Commoner Hero

Chapter 15: Rollover?

Standing at the very front, Village Chief Li waved his hand and said softly, "Xiao Su, there's no need for more pleasantries. It's getting late. Let Li Hu and the others escort you to the county town."

Su Qian'an nodded, took a step forward, and grasped Qin Ziyin's hand to bid her farewell. The villagers who had gathered around were tactful enough to step aside, leaving the young couple some private time.

"My dear, be patient and wait for me to return. I will definitely pass the exam, and our lives will only get better and better."

"Mm, I believe in your abilities. I will wait at home for you to come back."

Su Qian'an and Qin Ziyin shared a tender embrace, and soon after, they reluctantly parted. In the distance, Li Hu, Zhao Da, Tie Niu, and Shui Sheng, who had been waiting, quickly brought a donkey cart over.

Su Qian'an climbed onto the cart, said his farewells to the villagers, and under Li Hu's guidance, the group slowly disappeared into the distance.

This time, Su Qian'an and the others were traveling on the main road. There were no incidents along the way, and the journey was very smooth.

Today was the day of the county examination for the seven counties of Chuan Du Jun. This was a significant event for the region. Even though the area was known for poor law enforcement, on days like these, even the local bandits remained quiet.

Anyone bold enough to raid during such a day would either have lost their mind or drowned in water—essentially, they would be slapping the Great Liang Dynasty's face.

The imperial examination represented the authority of the Great Liang government. Even if there were unrest within the empire, it was no excuse for the local bandits to cause havoc.

If they dared to act, the forces that would be dispatched to suppress them wouldn’t be the local constables but the military of the Great Liang.

Because of this, every year during the imperial exams—whether for the lowest xiangshi (village exam) or the higher-ranking ones—the security in the region was always at its best.

Walking along the official road, which was usually sparsely populated, Su Qian'an noticed more and more people as they approached the county town of Lingbei. There were many traveling in all sorts of carts.

Those with wealth rode high horses, while those of humble means, like Su Qian'an, mostly traveled by donkey cart or on foot.

In the span of just a few hundred meters, Su Qian'an saw at least twenty to thirty young scholars heading toward the county town. The atmosphere was lively.

The Great Liang Imperial Examination was divided into four levels: the county exams for selecting local students and scholars, the district exams for selecting juren (advanced degree holders) from the entire region, and the highest level—the provincial exams, where the top candidates became jinshi (graduates of the highest rank).

The top three jinshi, known as the zhuangyuan (top scholar), bangyan (second top scholar), and tanhua (third top scholar), became the most renowned figures in the empire. After being selected, they would travel to the capital for the palace exam, presided over by the Three Dukes and even the Emperor himself. The first ten would officially become jinshi.

Once one reached that level, they had one foot in the higher ranks of the officialdom. After entering the Hanlin Academy, one would be trained by the highest officials, spending years perfecting their skills. It was a position of power—this was the ideal that countless students toiled for over decades.

However, to Su Qian'an, this all seemed far off. His own goal was not lofty; he only wished to pass the county exam and become a juren. As for the jinshi and the top three rankings, he wasn’t particularly interested.

After all, once one became a juren, they were already considered candidates for government positions, and in a county, even the county magistrate would treat them respectfully.

If the county magistrate wasn’t foolish, they would treat a juren with great courtesy, since a juren might someday replace them in office.

As long as a juren didn’t make any major mistakes, they would be held in high esteem.

Becoming a juren would give Su Qian'an some degree of influence in Lingbei County and solidify his foundation. This was the main reason he was participating in the county exam.

With no obstacles along the way, the five of them reached Lingbei County Town in less than half an hour.

At the county gate, Su Qian'an gave his instructions to Li Hu and the others, signaling them to return.

Su Qian'an couldn’t help but feel a little wistful. After briefly surveying the area, he had a general idea of the town’s layout. Just as he was about to return to the inn, suddenly, a tall, thin young man with a face full of freckles stepped in front of him.

Before Su Qian'an could speak, the young man, thin as a bamboo pole, began to flatter him with great enthusiasm.

"Ah, at first glance, you must be no ordinary person. You must be one of the scholars taking the county exam. A young scholar like you is rare in Lingbei County. You truly are a talented youth."

Su Qian'an remained calm, unshaken by the praise. He had encountered many such flatterers in the past. These people were common in county towns, mostly appearing during grand events or major gatherings.

They didn’t have much else to offer, but their gift lay in their superb flattery and keen observation, often acting as guides for the children of influential families or the wealthy, providing detailed explanations of the local customs and landscape.

These individuals were known as "slippery tongued" (liū yóu jīn), as their manner was as smooth as oil, their speech sugary sweet, always aiming to please and serve the pampered sons and daughters of the rich and powerful.

Unfortunately for this young man, he had misjudged Su Qian'an. Su Qian'an was not someone to fall for such tricks.

Without reacting, Su Qian'an simply kept walking, which caused the young man to feel surprised. But he wasn’t deterred. He continued his barrage of words.

"Sir, you have a handsome figure and dignified appearance. I imagine this is your first time in Lingbei County. Since you’re a young talent, it would be wise to meet and mingle with other true talents."

"Up ahead, there’s the Wang Yue Tower, where the gentry and scholars from all seven counties are gathering for a poetry contest. The atmosphere there is lively, and the prize for the winner is a handsome sum of one or two hundred taels."

"If you attend, who knows? Maybe the first-place prize will go to you, sir."

The young man spoke with growing excitement, yet his words seemed to have no effect on Su Qian'an. The more he spoke, the more it seemed like a waste of time.

In fact, Su Qian'an had almost walked away when the young man's words reached their peak. It was the most embarrassing failure in the young man’s career, as he had never met someone who was so indifferent to his flattery.

Just as he was about to give up, Su Qian'an suddenly stopped. A gust of wind passed by, and when the young man turned back, Su Qian'an's face had already appeared right in front of him.

The young man was startled, not expecting Su Qian'an to be so quick.

By the time the young man came to his senses, Su Qian'an's voice reached his ears.

"Is what you said true? In that case, lead the way."

The young man nodded, but there was an awkward expression on his face. Having spent years in the streets, dealing with all manner of influential figures, he had never met anyone quite like Su Qian'an.

This young man wasn’t eager to flatter the wealthy or obsessed with fame and status. What he truly cared about was money.

One or two hundred taels might not be much to the pampered children of wealthy families, but it was a considerable sum for someone like Su Qian'an, who had a different set of priorities.

The young man couldn’t help but wonder: "Could it be that after all these years, I’ve made a misstep?"

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