Emperor Kangxi wasn't blind. Anle had never been close to any man before, and Lian Yu was indeed a suitable candidate to be Anle's consort.

He felt he could reluctantly agree.

Anle was stunned upon hearing this, and then said, "My daughter just feels that he is very knowledgeable and that she feels very comfortable talking to him. She didn't have any other thoughts."

Upon hearing this, Kangxi saw that Anle's expression seemed genuine and understood that she was probably still oblivious. So be it, he would wait until she understood her feelings before speaking further.

Anyway, there's no rush. It's okay for his daughter to get married a little later.

And so, Anle and Lian Yu became "good friends".

In the spring of the 49th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, Lian Yu took the imperial examination. Anle personally escorted him to the examination hall. During that year, apart from occasionally having a meal with Anle, Lian Yu spent the rest of his time reviewing what he had learned and learning something new.

In addition, with the current emphasis on mathematics and physics in exams, even though Lian Yu is from a humanities background, his science skills are not bad.

So I'm quite confident about this exam.

After finishing the exam, Lian Yu finally understood how difficult it was for candidates in ancient times. He thought to himself that it would be great if the rules of the imperial examination could be changed one day. The exam lasted for three days in a row, and the place to eat and stay was so small. It was really tiring.

When he came out of the examination hall, he felt like he was about to be ruined.

Anle went to pick him up, and seeing the situation, quickly said, "Brother Lianyu, you've had a long journey. Let me take you back."

He needed to rest well at this time. Although Anle wanted to say a few more words of concern, she couldn't bear to trouble him too much.

Once inside the carriage, Lian Yu felt he couldn't stay awake any longer. Before he could utter a word, he dozed off. Although the roads in the capital were all paved with cement, there were still some small stones on them. Sure enough, the driver wasn't paying attention, and the carriage ran over a small stone, causing the carriage to jolt slightly.

Lian Yu, who had been sitting upright, suddenly leaned against An Le's shoulder. His breath hit An Le's neck, and An Le immediately felt frozen in place, unable to move.

After an unknown amount of time, a voice came from outside: "Princess, we have arrived."

Lian Yu wasn't sleeping very soundly, but he heard the sound and woke up. He was stunned to find himself leaning on An Le's shoulder.

Although he appeared to be in his early twenties, his soul was already over thirty. He looked at Anle as if she were a little sister, but now that he was leaning on his sister's shoulder, he felt strange and reluctant to leave.

He wasn't a novice, and he immediately understood.

After getting off the carriage, Lian Yu was no longer sleepy at all. Instead, he felt a bit confused. He thought it was absurd that the other person was still a young girl!

But then she thought, twenty years old is still an age to get married, even in modern times. Even if that person isn't him, it will be someone else. The thought of Anle marrying another man and having children, doing all the intimate things that only husband and wife can do, made her realize that in the future, Anle will marry another man and have children.

Just thinking about it made Lian Yu feel somewhat unbearable.

He's a straightforward person, and now that he understands his own feelings, he naturally doesn't mind pursuing the young girl.

As for Anle, she is usually a straightforward person, but Lian Yu is different. If they can't be friends, then it will be impossible for them to remain friends in the future.

Thinking about it this way, Anle had some concerns and simply decided not to get up.

Lian Yu planned to pursue his grand ambitions after the imperial examinations were over.

Not long after, the results of the imperial examination were released, and Lian Yu was on the list. Although he was not first, he was third, which was already quite good.

Emperor Kangxi now attaches great importance to the imperial examinations and has issued a series of decrees in recent years to benefit children from poor families by allowing them to study. It can be said that those who can make a name for themselves in the metropolitan examinations are all outstanding individuals, and the top three are naturally even more remarkable.

Furthermore, Lian Yu is only in his early twenties, of Manchu ethnicity, and possesses exceptional looks and temperament, making him even more remarkable.

Before the palace examination even began, many people came to the Suochuoluo family to propose marriage to Lian Yu. This made Lian Yu's father quite happy. After all, regardless of how deep his feelings were for his son, now that he had made something of himself, it was a matter of great pride for others to be eager to arrange a marriage between them.

When Lian Yu's stepmother, who had lost control of the household, found out, she was furious and subsequently brought her niece from her maternal family over.

Lian Yu's stepmother was a second wife, and she was also a distant cousin of Lian Yu's father. In fact, her family background was average. Her brothers were even less successful than her father, so her family background as a niece was not good at all.

Now that the niece heard that her aunt intended to marry her off to Lian Yu, she was deeply moved. She couldn't help but be moved! Her family background was not high, she wouldn't even be considered in the imperial concubine selection, and her appearance and temperament were not outstanding. It would not be easy for her to marry into a good family.

Lian Yu is the son of a vice minister. He is in his early twenties and ranked third in the provincial examination. If nothing unexpected happens, he will also get first place in the palace examination. She never dared to dream of such a husband before.

Now that she had the opportunity, she naturally wanted to give it a try, even though she knew that her aunt's actions might not have been well-intentioned. But she couldn't bear to refuse such an opportunity.

Lian Yu's stepmother's surname was Li Jia, and she was from the Han Banner Army.

Li Jia's niece from her maternal family is named Li Jia Yonghui.

Not many people knew that Miss Li Jia had come to the Suochuoluo Mansion, after all, she wasn't a big shot.

"Greetings, Aunt."

Li Jia looked at her niece. In fact, she rarely returned to her parents' home. She only knew that her eldest brother had a daughter of marriageable age, but she didn't know much about her appearance.

Looking at her now, Li Jia was not very satisfied. The girl had taken after her father, and her appearance could only be described as decent, which was considered good.

This girl isn't even good-looking enough, so it would be quite difficult for her to become Lian Yu's wife.

Despite her dissatisfaction, she didn't say anything and treated her very gently. Miss Li Jia thought her aunt was really kind.

When Li Jia saw her niece's appearance, she knew that it was impossible for Lian Yu to take the initiative to marry her, but she would make him have no choice but to marry her.

Thinking of this, Li Jia's eyes turned much colder.

Li Jia, who was standing nearby, happened to look up and saw it, and was so frightened that she quickly lowered her head.

Li Jia then said, "You can stay in your aunt's courtyard for now. The manor is busy these days. In a few days, your aunt will introduce you to your cousins."

"I'll listen to my aunt."

Lian Yu was unaware of his stepmother's schemes. He was preparing for the palace examination and needed to study more, since he planned to pursue Princess Anle. Emperor Kangxi was definitely a doting father, and if he didn't perform well, he probably wouldn't succeed.

Therefore, Lian Yu always used studying as an excuse to shut himself away from guests. Even if Li Jia had a plan, she couldn't see him and therefore couldn't plot against him.

Li Jia told herself that there was no need to rush. At worst, she could wait until after the palace examination. The mansion would definitely hold a banquet to celebrate, and then, in a drunken frenzy, she could get Lian Yu to marry her niece.

Thinking this way, Li Jiashi was no longer in a hurry.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the palace examination.