Chapter 2789

In both the civil and military ranks, positions held by those with "Book Qi" always ranked higher than those without.

Those possessing Book Qi were called Ru Scholars, while those without were considered ordinary people.

Naturally, Ru Scholars could not harm ordinary people at will. If they injured someone without cause, their own cultivation would suffer.

The Yun family, a lineage of farming and reading, welcomed the joy of a new birth.

The head of the Yun family was Yun Zhongzheng. His wife was Lady Huai. They had three sons: the eldest, Yun Ping; the second, Yun An; and the third, Yun Jian.

All three sons were now married with children. The eldest had a son and a daughter. The second had a daughter, and his wife, Lady Huang, was currently six months pregnant. The third son had married last year, and three months later, a pregnancy was confirmed. This year, he brought joy to the Yun family by giving birth to a son.

"Good! Now our Yun family is truly full of descendants." Joy filled Yun Zhongzheng’s eyes.

"Father, look at Second Brother’s child. He is so handsome," Yun Jian said, holding the newborn. "Father, please give him a name."

Yun Zhongzheng thought for a moment and said, "I have thought about it. Let’s name him Xi. It means hope."

"Xi is a good name. Yun Xi sounds nice. Mother, please choose a nickname," Yun Jian said. The Yun family always handled things with cheerfulness, and this was no exception.

While Yun Xi’s birth was a happy event, they believed a nickname could suppress bad luck and prevent problems as the child grew up.

Lady Huai thought and said, "Since the name means hope, let’s call him Wang Ge'er."

"Wang Ge'er is a good name." Yun Jian was delighted.

Although he had nieces and nephews, this was his first child, so he naturally loved him more.

Thus, Yun Xi was born into the Yun family.

Time passed unnoticed. Five years later, Yun Xi was five years old.

Five-year-old Yun Xi stood under a willow tree, speaking to Liangchen in his mind: "Liangchen, do you think I will pass the Book Qi test tomorrow?"

"Rest assured. I have already checked your aptitude. You are a rare, top-grade Ru Scholar. So don’t worry. Tomorrow will bring unexpected rewards." Liangchen had awakened when Yun Xi was three and had stayed with him ever since.

Guided by Liangchen, Yun Xi appeared much calmer than other children over the past two years.

"Wang Ge'er, what are you looking at?" Yun Ping, passing by, looked curiously at his nephew.

For the sake of the next generation’s development, although the elders were still alive, the third branch of the Yun family had divided from the main household two years ago.

"Hello, Uncle. I am looking at the water here. Just getting some fresh air," Yun Xi said with a cute smile.

Seeing such a well-behaved nephew, Yun Ping truly wished the child were his own.

Both he and the second branch had sons. However, his own son, Yun En, had been mischievous since childhood. Fortunately, at age five, three years ago, Yun En was found to have Book Qi, which eased the family’s burden. Otherwise, dealing with such a wild child would have been a headache.

The second branch’s son, Yun Lei, was one year younger than Yun Xi but had a completely different personality.

Therefore, both branches envied the third branch for having such a well-behaved child as Yun Xi.

"Wang Ge'er, are you nervous about the Book Qi test tomorrow?" Yun Ping asked gently.

"It’s okay. Having Book Qi is best, but even without it, I must pass the test," Yun Xi said calmly, showing no childish anxiety.

Seeing Yun Xi like this, Yun Ping felt only envy: "You are right. Look at me. I have no Book Qi, yet I live well enough."

"Yes, I think so too," Yun Xi said with a smile.

"Come, Uncle will take you back. Rest well tonight so you can face the test with full energy tomorrow," Yun Ping said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Uncle." Although Yun Xi believed his energy was always good, and even if it weren’t, Liangchen could provide spiritual liquid, he kept these secrets to himself.

The next day, Yun Jian took Yun Xi to the county town for the Book Qi test.

Every Book Qi test was held at the county yamen to better record children with Book Qi.

Of course, some noble families had their own testing devices.

However, ordinary families usually came to the county yamen for the test.

Yun Jian held Yun Xi’s hand as they entered the county yamen. Every day, several five-year-old children came for the test, so the number of testers was not large, usually around ten or twenty.

"Wang Ge'er, wait here. Father will get your number," Yun Jian said. There was only one testing device, so everyone had to queue.

"Okay." Yun Xi nodded seriously.

After registering, Yun Jian got the number and led Yun Xi to the queue.

Yun Xi’s number was nine, so there were eight people ahead of him.

While waiting, Yun Xi watched the tests. The testing device was a transparent object shaped like a book. When a child placed a small hand on it, it would display their quality.

"Number One, Wang Shuangxi. Low-grade Ru Scholar." This meant he could cultivate Book Qi, but the quality was low.

"My son has Book Qi! That’s great!" Wang Shuangxi’s father, clearly from a poor family, was overjoyed.

"Number Two, Chen Xin. Mortal." The lack of Book Qi disappointed the family, but it was expected, as not everyone possessed it.

…

Soon, it was Yun Xi’s turn.

"Wang Ge'er, stay calm. Don’t panic. It’s okay even if you don’t have Book Qi," Yun Jian advised.

"I know, Father. I’m going up now." Yun Xi waved to Yun Jian and walked onto the testing platform.

"Place your hand in the center of the testing device," a yamen guard reminded Yun Xi.

Yun Xi smiled at the guard: "Thank you, Uncle." Then, he placed his small hand on the device.

Yun Xi noticed thick smoke rising from the device, with a faint golden aura within it.

"Top-grade Book Qi! It’s top-grade! Number Nine, Yun Xi, Top-grade Ru Scholar!" The tester’s voice trembled. It had been many years since a top-grade Book Qi had appeared.

"Top-grade! Son, you are a top-grade Ru Scholar!" Yun Jian was overjoyed, lifting Yun Xi into the air.

At this moment, Yun Xi realized that Yun Jian had been very nervous about the test.

News of the top-grade Ru Scholar spread quickly. The county magistrate hurried over. Discovering a top-grade Ru Scholar in his jurisdiction was a significant achievement for him.

"The County Magistrate is here!"

Hearing this, Yun Jian held Yun Xi in his arms.

The magistrate approached and looked at Yun Xi in Yun Jian’s arms: "Is this Yun Xi?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Yun Jian said, quickly placing Yun Xi on the ground. "Wang Ge'er, greet the County Magistrate."

"Hello, Your Honor." Yun Xi bowed respectfully, acting very mature.

"Good, good." The magistrate smiled broadly, delighted in his heart. "Brother Yun, Yun Xi’s aptitude is too high for a regular Ru Scholar school. I will provide him a place in the County School, where there are specialized Ru Scholar teachers."

"Thank you, Your Honor." Yun Jian knew that entering the County School was difficult, usually reserved for those who had passed the Xiucai exam.

"Yun Xi’s fees will be free. By the way, is your home far?" the magistrate asked.

Yun Jian replied, "It takes one hour each way by ox cart."

"The distance is manageable, but the child is young. Traveling back and forth daily is not good. Moreover, laying a foundation for Book Qi is crucial. How about this? I will prepare a house in the county for Yun Xi, under his name. He can live here while studying." The magistrate was very generous, showing how highly he valued Yun Xi.

"How can we accept that?" Although tuition was free for Ru Scholars, receiving a house was unexpected for Yun Jian.

"Brother, to be honest, this house is because Yun Xi is a top-grade Ru Scholar." The implication was that it was an investment.

"Thank you, Your Honor." Yun Jian knew the magistrate spoke sincerely, as the Great Ru Dynasty had not seen a top-grade Ru Scholar for many years.

Thus, Yun Xi secured free accommodation.

After Yun Jian brought Yun Xi home, the family celebrated joyfully. Three days before school started, Yun Jian moved the third branch to the county town. With the house provided by the magistrate, they settled down.

Besides Yun Xi, Yun Jian had another son named Yun Xu, who was only two years old. With his wife, Lady Yu, caring for him, Yun Jian focused more on Yun Xi. Besides picking up and dropping off Yun Xi from school, Yun Jian opened a small tea shop. Using tea from their own garden, the costs were low, and their life became stable.

The County School was divided into two main categories: Mortal Class and Ru Scholar Class. Each category was further divided into four levels: Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding. Ding was for beginners. Since Yun Xi was only five, even with his high aptitude, he could not enter Jia, Yi, or Bing. Thus, he entered the Ru Scholar Class, Ding Section.

In this class, Yun Xi was the youngest student.

The students in Ding Section were at least ten years old. The sudden arrival of a five-year-old naturally sparked curiosity.

However, because Yun Xi was only five, he did not involve himself in any conflicts of interest. This allowed him to fit in smoothly and get along well with everyone.

Yun Xi settled into life at the County School. During the day, Ru Scholar teachers taught him the basics. At night, Liangchen guided him. His progress was very obvious.

The Ru Scholar teachers were amazed by Yun Xi’s talent.

The most basic requirement for the Ru Scholar Class was to start with the Three Hundred Character Classic, Thousand Character Classic, and Thousand Family Surnames. Yun Xi basically memorized these books after reading them once.

Furthermore, with Liangchen’s help, Yun Xi began studying advanced books like the Analects and Strategies of the Warring States in his dreams at night. He also memorized many poems and songs.

The purpose of the Three Hundred Character Classic was to draw out the Ru Scholar’s inherent Book Qi, allowing them to better control it.