At a tea stall in the city, a man dressed in a dark red short tunic kept his eyes fixed on the city gate. Whenever he saw a familiar-looking young man, he would unroll a portrait to check, and upon realizing it was not the right person, he would sit back down to continue drinking his tea. He had been waiting for days; why had they not arrived yet?
Passing through the city gate, a cacophony of bustling noise rushed forth. At a glance, the streets were packed with people, its prosperity far surpassing all the cities they had passed through along the way.
The man at the tea stall suddenly stood up, unrolling the portrait in his hands to compare carefully.
This was it. An exact match.
He rushed over to Song Qiming's horse and stopped, bowing deeply and raising his voice to greet him, "Are you Young Master Song Qiming?"
Song Qiming stopped and asked, "And you are?"
The man's eyes lit up, and he replied with a flattering smile, "I am a servant from the Ye Residence. I was ordered to wait here for Young Master Song and the Lady. I have been looking forward to your arrival for days, and finally, you are here."
Duan Yanhua, sitting in the carriage, saw the Ye Residence's servant receiving them at the city gate after waiting for days. It seemed Song Qiming was truly highly regarded by Ye Liangyu.
Under the man's guidance, Song Jinzhao and her family were led to the entrance of the Ye Residence.
The unadorned main gate exuded a sense of rustic simplicity. The plaque engraved with the words 'Ye Residence' featured simple pine needle patterns. Except for its size, it was almost identical to the Ye estate in Anyang Prefecture.
The man quickly rushed to the door and told the porter, "Hurry and tell the butler that Young Master Song and his party have arrived."
Just as Song Anhao's feet touched the ground, Yunhe ran out from the estate. His eyes practically sparkled when he saw Song Qiming.
He gestured for them to walk inside. "Lady Linghui, Young Master Song, please come in. The master has long prepared the guest rooms and has just been waiting for your arrival."
The group was welcomed into the Ye Residence. The servants responsible for moving the luggage stared at the white tiger in the cage, not knowing where to start.
With a mouthful of sharp fangs, it was truly terrifying when it opened its mouth, making them afraid to touch it.
Lanxi reached out to block them. "We will handle this ourselves. You just move the rest."
Qingshuang and Lanxi each lifted a corner and carried the tiger cage inside.
Yunhe explained as they walked, "The master is still at the Hanlin Academy and has not returned yet. I have already had the kitchens prepare lunch. The Lady and Young Master Song can take a short rest."
Ever since receiving the letter, Ye Liangyu had instructed the servants to make preparations. The guest rooms and all necessary items had been ready for half a month, with someone assigned to clean them every day.
After bringing them to their rooms, Yunhe beckoned to two older female servants. "These are servants of the estate. If the Lady needs anything, please feel free to instruct them. I will not disturb your rest any longer."
"Thank you," Song Jinzhao nodded slightly. Since entering the estate, she had not seen a single woman, let alone a young maid. These two older women must have been specially assigned to serve her.
After stepping out of the room, Yunhe immediately ordered a servant to go to the Hanlin Academy to notify Ye Liangyu. "Tell the master that Young Master Song and the Lady have arrived."
By the time they woke up from a nap after lunch, Ye Liangyu had already rushed back from the Hanlin Academy.
In the study, he pressed his hands on Song Qiming's shoulders, praising him endlessly. "I did not expect you to place first in the provincial examinations. It seems you did not slack off on your studies after I left Anyang Prefecture."
Song Qiming curled his lips into a smile and bowed with folded hands. "Teacher arranged everything for me before leaving; how could I dare to slack off?"
Ye Liangyu nodded incessantly. "I already know your sister's purpose for coming. The Emperor's birthday is in three days. When the time comes, I will definitely help you achieve your wish."
The more noble Song Jinzhao's status was, the greater the help she could provide to Song Qiming. They absolutely could not miss such a great opportunity as the birthday banquet.
After leaving the study, the two went to see the potatoes. Holding them in his hands, they felt cool to the touch with their yellow skin. It was hard to imagine that this thing could yield a thousand catties per mu.
When he received the letter, Ye Liangyu could not believe it. At the thought of such a miraculous crop appearing, he wished he could immediately enter the palace to tell the Emperor.
But seeing Song Jinzhao's instructions at the end of the letter, he calmed down and began to think about how to maximize the benefits of this matter.
At such a grand occasion as the birthday banquet, which would also be Song Jinzhao's first time having an audience with the Emperor, there was a lot of room to maneuver. How far the results could go depended heavily on the process, which had to be planned properly.
Before they arrived in the capital, Ye Liangyu had already formulated several plans in his mind, just waiting for Song Jinzhao to arrive so they could discuss and finalize them.
The next day, the Ye Residence's kitchen was bustling with activity. Song Gaoli, sporting dark circles under his eyes from a poor night's sleep, came knocking on the door.
Inside the pavilion, Song Gaoli sprawled on the table with a miserable expression, his hands trembling violently.
"It was not until I entered his residence yesterday that I found out Duan Yanhua has many disciples. There are six poor students like me living in his estate. They all became his disciples before me and are considered highly valued. There are several more who do not live in the estate; I cannot even count them all on my fingers."
"I thought I was special, but it turns out he is just casting a wide net, hoping to catch whichever one makes it."
Song Qiming furrowed his brows tightly. Initially, they had only inquired about Duan Yanhua's literary talent and official career, but they had not considered this aspect.
Taking in so many students, could he even guide them all? And with them all living in the estate, the daily food expenses alone would be a considerable sum.
