Chapter 46 Blind Date

This is really not Jiang Ru's fault. Song Pingzhang inexplicably set his sights on Pei Wu and even sent his granddaughter to approach Jiang Ru several times. It looks like the behavior of a villain.

Jiang Ru was puzzled: "But you've only just entered the court, how did he know about you, and why is he going to such lengths to win you over?"

Pei Wu explained, "It wasn't just me he was trying to win over; I suspect he won over many other people as well, and I was just one of them."

In previous years, the imperial examinations were mostly controlled by powerful and wealthy people. This time, Song Pingzhang happened to be the chief examiner, so the three top-ranked candidates were all from humble backgrounds, and there were also quite a few from humble backgrounds in the second and third ranks.

Those from humble backgrounds, without any powerful family connections, are the easiest to win over.

Song Pingzhang's actions were precisely designed to make people believe that he valued them highly, thus inspiring them to be willing to do anything for him.

Therefore, he was trying to win over more than just Pei Wu; it's just that Pei Wu was too conspicuous, so everyone's attention was focused on him.

Only after the emperor truly confirmed Pei Wu's usefulness did he take the initiative to reveal this to him, and from then on, he was truly a member of the emperor's faction.

Jiang Ru was stunned: "He's also a playboy."

Pei Wu: "Hmm"

Jiang Ru waved her hand and concluded, "Song Pingzhang is actually a good person."

Pei Wu: "It doesn't matter whether he's good or bad. As long as he's loyal to the Emperor, that's enough."

Pei Wu didn't know exactly who Song Pingzhang had won over, but perhaps, apart from him, all the officials in the capital had received his offer.

His blatant actions might be a sign of desperation, since he chose these people himself, and everyone assumed they were Song Pingzhang's men, which conveniently gave Song Pingzhang an opportunity.

Of course, there might be another reason: others thought these new officials were just insignificant underlings and didn't bother to win them over.

Since Song Pingzhang and Song Shu meant no harm, Jiang Ru thought of something else: "Song Shu and the others said they wanted to come and celebrate my birthday, but it seems like our house can't accommodate so many people."

Their house was clearly very large, but after stuffing in these lotus flowers, there was almost no room to stand. Moreover, Song Shu had a lot of girlfriends, so the house would probably be completely packed.

Jiang Ru felt deflated at the thought of the scene. She could chat with strangers, but since it was her birthday, she didn't want to socialize with people she didn't know.

And will the lotus flowers at home really last until then?

Jiang Ru had originally planned to have noodles with Pei Wu for her birthday, but now that Song Shu had set a bad example for her, she really had no choice.

However, before the two could reach a conclusion, a servant from the Song family came to their door, saying that they were sorry for the intrusion and that they would not disturb Jiang Ru's birthday celebration. They even sent her birthday gift in advance and said that if she wanted to admire the lotus flowers, she had a good place to go and sincerely invited Jiang Ru to join them.

Jiang Ru: "..."

If you want to ask her out, just say so directly. Instead, beating around the bush has made Jiang Ru worry for a long time.

The invitation had the time and place written on it. Jiang Ru glanced at the location, which was in the suburbs. The invitation also said that the carriages and horses were prepared, so she didn't need to worry about the round trip.

Song Shu was very clever. She first proposed something that was very presumptuous to Jiang Ru, and then proposed something that was very easy for Jiang Ru to accept. In this way, Jiang Ru had no choice but to go.

Pei Wu also looked at it, and he asked Jiang Ru, "Are you going?"

Jiang Ru: "Go ahead, or she'll come knocking on your door."

Song Shu is so energetic. Jiang Ru sometimes doesn't understand how they can have so many gatherings. They get together every few days and send out invitations back and forth. They have so much energy.

Since Jiang Ru was willing to go, the servants of the Song family immediately went back to report the news. Jiang Ru thought of what Song Shu had said about many other young men also going, so she asked Pei Wu, "Are you going?"

Pei Wu shook his head: "I have to go on duty."

Pei Wu had to work, so Jiang Ru had no choice but to take Xia Xia and Xiao Zhu with her.

Three days later, the Song family's carriage was already waiting outside the gate, and Jiang Ru and the others got into the carriage together.

The carriage gradually passed through the bustling streets, and the number of pedestrians gradually decreased. Soon, it arrived at a villa in the suburbs. This villa was extremely grand, nestled in the mountains and by the water, with beautiful scenery.

The salary in the Great Xia Dynasty was high, so it was normal for Song Shu's family to be wealthy. However, Jiang Ru couldn't help but marvel at how lucrative it was to be an official.

The scenery of this villa is also excellent, with red walls and green tiles, and artificial hills and strange rocks reflecting the lotus pond. The pond water is clear, and a few white spots suddenly flash among the green leaves. The little ducks in the pond leisurely shuttle among the flowers.

After crossing this bridge, you'll find a huge ginkgo tree. At this time of year, the ginkgo leaves are already turning a little yellow, and the autumn wind is rustling through the leaves.

Unlike last time, this time Song Shu also invited some young men, most of whom were sons of officials in the court.

Most of them studied at the Imperial Academy. As classmates, they were naturally familiar with each other. From afar, they could be seen gathering in twos and threes, and many were playing games. If someone won, there would be cheers and jeers.

Jiang Ru was long past the age of wanting to play around, so she just watched the fun, sipped her tea, and enjoyed watching them play.

After all, they were young masters and ladies raised in aristocratic families, so their talents were naturally first-rate. They played the zither, painted, shot arrows, and played the pitch-pot game, which dazzled Jiang Ru.

She had thought she was just there to join in the fun, until Song Shu quietly approached her and asked in a low voice, "What do you think of that young man in blue who was composing poetry earlier?"

Jiang Ru followed the gaze she was directed to and saw a man who appeared to be about twenty years old. He was dressed in a blue robe and wore a jade crown. He was talking to someone beside him with a smile on his face. His profile was handsome and he certainly had a commanding presence.

Jiang Ru glanced at it and nodded, saying, "It's alright."

Song Shu's face lit up with joy: "Then what do you think of him? Isn't he very talented, good-looking, and a truly good man?"

This was quite a compliment. Jiang Ru glanced at Song Shu suspiciously, noticing her slightly flushed cheeks and the tender look in her eyes. Jiang Ru felt like she had discovered something. She furtively looked around, and seeing that no one was watching, she whispered, "You like him."

Song Shu's expression froze instantly, and she said angrily, "That's my cousin!"

Jiang Ru quickly replied, "I'm sorry, I thought you liked him when you asked that."

Song Shu angrily turned her head away, and Jiang Ru had no choice but to patiently say, "Alright, don't be angry. If you don't like it, then what are you showing me?"

Song Shu wasn't sure if Jiang Ru was pretending to be deaf and dumb. She glared at Jiang Ru for a while, and seeing that she really didn't seem to understand what she meant, she reluctantly explained to Jiang Ru, "I'm asking, what do you think?"

Jiang Ru: "..."

Only now did she finally realize that the banquet hosted by Song Shu, ostensibly for appreciating lotus flowers, was actually... a matchmaking event.

These banquets are generally for people to meet and see if they can find someone they like. If they do, they can get to know each other better and see if they can become a good match.

The problem is, Jiang Ru didn't mean it at all.

She was truly baffled, and looked at Song Shu with a complicated expression: "Sister, do you know how many years apart I am from your cousin?"

Song Shu replied matter-of-factly, "It's only five years old. Besides, you two are both of marriageable age. What's wrong with that?"

That's really not right. Even if Jiang Ru's mental age is quite advanced, her physical age is only sixteen, and she only recently started menstruating. How could she possibly get married?

In modern times, she would be considered a high school or college student; she's not even an adult yet!

Jiang Ru politely declined, saying, "No, I haven't thought about it yet."

Song Shu wanted to speak again, but Jiang Ru held her hand and said sincerely, "Please stop thinking about me getting married. I assure you, my cousin is firmly on your great-grandfather's side. Please stop thinking about these things, okay?"

Song Shu: "It really can't be..."

Jiang Ru firmly replied, "No." She looked at Song Shu and asked, "Are you engaged to anyone?"

Song Shu shook her head: "Not yet."

Jiang Ru clenched her fist: "You're not even engaged yet, but you're already worrying about me. That's not right."

Song Shu: "..."

Jiang Ru really refused, so Song Shu had no choice but to give up on the idea and shook her head at her cousin.

Halfway through the banquet, a carriage slowly came to a stop outside the courtyard. A short while later, a hand lifted the curtain, revealing long, slender, jade-like fingers, and an elegant and refined demeanor in every gesture.

Pei Wu, dressed in a scarlet official robe, stepped down from the carriage. Inside the courtyard, a drinking game was being played. If someone was called on, they could only recite a poem or drink a cup of wine.

When he went in, it was Jiang Ru's turn. Fortunately, Pei Wu had taught her a lot of poetry, so Jiang Ru was able to barely get by.

She was distracted, so when Pei Wu crossed the bridge, Jiang Ru was the first to see him. Perhaps she didn't expect Pei Wu to be there, Jiang Ru was stunned for a moment and then quickly got up and ran towards him.

Jiang Ru's action instantly attracted everyone present. Most of these people knew Pei Wu, and there were also a few who served as officials with Pei Wu. Upon seeing Pei Wu, they all stepped forward to greet him.

After exchanging pleasantries, Pei Wu politely said, "It's getting late, so I'll take my sister back first."

Actually, it wasn't too late yet, and none of them had said they wanted to leave except for Jiang Ru. But since Pei Wu had already come, they couldn't stop them anymore, so they made a promise with Pei Wu to come next time before letting them go.

Jiang Ru felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly followed Pei Wu's footsteps. It wasn't that she didn't like to have fun, but they were being too refined, sipping tea and reciting poetry, which she simply couldn't join in.

Seeing the bitter look on Jiang Ru's face, Pei Wu asked, "Isn't it fun?"

Jiang Ru winked at him, without saying anything explicitly, but Pei Wu understood.

Stepping out of the courtyard and making sure no one inside could hear her, Jiang Ru complained, "It's not fun. They're too cultured."

Pei Wu found it amusing: "What's wrong?"

Jiang Ru sighed, "It's hard to say. I'll never come again." After thinking for a moment, she changed her mind, "Unless you come too."

If Pei Wu were there, things would be fine. Pei Wu is also very good at writing poetry, so Jiang Ru wouldn't be suppressed by them at all, and everything would be easily accomplished.

Pei Wu smiled and said, "Then I'll definitely try my best to come together in the future."

Jiang Ru nodded in agreement, but then quickly changed her mind: "Forget it, you'd better not come. It's too scary."

Pei Wu asked, puzzled, "What's so scary?"

Jiang Ru thought that Pei Wu would feel embarrassed if she touched him even slightly on ordinary days. If he were to come to this banquet, he would probably feel like he had entered a spider's web and would definitely look aggrieved.

Jiang Ru sighed, "This isn't a flower-viewing party at all; it's clearly a blind date. If they were to ask you to meet a girl, you'd be so embarrassed you'd die. You'd better not come."

Pei Wu paused, then asked, "You mean, who arranged a blind date for you?"

Jiang Ru nodded helplessly: "Song Shu pointed at her cousin and asked me how it was, which almost scared me to death."

Pei Wu seemed to sense something was amiss, and he frowned slightly: "Then what do you say?"

Jiang Ru: "What can I say? Of course I'd say it's alright."

"It's alright." Pei Wu seemed surprised by her words. He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Do you think it's alright?"

Jiang Ru was puzzled: "What else can I say? That I don't like him? Besides, I've never even met him before. Asking me to go on a blind date with him is absurd, isn't it?"

Pei Wu's expression finally softened a bit, and he said in a low voice, "Although you are old enough to be married now, I think we shouldn't rush things. You are still young, and the matter of marriage needs to be considered carefully. We should choose a good person for you. What do you think?"

Pei Wu's words barely reached Jiang Ru's ears, except for the phrase "consider this carefully." Jiang Ru deeply agreed with this statement, as she hadn't originally thought about this matter.

Jiang Ru nodded: "I think so too."

Pei Wu's lips curled slightly: "It's good that my cousin understands. These things are still too early for you."

Jiang Ru thought so too. Moreover, there was something else she didn't say. Jiang Ru lowered her voice and said, "And I think that although Song Shu's cousin has a good temperament, he's not as handsome as you. You're the better looking one."

She glanced at him casually today and didn't get a strong impression. Her only feeling was that Pei Wu was still more handsome.

However, her casual remark caused Pei Wu to stumble and nearly fall.

Jiang Ru rushed forward to support him: "What happened? What happened? Why did you fall like that?"

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Author's Note: Making up for yesterday's second update [poor face]. There will be another update at 11 PM tonight, but I've been coming late a lot lately; sometimes it'll be midnight if not 11 PM.