, realizing he was wearing fine silk.

Yu Qing shrugged, "I am poor. What's there to pretend?"

Xu Fei teased, "From what I know, the place you're staying isn't poor. It's a wealthy merchant's house, right?"

He had suspected Yu Qing wasn't poor when he saw his cultivation, as he was also a martial artist and knew the resources needed to reach Yu Qing's level. His uncle, Cao Xinggong, had investigated Yu Qing and found he was staying at the Zhong family's residence. Cao Xinggong had instructed Xu Fei to pay Yu Qing's debts if he asked for money again.

With the Zhong family backing him, there was no need to worry about Yu Qing causing trouble.

Cao Xinggong had even found out the names of Yu Qing's parents, but since he hadn't risen to prominence during the reign of Emperor Jiezhang, he didn't have a strong reaction to the name.

Xu Fei had only heard his uncle mention it, but it confirmed his suspicions.

Yu Qing glanced at Chong'er, who hadn't revealed anything, and felt amused, thinking Xu Fei had investigated him. He was about to play it off, but noticed the change in Su Yingtao and the others' attitudes. He decided to change his response, "I'm not pretending. It's my uncle's house, and he's just the richest man in the capital. In the vast Jin Kingdom, it's not much. We are scholars, and talking about money is vulgar."

Xu Fei, still processing the first part, was taken aback by the last sentence.

The richest man in the capital?

Not just Su Yingtao and the others, but even Zhan Muchun was surprised. They had thought Xu Fei's family was wealthy, but this was even more impressive!

Su Yingtao and the others were even more shocked, wondering if the richest man in the capital was just "a bit" wealthy. How many such people were there in the Jin Kingdom?

They were more stunned by the realization that they had seriously underestimated Yu Qing. The richest man in the capital not only had wealth but also significant influence in the capital.

The disdain and arrogance on their faces disappeared, and they looked at Yu Qing with complex expressions.

Chong'er was confused. Was the Zhong family the richest in the capital?

He had been there but didn't know, and was unsure.

Xu Fei was also wondering, "Is the Zhong family the richest in the capital?"

His uncle hadn't told him the full extent of the Zhong family's wealth, just that they were wealthy merchants. He decided to ask his uncle later.

Seeing the effect of his words, Yu Qing took the initiative to start a conversation. He didn't want to talk about literary matters, as he couldn't, and asked, "What are your plans after the imperial exam? Are you returning to Liuzhou directly?"

Su Yingtao and the others became more reserved, unsure how to respond, but the atmosphere in the room improved.

Zhan Muchun spoke first, "It depends."

Pan Wenqing, more naturally, added, "It's not hard to guess Brother Zhan's path. With his talent, he will surely pass the imperial exam."

Zhan Muchun waved his hand, "Please, don't say that!"

Pan Wenqing continued, "If Brother Zhan ranks in the top two grades in the palace exam, he will stay in the capital. If he ranks in the third grade, it might be better to return to Liuzhou with the status of a top scholar, where he will have a good position."

Zhang Manqu nodded, "That's right. Brother Zhan is a role model for Liuzhou's students. If he doesn't get a good position, it would undermine the value of education and upset the local governor."

He then looked at the other three, "Unlike us..."

Su Yingtao, not wanting to directly respond to someone, continued, "We four have discussed it. If we pass, we'll stay in the capital to continue our studies. Our families will try to find us suitable positions in Liuzhou. If we find a good position, we'll return to Liuzhou. If not, we'll stay in the capital and wait for the next imperial exam in three years."

Yu Qing nodded and asked the four, "So, regardless of whether you pass or not, you'll stay in the capital for a while?"

Xu Fei was secretly puzzled. This guy seemed different today.

Usually, he avoided these people, but today he sat with them and even initiated conversation. It felt strange.

Xu Fei wondered what was going on.