bayedsolid Chapter 129 Released
Chapter 129 Released
Seeing this, Fang Heng's two friends quickly said, "Let's go. We've been here for quite a while, and we haven't ordered that much food. It's not good for us to keep occupying such a nice private room. Otherwise, we'll become annoying!"
These two friends had gone on a spring outing together near Huangjue Temple last time, and both had noticed Fang Heng's subtle feelings for Zisu. Moreover, they both had a very good impression of Zisu, so naturally they were willing to stand with Fang Heng and protect her.
Because if they don't leave, those two people might get emboldened by alcohol and start saying insolent things, causing a conflict with the people from Zizhuxuan.
There were ten people present, including Fang Heng, Chen Kai, and two of Fang Heng's friends, making four in total. Moreover, Fang Heng was paying for the meal again. Seeing this, Xu Chu naturally knew what was good for her and quickly stood up, calling out, "Let's go, let's go, let's get together another day!"
As he spoke, he pulled up the two men who had been spying on the Purple Bamboo Pavilion and led them outside. Xu Chu was somewhat skilled in martial arts and quite tall, while the two were weak scholars, so he easily pulled them away.
Seeing this, the others also left.
Everyone else left, leaving behind Fang Heng, Chen Kai, and Fang Heng's two friends, Dongfang Ming and Gu Quan.
As Chen Kai was about to leave, Fang Heng said, "Brother Chen, don't rush off, let's chat for a bit!"
Chen Kai sat down again: "Yeah, perfect timing. I'm still feeling down and was just looking for someone to talk to."
Fang Heng said, "If you have anything bothering you, you can tell us. We're all very tight-lipped, as you know."
Chen Kai: "Sigh, I was forced into marriage by a wicked woman for no reason, and locked up for three days without seeing the light of day. I feel so aggrieved! You tell me, I studied hard for ten years and finally became the top scholar in the imperial examination, but disaster struck out of nowhere. I almost lost my wife and children and my family was destroyed. If I had known this would happen, why would I have bothered to take the imperial examination? I would have been better off just being a minor scholar and quietly teaching children in the countryside."
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, her expression filled with sorrow and despair.
Dongfang Ming: "Brother Chen, don't be so pessimistic. The calamities are over, aren't they? You need to have more faith in the future; everything will be alright. The Emperor is a wise ruler; otherwise, he wouldn't have forced Princess Qianjiao into marriage!"
Chen Kai: "But I didn't go to hell, yet I sent someone else to hell. Every time I think about this, I still feel uneasy. I heard that the man was a military general, but also came from a poor family. Marrying such a woman, his life was ruined! Alas, I feel so guilty!"
Fang Heng chuckled and said, "You're overthinking it. That military general is very manly, and his martial arts are superb. He also has a very vicious stepmother. That wicked stepmother is not only cruel to the general, but she has also poisoned his children several times. So, for the general, marrying Princess Qianjiao is actually a very advantageous thing. I heard that on the first day Princess Qianjiao entered the family, she suppressed the wicked stepmother's arrogance, and the wicked stepmother was trembling with fear. Also, the general is said to have met Princess Qianjiao once and he has a good impression of her."
"Huh? There's such a thing?!" Chen Kai was extremely surprised when he heard this.
Fang Heng: "So, for that military general to marry Princess Qianjiao was not a hardship, but a fulfillment of his wish and a reward for his desires! Moreover, it is said that the military general also had the princess firmly under his control, and the princess dared not do anything to him or his children."
Chen Kai breathed a long sigh of relief: "That's good, that's good. Otherwise, I would have felt so guilty!"
Dongfang Ming: "The most interesting thing is that Princess Qianjiao is controlled by her own man, and that military general is also an upright and honest person. He will absolutely not allow his wife to cause you any more trouble, let alone allow her to take revenge on your family! So, you can rest assured and don't overthink it! Becoming the top scholar is a great joy, you should be happy!"
While Chen Kai was happy, he couldn't help but feel worried: "I should be happy, but the little money I had left was all taken by the princess's people. The road home is so far away, it's impossible not to worry!"
Fang Heng then said, "It's fate that we met. I'll lend you thirty taels of silver. Is that enough for your journey home?"
Chen Kai was startled and quickly came to his senses. He secretly blamed himself for saying such things in front of others, and hurriedly waved his hand: "No need, I have a way to raise the money for the journey home. Thank you, Brother Fang!"
He had decided to pawn the brocade robe he was wearing; he should get five taels of silver. Keep in mind, the fabric alone had cost about fifteen taels. He hadn't originally wanted to wear such fine clothes, but his wife insisted, saying he was certain he could participate in the imperial examination. She felt that since he rarely got to see the emperor, he had to dress well, and insisted on buying him brocade to make the robe.
"Take it, don't be so polite with me. I'm not giving it to you, I'm just lending it to you. You can pay me back when you have the money!" Fang Heng smiled faintly and stuffed the money into Chen Kai's hand without saying another word.
The others each contributed five taels of silver to Chen Kai.
The people were so sincere that Chen Kai couldn't refuse, so he gratefully accepted the gifts and bowed deeply to them, saying, "Thank you so much! I will definitely repay you handsomely in the future!"
If he were to be frugal, fifteen taels of silver would be enough for his journey home. Now, he had a full forty taels, enough even for his travel expenses to take up his new post. If things went as expected, this top scholar would likely be appointed as a county magistrate in some remote area. Originally, the top three scholars (状元, 探花, and 榜眼) would all enter the Hanlin Academy. However, due to Princess Qianjiao's forced marriage, he would probably be sent to a remote post.
"No need to be so polite. In another two or three days, the order to send an official should come down. You can stay in the capital for a few days without worry. If you encounter any difficulties, just come to the Marquis of Zhongxin's residence to find me!" Fang Heng said with a slight smile, his face full of sincerity.
Seeing the top scholar in such a state, he felt a pang of sadness. Life is full of ups and downs, and it's rare for everything to go smoothly. Chen Kai, a top scholar and an upright and honest person, had unexpectedly encountered such a misfortune. If they hadn't offered a helping hand, would Chen Kai have become the first newly appointed top scholar to end up homeless?
It's truly a tragedy for the Western Liang Kingdom.
Chen Kai: "Thank you, thank you so much!" He had no way to repay the kindness beyond expressing his gratitude. When he was down on his luck, someone had offered a helping hand, shown concern and offered comfort; it was like sending charcoal in snowy weather! He would remember this kindness for the rest of his life and never forget it.
Fang Heng: "I'm going out for a bit. You guys chat first, I'll be right back, so be sure to wait for me! Especially Brother Chen, you must wait for me!"
Chen Kai: "Okay, Brother Fang, you go ahead. I'll definitely stay here and wait for you!"
Fang Heng went to the counter on the first floor to pay the bill and booked a regular single room, paying for five days' stay, totaling ten taels of silver. Since the Princess returned from the Northwest, she had bought the two three-courtyard houses behind the Good Days Restaurant and turned them into an inn. A regular single room usually costs one tael of silver per day, but now it costs two taels of silver.
This period is when candidates flock to the capital. Although the imperial examination is over, many candidates are still stranded there. As a result, room rates are still twice as high, especially in upscale places like the Good Days Restaurant.
Fang Heng returned to the private room on the second floor and handed Chen Kai a number plate: "This is the room number for Good Days Inn. I paid for five days' stay for you, so you can stay here without worry. Good Days Inn is very safe. If anything happens, you can ask the waiter to go to the Marquis of Zhongxin's residence to find me! Or, you can ask the innkeeper for help; he's a very kind person!"
"Brother Fang, thank you for your trouble. I can never repay your kindness in this lifetime! I will definitely repay you properly when I have the chance in the future!" Chen Kai was so moved that he didn't know what to say. In short, his heart and eyes were filled with deep gratitude and emotion.
Offering help in times of need is rare indeed! Yet, Fang Heng went to such lengths for him, despite having only met him a few times. Given the power and influence of the Marquis of Zhongxin's mansion, Fang Heng had absolutely no need to win him over; in other words, the man's kindness was entirely genuine.
Five days later, everyone's official positions were assigned.
As expected, Chen Kai was transferred to be the magistrate of a county in Baishui County. Fortunately, his hometown was in Baishui County, but the place he was to take up his post was not in his hometown county. The place he was to take up his post was about a hundred miles away from his hometown.
However, Chen Kai was still overjoyed. He had originally thought he would be sent to a remote, impoverished place thousands of miles away. In that case, the travel expenses alone would have cost more than a hundred taels of silver. Moreover, there was no guarantee of safety on the road; he might be harmed by bandits on the way.
The second-place scholar, Xu Chu, and the third-place scholar, Fang Heng, both entered the Hanlin Academy as compilers, holding the rank of seventh-grade officials. However, Fang Heng voluntarily requested an imperial decree to be transferred to a post as magistrate in Yulin County.
Just then, Gao Lao, the magistrate of Zhangshu County in Yulin Prefecture, returned to his hometown, and the emperor readily granted Fang Heng's request. Thus, Fang Heng took office, becoming the youngest magistrate in Zhangshu County, Yulin Prefecture.
Previous county magistrates were all over thirty-five years old.
Upon hearing this, Zisu couldn't help but praise, "Well done! As expected of Fang Heng, you really didn't disappoint me!"
However, her surprise was that he requested permission to go to Yulin County. After all, given the strength of the Marquis of Zhongxin's mansion, they could easily have secured a county magistrate position in the outskirts of the capital. Zhangshu County was still too far from the capital; it was a truly mountainous county.
----Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there will be one more update today.