A newly minted Jieyuan appeared in every province every three years. No matter how one looked at it, placing first as Jieyuan was never enough to make top officials like the regional inspector and regional military commander feel honored; at most, they would grant an audience and offer a word or two of encouragement. Yet now, the regional inspector and regional military commander of Xinxiang Province had actually come to the countryside in person, paying a house call to offer their congratulations to Chen Shi.
This scene left the villagers both astonished and terrified, completely at a loss.
Wasn't Great Benefactor Chen about to turn outlaw? How in the blink of an eye had he passed the imperial examinations, and even taken first place in Gongzhou Province?
The crucial point was, how had he achieved first place without even participating in the autumn provincial examination?
Li Tianqing was refining pills in Chen Shi's courtyard. Several bailiffs hurried into the courtyard, and seeing that he was busy, they did not disturb him.
Over the past few days, Li Tianqing had already refined more than fifty cauldrons of Soul Returning Pill, long since growing familiar with the process. Although the sounds of Chen Shi passing the imperial examinations and topping the list as Jieyuan drifted in from outside, they failed to shake his mind in the slightest. He still steadily and unwaveringly finished refining this cauldron of Soul Returning Pills, and only then rose to his feet.
"May I ask if you are Chen Shi, the Chen Jieyuan?" A bailiff saw that he was young yet possessed an extraordinary bearing, and asked.
"I am Li Tianqing, a man of Quanzhou."
Li Tianqing said, "Chen Shi went out, but he should be back soon. My lords might as well step into the courtyard