Chapter 8

Leaving the ancestral hall, Ye Qing turned back to take one last look at the grand and ornate hall, squinting his eyes.

This verdict effectively cut off Ye Qing’s path in the imperial examinations. Such an outcome was not unexpected, but it still left a chill in his heart.

"Hmph!" Ye Sheng passed by him, muttering almost inaudibly, "Your little tricks can fool my father, but not me..."

"Yesterday, it was Qianqian who helped you cheat, right? Who doesn’t know our levels? Hmph hah!"

Ye Qing was somewhat puzzled. Just as he was thinking, Ye Sheng turned to the maidservant at the door. "Let’s go! I won’t stoop to his level."

"Yes, Young Master!" The maidservant covered her mouth with a smile, glanced at Ye Qing, nodded at him, and then quickly followed her master.

Judging others by his own standards?

Ye Qing suddenly realized that this person thought he had cheated. It was understandable, considering he had the body of a fifteen-year-old, and although this body had the memory of reading, it wasn’t originally so outstanding.

Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. He understood his cousin’s meaning. Although transmigrators didn’t mind plagiarism, this time it was a false accusation!

Ye Qing shook his head and followed the steward out of the courtyard.

Qianqian emerged from under a large tree and nervously followed. Ye Qing bluntly requested, "Steward Zhang, could you let me talk to her alone for a moment? I need her to recognize the way!"

Steward Zhang hesitated, then reconsidered Ye Zifan’s attitude and led the way without a word, indicating that he saw nothing. He also instructed the servants to take care of some tasks, and they hurried off.

"I know the way!" Qianqian took a few steps back, whispering to the young master. Under Ye Qing’s strange gaze, her voice grew softer.

"You’re too honest." Ye Qing glanced at her, grabbed her soft little hand, and wrote on her palm, "Still there?"

"What?" Qianqian blinked, then understood, her steps becoming awkward. Blushing, she whispered, "Still there!"

Ye Qing didn’t think much of it, just feeling relieved. If that was the case, there was nothing to worry about.

A moment later, they arrived at the place of confinement!

The so-called confinement study was a small courtyard, not far from his original residence. The main hall was spacious, paved with blue bricks, and there were side rooms on both sides.

Ironically, this place was better than Ye Qing’s previous courtyard. The main hall was filled with books, and the third side room, where he was led, had complete bedding, clean and elegant.

Steward Zhang ignored Qianqian’s presence, only solemnly bowing. "Young Master Qing, if you need anything, just let me know. Remember one thing—unless ordered by the family head, you must not leave this courtyard. Violators will be severely punished!"

Ye Qing merely nodded, watching him leave. He had Qianqian close the courtyard gate and then looked up, smiling. "Actually, with food, clothes, books, and even a woman, this place isn’t bad at all."

"Master, how can you joke about your future..." Qianqian couldn’t ignore her young master’s joke and hurriedly spoke.

"I know, one shouldn’t joke about the future. Qianqian, don’t worry, where’s my cup?"

"Uh!" Qianqian blushed but turned and entered the partition.

After a while, Qianqian reappeared, still blushing. She then noticed that the room was different, the rustling of the wind outside the window clearly audible.

Looking closely, she saw that Ye Qing had already calmly sat down and was reading a scroll. The fifteen-year-old boy looked young, but his demeanor was calm and elegant. Her expression became solemn, and she didn’t dare to disturb him.

Ye Qing squinted, reading the annotations, but his mind was elsewhere.

In the Daoist theories, the three Dao Jun had the *Tianzhen Wuliang Guizhen Jing*, the *Shangzhen Yuzhen Gaoshang Jing*, and the *Yuanzhen Wushang Xuandu Jing*.

The five Di Jun had the *Qingde Dongtian Dian*, the *Chide Dushi Dian*, the *Huangde Shengtian Dian*, the *Baidu Duer Dian*, and the *Heide Bazi Dian*, all of which contained the meaning of the Great Dao.

These were the fundamental Daoist scriptures of this world, truly supreme classics. However, although they were widespread, no one could fully interpret them.

An ordinary person would need at least three years to read them thoroughly, and to recite them until they gradually understood some of the true meaning of Daoism, one had to enter the path.

But to truly understand and grasp the true meaning was extremely difficult, so one had to rely on the annotations of predecessors, which naturally varied from person to person, with hundreds of schools and thousands of sects. The annotations on this bookshelf were a surprise to Ye Qing.

Just as he was thinking, he heard a shout, "Young Master Qing, the food box has arrived!"

Startled, he turned to see a strong servant carrying a food box, and even from a distance, he could smell the aroma.

In the ancestral hall

Ye Zifan had been working continuously, dealing with various matters within the clan, such as arranging the fields and residences of each branch, ordering the inspection of the clan treasury, and instructing each branch and pavilion to bring their account books for inspection.

Of course, the most important was the clan school, especially those who would take the child examination this year, which was the top priority. He was not afraid of the difficulties and only slept for three hours a day.

"Ye Qing is confined, yet he still reads diligently every day. This is truly remarkable!" In the evening, Ye Zifan received a report about Ye Qing’s situation. He read it carefully by the lamp and stroked the paper, saying.

At this moment, his wife, Ye Gushi, brought him some purple grapes, carefully washed and selected, and said with a smile, "This is the Ye clan, always outstanding. But since you confined him, why did you send him to the third side room and even ordered extra meals? Aren’t you afraid others will be unhappy and forget your kindness?"

Ye Zifan picked a grape and ate it, smiling as he listened. Then he sobered up and sighed, "Ye Qing is my nephew. I thought he was just somewhat talented, so I suppressed him to avoid wasting the clan’s fortune. But after reading his essay yesterday, I realized he truly has great potential."

"I suppressed him this time partly for my third son, but also to temper him. He’s too young, only fifteen. Even if he has talent, how much can he really have?"

"Each examination is a battle of fortune. If he takes it now, what are the chances of success? It would be a waste of his talent and the clan’s fortune."

"If he can focus on his studies, by the next child examination, he will have accumulated more, and his talent will be more profound. He will not only pass the child examination but also the scholar and provincial examinations!"

"I suppressed him not only for personal reasons but also for the clan’s benefit, with the clan’s tacit approval. Next year, if Qing can study diligently, I will return his family fields and the clan will provide more support."

"Public and private interests must be balanced. I see clearly that my third son can pass the child examination, which is satisfactory. Qing’s future is far greater than the third son’s, and he is the clan’s future. Don’t be confused about this!"

Ye Zifan’s words were calm but serious. Ye Gushi blushed and hurriedly said, "I’m just a woman, so don’t mind me. I won’t hold you back!"

Ye Zifan smiled, "It’s good that you understand."

He paused, lost in thought for a moment, and then said, "I’m not afraid that Qing will be estranged. It’s normal to be angry for a while, but with more reading and experience, he will understand. Of course, the clan’s support is the foundation, and he will repay the clan in the future."

At this point, he stood up, stretched, and looked into the distance. The night sky was a pale blue, with stars of varying brightness scattered across it. In the north, the silhouette of a mountain range was faintly visible, a vast expanse of darkness. He sighed, "Child scholars and scholars can only practice Daoist techniques, but provincial scholars have a chance to become divine after death. Only imperial scholars have a chance to enter the Great Dao. When will our Ye family produce a long-lived immortal?"

For Daoists, before controlling the world, Daoist techniques were openly displayed, but after controlling the world, they strictly restricted the display of supernatural powers.

This is easy to understand. During a rebellion, one arms oneself, but after success, one disarms.

After successfully controlling the world, allowing the unrestricted spread of Daoist techniques would be foolish. The three Dao Jun and five Di Jun were not such fools.

However, the difference between a yin spirit and a true immortal is significant. A family with ancestral spirits is only blessed with hidden virtue, while a family with a true immortal can protect visible virtue. Hidden virtue works subtly, while visible virtue directly enhances fortune.

The Ye family has several clan deities and is a prominent family in the county, but as long as it doesn’t produce a long-lived immortal, it cannot be considered a prestigious family!

Producing a true immortal is the desire of the Ye clan and most families!

At this time, Ye Qing was not concerned with Ye Zifan’s thoughts. In the middle of the night, when humans sleep the deepest, Ye Qing estimated that Qianqian had fallen asleep. He then sat up and carefully examined the room again.

He found himself in a quiet room, about fifty square meters by Earth standards, but extremely elegant. There was a bookshelf filled with Daoist texts, including the three scriptures and five classics. A jade flute hung above, and a desk was placed under the west window.

This was clearly a high-quality treatment, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to feel. After a long while, he sighed, "Who can escape the deep bond of father and son?"

Ye Zifan wanted to cut off Ye Qing’s path in this year’s child examination, primarily for his son. However, his treatment of his nephew was still quite good, which was a matter of position.

After sighing, he lit the oil lamp, took out the copper cup from his pocket, and carefully rubbed it.

The copper cup seemed ordinary, but this was what the naked eye saw. Ye Qing knew that the copper cup was a treasure for suppressing fortune, given by a divine being, along with a small cup of fortune!

However, Ye Qing didn’t know the specifics of this fortune. But at this moment, it wasn’t the time to think about it. There was a matter concerning his future that needed attention.

He placed the copper cup on the desk. For some reason, there was a lingering fragrance. Shaking off his thoughts, he focused on the copper cup and silently wished, "I wish to use this fortune to participate in this year’s child examination without any hindrance!"

As he thought this, he felt the cup change, indicating that it was effective. However, it was unclear how it would manifest, as this was a force beyond his control.

However, the most valuable aspect of this fortune was the clarity and stability of the wish. It must be clear about a specific matter. If it was vague, the fortune consumed would increase exponentially.

At this moment, if Ye Qing made a vague wish, such as becoming an imperial scholar, it would not only be ineffective but might even have some backlash.

After making the wish, the copper cup seemed slightly dimmer. Ye Qing felt a pang of pain, hesitated for a long time, and then lay down to sleep.