Princess Ronghua was not surprised at all, and said: “Tell me, if I can help, I will help!”
Jiang Yuqing said: “As you may know, my family has a farm on the outskirts, and next to the farm is a stretch of barren mountains.
I would like to buy that piece of barren mountain to build a farmstead to raise livestock like pigs, chickens, and plant pastures, orchards, and so on.
I asked my father to inquire, and I know you are the owner of that barren mountain, so I brazenly came to ask Your Highness for a favor.
I know asking this is very unreasonable and abrupt. If Your Highness has other plans for that land, just pretend I never said anything.”
Princess Ronghua could not believe it and said: “You are a noble young lady, farming is understandable, but you even want to raise pigs? Those livestock are dirty and smelly, wouldn’t that bother you?”
Jiang Yuqing shook her head with a wry smile and said: “It’s not that I like to raise pigs. I just want to find a way for those former soldiers.
She briefly told Princess Ronghua about Gong Dacheng’s story.
Then she said: “I was thinking that raising pigs, sheep, or other livestock requires people to take care of them.
This way, I can provide jobs for some down-and-out veterans, so they can have a living, income, food to eat, and will not be looked down upon!”
After listening, Princess Ronghua was silent for a long time. Just when Jiang Yuqing thought the deal would not go through and was quite disappointed,
Princess Ronghua suddenly said to the old maid next to her: “Go get the deed to that mountain and 20,000 taels of silver.”
Soon the items were brought over. Princess Ronghua took the deed and held it out to Jiang Yuqing: “I’ve sold this mountain, what about the money?”
Jiang Yuqing blankly reached into her little purse in her hand. Princess Ronghua picked out some loose change from the purse, then put the deed in her hand and said: “The deal is done, it’s yours now!”
After coming to her senses, Jiang Yuqing laughed and said: “Princess, we didn't make a deal like that.”
“I think it’s a good deal!” Princess Ronghua smiled and said: “Linghui, you are the kindest child I have ever seen.
Compared to your great deeds for Da Xia, I, the princess, seems to have done nothing for the country. I am ashamed! Consider these as my thoughts!”
Then she also put the 20,000 taels of silver notes into Jiang Yuqing’s hands.
Jiang Yuqing held the items, feeling like she was holding a thousand catties. She solemnly paid respects to the princess and said: “Linghui, on behalf of all the imprisoned heroes, I thank Your Highness.”
Princess Ronghua herself helped her up and said, “No need to thank me. Compared to what you have done for Da Xia, what I gave is really nothing.”
“Goodwill is goodwill, regardless of size. I will remember Your Highness’ grace. When the farm is built and bears fruit, I will send you some baskets!”
“Alright, I look forward to your fruit baskets.”
Princess Ronghua kept Jiang Yuqing for lunch before letting her go, and even personally escorted her to the second gate.
Watching the young girl gradually disappear from sight, Princess Ronghua was extremely moved: “A young girl, but with the mind and magnanimity that is no less than a hero. No wonder the emperor and empress dote on her so much. Linghui truly deserves it.”
With the barren mountain issue settled, Jiang Yuqing immediately sent people to the livestock shops in the city to look for large quantities of piglets, breeding sows, cattle, sheep and other livestock.
At the same time, she found professional construction teams to go to the barren mountain to build fences and houses, etc.
She also did not neglect treating Gong Muming’s illness, giving him treatment morning and evening. After 5-6 days, the boy finally recovered.
Gong Dacheng also told her about their future plans. They were not going back to their hometown. Gong Dacheng was a peddler before joining the army. He planned to buy a small courtyard in the capital and rent a shop for a small business.
Jiang Yuqing thought it was a good idea, so she asked Steward Zhao to help find a place. In less than two days, Zhao reported back that there were several suitable locations.
Jiang Yuqing asked Steward Zhao to take the two around to see all the places, and they finally bought a shop with a backyard on Sanshi Street in the East City.
Jiang Yuqing also visited it once. At the front was a decent sized storefront, in the back courtyard were three wing rooms, a kitchen, and a storeroom, there was even a well.
The father and son had plenty of space to live. This place was close to the residential area with high traffic flow, a grocery store should do well.
On the day they bought the house, father and son immediately moved in, saying they didn’t want to trouble her again.
Jiang Yuqing also knew they were not comfortable staying as guests, so she let them be, only instructing Steward Zhao to help them find reliable supply channels.
As newcomers and with a disability, Gong Dacheng might be taken advantage of by crafty businessmen.
Busy with these things, the days reached April 15th, the day the exam results were posted. In the early morning, Jiang Yuqing rushed to the results posting area on Bai Xiaoshi like her tail was on fire.
Her brothers and father were very calm, sitting at home waiting for the news. But she couldn't wait. She wanted to know the result at the first moment!
The first moment!
When she was still far from the posting area, carriages couldn’t get through anymore. But nimbly Jiang Yuqing went ahead on Bai Xiaoshi.
Those who recognized her would smile when they saw her happy appearance. Those who didn’t recognize her would also marvel that the girl looked so good, and the deer as well.
At the posting area, there was already a sea of people, everyone anxiously waiting. Some who were clearly scholars were especially nervous, because this concerned their future destiny.
Jiang Yuqing let Bai Xiaoshi go find a place on its own. She wasn’t worried about its safety at all. No one capable of stealing it was even born yet. She herself squeezed into the crowd.
At Chen time, with a loud gong ringing, a team of officers wearing red flowers carried out a red list and posted it on the notice board.
“It’s announced! It’s announced!” The crowd suddenly went crazy pushing forward.
Jiang Yuqing was among them, and relying on her agile figure and strength, she forcibly killed out a bloody path to the very front.
With just one glance, she saw her seventh brother’s name at the top – First place: Lingzhou Prefecture, Qingzhou County, Jiang Yuchuan.
Jiang Yuqing immediately jumped up in joy, raised both hands happily shouting loudly: “Ah! My seventh brother is the top ranked Huiyuan (successful candidate), number one!”
The crowd immediately looked at her with great envy. This young girl, her brother must still be very young to achieve such amazing results. What kind of family is able to nurture such an outstanding son!
After celebrating for a bit, Jiang Yuqing suppressed her excitement to keep looking down. At number 27 she found Jiang Yujiang’s name. It read: 27th place: Lingzhou Prefecture, Qingzhou County, Jiang Yujiang.
Jiang Yuqing was so excited her face turned red: “Ah! My big brother also made it! 27th place, 27th place!”
A man couldn’t help asking: “Little girl, how many brothers did you have taking the exam?”
Jiang Yuqing excitedly and proudly held up two fingers and arrogantly said: “Two! Seventh brother is first place Huiyuan. Big brother is 27th place. Both have their names on the list!”
The crowd was immediately green with envy. What kind of family is able to nurture two such outstanding sons at the same time!
Jiang Yuqing got the results she wanted. She swiftly squeezed out of the crowd, rode Bai Xiaoshi, and rushed home like the wind to report the good news to everyone.
She was faster than the little servant their family sent to watch the posting.
As soon as Jiang Yuqing entered the door, she happily shouted loudly: “They’re in! Both my brothers made it!
Big brother is 27th place. Seventh brother is 1st place Huiyuan! My brothers are so awesome!”
When everyone heard, they all cheered. Jiang Wenyuan hugged his son in one arm and his nephew in the other, continuously patting their shoulders with tears of joy in his eyes: “Good boys!”
Lu was so agitated she didn’t know what to do with her hands and feet. Nanny Yan reminded her: “Madam, people will come to congratulate soon, hurry and get ready!”
Only then did Lu come to her senses: “Right, quickly, prepare tea, fruits, desserts, also take out the firecrackers, and the red envelopes.” They barely had it ready when people started arriving to celebrate.
Two successful candidates from the Jiang Duke manor at once, one even the top Huiyuan,
The various manor lords who received the news all came to congratulate. Jiang Wenyuan and Madam Lu smiled so widely their mouths couldn’t close.
Even Jiang Yuchuan's two senior brothers personally came to offer congratulations with their families. On this day, the Duke Jiang's mansion was full of ceremonial canopies for the first time.
Three days later was the palace examination. Jiang Yujiang topped the golden list in the 17th place as Advanced Scholar.
16-year-old Jiang Yuchuan came first in all three categories, was appointed as the Top Scholar, awarded the Advanced Scholar title, and became the youngest and most handsome Top Scholar in the history of Great Xia Dynasty.
The entire Duke Jiang's mansion was boiling with excitement.
On the day of the parade on horseback along the imperial avenue, the Jiang family including Doctor Qiu came in full attendance. They had long reserved the best street-front box seats along the imperial avenue, waiting to see their family’s Top Scholar parade on horseback.
Wearing crimson official robes, Jiang Yuchuan sat straight-backed on a snowy white fine steed. The handsome youth had a square face like a princely jade, smiling eyes and brows, eliciting screams from groups of young ladies along the way.
Along his path, flowers, handkerchiefs and sachets rained down upon his head and body like raindrops. There is a poem that goes: “Worthless in the past, now unrestrained in indulgence. Triumphant in spring winds on an impatient steed, viewing all Chang’an's flowers in a day.”
Jiang Yuqing stretched her neck far out of the window early on, waving at her brother and shouting loudly: “Brother, you are the best Top Scholar, so handsome!”
Her voice was so distinctive and penetrating that amidst the deafening cheers, Jiang Yuchuan instantly spotted his beloved sister.
The little girl was half hanging out of the window in excitement, her flushed happy face visible. Jiang Yuchuan also smiled and waved back at his sister.
He had once sworn to make her the sister of the best Top Scholar. And he did it!
As the parade went closer, Jiang Yuqing was surprised to see the top three scholars were all very good-looking. Especially the second place, who was comparable to her brother.
Father said earlier that His Majesty had initially wanted to appoint Jiang Yuchuan as the second place judging by his looks.
It happened that Grand Tutor Yan was present then. He advised: “Your Majesty, you cannot appoint someone the second place just because he is good-looking, at the expense of his rightful spot as the Top Scholar!”
Emperor Xia Jing agreed after pondering, hence another candidate surnamed Lu was designated as the second place instead.
This Lu hailed from Yunzhou Academy and was apparently a cousin of her third senior brother Lu Yi, as mentioned by her father Doctor Qiu. What a small world indeed!
That night, a banquet was held in the palace and both of Jiang Yuqing’s brothers attended. Amidst the banquet, people asked Jiang Wenyuan several times about his children’s marriage arrangements, but he managed to tactfully evade their prying.
Those asking were men with groups of wives and concubines, engaged in fierce infighting at home supposedly. Their daughters could hardly turn out well.
The Jiang family upholds fine traditions and would definitely not allow such dubious people into their family - one bad apple spoils the barrel after all.
