Chapter 163

The servants did their utmost to bring all the news they had heard about Fengyang.

Unfortunately, the two places were too far apart. To date, these things had happened half a month ago.

Wang Fufeng sighed softly. Suddenly hearing two footsteps outside the door, he warily opened his eyes and waved the servants away.

Seeing Xumu and Chang Yan, he revealed a faint smile. But the smile soon faded back into solemnity.

"Brother Xu, Chang Yan, I'm sorry to trouble you," said the young man with the weak willow Fufeng as he got up from the couch. He had obviously heard about what happened at the Wen medical center. "As the head of the household, I failed to restrain the Wang family members. Fortunately no major mistake was made, otherwise I couldn't have eaten or slept well."

He bowed in shame.

Xu Mo went up to support him and said sincerely, "With the Fang family backing the eldest branch, you can't be blamed for these things."

The head of the household was not the only voice, and why should Wang Fufeng as a junior work so hard to support the Wang family? It was unrealistic to expect all the Wang family members to listen to him.

"That's right, brother Fufeng," Chang Yan also said. "We know how hard it is for you. This time we came to discuss countermeasures with you."

Only then did Wang Fufeng's heart fall back into his stomach.

He slowly sat back on the couch, eyebrows slightly furrowed. "The Fang family was already powerful, and was determined to support Wang Yuyao. With no one to restrain her, she could probably turn Anshui Prefecture upside down."

Criticizing Doctor Wen's medical qualifications was just one thing. Who knows what else she might do to the patients in the future.

In April, Xumu would be taking the imperial examination. If he was disrupted, it would affect...

Wang Fufeng's expression immediately became solemn. He clenched his fists tightly and pondered. Then he spoke in a deep voice, "My grandparents' memorial day is coming up. I was going to go to Mount Tai alone to pray for my grandfather, but now I'm afraid I'll have to bring all the young members of the Wang family."

Filial piety was a powerful weapon.

Forcibly pulling it out, no one could withstand it. But it was not safe enough for Wang Fufeng to do this alone. At least there had to be someone to propose it, so that Wang Fufeng as the head of the household could agree.

It was known that the eldest branch of the Wang family had one daughter, the second branch had one son, the third branch had two sons, and the fourth branch had two daughters, totaling six grandchildren.

Excluding those with bad relations and unfamiliar ones, there was only one left.

After discussing with Xu Mo and Chang Yan, Wang Fufeng knitted his brows and called a servant, whispering to him before the servant hurried away.

After about a cup of tea time.

A fourteen or fifteen-year-old young man stood outside the master's door, wearing clean fine cloth robes, his hands and feet still cracked, as if he had just finished physical labor and hadn't caught his breath yet, he carefully opened his mouth, "Master, Mingyu is willing to accompany you to Mount Tai to pray for grandfather."

It turned out to be Wang Mingyu, the former prodigal young master.

After half a year of decadence, he gradually settled down, taking over the business and shopfront of the second branch, and even personally managing the manor of the second branch.

Although he no longer had the unrestrained demeanor of a wealthy young master, there was a kind of solidness.

Wang Ye the second was moved in his heart. He didn't force his only son anymore. The two of them joined forces to run the business of the second branch. They couldn't be called very rich, but they were self-sufficient without relying on the public funds.

Seeing him step forward now, Wang Fufeng was very gratified in his heart.

"Order all the legitimate grandchildren of the Wang family to go to Mount Tai in March to pray for their grandparents," he commanded.

The emphasis on "legitimate" was because there was only one illegitimate son in the entire Wang family, and this son was also taking the imperial examination in April.

Although Wang Fufeng disliked his half-brother Wang Haoran, he had no intention of cutting off his career path.

However, when this news reached the third branch, Wang San Ye was the first to make a fuss, "Wang Fufeng looks down on people. All the Wang family grandchildren are going except Haoran. He just doesn't want to acknowledge Haoran's status."

Finally it was the concubine who reminded him, "Master, if Haoran goes to pray, how can he take the exam?"

Only then did Wang San Ye shut up awkwardly.

As for Wang Yuyao's dissatisfaction, it was completely suppressed by the word "filial piety". No matter how hysterical her dissatisfaction and curses were, she was still a Wang family lady. As long as she wanted to marry safely into the Fang family, she could only admit defeat and drag her broken leg to follow Wang Fufeng, reluctantly setting off to Mount Tai.

This was an undercutting tactic, nothing more.

In March, all the Wang family grandchildren left Anshui Prefecture.

Wang Fufeng, Wang Yuyao, Wang Mingyu, these young men and women who had brought protection or storm, disappeared together for the first time.

Most of the men brought by Fang steward followed Wang Yuyao to Mount Tai, leaving only himself stealthily staying behind, as if observing something. The entire Anshui Prefecture fell into an eerie calm.

Except that the prefect would come to Hairpin Courtyard from time to time, kick another table, sometimes even take away two table legs and throw them in front of Fang steward, "I'm still doing what I promised the Fang family, sir."

As for whether it was done well or how it was done, others couldn't interfere.

Fang steward's face was ashen, but he was helpless.

At the same time, as March gradually approached April, scholars from all directions surged in, some booked rooms in advance, some adapted to the diet and climate in advance, and some came to find out the preferences of the examiners.

This imperial examination was different from any other exam. It was the last hurdle at the local level.

After passing the imperial exam, one would be a certified candidate, having to go to the capital for the final exam. Those selected would sail smoothly to the top, like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, and could face the emperor directly in front of the palace.

After passing the final exam, all the benefits of the imperial examination system would emerge.

The rest depended on ability, family, connections to either crawl or gallop in the officialdom.

Thus the importance of the imperial examination was evident.

The county exam filtered 10,000 down to 1,000, the prefectural exam filtered 1,000 down to 100, and the provincial exam filtered 100 candidates from 1,000.

Every student who got to this point was well-read and seasoned from competition.

Jiang Sheng's heart was split into three parts these days.

One part hurt for the shattered wooden tables. Although she had listened to her fifth brother and didn't buy new solid wood tables, broken tables still cost money, and broken ones still had to be replaced!

One part worried about her eldest brother Xu Mo. She had secretly inquired around and found out that many talented scholars had come to Anshui this time. Some were over thirty, some had white hair already. Compared to them, her fourteen-year-old brother seemed too young and tender.

Another part was concerned about her second brother Zheng Ruqian. Since he left in February, now mid March, it had been a full month and a half, and second brother had not come back, making her worry.

Aunt Zhang, fearing that the ten-year-old girl would get premature wrinkles, found some things for her to do.

"300 catties of dried fish, dried meat and sausages." Zhang Xianglian weighed them and loaded them onto the carriage. "Send them to You Ran House."

Jiang Sheng grabbed the whip and slowly climbed onto the shaft, pulling the reins.

It wasn't far from Hairpin Courtyard to You Ran House. This was why Aunt Zhang and the brothers felt assured letting her deliver goods alone.

In just a teacup's time, the horse arrived at the restaurant.

Perhaps because of the increased number of students, the flow of customers at You Ran House was obviously much larger. Jiang Sheng struggled to find a post to tie the horse, and just as she was about to go into the restaurant to ask people to move the goods, she fell into an embrace.