Chapter 34 The Ancient Scholar Used as Cannon Fodder (Part 3-4) [Ding! ...]

[Ding! Emperor's favorability +2, 20 points gained.]

[Ding! Congratulations! You have gained 50 points of Emperor's Favorability and have been rewarded with a calligraphy skill book.]

[Ding! Main quest: Write an article for the emperor within three months and receive praise. Success rewards 100 points; failure incurs no penalty.]

Now, neither Lin You nor Chu Nanfeng cares much about the points from this cheat system. They've already accumulated over 600 points, but there's nothing they can buy.

Chu Nanfeng bought another book on pastry making skills and gave it to Lin You along with a book on calligraphy skills. Lin You didn't stand on ceremony and learned it skillfully.

Now, all the skill books she obtained from those missions were learned by her, and Lin You felt that she was almost qualified to be a proper young lady from a respectable family.

Just as Chu Nanfeng's career was soaring, another major event in his life was also put on the agenda.

Young, promising, charming, and morally upright, Chu Nanfeng is currently ranked at least in the top five of the best sons-in-law list in the capital.

Ever since he achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examination, suitors have been flocking to his door, and now they've practically worn down the threshold of the Chu family's residence.

The families who came to arrange marriages were all of high rank and great power.

Watching Chu's mother send the matchmaker out of the second gate with a beaming smile, Lin You couldn't help but smile like an aunt.

Whether you agree or not, the fact that her Chu Zaizai is so popular is something to be happy about.

There were also those who felt their social standing was insufficient, but whose daughters were exceptionally beautiful, and they actually wanted to send their daughters to Chu Nanfeng as concubines. Before Lin You could say anything, Chu's mother chased them away.

The person who came to propose marriage today is a young lady from the Duke's mansion. Lin You didn't know much about the girls in this family, but according to rumors in the city, the Duke's family was not law-abiding.

Even if the girl is nice, marriage is still not an option. After all, this isn't modern times. If a family has a clueless in-law, they're in for a lot of trouble.

Li Daru, who rarely returned from outside the city for the festival, was even more pleased to see his closed-door disciple bringing him mooncakes.

Wow, I never knew this kid had such skills. The mooncakes are soft and delicious, sweet but not greasy, just right for his taste as an old man.

Facing his filial and considerate apprentice, Li Daru wasn't indifferent to everything: "Nanfeng, you're not young anymore, it's time to settle down. Have you found someone yet?"

"Not yet." Chu Nanfeng was unusually flustered when the topic came up.

He was aware of the frequent matchmakers visiting the family recently, but since his mother hadn't said anything and his older sister hadn't said anything either, it probably wasn't going to work out.

The master stroked his beard and told his youngest apprentice about a wife. Sure enough, it was He Ruyue, a girl from the He family. Lin You exclaimed in surprise.

Seeing her reaction, Chu Nanfeng understood what he meant by saying "Brother He" that he would never have the chance to call her again. Could this girl be his future wife?

After reaching a certain age, both men and women will have fantasies and expectations about their other half, and Chu Nanfeng is no exception.

Especially after hearing Lin You describe the girl's talent, temperament, and the idea that the two would spend their lives together in mutual support, his expectations grew even higher.

Seeing his slightly red earlobes, Lin You couldn't help but laugh out loud. Although she had always been single, she was already quite adept at empathizing with the mindset of an "old mother."

At nineteen, a young man is at the perfect age for dating. With the consent of both families, Chu Nanfeng promptly asked a matchmaker to propose marriage.

Some people from the Duke of Pingguo's mansion made sarcastic remarks during a gathering and even tried to trip someone up in court.

The He family was no pushover either. Before Chu Nanfeng could even make a move, they had already compiled a list of the Duke of Pingguo's crimes and presented it directly to the Emperor.

The emperor, who was looking for an opportunity to deal with these nobles, took this opportunity to reclaim the titles and even bring the enormous Duke's mansion back into the hands of the court.

Chu Nanfeng certainly wouldn't stand idly by in this matter. Not only did he join in the investigation, but he also uncovered a number of things about several families closely related to the Duke of Heping's mansion.

After all, with Lin You, who can turn invisible, keeping watch and finding evidence is quite easy.

For a time, the sons of noble families who used to tease and provoke cats and dogs became much more well-behaved, and the atmosphere in the capital improved considerably.

After amassing a fortune, the emperor remarked to his son, "Minister Chu is truly my lucky star. With him around, many things have gone much more smoothly."

Because of this incident, many people learned that Chu Nanfeng was not only favored by the emperor, but also possessed considerable skill, and their attitude towards him improved even further.

The He family was quite satisfied with this. It was a good thing that their son-in-law was capable, as this would enable him to protect his wife, children, and elderly parents.

After things came to an end, Lin You finally had some free time. She even sneaked over to the He family home and saw her brother's fiancée.

Miss He is tall and graceful, with bright eyes and white teeth, and a gentle and refined temperament. Her baby will definitely be beautiful after she gets together with Chu Nanfeng!

Lin You squatted on the windowsill, propped her chin on her hand, and stared at the girl for a long time. The more she looked, the more satisfied she became. When she got back, she urged Chu Nanfeng to spend all the remaining points on medicine to prevent miscarriage, because childbirth in ancient times was very dangerous!

While Lin You was out, Chu Nanfeng was secretly writing a love letter to a girl. Chu, who could write a memorial to the emperor with ease, was unusually hesitant and pondered for a long time, and could only write a few words.

Then, startled by his older sister's words, his hand trembled, and a large drop of ink immediately dripped onto the fine letter paper.

Watching him frantically tidy up the table, Lin You laughed a few times without any guilt, and then ran to share the news with Chu's mother.

Lin You has become much faster at arranging melon seeds, and she communicates with Chu's mother without any problems. After seeing the message she gave her, Chu's mother was very satisfied with this future daughter-in-law.

The Emperor was also very satisfied with Chu Nanfeng's in-laws.

Chu Nanfeng was a promising minister of his, and if nothing unexpected happened, he would eventually rise to the rank of first-grade official. However, he was not suitable to marry into a noble family.

The He family is truly remarkable, a family steeped in scholarly spirit. Chu Nanfeng's future father-in-law is a renowned calligrapher and painter, known as Guanshan Jushi. The painting of a galloping horse that Chu Nanfeng used to tease Xie Zian was actually his work.

The He family also has a son, twenty-five years old, who has a special love for stone carving and jade carving. He is also exceptionally talented and, given time, will surely become a master.

"Minister Chu is indeed indifferent to fame and fortune," the Emperor nodded, speaking to the young prince beside him.

Li Yi hesitated before saying, "Mr. Chu seems a bit too indifferent to fame and fortune; there are precedents in his school..."

The Emperor paused in his nodding motion. "Surely not! Minister Chu has studied diligently for so long, how could he resign after only a few years as an official!"

Thinking of Ye Yizhou, who was constantly contemplating resigning from the Hanlin Academy and seeking seclusion in a mountain retreat, the emperor, feeling uneasy, had already put Chu Nanfeng's promotion and salary increase plans on the agenda.

In ancient times, marriage was a solemn and complicated ceremony that united two families. It involved three letters and six rites, three matchmakers and six betrothal gifts. After going through the whole process, it was already the winter of the following year when Chu Nanfeng brought his wife home.

Chu Nanfeng is now a Hanlin Academician of the third rank. Before his marriage, the Emperor bestowed a piece of land behind his house as a wedding gift, which was connected to his original residence and can now be called the Chu Residence.

In addition to the land, the emperor also bestowed upon him a guard and a royal chef. Chu Nanfeng's fondness for strolling through food streets is now common knowledge.

In just over a year, the Emperor's favorability rating had been raised to 65, and Lin You was completely relieved, becoming even more laid-back.

She spends her days in the kitchen watching the imperial chefs prepare all sorts of dishes, and Chu Nanfeng often can't find her when he wants to ask her questions.

The fourth senior brother, Ye Yizhou, diligently taught his junior brother for half a year. After Chu Nanfeng's four-six-character love essay became equally outstanding, he resigned from his official post and left, reportedly to become a reclusive master in Kunlun Mountain.

When He Ruyue married into the family, she brought two households of servants with her, making the Chu family much more lively. Chu's mother readily handed over the power of managing the household and was happy to enjoy her leisure time.

Lin You was also introduced to the new bride as a family member, a role she had resisted for a long time but finally accepted as the guardian spirit of the household.

Not only did she have a seat reserved for her, but Lin You also prepared a gift for her.

He Ruyue had heard of her before and wasn't afraid at all. Lin You still thought that the ancients were really big-hearted!

The gift I received was a stack of poetry books, more than ten in total, which I had traded for a water bottle at a secondhand market. All of them contained poems that did not exist in this world.

As for the fact that the young couple were reading books head-to-head on their wedding night and almost missed their bridal chamber, that's really not Lin You's fault.

This New Year was very lively. In addition to the New Year's gifts from the families he was on good terms with in the capital and the Qian family, Chu Nanfeng also received a gift from the border town.

Shen Tianqi, whom he saved back then, is doing quite well now and has become a brave and skilled deputy general.

The following spring, in March, Lady Chu was diagnosed with pregnancy. While the family was enjoying their time together, a major event suddenly occurred in the palace.

The emperor actually abdicated, directly passing the throne to his ten-year-old son, Li Yi!

The Emperor's health was not very good, but he had been taking good care of himself and looked relatively healthy. The imperial physician who was treating him had long ago told him to rest quietly, think less, and get plenty of rest.

The original emperor could not have done it. The war on the border, the disasters in various places, the secret rebellion of the imperial clan, and the always empty national treasury all made him worry about everything, and his health became increasingly weak.

But after Chu Nanfeng came along, things suddenly became much easier. No matter what the problem was, Chu Aiqing could come up with a brilliant solution. Now she can go to bed an hour earlier every day, and even her thinning hair has grown quite a bit.

He thought he wouldn't live to see the prince grow up, and the emperor had already chosen regents. But now he felt that if he calmed down and took care of himself, he would definitely live to be able to hold his grandson!

Given the choice between handing over one's son, who is just beginning to take on government duties, to a regent, or having the regent assist him while one watches over him from the sidelines, even a fool would choose the latter.

Therefore, the wise emperor swiftly pulled his son out to take over the position, while he himself went off to live a leisurely life as the retired emperor.

The moment the imperial edict announcing the abdication was announced, Chu Nanfeng's cheat system seemed to freeze, making a crackling sound for a while before finally reacting.

[Ding! The cheat system has malfunctioned; mission restarting...]

[Ding! You have gained +89 favor with the Emperor, and received 890 points.]

[Ding! Reward: 10 slimming pills, 10 beauty pills, and 10 pregnancy-supporting pills.]

[Ding! Reward: Embroidery skill book x1.]

[Ding! Reward points...]

…………

A series of rewards left Yirenyi completely bewildered. Then, the young emperor, who had a favorability rating of 89, issued his first imperial edict after registering his marriage, appointing Chu Nanfeng as his imperial tutor.

[Ding! System Lin You's mission is complete.]

[Ding! The Golden Finger quest is not yet complete; points and experience will not be calculated at this time.]

"Imperial Tutor...is that a first-rank official position?!" Lin You was even more confused. Shouldn't it be the position of Prime Minister? How did it become Imperial Tutor?

Her first task is completed just like that?!

If she wanted, she could have already completed the cheat quest and moved on to the next world.

After all, for an emperor, a perfect score in favorability is almost impossible.

A wave of reluctance welled up in Lin You's heart. She looked at Chu Nanfeng, the boy who had called her "elder sister" for more than two years. He had grown up. He was calm, reliable, quick-witted and intelligent. After surviving the ordeal, he would surely have a smooth life.

"Can you wait a bit before you leave? My sister was just saying yesterday that she wanted to name the baby in Ru Niang's belly," Chu Nanfeng asked softly, without forcing her to stay.

"Okay." Naming a child doesn't have to wait until the child is born. Chu Nanfeng gave her this excuse, and Lin You naturally wanted to keep the child.

Anyway, whether she stays or leaves is now entirely up to her.

After being appointed as the Emperor's tutor, Chu Nanfeng devoted himself even more to assisting the young emperor, imparting all his knowledge. Children are naturally kind-hearted, and within half a year, his favorability rating reached 99.

Chu Nanfeng was appointed Prime Minister, in charge of most of the government affairs, but the remaining 1 point of favorability could not be raised no matter what.

Seeing that he was working overtime until late at night every day and had lost several pounds, Lin You couldn't help but feel sorry for him and said, "Forget it, we've already done our best, there's no need to force it."

Chu Nanfeng smiled and continued to work very hard, losing a full twenty pounds right under the noses of the entire court.

The young emperor sent wave after wave of imperial physicians, but everyone said that Chu Nanfeng was in relatively good health, perhaps due to overwork.

Lin You wasn't worried, after all, Chu Nanfeng ate quite a lot, he only lost so much weight by secretly taking diet pills, and she vaguely understood what Chu Nanfeng was up to.