Chapter 14 Anyway, I don't want to

"Young Master! It's great to see you. This humble servant, Ping Xiyu, greets Young Master."

Lu Jinlan then recognized her and quickly helped her up.

Ping Xiyu choked up and said, "I've been thinking about you ever since we parted ways in Yunzhou. Were you hurt just now? If anything had happened to you, I wouldn't be able to face my old boss."

Lu Jinlan hurriedly said, "I'm fine. My friend is injured. Please treat her quickly."

Ping Xiyu quickly checked his pulse and examined the wound. "Fortunately, the wound isn't serious. He just lost too much blood. He just needs some rest and recuperation. Our family's pharmacy is just across the street. I'll take him back and take care of him right away."

Lu Jinlan was about to leave as well, but Ping Xiyu advised her, "With so many things happening on stage today, it would be better for the young master to stay here to avoid any unforeseen circumstances."

And so, Xiang Ruzhen was taken to Jiu'an Hall by Ping Xiyu and his group. After waking up and resting for a while, Xiang Ruzhen felt much better and decided to go to the examination hall again.

Ping Xiyu was naturally worried, so she took Ximo and Qing'er with her and went along.

When the four arrived, the exam was already over, and they were just leaving. People were leaving in droves, and the four of them were searching for someone against the flow of people, as if looking for a needle in a haystack, their faces blank.

"Xiang Ruzhen from Mianzhou, are you alright?"

An older woman in the crowd called out to her. Xiang Ruzhen looked over and realized she didn't recognize the woman at all. She guessed she was just a bystander who remembered her name.

Xiang Ruzhen quickly cupped her hands in thanks, "Thank you for your concern, I'm fine now."

With a try-it-and-see attitude, Xi Mo asked, "Have you seen Lu Jinlan?"

The older woman enthusiastically replied, "Of course I saw it. She booked the herbal tea stall over there and was offering people herbal tea right there."

The four thanked him profusely and hurried over to find him.

After all the commotion today, Lu Jinlan thought she should treat the out-of-town candidates who helped her to a meal. But then she thought about Xiang Ruzhen's injury and wasn't in the mood to make an arrangement, yet doing nothing would seem impolite.

She and Yan Wuxin discussed it, and Yan Wuxin said, "After the event, let's say goodbye to everyone first, and then we can skip lunch. After we see the results in the afternoon and the outcome is decided, I'll treat everyone to a meal."

Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "The things I caused are none of your business."

A hint of guilt flashed in Yan Wuxin's eyes. "I have my reasons for treating you. I'll tell you later. Anyway, I'll arrange it."

Yan Wuxin owns a manor in the suburbs of the capital, which she describes as a scenic spot with servants. She will send Ye You ahead to make preparations. In the afternoon, after everyone saw the list of successful bidders, they went to the manor together for a few days of sightseeing.

Lu Jinlan smiled and thought it was a good idea. After all, she wasn't a local, and she wasn't sure if she could properly arrange to host more than a dozen classmates at once.

So after the event ended, the two of them called the out-of-town test takers over. They had been sitting under the scorching sun all morning, and everyone was parched and exhausted.

Lu Jinlan rented out a herbal tea stall, offering tea to everyone while expressing her gratitude.

"I am deeply grateful for the help of all the heroines today. Logically, we should arrange a banquet now, but we don't know how Ruzhen is doing yet. Wuxin and I need to go and check on her first. Everyone, please go back and pack your bags. After we see the results this afternoon, we'll all go to Wuxin's estate for a few days of drinking and having fun. How does that sound?"

Seeing that everyone hesitated, Yan Wuxin quickly said, "There are no elders at my estate, and the place is spacious. You'll feel right at home there. I'll cover all your food and lodging. If you'd like to tour the capital, I'll have someone arrange it."

Whether we become classmates or not doesn't matter; our acquaintance is fate. Today, everyone's courageous act in protesting injustice shows that we are all like-minded heroes. Your help to Jinlan and Ruzhen is my help. I, Yan, would like to befriend you all; please do me the honor.

Having said that, seeing that the two women were genuinely hospitable, everyone said, "Then we'll have to trouble you two. See you when the results are announced."

No sooner had they left than Xiang Ruzhen, Ping Xiyu, and the others arrived. Seeing that Xiang Ruzhen was unharmed, the two were overjoyed. Ping Xiyu quickly said, "Young Master, would you like to host a banquet for those out-of-town examinees? Why not leave the arrangements to me?"

Lu Jinlan explained her and Yan Wuxin's plan, and Ping Xiyu praised, "That's excellent. My young master has just arrived in the capital. With such loyal and devoted friends as Young Madam Yan and Young Madam Xiang by his side, the old master will feel at ease even in Yunzhou. I have already booked a banquet at Wangyue Tower. Please invite the young master and the two young ladies to come."

Lu Jinlan had heard her mother mention Ping Xiyu when she was in Yunzhou. Lu Jinzhao said that Ping Xiyu was originally the daughter of a poor family. When Lu Jinzhao met her, she was just a child of about ten years old. She hadn't studied for many years, but she was exceptionally clever.

At that time, Ping Xiyu and her mother set up a small tea stall by the roadside to make a living. Lu Jinzhao happened to pass by and was in a hurry to write a letter, so he asked for a cup of tea at their tea stall and sat down to write the letter.

The coarse tea was unpalatable, not the kind of flavor the wealthy were used to. Lu Jinzhao took a sip and then casually used the tea to wash his brush. Several other tea drinkers nearby saw this and immediately made displeased clicking sounds.

Ping Xiyu sized up the richly dressed guest and stepped forward gently, saying, "Sir, this teacup is for human consumption."

At that time, Lu Jinzhao was young and impetuous, and his attitude was quite arrogant. He took out a silver ingot and said, "I am Lu Jinzhao from Yunzhou. This is to buy this teacup."

Ping Xiyu wasn't angry at all. Instead, he smiled and announced loudly to everyone, "Lu Jinzhao of Yunzhou has purchased a teacup."

She turned to Lu Jinchao and asked, "You're not taking this teacup with you, are you?"

Lu Jinzhao shook her head, and then said, "Then can I break it and leave it on the table?"

Lu Jinzhao asked curiously, "Why?"

She said, “These are all regulars here. If I wash the teacup and put it back after seeing you rinse your brush, they will definitely suspect that they are using the same teacup they used to rinse their brush. I smashed it in public to put everyone at ease. If I put it back, people will naturally ask out of curiosity, and I can then tell them the story. Maybe some people will want to try what the teacup that Lu Jinzhao frequented tastes like.”

Lu Jinzhao smiled and said, "You're good at business. Come with me."

More than twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Ping Xiyu has grown from that little girl into a capable manager. She is Lu Jinzhao's trusted confidante, not only in charge of all of Jiu'an Hall's shops in the capital, but also in charge of the Lu family's other businesses in the capital, which she checks and reports to Lu Jinzhao every month.

Lu Jinzhao had done Ping Xiyu a great favor, so Ping Xiyu cared for Lu Jinlan even more than his own child.

This young mistress acted rashly and ran to her territory. I'm afraid she'll live in fear for the next three years. She'll have to apologize to Yunzhou for even the slightest thing.

During the meal, Ping Xiyu mentioned what happened on the day of the birthday banquet, and Yan Wuxin and Xiang Ruzhen were quite shocked, "You ran away from your arranged marriage?"

Lu Jinlan: "Don't even mention it. My mother found me a weirdo. If you were me, you'd all run away too."

Ping Xiyu hurriedly said, "I heard from the master that General Song's only son is gentle and polite, and his family background is comparable to yours. He is very suitable to be your husband."

"Forget it!" Lu Jinlan felt nauseous just thinking about the fat and thin fairy boys. "If you like them, let your daughter marry them. I'm not going to. By the way, my mother will definitely be very angry when I leave, right?"

Ping Xiyu shook her head with a smile, "Based on my understanding of my former employer, she only seemed very angry and cursed a few times, but she was secretly very happy. During the meal, she even mentioned that she brought your father back from her engagement party with someone else back then."

"Huh?" The three of them almost dropped their jaws in shock when they heard their elders' old, juicy gossip.

Ping Xiyu refused to elaborate, only saying, "She must be happy because you are very much like her. Even though you ran away without a care, she still formally held the ceremony for you to become the young master in front of all the guests."

Lu Jinlan: "How can she stand up when I'm not even here?"

"Aren't you born in the Year of the Pig? Butler Zou found a piglet and had Young Mistress Jinqi hold it while she paid homage to the ancestors and received the young master's order."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

*

While they were laughing, Ling Zhixu, the dean of the Royal Academy, together with the Minister of Rites, was making the final decision.

The Minister of Rites, holding Xiang Ruzhen's nameplate, asked, "This student has no background whatsoever. Even if she enters officialdom in the future, she won't amount to anything. Are you sure you want her?"

Ling Zhixu said, "This person encountered some setbacks during the martial arts test. If she is not selected, I'm afraid it will not be convincing to the public."

The Minister of Rites nodded and handed Xiang Ruzhen's name tag to the academic supervisor. "Then let her be selected. I heard that Lu Jinlan performed amazingly in the martial arts test, even better than Xiang Ruzhen. Dean Ling, do you intend to place her in first place?"

Ling Zhixu sighed deeply, quite troubled. "This person is rather strange. I heard that she was always at the bottom of the class in Yunzhou, but she inexplicably became the top scholar when she graduated. It's the same with this martial arts exam. I didn't hear that she was good at martial arts, but I heard that she was quite a womanizer. I don't know how she performed so well and overwhelmed everyone. Can she be the first place winner? I think she's the first place winner for leading the trouble."

The Minister of Rites laughed and said, "Isn't someone like this perfect for first place? Besides, the Emperor praised her exam paper highly and even circled it himself. We can't just not admit her, can we?"

Ling Zhixu pondered for a moment before making a decision.

*

Even before the list was posted, eager people were already gathered at the college gate.

The three of them weren't in a hurry. They took a nap before leisurely heading to the academy.

Lu Jinlan was walking along the road when the system suddenly beeped.

"Congratulations on unlocking the 'Famous and Prosperous' achievement! Health +10000"

It seems the results have been released. Lu Jinlan proudly curled her lip and immediately said to Xiang Ruzhen and Yan Wuxin, "I have a feeling I've been selected, and I'll be in a ranking that everyone's talking about."

Xiang Ruzhen answered honestly, "Of course, based on today's performance, you're first and I'm second. But I'm not that optimistic right now, after all, things are complicated, just getting accepted is enough."

Lu Jinlan knew her own limitations; her extraordinary performance on the field was entirely due to doping. As a drug-using athlete, she was too embarrassed to say it directly. She only said, "I think Ruzhen should be ranked first. The rest are all below my level. Why should they be ranked ahead of me?"

Yan Wuxin raised his chin proudly, "That's right, if you're ranked lower, we'll go to the dean and demand an explanation."

The three of them, chatting and laughing, squeezed to the front of the list, only to be instantly dumbfounded.