The lamplight was as bright as day, and Yin Wuyan continued reading, seemingly unfazed by the young man's overly excited words.
After waiting for a while without a response, the young man rubbed his stiffened face. "Fine, I was foolish! For the Seventh Master to even speak is a blessing from heaven. Did I really expect the cold and heartless Seventh Master to lend a hand to that plump girl?"
Time ticked by, and the only sound in the guest room was the faint rustle of turning pages. Seeing this, the young man quickly trimmed the candlewick, brightening the room.
"Chen Weibin, the magistrate of Shangsi County, was a Jinshi in the second year of Daqing. His mentor was the Grand Censor Liu Jian," Yin Wuyan's hoarse voice broke the silence of the guest room.
The young man was taken aback. When it came to serious matters, he shed his gossipy demeanor and replied earnestly, "Yes, the Ministry of Personnel rated him 'middle' twice consecutively. It's clear that the stubborn old man Liu Jian is suppressing Chen Weibin's promotion!"
In the Daqing dynasty, local officials served three-year terms, after which they were evaluated by the Ministry of Personnel. The evaluation results were divided into three grades: superior, middle, and inferior, which determined the promotion or dismissal of local officials.
Chen Weibin had been in Shangsi County for seven years and had achieved significant accomplishments. By all rights, even if he wasn't promoted, he should have been transferred to another major county. Unfortunately, he was only a seventh-rank county magistrate, while his mentor, Liu Jian, was a high-ranking official of the second rank.
Years ago, in the Golden Palace, Chen Weibin had openly defied his mentor, causing Liu Jian to spit blood and faint. It was normal for him to be suppressed for seven years, let alone seventeen.
Even though Liu Jian had retired, his eldest son, Liu Changyuan, was still the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Chen Weibin would likely grow old and die in the position of Shangsi County Magistrate.
Yin Wuyan's slender fingers lightly tapped the tabletop. His young face was pale, and his voice was even more chilling and indifferent. "Zhang Chengli, the newly appointed Prefect of Nanxuan, married into the Kong family."
"Uh..." The young man blinked blankly. What did Seventh Master mean by these disconnected words?
He wanted to ask, but his Seventh Master had already returned to his book. The young man frowned, racking his brain for a long time. After a while, his eyes suddenly lit up. "Seventh Master, I understand. I'll go do it now!"
"Noisy!" A cold expulsion rang out. Yin Wuyan cast a cold glance at him. The young man grinned cheekily, pushed open the window, and his tall figure vanished into the night with a whoosh.
...
In the evening, smoke curled from the chimneys of every household in Jinlin Village. The sound of朗朗 reading drifted out from the walls of the Zhan family's compound, causing passing villagers to cast sideways glances and talk about the Zhan family's three children competing in recitation.
"Fragrant with the smell of lamb, and also with rotten fish. These five smells are what the nose perceives. Gourd, earth, leather..." Sanlang's voice grew softer. He sniffled, stretched his neck to look towards the kitchen from which the aroma of food wafted, and stuttered, "Gourd, earth, leather... leather..."
"Leather your head! Are you a pig, only thinking about eating all day?" Zhan Dalang angrily slapped Zhan Sanlang on the head. The sharp crack of the blow indicated its force.
Lin Fuzi's daily assignments of calligraphy and recitation were not yet complete, and he also had to spend half an hour teaching Zhan Feiyu and the other two. That was not all; Xiao Yao Shi also asked Zhan Dalang to secretly teach his youngest son for another half an hour every evening.
In just three days, Zhan Dalang was already impatient. Moreover, Zhan Sanlang's recitation was not as good or as fluent as Zhan Feiyu and Erlang's. Thinking of his parents' nagging, Zhan Dalang glared angrily at his useless, foolish younger brother, his eyes spitting fire.
Zhan Sanlang's stomach was rumbling with hunger. After being slapped again, he pushed Zhan Dalang away in anger and ran off shouting, "I'm not reciting anymore, I'm not reciting!"
"Gourd, earth, leather, wood, metal. Silk and bamboo, these are the eight sounds. They are called ping, shang, qu, and ru. These four tones should be harmonized... Big Brother, I can recite it." Zhan Erlang fluently recited this passage.
Unlike Zhan Dalang's arrogance and impetuous nature, and unlike Zhan Sanlang's spoiled, wild, and mischievous disposition, Zhan Erlang was simple, honest, had a good memory, and was intelligent. His recitation progress over the past three days had already surpassed Sanlang, who was receiving extra tutoring.
Seeing that his elder cousin ignored his second cousin, Zhan Feiyu smiled at Erlang and continued reciting, "Great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and oneself... Brothers should be friendly, younger brothers should be respectful. The order of elders and juniors, friends and companions. The ruler should be respected, and the minister loyal. These ten virtues are common to all people. They should be followed in order, and not violated..."
"Alright, you recite on your own. I need to finish Lin Fuzi's homework." Zhan Dalang cast a gloomy glance at Zhan Feiyu and Zhan Erlang and turned to go to the study, unable to hide the envy on his face. If he had such a good memory, he wouldn't have to fear Lin Fuzi's random recitations.
In the kitchen, the three daughters-in-law of the Zhan family were busy at their stoves, but their ears were pricked, listening to the recitation outside.
Xiao Yao Shi could no longer maintain her usual hypocritical kindness. With a dark expression, she shoved a piece of firewood into the stove, wishing she could rush out and drag the little son who had run away back to give him a beating.
Ma Shi put down the cleaver, placed the cut sweet potato vines into a basin, glanced at Xiao Yao Shi smugly, and deliberately raised her voice to praise, "Sister-in-law, Xiao Yu has a really good memory, but my Erlang is not bad either."
The fire in the stove was burning fiercely, and the pot would soon be scorched if stir-fried any longer. Li Shi quickly stir-fried a few times and scooped the green peppers onto a plate. She added with a smile, "Xiao Yu spoke early and remembered things early."
"Yes, I think Xiao Yu will definitely win this competition," Xiao Yao Shi said with a forced smile, her gloomy eyes suppressing mockery. "No matter how smart she is, she's still a girl!"
There were still two grandsons in the Zhan family. It was unlikely that a mere girl would be sent to private school! It was useless for that dead girl Zhan Feiyu to win!
Thinking this, Xiao Yao Shi felt a slight relief in her chest. But when she thought of her useless little son, her face lengthened again.
Ma Shi had been advised by Zhan Laosan before. Her own Erlang was much better than Sanlang, and Xiao Yu was a girl. Therefore, Erlang would be the one sent to private school in the end.
Thinking this, Ma Shi's spirits immediately lifted, and she chopped the cleaver with a clatter. "Sister-in-law, you rest. I'll do the rest."
"No need, there's only one dish left." Thinking of Ma Shi's cooking, which even pigs wouldn't eat, Li Shi quickly washed the pot, not intending to let her waste food.
After the busy farming season, there was little work in the fields. Zhan Laotou was resting at home, and Zhan Laosan had slipped out to play early in the morning and hadn't returned for lunch. Only Zhan Laoda worked diligently in the fields until sunset. The three brothers met at the main entrance.
"Laosan, where have you been fooling around again? Don't you know to go to the fields to help Big Brother?" Zhan Lao Er, who had just gotten off the ox cart, lectured Zhan Laosan with an elder brother's authority.
The mischievous Zhan Laosan grinned cheekily, "There's not much work in the fields, and Big Brother is enough on his own." After saying that, he darted into the courtyard like a wild monkey.
Zhan Lao Er turned to Zhan Laoda and said respectfully and concernedly, "Big Brother, don't indulge Laosan. You should scold him when necessary. Erlang is already of an age to study, but his father is still like an immature brat."
"It's fine, I can handle it," Zhan Laoda replied indifferently. However, he was happy that his younger brother Erlang cared about him, but his usual stern expression showed no change in emotion.