The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 112: The Capital

Chapter 112: The Capital

Qiu Huanian returned to the inn where they were staying. Du Yunse had just watched Bai Quan arrange the bedding and other items.

Although the inn provided bedding, it was made of old cotton and the fabric was not well-cleaned. It was a last-resort option, as ancient people would bring their own necessities when traveling long distances if they had the means.

For this trip, Qiu Huanian even brought his own washbasin, towels, rinsing cup, and a homemade toothbrush.

Since they had a whole carriage for luggage, they might as well bring everything they could.

“Brother Hua, why are you back so soon? Did something happen?”

Qiu Huanian shook his head. Only when the room was left with the two of them did he speak to Du Yunse, “I saw Qiu Chuanzong and Zhou Shi.”

Du Yunse frowned deeply, “Your biological father and stepmother, whom you have already cut ties with?”

“They were sentenced to exile and were brought here to work on the canal before being exiled. The townspeople said the imperial manor is expanding.”

Qiu Huanian walked to the bed and leaned into the warm, fragrant bedding, stretched out comfortably.

“It seems Qiu Chuanzong saw me. I wonder what he thought,” Qiu Huanian laughed with a chuckle.

He referred to his biological father by name, and Du Yunse found nothing wrong with it, as usual. He poured a cup of plum blossom tea for Qiu Huanian.

The plum blossom tea, along with the teacup, was also brought by them.

They picked fresh plum blossoms in bud, added a little roasted salt, wrapped them in paper, and dried them in a cool place to make dried flowers.

When drinking, just take a few blossoms and put them in a teacup, add a little honey, and pour boiling water over them. The plum blossoms would bloom on the surface, their color and shape indistinguishable from fresh plum blossoms, and the water would take on a light plum blossom fragrance.

This was a modified version of the “Tang Zhan Mei” recipe from “Shan Jia Qing Gong.” The estate had many plum blossoms, so Qiu Huanian made some as a pastime.

Drinking tea late at night could keep you awake, but this plum blossom tea, which contained no caffeine, was just right.

Du Yunse, of course, didn’t know what caffeine was, but he knew that drinking tea at night could cause insomnia.

Qiu Huanian drank half a cup of the fragrant, warm plum blossom tea and, in a good mood, playfully kissed Du Yunse’s well-defined hand.

“…”

Qiu Huanian squinted at him with a smile and a smirk, “We’ll be entering the capital tomorrow. We need to conserve our energy and rest early tonight.”

After saying this, he opened the door and called Xing Mi to fetch hot water for washing up. Du Yunse, who had been teased, could only clench his teeth in silence.

…

Early the next morning, the caravan set off again.

After ten days of travel, their destination was finally within reach. Everyone in the caravan was relieved and excited, with a sense of relief.

The caravan leader gathered the carriages, counted the people, acknowledged the two scholars in the group, and escorted the procession forward.

Leaving the town, they saw the canal being built in the distance. Dozens of uniformed convicts were working vigorously, with officials walking among them to supervise, occasionally lashing out at those who were lazy.

The caravan had to detour near the canal. The officials already knew that there were two scholars in the team heading to the capital for the civil service examination, one of whom was the top candidate from Liaozhou, a shoo-in for the civil service examination. They shouted with a commanding tone for the convicts to stop to avoid disturbing the nobles.

The convicts, being of low status, knelt in a huddled mass, not daring to look up at the nobles in the carriages.

A gust of wind lifted the carriage curtain, and Qiu Huanian saw the gray-haired heads of Qiu Chuanzong and Zhou Shi. He closed the curtain with a somber expression and a sense of finality, averting his gaze from the outside with a sense of detachment.

The capital of the Yu Dynasty is located in the area of modern-day Beijing, and the layout of the city is both similar to and distinct from its parallel world counterpart.

At the center, occupying a quarter of the city’s area, is the Imperial City. Outside the Imperial City are the five districts: East, West, South, North, and Central.

The South District is the largest, inhabited mostly by commoners and lower-class residents. It is divided from other districts by towering walls and guarded gates, and is also known as the Outer City.

The Central, East, West, and North Districts form the Inner City, enclosed within the same circle of walls, surrounding the Imperial City, and divided into thirty-three wards.

The wards closest to the Imperial City are in the Central District, where most of the high officials and nobles reside, and where real estate prices are through the roof.

Indeed, Qiu Huanian’s first concern about the capital is the housing prices.

In his past life, he slaved away but still couldn’t swing a fancy house in Beijing. In this life, he’s finally got a shot at snagging a big house in this alternate world’s capital.

Qiu Huanian has carefully calculated.

According to the regulations of the Yu Dynasty, the top three scorers in each imperial examination, namely the Number One Scholar, the Second Place, and the Third Place, are guaranteed to be appointed to the Hanlin Academy in the capital.

The Number One Scholar is granted the position of Hanlin Editor, a junior sixth-rank official, while the Second and Third Places are appointed as Hanlin Compilers, senior seventh-rank officials.

Those who rank in the second tier of the imperial examination and demonstrate outstanding abilities are also absorbed into the Hanlin Academy as *Shujishi* (trainees). After three years of study and another examination, they are appointed to official positions in the Hanlin Academy.

Even though these are just low-ranking positions, or even unranked *Shujishi*, why do so many freshly minted exam graduates strive to enter the Hanlin Academy?

This is because there’s a saying in the Yu Dynasty: “Only imperial examination graduates can enter the Hanlin Academy, only Hanlin graduates can serve in the Six Ministries, and only those who have served in the Six Ministries can become Grand Secretaries or even Chief Grand Secretaries.”

This is considered the golden ticket for scholars in the Yu Dynasty.

Although the official positions in the Hanlin Academy are not high-ranking, they serve at the emperor’s behest, drafting official documents for the court, and are frequently summoned by the emperor and the crown prince to lecture on the classics. They have a high potential for future high-ranking positions, making them real up-and-comers.

After a stint in the Hanlin Academy, one’s career trajectory is on a whole different plane compared to being directly appointed to a position after passing the imperial examination.

Hence the term *Noble Hanlin* (esteemed scholars).

Qiu Huanian believes in Du Yunse’s abilities. If Du Yunse wishes, he will surely be able to stay in the Hanlin Academy, making it a must to buy a house in the Central District near the Imperial City.

After all, government offices in ancient times kick off at the crack of dawn. Living far out would mean rolling out of bed by five.

In the future, when he has the privilege of attending court, he’d have to be at the palace gates by five. Getting up at three in the morning? No way.

Qiu Huanian is dead set on safeguarding their happiness.

After walking all morning, with the sun passing overhead, the escort crew finally rolled into the capital of the Yu Dynasty through the Xizhi Gate.

Once inside the city gates, the escorts finally completed their task.

Qiu Huanian took out two taels of silver and handed them to the escort leader, which was the last payment for the escort job. Without the care of the escorts familiar with this route, their trip wouldn’t have been such a breeze.

Qiu Huanian got off the carriage and took in the grandeur of the city spread out before him.

Xiangping Prefecture was already quite prosperous, but compared to the capital, it still lacked that certain something.

Here, the houses are orderly and well-constructed, the streets are wide and clean, and the people live and work in peace. Whether men, women, old, or young, everyone walking on the road has a rosy complexion and is dressed appropriately, exuding a unique demeanor that people from other places do not possess.

In the heart of the empire during a time of peace and prosperity, this is how it should be.

Regardless of how the Yuanhua Emperor came to power or the strategies he employed to secure his reign, by the standards of a feudal emperor, he was blameless in his duty to the nation and its people.

Deng Die and Wang Yinzhi, newcomers to the capital, were utterly speechless.

“Brother Hua! This way!”

From across the West Straight Gate Avenue, wide enough for eight carriages abreast, a clear and robust voice rang out effortlessly.

Qiu Huanian turned and instantly spotted Min Leyi, whom he hadn’t seen in ages.

Min Leyi sported a sleek, practical outfit, his hair tied up high. He’d grown taller and appeared more robust.

He waved energetically at Qiu Huanian several times, then grabbed his robe and hurried over. If not for the unmistakable red mole between his brows, no one would guess he was a young man.

“Leyi, it’s been a while. Looks like you’re thriving in the capital.”

Min Leyi laughed lightly and guided everyone to his family’s carriage.

A servant from the Min family drew back the carriage curtain, and a woman in her twenties alighted.

She wore practical attire, her sleeves tied up like Min Leyi’s. Tall for a woman, her eyes were sharp, and she carried herself with a no-nonsense air.

She reminded Qiu Huanian of the serious, no-nonsense women from the science lab next to his during grad school.

“This is my sister-in-law,” Min Leyi introduced casually. “This is Brother Hua, Du Yunse, and these two are Scholar Wang and Madam Deng.”

Min Leyi’s sister-in-law gave a polite nod. “You must be exhausted from your trip. I’m Ren Suyin. Leshi’s still at the Ministry of Justice, so Leyi and I will take you to the rented house.”

Min Leshi, Min Leyi’s older brother, passed the imperial exam three years ago but skipped the Hanlin Academy exam. Instead, he was posted as a county magistrate in the southwest, where he met and married Ren Suyin, witnessed by Min Taikang’s old friend.

Last autumn, Min Leshi was reassigned to the capital as a seventh-rank official in the Ministry of Justice.

This career path isn’t typical for scholars, and the Ministry of Justice lacks the prestige of the six ministries, which offer paths to ministerial or even cabinet positions.

But Min Leshi is content, and Min Taikang, who retired early to teach, doesn’t pressure his eldest son to climb the bureaucratic ladder.

The Ministry of Justice isn’t near the imperial palace but is in the Fucai District of the west city, where Min Leshi’s family purchased their home.

However, the exam hall for the metropolitan exam is in the Mingshi District of the east city. To make things easier, Min Leyi helped rent a house there.

Everyone was worn out from the trip, and their belongings were still unpacked, so a visit wasn’t feasible. Instead, Min Leyi and Ren Suyin took them straight to the rented house in the Mingshi District.

The capital’s districts combined are several times larger than Xiangping Prefecture. Traveling from the West Straight Gate to the east city by carriage took over half an hour, giving Min Leyi plenty of time to catch up with Qiu Huanian.

He skipped his family’s carriage and hopped into Qiu Huanian’s. Ren Suyin didn’t stop him, just smiled and shook her head apologetically.

Qiu Huanian tapped Min Leyi’s forehead. “You’re lucky to have a sister-in-law like her.”

“Of course, I always say marrying my sister-in-law was the smartest move my brother’s made in years,” Min Leyi joked about his still-working brother.

He flexed his arm and urged Qiu Huanian to feel his muscles. “Brother Hua, check this out—am I stronger now?”

Qiu Huanian felt the muscles—not overly bulky but definitely strong.

“Did you come to the capital to learn martial arts?”

“My sister-in-law’s the one who taught me,” Min Leyi confided. “She’s a real heroine—skilled in martial arts, sharp at solving cases, and even brave enough to perform autopsies!”

“When my eldest brother was serving as a county magistrate, there was a peculiar case that he couldn’t solve no matter what. Fortunately, my sister-in-law stepped forward and pointed the way with evidence. The case was solved, and my brother fell in love at first sight.”

Min Leyi’s face showed a natural yearning, “Now my brother is serving as an assessor at the Dali Temple. When they encounter difficult cases, they discuss and investigate together as a couple. If only I could…”

Min Leyi felt embarrassed and stopped talking.

Qiu Huanian subtly observed and found that Min Leyi seemed to have completely moved on from the shadow of his engagement with the Yu clan, which was truly for the best.

Min Leyi hardly stopped talking along the way, sometimes telling Qiu Huanian about the latest trends in the capital, and other times asking about various things in Xiangping Prefecture, from how much the child Nai Shuang eats in one meal to what plays the folk artists by the dock have been performing recently.

When the carriage entered Mingshi Ward, Min Leyi finally spoke with lingering interest about the rented house.

“Although Mingshi Ward is at the edge of the eastern city, because the examination hall is here, it’s very hard to rent a house around the time of the exams every year, even at a high price. Fortunately, we inquired early, and my brother has a colleague and friend who owns a house here, so we managed to rent it directly.”

“It’s a small courtyard with one entrance, but it’s very quiet as it’s not near the main street. There’s also a stable inside, and it only costs fifteen taels of silver a month. Quite a bargain, right?”

Min Leyi showed an expression seeking praise.

Qiu Huanian smiled and praised him, “Min Leyi has learned to handle things well, considering everything thoroughly, and has made great progress.”

Fifteen taels of silver, in the countryside of Liaozhou, could build a solid brick and tile house, but in the capital, it’s only enough to rent a small one-entrance house near the examination hall for a month during the exams.

Qiu Huanian recalled the saying from another time and place, “The capital is expensive, and living here is not easy.”

From now on, their family would live in this bustling city where “living is not easy.”

The carriage turned into an alley and arrived at the rented house. Min Leyi jumped down first, took out a key from his sleeve, and opened the main gate.

Although the house had only one entrance, the courtyard was not small. The stable could hold three horses, and there was a shed to park the carriage.

On the main side were three main rooms and side rooms on both sides, with two wing rooms on the east and west sides, as well as a small kitchen and a toilet. It was a standard quadrangle courtyard, small but complete.

“The well is at the entrance of the alley. Every morning, there are people who collect waste for five coins each. Walking one street back, there are places to buy vegetables and food. It takes less than a quarter of an hour by carriage to reach the examination hall.” Min Leyi had clearly figured all this out, listing them one by one to Qiu Huanian, making every effort to show his growth.

Ren Suyin smiled beside him, occasionally adding a word or two.

Finally, she spoke, “Min Leyi, Qiu Huanian and his companions must be tired from the journey. We should take our leave today and let them rest and settle in. We’ll visit another day.”

Min Leyi nodded reluctantly, “I’ve already mentioned where my house is several times. Brother Hua, you must come and find me to play when you have time.”

After Min Leyi and Ren Suyin left, Qiu Huanian closed the door and had everyone unpack and arrange the luggage they had brought.

Wang Yinzhi and Deng Die, the couple, would also stay here during the exams. Wang Yinzhi wanted to ask about splitting the rent, but Qiu Huanian refused.

Qiu Huanian knew that Wang Yinzhi was short on money. Since they had to rent a courtyard anyway and there were enough rooms, lending them a wing room was no big deal.

Wang Yinzhi and Deng Die thanked them repeatedly, holding Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian in even higher regard and gratitude.

Without Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse, given their family’s financial situation, they might have only been able to rent a small house in a remote corner of another ward far from the examination hall.

Not only would they not rest well, but they might also be delayed on the road and miss the exam.

Before they arrived, the house had been thoroughly cleaned. After spending half a day, they finally arranged all the daily necessities, including bedding.

Deng Die went out with the servants to buy vegetables and was about to cook for everyone. Since the rent was waived, their family would cover the food.

This time, Qiu Huanian did not refuse. Constantly giving would only add pressure to the other party, which is not the way to maintain a long-term relationship.

Deng Die was a good cook, and she made dishes in the style of Liaozhou, so there was no need to worry about the candidates suffering from dietary changes and acclimatization. Her help with meal arrangements indeed saved Qiu Huanian a lot of trouble.

Qiu Huanian told Deng Die not to make the meals too greasy, and to keep things as they are while adding more high-quality protein and high-quality carbohydrates—these last two are just examples.

Although Deng Die didn’t fully understand, she knew that it was always right to follow Lady Qishu’s advice.

So, Qiu Huanian’s and Deng Die’s families settled quietly into life in Mingshi Lane.

The next day, after registering at the examination hall, Du Yunse closed his doors to visitors, conserving his energy for the first session of the civil service exam on February 9th.

Meanwhile, Qiu Huanian sorted out the banknotes and land deeds he had brought. He didn’t waste any time in the capital; he began to reorganize his shops and estates and to investigate property prices to buy a house.