Too high to reach

Chapter 384 Recognizing the Ancestor and Returning to the Clan
Moda's self-awareness is correct.

In the palace examination, he ranked a few places ahead of Sun Shan and stumbled his way into the ranks of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

But no matter what, he was still a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), and there were only so many of them in the whole world!

Especially for someone his age, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a prodigy.

Leaving aside how delighted the Mo family was, Wang Shi, overjoyed, became bewildered, constantly saying things like, "If you did this or that again, you would do even better on the exam..."

In short, it was incredibly disappointing.

Let's just talk about the third-place winner this time: Qian Nianzu.

He was a young man in his early twenties, quite handsome, and his bizarre experiences made him incredibly popular, overshadowing even the top two scholars. Even storytellers were writing tales about him overnight.

It turned out that after Qian Nianzu passed the imperial examination, his residence caught fire the night before the palace examination, and he narrowly escaped death in the fire.

Fortunately, a kind person came to the rescue, and neighbors also came up with buckets of water and put out the fire in time.

He, his brother-in-law, and two servants were rescued. The four of them were only wearing nightgowns and were barefoot.

The only fortunate thing was that all the identity documents needed for the palace examination the next day had already been prepared and placed by his pillow. He didn't forget to grab them when he ran out.

The fire was extinguished, and no one was injured. However, their clothes, luggage, and banknotes were all burned.

Some of the silver was buried in the collapsed debris, and it couldn't be found even after dark.

Of the four people, only he had some loose change in his bag, which he had prepared for his meals the next day.

The kind neighbors lent them a room. The next day, at the crack of dawn, government officials arrived and, surprisingly, wanted to take them in for investigation on charges of arson.

The four men, dressed in borrowed quilts and old clothes from their neighbors, were in a sorry state. They negotiated with the government officials, explaining that it was not arson and mentioning Qian Nianzu's imperial examination that day.

But the government officials wouldn't listen and insisted on taking all four of them away.

Now, Qian Nianzu was truly anxious, tears streaming down his face. The words he was holding back were about to be uttered…

A jingling sound rang out, and a luxurious carriage passed by. Seeing the mess left by the fire, it stopped and inquired.

Qian Nianzu, being so young, was going to the capital to take the imperial examination; he was certainly no mediocre scholar. He quickly stepped forward to pay his respects and explained his situation to the distinguished person in the carriage.

Inside the carriage... was Prince Yong'an, of course. Upon hearing this, he immediately had the carriage window rolled down, saying that he was now entering the palace to accompany the emperor in presiding over the imperial examination.

Qian Nianzu was overjoyed and knelt down, begging the Prince of Yong'an for help.

Prince Yong'an observed Qian Nianzu, who appeared to be in his early twenties with a handsome face. Although dressed in disheveled clothes, he possessed an air of refinement. He spoke amiably to the officials, saying: "His journey of a thousand miles to take the imperial examination was truly arduous. Having passed and become a tribute student, he is now required to participate in the palace examination. He has no reason to commit arson; it was most likely an accident."

Moreover, the house was rented by his brother-in-law, so his brother-in-law should also be responsible for the consequences.

Qian Nianzu was to participate in the palace examination. If he missed the examination because of this misunderstanding, no one could bear the blame from the emperor.

Even if the officials were unwilling, they had to put on a smile, nod and bow, and leave.

Prince Yong'an immediately sent guards to his home to fetch his clothes and shoes, and changed him at the palace gate, allowing him to enter the palace smoothly for the examination.

What could be wrong with the clothes and shoes of the Prince of Yong'an?

Qian Nianzu, dressed in such fine clothes, looked even more like a noble young master than an already handsome young man. It's worth noting that those who come here are rarely young; most are around thirty, all with short beards and dressed in scholarly attire.

This made him stand out like a crane among chickens, extremely conspicuous. Even someone like Moda didn't stand out.

Even the Emperor kept glancing at him.

After the exams were over, Prince Yong'an, ever the good Samaritan, rented a house for Qian Nianzu and his party in an elegant inn.

A few days later, the results were released, and Qian Nianzu unsurprisingly came in third place.

She must be talented, but her appearance is even better...

The twenty-three-year-old third-place scholar was the talk of the town for a time.

The Prince of Yong'an's benevolence, magnanimity, hard work in selecting outstanding talents for the emperor, and respect for scholars were widely praised in the capital.

The Emperor also praised Prince Yong'an highly.

Prince Yong'an smiled and thanked the Emperor for his praise. Then he glanced at the Crown Prince and said that the fire was still under investigation. If it was found that someone had deliberately harmed the future pillar of the nation, the Emperor should not let him off lightly!
Regardless of the Crown Prince's inner rage, his expression remained unchanged... Mo Yi had been observing the situation closely. Those who discovered the fire and attempted to extinguish it that day included agents from the Qi Prince's residence who were keeping watch. They returned and reported that the fire was arson. When they intervened, other skilled individuals were also involved in the rescue efforts, not just the neighbors...

The power struggle between the Empress Dowager and the Empress has been quite intense lately, but both sides have exercised some restraint and have no intention of driving the dog into a corner...

This matter wasn't over yet, and then something new happened.

After parading through the streets on horseback, Qian Nianzu, the third-ranked scholar, found the Prince of Yong'an, knelt before him, and said that his family had some connection with the Empress Dowager, begging him to take him to see the Empress Dowager!

Prince Yong'an actually took him there.

When the Empress Dowager saw Qian Nianzu, she was stunned for a long time before saying, "This young man looks familiar!" She then showered him with praise, saying things like how promising he was, how excellent his demeanor was, and so on.

Qian Nianzu suddenly produced something, wanting to "recognize his kinship" with the Empress Dowager.

It turns out he wasn't an outsider at all; he was the grandson of the Empress Dowager's half-brother.

This is a very cliché story: when the Empress Dowager's father was serving as an official in southern Sichuan, he saved a woman.

In an emergency, actions like pulling and hugging occurred.

The woman was motivated by two reasons: firstly, she admired her father's character and was grateful for his life-saving act; secondly, the two had indeed broken down the traditional barriers between men and women.

The woman wanted to repay him with her body.

However, the Empress Dowager's father "shared a harmonious relationship with his wife" and had promised her that he would not take any concubines.

However... he was also worried that he had indeed damaged the woman's reputation.

"Not knowing what to do," the woman finally agreed to become a mistress.

He was the grandfather of Qian Nianzu.

When the Empress Dowager's father was transferred from there, he left a letter and some silver for the mother and son.

He once said that once he had persuaded his wife, he would take them away.

After that, there was no further news.

My grandfather grew up, got married, and had his father. "My grandfather and father spent their whole lives longing to be recognized as ancestors!"

With tears streaming down his face, Qian Nianzu said with deep emotion, "I've known since I was a child that the Empress Dowager in the capital is my great-aunt. But I didn't achieve anything, so I didn't have the confidence to acknowledge my ancestry. Fortunately, this time I achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examination. I feel that I have face before my ancestors. So, I've come back to acknowledge my family."

Empress Dowager Qian's hands trembled as she opened the items and examined them one by one: "It's correct! This is my father's handwriting, and the content matches! And these... these are the Qian family heirlooms..."

The Empress Dowager looked at him with tears in her eyes: "No wonder, the moment I saw you, I felt a sense of familiarity with you; we are like blood relatives..."

Overwhelmed with emotion, the grandmother and grandson embraced Qian Nianzu and wept uncontrollably...

Everyone in the Empress Dowager's palace wept with joy. The scene of recognizing family was truly deeply moving.

"The Qian family has survived many hardships, but finally there is a successor... The Qian family has not fallen... Nianzu, you are a good man, I am proud of you!"

The decision was made immediately: the Qian family would open an ancestral hall, record Qian Nianzu in the family genealogy, and entrust him with the management of most of her dowry.

"From now on, you will be the new head of the Qian family."

Upon further inquiry, the Empress Dowager learned that Qian Nianzu had devoted himself to his studies and had not yet married...

This is great! The Empress Dowager, who is addicted to matchmaking, clapped her hands and said, "I will definitely find you a good one!"

He immediately threw himself into the fervent search for a wife for his grand-nephew...

Even the Emperor found out and made a special trip to congratulate the Empress Dowager and reward Qian Nianzu with a considerable amount of wealth. More importantly, he directly granted him an official position.

The Empress Dowager was so moved by the money that she cried tears of genuine emotion. All these years of perseverance had not been in vain...

Alas, Qian Nianzu joined the Kuomintang on September 30, 1949.

Although Empress Dowager Qian was hateful, her tireless efforts for the Qian family were also admirable...

I'm having lunch with my classmates, so I'm preparing for Chapter Two, maybe this afternoon.