boyutpedia Chapter 76 Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate, Martial Arts Examination No. 1
Chapter 76 Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate, Martial Arts Examination No. 1
Two days later.
Zuo Dongxi finally got some clues about Du Wang and the Feng family.
Upon receiving the news, Chen Ye went straight to the restaurant without delay.
When he arrived, Su Guang and the other two had already arrived before him.
Chen Ye didn't stand on ceremony. He closed the door to the private room and chose a seat by the window.
He poured himself a cup of tea, looked up at Zuo Dongxi, and asked, "So, what did you find out?"
Zuo Dongxi straightened his expression and said, "You know what, we actually found out some things. Du Wang was able to become a martial arts examiner this time because the Feng family approached Qin Shaoheng of the Qin family."
"Qin Shaoheng?"
Zuo Dongxi explained, "Qin Shaoheng's father and Feng Bainian used to work together in the Fufeng King's government and served as ministers of the kingdom. They had some relationship."
Now Qin Shaoheng has become the Examiner of Merit in the Ministry of Personnel. He specially pulled Du Wang out of the Military Supervisor's camp and sent him to be an examiner for the military examination.
I also found out that before Du Wang accepted this temporary appointment, Xu Rong, the steward of the Feng family, had privately approached him.
Upon hearing the name "Xu Rong," Su Guang couldn't help but add, "Xu Rong is someone from the First Madam's household."
At this point, the three of them had a basic understanding of the situation.
As expected, it was the eldest branch of the Feng family who made the move in secret.
Zuo Dongxi glanced at Chen Ye and continued, "I also heard that Qin Shaoheng originally planned to use this as an excuse to punish you, but he was suppressed by his connections with the Cui family."
After listening, Chen Ye nodded slightly as if he had expected it, and didn't say anything more.
"What about the Feng family?"
Mentioning the Feng family, Zuo Dongxi's expression turned somewhat strange. He said, "I heard that yesterday, the eldest young mistress, Guo, withheld half of Zhou's allowance, and the two had a bit of a disagreement. At the same time, it seems that Guo is encouraging Xing'er to whisper in Feng Bainian's ear, hoping to get Feng Bainian to reduce Feng Rong's punishment and lift his house arrest."
Chen Ye didn't care about Zuo Dongxi's thoughts: "It seems that Madam Feng already knows about us and plans to deal with us together with Zhou Shi."
From now on, you should all try to be careful and avoid causing trouble outside.
After the school yamen posts the notices in three days, I will handle this matter. You can then follow my instructions.
"Keep a close eye on the Feng family. Report any unusual activity to me immediately."
Su Guang and Zuo Dongxi were already used to Chen Ye's way of doing things and always followed his lead, so they immediately agreed.
Seeing that it was still early and there was nothing urgent to do these two days, Chen Ye and the two ordered a table of food at a restaurant.
After finishing their business, the three began chatting about some changes in the capital.
The most discussed topic was the situation in Danfeng County.
I've heard that Chongwu Tower is growing bigger and bigger, and His Majesty intends to transfer more people to it, but the final choice is still uncertain.
But people in the capital speculate that His Majesty will most likely still choose from the thirteen prefectures of the capital.
It has little to do with them, the ordinary people of the city.
The speaker has no intention, the listener has the heart.
Chen Ye silently made a note of it, intending to keep an eye on it secretly.
……
Time flies like water.
The six-day martial arts examination in the capital city concluded on schedule.
Before they knew it, it was the seventh day, the day the results were posted.
Just after dawn that day, before the sky was fully bright, Chen Ye woke up precisely on time according to his biological clock and left the Cui residence.
Having already received the news, Su Guang and Zuo Dongxi arrived at the door, each leading their horses and waiting for him.
Without any hesitation, Chen Ye took the reins, mounted his horse, and rode with the two men through the still quiet streets and alleys, heading towards the academy outside the city.
When the three arrived at the school gate, the square was already packed with people.
A vast, bustling crowd of people.
Looking around, there were poor young men wearing old, faded robes, martial arts masters with weapons at their waists, and groups of family followers gathered together.
Everyone was waiting for the red list that the school would post today.
With more people, there are also more horses.
The air was filled with the stench of horse urine and the musty smell of human sweat.
Some people even sneakily urinate in the crowd, splashing others with urine.
Chen Ye remained silent.
He stood outside the crowd, deciding not to rush in, and instead found a slightly open space on the periphery to wait patiently.
Zuo Dongxi, however, couldn't contain himself and plunged into the crowd, squeezing his way in.
As the sun slowly rose into the sky from the east, more and more people gathered.
Those who arrived later couldn't squeeze in and could only stand on tiptoe, desperately peering ahead.
Someone couldn't help but shout, "What time is it? Why isn't the door open yet?"
"What's the rush? You know the rules of the academy: the results are released at exactly 7:00 AM, not even a minute earlier."
"I think you're just being sour grapes, afraid of not making the list yourself, aren't you?"
"What did you say? Say it again!"
Just as a dispute was about to break out among the crowd, a commotion gradually came from behind the tightly closed vermilion gates of the school.
"It's open! The school gates are open!"
A shout erupted from the crowd, and the square immediately became abuzz.
Everyone rushed in the same direction.
Those who had been leaning against the wall and talking in hushed tones all raised their heads at once and squeezed towards the open space in front of the school gate.
Two yamen runners carried a wooden plaque painted red and slowly walked out of the gate.
The ink on the list was still wet, shimmering like scattered gold in the morning light.
Some people in the crowd craned their necks and stood on tiptoe to push forward.
"Don't push! Don't push!"
"See that? Is my name on it?"
"It's not even properly attached yet, what are you panicking about!"
Who came in first place?
Amid the noise, the red notice was posted high on the wall.
All eyes were simultaneously drawn to the two words at the top of the list.
"Chen Ye?!"
"Who is this?"
"How come I've never heard of this before?"
"I vaguely remember this person. Isn't he the amazing guy who lifted a 700-pound stone weight with one hand during the skills and courage assessment?"
"It was him? The one who killed the Xuan-level examiner?"
"Yes! That's him!"
A murmur arose as countless eyes searched the crowd, trying to spot Chen Ye.
Chen Ye stood on the periphery of the crowd, listening to the surrounding noise, his expression unchanged.
Zuo Dongxi, her face flushed, ran towards him, so excited she was almost incoherent, saying, "You passed! You passed! You're number one! First in the martial arts exam! Brother Chen, you... you're going to be rich! First place in the martial arts exam means you're a scholar! If you have a suitable opportunity and someone recommends you, you might even become an official. Even a lowly one, for people like us, it's like a carp leaping over the dragon gate!"
Hearing this, Su Guang was genuinely happy for Chen Ye and said, "Brother Chen, it seems I really will have to lead your horse from now on, hahaha..."
Chen Ye smiled slightly and said modestly, "It was just luck."
Zuo Dongxi looked at Chen Ye again, and suddenly felt a mix of emotions.
He was happy, but for some reason, he felt like he had a knot in his stomach, and he was somewhat uncomfortable.
The area in front of the school was as noisy as a vegetable market.
Some people burst into laughter when they saw their names on the honor roll, while others left silently.
Many more people looked dejected and remained silent for a long time.
When Chen Ye saw that people were starting to recognize him, he looked away, stopped lingering, and turned to walk back the way he came.
After obtaining the status of a scholar, he could participate in many things.
This marked a significant step forward for him towards his goal of eliminating the Gao and Xie families.
Upon receiving confirmation, Chen Ye temporarily declined Su Guang and the other's invitation to celebrate at Hongxiuzhao and returned directly to the Cui residence, where he found Cui Xijun.
He cut to the chase, saying, "Third Miss, I have fortunately passed the martial arts examination. I wonder if I could become a guest of the Cui family and have the opportunity to visit your esteemed library?"