Chapter 67: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
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Chapter 67: Promotion to Prefect Magistrate
"Wenxiu, you all should rest well today. Tomorrow, your second uncle will take you around the capital for a good tour!"
After moving into the new courtyard, officials began to visit Yan Zhigao one after another. Li Xingchang and Li Xingnian didn't stay long; after exchanging a few words, they were ready to leave.
Yan Zhigao needed to attend to other officials, so the task of seeing people off fell to his eldest son, Yan Wenxiu.
Yan Wenxiu knew that his younger siblings were full of energy and eager to tour the capital, so he smiled and thanked his second uncle, “Thank you, Second Uncle, for your trouble.”
Li Xingnian patted Yan Wenxiu on the shoulder and said, “What are you being so polite for? Since you were a child, you’ve always been so formal. We are your uncles! It’s only right to help you out.”
He sighed as he spoke.
“Don’t be so uptight. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Studying is important, but there’s also time to have fun. Now that your father is handling things, you don’t need to worry about them.”
Hearing such words of concern, Yan Wenxiu couldn’t help but feel touched, but his naturally reserved nature made it hard for him to express himself. He just nodded silently.
Li Xingchang smiled, “We originally planned to bring you to stay at our home, but from the looks of it, that won’t happen now.”
Yan Wenxiu smiled, “Father said he’ll come visit once he’s finished with his work.”
Li Xingnian shook his head, “You probably won’t have time for that this trip. You’ll have to wait until next time.”
Li Xingchang added, “Go back now. I noticed a lot of officials have arrived. Don’t worry about their intentions. Stay close to your father and observe. Meeting more people will benefit you greatly, both in scholarship and in handling matters.”
Yan Wenxiu listened carefully. Although his uncles were businessmen, he respected them a great deal and always took their words to heart.
After parting ways at the station, Yan Wenxiu planned to wait for Li Xingchang and Li Xingnian to board their carriage before leaving, but they insisted that he go first. They stood there until his figure disappeared from view before they walked towards their own carriage.
In the capital, news spread quickly. With so many people passing by the station, it wasn’t long before word spread that the Li brothers were related to the Yan family.
In the time it took for the two to board the carriage, they had already received several greetings.
“Hmph, I never thought that Sun, the head of Wan Jin Lou, would take the initiative to greet us?” Li Xingnian said with a teasing smile as he settled into the carriage.
The Li family’s business in the capital wasn’t large, and they didn’t have strong connections, so they were considered a third-tier merchant family. The Sun family, behind Wan Jin Lou, was a top-tier business family in the region.
Normally, if the Li family tried to visit, they wouldn’t even be able to see Sun.
Li Xingchang lifted the corner of the curtain to take a look at the bustle outside the station, his expression slightly serious. “For the Yan family, I’m not sure whether this is a blessing or a curse.”
Li Xingnian understood his older brother’s concern. The owner of the qilin jade pendant was someone of high status, and the Yan family, with no solid foundation, could easily become a casualty in political struggles if they weren’t careful.
However, thinking of his niece’s clever and sly eyes, he smiled. “It’s not a curse. That girl, Daohua, is sharp. If the jade pendant were too dangerous, she wouldn’t have taken it.”
Upon hearing this, Li Xingchang also smiled. “She’s a lot like her mother. I’ve heard that after Daohua went to Linyi County, she’s been standing up for her mother quite a bit.”
Li Xingnian’s smile grew wider. “That bold temperament comes from me.”
Li Xingchang gave his younger brother a white look. “Daohua is a girl. If she were like you, her mother would have a headache.”
Li Xingnian disagreed. “I think it’s good. A strong character means she won’t be bullied. Your sister has always been too virtuous, which is why she’s been trampled by a concubine for years.”
Sighing, Li Xingchang replied, “She did it for the Li family. Zhigao’s attitude toward merchants—you know how it is.”
Li Xingnian snorted, “Narrow-minded! Without merchants, how would goods circulate and trade across regions? Some people are too foolish from reading too many books.”
“The world is like that. You’d better say less.”
In the following days, Yan Zhigao was either at the government office or visiting other officials. Meanwhile, Daohua and the others, accompanied by Li Xingnian, toured the capital.
During the tour, Li Xingnian was very accommodating to the children, buying whatever they wanted. Even Yan Wentao received several gifts, making him feel embarrassed.
Though they appreciated the kindness, Daohua, acting like a little child, felt uncomfortable accepting so much. She could only say good things in return, “Second Uncle, you’re so kind. I had gifts for Uncle, Aunt, and my cousins too, but they were ruined by someone.”
Li Xingnian was aware of this. If not for the misunderstanding with the son of the Prefect Magistrate of Fan Zhou, Daohua and the others would never have crossed paths with him. He enjoyed the gifts but said,
“You can’t be so reckless next time. The capital is different from Linyi County or your old hometown. There are more nobles here, and you never know who you might run into.”
“This time, you were lucky to meet a noble person. If you had offended the Prefect Magistrate’s son, even your father would have been in trouble.”
Daohua sighed, “Second Uncle, don’t worry. From now on, I’ll keep a low profile.”
Li Xingnian, seeing her mischievous look, tapped her on the head. After spending some time with her, he knew that though Daohua was young, she already had a good sense of how to handle matters. He didn’t lecture her further.
At the same time, at the Capital’s Department of Administration,
This time, Yan Zhigao’s official report went more smoothly than ever.
In the past, he had faced numerous difficulties, but this time, there was no obstruction, and even his superiors treated him with kindness.
He knew this was all due to his eldest daughter’s connection with the esteemed young man.
He had inquired into the matter and, though he hadn’t gotten a clear answer, he had learned that the young man was now following Prince Rui.
A prince?
Or Prince Rui’s son?
Yan Zhigao dared not think further, but his heart was uneasy. He had a strong premonition that this time, his promotion was coming.
In the main hall of the Department of Administration,
Director Dong Jiancheng was flipping through Yan Zhigao’s official records.
The incident at the station had been reported to him by his son.
Though he still didn’t know the relationship between the young master of the Prince family and the Yan family, he had learned that Prince Rui had personally instructed that if Yan Zhigao was capable, he should be promoted.
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This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com
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Since the Prince had spoken, a promotion was certain, but the exact level of promotion was a delicate issue.
“Yan Zhigao’s record is quite good. Why hasn’t he been promoted all these years?” Dong Jiancheng wondered.
One of his subordinates smiled. “Sir, you may not know, but Yan Zhigao has a proud nature and doesn’t know how to handle people. When he was first assigned to the capital, he offended Minister Du.”
The subordinate didn’t continue, but Dong Jiancheng understood.
He didn’t say anything, as he was soon to return to the capital and had no interest in the local political struggles. He just asked, “Where do you think he should be promoted to?”
The subordinate smiled. “Naturally, promote him to a position that benefits you. There’s a vacancy for a lower-level prefect magistrate position.”
Dong Jiancheng smiled, but the smile quickly faded from his face. “Prince Rui refuses to return to the capital. Now, he’s at odds with the Emperor. Yan Zhigao’s promotion should neither be too high nor too low.”
“How about promoting him to a third-rank prefect? That’s a three-rank jump. It will satisfy the Prince’s request and maintain a proper distance.”
“Understood, sir.”
(End of Chapter)
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