Chapter 072: Bringing the Good News
When Xue Rui returned to Shitou Alley, he noticed a horse-drawn carriage parked in front of his house and was quite intrigued. Few people knew of this residence, and since his father had been imprisoned, all his friends had severed ties with him.
He heard laughter coming from the courtyard and grew curious about the visitors. The gate wasn’t latched, so Xue Rui pushed it open and entered.
In the courtyard sat three men, chatting and laughing together, while Madam Liu was pouring tea for them. Xue Rui immediately recognized the man with the long beard as his uncle, Liu Ren. The other two were an elderly man and a young man in his twenties.
Upon hearing the gate open, the three turned to look.
“Well now, our family’s great hero has returned!” Liu Ren stood up, smiling at Xue Rui. “Come and greet your grandfather and younger uncle. They’ve come especially to see you today.”
“Grandfather?” Xue Rui studied the elderly man, and after a moment, realized who he was.
Liu Wenyao was just over fifty, his face thin and refined, his eyes bright and serious. He wore a scholar’s cap and a gray robe, presenting a learned appearance. The younger uncle, Liu Zhi, was twenty-five, of medium build, fair and plump, with a cheerful look.
“Greetings, Grandfather, Younger Uncle.” Having not seen Liu Wenyao or Liu Zhi for half a year, Xue Rui hurried forward to pay his respects.
Liu Wenyao, observing his proper manners, felt gratified. “You truly have matured. Your uncle said you’ve made progress, and I had my doubts, but now I see you’ve become much steadier.”
“Six months ago, Rui’er was still a little rascal, but now he’s so proper with his bows, he looks like an old scholar! You’re not just pretending, are you?” Liu Zhi stepped forward, joking with Xue Rui.
From their demeanor, it seemed the three had only just arrived.
Madam Liu finished pouring tea and said to Liu Wenyao, “Father, you’ve only just recovered from your illness and now traveled all this way. Please, sit down and rest.”
Everyone settled back in their seats. Xue Rui turned to Liu Wenyao, “Grandfather, what brings you to the capital? We heard you were ill, and Mother and I have been worried.”
Liu Zhi whispered to Xue Rui, “Your grandfather wasn’t really ill. He was just muddled from anger. Yesterday, when he heard the grain carts had been recovered, he jumped right out of bed and ran faster than I could.”
“Scoundrel, how dare you mock your own father?” Liu Wenyao’s face reddened, and he took off his shoe to threaten his son, but Liu Zhi dodged away quickly, escaping punishment.
After a few words, Xue Rui learned that the Liu family planned to move to the capital; they had already rented a house and intended to bring the whole family here. With the threat of the Wala army moving south at any time, it was a wise decision, and Xue Rui wholeheartedly agreed.
Of course, someone had to look after their home in Wanping County. Liu Wenyao explained that the second son, Liu Yi, would stay behind to manage the grain transportation. Liu Yi knew some martial arts and was skilled on horseback—if things went wrong, he could escape quickly and wouldn’t be caught by the Wala.
After some laughter, Liu Wenyao turned to Xue Rui, “Rui’er, since Minister Yu helped our family so much, should we bring a gift and pay him a visit?”
“Absolutely not. Minister Yu is upright and honest; he helped us recover the grain carts only because Shuntian Prefecture handled things improperly. He wasn’t seeking any benefit. If you bring him gifts, it would only backfire,” Xue Rui replied quickly.
“A good official like Minister Yu is truly rare. No wonder the court entrusts him with such responsibility,” Liu Wenyao nodded, having heard of Yu Qian’s reputation. After Xue Rui’s confirmation, his respect grew even deeper.
Liu Ren and Liu Zhi chimed in agreement. Without Yu Qian’s help, they wouldn’t be sitting here laughing now.
Xue Rui thought of the grain and asked, “Grandfather, now that the grain carts have been recovered, how long will it take to move all the grain?”
“The capital is more than thirty li from home. At most, two trips a day—it’ll take at least a month to move it all,” Liu Wenyao replied, his face falling as he spoke.
The Wala army could move south at any moment, and the capital was preparing for war, a clear sign that time was running short.
Yet Xue Rui wasn’t worried. The Wala had not yet realized the capital’s defenses were weak; they were busy extorting money from Emperor Zhu Qizhen. By the time the Wala caught on, it would already be October.
After explaining his analysis, the Liu family was overjoyed.
Xue Rui’s judgment had proven accurate time and again, and they had come to trust him completely.
Xue Rui assured them there was more than a month left, but even if there were only half that time, Liu Wenyao and the others felt confident they could move all the new grain to the capital.
As for the old grain, if it couldn’t be moved, they’d sell it cheaply to the people or burn it outright—anything to prevent it from falling into Wala hands.
“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you all some good news!” After the matter of the grain, Xue Rui slapped his thigh and smiled at everyone.
Madam Liu asked quickly, “Rui’er, is it about your father? Have you heard something?”
“My father will be released in the next few days, but that’s not what I want to say—it’s about me!”
“What good fortune have you had—did you find silver on the road?” Liu Zhi asked, curious.
Xue Rui cleared his throat, pointed to himself with his thumb, and said, “Today was the annual examination. Though I am not particularly gifted, I passed the assessment and officially became an Astronomical Student!”
Despite this news, the family’s expressions were rather odd.
The term Astronomical Student was familiar to the Liu family, since their son-in-law had held the same title; Madam Liu was even more acquainted with it. But somehow, the term didn’t seem to suit Xue Rui.
Seeing their disbelief, Xue Rui had no choice but to take out the certificate arranged by Cui Shizuo, which clearly stated his new status.
“My son really passed?” Madam Liu was astonished, as if she’d seen a ghost.
Everyone else was equally stunned, unable to believe it.
When Xue Yuanhao entered the institute, he started as an Apprentice, studied for a year, and then passed the exam to become an Astronomical Student. But he had studied astronomy and calendrical science under Hu Zhong for years before entering, so passing was no surprise.
Xue Rui, however, was different. Everyone present had watched him grow up and knew exactly what kind of person he was. The idea that he had become an Astronomical Student in such a short time made them suspect he had forged the certificate himself.
“What are those looks for?” Xue Rui was helpless, seeing his family struggle to accept the news. He added,
“All right, I’ll be honest. The institute confirmed that the exam was much easier this time. I was lucky—the master happened to have taught me a few of the questions, so I managed to pass.”
After his explanation, everyone finally understood.
Though it was a stroke of luck, Madam Liu was very pleased. She laughed, “My son has really made something of himself. When your father gets out and learns you’re an Astronomical Student, he’ll think he’s dreaming.”
Even Madam Liu herself felt as if she were dreaming.