Li Wenxin stood at the intersection of the ten miles pavilion, surrounded by academic officials and several other officials.
Years of examinations have failed to produce good results, but this year the academic officials are very proud!
Although it is only a single seedling, the quality is so good that one is worth more than many!
Can the two or three fellow Jinshis from previous years compare to a bangyan winner who left a name in front of the holy sage?
Xue Zheng’s face was full of joy, and so was Li Wenxin.
It’s been more than a month since his husband and his precious daughter left. Li Wenxin really misses them.
Listening to Xue Zheng’s long winded words, Li Wenxin suddenly saw the carriage with the word ‘Li’ approaching.
“They’re here! They’re here!” Xue Zheng said happily.
The understanding yamen head waved his hand, and the yamen servants holding musical instruments stood obediently in two rows.
On the carriage.
When Li Yujiao opened a corner of the curtain, she saw her father, so she looked back at Qin Lu excitedly.
“Mom! Daddy came to pick us up, but why did he bring so many government servants with him?”
After hearing this, Qin Lu opened the curtain on his side and took a look. He also felt a little strange: “Several officials are here too?”
It’s no wonder that Qin Lu didn’t know. In the past years, those who have taken the imperial exam all didn’t have this treatment at all. It’s usually enough to let a magistrate keep watch, then take them to the government office for a few words of encouragement.
However, since there is good academic news this year, the treatment naturally went up too!
Similarly, Jing Heguang also found it strange.
Jing Heguang also saw musical instruments such as suona and waist drum. He thought to himself: Does Brother Li also bring accompaniment when he picks up his husband? He’s too good at having fun, right?!
The carriage approaches, the suona player starts, and festive music sounds.
Jing Heguang listened to the music in the carriage. He smiled and shook his head, reaching out to lift the curtain and get out of the carriage.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the curtain was opened, a big face jumped into Jing Heguang’s eyes.
Jing Heguang looked at Xue Zheng’s face and was stunned for a moment.
Looking again, he saw that there were several officials following Xue Zheng, all of whom were important officials of the province government.
Why didn’t these people didn’t surround brother-in-law Qin Lu’s carriage but come to surround him?!
Jing Heguang quickly jumped out of the carriage, saluted, and asked: “Sir, why are you here?”
Xue Zheng smiled and said: “This official is here to pick you up, bangyan Jing!”
Jing Heguang smiled politely: “Sir, you are joking. It should be students who come to the door to visit you. Thank you for your help.”
It’s really a great honor to have so many people come to pick one up!
To be honest, it was a little scary for him as a young Jinshi…
Xue Zheng, however, didn’t think this lineup was exaggerated. His eyes darted around and landed on Li Wenxin: “lord magistrate, come quickly! You can carefully look at Jiaojiao and your husband when you go back later, no one will compete with you.”
Li Wenxin looked at his daughter who had gained a lot of weight, and felt that he also needed time to look at them carefully.
Li Wenxin touched his daughter’s head and looked at his husband Qin Lu: “I’ll go over first.”
“Okay.”
Li Wenxin walked to Jing Heguang, saw his jade-like appearance, and said in a relaxed mood: “Heguang looks the same as before. It’s really rare to be neither arrogant nor impetuous. Brother is not surprised at what you have achieved today, but I still have to congratulate you! I have already prepared the banquet for the evening!”
During the Luming Banquet, Li Wenxin made a promise that if anyone passed the palace exam, he promised to hold a banquet for him again.
But at that time, Li Wenxin just said it casually. He never thought that someone could actually do it!
***
That night, the lights of the yamen were as bright as the night of the Luming banquet.
However, unlike the Luming Banquet, others can no longer spend money to get in.
This other refers to Jing Xiuran.
Soon after the news that Jing Heguang came in second place reached the province, Jing Xiuran found out about it.
As a ‘good friend’ in the past, Jing Xiuran used the reason that they have the same surname to gain fame among a group of dandies for some time.
In the afternoon, he heard that the yamen was going to host a banquet for Jing Heguang, who was second in the new ranking list. How could Jing Xiuran be willing to miss it? He took the silver and wanted to buy an ‘opportunity’ for a thousand taels of silver, but he couldn’t buy it this time, so he had to go back disappointed.
After three rounds of drinking, under the lights of the yamen residences.
Jing Heguang looked at the wine in the glass, raised his head and drank it for himself.
It’s time to resolve Jing’s matter!
Now he is a Jinshi, has shown his face in front of the emperor, has a good relationship with the magistrate, and is favored by all the officials.
For families like the Jing family, it would be easy to pursue them as long as they had real evidence of the crime.
Jing Heguang put down his cup and walked towards the middle of the courtyard.
He is tall and slander, and even though he is dressed in simple cloth, he is extraordinary. Almost as soon as Jing Heguang moved around, eyes followed him.
“What is the bangyan doing…”
“Why did you go to the middle?” Toasting doesn’t go to the middle where there is no one around.
Li Wenxin was even more puzzled, so he asked: “What is Heguang doing?”
Jing Heguang looked at him apologetically. He stood in the middle of the courtyard where the yamen residence was hosting guests, bowed and then he raised his head.
His voice was clear and apologetic: “I’m afraid I’m going to disturb everyone’s fun tonight, but Heguang has to speak today.”
“Heguang — have a grievance!”
“Heguang’s surname is Jing, and he is originally the only son of Jing Yangbing, the Jing family in Fucheng. Seventeen years ago, my father, Jing Yangbing, was killed by water bandits, leaving behind an orphan and a widowed mother.”
“My clan members were greedy for my family wealth and slandered my mother’s innocent name. They drowned her in the pond and forced her to adopt a younger generation of the family to be father’s child. Heguang escaped by chance, but was sold into the hands of a middle-aged man. Fortunately, he entered the Zhang family, studied hard for many years, and finally had the courage to speak out about the injustices he had suffered for many years.”
As soon as Jing Heguang said this, the whole house was in an uproar.
“Jing family? Is it the Jing family that produced a Jinshi many years ago?!”
“I heard that the Jing family patriarch’s family is very rich and spends a lot of money. I didn’t expect that this is where the money came from?!”
“More than 10 years ago, there’s indeed a young man with outstanding appearance in the Jing family, he is even more outstanding in the business world! It turned out to be the bangyan’s father.”
On the seats, Li Wenxin and the others were even more shocked.
Li Wenxin asked seriously: “Seventeen years ago, Heguang, you were only about three years old. Can you guarantee that your memory is not wrong?”
Jing Heguang’s eyes were firm and he affirmed: “Heguang can guarantee that there is no lie. Your excellency, Heguang is filing a case, please find out what happened back then and clear my mother’s name.”
“Who specifically are the clansmen you are talking about?”
“That man is the clan patriarch’s brother.”
“Where is the Yatou1The ‘police’ chief?”
“Subordinate is here!”
“Go bring him here overnight!”
Li Wenxin had no doubts about Jing Heguang’s character, and even considered Jing Heguang as his people to protect. Thus, he asked a few questions and then gave the order.
After arranging the yamen to catch the person, Li Wenxin glared at Jing Heguang: “Why didn’t you say it earlier? I can’t believe you!”
Jing Heguang was stunned for a moment, then chuckled and replied: “Don’t be anxious, sir, Heguang is just used to it.”
Jing Heguang has a habit of preparing things before giving his opponent a fatal blow and completely defeating them.
However, these words sounded different to other people’s ears. Many people felt sorry for Jing Heguang!
Li Wenxin thought to himself: From a wealthy young master to an adopted child that was bought, the Zhang family were also just ordinary butchers, what could his good brother get used to?
Isn’t he just getting used to carrying everything himself and has no one to rely on.
“That Jing family is really hateful. They don’t go out to make money but actually endanger people’s lives! This matter should be investigated to the end!”
“I think since the clan patriarch’s brother dares to act like that, I’m afraid that the patriarch is also involved and has gained a lot of benefits, that’s why they harmed Jing bangyan’s mother!”
…
Half an hour later, the yamen banquet continued, and the yamen leader led the yamen servants to Jing Xiuran’s house.
Jing Xiuran’s family lived in Sanjin Mansion with dozens of servants.
Jing Xiuran was still asleep when he was woken up by a basin of cold water, then tied up and thrown together with his father Jing Haonan.
Jing Xiuran was so frightened that he asked the Yatou in a panic: “Zhang Yatou, what’s going on? I’m Jing Xiuran. I talked to you this afternoon. Why are you arresting me?! I didn’t do anything, ah!”
Jing Haonan also said: “My Jing family has also produced a Jinshi, and the old man is still here. You guys arrest people for no reason, be careful that my grandfather will report you to lord magistrate!”
The Yatou sneered: “Since you have produced a jinshi, are you not afraid of embarrassing the jinshi! You spent other people’s money and lived in other people’s houses, but you never thought that you would end up here today, right?”
“I’m kindly telling you! The one who sued you is the bangyan this year. You are occupying his family wealth, right?”
Jing Haonan thought hard and found that the bangyan surname seem to be Jing. Jing Xiuran had talked about it several times at home…
— Could it be that Jing Yangbing’s son that disappeared back then is back?!
Jing Haonan’s back was soaked with cold sweat when he thought about what he and his brother had done back then.
Jing Xiuran was still howling in his ears, making Jing Haonan so annoyed that he kicked Jing Xiuran’s butt.
“You bastard! Didn’t you say that you and the bangyan are friends?!”
