CHAPTER 1754: CHAPTER 1754: BENEFACTOR

Chang Xhong drank some hot water but didn’t leave. The women in the yard had already returned to the house, and only a little girl was tidying up the dried papers in the yard.

The master of the house came back, standing outside the fence for a while before coming to his senses, "May I ask who you are?"

Chang Xhong put down the cup, "I was passing through this place on my scholarly travels and came to request some hot water. Forgive my intrusion."

The man, clearly only twenty-eight, looked older than his years, appearing to be thirty-five or thirty-six, unfulfilled for many years. Chang Xhong’s gaze fell on the man’s hands.

The man realized after a moment and became excited, "You must be the Old Graduate?"

Chang Xhong shook his head, "Just a Scholar with some family background, who enjoys traveling to study."

The man remembered he hadn’t introduced himself, "I am Lau Mingsheng. Regrettably, despite years of effort, I have not succeeded."

Chang Xhong came to this house because Lau Mingsheng had not lost his resolve. "I just read your article, and it was well-written. How old are you this year?"

The man was startled, "I am twenty-eight this year."

He glanced at the written papers in the yard, a flash of pain in his eyes. He couldn’t understand it; he felt certain he could achieve success.

Chang Xhong said to the young servant, "I see that the environment in Little Liu’s Village is nice. Go rent a house here."

The young servant glanced at the coachman and, recalling that no one here knew the master, accepted the order and left.

Lau Mingsheng asked, "How long do you plan to stay?"

Chang Xhong nodded, "I see you are also a scholar. May I ask for some guidance?"

Lau Mingsheng felt a bitter sorrow inside, "I am not even a candidate for the entrance exams."

"You are being too narrow-minded. Everyone has their own way of learning. It is essential to fill in one’s weaknesses with humility in the pursuit of knowledge."

Lau Mingsheng made a bow, "I was short-sighted."

Chang Xhong saw a woman come out, and Lau Mingsheng remembered he was holding food. He said to his wife, "Today, I earned twenty Copper Coins, and I bought all food with it."

The woman’s eyes showed joy, but her brow furrowed, "We’re out of paper at home."

Lau Mingsheng said, "We will wait until we have enough Silver to buy more. You and the child must not go hungry."

Listening to the couple’s conversation, Chang Xhong felt more goodwill towards Lau Mingsheng. After the woman and child went inside, he asked, "I noticed your handwriting is good. Why not publish it at a bookstore?"

Lau Mingsheng interrupted before he could finish speaking, "I’ve tried, but they don’t need me."

Even when he asked for the lowest pay, they didn’t want him. He could only find work through bookkeeping or letter writing.

In the capital, the highlight of the book fair arrived, and Empress Dowager Chen smiled and said, "Everyone knows I’ve prepared a special prize. You must be curious about the competition."

The ladies all waited quietly. The Empress Dowager didn’t keep them in suspense and continued, "It’s about who can tell the best short story, with the premise that it must be your own creation."

Zhulan looked at her granddaughters, wondering if their participation would be considered cheating.

When Empress Dowager Chen finished speaking, many people wanted to participate, especially those looking to stand out. Winning first place not only gained fame but also caught the Empress Dowager’s attention.

All the participants were young ladies, and no married women participated. Instead, they hoped their daughters would win the prize.

Empress Dowager Chen had someone bring out the prize, "This is jewelry from my dowry that I’ve never worn, and it has been refurbished."

The prospect of winning the prize made the atmosphere even more tense.

Yu Die didn’t want to participate. She didn’t want to stand out and preferred to quietly watch the competition.

Yu Yi wasn’t someone who liked the spotlight and even held Yu Jiao back from participating.

Yu Wen was even lazier about participating. She glanced at her grandmother, a smile playing on her lips; she always felt her grandmother’s stories were the best.

Lin Xi also refrained from participating to avoid perceptions of unfairness, given her status.

The participating young ladies stood up, and Lin Xi focused on Ms. An, who had quite the ambition, though whether she had the matching wisdom was unknown.

The stories told by the young ladies mainly were strange tales, with none involving romance. The young ladies, whether engaged or not, had to be mindful of their reputation.

There were some excellent storytellers, one being Miss Jiao, who told a detective story with added ghosts, luckily told during the day; if it had been at night, it would have caused quite a stir.

Zhulan listened with bright eyes, thinking this girl was remarkable, also adept at creating atmosphere.

Empress Dowager Chen nodded repeatedly while listening, and finally, the results came out. Miss Jiao won first place.

Lin Xi said to Yu Wen, "This girl is quite interesting."

Yu Wen replied, "Indeed."

Lin Xi glanced at Ms. An, who was swallowing her jealousy, quietly chuckling to herself.

Miss Jiao was overjoyed; her story had been acknowledged. Not only did she win the prize, but the Empress Dowager also bought her story!

Zhulan saw the young lady not becoming arrogant or impatient, smiling wryly. The young lady caught the eye of many in attendance.

In Little Liu’s Village, Chang Xhong assessed Lau Mingsheng, finding his knowledge very solid. It appeared that his lack of success was due to other issues. It was evident that his ability to earn Silver was being suppressed.

Chang Xhong asked, "With the examinations approaching, will you continue to take them this year?"

Lau Mingsheng played with his fingers, "No, my wife is due to give birth, and we need Silver at home."

Chang Xhong smiled, "Let me test you with a question."

Lau Mingsheng tensed up inexplicably, "Please ask."

"What do you think of the current examination system?"

Lau Mingsheng was bewildered. The examination system? Scholars, Farmers, Artisans, Merchants; the examination system was for the Imperial court to select talent and an opportunity for poor scholars to leap the Dragon Gate. Naturally, it’s a good system, but his lack of success left him with grievances. He was clearly knowledgeable.

Chang Xhong wasn’t in a hurry and quietly gazed at the distant mountains, thinking about the talented recruits at the Ministry of Works over the years. The Ministry had someone exceptionally skilled in arithmetic; even his mother praised this genius, though he couldn’t pass the exams because his knowledge of the Four Books and Five Classics was dismal. His mother laughed about how his specialization was excessively narrow.

Despite his father’s disdain for the Ministry of Works being a financial black hole, he never shortchanged what should be given, often reminding of the importance of talent. The Emperor, influenced by his father’s thoughts, allowed the Ministry to select talent from across the nation.

Chang Xhong smiled, realizing that much had already changed unwittingly, only awaiting slow accumulation to reach a moment of transformation.

Lau Mingsheng pursed his lips, "Do you know the County Magistrate?"

"I do not."

Lau Mingsheng took a deep breath, "The County Magistrate secured his position through connections after becoming a graduate, enduring for more than a decade. However, he isn’t attentive to county affairs and prefers inviting Scholar Candidates to compose poetry."

Chang Xhong’s gaze grew deeper, "If it were you, how would you handle county affairs?"

Lau Mingsheng was confused, "Huh?"

Chang Xhong smiled, standing up, "Let’s end here for today. You should take the exam. Meeting by chance is fate; don’t worry about the Silver."

Lau Mingsheng’s heart pounded, but he restrained himself, "No, I can’t."

"If you feel uneasy, help me transcribe a set of the Four Books, and I will supply pen, ink, paper, and inkstone tomorrow."

"Huh?"

Chang Xhong smiled, "No rush, take your time. Give it to me when I return from my travels."

Lau Mingsheng snapped back to reality as the person before him left. His intuition told him he’d met a benefactor, and if he didn’t seize this opportunity, he’d never have a chance to rise again!