Chapter 42: The Mansion Banquet

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Seeing that every bandit who had robbed them had been put to death, Fang Yi’s eyes became like buckets with their bottoms knocked out, and tears streamed freely down her face. Li Jie walked over and released her from her bonds. Looking closely, he found that the girl was remarkably beautiful and had not yet reached her fifteenth year.

The moment Fang Yi was freed, she fell to her knees with a thud.

“Many thanks, my benefactor! You have avenged this humble girl’s great wrongs. I have no way to repay you, and can only hope to remain at your side, serving you as an ox or horse and repaying your kindness with all I possess!”

With that, she bowed until her forehead touched the ground and remained kneeling.

Li Jie found the girl’s words rather troublesome. He had come merely to put what he had learned into practice. He had never expected to find a captive woman in the bandits’ lair—and from her manner of speaking and conduct, she clearly did not come from an ordinary household.

“Miss, do you have any family you can turn to? I can have someone escort you home.”

At his words, Fang Yi’s grief deepened. She raised her head and looked at Li Jie, tears once again pattering from her eyes. When his question reminded her that every member of her family had been slaughtered, she could no longer stop crying. After a while, she spoke in a hoarse voice.

“This time, my family and I set out from Quanzhou Prefecture, intending to travel to Yingtian Prefecture. Who could have known that, while passing through Fuzhou Prefecture, we would be robbed by those vile beasts who deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces? Aside from me, every member of my family was cruelly murdered. I survived only because the bandit chief took a fancy to me. Now I have nowhere to go and no home to return to. I can only hope that my benefactor will not disdain my humble appearance and will take me in.”

As she spoke, tears continued to fall. Li Jie could not help feeling pity for her.

“Stand up first. If you have nowhere to go for the time being, then come with me. Whenever you wish to leave—or marry—you may do so.”

Hearing his answer, Fang Yi bowed to him once more. She then tried to rise, but her entire body was so weak that she could not steady herself and nearly fell. Li Jie hurried forward to support her.

He was rather helpless in the face of such a situation. The only thing to blame was the appalling security of the age. Incidents like this occurred everywhere, one after another. Bandits were like weeds: cut down one crop, and another would soon grow in its place.

After a while, through their conversation, Li Jie learned the general outline of Fang Yi’s circumstances. Her entire family had left for Yingtian Prefecture because they had offended powerful people in Quanzhou Prefecture and had been forced to flee. They intended to seek refuge with an old friend of Fang Yi’s father. Unfortunately, all Fang Yi knew was the man’s name; she knew nothing else about him. Thus, Li Jie’s plan to send her away for the time being had to be put on hold.

As dusk approached, Li Jie drew another signal arrow from his robes. With a sharp whistle, it shot into the sky and exploded overhead. This arrow was meant to tell Lin Zhen'nan that he was safe and preparing to return; it was different from the warning arrow he had fired earlier.

When Lin Zhen'nan saw the signal from Li Jie, his anxious heart finally relaxed. He then laughed aloud and rode back toward the city with his companions before the gates were closed.

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After firing the signal arrow, Li Jie prepared to return. Learning that Fang Yi could not ride, and fearing that the city gates would soon close, he hurriedly found a carriage in the bandits’ camp. Once they reached the foot of the mountain, he brought out the chestnut horse he had previously hidden in the dense woods, harnessed it alongside the carriage horse, and drove away. Hurrying as fast as he could, he managed to enter the city just before the gates shut.

When they returned home, the Lin couple were astonished to see Fang Yi brought back by Li Jie. After questioning him, Lin Zhen'nan could not help sighing over Fang Yi’s misfortune. Madam Wang was kindhearted by nature, and after hearing the story, she repeatedly wiped away her tears.

“Fang Yi, you will live here from now on. Consider this your own home!”

After taking considerable trouble to settle Fang Yi in, Madam Wang continued to sigh to Lin Zhen'nan.

“Ah, the poor child! She lost her family at such a young age.”

Lin Zhen'nan had encountered many such situations while traveling the martial world. He knew that Madam Wang was simply too compassionate and could not bear to see others suffer, so he offered a few comforting words.

The following day.

A young servant hurried into the main hall and called out loudly, “Master! Master! The prefectural yamen secretary has come to pay a visit!”

Upon hearing the servant’s announcement, Lin Zhen'nan first informed Li Jie, then hurried to the gate to receive the visitor. Standing there was a middle-aged Confucian scholar of about forty, with a square face and dressed in a white scholar’s robe. When he saw Lin Zhen'nan and Li Jie, he smiled and cupped his hands.

“Congratulations on your son becoming the top candidate. This humble servant has come on the prefect’s orders to invite Pingzhi to attend a banquet hosted by His Excellency tomorrow. All the candidates who passed this examination will be present.”

Lin Zhen'nan promptly invited the secretary inside to rest for a while. Secretary Lu followed him through the main gate and into the residence.

In the main hall, the fragrance of tea drifted through the air. After taking a sip, Secretary Lu praised it.

“Excellent tea!”

“Not at all, not at all. It is merely a local specialty. If you like it, Secretary Lu, I will have my servants prepare a portion for you before you leave,” Lin Zhen'nan said with a beaming smile.

This Secretary Lu came from the Lu clan of Fucheng. He was also a distant clansman of Lu Heng. Lin Zhen'nan had made certain to investigate these connections thoroughly, hoping to cultivate a relationship and pave the way for Li Jie.

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Secretary Lu accepted the gift gladly. During their subsequent conversation, he saw that Li Jie showed no trace of arrogance or complacency and could not help nodding inwardly.

In truth, Lu Heng had sent him to assess Li Jie. If Li Jie had become smug merely because he had ranked first in the county and prefectural examinations, then he would hardly have been worth investing in. After the prefectural examination, Lu Heng had made inquiries about Li Jie and thought highly of him. He intended to cultivate the young man carefully.

Secretary Lu’s visit was therefore the final test. Seeing Li Jie’s modest and unassuming manner, he revealed an expression of approval.

…

Though the banquet held after the prefectural examination was not as grand as the Qionglin Banquet or the Deer-Crying Banquet, it was nevertheless one of the most important gatherings held after each prefectural examination.

In the Ming dynasty, the title of examination candidate was reserved for those who had passed both the county and prefectural examinations. This differed from the custom of the Qing dynasty, when any scholar who had not yet passed the examination to become a licentiate could be called an examination candidate. The title also signified eligibility to compete for the rank of licentiate. Although no statute granted examination candidates the privilege of remaining seated before an official, as licentiates were permitted to do, most officials still treated them with a measure of courtesy—especially young candidates.

Before the prefectural yamen, Li Jie, as the top candidate, led the assembled examination candidates inside without hesitation. When they reached the front hall, they saw Lu Heng seated above them, while the gentle music of strings and pipes drifted through the air.

Following proper etiquette, Li Jie bowed first. The people behind him then followed suit, paying their respects to the prefect and expressing their gratitude for being accepted.

During the banquet, people repeatedly came to Li Jie’s table to offer him wine. The prefectural banquet seated two people at each table, with the top candidate alone at his own. Li Jie smiled and responded to those around him. Any one of these men might one day rise to prominence. They were fellow townsmen and fellow examinees, and showing them courtesy could do him no harm.

At the banquet, the scholars exchanged cups and toasts. For those attending such an important gathering for the first time, the occasion was exhilarating. Prefect Lu also offered words of encouragement from time to time, and the atmosphere was lively. No ugly incidents occurred; after all, anyone who had made it this far was no fool. Even those who harbored personal grudges would not choose such an important occasion to air them.

When the banquet ended, the scholars gradually departed. Li Jie was preparing to return home when Lu Heng called out.

“Pingzhi, stay behind for a moment. There is something I wish to discuss with you.”

Hearing the prefect’s words, the scholars were all greatly surprised. Many were envious of the treatment Li Jie received. To most from humble families, a prefect was already an imposing official; many could strive their entire lives and still never attain such a position. Seeing how highly the prefect regarded Li Jie, they could only envy him in silence.

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