The layout of the courtyard purchased by the Yan family is similar to that of the Zheng family in Ping’an Town.

　　The second courtyard is mostly like this.

　　There are fifteen rooms in total, including the main house, the side rooms on the east and west sides, the small rooms on the left and right of the main house and the side rooms, as well as the gatehouse, the back room, and the kitchen. The yard is spacious, and there is no dwarf pine viewing garden planted in the Zheng family’s yard. It is obvious that it has been vacant for a long time and was bought by the Yan family.

　　”My house is cheap, and there’s a stable at the back. Houses like this one nearby are selling for just over four hundred taels, and my family got a bargain.” Liu Shu was very happy when he mentioned that he had gotten a good deal on his house.

　　Gu Zhao privately asked his second brother what was going on. The whole area cost four hundred taels. Your courtyard looked like it had been repaired with tiles on the roof and brick walls. There was a corridor around it and the house was furnished. It must have been expensive.

　　Yesterday, their family did not go for nothing, at least they knew the housing prices in Beijing. The imperial palace was the center, radiating out to the inner city and the outer city. The inner city was where officials could not buy a house, and only the royal family could live, such as the six adult princes of Emperor Kang Jing, and some princes.

　　The outer city starts with the first and second rings, which are divided according to distance, cost, and specifications. The average price of a more expensive room is seventy or eighty taels. A courtyard with five or six entrances has no more than sixty rooms, large and small. Add on the expensive Taihu stones in the courtyard and garden, and the average price of a courtyard is about five or six thousand taels.

　　It can be even more expensive than tens of thousands of taels.

　　These are not houses that they, the lowly officials, can see.

　　The area where the Yan family lives now is not really that remote, and the house looks pretty good, so it doesn’t make sense for it to be so cheap.

　　”The former owner of the courtyard was also an official. He was arrested and imprisoned last year and beheaded in June this year,” Yan Jinxin said.

　　Gu Zhao: …

　　No wonder.

　　Most of those who can buy this area are officials or ancestral homes. Being an official believes in feng shui and luck. The previous owner of the house was imprisoned and lost his life. Those who come to see the house will definitely think it is unlucky. Just like the small courtyard that his family rented in Ningping Prefecture and County, I heard from the neighbors in the prefecture and county that the rent has now risen to thirteen taels of silver a year.

　　Why, the place where Mr. Jinshi lived, is blessed with Mr. Gu’s luck.

　　Even though the yard is not big, it is still very popular.

　　”You’ve taken advantage.” Gu Zhao believed the good things but not the bad things. He smiled and raised his teacup to clink with his second brother. “We’ll continue to rise.”

　　Yan Jinxin drank a sip with a solemn face, his mind clear, “If it weren’t for brother Zhao, our family would still be renting a house. Even if it’s this cheap, we can’t afford it.”

　　Liu Shu was chatting happily with Zhou Zhouge. When he heard the man say this, he said, “Yes, I have to thank your husband, Zhou Zhouge. My family only has more than 270 taels of silver, including the 100 taels sent by Uncle Li. It’s still far from enough. He didn’t allow me to accept the silver. Fortunately, I brought back 100 taels. He said that when the emperor rewarded your husband, he also rewarded my husband. This is enough to buy a house.”

　　”When my husband came back, he brought 100 taels of silver, saying it was a reward from the emperor.” Li Zhouzhou was very happy when he received the silver. When he asked his husband, he found out that all three of them had received the silver. Now he felt something was wrong, so he looked over and said, “I thought they would give it to me every time, but it turns out that they didn’t?”

　　Yan Jinxin replied, “No.” He also added, “Not all top-ranked people will receive a reward.”

　　Gu Zhao: …

　　So do you still need to mention it?

　　Gu Zhao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Why did Second Brother Yan start to become less serious?

　　”Zhou Zhou, I’m not hiding it from you—” Gu Zhaoxian explained to Zhou Zhou, “The 100 taels of silver reward for the three top-ranked players is actually quite embarrassing to say, it was all earned by me acting pitifully.”

　　Yan Jinxin said: “Brother Zhao, you are too modest. I believe that you really have great ambitions in your heart. The emperor is wise, otherwise he would not have given you the silver reward and benefited me and the runner-up.”

　　”So the top three aren’t always given the honors?” Liu Shu understood now. He wanted to urge the man to speak in detail, but he felt it was not a good idea. It seemed that Zhou Zhou’s man didn’t want to mention it, so he couldn’t urge him and make him lose face.

　　Seeing that everyone in the room was curious but no one asked him to explain, Gu Zhao smiled and said, “It’s not a big deal. After the palace examination, we waited for the results outside and listened to the emperor’s order to go into the palace to examine and rank us…”

　　Everyone listened attentively, even the elders who didn’t understand stopped chatting. Only Fubao, in his father’s arms, waved his arms and hands, babbling, and his father patted him gently. The hall was quiet, and his father’s voice was soothing, so he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

　　”My second brother wrote an excellent poem. Other Jinshi candidates were also tested on their knowledge, but when it came to me, they praised me for my appearance as a third place winner.”

　　Yan Jinxin was standing beside him, drinking tea from a cup, hiding the slight smile on his face.

　　Every time Zhaodi said this, there was always some funny meaning in it.

　　Li Zhouzhou also laughed.

　　”My knowledge is not as solid as the previous ones. I originally had a second-class position, which is already very good and I should be satisfied.” Gu Zhao felt that Emperor Kang Jing did not really want to give him the third place in the imperial examination and promote him to the first-class list. Although there is no best in literature and it all depends on the aesthetic taste of the superior, the difference between excellent and ordinary is still clear at a glance.

　　For example, Brother Yan Er is a genius student, the best of the best.

　　”Then His Majesty asked me how I could be a son-in-law, and I wasn’t afraid of being laughed at by scholars all over the world?” Gu Zhao didn’t mention this because he was afraid that Zhou Zhou would take it to heart. His Zhou Zhou cared about him very much, and if he didn’t explain it clearly, Zhou Zhou would feel that he was holding him back.

　　Gu Zhao looked over and saw that Zhou Zhou’s smile paused. Even his father looked a little worried. He was worried about him and his future. Gu Zhao felt warm in his heart and said with a relaxed tone, “I said I’m not afraid.”

　　Li Zhouzhou was so worried that he almost stood up.

　　No matter how carefree Liu Shu was, he didn’t dare to bring up topics related to the emperor behind closed doors. Even if he did, he would only ask the man behind closed doors and use honorific titles like “Your Majesty” or “Your Highness”.

　　”I’m afraid I can’t serve Dali.” Gu Zhao said the original words at that time.

　　There were various reasons why he became a son-in-law. The most direct one was that his original body wanted to continue to take the imperial examinations by living off his wife’s family. However, he became a son-in-law of the Li family and married Zhou Zhou because he fell in love with Zhou Zhou at first sight, and he was also somewhat forced by the situation.

　　When I first came here, if I had suggested that we not rush to get married and just date for a year or two, that would have been like asking for trouble and causing the Li family and Zhou Zhou to get scolded. So we could only get married first and then develop feelings.

　　He and Zhou Zhou have a good relationship and are very affectionate to each other. He doesn’t feel that marrying into the wife’s family makes him inferior.

　　But none of these answers could be said at the time. If they were said, at best half of your career would be ruined, and at worst it might even displease the emperor.

　　Men who live off their husbands, have no ambition, are in love, etc. are not fit to be reused.

　　The only way is to find another way and find something to flatter the emperor.

　　I am not afraid that all the scholars in the world will scold me behind my back for being disrespectful and a son-in-law, I am just afraid that I will not be able to serve the Dali Dynasty.

　　At this moment, if you say the wrong thing, the emperor can take your life. Even if the emperor is kind enough to spare your life, all the years of study you have done before, and Zhou Zhou and your father’s hard work in business to make money to support him will be wasted. It is very likely that you will become a laughing stock – if you deprive him of his fame and never recruit you, you will never be able to turn over a new leaf in your life.

　　Gu Zhao was walking on thin ice. When Emperor Kang Jing asked that question, his mind started working at high speed. He forced himself to remain calm and imagined the worst possible outcome. That’s why he was able to say all kinds of polite words and flattery, and he spoke with all his heart.

　　The emperor is selecting talents, and with so many scholars watching in the hall, it is certainly impossible for him to just chat with you or gossip with you and ask you why you married into his family’s family. Even if the emperor asks a simple question, your answer should be elevated. Don’t be too concerned about personal feelings. Magnify it and stand your ground.

　　”Gu Zhao grew up in the countryside. He knew that he was dull and had been criticized. Thanks to the Li family who accepted him and funded his studies, although Gu Zhao was young and had humble abilities, he learned to read and write. As the book says, a man should have ambitions to serve the country. Even if it’s just making a brick or a tile, as long as Gu Zhao is needed, he will be willing to go there and become a small cornerstone of Dali…”

　　Then he talked about the method of making fertilizer that he figured out when he was at home in the village. The method of making this fertilizer was dirty and was looked down upon by others. It might bring a good harvest to the villagers, just like he was a son-in-law. Some people said behind his back that he had lost the integrity of a scholar, and that only by reading books could he realize his ambitions and do practical things for Dali.

　　These words are a bit plain, but they fit Gu Zhao’s poor background very well, and they are made even more so by the sincerity and genuineness of his heart.

　　Anyway, Emperor Kang Jing’s face was slightly moved after hearing this, and he asked about the method of fertilizing the fields.

　　Of course Gu Zhao would not give a detailed answer. Talking about feces and urine would pollute the emperor’s eyes and ears. What he said was that the harvest in the field was good, and the amount of land used was the same as the amount used in the past. He also boasted to the mansion master who issued the plaque before, meaning that the mansion master had learned about it and promoted it.