Who Said a Study Servant Can't Win the Imperial Exam? - Chapter 62 - Forging the Blade, Opening the Guillotine

At the Cui Family’s Main Hall, around the dining table.

Upon hearing Ye Huaifeng’s question, Cui Zhongyuan confessed with embarrassment, “To be honest, my brother and I have been taking the imperial examination for years, yet we remain mere Students.”

“So we wish to enter the County Academy, hoping the teachers there can guide us.”

Indeed, studying alone makes it difficult to advance one’s learning.

Ye Huaifeng nodded, smiling as he suggested, “In that case, Boshan-Ge, Zhongyuan-Ge, you should seize the opportunity to go to the County Academy.”

Old Cui sighed, “They’ve gone several times, but the Academy refuses to take them, calling them ‘old Students’ from ten years ago.”

Ye Huaifeng remained composed, “Is that so? No worries, Auntie, have the brothers try again tomorrow.”

Old Cui stayed silent.

Cui Zhongyuan sighed, “We’ve already tried two or three times, and they keep saying no.”

Cui Xian had only informed Old Cui that Da Chuan might be an official from the Yamen. The rest of the family was unaware. Even Old Cui didn’t know that Da Chuan was the Lord Magistrate. If she did, she might be too scared to treat him casually, calling him ‘Lord Magistrate’ instead.

While eating, Cui Xian chimed in with a smile, “Eldest Uncle, Father, since Da Chuan-Ge suggested it, why not try the County Academy again tomorrow?”

Ye Huaifeng’s heart skipped a beat.

He felt a bit uneasy as he glanced at Cui Xian, who continued to smile, revealing nothing.

And… what did you call me, Da Chuan-Ge?

Shouldn’t it be ‘Uncle Da Chuan’?

Ye Huaifeng awkwardly replied, “This… Xian-Ge’er. I call your father Zhongyuan-Ge, and you call me Da Chuan-Ge. Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”

Cui Xian blinked, “No problem, we each have our own way, it’s quite fitting.”

Imagine me, a dignified Magistrate, being addressed as a brother by an eight-year-old. How is that appropriate?

Don’t I deserve some respect?

Ye Huaifeng was about to protest.

Whether intentional or not, Old Cui suddenly laughed from the side, “Oh, Da Chuan, don’t mind it. Xian-Ge’er is quite clever.”

“I noticed you seemed troubled when you entered the house. Did you encounter any difficulties?”

“Don’t worry, speak up. Perhaps Xian-Ge’er can help you.”

“In our family, whenever we face challenges, it’s Xian-Ge’er who resolves them.”

The other members of the Cui Family found it odd that Old Cui was being so warm towards Da Chuan today.

Only Cui Yu, while eating, perked up his ears, thinking, here it comes!

Earlier at school, Pei Jian and the others repeatedly instructed Cui Yu: If the Magistrate visits your home and Xian teaches him, make sure to remember every word.

Report back to us in detail the next day!

No one wanted to miss such a ‘legendary moment.’

If not for fear of suspicion, the four Young Masters would have loved to sit at the Cui Family’s table and witness it firsthand!

Sure enough.

Upon hearing Old Cui’s words, Ye Huaifeng’s eyes lit up.

Auntie was truly considerate, handing the conversation over perfectly. Now was the ideal time to seek Cui Xian’s advice.

Thus, Ye Huaifeng glanced at Cui Xian, then steeled himself, swallowing his pride, “Xian… Xian-Ge’er, today, I indeed encountered a bit of a problem.”

Cui Xian observed the situation and internally mused: You really can’t blame me for this. With his demeanor, who would ever guess he’s the Magistrate?

Outwardly, he remained composed and said, “Oh? What kind of problem are you facing? Tell me about it.”

Ye Huaifeng wore a pained expression as he replied, “Last time, I followed your advice and used the excuse of cleaning the restaurant to successfully drive a wedge between my three subordinates. But today, when I tried to replicate the strategy with another task, the deputy leader teamed up with the other two to veto it.”

Cui Xian shook his head in response, “Since you’ve already caused division among them, you should continue to exploit that. You acted too hastily, with your intentions too obvious, which inevitably led to the deputy leader’s strong opposition. I don’t even need to guess that your so-called other task was a major power grab.”

Amazing! Even though Cui Xian wasn’t present, he could grasp the situation with remarkable accuracy.

Ye Huaifeng’s face showed frustration as he eagerly asked, “Is there a way to remedy this?”

Cui Xian replied, “There is. If such a minor issue as cleaning the restaurant could cause the third and fourth leaders to become divided, it means these two were already at odds beneath the surface. The deputy leader likely encourages them to be at each other’s throats, creating mutual hindrances. So, don’t rush to seize power. Bypass the deputy leader and find a way to target the third leader, using personal grievances as a pretext to dismiss him. Aren’t you the Proprietor? Firing someone should be quite straightforward, then you can promote your own people.”

Ye Huaifeng’s face turned even more troubled as he hesitantly said, “I currently don’t have the authority to dismiss him.”

What?

Now it was Cui Xian’s turn to be shocked.

A County Magistrate without the power to dismiss a minor Chief Clerk? What kind of chaotic situation is going on in the County Yamen?

He pondered for a moment and then suggested, “If you can’t dismiss him, then still use personal grievances as a pretext and simply don’t approve funding for any of his projects.”

In response, Ye Huaifeng’s expression grew even more despondent, “I… I’m not in charge of approving funds.”

Cui Xian: ?

Without a second thought, he looked at Ye Huaifeng and sincerely advised, “Then you should just go home.”

Go home, go home, my friend.

A County Magistrate, even if just an Attached-County Magistrate, is still a Magistrate!

If you lack both the authority to make personnel changes and control over finances, what are you doing at the County Yamen every day?

No wonder Ye Huaifeng was willing to swallow his pride and seek help from him.

Clearly, he was at his wit’s end.

Though he was internally critical, Cui Xian’s heart sank: It seemed Zhao Zhi’s hold on power was even more formidable than he had imagined.

Ye Huaifeng, hearing this, panicked and said with a fawning smile, “No, no! Please think again, there must be a way, right?”

Old Cui chimed in warmly from the side, “Yes, Xian-Ge’er, think of another way to help Da Chuan.”

Cui Yu focused on his meal, finding tonight’s food particularly delicious.

Heavens!

His younger brother was truly instructing the Magistrate. Even though he had been prepared for this, Cui Yu was still greatly impressed.

He couldn’t wait to go to school the next day and relay everything to Pei Jian and the others!

Seeing Ye Huaifeng’s anxious expression, Cui Xian asked, “So, the financial authority and the power to dismiss are both controlled by the deputy leader?”

Ye Huaifeng quickly replied, “No, no, that’s not the case. Um… above my small restaurant, there’s a larger restaurant overseeing it. The authority of the small restaurant is jointly managed by my deputy leader and the deputy leader of the larger restaurant.”

“Though it sounds absurd, this is how things have been run even before I arrived.”

“They say my predecessor at this small restaurant was forced out by the deputy leader. With no proprietor, the deputy leaders of both the small and large restaurants joined forces to run the place.”

“Since I came, the small restaurant’s deputy leader has been quite arrogant. The large restaurant’s deputy leader is set to be transferred next year and couldn’t care less about the small restaurant’s affairs, but also refuses to relinquish power.”

“So, as the proprietor, I can’t get anything done.”

He rambled on, and Cui Xian understood.

The Vice Magistrate Zhao Zhi had ousted the previous County Magistrate.

Nanyang Yamen was temporarily without a County Magistrate.

So, the Prefect issued an emergency plan: the Vice Prefect from the prefectural government office and the Vice Magistrate from the County Yamen formed a sort of ‘committee.’

The County Yamen’s financial authority and the power to dismiss mid-level officials bypassed the County Magistrate and were decided by this committee.

In essence, the County Magistrate’s position was completely sidelined.

Then, the unfortunate Da Chuan stumbled into his new role.

A more capable person would have taken decisive action upon assuming office, seeking to reclaim authority.

How could a County Magistrate function without power?

But Da Chuan, in his anger, well… just got angry.

No wonder Zhao Zhi was running the show.

In the current situation, Zhao Zhi seemed more like the County Magistrate than Ye Huaifeng.

As Cui Xian listened, his brow furrowed deeper.

This was a tough nut to crack.

But when he heard that the large restaurant’s deputy leader was to be transferred next year, his eyes lit up. “I’ve got it!”

Ye Huaifeng was thrilled. “Xian, tell me quickly.”

Cui Xian smiled knowingly. “This plan might not work for others, but for you, it’s bound to succeed.”

“Tomorrow, go directly to the proprietor of the large restaurant and lodge a strong complaint against their deputy leader. As a newcomer, you might not know much, but surely you can file a complaint, right?”

“The large restaurant’s deputy leader, set to leave next year, won’t want any complications.”

“He’ll likely try to appease you first, then privately threaten or entice you to keep quiet.”

“Stand your ground. Act like a stubborn rookie. No matter what he says, insist on complaining. If you can’t win at the large restaurant, take it to an even bigger one! Keep complaining until you wear him down!”

“He’s due for a transfer and promotion next year, so he won’t dare let you complain. With him leaving soon, you don’t need to worry about burning bridges.”

“As they say, a flurry of wild punches can beat a seasoned fighter. Do you know what the large restaurant’s deputy leader fears most right now? Someone like you.”

“This is your only chance. I advise you to seize it.”

“If you wait until a new deputy leader takes over the small restaurant’s jurisdiction, you’ll have no chance at all.”

What?

Could this really work?

Ye Huaifeng never expected such a straightforward and bold solution. Hesitant, he said, “But if I completely burn bridges, won’t there be retaliation?”

Cui Xian blinked and made a throat-slitting gesture. “Then make sure there’s no chance for future encounters.”

Ye Huaifeng was shocked.

Cui Xian burst into laughter. “Just kidding, don’t take it seriously. Hold your position as the proprietor, and whether you meet him again or not, who cares?”

This made Chen and Old Cui frown.

Cui Xian realized and quickly corrected himself with a cheeky grin, “I mean, why be afraid of him, hehe.”

Ye Huaifeng realized-

The mastermind before him was still a child who could be scolded by elders for speaking out of turn.

Yet this very child had come up with a daring plan to confront the Vice Prefect and seize power!

Ye Huaifeng was both amazed by Cui Xian’s strategic mind and pondered over his words, feeling his heart race with excitement.

Though risky, the plan had a good chance of success!

Once he regained power, Zhao Zhi would no longer be able to act so arrogantly.

At the dinner table, Cui Xian watched Ye Huaifeng’s hesitant expression with a smile, enjoying his meal.

The summer night’s breeze wafted into the Main Hall.

The oil lamp flickered.

The light danced on him, casting shadows.

Beside him, Cui Yu stared at his brother, who seemed to have everything under control, speechless with awe.

He recalled a phrase their Teacher used to describe a sudden revelation:

“Hearing thunder in a silent place.”

The conversation between his brother and the Lord Magistrate seemed casual over dinner.

The Cui Family thought they were merely discussing restaurant business.

But only Cui Yu, aware of the full story, understood.

His brother was leveraging power, from the County Yamen to the Prefectural government office, forging a sharp blade-

To cut down Zhao Zhi!