Chapter 47: Zhao Sanjia, the Tian Yuan Pear Tree

"I actually got a Yi-Xia? All that studying wasn't for nothing after all." Chen Ziyu was very pleased. Although he only got a Yi-Xia, it was still on the Yi list! Any improvement was a good thing—last time he'd been a Bing-Zhong!

"One Yi-Xia and you're this excited?" Qian Dong couldn't understand why his good brother was so happy.

"If I can hold steady at Yi this year, who's to say I can't get a Jia next year? Take it step by step, progress gradually—success will come eventually."

Qian Dong paused, then nodded: "True enough. Not everyone can improve as fast as Big Brother."

Chen Ziyu clenched his fist: "Elder Brother's success came from long accumulation too. Before his Three Jia, he didn't get Yi that many times either. We'll build up slowly. If not this year, then next year; if not next year, then the year after… there'll always be a chance!"

The two chatted as they walked, laughing and talking as they left.

Li Chengfeng listened to the chatter around him and couldn't help furrowing his brow.

Others were thrilled just to get a Yi-Xia, but even though he'd gotten a Jia-Zhong, he couldn't be happy.

Because someone had outshone him.

People like Ding Shan and Liang Bai weren't even on his level—getting a Jia-Shang didn't matter, since they couldn't take up an official post anyway.

But Zhao Xing had a real chance.

"Zhao Xing, Zhao Xing… now everyone's talking about him." A wave of irritation rose in Li Chengfeng's heart. That name kept popping up in his ears—he was getting sick of hearing it.

Usually he was the focus of everyone's talk, the center of attention. Now that was slowly changing.

"Brother Li, did you see it?" Zong Shichang ran over to Li Chengfeng at this moment.

"See what?" Li Chengfeng replied absently.

"Zhao Sanjia's exam papers." Zong Shichang said, "Chen Shijie ordered his answers transcribed and circulated for everyone to study, saying his approach was concise and forceful, hitting the point right on target. Not only will it be useful for the future temple examination, it'll work for other tests too."

"You don't have to tell me—I took a look, and he's really got something. His Jia-Shang is well deserved."

Li Chengfeng watched Zong Shichang, who was talking a blue streak, and felt a complicated mix of emotions. Why was even Brother Zong praising him like this?

"Brother Zong, I have something to attend to. I'll take my leave first…"

"Eh? Where are you going? Brother Li?"

Zong Shichang called out a few times, but Li Chengfeng didn't respond at all, which struck him as rather odd.

What had come over Brother Li?

In the great hall of the county office, Li Wenzheng was handling government affairs when a minor clerk ran over and presented the results of the Agricultural Supervisor's assessment.

"My lord, the results of Bai Lu's Agricultural Supervisor assessment are out."

"Oh? How many got Jia-Shang? Is my worthy disciple among them?" Li Wenzheng asked casually.

"Three got Jia-Shang: Zhao Xing, Ding Shan, and Liang Bai. None are under my father's command. The first two are under my lord Xue Wenzhong, and the last is under my lord Tang Wanchun."

The clerk was named Pang Fei. He had previously delivered the approval document to Zhao Xing. He had another identity—he was the son of Pang Yuan, an Agricultural Official of the Unranked Ninth Grade.

Li Wenzheng pondered: "Mm, Zhao Xing… that name sounds somewhat familiar. If I recall correctly, this is his third Jia-Shang, isn't it?"

"Yes." Pang Yuan nodded. "Last month, my lord Chen Shijie applied for a tribute student quota on his behalf, and you personally affixed your seal."

"Ah, I see." Li Wenzheng suddenly understood. "There's about a ten-day period until the winter evaluation. Are there any newly emerging talents at the Heavenly Craft workshop or the Weaving Bureau?"

No need to ask about the Divine Temple or the civil and military offices of the county government—they were right under Li Wenzheng's nose.

"Yes. At the Weaving Bureau there's a weaving girl who made a Heluo ceremonial robe and received a Jia-Shang in the last evaluation. At the Heavenly Craft workshop there's a clerk named Han Bi who solved the 'Twelve-Lock Linked Rings' mechanism left behind by my lord Gongsun Jin. Both have achieved Jia on the list for two consecutive times, and both received Jia-Shang last time."

"How old are they?" Li Wenzheng asked.

"Lin Baiwei is sixteen, Han Bi is eighteen. Both hold local Gucheng household registration." Pang Yuan paused, then added, "Both come from rather poor families."

Li Wenzheng nodded with satisfaction. This clerk Pang Fei—he always found him easy to use. Just a casual question, and Pang Fei automatically told him everything he wanted to know.

"Zhao Xing has just received the tribute student quota, so it's not appropriate to sponsor him further. As for Lin Baiwei and Han Bi, go personally to both their homes to verify. If they truly are poor, draw twenty taels of silver from my Lady's account and send it over." Li Wenzheng said. "Consider it a contribution to Gucheng."

"My lord is benevolent. This subordinate will certainly deliver my lord's intentions."

East of Gu County, in Sanwan Town.

The two hall masters of Sanwan Hall also welcomed the arrival of Falcon Protector.

"Greetings, Protector." A man and a woman both bowed.

The old man patted the dirt off his body, looking travel-worn—and indeed he had just rushed here.

He was watching not only Gucheng, but also the other counties of Nanyang Prefecture.

"Any new information?" Falcon asked.

"Reporting to Protector, Lin Baiwei of the Weaving Bureau made a Heluo ceremonial robe and received a Jia-Shang in the just-concluded assessment. Han Bi of the Heavenly Craft workshop solved the mechanism 'Twelve-Lock Linked Rings' and received a Jia-Shang. Zhao Xing of the Agricultural Supervisor also received a Jia-Shang, but this subordinate couldn't understand his answers and doesn't know how they were graded."

Different trades are like different mountains. The two hall masters couldn't make heads or tails of Zhao Xing's answers, so they had no idea where Zhao Xing excelled.

"Add Lin Baiwei and Han Bi to the capture list." The old man pondered. "As for this Zhao Xing… were his answers transcribed?"

"Yes."

The old man took them and looked. After reading, the paper suddenly self-ignited and quickly turned into a pile of ashes.

Falcon Protector pinched the ashes between two fingers, then blew gently: "Rank Zhao Xing's placement as fifth."

"Additionally, go gather information on this person. You may employ a few believers to make contact with him, to figure out his daily habits and personality."

"Remember, do not act on your own initiative, and do not act within the city. Just make incidental contact."

"East Lake Mountain is about to open for the autumn equinox, and the authorities are on high alert. The slightest trace could be detected. Do not be so eager to earn merit that you rush things. Otherwise, if you ruin the grand plan, ten thousand deaths won't be enough to atone."

The two hall masters' expressions turned solemn, and they nodded heavily: "Yes, Protector."

West of the city, at Chen residence, in a pear orchard.

"This Tian Yuan pear tree has been growing for six years. I spent considerable effort transplanting it into a pot. You'll need to be careful when you take it back to plant."

Before Chen Shijie stood a small tree about as tall as a person—the very Tian Yuan pear tree he had promised to give Zhao Xing.

The Tian Yuan pear tree matures in ten years, blooms in one year, and bears fruit in one year. At six years, it's still a sapling; only after the seventh year does it enter its growth period.

Zhao Xing examined it with the Five Elements Observation technique. The sapling was six years and ten months old. Chen Shijie had given him the best possible accommodation within his promised range—he hadn't palmed him off with a two-or-three-year-old one.

"Move a person, he thrives; move a tree, it dies. Old Chen must have put a lot of thought into transplanting this pear tree. His character is rock solid." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you."

The Wind-Rising spell activated, and Zhao Xing rolled up the Tian Yuan pear tree and headed home.