Chapter 72 Chapter 72 The Spring Examination is approaching, two years later...
The Spring Examination is approaching, and the exam will be held more than two months after the New Year. The Imperial College will naturally not be closed until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
After the fifth day of the New Year, Xue Fenglin reluctantly returned to the Imperial College. As soon as he and Wu Xin Wu Wang left, the Shen family's yard became deserted again.
Just when Shen Xuanxian was getting panicky, a note was suddenly delivered from the palace on the sixth day of the New Year. It said that Shen Xuan was invited to attend a palace banquet at the palace on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Shen Xuan was quite surprised to see this. In fact, ever since the last time the Queen Mother suddenly and inexplicably invited him into the palace, he had never received an invitation from the palace again because of his low status. For some unknown reason, he suddenly received an invitation this time, allowing him, a commoner, to attend a very important palace banquet.
If you want to go to the palace for a banquet, you must prepare appropriate clothes for the banquet. However, before Shen Xuan had time to worry about these things, the Ye family sent someone over, saying that they wanted to take Shen Xuan's measurements and make him a set of clothes for entering the palace.
With the Ye family coming, Shen Xuan guessed that his entry into the palace this time was probably related to the Ye family.
He felt relieved, and after a little thought, he decided to take advantage of these few days of free time to develop a few more soaps.
He went directly to Xuanzifang and took out the raw materials stored in the warehouse.
This time, the direction he took was completely different from last time. Milk is added to one of the soaps to make the soap snow-white, emphasizing the skin-moisturizing effect of milk.
In addition to this milk soap, Shen Xuan has also developed a pearl soap with pearl powder, and a whitening medicated soap with ginseng, astragalus and Panax notoginseng.
These raw materials with special effects are very expensive, and the cost alone is several times more expensive than previous soaps.
But the soap made in this way is full of gimmicks and is more suitable for use in the palace and by wealthy nobles.
Shen Xuan specially made these soaps, intending to present them to the Queen and the Queen Mother when he entered the palace.
After listening to Princess Jinning's words last time, he realized that the soap used in the palace was just ordinary, far less rich than what he was selling now.
If such soap could be liked by the palace, it would be a good advertisement for him and would be of great benefit to his business.
In just a few days, the soap is ready.
Shen Xuan packed them up and added several types of flower soaps to the gift box.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, he took the gift boxes and took a car to the entrance of the palace.
Outsiders were not allowed to enter, so when Shen Xuan got off the car, an eunuch came to greet him, helped him carry the gift boxes, and escorted him into the palace through a small door next to the Meridian Gate.
This small gate is exactly where officials and their wives must pass to enter the palace. Chen Xuan entered the palace through this gate last time. This time when I came again, I happened to catch a palace banquet and naturally met many other officials' families on the way.
Some of them he had seen at the banquet. At this time, they also recognized Shen Xuan, and began to discuss with some curiosity.
Qian Ruofang from the family of Minister Qian said to the woman beside her, "Today is a palace banquet. This Chen Ge'er is still unmarried. I don't know how he got in."
Shen Xuan was a little far away from them, so he couldn't hear the young lady of the Qian family secretly talking about him behind his back.
He followed all the way to a large hall, only to find out that this was where the officials' families were waiting to be summoned.
When Shen Xuan entered the hall, he saw that Madam Ye, Ye Mi and Bai were already in the hall.
Seeing Shen Xuan coming over, a strange look flashed across Bai's face, and she obviously didn't know he would come here.
Ye Mi waved at Shen Xuan and said, "You are finally here. I was afraid that you would be nervous and unable to find your place because it was your first time attending a banquet in the palace."
Shen Xuan smiled upon hearing this and said, “It is true that I am a little nervous, but I will just follow the palace servants.”
Secretary Ye then said to him, "When we go in later, the seats at the banquet will be arranged according to their ranks. I'm afraid you can't sit with us."
"But it is a great honor to be able to come to this palace banquet. You don't have to worry about anything. Just eat and drink."
Seeing the Ye family being so affectionate towards Shen Xuan, Bai frowned, a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes, and she had another plan in her mind.
After a while, Princess Jinning and Princess Jinning also came to the hall. When the Jinning County Lady saw Shen Xuan, she immediately came over and said, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would have brought you here earlier."
Seeing that the Princess of Jinning County and the Ye family were talking around Shen Xuan, Qian Ruofang and the few young ladies around her were a little annoyed.
They had heard Qian Ruofang's instigation at the Ye family banquet before, and they had a bad impression of Shen Xuan. Now seeing that he was actually on good terms with the Jinning County Master, with whom he had quarreled before, they said sourly: "This country boy is really shameless. He quarreled so badly with Jin Shiyue, but now he is on good terms with her."
"That's not true. After all, his status is different from ours. He can bend and stretch, and he has no self-esteem."
"Oh, it would be great if I could learn this ability. People like us are too noble, so we always have some backbone. If I could turn against him as easily as turning over a book, my mother would not say that I have a stubborn temper."
…
The sound of their discussion was quite loud, and since everyone was gathered in one place at this moment, it was inevitable that it reached Shen Xuan’s ears.
"I'll go teach them a lesson." Jin Shiyue became very angry when she heard this and was about to go up and argue.
Shen Xuan stopped him and said, "Why bother to argue with a villain? It's just a few comments. If I don't take it to heart, it won't do any harm to me."
"But you, the county lady, are in the palace right now. If you take the initiative to go over and argue, you will inevitably get a bad reputation. Wouldn't that be a disadvantage?"
Jin Shiyue didn’t expect Shen Xuan to stop her, and after hesitating for a while, she said, “Is that the end of it?”
Shen Xuan then quietly pointed around and said, "County Lady, I don't mind. But you see, all around here are the wives of officials. How many of them have young men of marriageable age, waiting to find a good match?"
"Although it's just a palace banquet today, everyone is watching. What the young ladies and young men who come to the palace banquet say and do, and what kind of people they are, all fall into their eyes."
"If you get impulsive and argue with them, they will play the victim, and then you will be the one in the wrong. It's better to control your temper, and maybe you will get something different."
Shen Xuan's analysis of the pros and cons actually convinced Jin Shiyue. So he coughed and said, "Okay, what you said makes sense, so let's forget it this time."
Seeing that her son was easily persuaded by Shen Xuan with just a few words, Princess Jinning also nodded secretly.
She has always known Jin Shiyue's temper, and it is not easy to control it.
She valued Chen's calm and measured temperament and character, so she hoped that Jin Shiyue would interact with him more often so that she could control her temper. Now it seems to be right!
The commotion passed without any disturbance. At this moment, a plump woman in noble clothes in the hall took all of this in and looked at Jin Shiyue carefully.
She is the mother of Lord Yang, the prince's tutor, and a third-rank lady. Now that her grandson Yang Xu is old, it is time for him to get married. Whenever she goes out, she can't help but look around at young ladies and boys from various families, hoping to pick one with good family background and character for her grandson.
Qian Ruofang had always been known as a talented woman, so Mrs. Yang naturally had a good impression of her and inevitably paid some attention to her.
Unexpectedly, she heard the young lady of the Qian family secretly talking about others with someone else. Her words were full of contempt, which was shocking.
The Yang family is different from those famous families in Beijing. It is a family of integrity.
Her husband did not come from a prominent family, but was an official through the imperial examination. Afterwards, he tried his best to cultivate his sons and nephews, and his son became the prince's tutor today.
Mrs. Yang also came from a scholarly family, so she naturally couldn't stand Qian Ruofang's behavior. He secretly kicked her out of his list of options.
However, Jin Shiyue, who was not originally among the candidates, did surprise her a little. Although this guy has a high status, he has always had a bad reputation. He is said to be hot-tempered and arrogant.
But now seeing that he is on good terms with Mr. Shen, who comes from a commoner family, he is not as domineering as the rumors say.
In addition, she saw the whole story. Jin Shiyue wanted to help others, but after being persuaded by Chen Ge'er, she did not do anything beyond the rules.
His personality is relatively simple. As long as he is not a bad person and listens to advice, he is not as bad as the rumors say.
Madam Yang thought that today's events reminded her that the rumors in the capital could not be trusted. If you want to choose a good marriage for Yang Xu, you have to come and see it in person.
Later, when the Yang family held another spring banquet, Madam Yang specially sent an invitation to the Princess of Jinning County.
But that’s all in the past…
After returning to the palace, everyone stood there for a while before a eunuch came over to announce that the banquet was ready and asked everyone to follow him and take their seats.
As a royal relative, Princess Jinning naturally walked in front with the princess, and the Ye family soon followed.
Until most people had left, and only Shen Xuan was left, an eunuch came to lead him out and said, "Brother Shen, please come with me to the table."
Shen Xuan followed him across a square and entered the main hall of the palace.
The so-called palace banquet cannot be without the princes, ministers and male relatives of various families.
However, they and their families were always sitting on opposite sides of each other, and they did not gather in the same place.
Shen Xuan was led to sit at the last seat at the palace banquet, a million miles away from the throne of Emperor Wu of Jin.
He secretly glanced at the opposite side and saw that Lord Xue was indeed sitting in the front, but there was only Xue Fengli beside him, and no Xue Fenglin. Perhaps because of the busy studies at the Imperial College, Xue Fenglin did not come with Lord Xue.
After a while, the Queen came in from the back of the hall, supporting the Queen Mother, and they sat down in the front row. Finally, Emperor Wu of Jin walked in and sat in the center seat.
Shen Xuan squinted his eyes and took a look. He was in a position where the light was against him, so he couldn't see Emperor Wu of Jin clearly at all.
He couldn't help but think: What Secretary Ye said is very right. I just came here to eat and drink, and other matters have nothing to do with him.
Emperor Wu of Jin said a few words of blessing for the Lantern Festival, and after some more prayers, he announced the start of the banquet.
Food was presented to the table in front of Shen Xuan like a stream of water, but the food must have been prepared a long time ago, and many of them were already cold and tasted nothing good.
There were a dish of crispy pigeon and a dish of braised fish fillet which tasted pretty good when they were cold. Shen Xuan just stared at these two things and ate them, sweeping the plate clean.
He ate happily, not caring at all about what others were doing.
But suddenly, two palace maids came over with two plates of new dishes and placed them on the table. When Shen Xuan looked, he saw that it was a dish of crispy pigeon and a dish of fish spine in wine sauce.
Looking around again, he realized that everyone's eyes were on him.
"This is a reward from His Majesty. Please enjoy it, Brother Chen." The two palace maids bowed and turned away.
Shen Xuan was startled and looked suddenly in the direction of Emperor Wu of Jin. He vaguely saw that the majestic emperor was indeed looking in his direction, and he almost choked on his food.
He didn't know when the Emperor noticed how hard he was working and specially rewarded him with these two dishes.
He just knew that the dish in front of him tasted bland. After that, he just took a bite with his chopsticks and didn't want to taste it anymore.
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