In no more than a single day, the news of Du Heng placing on the academy examination list had spread throughout the academy. There was no need to ask—everywhere was filled with congratulations.
The academy also formally commended all those who had passed the examination. On the one hand, it was meant to encourage the students who had made the list; on the other, it served to set an example for those still preparing to take the exams.
For the entire day, they barely had a chance to sit down in the classrooms. After attending a lecture in the main hall, those who had passed were then asked, one by one, to share their examination experiences.
The schedule was quite tight. Du Heng had not prepared anything like a formal speech beforehand, so when he stepped up to the lectern under everyone’s gaze, he casually pulled together a few points from experience:
“Before this academy examination, it was already widely known that candidates would be arriving in droves, while the education commissioner and chief examiners were limited in number. Reading through thousands of exam papers would inevitably be exhausting. Because of that, essays should be kept concise and focused—break the topic cleanly and explain the key points. There’s no need for overly detailed, drawn-out arguments.”
Most of the students sharing their experiences spoke from the angle of the exam questions themselves. Du Heng, however, was the first to put effort into what might be called a ‘side door.’
The listeners found it quite reasonable. One after another, they sighed in admiration, thinking that of course someone who scored well had his reasons—not only considering the quality of his own writing, but also the state of mind and condition of the examiners grading the papers.
A quiet sense of respect rose in their hearts, and their expressions showed that they had truly learned something.
Du Heng raised an eyebrow slightly, wrapped things up perfunctorily, and slipped away from the speaking session.
Meanwhile, Qin Xiaoman was hardly idle. He was both shocked and overjoyed over Du Heng making the list. While Du Heng was at the academy, the happiness in Qin Xiaoman’s heart had nowhere to go. Unable to sit still in the shop, he simply carried the news to his grand-uncle’s household.
“Pa—passed? Third place?”
The Qin family, upon hearing it so suddenly, almost thought it was a mistake.
Early that morning, Qin Zhiyan had just finished breakfast and was hurriedly preparing to head to the county office to handle official duties, urging people to see whether the carriage had been hitched. When he heard the news Qin Xiaoman brought, he nearly swallowed the water he was using to rinse his mouth.
“Is what you’re saying true?”
“Listen to how you’re asking that, Grand-Uncle. If it weren’t true, I wouldn’t have come running over here so earnestly.”
Qin Xiaoman was extremely proud. He had come to share the news partly because he wanted others to celebrate it, and partly because during the time Du Heng had been studying at the academy, Qin Zhiyan had taken no small amount of care of him. It was only right to deliver such good news as early as possible.
Seeing that his grand-uncle still looked doubtful, he added, “It’s posted on the red list. Du Heng and I went to see it together this morning. By now, people have already gone to the academy to announce the good news.”
“That boy—I really underestimated what he was capable of. I originally thought I’d ask around once he entered the county office, and that this year would just be a trial run.”
Qin Zhiyan muttered to himself, his eyes unfocused for a moment. After quite a while, the light returned to them.
“Good. Good! This is wonderful news—truly wonderful!”
Qin Zhiyan waved his hand and immediately began making arrangements.
“While it’s still early, have the servants go out and buy some good wine and dishes. No matter what, you two must eat a meal here today before going back. Send word and bring Chengyi over as well. Oh, and your second uncle is doing business in the city—call him too, call everyone. Let the whole family have a proper celebration!”
It was no wonder Qin Zhiyan was so delighted. Though the difference between a xiucai and a tongsheng might seem like just a single exam, in reality it was an enormous leap.
A tongsheng title could be purchased with donated money, and whether it had been earned through actual examination or bought outright was often impossible to tell. As a result, the group was a mixed bag. That meager bit of scholarly status was only enough to impress outsiders—people might respectfully call you “So-and-so, the tongsheng,” but among actual scholars, a tongsheng was merely someone who had just stepped over the threshold.
A xiucai, however, was entirely different. That meant truly stepping with both feet into the ranks of the local gentry. A xiucai did not have to kneel before officials, and commercial taxes were reduced by half.
Even if one never made further progress on the imperial examination path, obtaining the xiucai title still opened many additional avenues.
One could establish a private school, be hired as an instructor, or enter the county administration as a clerk.
The doors to all these respectable positions were open to xiucai. As for whether one could actually secure such posts, that depended on individual ability—but the threshold itself had been crossed.
Furthermore, after registering with the education commissioner’s office and receiving an official token, one could then receive state stipends. The local county government would grant land or means of livelihood to a xiucai as a one-time reward, and there would also be a monthly allowance.
Though the amount was small—almost negligible—being able to say one received official pay was still a great mark of distinction. Ordinary people did not dare to casually provoke someone who lived on state stipends.
With all these benefits added together, if one knew how to manage things, relying on these special privileges and rewards could turn a life of hardship into something entirely different.
Naturally, among all these privileges, what Qin Zhiyan valued most was the possibility of being appointed as a clerk. Even if Du Heng never passed another exam, with a bit of networking and maneuvering on his part, he could still secure Du Heng a clerk’s position in the county city. The advantages of that hardly needed to be spelled out.
That was merely the worst-case plan. What was truly heartening was that Du Heng had not only become a xiucai, but had placed third. With such talent and learning, who was to say he could not pass the provincial examination?
It inevitably gave people hope.
Qin Xiaoman smiled as he answered, “All right!”
Seeing how happy Qin Zhiyan was—happy as if his own son had just passed the exam—Zhou Wanqing did not feel the least bit jealous. Du Heng was someone they had chosen to cultivate, and now that results had been produced, it was something they could all take pride in.
Within a family, who would ever dislike having one more xiucai, one more source of hope?
Although the two families were not especially close by blood, closeness among relatives often did not truly depend on lineage, but rather on whether there was interaction and exchange.
In his happiness, Zhou Wanqing nudged Qin Zhiyan with his elbow. “Leave these matters to me. You should put your mind at ease and go to the county office to finish today’s official business early, then come back. Don’t be late and give others something to talk about.”
“Yes, my husband is right,” Qin Zhiyan replied with a smile. He then rubbed Qin Xiaoman’s head. “Your Du Heng is excellent.”
That much hardly needed anyone else to say—Qin Xiaoman knew it better than anyone.
“Then, Grand-Uncle, you’d better hurry to the county office. If you’re late because of Du Heng, that really wouldn’t do.”
“I’m so happy I’ve gone muddle-headed. Looks like I really am getting old—no use refusing to admit it.”
Qin Zhiyan took a few steps, then stopped, turned back, and said to Qin Xiaoman, “Remember this—when school lets out, go and bring Du Heng back here. Today he’s become a xiucai; whether familiar or not, there will definitely be people inviting him to drink and be their guest. Push all of that aside for now. He should come home first and celebrate with the family.”
“Got it!”
Watching Qin Zhiyan head out, Zhou Wanqing laughed and scolded lightly, “Just look at how happy he is.”
That afternoon, Du Heng was taken straight back to the Qin residence in a carriage together with Qin Zhifeng. Waiting for him was a table full of lavish evening dishes.
“Da…da…”
The moment Du Heng stepped into the reception hall, he heard a soft, mushy little cry. Chengyi had been brought over as well, and was currently being held in Zhou Wanqing’s arms.
Seeing a familiar face, the child immediately stretched both arms toward his own father.
“This child really looks a lot like Du Heng—so fair and soft, quiet too, such a pitifully lovable little one, and surprisingly smart. The moment his father comes back, he knows to ask to be held.”
It was Zhou Wanqing’s first time seeing Chengyi. He had always liked children and had long wanted a little ge’er of his own. Once Qin Xiaoman brought Chengyi over and he held him, he couldn’t bear to let go.
The little baby was soft and clingy. Once in someone’s arms, he wasn’t shy at all, just snuggling close. He was good-looking, well-behaved, and so sweet it went straight to the heart.
On the spot, Zhou Wanqing generously put a small silver bracelet with a bell on the child—not to curry favor because his father had passed the exam, but simply because he genuinely liked the child.
Seeing Du Heng return together with his own son, he didn’t hand the baby back to the father. Instead, he called Qin Zhifeng over. “Come, take a look at Chengyi. Look how well-behaved he is.”
Everyone in the room knew exactly what Zhou Wanqing was doing—subtly urging Qin Zhifeng to hurry up and have a grandchild, using every excuse possible to let him get a taste of holding a baby and see if good news might come sooner.
Qin Zhifeng looked at the baby being handed over, feeling awkward and unsure what to do. The wide-eyed little ge’er was truly like a doll carved from pink jade, inheriting his father’s good looks and irresistibly lovable. He carefully took the child into his arms.
Not to mention children—Qin Zhifeng had never even married. Holding such a tiny, soft little ge’er, even his usually steady demeanor cracked.
“Th-this… please don’t start crying.”
Everyone burst out laughing. “Look at Zhifeng—he doesn’t even know where to put his hands. If you have a child in the future, what will you do then?”
Chengyi didn’t know why everyone was laughing. He only knew that there were so many people today, one after another, and the person holding him kept changing. Yet somehow, he still hadn’t made it into the arms of the father who smelled nice and spoke so gently.
Resting on Qin Zhifeng’s shoulder, he stared longingly at Du Heng, who was standing behind them smiling at him, looking utterly pitiful.
“This child really is well-behaved,” Qin Zhifeng said.
Seeing the baby sticking his little bottom out and lying against him like a soft dumpling, Qin Zhifeng was so nervous he didn’t dare move, afraid of startling the little one.
Despite all the awkwardness, a harmless, clingy little child like this inevitably stirred a wave of paternal tenderness in his heart.
Du Heng stepped forward, squeezed Chengyi’s chubby little hand, and teased him, “You’ve already accepted Little Uncle-Grandfather’s generous gift, so of course you have to let him hold you.”
Everyone laughed again.
“So lively—looks like my timing is just right!”
From outside, Qin Xiong strode in with a loud voice. “I figured I’d close up shop and come over around the time Du Heng got out of school. Didn’t expect Du Heng to get here even faster!”
Qin Zhiyan said cheerfully, “Now everyone’s here. It’s a pity that Zhu-ge’er just gave birth and can’t be moved or catch a draft, otherwise our whole big family would be even livelier today.”
“It’s a day of great joy. Come, everyone—let’s move to the dining hall and have an early dinner.”
Du Heng took little Chengyi into his arms. The child had finally reached his father, immediately snuggling close to Du Heng’s neck. Compared to how calm he was in others’ arms, he was much more lively now.
Qin Xiaoman thought about how Du Heng was the main focus of today’s meal. Even though they were family, there would still be toasts and conversation with uncles and cousins, and it wouldn’t be suitable for him to be holding a child while eating.
Still, seeing how reluctant the father and son were to part, he let them stay close for a while longer.
Only once they took their seats did he take Chengyi away, and the whole family began eating and drinking.
“I’ve been so happy all day I can’t even settle down. Our Qin family has you scholars now—looking ahead, there’s real hope. Seems the incense I burned for Man-ge’er’s father wasn’t wasted after all. Come, come, Du Heng—no matter what, you have to drink a bit today.”
After speaking, Qin Xiong turned to look at Qin Xiaoman, who was seated beside Du Heng. “And you’re not allowed to drink on his behalf.”
Qin Xiaoman was in the middle of eating some excellent vinegar fish. Hearing this, he muttered, “Why would I drink for him? We’re family. I still have to watch the child.”
The men at the table couldn’t help but laugh.
Just as the laughter died down, a servant hurried in.
“What’s so urgent?”
“Old Master Yue has arrived.”
There was a brief pause at the table. Instinctively, everyone wondered what he was here for.
Still, out of consideration for Zhou Wanqing’s face—and the fact that the man was indeed a juren—no one showed anything on their faces.
“I was worried that my father-in-law might not like the younger folk making noise and being lax with etiquette, so I didn’t go to disturb him. Who would’ve thought my esteemed father-in-law also enjoys liveliness—his timing couldn’t be better.”
Qin Zhiyan offered a polite remark. Since the guest had arrived, he naturally had to stand up and go out to welcome him in.
“It really is lively.”
Old Master Zhou strode in and immediately saw the harmonious, joyful scene. It wasn’t quite mealtime when he arrived, so it wasn’t exactly inappropriate—just unfortunate that they were in the middle of an early dinner.
“It’s not New Year or any festival, so why is it so lively today?”
In earlier years, Zhou the Juren had looked down on Qin Zhiyan for his farming background, and by extension, on his farming relatives as well. In daily life, he didn’t like Qin Zhiyan associating with these relatives. Even during holidays, though he allowed Qin Zhiyan to host them, whenever he encountered them, he rarely showed a pleasant expression.
That early-year attitude had already said it all.
“Du Heng and Zhifeng study at the same academy. Their family just had a child, and Wanqing hasn’t had the chance to see him yet, so we brought the baby over today to gather together,” Qin Zhiyan said.
He deliberately did not make a show of the fact that this was a celebration for Du Heng making the list.
The servants cleared a seat and invited Zhou the Juren to sit.
Zhou the Juren glanced at the nursing baby being held by a servant and remarked, “Such a tiny infant ge’er, and it’s worth making such a fuss?”
He sat down without much courtesy. Seeing the table laden with fine wine and dishes only made his expression darken further.
When he noticed Qin Xiong was also present, he said, “The academy exam results have been posted. I heard that your daughter’s husband’s fourth brother made the list this time. His father-in-law is an old classmate of mine and even invited me to drink with him tomorrow.”
Qin Xiong truly hadn’t known that Li Fourth had also passed the academy exam and become a xiucai. They were distantly related by marriage, but not close in dealings, so he simply smiled. “That side of the family knows I’m busy with my little business and can’t get away. They probably didn’t notify me because they didn’t want to put me in a difficult spot.”
Zhou the Juren gave a brief response and didn’t speak with Qin Xiong again.
Instead, he turned his gaze to Du Heng. “I originally came today to talk with your uncle about something. Coincidentally, you happen to be here.”
Du Heng was a little surprised. Before he could ask what Zhou the Juren wanted to discuss with him, the man continued first, “But speaking of examinations—if I remember correctly, you’re a tongsheng as well. Did you enter the exam this year?”
Du Heng answered, “Under my teacher’s instruction, I went to give the academy exam a try.”
“Oh.”
Zhou the Juren said, “Your teacher is Instructor Xiang. I know him. I imagine your uncle did quite a bit of running around for connections on your behalf. If, even under his tutelage, you still couldn’t make xiucai in the future, then you truly wouldn’t have much talent.”
Qin Xiaoman immediately lost his appetite. This time, before he could snap back, Du Heng spoke first. “Instructor Xiang taught me with great care. This student would not dare fail his trust. I was fortunate enough to pass the academy exam this time.”
Zhou the Juren froze noticeably. The chopsticks he had lifted to pick up food stopped halfway. He withdrew them empty-handed and immediately asked, “You’re saying you passed this time?”
“That is correct.”
“What was your ranking?”
“This student lacks ability, but by good fortune placed third.”
This time, Zhou the Juren was completely stiff. It took him a long while to come back to himself.
“Third place?!”
Although the academy exam did not emphasize rankings, and the top three carried no special titles, the difference between the front ranks and the back ranks was obvious to anyone with eyes.
As an old veteran of the imperial examinations, he naturally knew what a high ranking meant.
It meant catching the eye of the county magistrate and the education commissioner. In the future, when names were drawn for official appointments and past records were reviewed, anyone who had ever placed in the top tier would naturally be selected as a priority candidate.
Back in his own year, he had once waited for an official post. Among several juren candidates, he had stood out, only to lose in the end to another juren who had once placed in the top five of the tongsheng exam.
Because of that, he missed his chance to enter office, and for all these years since, he had never again encountered such an opportunity.
Even though he never became an official, he still liked to use that near-miss—almost becoming a county magistrate’s assistant in a major county—as a glorious talking point.
He not only considered himself a cut above xiucai, but even believed he stood a notch higher than other juren.
If Du Heng were to pass the provincial exam in the future and then wait for an official appointment, among a batch of juren candidates his examination record would surely stand out, giving him a very high chance of entering office.
The realization shook him. He had not expected that among such humble origins there would be someone with genuine talent.
But being accustomed to flattery, and having shown Du Heng little goodwill before, he could not bring himself to praise him outright now. He cleared his throat and said in a roundabout way, “I’ve long heard that Instructor Xiang is learned and effective in teaching his students. Today, I’ve had the good fortune to see it for myself.”
Qin Xiaoman pressed his lips together, hiding his smile. Slapping this old thing in the face felt unbelievably satisfying.
Du Heng returned a stiff, polite salute with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You flatter me, Old Master Zhou.”
Then he added, “But you mentioned earlier that you had something to discuss with me. May I ask what that matter is?”
Zhou the Juren paused. “Nothing in particular. Eat—eat.”
Since the other party didn’t say anything, Du Heng had no interest in pressing further.
For the rest of the meal, Zhou the Juren was visibly awkward. Gone was his usual lofty air. He neither lorded his seniority nor spoke much at all. After taking a few bites, he made an excuse and took his leave.
Once at the door, he hurriedly instructed the servant accompanying him to immediately copy out the academy exam list for him. He had only returned from outside today and hadn’t seen the posted results, only heard which familiar families’ descendants had passed and which had failed.
He had originally come to see Qin Zhiyan to discuss a matter. The reason was that a local gentry surnamed Meng, with whom he had dealings, claimed that his nephew had had a minor conflict with Du Heng at the academy, which affected his performance and caused him to fail this academy exam.
Thinking that Du Heng was under the care of his own son-in-law, he planned to ask Du Heng to go and apologize, sending along a convenient favor.
But now that he had learned Du Heng had become a xiucai—and with such an impressive ranking at that—there would surely be no shortage of people eager to curry favor with him. How could Zhou the Juren possibly bring himself to mention such a thing?
It was all his own fault for not first finding out about the academy exam results before coming. Had he even glanced at the list, he wouldn’t have ended up in such an awkward position.
He let out a sigh of frustration.
Qin Zhiyan could clearly tell that his father-in-law had suffered a setback this time. Though nothing had been said aloud, Qin Zhiyan was unmistakably even happier than before.
After Zhou the Juren left, the group quickly regained their spirits and resumed eating and drinking.
The banquet lasted for over an hour. The men at the table, having warmed up to the wine, lingered and were slow to break up. The women and husbands, however, finished earlier and withdrew to chat and play with the child.
Seeing that it was getting late, the family finally returned home in high spirits.
By the time they arrived, night had already fallen. In the gently swaying carriage, Chengyi seemed to think he had returned to his usual little cradle. He didn’t mind that his father smelled of wine at all—curled in Du Heng’s arms, he fell asleep not long after.
Du Heng looked at the peacefully sleeping little one, his eyelashes fine, soft, and thick, his heart aching with tenderness.
After a whole day of commotion, there was finally a moment of calm.
He reached out and held Qin Xiaoman’s hand beside him. “Becoming a xiucai aside, at the very least this has earned a bit of status for our Chengyi. In the future, he’ll be able to live a better life.”
Qin Xiaoman took a long breath. The smile on his face never faded. “It also gave my uncle some face. Otherwise, his father-in-law struts around like some petty emperor every day—whenever he feels like coming over to throw his weight around, he just does.”
It was rare for him to be this gentle. He tilted his head and leaned lightly against Du Heng’s shoulder. With Du Heng by his side, his heart felt exceptionally steady.
He was always saying that all the food and expenses were paid for by him, but in truth, everything the household had today was upheld by Du Heng. If not for that, he would probably still be struggling to manage those few mu of farmland at home, where would today’s good life come from?
Du Heng gently patted Qin Xiaoman on the head. “As long as it doesn’t waste your uncle’s family’s help, that’s enough.”
The news of Du Heng becoming a xiucai spread through the village in less than half a day. The next morning, even the hired farmhands came over carrying gifts to offer congratulations. Quite a few villagers came to celebrate as well.
Qin Xiaoman seemed to have heard too many congratulatory words. He was no longer as smug and showy as before, running around afraid that others wouldn’t know their family had produced a scholar.
Perhaps he had settled down a bit too.
After a few days, they went to the county seat to handle all the formalities for the xiucai status and collected everything that was due.
The county government awarded Du Heng five mu of land nearby. It was unclear whether Qin Zhiyan had pulled some strings behind the scenes, but the plots they received were all paddy fields—and not poor-quality land at that. The two of them were extremely pleased.
Only the monthly stipend was a little disheartening. It was merely sixty wen a month.
Qin Zhifeng said that when he became a xiucai, the stipend had still been eighty wen a month. Now, whether because the state treasury was empty or because official stipends were being deliberately reduced, the xiucai allowance had been cut.
Du Heng had long known that this stipend was mostly about appearances. For poor farming households, it might cover lamp oil and candles, but for a scholar, it probably wasn’t even enough for paper and ink each month.
Still, it was free money—mosquito legs were still meat.
What benefited their household the most was that xiucai could have half of their commercial tax remitted. Originally, forty percent of their income had to be reported and paid in tax each month. Now, as a xiucai, Du Heng only had to pay twenty percent.
Qin Xiaoman had already done the accounting. After expenses, the paper shop could earn close to two taels of silver a month. After paying the commercial tax, it used to leave only about twelve hundred wen. Now they could keep an extra four hundred or so—that was a huge bargain.
Another privilege was that xiucai officially entered the ranks of the gentry and were allowed to keep household servants. Whether one had the money to hire them was another matter, but officially, a xiucai was permitted up to four servant slots.
The value of these slots was that servants living in a xiucai’s household did not have to pay the head tax. Without scholarly status, a servant would be taxed at double the rate of an ordinary commoner—one person counted as two mouths—which added up to a considerable expense.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Du Heng decided to reorganize the household’s long-term workers.