Chapter 92

As the gate of the Daoist temple in the western part of the city opened, it revealed a small bridge over a stream, surrounded by lush forests and tall bamboo. Ye Qing came out alone, gazing at the passersby on the street, feeling a sense of disorientation as if he were reborn.

However, at that moment, the sky turned dark, the darkness deep and ominous, and a cool breeze swept by, whistling softly. After a long while, Ye Qing frowned and hurried to the government office.

It was morning, and the office was very quiet, with only two guards standing at the entrance. Ye Qing showed them the bronze seal and was allowed to enter. Upon arriving at a certain place, he saw an official organizing documents at a desk.

Ye Qing entered and bowed, saying, "Sir, I am Ye Qing, a scholar from Pingshou County, here to report."

The official, not expecting anyone to come at this time, was startled and waved his hand, "Wait a moment, I'll file these documents first."

In no time, he finished and took a sip of tea, then said, "Please present your documents and household registration."

There were still seven days until the provincial examination. Because the candidates came from far away, the registration period was extended to a month, allowing registration up to the last day before the exam. No candidate usually registered this late; most would start their journey a month in advance, so the registration was almost complete by now, making the office unusually quiet.

The official in charge of registration checked the files and recorded the information, then said with a slight frown, "You are young and talented, having passed the child scholar and scholar exams, but why did you come so late? A few more days and you might have missed it."

Ye Qing smiled bitterly and replied, "I am young and misjudged the route, causing a delay."

The official grunted, but despite his scolding, he helped with the registration and gave Ye Qing a gold plaque, which was indeed made of gold and weighed about two taels.

Whether out of kindness or for some other reason, the official then asked a few more questions and, upon learning that Ye Qing had not yet found a place to stay, recommended several inns where candidates gathered.

After thanking him, Ye Qing left the office, clutching the gold plaque tightly. He looked back at the provincial government, which was solemn and majestic, its pale green hue faintly visible in the sunlight. This was the center of power for the entire city of ten thousand households and the entire province of eight million people, the place that decided one's fate.

Even with confidence, the feeling of having one's fate decided by others was not pleasant.

These days, it would be a lie to say he was not worried, but worrying was useless. He tried not to think too much about it and now felt a sense of relief. His thoughts were a mix of revival and confusion, like a dream, hard to describe.

In the end, he sighed, "If heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on a person, isn't this what it's like?"

With a heavy heart, Ye Qing thought for a moment and decided to go to one of the inns where candidates gathered. Here, scholars were usually in groups, and who would dare to cause trouble?

He arrived at the "Laifu Inn" and smiled. This was the inn he had stayed at in his previous life. As soon as he entered, he heard the sound of a kettle boiling on a charcoal fire, the steam hissing and making a continuous, fine sound.

"Sir, please come in... What are you smiling about?" the innkeeper greeted him.

Ye Qing smiled, not wanting to say that the name "Laifu" sounded like a dog's name, but he praised, "Laifu, a good name, a good omen."

"This young sir truly has a discerning eye. When my father opened this inn, he couldn't think of a name and spent five taels of silver to ask a scholar for help, and that's how we got this name. Believe it or not, ever since we had this name, our business has thrived, and guests are willing to stay here."

The innkeeper chattered on while pouring a cup of tea and serving it warm, smiling, "Sir, please rinse your mouth, and I'll bring you a drink in a moment."

A waiter immediately brought a copper basin and a white towel.

Ye Qing rinsed his mouth and washed his hands and face, feeling refreshed. He smiled and said, "It's not just the name; your service is also excellent... Give me a private room and a table with three dishes and a soup, using your best ingredients."

The innkeeper smiled apologetically and said, "Sir, please understand, we don't have any private rooms left. If you're worried about the noise, most of the other guests are scholars, and you can exchange ideas with them..."

Before he finished, Ye Qing laughed. In his previous life, he had fallen for this trick and later learned it was a way for the inn to raise prices. He scolded, "Don't lie. I know you usually keep at least two private rooms. Don't try to fool me."

"I'll pay you in silver, for the duration until the results are announced, just for the room. Meals will be provided as needed." Saying this, he took out a silver ingot and tossed it onto the counter.

The innkeeper took it and saw that it was official silver, weighing about ten taels, with a fine white texture and frosty patterns. His face lit up with a smile, and he bowed, saying, "This young sir is experienced. We will arrange it immediately. The cost for a room with meals is 700 coins per day, and without meals, it's 500 coins. For half a month until the results are announced, it will be 7.5 taels of silver..."

"Any extra will be a tip for you, as long as the service is good," Ye Qing said. "Now, please arrange a room for me upstairs."

The innkeeper's eyes narrowed into slits, and he said, "Thank you, sir. Please, this way."

Ye Qing followed the innkeeper upstairs and saw that the private rooms were separated by screens, creating eight private dining areas. He ordered some dishes, and since it was the season for crabs, he ordered four.

Shortly after sitting down, the waiter brought the dishes and a warmed pot of wine.

It was noon, and the sun was high, but it was not hot. The sound of a lute played through the walls, and a woman sang softly. Some people cheered and threw copper coins and silver.

Ye Qing took a sip of wine. On Earth, he never drank, but now, he had developed a habit of having a few drinks from time to time. Listening to the song, he felt a sense of melancholy and contemplation.

Looking around, he saw that the private dining areas, though separated by screens, were still visible. Most of the people were candidates for the examination, with a few merchants as well.

Leaning back in his chair, one hand holding the wine cup, he glanced around and saw that the scholars were a mix of white and red auras, with some having a yellowish hue. He sighed inwardly.

In the county, a batch of child scholars was selected every three years, with about twenty in total. Unlike on Earth, there was an age limit for taking the exam, so normally, only six batches of child scholars could take the provincial exam, totaling about 120 people. The entire province had only about a thousand candidates.

From the county to the province, and then to the state, the number of candidates was roughly the same, slightly fewer, with about 800 scholars taking the exam.

Out of 800 people, only 20 would be selected. The process was extremely difficult, involving talent, luck, family background, and timing. The few scholars in this inn probably had no chance at all.

As he was lost in thought, he heard someone say, "Have you heard? This time, the provincial examination will be personally supervised by Inspector Fan Lin."

Hearing this, Ye Qing was startled. In the province, the governor was the highest official, but the inspector was the deputy, responsible for supervision. Although he oversaw civil affairs, he usually did not personally supervise the provincial examination. This personal involvement was unusual.

At the governor's office, the lights were on, and voices could be heard inside.

"Autumn is coming. Send a message to the northern border to prepare and prevent the small tribes of the Northern Wei from raiding."

"Yes, sir."

"Generals Yao, Chen, and Zhang, please prepare your troops. I want to see a combat-ready force on the training ground in the west of the city."

"Yes, sir."

"General Zhang, lead a battalion north to deploy troops and assist in local anti-bandit operations. This year, merchant caravans have reported losses. How could several bands of bandits suddenly appear in the Northern Mountains at this time?" The governor's voice turned cold.

"This..." General Zhang's forehead was sweating, secretly cursing. He wondered if it was the work of a noble family or Northern Wei spies, both of which were possible.

"I don't care if they are real or fake bandits. They must be eliminated within a month, and no隐患 can be left behind."

"I will complete the task, sir."

"Regarding military affairs, they are the foundation of the state and cannot be neglected. Tutor Peng, please ensure that the students in the provincial and county schools focus on their studies. Those not taking the exam this year should not just follow the exam schedule for fun."

"Yes, sir."

"This provincial examination is different from usual. The court is paying close attention, and Inspector Fan, you will have to take on more responsibility."

"Sir, you are too kind. I will follow your lead, and the court has its own rules. I will do my best to assist."

Fan Lin smiled warmly, maintaining his position as the nominal deputy. He oversaw civil affairs and sighed, "I just received a report that Ye Qing has left the temple and arrived at the inn."

He paused and continued, "Although I am not personally supervising the exam in Nancang County, I attended the banquet for the new scholars and met Yu Fan and Ye Qing. They are both outstanding, though with different styles. I encouraged them, hoping they would excel in the provincial and even the imperial exams. Who would have thought..."

The governor's eyes narrowed, considering something. He glanced around the room, where the documents were mostly processed, and then dismissed the other officials, leaving only a few high-ranking ones.

"In normal times, I would handle it, but this is different," the governor said coldly. "Those present are all important officials of the court, and I'm sure you've heard some rumors."

"The Daoist sect and the court are both enforcing strict rules and requiring local strength to be built up. This is unprecedented."

The door was tightly closed, and the few people present remained silent, though they had their own thoughts.

The Great Cai Dynasty was not yet in decline. Even in its later years, it strengthened control and weakened local power. How could it allow local strength to be built up?

This contradictory directive was unprecedented.

The governor was silent for a moment and then said, "Though not explicitly stated, we must be cautious. Any extra strength we build now might be a source of survival in the future, not just for the people under our jurisdiction but for ourselves and our families as well."

"Accumulating resources and achieving self-sufficiency, uniting the large and small noble families and the majority of scholars on our side, is extremely important."

Everyone was startled and fell into deep thought, saying nothing.

The governor continued coldly, "In my view, both Yu Fan and Ye Qing have made mistakes, but it's not appropriate to pressure them directly, as it would go against the overall interests of the court."

The few people exchanged glances and nodded.

The governor's voice turned colder, "Our true concern is not individuals or families, but the ambition to disrupt the balance of power..."

Perhaps feeling the atmosphere was too heavy, the governor softened his tone, "Let me share a piece of information. After the August literary events, the main and deputy officials of the counties and provinces will come to the provincial capital to report. The will of the court will be conveyed, and all towns with more than 30,000 people and large families with more than 5,000 members must be firmly controlled. In the coming years, we must minimize waste as much as possible..."

The discussion of specific matters changed the atmosphere. After a while, they reached an agreement, and everyone tactfully took their leave, leaving the governor alone in deep thought.

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