Madam Xia looked at her daughter and the visibly relieved Dong'er, immediately deciding she could not let this continue. After all, given the pending marriage arrangement between their family and the Fu family, there were surely many details yet to be discussed downstairs. She could hide it from her daughter for a moment, but not for several months!

If it weren't for the current slight friction between their household and the Fu family, many matters would not have been settled so quickly with just a glance; otherwise, the discussions certainly wouldn't have concluded so early, and she would definitely not have returned from the main hall yet! In that case, her daughter would surely have discovered everything today.

With this thought, Madam Xia decided to proceed with her original plan. Thus, Madam Xia gently stroked her daughter’s head and said, "I know you were worried about your mother, but seeing me well now, are you relieved? Speaking of which, Mother has something important to discuss with you, and you must promise me first."

Xia Wanting looked up, slightly puzzled. "Mother, what is it?"

Seeing her daughter ask, Madam Xia sighed and said, "You know your brother has been cooped up in the manor studying for the provincial exam. He hasn't had a proper rest. Now that the exam is finally over, I was thinking your brother should go out and clear his head; he can’t stay home all day, or he’ll turn into a bookworm!"

Hearing her mother’s words, Xia Wanting also grew concerned. "Mother, you are right. Brother can’t always stay in the manor, facing books every day. He really needs to go out for a stroll and relax."

Madam Xia nodded. "Exactly, so I was thinking of sending him out to the estate for a change of scenery. But as you know, he’s a grown man and can hardly take good care of himself. So, I thought you, being so meticulous, could accompany your brother. This way, you can look after your brother nearby, and you can also get some fresh air yourself. What do you think?"

Xia Wanting didn't immediately agree after hearing this. Instead, she asked, "But, Mother, if both Brother and I go out to relax, won't you be bored staying home alone? Why don't you come with us?"

Madam Xia felt very comforted by her daughter's consideration for her, but she couldn't leave just yet. So, Madam Xia shook her head at her daughter. "No, I won't join the fun. After all, your father needs looking after. If I go too, who will care for your father when he needs it?"

Indeed, if she, her brother, and her mother all left the manor, leaving only her father behind, what would happen to the household? Thus, Xia Wanting stopped persuading and said, "Then I will accompany Brother! But, Mother, where are we going to relax?"

Madam Xia had initially planned for them to spend some time relaxing at the suburban estate near the capital. But on second thought, if they went to the suburban estate, her daughter would surely overhear whispers about the marriage alliance between the Xia and Fu families. Therefore, it would be best if her son and daughter left the capital city altogether. But if they left the capital, where should they go?

Thinking this over, Madam Xia suddenly recalled the time she took her daughter to visit her maternal uncle's family. That's right—didn't she have a large dowry estate on her mother's side? They could go there!

With a smile, Madam Xia said, "Here’s what I’m thinking: you two should go to your uncle’s place! I have a dowry estate there as well. If you go now, you can check on the estate steward and see if he’s being diligent—consider it an inspection of the property! Besides, I’ve heard those scholars enjoy things like touring and traveling; your brother can take this opportunity to have a proper journey. Don't you think so?"

Xia Wanting listened to Madam Xia’s reasoning; while it sounded logical, something felt odd. After all, if it was just for relaxation, why couldn't they go anywhere else? Why travel so far? Yet, she couldn't pinpoint what was strange, so she simply nodded, "Alright, whatever Mother arranges!"

So, after Xia Wanting left Madam Xia's courtyard, Madam Xia immediately sent someone to summon Xia Wentao and told him what she and Xia Wanting had just discussed.

Xia Wentao heard it and had no objections. After all, it was just a trip to relax, and any location would suffice. Though it was a bit far, it was just as Mother worried—only by going far away could they avoid hearing all those bothersome matters, right?

Soon, Madam Xia was rushing the servants to pack things, and within a couple of days, Madam Xia saw her son and daughter off.

Xia Wanting was still reeling from how urgently Madam Xia had sent them away. As they began their journey, she murmured to her brother, "Brother, why do I feel like Mother was even more eager to send us off than we were to leave, as if she were chasing us out of the manor?"

Aren't we being chased out? Xia Wentao thought. But he absolutely couldn't say that aloud. So, Xia Wentao chuckled, "Perhaps Mother is eager for us to see Uncle and the others soon, so she wants us to hurry along so the things she asked us to deliver can reach Uncle sooner. Don't you think?"

Hearing her brother’s explanation, Xia Wanting let go of her suspicion and began admiring the scenery along the road. Xia Wentao, seeing that Xia Wanting stopped probing, breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, back in the provincial capital, Wang Qingchen and his group were preparing to return to the county seat. After all, they couldn't stay in the provincial capital indefinitely!

Of course, they weren't doing nothing before leaving. It was the critical time for everyone who participated in the provincial exam to expand their network. First, there were those who passed the exam in the same session. Since they all took the exam in the same location during the same period, their camaraderie was naturally different from that with others. If they could build good relationships with them, it would become a considerable asset in their future official careers.

Thus, without Zhao Cheng and Wang Qingchen having to take the initiative, many other successful candidates naturally came to pay their respects, or they would gather for tea or sparring sessions. After all, both Zhao Cheng and Wang Qingchen had secured high rankings in the provincial exams.

Zhao Cheng and Wang Qingchen naturally did not refuse these overtures; it was a gesture of goodwill, and it wouldn't do to reject someone who was being friendly. Consequently, these past few days, the pair had been busy moving between gatherings and poetry clubs.

Li Yuntai and Liu Hao were also not idle. When many people came to visit Zhao Cheng and Wang Qingchen, they naturally met Li Yuntai and the others. Upon learning of the close ties between Zhao Cheng, Wang Qingchen, and these visitors, they were naturally very willing to socialize with them. After all, in their eyes, if Li Yuntai and the others were favored by Zhao Cheng and Wang Qingchen, perhaps one day they might receive their assistance, ensuring a promising future.

Although Zhao Cheng wasn't particularly keen on attending these gatherings—he was somewhat shy and uncomfortable in such social settings—he reminded himself that if he wanted to advance further, he had to build his own circle; he couldn't succeed by fighting alone. With this goal in mind, Zhao Cheng diligently befriended many fellow scholars who had passed the exam. Because of his inherent modesty and fair, clean appearance, Zhao Cheng gave an initial impression of being pure and guileless. This exterior made many people eager to connect with him; anyone with a bit of foresight would seek acquaintance with someone who appeared so harmless, devoid of guile, and academically accomplished.

As for Wang Qingchen, he never intended to pursue an official career anyway, so among these people, he only chose to associate with a few he found genuinely agreeable. As for the rest, he paid them no mind. This caused Wang Qingchen to appear somewhat aloof to others, but he cared little for their opinions; he certainly didn't want to form ill-considered friendships that might harm him later.

Besides building a network and expanding connections, another essential task for these scholars was to visit their Chief Examiner, or their mentor scholar (Zuoshi).

For every provincial exam, the successful candidates referred to the Chief Examiner as their Zuoshi. The Zuoshi shared a master-disciple relationship with these scholars. Although not as profound as a formal discipleship, it was still a relationship between teacher and student, and it was not to be underestimated. Relying on this connection, the Zuoshi might later offer support in their official capacity, stand on the same side, or even save their life. Therefore, no scholar who passed the exam would treat their Zuoshi lightly.

Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng also needed to pay their respects to their Zuoshi. After preparing gifts, they went together. After announcing themselves to the gatekeeper, someone was sent to inquire with the master. Soon, both of them were granted an audience.

In truth, many people had come to visit their Zuoshi these days, as they were not the only ones who had succeeded. Perhaps due to the sheer number of visitors, although their Zuoshi’s demeanor was outwardly gentle, Wang Qingchen sensed a certain detachment beneath it.

Fortunately, Wang Qingchen didn't care much about this relationship. His visit was merely to avoid appearing unconventional; since almost all successful candidates made this pilgrimage, he didn't want to draw unwanted attention by being the exception.

Zhao Cheng, however, was different; he cared deeply about his Zuoshi's attitude.