When Old Master Yan passed away, neither Yan Xiaoyu nor Yan Xiaoyue attended his funeral.

Among the Yan grandchildren—including Yan Xiaoyu and his sister—there were five in total, yet not a single one was present at Old Master Yan’s funeral.

Having made enemies over money and fallen out with some villagers, the funeral procession consisted of only a handful of people, making for a truly desolate scene.

During his lifetime, the old man had been arrogant and boastful, taking great pride in his few descendants and loving nothing more than a lively crowd—yet who would have thought he would meet such an end after his death?

The villagers were deeply moved, and some felt that since death had come, Yan Xiaoyu and his sister should put aside their past grievances and see Old Master Yan off on his final journey. But more people still understood Yan Xiaoyu’s decision.

After all, Old Man Yan had been cursing right up until his death, showing not the slightest hint of remorse. When Aunt He spread the word about his insults toward Yan Xiaoyu, many people felt indignant on his behalf.

They said that while Yan Xingsheng was completely indifferent—even when Old Master Yan was bedridden and couldn’t even get a sip of hot water—Yan Xingmao had once shown a moment of compassion.

But when Yan Xingmao heard Old Master Yan cursing his own two children—saying Yan Xiaoyu would meet a terrible end and that Yan Xiaoyue would be abandoned by Yan Shaocheng—his heart instantly hardened like iron.

He didn’t even step inside; he turned around and left.

Old Master Yan caught a glimpse of him from the window; he beat his chest and stamped his feet, crying out incessantly, but never once looked back.

After Old Master Yan’s death, Yan Xingmao and He Qiuhua attended the funeral—not only to ease their own consciences, but also to silence the villagers and help shield Yan Xiaoyue and her younger brother from further criticism.

Yan Xiaoyu didn’t care what others said; he had never forgiven those people from the Yan family, and felt he had no right to forgive them on behalf of his former self. However, he didn’t interfere with whatever Yan Xingmao and his wife or Yan Xiaoyue chose to do.

Then Yan Xingmao rushed over, saying that Old Master Yan had passed away, and tentatively asked Yan Xiaoyu if he would be willing to attend the funeral. Yan Xiaoyu nodded without hesitation.

With Tao Cuiqing having lost her mind, Yan Yongfang having left, and Yan Yonghe stripped of his official rank, the Yan family would no longer be able to stir up any trouble. Yan Xingmao and He Qiuhua were kind-hearted people; if he were denied permission to go, he might harbor a grudge. It would be better to let them go just this once, for their own peace of mind.

He went with a cold expression and a touch of resentment in his heart, but upon his return, Yan Xingmao still felt somewhat unsettled. Fearing that Yan Xiaoyu might misunderstand, Yan Xingmao made a point of offering a brief explanation.  

“Father isn’t feeling distressed; it’s just that, thinking of someone bound to me by blood—and now that things have come to this—it weighs heavily on my heart.” Yan Xingmao and his wife were just that sort of people; Yan Xiaoyu had long anticipated this, so he didn’t hold it against them.

What was more surprising was Yan Xiaoyue’s behavior this time.

Yan Xiaoyu had originally thought her older sister would go with their parents to attend the funeral, but she didn’t expect the girl to be much more decisive than before.

“Grandpa said before he passed away that if I, his granddaughter, wasn’t there, he wouldn’t go—otherwise he wouldn’t be happy, and I wouldn’t be happy either,” Yan Xiaoyue said with a sincere expression.

Upon hearing this, Yan Shaocheng smiled at first, thinking his wife had finally developed a sense of humor, but when he looked closely at Yan Xiaoyue’s expression, he realized she was being completely serious. 

The person is dead—how could they possibly be “upset”?

Yan Shaocheng’s expression was a jumble of emotions, while Yan Xiaoyu felt quite relieved.

His elder sister was no longer the little girl who used to let others bully her; she had completely emerged from the shadows of her childhood. Given a little more time, she too would be able to stand on her own.

Yan Xiaoyu had long wanted to free her older sister from her menial kitchen duties and have her do more meaningful work. 

He hadn’t found the right opportunity until now, but he felt it was finally time to let her give it a try.

Yuye Pavilion had taken on some new staff this year, and since Yan Shaocheng was swamped with work, Yan Xiaoyu suggested entrusting the tofu production in the back courtyard—including preparing the ingredients—as well as the kitchen’s few part-time helpers to Yan Xiaoyue’s management.

Xiao Jiu and A-Shuang have now mastered most of the skills, and with Yan Xiaoyu and He Qiuhua, there are more than enough cooks. Yan Xiaoyue is very familiar with both the kitchen and tofu-making, so this task shouldn’t be too difficult for her.

As soon as Yan Xiaoyu mentioned it, Yan Shaocheng agreed.

In fact, he’d been feeling a bit sorry for Yan Xiaoyue having to do menial tasks in the kitchen all the time, and had been thinking about talking to Yan Xiaoyu to help her get a different assignment. The two hit it off immediately and went to speak with Yan Xiaoyue.

Yan Xiaoyue didn’t really mind what kind of work she did, but the prospect of a pay raise for taking on a supervisory role instantly put a smile on her face, and she nodded repeatedly.

“Okay, I’ll do it!”

Also implicated by Magistrate Zhong, the Yan family suffered the loss of both their head and their son—the consequences were dire, though it did provide a few extra months of income.

To ensure Qian Hong wasn’t sent to prison, the Qian family had practically gambled away his entire fortune. Fortunately, he still had the tofu seeds, and Yan Yongfang had managed to replicate a few tofu ingredients.

After Qian Hong was thrown in jail, Old Man Qian sold two of his sons to raise enough silver to buy back the Qian Family Tofu Shop in town.

Thanks to decades of experience, the tofu business quickly got back on its feet. It was small…but at least they could put food on the table.

Just as Old Master Yan passed away, Old Man Qian and his wife were overjoyed—they couldn’t stop smiling—at the birth of Qian Hong’s son. Before long, Qian Hong was released from prison. 

Shaking off his previous despondency, he threw a grand celebration. With Qian Fuxing born, Qian Hong made Zhuo Shan his legitimate wife, and each of them cherished the little infant as if it were a precious pearl.

Unexpectedly, the good times didn’t last long. After only two months, the Qian family noticed that Qian Hong’s precious son wasn’t quite right.

Normally, by two months old, a baby would be taking in their surroundings and smiling. But Qian Hong’s son wouldn’t make eye contact, had a vacant stare, and didn’t smile.

Most importantly, his tongue often hung out of his mouth, and he drooled constantly…

At first, Mrs. Qian clung to a glimmer of hope, thinking the child was simply developing a bit slowly, but the doctor’s words struck her like a blow to the head, shattering her hopes.

“This child likely suffers from congenital deficiencies—a lack of vital essence and marrow, leading to mental retardation.”

After returning from the clinic, Qian Hong and his wife had a heated argument.

Although Qian Hong still had income from the tofu business, it was nowhere near what it used to be. Life was now a struggle, and they had to stretch every coin to make ends meet. As for his son’s illness, whether to treat it or not—and whether it could even be cured—remained a question.

Mr. and Mrs. Qian accused Zhuo Shan of giving birth to a mentally disabled child, blaming her for being incapable of helping run the business the way Yan Yongfang did.

Qian Hong, looking at Zhuo Shan with obvious disdain—she had not yet fully recovered from childbirth—echoed his parents’ words, saying that Zhuo Shan fell short of Yan Yongfang in every way.

At first, Zhuo Shan apologized pitifully, but later her temper flared, and she began berating the Qian family for being ungrateful and bullying her, the wife who had stood by him through thick and thin.

“Now you’re rejecting me because I’m not as good as that other one? Back then, you were the one who insisted on being with me! Miss Yan is wonderful in every way, but didn’t you used to treat her like dirt too? Now that you’re so full of contempt for me, I’d like to see which young lady or young man would be willing to marry into the Qian family like me! Do you think someone would be begging you…”

The elderly Qian couple and Qian Hong were furious that she dared to talk back. But Zhuo Shan was speaking the truth—if he divorced her, it would be extremely difficult for Qian Hong to remarry.

Despite their many grievances against Zhuo Shan, they didn’t dare actually divorce her, so they could only vent their frustration with their words.

From then on, arguments were a constant in the Qian household. Though not as bitter as those with Yan Yongfang, they still left a mess in their wake.

Meanwhile, back in the capital several months earlier.

After the results of the provincial examinations were announced, Yan Shaoxuan hurriedly wrote a letter home to share the good news. He then declined all invitations to focus solely on preparing for the imperial palace examination.

The capital was bustling, and the selection of books and reference materials was far more comprehensive than in Weishi County or Peiyang Prefecture. Yan Shaoxuan would shut himself away in the small courtyard he had rented, devouring the texts with insatiable hunger.

He read a work by Zhang, a distinguished scholar in Beijing.

He came across perspectives he hadn’t encountered before and found them enlightening.

After winning first place in the provincial examinations, some well-connected figures in the capital came to court him. Yan Shaoxuan was impatient with dealing with these people, but fortunately, he had brought Jiang Xiaowu along this time.

Jiang Xiaowu had previously worked as a waiter at an inn and was extremely perceptive. He was good at taking care of people, could help entertain guests, and was also able to gather information about the capital for Yan Shaoxuan.

It was Jiang Xiaowu who informed Yan Shaoxuan that Yan Yonghe had been arrested by the authorities.

When Jiang Xiaowu told Yan Shaoxuan about Yan Yonghe’s situation, he had expected Yan Shaoxuan to be surprised, but to his surprise, Yan Shaoxuan remained impassive, showing no particular reaction; he merely wrote a separate letter to inform Yan Xiaoyu of the news.

About half a month later, Magistrate Zhong was escorted to the capital.

Unfortunately for him, Ruan Ren had already uncovered two other county magistrates guilty of corruption and abuse of power—making him the third.

The Ruan delegation had set out for Bianxi Prefecture to carry out the provincial governor’s duties, but before they even reached Bianxi, they had already uncovered three corrupt officials. When the news reached the capital, the emperor was furious, and the reaction throughout the court and the country was intense.

Officials in remote areas, relying on the fact that “the mountains are high and the emperor is far away,” engaged in embezzlement, accepted bribes, and oppressed the common people—a problem that every emperor throughout history had to face.

In recent years, Chu had also devoted considerable effort to cracking down on this problem; dispatching officials from the capital on inspection tours was one of the measures taken, yet such incidents continued to arise one after another.

Yan Shaoxuan had not yet entered government service, so these matters were, for the time being, of no concern to him. However, just before the palace examination, news concerning the future prospects of the candidates spread like wildfire, causing quite a stir.

Because of this case of corruption among local officials, the emperor decided to revise the regulations governing the assignment of newly appointed jinshi to government posts.

Since many of these corrupt officials had connections in the imperial court and were backed by powerful factions in the capital, once they were posted to the provinces, they would neglect their duties, embezzle funds, and pervert justice—yet the authorities would often turn a blind eye, afraid to take decisive action against them.

Consequently, the Emperor has resolved that, going forward, the positions of county magistrates in remote areas will be filled by officials of unblemished character who lack political connections. This measure is intended to reduce the likelihood that local officials will collude with powerful figures in the capital to amass wealth at will. 

This year’s newly appointed jinshi—including those from the first and second classes—may all be sent to serve as officials in the provinces.

When the news spread, the scholars preparing for the palace examination were thrown into a panic.

According to custom, jinshi from the first and second classes are usually able to remain in the capital to serve, and those from the first class are even eligible to join the Hanlin Academy.

The Hanlin Academy is a prestigious and highly significant institution. As the saying goes, “One cannot enter the Cabinet without first serving in the Hanlin Academy”; the Hanlin Academy can be considered the fast track for jinshi to enter the Cabinet and become ministers.

In the past, barring exceptional circumstances, the Zhuangyuan (first-place winner) of the First Class was appointed as a Xiuzuan (Compiler) in the Hanlin Academy, while the Bangyan (second-place winner) and Tanhua (third-place winner) were appointed as Bianxiu (Editor) in the Hanlin Academy. Jinshi from the Second and Third Classes could not enter the Hanlin Academy directly, but by passing the court examination, they had the opportunity to become Shuji (Probationary Scholars) and remain in the Hanlin Academy.

Even those who failed the court examination and could not join the Hanlin Academy were still assigned to serve in various ministries and agencies.

As long as they remained in the capital, they had opportunities for promotion. Once assigned to a post outside the capital, however, their chances of advancement were slim.

Being posted to a local post was considered the worst possible path by scholars. It was easy to be sent out, but returning was difficult. Upon hearing the news, Jiang Xiaowu immediately told Yan Shaoxuan.