Song Gaoli walked into the Duan Manor with his head slightly bowed. Duan Yanhua, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately rushed up to him.
Smiling broadly, he patted Song Gaoli on the shoulder.
"I knew you would definitely pass. My careful teaching over the past few months wasn't in vain. You've finally become a Tribute Student, and next is the Palace Examination."
Song Gaoli's gaze swept over his senior fellow apprentices standing under the eaves.
Duan Yanhua had been so certain he wouldn't pass that he hadn't even gone to check the results; it must have been them who told the teacher.
He touched his head and said modestly, "I was just lucky to pass. Ranking three hundred and ninety-ninth is really not high. I estimate I'll only make the third tier in the Palace Examination."
Duan Yanhua withdrew his hand. "I heard Song Qiming took third place?"
Song Gaoli nodded.
Clasping his hands behind his back, Duan Yanhua sighed, "With Ye Liangyu and County Princess Linghui backing him, regardless of whether Song Qiming places in the first or second tier in the Palace Examination, he will definitely stay in the capital. He'll most likely enter the Hanlin Academy."
"Gaoli, do you want to stay in the capital as an official?"
Song Gaoli lowered his eyes. "It would naturally be good to stay in the capital, but I am lacking in talent and knowledge. I fear I have the desire but not the ability."
Duan Yanhua looked around. Seeing people behind them, he led Song Gaoli to the study.
"Your ranking in the Metropolitan Examination wasn't high, and you don't have much of a reputation. It is almost impossible for you to jump to the second tier in the Palace Examination. Your only chance is the Court Examination that follows it, which is the crucial test that determines where candidates like you will be placed."
"The Court Examination is jointly managed by the Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Personnel. Unfortunately, my rank is too low to access the test questions, but Lord Fei definitely knows. He has a close relationship with Ye Liangyu. After the Palace Examination, you should go to Ye Liangyu, pour out your grievances, and have him help you get the questions. Aim for a good rank so you at least won't have to leave the capital."
Song Gaoli's Adam's apple bobbed, his heart fluttering with panic.
He felt that everything Duan Yanhua did was like walking on the edge of a cliff. It was a sheer miracle that he had managed to stay safely in the Hanlin Academy for so many years.
In truth, Duan Yanhua had spent plenty of effort on his own official career.
It was just that he was already thirty-seven when he became a Tribute Student, and his rank was low. If he hadn't had a good father-in-law, he wouldn't have been able to stay in the capital at all.
He exhausted all his efforts to enter the Hanlin Academy, only to achieve nothing in his first few years. His rank was low, and his direct superiors were all tough nuts to crack, leaving him with nowhere to use his crooked methods.
Later, few of the students he took in managed to pass the exams. The rare one or two who did only made the third tier. Lacking the ability to promote them, they had no choice but to be sent out as local officials.
He had taken Song Gaoli as his student precisely because he valued his relationship with Song Qiming, which could help him connect with Ye Liangyu.
He figured he could get others to do what he couldn't, and then he could just sit back and enjoy the results.
Seeing Duan Yanhua staring fixedly at him with an expression that demanded absolute obedience, Song Gaoli decided to stall.
His expression flickered, and he said tactfully, "I want to try my best to get into the second tier. If I perform a bit better in the Court Examination, I will have more confidence when I go asking for help."
Seeing that he was at least open to the idea of asking for help, Duan Yanhua felt a bit more confident, despite his disappointment.
Their relationship had grown a bit stiff recently, so he couldn't push too hard right now.
"As long as you know what you're doing. The Ministry of Personnel is in charge of official appointments. Don't you have dealings with Dongfang Yukun? When the time comes, you can ask him for help and have his father arrange a better position for you."
Song Gaoli stiffly curled the corners of his mouth. If he performed well, calling in a favor would be fine.
But having someone leak the exam questions to him—he absolutely could not do such a thing. He was afraid of death, and he didn't have the face to ask.
With half a month left before the Palace Examination, many candidates who had become Tribute Students began to actively socialize in the capital.
Bringing their poems and essays, they visited high-ranking officials from their hometowns in the capital, trying to pave the way for the Court Examination and official appointments that would follow.
Literary societies and teahouses were teeming with candidates who spent time every day inquiring about the latest court affairs, trying to guess the essay questions for the Palace Examination.
Not wanting to stay in the Duan Manor any longer than necessary, Song Gaoli simply left early and returned late, spending his days at the Princess's estate.
While Song Qiming focused entirely on preparing for the Palace Examination, Song Gaoli had no expectations of skyrocketing to success in it. Instead, he spent seventy percent of his energy on memorials, official documents, and poetry. The Court Examination questions in previous years usually selected two out of these three topics.
The Court Examination took place just three days after the Palace Examination. Waiting until the Palace Examination was over to prepare would be far too late.
He wanted to pull ahead of the others and overtake them on the curve, striving for a higher rank in the Court Examination.
The March temperatures had only been warm for a few days before a late spring cold snap hit, and the charcoal fires inside the rooms were lit once again.
Song Jinzhao, who had just returned from the palace, was reviewing the account books.
Following her instructions, the five managers had already opened the new shops.
Over the past half month, a significant amount of silver had been spent on everything from buying the storefronts to renovating them.
When the shops ran short on funds, they would draw from the estate, making the estate's expenses quite heavy this month.
During this time, Song Jinzhao had been constantly spending money, and her only income came from thank-you gifts sent by others, most notably from the Duke of Zhenguo's estate.
Standing in the middle of the main hall, Lanxi reported, "The farmstead at Shiquan Manor is fully completed, and the flower fields at Daohua Manor have all been plowed. The poultry and livestock ordered from the merchants will all arrive in three days. The braised food shop's demand for chickens and ducks is even greater than originally anticipated. I believe we can increase the number of animals raised at the farmstead by another thirty percent."
Song Jinzhao raised her eyes and asked, "Is there enough manpower at the manor?"
Lanxi nodded in reply, "The tenant farmers originally at the manor are diligent, responsible, and hardworking. Right now, there isn't too much to do, so they have free time. Increasing it by thirty percent won't be a problem."
"Then increase it by thirty percent." Song Jinzhao looked toward Qingshuang. "How are things with the flower seedlings?"
Qingshuang said, "According to the rose and jasmine seedlings the County Princess previously confirmed with the flower merchants, they have already been loaded onto ships from Jiangnan. They will travel by water first and then by land, arriving in the capital by early April. The lavender seeds will also be shipped over together, so it won't delay the spring planting."
Song Jinzhao tapped her fingers on the small table on the couch. "Fushun has already arrived in the capital. Hand over the housekeeping duties to him; I have other matters for you to attend to."
Qingshuang nodded. "This servant will complete the handover within three days."
A maid stopped at the door, curtsied, and reported, "To the County Princess, Young Master Cui has come to request an audience."
Song Jinzhao looked up. "Have you informed the Eldest Young Master?"
The maid replied, "The Eldest Young Master has already gone over, but Young Master Cui said he came specifically to see you."
The empty front hall was a bit chilly without a charcoal basin. Cui Zhengyang's eyes darted everywhere, trying to find evidence that Song Jinzhao was a mechanism enthusiast like himself.
However, after looking around, there wasn't a single decoration that resembled a puzzle lock.
Even the vases were ordinary, and the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls all bore Song Qiming's seal.
Seeing him pause in front of his calligraphy, Song Qiming couldn't help but stand up and speak.
"The handwriting is clumsy; I've made a fool of myself before Brother Cui."
Cui Zhengyang shook his head and smiled. "How could the handwriting of the third-place winner in the Metropolitan Examination be clumsy? It's just that most people hang their own calligraphy and paintings in their study or inner chambers. It's quite rare to see them hung in the front hall like in your esteemed residence."
