Chapter Two: Aspiring for My Father to Rise, It All Begins with Passing the Imperial Examination

Although his future father-in-law was fierce, Ye Xiu knew that ancient marriages valued social parity. As long as his grandfather, the Vice Minister of Revenue, was alive, the marriage would be secured; under the current circumstances, it would be strange if the Shen family refused to acknowledge the union.

“The agreement is clearly written in black and white,” Ye Wuji said, eyes wide, showing no shame over his son marrying into another family. “Business is all about trust. If the marriage is broken off, it would ruin his reputation. Would he dare to gamble with the family fortune accumulated over generations?”

“But what if the Shen family disagrees?” Ye Xiu was less optimistic than Ye Wuji. Having lived two lifetimes, he understood that human nature rarely withstands trials.

“Don’t worry about that. In the second year after your mother passed, your grandfather arranged another marriage for me. My future father-in-law is Xie Dashen, a Grand Academician at the Imperial Academy. He is a refreshing presence in court, deeply concerned with honor—he would never break a promise.”

Ye Wuji smiled proudly, brimming with confidence. “In short, with your grandfather and me both involved, no matter who marries in, we’ll live well.”

“All right, then.” Ye Xiu finally breathed a sigh of relief, but soon grew curious. “Father, did Grandfather suddenly turn brave to take on so much at once?”

“Your grandfather isn’t the sort to act recklessly. But he answers to the Minister, the Chancellor, the Grand Secretariat... which powerful figure doesn’t take a cut?”

With all the furniture cleared out, Ye Wuji could only sit on the doorstep. “To put it bluntly, your grandfather is the scapegoat. Without powerful backing, our whole clan would have been exiled long ago. I don’t know the details, but for now, we just have to gather enough silver to cover the deficit.”

Ye Xiu nodded. According to his previous life’s reasoning, someone always had to take the fall in situations like this.

Yet those outside prison feared it more than those inside.

Grandfather was only held at the Censorate now, not yet thrown into jail, which meant there was still room to negotiate.

Since his father wasn’t worried, Ye Xiu felt no need to fret either—fortune favors the virtuous.

After a long silence, Ye Xiu suddenly asked, “Father, is my future father-in-law very poor?”

“Those who stand for integrity often are. But besides being a Grand Academician at the Imperial Academy, he’s also a Doctor of the Imperial University and an examiner for the doctoral exams. He has plenty of perks. His next promotion is to Chief Academician. Whether your grandfather lives or dies, we have to rely on him to turn things around. Why do you ask?”

“I mean, we’re moving tomorrow. Where will we go afterward?” Ye Xiu asked carefully. “The two of us will need to make a living—we should plan ahead.”

“You have a point. So, what’s your plan?” Ye Wuji smiled, gladly handing the final decision to his less responsible son.

Having such an unreliable father, Ye Xiu had no choice.

In his view, the best way to live off others was to stay in Jinling.

But what if they couldn’t live off others?

Ye Xiu looked at Ye Wuji earnestly. “Father, when is your next exam?”

“This year,” Ye Wuji replied. “There’s the autumn provincial exam, which is a major one.”

“You’re officially a student at the Imperial Academy, so let’s stay in Jinling and try our luck at the autumn exam and the grand exam,” Ye Xiu said decisively.

If he passed, he could continue to enjoy wealth and prestige.

“Son, you really…” Ye Wuji’s face turned bitter as he sighed heavily. “When it comes to the imperial exams, your old man has plenty of experience failing. Maybe we should consider another path?”

“Father, what do the provincial exams test?” Ye Xiu insisted.

“Usually, the first two rounds require choosing two essays from the Four Books and Five Classics, plus composing a regulated poem of five characters and eight lines, and writing four expositions on classics. The third round involves selecting a passage from the ‘Correct Meanings of the Five Classics’ and writing a policy essay related to current affairs.”

Ye Wuji paused, frustration flashing in his eyes. “The reason I never passed was because of that damned rigid format. Every essay must follow eight prescribed sections: introduction, continuation, beginning, entry, first point, middle point, latter point, and conclusion.”

What the hell!

The Great Qian Dynasty also used the eight-legged essay?

Ye Xiu’s eyes widened, thrilled: as expected, heaven would not starve a time traveler.

In his previous life, he held dual doctorates in physics and classical literature and had won numerous awards in calligraphy and painting.

His main research was on the Ming dynasty’s imperial exams.

He had read tens of millions of words about the eight-legged essay.

Though he didn’t know the exact exam topics of the Great Qian Dynasty, the format was fixed.

As long as his father practiced relentlessly, cycling through the Ming dynasty exam questions from his past life, passing wasn’t just possible—it could be easy to top the charts.

The only pity was that his previous self had been a slacker from youth, never even a child candidate, or else Ye Xiu would have insisted on sitting the grand exam himself.

“Father, fortunes change. Don’t underestimate the middle-aged poor. The top scholar changes hands every year; maybe this year it’s our turn. You might just pass.”

Ye Xiu made up his mind: he would train and nurture his father properly.

To see his father soar, they had to start with passing the exam.

“I can take the exam, but…” Ye Wuji looked troubled, “I’ve failed four times…”

“Father, you’re the smartest person I know. If you study hard, becoming the top scholar is easy,” Ye Xiu earnestly coached, “As the saying goes, children follow the example set by their elders. You must set a good example for me.”

“I... I’m afraid I can’t do it...” Ye Wuji felt guilty.

“Father, you must believe in yourself. One day, you will rise to the highest ranks and govern Great Qian…”

“Well, then I’ll take the exam...” Ye Wuji’s face flushed with excitement as he clenched his fists.

Mission accomplished, Ye Xiu nodded with satisfaction.

Opportunity must not be wasted.

His father must become a successful candidate.

This was the classic case of ‘rather die together than suffer poverty alone.’

He had crossed over to enjoy life.

Letting his father fight the battles while he relaxed was the perfect plan.

At dawn the next day, the father and son each drank a bowl of porridge and dressed neatly.

“Father, where do we go first?” Ye Xiu asked.

“Studying costs money, and living costs money,” Ye Wuji said energetically. “Let’s go to the Shen family first, gather some funds, and get through this hurdle.”

“Mm,” Ye Xiu nodded. “Father, you are truly wise.”

“Of course,” Ye Wuji said.

They passed through several courtyards and headed toward the main gate.

Ye Wuji worried that his son, having lived a life of comfort, might not endure hardship well, so he encouraged him, “Son, as the old saying goes, those entrusted with great responsibilities must first endure hardship, sweat, hunger, and poverty. When we visit the Shen family, you must cast aside all pride.”

“Don’t worry, Father. I can handle it,” Ye Xiu replied, though a flicker of concern crossed his face. “But Father, can you really let go of your dignity and pride?”

“Rest assured. I’ve been loafing at home for over thirty years; my skin’s thick enough to withstand anything.”

Facing the morning sun, Ye Wuji patted his chest proudly and strode to open the door.

But the next moment, father and son froze in place.