Top Scholar

Chapter 494 The Scholar's Wine

[Sorry, Luzhou actually had seven successful candidates in the imperial examinations, including Xiao Tingjie and Bai Yunshan. This has been corrected.]

Fortunately, the old man had been to the battlefield and his nerves were much thicker than the average person's, which prevented him from falling into a vicious cycle...

"Please take good care of yourself, sir! You scared us to death!" Governor Liu breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "But we were just worrying for nothing. Your grandfather, who was the top scholar and third-ranked scholar, is a star in the heavens!"

"Yes, yes!" Everyone nodded in agreement, saying, "May you live to be a hundred years old and witness these two top scholars rise to high positions! You too should become a first-rank noble!"

“Oh dear,” the old man waved his hand and sighed, “I don’t ask for any wealth or status, I just hope that the two brothers are safe and sound, that’s better than anything else.”

He spoke from the heart; before, he always thought that his grandson passing the imperial examinations with top honors made him incredibly successful. Little did he know that the past six months had been filled with constant anxiety and fear. The old man had only just realized that being a civil official was far more dangerous than being a military officer…

The officials and gentry quickly reassured him: "Don't worry, Lord Ling! A six-time champion is a rare talent, and no one in the entire Ming Dynasty dares to lay a finger on him!"

“That’s right, your grandson is now the safest official in the Ming Dynasty,” Governor Du said with certainty.

"Yes, yes!" Liu Fantai hurriedly followed up, "Scholar Su is the pride of our Sichuan. If anyone dares to make things difficult for him, the people of Sichuan will be the first to object!"

Hearing the two provincial governors speak so confidently, the old man finally felt relieved.

The crowd gathered around the old man and offered their congratulations before leaving to let him rest well and come back for the feast.

As for the "victorious settlement scene" of presenting plaques and erecting memorial arches, it had already been agreed upon... Luzhou Prefecture and Hejiang County would each erect four memorial arches for the Su brothers—"Top Scholar," "Third Scholar," and "Sixth Scholar" to highlight their personal achievements, plus one "Brothers in the Top Rank" to praise the story of their brilliance together.

The province also wants to break with convention and erect a huge archway in Chengdu in honor of Su Lu, commemorating his unparalleled achievements. As for the desire of the prefecture and county levels to add additional archways, the province will not interfere, leaving it entirely to the wishes of the local people.

There's no need to explain these things to the old man in detail; he'll be able to see them eventually anyway.

~~
At the celebratory banquet, the two provincial governors paid special attention to the old Hanlin scholar.

"Your Excellency has truly done a great service! Before you took charge of Heshan Academy, Luzhou had not produced any Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) for more than ten years. After your careful teaching, we have achieved excellent results in two consecutive examinations. This year, we have produced seven Jinshi, as well as the Tan Hua (third-ranked scholar) and the Zhuang Yuan (six top scholars). The literary atmosphere is truly flourishing, bringing glory to the land!"

The old scholar, however, did not take credit, saying calmly, "This is hardly my achievement. It's just that we were lucky enough to have a group of good kids. It has little to do with me."

"Oh, sir, you are too modest. Talented horses are common, but discerning judges are rare," the two provincial governors said, praising him incessantly.

The old scholar was annoyed by the praise and said in a low voice, "Gentlemen, please speak your minds directly. There's no need to beat around the bush with an old man like me."

"Hehe..." The two laughed awkwardly, and Governor Du asked softly, "My lord, I've heard that the court intends to reinstate the position of Governor of Sichuan. Is this true or not?"

The old scholar chuckled and said, "I've been retired for over ten years, how would I know about these things?"

Then, he smiled sarcastically at Governor Du and said, "You are the Grand Secretary's prized student. Why don't you just ask him directly if you have any questions?"

Du Fantai chuckled awkwardly and said, "Our teacher is very strict with us disciples and never reveals any secrets of the court."

Actually, he was embarrassed to say that the teacher was being squeezed out by Jiao Fang and couldn't get involved in these personnel appointments at all.

Liu Fantai was in an even worse situation; his teacher was Xie Qian… He was completely clueless.

They were now eager to know whether the imperial court would send a governor down or promote someone to a position in the same place.

If it's the former, they'll have to stick together. If it's the latter, they'll have to compete—this outstanding performance in the Sichuan provincial examinations presents a perfect opportunity to seize the moment!

The old scholar saw through their thoughts at a glance and said calmly, "Instead of asking me, you should ask Scholar Su. He has achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination and is deeply favored by the emperor. His information network is much better than that of this old man."

The two provincial governors were overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly bowed to express their gratitude: "Thank you for your guidance, sir. We have learned a great deal!" In fact, they had the same idea, but they needed to greet the old scholar first to avoid being impolite.

Since they were going to seek help from Scholar Su, they naturally had to take good care of his family first. The two decided to make another special trip to Hejiang, firstly to escort the old man back home safely, and secondly to visit the Su family in person, to see if the scholar's family had any difficulties, so they could offer their assistance in time.

~~
On the official boat bound for Hejiang, the two provincial governors finally had a chance to properly praise Lu Zhaoye.

"Lu Xianqi is truly remarkable!" Governor Du exclaimed sincerely. "This time, Luzhou has produced seven Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), surpassing all others in Sichuan. It is truly an extraordinary achievement."

"What's even more remarkable is that you were the one who discovered Su Zhuangyuan. Your discerning eye and skill in nurturing talent are truly admirable!" Governor Liu praised. "Actually, it's just that I'm lucky." Especially at times like this, Lu Zhaoye dared not take credit and quickly said modestly, "Who would have thought that a single inspection would lead to meeting a Zhuangyuan and two Chuanlu?"

"Ah, everyone has luck; it's your skill to seize it," Du Fantai said with a smile.

Liu Fantai continued, "Prefect Lu was recognized as an outstanding official last year, and with such achievements this year, he is almost certain to be recognized as an outstanding official again. The court needs capable officials like you. Would you be interested in going to the capital or to a higher position to benefit the people?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoye couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Back then, he had begged and pleaded for over ten years without getting a promotion. Now, he's getting promoted before he's even settled in.

All I can say is that my investment in Xiao Su back then was incredibly profitable!

But he is not the same as before. His obsession with promotion has been satisfied. Now, as an official, he only wants two things: comfort and practical benefits.

He rose, cupped his hands, and said earnestly, “I am deeply grateful for the kindness shown to me by the two provincial governors. However, Luzhou is both a blessed land and my homeland, and I am already deeply attached to it. The salt and copper trade has just begun, and various new policies are being implemented in an orderly manner. I only wish to work diligently for a few more years and take good care of the home for Scholar Su and the others. I humbly request that the two provincial governors grant my request.”

He wasn't making excuses, but he didn't tell the whole truth... The salt and copper trade he and Eunuch Wei spearheaded had already netted 20,000 taels of silver in the first quarter of this year!
With such a substantial income that wouldn't provoke public resentment, he couldn't bear to leave... He had to make a fortune before he left.

Both provincial governors were worldly-wise men, and upon seeing this, they knew he had great benefits to gain in Luzhou. Considering that he was only a tribute official, making money was more practical for him, they did not press the matter further and instead discussed the celebrations in Hejiang.

~~
At dusk, the official boat arrived at Hejiang Wharf.

The dock was already packed with people, filled with the sounds of gongs, drums, and firecrackers. The entire population of Hejiang had turned out to welcome the official boat carrying good news, following Magistrate Hou.

The villagers will never forget the reluctance and concern they felt when they saw off the top scholar last year. For the past six months, they have been worried about his safety until they heard that he had passed the imperial examination with top honors. Only then did they finally feel relieved.

Today was pure joy for them. Everyone was beaming with happiness, as if it were New Year's Day, and they rushed to the dock to welcome the team bringing good news.

When news broke that Su Huiyuan had once again achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations, accomplishing an unprecedented feat of six top honors! Moreover, his elder brother had even achieved the third-highest rank, the entire county erupted in cheers no less deafening than those in Luzhou…

It's important to know that the population of Hejiang County is only one-tenth that of Luzhou City!

Magistrate Hou stood at the front of the crowd, disregarding any semblance of authority as a local official, and grinned from ear to ear.

He secretly rejoiced that he had been able to support Su Jieyuan during his lowest point; this move was truly the right gamble!
While everyone else is busy currying favor with the Su family, he's in no hurry at all. As the local official in charge of the top scholar's family, he'll have plenty of opportunities to gain recognition and curry favor in the future…

That evening, Hejiang County once again held a banquet to celebrate becoming the biggest winner in the imperial examination of the third year of Zhengde!
This is no exaggeration; the people of the entire county not only share in this honor, but will also benefit greatly in the future…

At the scholar's residence, the distinguished guests toasted each other, and the atmosphere was even more lively than when the Su brothers got married last year.

After all, this time, there certainly won't be any more Imperial Guards causing trouble.

After several rounds of drinks, Governor Du suddenly noticed the unusual name of the wine and pointed to the embossed characters on the wine jar, laughing as he said:

"This wine's name is so fitting, it's actually called 'Top Scholar'!"

"Isn't this a coincidence?" Liu Fantai said with a smile.

Su Youma then explained with a smile, "Your Excellencies, this is a commemorative wine that our Erlang Winery has bottled with the finest aged wine to celebrate Hongzhong's achievement as the top scholar in the imperial examination!"

"Really? This is the property of the top scholar's family. We must support it!" Upon hearing this, the two provincial governors each poured themselves another glass and took a sip. They immediately praised it highly, saying that they had never tasted such delicious wine in their lives.

Therefore, Governor Du immediately approved the decision: "Good wine is for celebration! All government offices in the province should purchase this 'Top Scholar' wine as the celebratory wine for all levels of government in the future!"

Not to be outdone, Liu Fantai retorted, "The Provincial Administration Commission will also recommend it and include it in the list of candidates for tribute wine!"

Su Youma was overjoyed upon hearing this and thanked them profusely. These two generous gifts from the two provincial governors were truly too much to ask!
The former can ensure that Erlangjiu remains invincible in the province, while the latter can make "Zhuangyuan Langjiu" famous throughout the country!
~~
Currently, Taiping Town and the county have very close ties.

That very evening, someone rushed back with the good news. The next day, the town was filled with joy!
The sound of firecrackers was even louder and more frequent than when Su Lu passed the imperial examination last year, continuing for several days like a boiling pot. Red paper scraps piled up three inches thick on the bluestone streets, reaching above the ankles when stepped on, and even the Chishui River was prematurely stained red by the firecracker debris.

Commander Ma rode a tall horse, leading his men through the streets, beating drums and gongs, his voice hoarse from shouting, yet he still wouldn't stop.
"Effective today, Taiping Town is officially renamed 'Zhuangyuan Town'!"

This announcement caused a complete uproar in the town. Last year, everyone had been hoping to change the name to "Jieyuan Town," but Commander Ma had the foresight to wait for an even bigger name!

To my surprise, he actually kept waiting!
(End of this chapter)