Chapter 62

Two ox-drawn carts slowly passed by, and it was precisely Ye Qing and his group.

Ye Qing lay on Qianqian's lap, seemingly resting, but in fact, he had sunk into his sea of consciousness, watching the notes of Chuanlin.

Since obtaining the Scholar rank, his authority had naturally been elevated.

"Having obtained the rank, I need to confirm it!" On a new page, Ye Qing saw a blank scroll faintly rippling, which was his own image.

Red qi light spread, with a line of annotation: "In the twelfth year of Pingjing in the Great Cai Dynasty, in the second month, Ye Qing from Pingshou County, Nancang Prefecture, ranked seventh in the county examination, obtaining the Scholar rank."

Ye Qing's mind was in turmoil. He flipped past the portrait and turned to the next page, where a martial scripture appeared, each word shining brightly, totaling seven volumes.

As soon as he saw it, he felt a "boom," and the mysteries flowed into his heart, making him feel refreshed and enlightened.

"Having obtained the Scholar rank, I have indeed recalled the Daoist methods from my previous life!"

Ye Qing carefully recalled this, but he was startled: "This is the Small Martial Scripture?"

The Small Martial Scripture was the essence of the Great Yi Martial Scripture. In his previous life, Ye Qing had the opportunity to learn some scattered chapters but never completed it. How could he have it now?

Thinking about this, Ye Qing took a deep breath, suppressed his eagerness, and calmed down. He flipped to the next page and sighed with relief, seeing the "Three Yuan True Record" he had learned in his memory on the next page.

"In my previous life, I only learned the Three Yuan True Record. This Small Martial Scripture must have been left by the original owner of the Chuanlin notes. I didn't expect such good fortune."

"If I continue to unlock it in the future, there will surely be more surprises." At this moment, Qianqian shook him, pointing to the distance and saying, "Young Master, look, Ye Family Village is here."

Lü Shangjing looked around and saw that Pingshou County had equal parts mountains, water, and fields, with a beautiful landscape. However, it was already dusk, with the sky turning dark and the evening mist rising.

Ye Qing and Lü Shangjing looked and saw a vast expanse of fields and houses under the twilight. Since it was the 4th of March, the spring atmosphere was thick, with crops and trees all green.

Just as they were looking at the village from a distance, they heard the sound of hooves. Ten people on horseback had already come to greet them: "Young Master Ye has returned!"

Ye Qing looked and saw that they were all his clansmen, so he smiled, "Thank you all for waiting!"

"Young Master Ye, the clan leader knew you were coming and had us wait on the road. A banquet has been set up in the clan, and everyone is waiting for you!" one person shouted.

Lü Shangjing, seeing this, knew that this was not a situation for a newcomer like him to participate in, so he smiled, "Young Master, I am tired from the journey and would like to rest first. I apologize for not being able to accompany you."

Ye Qing thought for a moment and then smiled, "Qianqian, lead Mr. Lü to the west wing of my courtyard, have the maids clean it up, and treat him as I am treated."

Qianqian quickly agreed, and then she saw Ye Qing abandon the ox cart and ride a horse, galloping away.

The ox cart continued forward, not slowly. In a moment, they arrived at a place. Qianqian said a few words and entered the gate. Lü Shangjing looked and saw that the hall, pavilions, and gardens inside were all lush, even the artificial hills were moist. He sighed inwardly, "Though just a large clan in the county, it is different from ordinary families."

Arriving at a courtyard, Qianqian smiled, "Mr. Lü, please!"

After saying this, she jumped off the ox cart, and Lü Shangjing got up and stood under the eaves, stretching deeply and taking a breath of the slightly cold air, feeling much more refreshed. At this moment, Qianqian quickly instructed, and two maids responded, both with bright eyes and white teeth, though not exceptionally beautiful, they were still charming.

Following Qianqian's instructions, one maid replied, "The west wing is already clean and has been laid with mulberry bark paper. It only needs a little dusting and bedding to be ready."

Another maid said, "Since the young master ordered the same treatment, we need to inform Aunt An to send more people, so it will be faster."

Lü Shangjing ignored these and let them pass on the message. He strolled leisurely by a small pond covered in moss, where a few lotus leaves were just growing. He thought, "This is quite nice... In summer, I can enjoy the lotus flowers!"

As he was thinking, he saw a young girl approaching from a distance. This girl was full of joy, dressed differently from the maids, and looked at Lü Shangjing with some doubt, but this expression quickly passed. She bowed respectfully, "Following the young master's order, I have come to help arrange the living quarters."

She waved her hand, and a group of aunts and maids came over. She directed them, saying, "Move all the grain and miscellaneous items to the back yard. The back yard will be connected, and the accounts, kitchen, and warehouse will be moved there."

"The five rooms on either side are for living. The young master said that Mr. Lü is not an outsider and should temporarily stay in the first room. After the new half-village is completed, we will move him."

Lü Shangjing was somewhat surprised and looked her over. He saw that this girl had bright eyes and white teeth, with a gold ornament in her hair, giving her an extraordinary air, but he found it strange. Just as he was thinking, he heard Qianqian "hmm" and put her hands on her hips, "Miss Xiaohe, this is my responsibility."

The girl smiled, "Miss Qianqian, this is your responsibility, but I have now received the clan leader's permission and am officially one of Young Master Ye's people. My name is no longer Xiaohe, but Jiang Zinan."

Jiang Zinan bowed to Qianqian, "Sister, I have met you. Please don't be angry. These external matters are my responsibility to ensure the young master can focus on his studies. I will naturally follow your lead in other matters."

After a while, with the help of a dozen people, the arrangements were completed. Jiang Zinan then smiled, "Sister, please!"

Qianqian "hmm"ed again and led Lü Shangjing into the room. Though it was a wing, it was indeed like the main house, with mulberry bark paper on the walls, a wooden bed taking up half the room, a large quilt, a table by the window, a row of bookshelves, and a screen in the middle, making it very elegant.

At this moment, five or six people came with food boxes, set up a dining table, and placed dishes and wine on it. Another maid brought a stack of newly moved books and placed them on the shelves.

Lü Shangjing, with his hands behind his back, returned to the room but did not rush to eat. He casually took a book from the bookshelf, flipped through a few pages, and saw a wall cabinet. Several maids placed some thin porcelain bottles inside, neatly arranged. He was surprised, "Why is this?"

"This is the wine cabinet the young master set up. These porcelain bottles are ice porcelain, blue and cold, with a fine texture, perfect for holding good wine."

"There are also wine glasses inside. When Mr. Lü reads, he can pour a glass to enjoy with his reading, isn't that delightful?"

Lü Shangjing laughed, "This is too luxurious."

"Mr. Lü, please enjoy your meal. We will take our leave!" Seeing that the arrangements were complete, the women quickly left, to avoid any suspicion.

Lü Shangjing then went over and sat down to eat. The candles flickered, and the seven dishes were still warm. Except for the lack of attendants, it was truly excellent.

After finishing his meal, a maid quietly came to clean up and left. Lü Shangjing read some more books and was about to blow out the lamp when he suddenly heard voices. A moment later, someone came over.

"Mr. Lü, it's so late, and you still came? I really can't bear it." Lü Shangjing quickly stood up and said.

"Is your stay comfortable? I have been negligent, and I hope you can understand."

"Everything else is fine, but staying in the inner courtyard is quite awkward. If you agree, I can rent a room elsewhere."

"Let's talk in the courtyard." Ye Qing nodded and went out to the eaves. It was already night, with a clear and refreshing sky. The two stood on the corridor, breathing the night air, looking very spirited.

They walked along the corridor to a large lake, where willow trees hung their branches, and new green leaves were sprouting. The two strolled, and for a while, neither spoke.

After a long time, Ye Qing said, "Just now, the clan leader led me to the ancestral hall. The hall was spacious and dark, with many memorial tablets, but only two shrines, which are for the ancestors of our clan who have achieved the status of deities."

"Clan leader Ye Mengqiu passed the imperial examination and served as a county magistrate. After his death, he had the qualification, so there are only three. It can be said that the position of county gentleman is qualified."

Lü Shangjing silently exhaled, not speaking.

"It's not easy!" Ye Qing muttered to himself, "The Ye family started as a humble family. It was only after our ancestor Ye Baojia passed the imperial examination that we gradually prospered, and it has been 160 years."

Lü Shangjing smiled, "Young Master is only fifteen, passed the child examination, and won the top place at the Dragon Lord Feast, making a name for himself. This year, at seventeen, he passed the Scholar examination. With Young Master's writing, the position of imperial scholar cannot limit you. You will surely break through the heavenly gate, and the Ye clan will surely flourish under your leadership."

Ye Qing smiled, "This is not easy. Passing the imperial examination is one thing, but the position of imperial scholar is called the heavenly gate, and only 33 people pass every three years. Even the position of imperial scholar is only about 70 people. The resources required are enormous."

At this point, Ye Qing changed his expression and said, "The clan leader has already approved 300 acres of private land, without costing me a penny. It can be transferred tomorrow."

"Heaven moves vigorously, and the gentleman should strive without ceasing. Mr. Lü, you are not here to manage 300 acres of land; that would be a waste of your talent. But a long journey is taken step by step... I always believe that with your talent, a shrine is not too much to ask."

Lü Shangjing was startled, his eyes flashing, but he did not speak. With his talent, he could understand the subtle hints and promises, even the attempts to win him over. Having a shrine means having a clan deity, which can protect the family, gather fortune, and gradually make the family prosperous.

The Ye clan started this way, but the position of a shrine is equivalent to the position of an imperial scholar. What does Ye Qing have to offer this?

Talking big is not like him. They had not known each other long, but he could see that Ye Qing was not such a person.

"Distance reveals the strength of a horse, and time reveals the heart of a person." Ye Qing did not say much, just smiled and said this, then changed the topic, "I have seen the 300 acres of private land. They are on both sides of the river, all good and medium-quality land. We can build a courtyard after dividing the village. Construction will start tomorrow."

"If you are not comfortable staying here, you can wait another month. I want to make sure you are satisfied. If you have free time, you can look at the shrine I am building."

The shrine had been mentioned several times. Lü Shangjing knew it was not the ancestral shrine of the Ye clan. He was surprised, as generally, a shrine is built either when a clan member passes the imperial examination or when someone has made significant contributions to the region and is recognized by the court.

It is rare for someone to build a shrine for another person. What is the reason?

He then said, "It is now March, and the provincial examination will be in August. Deducting one month for travel, there are only five months left. Time is precious. Young Master should focus on studying, and I will handle this matter. What do you think?"

"This is not possible. It's not that I don't trust you, but this deity has a special connection with me. Last year, I was in a difficult situation, and with the help of this deity, I passed the child examination. It may seem insignificant now, but it was a timely help then, and I must repay it."

"Now I have some wealth, and the clan leader has given me 300 acres without asking for money. The extra money can be used for this."

"However, Mr. Lü, rest assured. Even if I handle it personally, it will only take one or two hours a day. I will still have time to learn from you."

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