“I actually got a B-minus? All that hard studying wasn’t in vain after all.” Chen Ziyu was very happy; although he only got a B-minus, that was still a B-rank! Progress was a good thing; last time, he was only a C-middle!
“A single B-minus, and you’re this excited?” Qian Dong didn’t understand why his good brother was so happy.
“If I can consistently get B-rank this year, then next year I might even get A-rank. Step by step, gradually, there will always be a day when I succeed.”
Qian Dong was stunned, then nodded: “You’re right. Not everyone can improve as quickly as Big Brother.”
Chen Ziyu clenched his fist: “My elder brother also accumulated a lot before bursting forth. Before his third A-rank, he didn’t get B-rank many times either. We’ll accumulate slowly. If not this year, then next year; if not next year, then the year after… There will always be a chance!”
The two chatted and walked, leaving with smiles and laughter.
Li Chengfeng listened to the discussions around him and couldn’t help but frown.
Others were very happy to get a B-minus, but he got an A-middle and couldn’t be happy.
People like Ding Shan and Liang Bai weren’t on the same level as him; getting an A-plus was nothing, as they couldn't become officials anyway.
But Zhao Xing had a chance.
“Zhao Xing, Zhao Xing… Now everyone is discussing him.” Li Chengfeng felt a surge of annoyance. This name kept appearing in his ears; his ears were practically calloused.
Normally, he was the focus of these people's discussions, the center of attention, but now things were slowly changing.
“Brother Li, have you seen it?” Zong Shichang ran up to Li Chengfeng at this moment.
“Seen what?” Li Chengfeng asked distractedly.
“Zhao Xing’s exam paper, of course,” Zong Shichang said. “Chen Shijie ordered his answers to be copied and circulated for everyone to study, saying that his method of answering was concise and powerful, hitting the topic directly. He said it would be useful not only for future temple examinations but also for other tests later on.”
“And don’t even get me started, I looked at it, and he really has some skill. His A-plus is well-deserved.”
Li Chengfeng looked at the incessantly talking Zong Shichang, his heart a mix of emotions. How could even Brother Zong praise him so much?
“Brother Zong, I have something else to do. I’ll be leaving first…”
“Eh? Where are you going, Brother Li?”
Zong Shichang called out a few times, but Li Chengfeng didn’t respond, which made him a little strange.
What’s wrong with Brother Li?
In the main hall of the county yamen, Li Wen was handling government affairs when a minor official ran over and presented the assessment results from the Agricultural Supervisorate.
“County Magistrate, the results of the Agricultural Supervisorate’s White Dew assessment are out.”
“Oh? How many got A-plus? Are any of my disciples among them?” Li Wen asked casually.
“There are three A-plus recipients, named Zhao Xing, Ding Shan, and Liang Bai. None of them are under my father. The first two are under Lord Xue Wenzhong, and the latter is under Lord Tang Wanchun.”
The minor official was named Pang Fei, who had previously delivered approval documents to Zhao Xing. He also had another identity: he was the son of Pang Yuan, a ninth-rank agricultural official.
Li Wen pondered: “Hmm, Zhao Xing… This name seems a bit familiar. If I’m not mistaken, this is his third A-plus?”
“Yes.” Pang Yuan nodded, “Last month, Lord Chen Shijie even applied for a Tribute Scholar quota for him, and you personally stamped it.”
“Oh, I see.” Li Wen realized, “There’s about another ten days until the Winter Review. Are there any new talents in the Heavenly Craft Workshop or the Weaving Supervisorate?”
There was no need to ask about the Divine Temple and the civil and military offices of the county yamen, as they were right under Li Wen’s nose.
“Yes, there is a weaver in the Weaving Supervisorate who created a He Luo Dharma Robe and received an A-plus in the last assessment. In the Heavenly Craft Workshop, there is an official named Han Bi who solved the Spell mechanism ‘Twelve Linked Locks’ left by Lord Gongsun Jin. Both have received A-rank twice in a row, and both received A-plus last time.”
“How old are they?” Li Wen asked.
“Lin Baiwei is sixteen, and Han Bi is eighteen. Both are registered residents of Gucheng.” Pang Fei paused and added, “Both come from quite poor families.”
Li Wen nodded with satisfaction. He found this minor official Pang Fei easy to work with; with just a slight inquiry, he automatically revealed everything Li Wen wanted to know.
“Zhao Xing just received a Tribute Scholar position, so it’s not good to provide further assistance. For Lin Baiwei and Han Bi, you personally go to their homes to verify. If they are indeed poor, then withdraw twenty taels of silver from my wife and send it to them.” Li Wen said. “It can also be considered a contribution to Gucheng.”
“County Magistrate is benevolent. Your subordinate will certainly deliver the County Magistrate’s kind intentions.”
East of Gucheng, in Sanwan Town.
The two hall masters of Sanwan Hall also welcomed the arrival of the Falcon Protector.
“Greetings, Protector.” Both a man and a woman bowed.
The old man patted the dust off his body, looking travel-worn, as he had indeed just finished a journey.
He was not only watching Gucheng but also the other counties in Nanyang Prefecture.
“Are there any new developments?” the Falcon Protector asked.
“Reporting, Protector, Lin Baiwei of the Weaving Supervisorate created a He Luo Dharma Robe and received an A-plus in the recent assessment. Han Bi of the Heavenly Craft Workshop solved the mechanism, the Twelve Linked Locks, and received an A-plus. Zhao Xing of the Agricultural Supervisorate also received an A-plus, but your subordinate cannot understand his answer sheet and doesn’t know how it was graded.”
Different professions are like different mountains; the two hall masters simply couldn’t understand Zhao Xing’s answer sheet and therefore didn’t know what made him excellent.
“Include Lin Baiwei and Han Bi in the capture list.” The old man pondered, “As for this Zhao Xing… was his answer sheet copied?”
“Yes.”
The old man took it and looked. After reading it, the paper suddenly spontaneously combusted, quickly turning into a pile of ashes.
The Falcon Protector rubbed the ashes between his fingers, then gently blew them away: “Rank Zhao Xing in fifth place.”
“Additionally, you are to collect information on this person. You can use a few believers to make contact with him and ascertain his habits and personality.”
“Remember, do not act without authorization, and do not act within the city. You only need to make accidental contact. ”
“Donghu Mountain will open for autumn soon, and the government is on high alert. Even the slightest clue could be detected. Do not be eager for quick merits and spoil the important matter. Otherwise, if you ruin the big plan, you will be held responsible even if you die ten thousand times.”
The two hall masters’ expressions became solemn, and they nodded heavily: “Yes, Protector.”
West of the city, Chen Mansion, in a pear orchard.
“This Heavenly Origin Pear tree is in its sixth year of being planted. I spent a lot of effort to move it into a pot. You must be careful when planting it back home.”
In front of Chen Shijie, there was a small tree as tall as a person, which was the Heavenly Origin Pear tree he promised to give to Zhao Xing.
The Heavenly Origin Pear tree matures in ten years, blossoms in one year, and bears fruit in another. Six years is still considered a young tree; only after exceeding the seventh year is it considered to be in its growth period.
Zhao Xing used the Five Elements Observation to check, and this young tree was already six years and ten months old. Chen Shijie gave him great convenience within the scope of his promise; he didn’t fob him off with a two- or three-year-old tree.
“People thrive when they move, trees die when they move. Old Chen must have put a lot of thought into moving this pear tree. His character is truly top-notch.” Zhao Xing thought to himself.
“Then I won’t be polite. Thank you.”
Activating the Wind Spell, Zhao Xing carried the Heavenly Origin Pear tree and walked home.