Chapter 12 Return to Beijing
Mr. Zhang left. The old gentleman was willing to leave mainly because Feng Qing'an made a firm and confident promise in front of a group of people.
Of course, it's not about passing the imperial examination, which would be too harsh for a child. It's just a promise that he will study hard and follow the ancient rituals of the sages.
From then on, Feng Qing'an put the imperial examination aside and gave up the idea of focusing on spiritual practice. At this stage, he could only study honestly, or even follow the routine and take the imperial examination like his elder brother.
Of course, he would not neglect his spiritual practice. The path to becoming a saint was right in front of him. How could Feng Qing'an give it up? He would squeeze out time for it even if he had to.
What's more, the training of the Beastmaster seems to be able to replace part of the sleep, even if it can't completely replace it, considering his current mental state, it is still quite good.
After Master Zhang left, as the sun rose higher in the sky, the Feng family compound became noisy and lively again. There were still people coming to visit his eldest brother, but these visitors came from farther away.
When the number one scholar returns home, the bustle in his home will not end in one day. However, this noise and bustle has little to do with Feng Qing'an at this moment.
He now stayed obediently in his bedroom, lying down to recuperate. After all, his parents had beaten him so severely that although his bones were not broken, his skin and flesh were damaged and he would need three to five days to recuperate.
Feng Qing'an was bored and could only play with the dog in the bedroom. Fortunately, he had the puppy here to keep him company, otherwise it would be too boring.
It is slightly worth mentioning that Yin and his honest father Feng Shouli did not react too much to the puppy that suddenly appeared, and they were even a little happy.
After all, their house is a large house with two courtyards, and Feng Qingping cannot live there permanently. He will stay at home for a while and then return to the capital. After his eldest brother leaves, there will be only three of them left at home, which will seem a bit empty. It would be nice to have more puppies.
Erect a monument and carve a stone to offer sacrifices to the ancestors.
Shili Fengjiagang was enveloped in a festive and lively atmosphere for five consecutive days. There was joy everywhere. In addition, for five consecutive days, the village held buffets to entertain visitors from all over.
But except for the first day when Feng Qing'an participated in it, he could only lie in his bedroom for the rest of the time. However, his stomach did not miss out. Before the meal started every day, several of his lackeys would hold bowls and chopsticks, bring fish and meat to his room, and serve him comfortably.
After eating a lot of meat and fish for several days, Feng Qingan felt that he had gained several pounds. However, these good days were only temporary after all.
Because his elder brother is going back to Beijing!
Even Feng Qing'an, who had been lying at home for a few days, got up and went to see him off, because his injuries were almost healed by then. It was not known whether this was due to his nightly practice of "The Art of Attracting Spirits and Containing Souls".
"Are you leaving now? Can't you stay at home for a few more days?"
Yin held her eldest son's sleeve reluctantly and kept wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.
A mother worries about her son even when he is far away. When her eldest son went to take the imperial examination, Yin had already had trouble eating and sleeping. Now that he has passed the exam and become the top scorer, they have to live apart .
The capital city is more than a thousand miles away from this small Fengjiagang. For the first time, Yin realized that it would be particularly difficult for her to see her child in the future.
"Mother, I am now a fifth-rank Imperial Academy editor. I am going home this time to ask for a family visit leave from my superior. The date of my return has already been set, and I cannot go against my will now!"
Feng Qingping held Yin's hand and explained the reason. Now that he was an official, he could no longer act arbitrarily as before.
"That's true, my son is already a high-ranking official!"
Yin said with both pride and sadness.
"Brother, how much does a house in the capital cost? With your salary, how long will it take to buy one in the capital? It doesn't have to be too big, just enough for our family to live in!"
Feng Qing'an was watching the mother and son parting, a tear-jerking scene that made him feel so upset that he couldn't help but interrupt.
"The land price in the capital..."
Hearing his younger brother mention this, the only top scholar in the imperial examination since the founding of the Jin Dynasty could not help but shake his head.
"With my current salary, if I save for three hundred years, I can probably buy a house under the Kyoto city wall!"
"Residential buildings under the city wall!"
Feng Qing'an's mouth twitched. In a city, the worst location is at the foot of the city wall because the wall will block the sunlight.
"Brother, I think it's more reliable to expect you to quickly win a royal lady rather than working hard to get promoted and buy a house."
"What nonsense are you talking about, kid?"
Feng Qingping cursed with a smile.
"Don't you want to live in a big house in the capital? If I have a big house, I can bring my parents and I over to enjoy it!"
"It's just a mansion. It won't take long!"
Feng Qingping said confidently.
"Okay, I'm waiting!"
Feng Qing'an's eyes lit up and he was quite expectant. After Feng Qing'an's interruption, the sad atmosphere of parting suddenly faded a lot.
Finally, the Feng family and the villagers who came to see him off watched as the number one scholar boarded a plain carriage. Originally, Yin wanted to say something, worried that her son would encounter any danger on his long journey back to Beijing. However, when she saw the sturdy knights who appeared one after another around the carriage, she stopped talking.
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that these people in casual clothes and riding horses were obviously from extraordinary backgrounds.
That sturdy horse was much stronger than the slow horses and mules used to pull carts in the countryside. There was no comparison at all. Instead, it was very suitable for charging on the battlefield.
"It's really extraordinary, a step to the top!"
A villager looked at the scene and couldn't help but sigh in a low voice. The number one scholar's return to his hometown may seem simple and unpretentious, but in fact he is just low-key and introverted, not willing to show off.
"Hanlin scholar, is there such a good treatment?"
Feng Qingan couldn't help but mutter to himself as he watched the carriage gradually disappear into the distance.
He had no doubt that the group of people guarding his eldest brother's carriage, and the strong horses under them, would be able to charge into the dangerous battlefield once they put on armor and took up weapons.
"Come back to your senses, stop looking. If you want to be like your elder brother, you should study hard and stop thinking about being the son of a noble family!"
Feng Shouli slapped his useless second son. He had been worrying about his son a lot these past few days. He could hardly imagine that the child he gave birth to might become a playboy in the future.
"Dad, please be gentle. I know I will study hard. That day was just a joke!"
Feng Qing'an rubbed his head and muttered in dissatisfaction.
Although he has suffered a lot in the past few days, the effect has been shown. No one asks him to pass the imperial examination or become a Jinshi anymore. As long as he can study hard, be a good person, and be honest and dutiful, that's enough.
