The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 129: Returning Home in Glory

Chapter 129: Returning Home in Glory

Departing from the capital back to Xiangping Prefecture, with only a light entourage and an escort of imperial guards from the capital, their pace was even faster than on the way there. In less than ten days, Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse arrived at Xiangping.

It was now late March. The farmland along the road had already been planted with crops; tender green shoots grew vigorously in the fields, a charming sight.

Passing several imperial estates, Qiu Huanian spotted cotton plants.

Under the Crown Prince’s arrangement, imperial estates across the empire had begun trial plantings of cotton, gathering data. If all went well, it would be promoted nationwide next year.

According to the Crown Prince, he was now counting on Qiu Huanian; upon their return to the capital, he would have to collaborate with household department officials overseeing the imperial estates to compile the data reported from all regions and work out the most suitable solutions.

The Crown Prince had even confided: if this matter was successful, Qiu Huanian’s title could be elevated to **County Lord (县主)**¹.

In the Yu Dynasty, women and male spouses were granted noble titles in order of Xiangjun (乡君), Xianzhu (县主), and Junzhu (郡主) below the highest ranks of Princess (公主) for women and Qingjun (青君) for men — the latter two reserved solely for the Emperor’s daughters and sons born as male spouses.

Of the three lower titles, Junzhu was usually restricted to close imperial kin, making Xianzhu the highest ordinary people could realistically attain. In rank: Xiangjun carried no official grade, Xianzhu was zheng wupin², Junzhu was zheng sanpin³, and Princess/Qingjun ranked zheng yipin⁴.

At present there was only one Qingjun in the empire — Qiwu Qingjun, a son of the Late Emperor, and Emperor Yuanhua’s half-brother. It was said that Emperor Yuanhua had been orphaned of his mother in childhood, and Qingjun’s mother had cared for him. When the Late Emperor was in his final years, she died in childbirth, and he considered it an ill omen, thus resenting Qingjun.

After seizing the throne, Emperor Yuanhua brought the three-year-old Qingjun into the Empress’s palace to be raised, giving him his title — making it fair to say Qingjun was raised by the Empress, growing up alongside the Crown Prince.

Unlike the Crown Prince’s lifelong frailty, Qingjun had always been lively, free-spirited, and uninterested in court life. In his teens, he apprenticed himself to a Daoist master and left the palace to seek immortals, rarely returning to the capital in any given year.

Qiu Huanian had heard of him but never met him.

It was rumored that this year, for the Emperor’s fiftieth birthday, Qingjun would return before summer to offer congratulations. If so, perhaps they would meet.

Life in the capital — the empire’s center of economy, power, and culture — promised to be colorful indeed.

On the third day of the fourth month, Yuanhua’s twenty-third year, they approached the gates of Xiangping Prefecture.

Their homecoming had long since been known, and the imperial guards’ escort was no small matter. News had traveled into the city, and even before they reached the Long Pavilion three li from the gate, many people had come to greet them.

Lifting the carriage curtain, Qiu Huanian saw in the front row Jiujiu, Chunsheng, Yuncheng, Meng Yuanling, Su Xinbai, the Zhu brothers, the Shu couple, the Huang sisters, and others.

Also present were the prefectural officials, led by Prefect Si Jing.

“They’re here! They’re here!”

“Brother and Brother Hua are back!”

When the carriage stopped, Xingmi helped Qiu Huanian alight, and Jiujiu and Chunsheng rushed to embrace them without a thought for ceremony.

Their trip to the capital for the exams had taken over two months — the longest the children had ever been apart from their elder brothers.

Jiujiu was calmer; Chunsheng, after hugging Qiu Huanian, also threw his arms around Du Yunse. Du Yunse ruffled his hair — and this time did not lecture him about propriety.

Chunsheng’s nose stung and his eyes reddened, but instead of speaking immediately, he stood with his sister, waiting for the adults to finish their formalities.

Nearly nine now, Chunsheng seemed to have matured in the two months without his guardians.

Once the children stepped aside, Prefect Si Jing came forward to congratulate Du Yunse.

“Two years ago at the Dragon Boat Festival poetry meet, I knew you were no ordinary man; and in just two years, you’ve taken the very top place in the Palace Examination. Truly, I admire you and feel humbled!”

The prefect’s position, zheng sipin⁵, ranked higher than Du Yunse’s current cong liupin⁶, but Si Jing knew well that was only temporary. A zhuangyuan’s prospects far outstripped that of ordinary jinshi — in a few years, Du Yunse’s rank would surpass all of Si Jing’s lifetime seniority.

Thus, he addressed him as an equal. Having the champion come from Xiangping was no small accolade for the prefect, and as the region’s “parent official,” he had a natural link to Du Yunse; as the latter rose, Si Jing would have an ally in court.

Du Yunse, showing no hint of pride, cupped his hands in return. “The Magistrate flatters me. I must also thank you for your past care.”

Si Jing laughed. “To have aided the champion is my good fortune.”

“Champion Du must be going home to pay respects at your ancestral tombs? How long will you stay in Xiangping?”

Du Yunse glanced at Qiu Huanian.

After a moment’s thought, Qiu said, “The trip from here to the capital is long, and Zhang County is even farther. With just a month’s leave, we can spare at most three to five days in Xiangping.”

Si Jing, recalling the champion’s devotion to his spouse from the poetry meet, was unsurprised — but inwardly thought it rare indeed for wealth and honor not to change a man’s heart.

“That’s enough — I’ll need one day of your time,” the prefect said.

“The scholars of Xiangping wish to learn from the champion; and the yamen should host a grand feast in celebration. How about, in one day, spend the afternoon at Qingfeng Academy discoursing with the students, and the evening banquet at Mingfeng Terrace?”

As a new zhuangyuan, such hometown engagements were unavoidable, especially with the prefect himself having come out to greet him. Refusing would call forth accusations of arrogance.

Du Yunse nodded. “Let’s set it for the day after tomorrow, then.”

With agreement reached, the other officials also came to offer congratulations.

While Du Yunse spoke with them, Qiu Huanian took a chance to chat with old friends.

“Why didn’t you rest at home instead of coming all the way out?” he asked Su Xinbai.

Su Xinbai adjusted his lined satin cloak. “I was stifled indoors so long — wanted to get out in this fine weather.”

Qiu raised a brow. “Not just to welcome me?”

Su Xinbai suddenly found the jade pendant at Qiu Huanian’s waist worth examining.

Zhu Jingcheng smiled and smoothly diverted the conversation.

“The little kitten can smile now, and will turn his head toward voices — but the wind’s too strong to bring him out. When will you come see him? Xinbai’s been waiting.”

Qiu laughed. “I’ve long had the gift for him ready. Have you prepared the godparent ceremony?”

Zhu Jingcheng’s smile deepened. “It was ready long ago. My grandparents ask about it every few days.”

He wasn’t exaggerating — from the moment word came that Du Yunse had taken huiyuan, the Zhu family had been overjoyed. When urgent riders brought news he had also taken the championship, the old patriarch had happily drunk an entire jar of wine.

A twenty-one-year-old champion; and an unprecedented Six Consecutive Firsts — to have spotted such a dragon among men in his humble beginnings, and to have built friendship along the way — how could the Zhu family not be ecstatic?

In his cups, the old patriarch had taken his most favored grandson’s hand and murmured:

“Our Zhu clan has been merchant princes of Liaozhou for generations; I thought we had no chance to rise further. But now you’ve proved an outstanding grandson, married a high-ranking official’s son, and befriended a newly exalted Six-Firsts champion…

“Jingcheng — your destiny lies beyond Liaozhou. One day, perhaps, you’ll find a wider world to display your talents!”

…

After greeting all who had come out, both Du and Qiu could see how excited everyone was. But their friends knew the journey had been tiring; so after a few brief words, they let the couple return home to rest, promising to visit in coming days.

Following the champion’s carriage in a grand procession, the prefectural officials and friends returned to the city.

After consulting the guard commander, the escort unfurled the great red wooden placards reading “Champion and Presented Scholar” and “Imperially Appointed Hanlin,” and two men began beating gongs and drums.

A champion’s hometown return with military escort and ceremonial trappings was meant to display imperial favor; omitting such signs would be tantamount to disrespect, no small matter in ancient protocol.

Listening to the gongs and drums outside, Qiu Huanian lifted the curtain. As they neared Xiangping’s gates and entered, others peeled away for home; but countless townsfolk, hearing the commotion, poured into the streets, lining the wide road.

The literate explained to the crowd what “Champion and Presented Scholar” meant, and that “Imperially Appointed Hanlin” was the Emperor’s direct bestowal. Gasps erupted; cheer, applause, and blessings drifted over the city in the early April air.

Like a blade cleaving water, the procession with its red plaques moved through the populace, the crowd parting ahead and closing in behind, following all the way to the couple’s residence.

At the gate, Uda and the other servants had prepared; on seeing them, they lit a massive string of hundreds of red firecrackers.

The crack and boom resounded long in the air, the scent of gunpowder mingling with the joy.

“Welcome home, Master and Young Master! Congratulations to Master on taking the championship!”

Qiu smiled and bid everyone inside.

Lingque had already prepared hot water for washing, and Auntie Jin with Uncle Mumian had readied a feast, keeping it hot in steamers.

After washing in the spotless main hall, the couple changed clothes and sat to eat in the flower hall.

“Bring the dishes, then you can all go — Bai Quan and Xingmi have been away with us for over two months; I’m sure you miss your children.”

Uda and Lingque, along with Mumian, indeed longed to see their children and hear their news; thanking them, they withdrew.

Meng Yuanling then reported, “Hua Ge’er, in these two months, our plum blossom ointment sold especially well. Along with oyster sauce and other snacks, that’s over five hundred taels profit.”

Qiu calculated: the Shaowei Yan farewell banquet had been held just before they left the capital; the prestigious troupe had in the end been obtained through connections of Marquis Taiping, Kang Zhong. The banquet all told had cost over three hundred taels.

That left him with six to seven hundred — plus the five hundred taels left at home, and the new five hundred from the shop’s profits, making seventeen hundred taels in total.

Brought to the capital and spent carefully, that would more than cover half a year’s comfortable living.

Still, to be safe, after this home visit they should set the capital branch of Qi Ji Six Scents into motion.

When Meng Yuanling was done, Yuncheng spoke of his studies.

In a month, before the Dragon Boat Festival, the next county level (yuan) exam would be held; he had registered and planned to try for xiucai. Du Yunse deemed his chances excellent.

A seventeen-year-old xiucai would be a prodigy in a farming family.

Next was Jiujiu’s turn: in these two months, she had managed the household well, attending several flower banquets with Zhu Xian and Su Xinyao.

Granny was in a growth spurt; she seemed taller already, and at eleven or twelve, she was blooming into a graceful young lady. Qiu Huanian felt the quiet pride of “our girl is growing up.”

When she had finished, Qiu turned expectantly to Chunsheng for his “long speech” — but the boy merely glanced at him, as if with something on his mind, and did not speak right away.

notes:

1. 1. Xianzhu (县主) – County Lord; a fifth-rank title for women or male spouses.

1. 1. Zheng Wupin (正五品) – Fifth rank in the imperial hierarchy.

1. 1. Zheng Sanpin (正三品) – Third rank.

1. 1. Zheng Yipin (正一品) – First rank; the highest official grade.

1. 1. Zheng Sipin (正四品) – Fourth rank.

1. 1. Cong Liupin (从六品) – Lower sixth rank.