Chapter 44 A Second Blossom

Upon hearing that her elder sister was coming, Huiyi was first surprised, and then happily went to greet her.

The older sister is quiet and reserved, and doesn't usually like to go out, so it's truly rare for her to come to the Lin family's door to visit them this time.

Madam Guo warmly received Li Huaiyu, and after preparing cakes, fruits, and tea, she tactfully left the space to the two sisters.

Princess Changji's sudden visit must have been because she had something important to discuss with her sister, and Madam Guo would not disturb her.

After closing the door, the two sisters left their close maid, Biqing, in the room before discussing important matters.

"Why did you suddenly come, sister? Did you miss me?"

"I'm snuggling up to my older sister on the soft couch," Huiyi jokingly asked.

Li Huaiyu smiled and tapped her sister's nose, saying with a gentle smile, "That's right, I missed you, so I came to see you as soon as possible."

"Alright, let's not talk about these formalities. Sister, is there something important or trouble you've encountered that you've come here for?"

"If it's that Xie Dalang, I, your sister, will not hesitate to help!"

Li Huaiyu was both amused and exasperated. He waved his hand and said, "Xi Nu is overthinking it. It has nothing to do with him. It's my parents who are choosing a new consort for me..."

Li Huaiyu recounted the whole story, and finally asked with a worried expression, "Xi Nu, what do you think my sister should do?"

He looked as if he had encountered an age-old problem, which made Huiyi laugh for a while.

Is it really that funny?

Seeing her sister making fun of her, Li Huaiyu said angrily.

Huiyi stopped laughing, put her arm around her elder sister's shoulder, and said in a carefree manner, "What's so difficult about this? Since our parents have carefully chosen him, elder sister should go and see. If he's really so good to elder sister, then we'll make him our consort. If he's just a figurehead, then we'll kick him to the curb. What's so difficult about that?"

"Could it be that Sister is planning to raise Hui'er alone for the rest of her life?"

Li Huaiyu shook his head hesitantly and explained, "It's not that, it's just that I haven't thought about it yet, and..."

Even if I like someone, will they necessarily like me back?

"Or perhaps they only care about wealth and power and don't truly care about me. Wouldn't that be even worse?"

Having learned his lesson the hard way, Li Huaiyu was extremely cautious about marriage.

She either finds a suitable husband or lives alone.

We absolutely cannot settle for less.

Huiyi naturally understood her sister's concerns, because these were also things she cared about.

“It’s all easy to handle. If he really dares to complain about my sister’s second marriage and having children, then he’s a vulgar person, and we don’t want him.”

"If it's just about the benefits of our elder sister's status as a princess of the imperial family, we don't want it!"

After thinking for a few moments, Huiyi clapped her hands and laughed, "Sister, please wait a couple of days. Once I've arranged everything, we'll go together to see that scholar surnamed He."

Li Huaiyu nodded repeatedly as she listened to her sister's confident words, responding with a bewildered expression.

"Alright, I'll wait for Xi Nu."

After seeing her elder sister off, Huiyi immediately sent people to investigate the scholar surnamed He, just like the emperor and empress, to find out all about him.

Most importantly, she learned that the other party was going to visit Ci'en Temple in two days, which suited Huiyi's wishes perfectly.

After racking her brains, Huiyi came up with a way to test people overnight and hurriedly sent a message to her elder sister.

The tenth day of the ninth lunar month is also the ten-day holiday for officials.

Lin Lanting was always very observant, and he noticed that Huiyi was unusually early today and had even changed into a dress that was much simpler and more understated than her usual attire.

She even had her maid prepare a veil, clearly indicating her intention to sneak out secretly.

As perceptive as Lin Lanting was, she sensed the crisis.

"Dressed up like that, and trying to hide it all the time, where are you going to have fun?"

Huiyi stuffed the last wonton into her mouth, chewed and swallowed it, and said perfunctorily, "I'm busy, don't worry about it."

She was afraid that Lin Er would get in her way, so she didn't want to talk to him too much.

Already uneasy, Lin Lanting became even more anxious upon hearing these words, and pressed on relentlessly with questions, determined not to let go.

When Huiyi got annoyed by the questions, she told her that she was going to accompany her older sister to see the scholar surnamed He that day.

"Oh, I see. You should have said so earlier. It's not like you're about to do something to betray me."

Upon hearing that it was about Princess Changji's marriage, Lin Lanting finally felt relieved and muttered something to himself.

Because they were standing too close, Huiyi heard Lin Er's mutterings. She was furious and said, "What do you take me for? If I really had those feelings, I would do it openly and honestly. Why would I need to sneak around and slander someone?"

Lin Lanting couldn't laugh at these words, and only said sullenly, "Then I'll go with you."

Anyway, he's off work today, so he has some free time. Maybe we can even get to know each other a bit.

Huiyi didn't like having a tagalong when doing serious business, so she refused without hesitation: "Oh, no need then. You've finally got a day off, so you should stay home and rest. Or you can go hunting in the mountains."

In the past, Lin Lanting would have found her to be easygoing and tolerant, and would have been very satisfied.

The feeling now is completely different.

What wife doesn't want her husband to spend more time with her? In fact, many women are very attached to their husbands.

Even though Lin Lanting wasn't an expert, he knew that this meant the young woman cared deeply for and loved her husband.

Although she didn't want to accept it, Lin Lanting couldn't deceive herself about this fact.

Li Huiyi didn't care about herself.

He was angry for a long time, and just as Lin Lanting was about to try to persuade him, someone from the palace came to summon him.

They said they wanted to discuss military matters and asked him to come immediately.

My uncle was also summoned at the same time.

Realizing that the Sage had important military and political matters to attend to, Lin Lanting thought for a moment and said to Huiyi, "You go first. If I have time when I return, I will come to find you."

Huiyi thought this guy was being overly suspicious, afraid that she would try to seduce the handsome young man and embarrass him, so she impatiently said, "Go ahead, go ahead."

Lin Lanting immediately took off his casual clothes, changed into a dark crimson brocade robe, and rode his horse towards the palace.

After Lin Lanting left, my elder sister arrived.

Huiyi took out another simpler dress and veil for her older sister to change into, and said to her older sister, "I'll explain to you when we get to the car."

The sisters disliked the fact that a carriage would reveal their identities too much, so today they traveled in a common merchant's carriage.

"Alright, Rhinoceros, can you tell me what happened now?"

Although Li Huaiyu was confused about all these arrangements, she believed that her sister would not harm her, and simply sat in the carriage and asked curiously.

With the wooden wheel rumbling along, Huiyu told her older sister everything about her plans.

"Today, that scholar surnamed He happened to be visiting Ci'en Temple with his friends. I prepared a big gift for him there, and now we'll see if he has the ability to receive it."

"Sister, don't ask what kind of big gift it is yet, just go and see for yourself."

Upon hearing this, Li Huaiyu didn't ask any further questions. The two sisters chatted about everyday things, and the sound of laughter could be heard from the carriage from time to time.

Ci'en Temple is located in Jinchangfang in the southeast of Chang'an City. When we arrived, it was already 7:45 AM. The sun was high in the sky and the air was warm.

But the autumn air was crisp and cold, and there was still a wind today. Both sisters wore cloaks when they came out of the car, and when they got off the carriage, they put on veils, so no one in front of Ci'en Temple knew who they were.

Judging by her clothes and servants, one might assume she was a young lady from a wealthy family in Chang'an who had come to offer incense.

Although the two young ladies were covered by veils and light gauze that concealed their figures, their graceful silhouettes were still faintly visible, attracting the attention of many young men.

Ignoring the stares, the two sisters held hands and hurried toward the main hall.

That was exactly the kind of fun she had prepared.

Every day, scholars from Chang'an and other prefectures would come to admire the beauty of the Wild Goose Pagoda, hoping to pass the imperial examinations the following year, leave their names on the pagoda, and bring glory to their families.

At this moment, many candidates for the imperial examinations had gathered at the foot of the Wild Goose Pagoda. They were all imbued with a scholarly air, and their every move showed their erudition. Among them, two candidates stood out the most.

One wore a blue robe, the other a yellow robe; the former was refined and gentle, the latter handsome and enthusiastic, both standing out among the candidates.

"The Wild Goose Pagoda is indeed magnificent. I wonder if I will be able to get my name inscribed on it next year, so that my years of hard study will not have been in vain."

The young man in the blue robe sighed with longing.

Upon hearing this, the young man in yellow robes beside him smiled warmly and said, "Brother He, why belittle yourselves? I believe that our names will surely be on next year's list of successful candidates!"

Even though He Yu had known this Brother Cai for a long time, he was still taken aback by his confidence and arrogance. Being thin-skinned, he quickly advised, "Brother, be more modest. If people hear this, it will cause a lot of gossip."

Cai Xu looked completely unconcerned and said, "What's the big deal? We'll see how it goes in the exam."

He Yu chuckled helplessly, and was about to say something when he heard a shout. The words immediately drew the attention of all the candidates.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there is a wealthy merchant over at the Great Buddha Hall who is selling Master Ouyang Zi's 'Lone Goose on a Cold River' painting. It's free; you just need to pass his three tests!"

These words caused an uproar among the scholar-officials.

Who was Ouyang Zi? He was a master of traditional Chinese painting. He became famous in his youth with his painting "One Hundred Landscapes". Later, he entered the imperial court and became the chief painter. When he reached the age of fifty, he resigned from his official post and established the famous painting academy in Chang'an. All of his paintings that have been passed down to this day are stunning and exquisite.

The already rare painting has seen its value skyrocket since the tragic death of Master Ouyang Zi three years ago.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it's a case of high price but no market.

This painting, "A Lone Goose on a Cold River," was the last work painted by Ouyang Xiu before his death.

How could it not shock everyone?

Upon hearing that it was being sold free of charge, the crowd could no longer resist and swarmed over like bees.

Faced with such a treasure, He Yu and Cai Xu could not resist the temptation and quickly followed after it.

When the two arrived, a large crowd had already gathered under the Bodhi tree in front of the main hall. They managed to secure a good spot and get a clear view of the scene before them.

The unparalleled painting "A Lone Goose on a Cold River" was displayed in front of the wealthy merchant's servants, allowing anyone to take a look.

A wealthy and amiable-looking merchant sat to one side sipping tea, while the manager presided over the conversation.

"Gentlemen, you are all scholars and talented men. My master is here today to find a kindred spirit for this masterpiece. Once the person is found, we will set aside worldly matters such as money and silk. As long as they pass my master's three tests, this unique piece will be given to them!"

Initially skeptical, the scholars and students were shocked when their master confirmed it to their faces.

These three challenges must be extremely difficult.

As everyone discussed the painting, He Yu and Cai Xu also examined it carefully and confirmed that it was an authentic work by Mr. Ouyang.

“My dear brother, I must give it a try.”

Upon hearing this, Cai Xu laughed and said, "Brother He, please go ahead. Ziwen will not take what others cherish."

The two arrived in Chang'an on the same day and traveled on the same boat. They hit it off immediately and, despite their different personalities, considered each other as close friends.

Cai Xu knew how much this virtuous brother admired Mr. Ouyang, but he himself didn't care much, so he didn't argue with him.

As they spoke, everyone began asking about the challenges.

The steward smiled and said, "These three trials are not difficult. Let's see if you scholars and talented men are destined to pass them."

"First, the first hurdle is becoming a candidate for the imperial examination."

"Simply put, those who did not have the official title of 'Jushi' (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) were not qualified."

Upon hearing the steward's words, many scholars who were not successful candidates in the imperial examinations sighed with regret, while many others expressed their indignation.

But think about it, such a precious item doesn't require money or silk, so why would it be given away so easily?

Despite their reluctance, these non-candidate scholars had no choice but to leave, but their lingering resentment prevented them from departing, as they wanted to see which lucky fellow would win the painting.

The atmosphere was completely different on the candidates' side; they were visibly overjoyed.

Their status as scholars brought them many advantages, and today is another one of them—a cause for celebration.

There were twenty-one candidates present. After the steward finished counting them, he announced the second round of the examination.

"Complete a poem, and you will pass the test if the judge is satisfied."

These words sparked another round of discussion below.

For candidates, composing poems was not difficult, but the important thing was who on the spot could judge the candidates' poems.

The chief examiner for the Ministry of Rites examination was the Minister of Rites, and the co-examiners were also influential civil officials in the court.

What's here?

Immediately, some of the more impatient candidates raised questions.

"Although we are not talented, we are still scholars. May I ask if there is a suitable poet to judge this? Otherwise, wouldn't it be difficult to make a judgment?"

The steward smiled and said amiably, "You all need not worry about that. My master has some connections with the former Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, Master Cui. And since Master Cui happens to be here today, my master shamelessly invited him to judge the poems. I wonder if you scholars are satisfied?"

His words were full of confidence, showing no fear that the candidates would be dissatisfied.

Upon hearing that it was Cui Gong who judged the poem, all the candidates immediately had no objections.

Who is Cui Gong?

He once served as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, tutor to two emperors, a renowned Confucian scholar of his time, and had students all over the country.

Even among the candidates at this moment, several wanted to become Cui Gong's disciples, so how could they dare to be dissatisfied?

As an elderly man in plain clothes walked out of the crowd with a smile, all the candidates showed their respect and bowed to him, saying, "This junior greets Master Cui."

Master Cui waved his hand and said with a smile, "No need for formalities, no need for formalities. I will judge the poems right here. You can start now."

Having received Cui Gong's words, the candidates dared not delay and took the brushes, ink, paper and inkstones handed to them by the servants to compose poems.

This is truly a double blessing! If I can compose a magnificent poem, I will not only have a chance to win the "Lone Goose on a Cold River" painting, but I might also gain the appreciation of Master Cui. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil.

As if they had been injected with adrenaline, they all rubbed their hands together and began to rack their brains.

The Huiyi sisters also arrived at this time. Under the veil, they peered out curiously, but unfortunately, they couldn't see the poems.

"Sister, look quickly! According to the portrait, the one in the blue robe should be the scholar surnamed He. He's quite handsome."

The two sisters parted the gauze curtain one after the other and took a good look at He Yu.

Li Huaiyu calmly replied, "So what? Xie Yun is also a handsome man."

Huiyi nodded and agreed, "That's true, but I think there's one last challenge, and that's the most exciting one yet."

"Um."

Li Huaiyu had no idea what tricks his sister was up to, so he just waited quietly.

Not far away, Cui Gong and his wealthy steward saw the two sisters and immediately wanted to bow in greeting, but Huiyi, who was quick-witted and agile, raised her hand to stop them.

She didn't want her identity to be revealed.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye, but even the most careful plans can have flaws, and it was still noticed by someone with ulterior motives.

That person was Cai Xu.

Having agreed not to participate, Cai Xu remained a leisurely spectator.

But as his gaze wandered, he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of a young woman wearing a veil.

Despite the thin veil separating them, her figure appeared even more graceful and alluring under the hazy light, not to mention the fleeting glimpse he caught after lifting the veil.

She was an extremely beautiful and charming woman, with a touch of playfulness.

Cai Xu was stunned for a moment.

However, what stirred up a storm in his heart was not the young lady's beauty, but something else entirely.

He could see clearly that Cui Gong and the wealthy merchant wanted to bow to him, but were stopped.

Wealthy merchants are one thing, but who is Master Cui?

A great Confucian scholar who has served as an imperial tutor is no ordinary person.

In this world, only a few women from the imperial family could receive a greeting from Lord Cui.

And this young woman was exceptionally young, so it could only be...

The thought of that identity made Cai Xu's heart pound.

His long-held ambitions and aspirations seemed to find their moment in this instant.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Cai Xu glanced over there intentionally or unintentionally, his mind racing, trying to figure out how to strike up a conversation with someone of that status.

But it's really difficult.

While Cai Xu was troubled, the poems of the twenty-one candidates were completed and respectfully presented to Lord Cui.

As he read through the articles, Cui Gong frowned most of the time and shook his head repeatedly.

All the candidates began to get nervous, and their palms started to sweat.

But the result was not as they wished; only two poems were reluctantly approved by Cui Gong.

In my humble opinion, only these two poems are acceptable.

"He Yu, Zhao Qian."

Twenty-one candidates were eliminated at 19:00 in the afternoon, and everyone sighed at the harshness of the second round.

However, few people don't enjoy watching the exciting moments that determine the outcome. Despite the感慨 (feelings of deep emotion), everyone was on tenterhooks during the final round.

"Yes, her talent is real, don't worry, sister."

It is already extremely rare to receive a single word of praise from Cui Gong. Back then, even the Crown Prince only received such a comment, and the Third Brother was even called a fool.

Li Huaiyu chuckled, annoyed, "You're already making me feel at ease at such a short time."

The two sisters exchanged a few playful words and then looked over again.

When only the two of them remained, the manager no longer stepped forward. The wealthy merchant, who had been sitting and sipping tea, stood up, picked up a painting from the table, and strolled over to the two of them.

“You two gentlemen are highly talented; the third challenge is very simple.”

"I have a daughter who is eighteen years old. She is skilled in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and is quite beautiful. However, she has very high standards and has always wanted to marry a scholar who has passed the imperial examination."

"Since you two have received praise from Lord Cui, you must be on the verge of passing the imperial examination. Therefore, I would like to ask for a marriage for my daughter here. However, you gentlemen need not misunderstand. If you wish to marry a noble lady, my daughter is also willing to be your concubine. I wonder which gentleman is willing?"

As he spoke, the wealthy merchant unfurled a scroll, revealing a beautiful woman on it.

Although merchants are extremely wealthy these days, they are at the lowest social level. Anyone who wants to expand their business undoubtedly has connections in official circles to protect them.

This was especially true for doing business in a place teeming with powerful and influential people like Mao Chang'an.

In everyone's eyes, marrying their daughter to a scholar who was clearly destined to pass the imperial examination and become an official was worthwhile, even if she became his concubine.

For ordinary scholars, taking a concubine would not affect their ability to marry into a high-ranking family, especially since they might not be able to marry a noblewoman anyway, so it was not unreasonable.

Therefore, the scholar named Zhao Qian readily agreed, and then nervously looked at He Yu beside him.

Although both of them were candidates who had received praise from Cui Gong, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that He Yu's appearance was superior to his own. If it came down to looks, he would probably lose.

If you lose, you won't get the "Lone Goose on a Cold River" painting, nor a beautiful concubine.

"Where is Young Master He?"

Seeing that Zhao Qian had agreed, the wealthy merchant turned to He Yu with a smile and asked.

Huiyi also perked up, glanced at her older sister, and noticed that her sister was also staring in that direction.

Indeed, for men in this world of polygamy, taking a concubine is nothing special, and to also obtain a unique painting is a double blessing.

But that's exactly what Huiyi wanted to know.

Is this Mr. He as vulgar as other men in the world?

Under everyone's gaze, He Yu frowned and pondered for a moment before finally shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot accept your request."

Why?

The wealthy businessman asked with a smile, seemingly not annoyed but rather pleased.

He Yu carefully chose his words and said, "It might be embarrassing for everyone to say this, but I feel that I don't want to let my future wife down. If I have a concubine before I am married, it will make my wife sad."

The crowd was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, uttering terms like "chaste husband" and "lovesick fool," which made He Yu blush.

Huiyi nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at her elder sister. Through the gauze curtain, she could vaguely see the smile on her sister's lips.

"He's a fine young man..."

Li Huaiyu sighed, his eyes flashing.

Everyone thought that Mr. Ouyang's painting and beautiful concubine were about to fall into Zhao Qian's hands, but to their surprise, the wealthy merchant laughed loudly and said "good" several times.

Then he gestured to the servant carrying the painting, and "A Lone Goose on a Cold River" was presented to He Yu.

"I forgot to mention the rules for this round: those who can resist temptation and remain virtuous and loyal will win."

"So, Young Master He, this painting is yours."

"Don't worry, my daughter is already married, so you don't need to take a concubine."

This reversal was so unexpected that the entire Ci'en Temple was abuzz with discussion.

Having received a fairly satisfactory answer, the two sisters leisurely strolled around the temple for a while. Suddenly, Huiyi felt a stomachache and went to the bathhouse.

When she came out, she encountered a young man in a yellow shirt who stood not far away and looked somewhat familiar.

It wasn't just that the other person was handsome, Huiyi thought.

After taking a few more glances, Huiyi realized that he seemed to be a friend of that Mr. He.

She hadn't taken it seriously at first, but when she got closer, the woman cupped her hands in greeting and clearly addressed her as Princess Chang Le.

Huiyi was shocked.

How do you know who I am?

The other party's tone was so confident that Huiyi couldn't pretend to be stupid.

Huiyi wondered if this person had seen her before, since she was clearly covered up very well.

Completely baffled, Huiyi had no choice but to ask.

Although Cai Xu felt that his guess was probably correct, he was overjoyed to receive a positive answer.

He hurriedly recounted the details and speculations he had just noticed, and then added flatteringly, "It was only because I heard that the princess was radiant and beautiful, the most beautiful woman in Chang'an, that I dared to guess that it was the princess's."

Huiyi understood and was amused by those sweet words.

"You're quite clever and sweet-talking. You guessed right, but don't you dare tell your friend, or you'll be in big trouble!"

"Did you understand?"

Cai Xu looked at the fierce-looking young woman and forced a smile, saying, "Of course, Ziwen will keep it a secret for the princess. However, there is something I need to ask the princess to do for us poor scholars, regarding the fairness of the imperial examinations!"

With powerful families in power, although the imperial examinations also included commoners and scholars from humble backgrounds, the judging of papers still relied on family background and reputation. Under such circumstances, those from powerful families had a greater advantage in the eyes of the examiners, while those from humble backgrounds or even commoners had to desperately seek favors and curry favor with the powerful in Chang'an to make a name for themselves in order to be noticed by the examiners.

How unfair!

Cai Xu wanted to change this situation so that judging papers would be based solely on genuine talent and learning, rather than family background and reputation!

As a princess, Huiyi naturally cares about matters of state and family, since those are things her parents have to worry about. If she can contribute, that would be very good.

"Don't worry, if..."

"Good, I caught you again!"

Huiyi wanted to say that if it really concerned the fairness of the imperial examination, she would definitely take it to heart, but before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a deep and angry voice.

Turning his head, he saw Lin Er following him like a ghost, his face seemingly even darker than usual.

He looked like he was about to devour someone.

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Author's note: Here I am, my darlings! [heart emoji]

I'm a few minutes late. I thought I could finish writing the plot before midnight, but I got so engrossed in it that I forgot all about it and only just finished now. Sorry, sorry! [crying emoji]

Also, I've got a new pre-order for "Buying a Cat as a Gift for My Husband," a super cute and sweet story about a cold-faced, seemingly secretly in love guy who's been plotting his love for a long time. Those interested can check it out! [heart emoji]