Now, in Weishi County, with the exception of Magistrate Zhong’s cronies, every single one of the common people was deeply grateful to the Provincial Governor.

According to information gathered by Yan Shaocheng, this provincial governor’s surname was Ruan; he also served as Vice Minister of War, a high-ranking imperial official of the second rank. He had originally been scheduled to travel to Bianxi Prefecture to carry out his duties as provincial governor. 

A few years ago, there were reports that a certain individual intended to pass through Weishi County, so County Magistrate Zhong actually kept a low profile for a while. Later, when the expected date had passed and the person still hadn’t shown up, County Magistrate Zhong discovered that they had gone elsewhere, and only then did he revert to his old ways.

Unexpectedly, the other party launched a surprise counterattack, catching him completely off guard.

Magistrate Zhong had connections to Imperial Uncle Xu; though they were distant relatives, ordinary officials would still show some deference, leaving some room for negotiation. But this time, it happened to be Governor Ruan.

He was a truly powerful minister, personally appointed by the emperor; not even the Imperial Uncle himself would dare to act presumptuously in his presence.

Although he held a high position and wielded great power, he was not very old; he was handsome and dignified, and his temperament was different from what Yan Shaocheng had expected.

Yan Shaocheng had sent the cake merely as a token of goodwill; he hadn’t expected it would actually help him make a connection.

“Thank you, Shopkeeper, for the pastries. It would be wonderful if your shop could open a branch in the capital; my wife and my gluttonous younger brother would certainly love them.”

Yan Shaocheng was initially flattered and overwhelmed; it wasn’t until after the others had left that he belatedly grasped the deeper meaning behind Governor Ruan’s words.

“Could it be that Shaoxuan… has been discovered by Governor Ruan?”

Yan Shaocheng felt uneasy, but Yan Xiaoyu didn’t seem to care at all: “So what if he’s been discovered? We’ve done nothing wrong—we have nothing to fear from others knowing.”

After weathering a violent storm, the situation in Weishi County had finally settled, and this year’s spring planting was now complete.

Although they ran a restaurant, He Qiuhua and her husband still kept a close eye on the few mu of farmland they owned, and even Yan Xiaoyue was thinking about it.

Grateful to Yan Xiaoyu for lending them money last time, many villagers offered to help with the spring planting this time around. They even gave Yan Xingmao a heads-up in advance, telling him not to pay them.

Niu Fugui also said that since Yuye Pavilion had helped the villagers so much, it was only right for the villagers to return the favor in some small way, and told Yan Xiaoyu and the others not to be so formal.

Since they refused to accept any money, He Qiuhua offered to return home during the spring planting to oversee the preparations and provide two meals for the helpers, making the meals especially hearty so as not to let them work for nothing.

Those who helped were among the village’s most impoverished. Although they hadn’t paid the charcoal tax, County Magistrate Zhong’s harassment had left them severely weakened. While they weren’t quite at the point of going hungry, meat was a rare sight on their dining tables.

Now in Xiling Village, it wasn’t just the poor families who were struggling; even the few wealthier households had been intimidated by Magistrate Zhong. Even if they had silver, they hardly dared to spend it, fearing another corrupt official like Magistrate Zhong. If they failed to pay the silver to buy off their labor duties, their sons and husbands might well end up like Yan Xiaobao—gone, never to return.

It was only later, after hearing it from Niu Fugui, that Yan Xiaoyu and the others realized that Yan Xiaobao’s case was not an isolated incident.

The officials in charge of the mine treated people like beasts of burden, forcing them to work day and night even in the depths of winter. During the coldest spell last year, the mine claimed many lives.

After Governor Ruan thoroughly investigated the matter, he sent compensation to the families of those who had lost their lives, but no amount of silver could bring their loved ones back. The people of Weishi County were terrified.

Now that Yuye Pavilion had enough staff, He Qiuhua was worried about the spring planting and wanted to return home to oversee it; Yan Xiaoyu had no objections.

“Mom, go to the village and ask a few of the women and men to come help you with the work. Don’t wear yourself out. Once spring planting is done, there’s no need to rush back. Stay home and rest for a while, and keep my dad company.”

He Qiuhua nodded with a smile: “Okay, sure!”

Governor Ruan arrived in Weishi County in February and left in March, by which time the imperial examinations had already concluded.

After he left, Yan Xiaoyu’s greatest concern was who would become the next magistrate of Weishi County and the results of Yan Shaoxuan’s imperial examinations.

The results of the imperial examinations were announced first.

When Yan Xiaoyu woke from his afternoon nap and saw the officials appearing at the Yuye Pavilion, all smiles and cheerful conversation, she had a premonition. Sure enough, after the officials left, Yan Shaocheng and the others looked at Yan Xiaoyu, their faces beaming with joy.

“Shaoxuan passed the exam—and he’s first on the list again!” 

Yan Xiaoyu had expected Yan Shaoxuan to pass, but he hadn’t imagined he’d take first place again; for a moment, he could hardly believe it.

This academic underachiever, who looked like he’d fall asleep at the drop of a hat, had actually managed to find an academic superstar like Yan Erlang?!

Yan Shaoxuan’s ability to study was truly beyond his reach—could this be the legendary “complementarity”?

Yan Xiaoyu grinned widely for a moment, then couldn’t help but daydream about what would happen after Yan Shaoxuan returned.

In three months, he and Yan Erlang would be getting married. Now that Yan Erlang had become the top scholar in the imperial examinations, once they were married, he’d be his Fulang—which sounded pretty impressive, didn’t it?

From now on, he’d have to be careful not to speak too loudly around Yan Erlang—otherwise, wouldn’t he be offending the academic genius?

After the official messenger delivered the good news, the Yuye Pavilion was truly bustling for several days.

Passing the imperial examination to become a “Jinshi” meant one had essentially set foot in the bureaucratic world, and countless people made a special effort to curry favor with the Yan family.

The gifts they brought were also increasingly valuable—gold, silver, jewels, mansions in the county seat, jewelry, and decorative ornaments… Yan Xiaoyu had never imagined they could be so generous.

The local gentry in the county were well-informed; they all knew that the Yuye Pavilion belonged to Yan Shaoxuan, so all gifts and calling cards were sent there. Not only the local gentry and wealthy families, but even those who simply wished to pay their respects

Afterward, Yan Shaocheng returned them all.

Nothing comes for free; these people had sent gifts and would surely have something to ask for in return later. They didn’t understand these unwritten rules, nor were they short on silver, so there was no need to risk Yan Shaoxuan’s future.

After a few days of commotion, the letters finally reached Yan Shaoxuan’s home.

There were two letters in total: one for his eldest brother and the other for Yan Xiaoyu.

Yan Shaocheng’s letter was just two short lines, briefly mentioning the Imperial Examinations and his situation in the capital; Yan Xiaoyu’s letter spanned two pages. It was surprising that Yan Erlang, a man so proud and aloof, had actually found himself chatting about everyday matters with his Fulang. At the end, he even included a poem. After reading it, Yan Xiaoyu scratched his head in confusion, feeling as if he were back in middle school trying to decipher a reading comprehension passage.

He really couldn’t be sure if his interpretation was correct.

Yan Shaocheng caught sight of the letter Yan Xiaoyu was holding, its pages filled with writing. He felt both pleased and a touch of envy, and gave his own sheet of paper a shake: “Are these two lines really worth a whole separate sheet of paper? Couldn’t he have just written them at the end of yours?” 

Yan Xiaoyu quickly looked away. “Did he tell you? Yan Yonghe passed the exam, too.”

Although Yan Yonghe’s ranking wasn’t particularly impressive, he had indeed passed the examination. 

Even before Governor Ruan’s memorial reached the capital, the question of whether he could retain his status as a “Jinshi” remained unresolved.

Yan Xingsheng had long since learned from the Qian family that his son had been implicated by Magistrate Zhong and likely had no hope of passing the imperial examinations, yet he refused to give up hope.

Qian Hong had reaped such substantial benefits by riding on Magistrate Zhong’s coattails, and nothing serious had happened. His son, having already earned the title of “Juren,” had only taken a small portion of the silver—how could anything go wrong so easily?

At worst, he’d just have to pay some silver in compensation, just like the Qian family.

Unlike Qian Hong, who was slow-witted, Yan Yonghe was far more shrewd. When these two conspired with Magistrate Zhong, any risky tasks were always handled by Qian Hong.

Yan Xingsheng assumed that Yan Yonghe would protect himself and rise to prominence; even if he felt uncertain deep down, he would put on a brave face and refuse to show weakness.

After news spread that Yan Yonghe was implicated in Magistrate Zhong’s bribery scandal, the Yan family’s standing in the village plummeted; even the two families with whom they had been on good terms refused to come to their aid.

Although Yan Xingsheng was the son of a farmer, he really wasn’t very good at farm work.

With Old Master Yan suffering from a stroke and Tao Cuiqing mentally disabled, taking care of two patients while also doing laundry, cooking, and tending to the family’s fields was truly a huge burden.

Fortunately, he had plenty of money on hand. Since the villagers refused to help, he hired two older women from a neighboring village to help with the housework, and he also hired people to do the spring planting. 

Although he was swamped with household chores and even began to regret having sent Yan Yongfang away, with Yan Yonghe as his lifeline, he managed to persevere.

After enduring nearly two months, Yan Xingsheng’s spirits were lifted once again upon receiving Yan Yonghe’s letter of good news.

Fed up with the villagers gossiping behind his back, Yan Xingsheng had gotten into plenty of verbal altercations with them lately, but he was outnumbered and had to swallow a lot of humiliation. As soon as he learned that Yan Yonghe had passed the imperial examination to become a “Jinshi,” he immediately took the letter announcing the good news and paraded it around the village to show off.

But his arrogance lasted only a month before the decision regarding Yan Yonghe was announced.

Yan Yonghe was found to have engaged in misconduct; his qualification was revoked, his original results were annulled, and he was barred from taking the imperial examinations in the future. The Yan family’s dream of raising their social standing through the imperial examinations was shattered once and for all. 

With that pent-up frustration finally released, Yan Xingsheng began to lose his vigor; his heart was filled with resentment, which he could only alleviate by drinking.

Old Master Yan was in the same boat. He had previously been sustained by the hope that Yan Yonghe would enter officialdom; though he had suffered a stroke, his vitality and spirit had remained fairly strong. But once that hope was dashed, his spirit could no longer hold up. 

Old Master Yan was completely bedridden, yet his mouth refused to rest. Lying in bed every day, he would rant and rave, cursing everyone from Yan Yongfang to Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Xingmao…

To be clear, Yan Yonghe wasn’t at fault in the slightest; he was entirely the victim of others’ schemes.

At first, Yan Xingsheng joined in the cursing, but later, when the Yan family’s money ran out and all the hired help left, Yan Xingsheng personally cared for Old Master Yan for a few days before he couldn’t take it anymore.

Not only was he impatient, but he also neglected Old Master Yan—failing to provide him with food and drink in a timely manner and not changing his clothes often enough.

How could Old Master Yan, with his frail and ailing body, endure such treatment? Not long after news of Yan Yonghe’s imprisonment reached them, Old Master Yan passed away.

Two years later, when Yan Xingmao and He Qiuhua returned to the Yan family home, they could barely recognize it as the “home” they had once lived in. 

Old Master Yan’s coffin was placed in the center of the main hall. Yan Xingsheng, disheveled and unshaven, knelt by the doorway, while the deranged Tao Cuiqing paced back and forth inside the room, muttering to herself.

“Xiaobao is back. Where is my Xiaobao…”

Even though they hated the Yan Xingsheng family with a passion, seeing them reduced to such a state still left a bitter taste in Yan Xingmao and He Qiuhua’s hearts. Especially for Yan Xingmao.