Fields of Gold

Not long after the Yu Family arrived at the capital, the new first-placed candidate in the provincial exams, Lord Little Shitou, also leisurely arrived in the city. After the autumn exams were over, he couldn't stay in the capital and went back to the Hubei and Hunan provinces along with his classmates to travel and play.

Little Shitou had always been a clever and quick-witted child. Under the imperceptible transformation of the mystic-stone water, not only was his body extremely healthy but his intelligence had also gotten a boost. In the past, when he took the county level and prefectural level exams, his results could only be considered towards the top and he had never gotten first place. Who would have thought that in the period of six years, he would end up taking first place in these exams!

Originally, the Yu Family wanted to prepare a large banquet to celebrate him taking first. However, the fellow didn't even leave a word before he packed up a few sets of clothing and ran off with his classmates to play in the south! Without the main person there, what was the point of celebrating? That being said, at that time, the news of Zhu Junyang having a rousing success in the north had trickled back to the capital but they still weren't sure when he was going to be back. Thus, Xiaocao was also absent minded during this period and didn't organize a party either. In Little Shitou's words, "When I get the top grade in the imperial court exams, then we will celebrate together!" This fellow was quite confident in himself and didn't seem to have any pre-exam pressure.

The metropolitan civil service examination was going to be held next year at the start of the third month. He still had more than half a year. If it had been anyone else, they would have long started shutting themselves at home, studying long and hard. He, on the other hand, had the leisurely mood to go run off and find classmates to play around with. It was hard to say whether he had confidence in himself or was just overestimating his abilities!

When he found out that the great expert, Chief Steward Su, was at his family's residence, recuperating from his wounds, this fellow sidled over, asking to be taught martial arts. If it had been anyone else, Su Ran wouldn't even give them a proper look. After all, this was Xiaocao's younger blood-related brother, so Su Ran felt Little Shitou's body and bones and remarked in disdain, "Your aptitude could only be considered medium. If you had started to slowly train at the age of three to four and practiced for at least a dozen years, then you could almost be considered an expert. Now you're already sixteen and have long missed the optimal period for learning martial arts, so….you should keep your focus on studying and reading books and stop getting these silly flights of fancy of yours!"

Little Shitou smacked his lips a couple of times and continued on this line of questioning out of his own desire to wonder, "If I had started practicing martial arts when I was young, how big of a chance would I have to fight to a draw with Imperial Prince Xu?"

Su Ran acted as if he had just heard the world's funniest joke and stared at him for a long time before he finally said, "It's best that young people such as yourself don't spend too much time daydreaming! Your future older brother-in-law is one of those geniuses at martial arts who can only be found once every a hundred years or so. He's like the incarnation of the devil himself. Before I got injured, I could only barely manage to avoid suffering a defeat when sparring with him. In other words, there's probably not more than a handful of people in the Great Ming Empire who could currently surpass him!"

"Eh? So what you're saying is that Imperial Prince Xu is an exceptional expert ah?" Little Shitou had a face full of despair, "I had wanted to learn some boxing and stuff. That way, if he tries to bully my older sister in the future, I could help her out! Is there really no one in the world who can press him down?"

"There is ah! How could there not be anyone? There's someone right underneath our noses who can do that!" Su Ran felt the perception of the little fellow in front of him improve by a few levels after finding out that he had wanted to learn martial arts to defend his older sister.

"Who? Quickly tell me ah!" Little Shitou was shocked at this and repeatedly asked. There was actually someone hidden nearby who could surpass a crazy expert like Zhu Junyang.

"Your older sister ah!" Su Ran raised an eyebrow as he looked at the youth and then grinned, "Everyone has a fatal weakness! Only your older sister is able to tame the wild beast that is Imperial Prince Xu!"

Little Shitou, on the other hand, misunderstood those words. He clapped his hands and smiled, "That's right ah! My older sister is an expert at concocting medicine. She has no issues making paralyzing powders, confusing powders and even tasteless poisons. I'm sure he wouldn't dare to treat my older sister badly!"

"Who's trying to bully your older sister? Do they think that I, your older brother-in-law, does not exist?" Speaking of the devil, Zhu Junyang stepped over the threshold and only heard Little Shitou's very last sentence. He hurriedly scowled, as if he was ready to fight with anyone at a moment's notice.

Su Ran had a teasing look in his eyes as he replied in a voice full of anticipation, "Your younger brother-in-law wants to use paralyzing powder and confusing powder to handle you ah! Imperial Prince Xu, ah, Imperial Prince Xu, do you now know just how much other people dislike you ah?"

Zhu Junyang was flabbergasted at this and lowered his head to stare at the unnatural expression on the youth's face. He didn't explode into anger and asked doubtfully, "Little Shitou, what has this prince done to make you hate me so much? Is it because I'm about to marry your older sister very soon that you…"

"That's not the reason at all! I've already thought things through. My second older sister will have to marry one day regardless. So does it matter who she marries?" Within his siblings, Little Shitou was the closest to his second sister. In his childhood, it was his second sister who brought him up to the mountain to trap game and catch fish. Whenever she had something delicious to eat, she always gave it to him first. The reason why he was able to become Great Scholar Yuan's last disciple was also very heavily related to his second sister. The reason why his family's life was improving every day was all connected to his second sister's efforts.

Consequently, when his second sister became engaged to Royal Prince Yang, he couldn't help but feel a bit sad inside as it felt like his second sister was being stolen away by someone. Therefore, he had started to dislike Zhu Junyang. How could Zhu Junyang, who had always had the good opinion of the Yu Family, not sense this change in temperament? All he could do was try to find methods to make his future brother-in-law to like him again and slowly break through the guards on his heart.

Who would have thought that this fellow still harbored the desire to fight against him like a villain? Zhu Junyang silently let out a deep sigh and lowered his voice to ask, "What has this prince not done to make you hate me so much?"

"Hate you? I don't hate you! Sir Su only said half of what I said. What I was trying to say was if you dare to treat my second older sister poorly, I need to find some way to get back at you, no matter how skilled you are at martial arts or how many subordinates you have to protect you! I don't care that you're an imperial prince. If you dare to bully my older sister, I will risk my life to tear a piece of flesh off of you!" Little Shitou bared his teeth at him and acted very similarly to the wolf cub that Little Black had just brought back from his wolf mother——all bark but no bite.

Zhu Junyang felt his heart relax. Fortunately, he hadn't inadvertently offended his future brother-in-law without being aware of it. He smiled and gently patted Little Shitou's shoulder. He stated in a firm voice, "Don't worry ah! This prince loves your older sister like no other. How could I bear to bully her? Your worries are superfluous! If you still don't believe me——you can get as many poisons as you want from your older sister!"

"You better remember the words you said today ah!" Little Shitou still wasn't completely convinced so he continued, "My second older sister has said before, 'if one can count on a man, then pigs will fly!'. Especially men with high positions and power and those who are extremely good-looking!"

Zhu Junyang rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner and insipidly said, "Thank you for complimenting me on my looks! Are you not a man yourself? If you manage to pass the imperial palace exams next year and become an official, wouldn't you also become one of those unreliable men that you speak of? After all, you don't look bad either."

"How could I be the same as you ah? I've been taught completely by my second older sister, so I'm reliable to the extreme!" Little Shitou glared at him angrily and continued coldly, "You had best remember what you said today! Although my family currently cannot compare with the status of Imperial Prince Jing's Household, that may not be the case in the future! My older sister has me and her family as her support!"

"Yes, yes! You are the future top scorer in the imperial palace examinations and will become a first-ranked official of the empire! With you as your older sister's support, how could I, this leisurely imperial prince without learning, dare to treat your sister badly?" Zhu Junyang felt quite helpless in front of this little devil who was in the midst of puberty. This fellow was his future brother-in-law so there was not much he could do.

Fortunately, his future younger brother-in-law had been sent by his master to study at the Imperial College. For the sake of his little disciple, Yuan Sinian had broken his rule of not entering officialdom and became an idle fourth-ranked official at the imperial college. When he was in a good mood, he would lecture a few times at the school. He spent most of his energies and efforts on his little disciple. At the beginning of spring next year, his little disciple was going to participate in the metropolitan civil service examination. As the last disciple of the greatest scholar of a generation, if Little Shitou fell behind on the ranks at this examination, that would be an insult to Yuan Sinian's name!

Although his little disciple's aptitude was very high and very rarely made him, as his master, worry, his little disciple had too many varied interests. Within the four arts, his disciple insisted on skimming through every discipline and learning a bit. In fact, everything he tried, he ended up doing well at. In painting and calligraphy, Little Shitou had only studied for less than three years but was already better than his own master and was now being pursued by some elegant scholars. A single painting of his was now worth more than a thousand taels of gold and was very hard to come by.

Luckily, Little Shitou only signed his paintings with a pen name that he found amusing, 'Drifting Idle Person'. There were very few people who knew that these wondrous works of arts had been created by the newest first-place candidate in the provincial exams who had only reached the age of sixteen. Otherwise, this fellow would be pestered to death by art fiends and wouldn't have the time to study anymore.

Right after he finished the provincial exams, his little disciple had gone off to Hubei and Hunan to play around as one of his classmates had obtained a first-rate bloodstone seal. This fellow seemed to be a bit infatuated with precious metals and stones recently...in order to avoid the little fellow becoming distracted at an inopportune time, he, as the master, truly worried a lot over this. He had used up his connections and even himself to get his little apprentice to enter the Imperial College. He now had to lecture three times a month too. Argh! It wasn't easy to be someone's master nowadays!

Yuan Sinian was currently sitting in his privately reserved room at the Yu's Medicinal Cuisine House, eating the 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall' that other people couldn't even reserve anymore. Next to him was his son——this generation's prime minister, Prime Minister Yuan. Headmaster Yuan complained incessantly that it wasn't easy serving as a role model for others.

Prime Minister Yuan, who was only second to the emperor, was an extremely busy man with a multitude of things to do every day. He had been pulled over by his old father to cadge a meal. They were currently sitting in the private room that belonged exclusively to the Yu Family and eating 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall', which other people couldn't even reserve. Yet, his father was actually complaining that the Yu Family's son was disappointing. Other than his old father, there was probably no one else in the world who could do this!

"Father, did you invite me over solely to brag about how your disciple is erudite and multi-talented?" Prime Minister Yuan ladled up a bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall for his father as he also got a piping full bowl for himself. His bearing was incredibly elegant despite the fact he ate at a lightning fast speed.

"Eat slower! Stop acting like a cow chewing on a peony. Such a waste of natural resources!!" Great Scholar Yuan also picked up his eating speed and completely regretted his decision to call his son over to eat with him. If it were not for the fact that his youngest grandson was also going to participate in the metropolitan civil service examination, he would have brought Yuan Yunxi over instead. His grandson wasn't like his father, trying to fight for delicious food with him!

Prime Minister Yuan rapidly inhaled three bowls before he finally stopped. The taste and mouthfeel of 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall' was truly not exaggerated. Other than the opening day, when he had basked in the glory of his daughter and was able to eat some, this was the second time he got to eat this dish. Once again, it was an unforgettable experience for the taste buds!