Chapter 19

On the day of the announcement, before the sky had even brightened, Ye Qing was woken up. Looking at Qianqian’s worried little face, he couldn’t help but smile, "Are you worried?"

Qianqian nodded continuously, her eyes filled with both anxiety and anticipation, "It would be great if Young Master could pass the examination for the child scholar!"

It was early morning, and Qianqian was still wearing the dress she had on inside. She brought a basin of water for Ye Qing to wash his face and asked, "Is Young Master feeling tired? If not, we should get up."

After washing, Ye Qing casually reached out and pinched her chest, whispering, "I’m not tired, but I’ll get up a bit later!"

"Young Master, you’re too lazy. Today is the day of the announcement, and everyone in the manor is waiting!" Qianqian wrinkled her nose, pretending to be disdainful, but as Ye Qing’s hand moved, her face gradually turned red, her eyes shining like beautiful peach blossoms.

"Is it warm jade in my arms?" Ye Qing laughed wickedly, but he didn’t go too far. After a moment of tenderness, he said, "Today is the day of the announcement. If I pass, we’ll have to set up a banquet and distribute money. Have you prepared for that?"

Qianqian blushed, gently pushing away his hand, and stood up, saying, "I exchanged fifty taels of silver for copper coins while buying rice. The money for the clan has been prepared."

"If Young Master passes, he will sit at the main table at the clan’s grand banquet. If others pass, they can also sit at the banquet, though their seats might be a bit lower."

"But we can’t neglect our own family. Some of the old women and young girls will come. I’ve already bought pork, carp, and wine. They should be delivered soon—Young Master, you should go out."

"Little mistress!" Ye Qing laughed, patted her, and truly got up. After dressing properly, he drank a bowl of porridge and saw two family-born servants carrying a pole come to the door. They unloaded the pole and called out, "Young Master Ye, is Qianqian inside? The things you ordered have been delivered!"

Qianqian quickly came out and started checking the items. Today, these two servants were not as cold as usual; they helped Qianqian carry the goods into the house. After finishing, they walked a few steps and turned back to smile at Ye Qing, saying, "Young Master Ye, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. My wife can come to help, and we live nearby."

After saying this, they left.

Qianqian understood that the family-born servants were being polite today because it was the day of the announcement. Although they didn’t believe or hope that the young master would pass, what if he did?

So today, they were particularly attentive and polite. Qianqian, thinking this, helped Ye Qing adjust his clothes.

Seeing this, Ye Qing couldn’t help but laugh heartily.

Leaving the small courtyard, Ye Qing felt that the atmosphere in the manor was different today.

The rain had stopped yesterday, and now hundreds of servants were sweeping, cleaning, and moving goods. When they saw Ye Qing, they all tacitly remained silent. Ye Qing ignored them and walked straight ahead.

The manor’s buildings stood solemnly, surrounded by gardens where mostly women and young children lived. The small hills separating the gardens were mostly deserted, which was normal.

The eastern part of the manor was bustling with noise, and the closer to the East Lake Garden, the more lively it became. Along the corridor and stone path from the northwest to the east, one could hear the servants and maids discussing the child scholar examination and speculating who in the clan might pass. Some even placed bets, and no one would stop them today. The atmosphere was one of anticipation and joy.

But few people mentioned Ye Qing’s name. If someone did, they were quickly ridiculed, "Heaven forbid, how could such a person pass? That would be against the laws of nature!"

Some servants immediately chimed in, "A life of no value, and he’s called a scholar? Any good fortune he has will be taken away by heaven to prevent future harm."

"Hmph, even if he is a scholar, he’s a curse to his parents..."

"Shh, don’t say that. If you’re heard, you’ll get thirty lashes."

Although Ye Qing had not practiced Daoist techniques, he had the experience of a Daoist from his previous life, and his instinctive movements carried some martial arts. The servants found it hard to notice, so he could hear their thoughts and curses.

Hearing these thoughts and curses from the servants, Ye Qing was not angry, but rather felt a mix of sadness, self-doubt, and ambition.

"Today, we’ll see who can swim in the spring after the waves." The sun gradually rose, and he walked along the pebble path, through the corridor, and over a small wooden bridge inscribed with "Dengke Jiayuan" (Garden of Success). Facing him were hundreds of eyes, from young to old, from pavilions and under the trees.

The previously lively small groups fell silent, whispering, "Look, that’s Ye Qing."

"So young, decisive, and ruthless. It’s rare, but we’ll see if he can pass." This was an admiring look.

Some looked at Ye Qing with malicious eyes, "Isn’t he one of today’s main characters? Should we say he’s bold or arrogant?"

"He’s the main character on the stage. Let’s just watch the show..." This was a neutral comment.

Ye Qing didn’t stop, reaching a main hall where he stood and had a servant announce his name. A moment later, a steady, middle-aged voice came from inside, "Come in and speak!"

Ye Qing responded and stepped in, seeing Ye Zifan sitting there, with an official opposite him. Although the man wasn’t wearing formal official robes, his official boots, belt, and jade pendant all revealed his identity—something Ye Qing was familiar with from his past life.

The man was carefully examining him. Ye Qing, feeling a chill, first bowed to Ye Zifan. After Ye Qing finished his bow, Ye Zifan said, "Let me introduce you. This is Cao Hushan, an official. You should have met before, but it’s been seven years. Why don’t you come forward and greet him?"

Ye Qing hurriedly bowed and said, "Junior scholar, I greet you, sir."

"Rise, no need for excessive formalities!" Cao Hushan smiled, raised his hand, and said, "I knew your father. Hearing the bad news was deeply saddening. I also heard you participated in the child scholar examination? At your age, I was still studying hard. Truly, the young are to be feared."

Though the words were polite, they carried a hint of criticism. Ye Qing frowned inwardly but, with his years of experience, didn’t show it on his face. He simply said, "This junior scholar was a bit presumptuous."

Cao Hushan smiled, saying nothing more. Ye Qing then turned to Ye Zifan, "Uncle, do you have any further instructions?"

"None. Today is a special day. Go to the pavilion and play, but don’t drink too much wine," Ye Zifan instructed.

The Ye clan’s rules were strict, prohibiting those who hadn’t undergone the capping ceremony from drinking freely. Telling him not to drink too much was essentially lifting the ban for today.

Ye Qing naturally agreed. After Ye Qing left, Ye Zifan asked, "Sir Cao, you are skilled in physiognomy. What do you think?"

"..." Cao Hushan was silent, deep in thought. After a long while, he sighed, "You know that physiognomy, though often mythologized, can only reveal the current situation and, through the flow of qi, predict the major events of the next few years."

"From his current appearance, this young man has weak qi and a harsh look. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed a small cloud of yellow qi protecting him, and a red qi has already formed..."

Cao Hushan paused, seeing Ye Zifan’s face turn slightly pale.

The Ye clan had submitted four names, and if their luck was bad, none might pass. But under normal circumstances, one would pass. The formation of red qi clearly implied something significant.

Though he had a premonition, hearing it still left Ye Zifan dazed. After a moment, he came to and smiled bitterly, "Sir Cao, I lost my composure. Please don’t mind."

"Affection for one’s children is natural. How could I mind?" Cao Hushan smiled, then continued, "This small cloud of yellow qi, I sensed, doesn’t come from the Ye clan or feng shui. It’s likely the protection of his late father."

"This young man’s father was a genius, though he died young. In his few years, he accumulated a good reputation and virtue. Having this cloud of qi is not surprising."

Ye Zifan listened in silence, then sighed, "Ah!"

Speaking of Ye Qing, he ignored all this and walked along the stream. Under a white stone artificial hill, a pavilion platform was set up, covered with a large red brocade mat and several seats. A few senior clan members were already sitting, drinking and chatting.

The main seat was empty. The clan leader would come, and Uncle Ye Zifan had not arrived yet. Ye Qing observed and found a seat in the shade, sitting down calmly.

Nearby, a few familiar clan brothers and a girl with a familiar face were present.

Seeing Ye Qing approach, these clan brothers were uneasy and found excuses to scatter, trying to avoid him. This created a noticeable empty circle in the garden.

Ye Qing couldn’t help but smile bitterly. At this age, personally killing someone was indeed terrifying, no wonder they reacted this way.

"Little Qingzi?" a voice called out. Ye Qing was startled and looked up.

It was a girl in a light blue dress, with two buns in her hair, adorned with two hairpins, holding a round fan. She had a slender figure and a pair of captivating phoenix eyes.

Recalling those eyes, Ye Qing suddenly remembered and recalled Sir Cao’s identity. He blurted out, "Sister Baijing, why don’t you go?"

"What are you talking about? I’m not a Ye family member, I don’t owe the Ye family money, and I don’t plan to marry into the Ye family. Why should I avoid you?" Cao Baijing smiled, her eyes forming a crescent moon. "Also, at the Mid-First Month banquet, you said you lacked inspiration and owed me a poem."

Ye Qing recalled more memories and felt a bit embarrassed.

She was a close cousin from his mother’s side, only seventeen years old, and very beloved by her family. He didn’t know why she was here now...

Aunt Yue was an unmarried talented woman from the Cao family. Ye Qing’s mother was also surnamed Cao, and they were distant cousins. Though the two generations weren’t particularly close, there was a natural sense of familiarity when they met.

In his previous life, struggling like an ant, he had vague memories of these maternal relatives. He remembered that this girl had sought refuge in the Ye manor and survived, while others died in the great calamity.

Even if she had survived by chance, how many times could she have done so? In the end, the Ye clan had perished.

Now, recalling the people and events of the Cao clan, it was like looking at a yellowed old photo album. Perhaps because they were no longer around, he remembered only the good, a blurry and warm memory.

Feeling a complex mix of emotions, he smiled and said, "The name Little Qingzi isn’t good."

"Hey, didn’t you always call me that before?" The round fan shook slightly in dissatisfaction.

"That was before."

"You, who owe me, are still picky... Hmm, are you really angry?" The round fan paused slightly.

"I’m not angry, but the name reminds me of a eunuch."

"..." The round fan displayed a series of question marks. In this world, eunuchs didn’t have names like Little Qingzi, and she couldn’t react.

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End of the page.