Zhao An felt his thoughts stutter as he was suddenly designated the "Young Lord."
In truth, this wasn't particularly strange; rarity makes things valuable. The Green Gang had produced Li Wei, who served as the de facto Viceroy and gang leader, and even the "Old Ancestor" Emperor Qianlong, but they had never produced a cultured *Jinshi* degree holder. The gang had millions of members, and while some were literate—Li Wei had even established schools to encourage the younger generation to study for the imperial examinations—decades later, the highest degree anyone had achieved was *Juren*.
Now, the Green Gang, typically looked down upon for its lack of education, had produced a *Tong Jinshi*. From the Old Ancestors at the Four Incense Halls down to the lowliest members, who wouldn't feel a sense of pride? Even if this scholar’s degree was a bit "watery," the diploma was genuine, and he was an actual, seventh-rank imperial official serving as a Prefectural Academy Professor. When word reached the Old Ancestor at the Zhu Temple, he was so pleased that he bestowed the title of "Young Lord" upon Zhao An.
Chapter 125