Chapter 44: The Cheng Family is About to Soar

Instantly.
Applause thundered like rolling thunder!
Wang Shan’s mouth split wide open in a grin that resembled a blooming lotus.
He was well aware of Cheng An’s prowess.
Yet he had no idea...
that this young lad had actually written him into the poem?
What a promising future!
It was entirely foreseeable.
Once this poem spread across the entire realm...
his own name, Wang Shan, would likewise resonate far and wide throughout the Great Zhou!
By then.
Would fame, fortune, and high office remain far out of reach?
"Zhou Heng!"
Overwhelmed with excitement.
Wang Shan blurted out right in front of the assembled crowd: "You actually sought to suppress such a gifted scholar? If I do not impeach you, I would gladly toss away this official robe!"
"Well said!"
"Lord Wang is a fine man!"
For a moment.
The surroundings were filled entirely with voices of praise.
Those common folk perhaps understood little of politics.
Yet like Cheng An, they belonged to the very lowest stratum of this nation—they yearned for success, only to be repeatedly battered and crushed by harsh reality.
Therefore.
The moment Cheng An "stood" tall.
They instinctively felt a deep resonance of shared emotion, even projecting themselves into the verse.
Next.
The names were copied down and entered into the official registry!
Amidst the gazes of the entire county's populace.
Wang Shan personally inscribed Cheng An's name onto this year's newly compiled list of imperial scholars-in-training!
"Congratulations, Scholar Cheng!"
"Heartiest congratulations!"
Acclamations resounded through the county academy.
...
Meanwhile.
In the inner hall of the county yamen.
"Reporting to your lordship!"
A yamen runner hurried inside and announced, "Cheng An has passed the examination!"
"He actually passed?"
Clack!
The folding fan slipped from Zhou Heng's hand, clattering onto the floor.
His expression darkening gloomily, he demanded, "Who was the chief examiner? What was the topic? Were there any irregularities?"
Three questions in rapid succession.
His usual refined and scholarly demeanor vanished utterly.
Daring not to utter another word of nonsense, the runner hurriedly replied, "Qi Benshan and several other learned scholars jointly supervised the exams, with the topic of 'Youth'! Cheng An composed his answer on the spot..."
At this point.
He paused slightly, stealing a cautious glance at Zhou Heng.
"Why are you hesitating?"
"Speak!"
"Cheng An composed a poem..."
Stammering and stuttering, the runner recited the verse.
By the time he reached the second line.
Zhou Heng's mouth twitched noticeably.
Until the recitation concluded.
The room fell as silent as a tomb.
Nothing remained save for the sound of hurried, ragged breathing!
"How dare he?"
"How on earth does he dare!"
Snap.
The bamboo-ribbed folding fan shattered cleanly in half.
With eyes spitting fire, Zhou Heng roared, "Fine, Wang Shan! How dare you humiliate this official right in front of the common folk of the entire county! If I do not avenge this, I swear I am no longer a man!"
"Come here!"
"Present."
Two squads of yamen runners bowed and awaited orders.
"Transmit my command!"
Zhou Heng raised his hand abruptly.
Then paused just as suddenly...
He desperately wanted to seize Du Xiu and that arrogant little pup who fancied himself 'first-class' right this instant, toss them into the deepest dungeons, and let them spend the rest of their lives keeping company with rats.
Yet after calming down.
He was well aware of the consequences of such an action.
He had already lost the upper hand...
To act on impulse now would only plunge him into an even more passive position.
After much deliberation.
Zhou Heng's tense posture suddenly relaxed, and he said indifferently, "Send someone to invite Du Xiu and that little pup—that little prodigy—to the yamen! Remember, be polite!"
"Understood."
The runner's expression was respectful.
Yet deep in his heart, he felt nothing but scorn!
They always say 'a powerful dragon cannot crush a local serpent'...
It seemed this transferred magistrate was ultimately no match for the local assistant prefect.
Just look at Wang Shan's maneuver this time.
Swift and ruthless to the extreme!
Without even giving Zhou Heng a chance to react, he had delivered a fatal blow!
Yamen runners were human, after all.
And humans naturally tended to fawn upon the powerful.
Especially in a place like the county yamen, where the slightest rustle of the wind could determine everyone's allegiance.
Consequently...
When Cheng An arrived at the yamen.
He was accompanied not only by Du Xiu, but also by Wang Shan!
This signified that.
Any possibility of reconciliation between the two sides was now entirely dead.
Zhou Heng gritted his teeth.
He shot a cold, mocking smile at Du Xiu nearby: "An eight-year-old scholar! Is Brother Du feeling quite proud of himself? I advise you not to forget the affair of years past..."
"Lord Zhou!"
Wang Shan interrupted unceremoniously.
With a smile, he added, "This subordinate advises you not to forget that Yaozhou Prefecture is not a place where any single person has the final say! Yesterday, this subordinate just received a reply from Han Ang, Prefectural Judge Han..."
The prefectural judge was the second-in-command of the prefecture.
Ranking equal to the prefect himself!
In this day and age.
Which official didn't have a few backers of their own?
It was precisely because he had foreseen this very point.
that Cheng An had decisively chosen to side with Wang Shan.
And Wang Shan had indeed not disappointed him...
Compared to Zhou Heng's petty bitterness.
Though Wang Shan possessed the political maneuvering typical of officialdom, he was nonetheless forthright and decisive, otherwise, he would have had no reason to publicly go to war with Zhou Heng over Cheng An.
This was the way of human favors.
You help me, and henceforth we are friends!
As for what the future held.
Well, they would simply have to cross that bridge when they came to it.
...
Hexi Village.
It was currently midday.
The women sat chatting idly beneath the large pagoda tree at the village entrance.
"Oh!"
"Little Six is back?"
Niu's wife caught sight of the donkey cart and waved with a smile.
Cheng An jumped down from the donkey cart.
And greeted everyone with a smile: "Yes, I'm back, Auntie Niu."
"Didn't they say you went to the county seat for a make-up examination?"
"Did you pass?"
A crowd of women gathered around.
Their eyes brimming with an intense appetite for gossip.
Deeply understanding human nature.
Cheng An simply smiled shyly: "Yes, by sheer luck..."
"You actually passed?"
"Good heavens!"
"Does that mean he's an imperial scholar now?"
"An eight-year-old little master?"
"The feng shui of the Cheng family's ancestral graves must be truly exceptional!"
A chorus of gasps erupted all around!
Those pairs of eyes seemed as though they wanted to strip him bare and peer into his very soul.
Envy, jealousy, joy...
All mixed together!
In an instant.
Hexi Village became a bustling hubbub of noise and excitement.
Families from all over rushed over to the Cheng household to join in the commotion.
Even more eager to see how an eight-year-old scholar was actually raised!
"Splendid!"
Village Chief Wang Defu sat in the seat of honor, offering unsparing praise: "Who would have thought that out of the barren gullies of Hexi Village, a golden phoenix could actually fly!"
His parents sat flanking him on either side.
Their faces carrying a restrained, triumphant pride.
Meanwhile, Cheng An stood humbly beside the village chief, patiently enduring his endless teachings.
"You must study diligently!"
"Bring honor to your parents! And even greater glory to our Hexi Village!"
"Do not worry about a lack of money..."
The old village chief spoke with grand magnanimity.
"There is money."
Cheng An interrupted with a smile: "Lord Prefectural Judge said that I am the youngest scholar in Yaozhou Prefecture, so he reported it to the provincial authorities and awarded a bounty of twenty strings of cash!"
Hah!
A gasp of astonishment swept through the crowd.
In an instant, everyone's gaze changed completely.
It wasn't merely because the Cheng family had come into money...
More importantly.
From Cheng An's tone, they could sense just how much importance the Prefectural Judge attached to him!
Such a great opportunity could never be bought with any amount of wealth!
At that moment, everyone shared a single thought—
The Cheng family was about to soar!
Consequently, all the jealousy and envy instantly transformed into sycophantic flattery. The villagers crowded around Cheng Dashan and his wife, heaping praise upon them endlessly.
To be human is to be vain.
Even someone as down-to-earth as Liu Cuiyun felt herself floating a little at this moment.
Cheng Dashan's smile was so wide he could hardly close his mouth.
He waved his hands dismissively, repeatedly saying: 'Psh, what's all this! Just a scholar, we're still a long way off from becoming a true official! We can celebrate properly when he passes the provincial examinations later!'
Cheng An merely smiled.
Generously yielding this moment of glory to his parents.
To live a lifetime in this world.
Isn't it all for the sake of face and respect?
Although Cheng Dashan and his wife enjoyed a decent reputation in the village, when you are obscure and insignificant, even the most enthusiastic praise inevitably carries a hint of underlying mockery.
In the past, people always called Liu Cuiyun warm-hearted.
Yet how much of that was genuine sincerity?
And how much was just lighthearted teasing?
When you help others for free, naturally they won't stint on a few pleasant words.
But right now.
Even if Liu Cuiyun were to transform overnight into a haughty aristocrat.
Everyone would still lavish her with the utmost flattery!
Such is human nature.
If Cheng An's earlier modesty was meant to avoid arousing jealousy.
Then his open triumph just now was meant to warn anyone harboring crooked intentions that he had the Prefectural Judge backing him up, and the Cheng family was not a clan to be trifled with!