Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Xue Fenglin had a dark face...
Xue Fenglin arrived at Shen Xuan's house with a gloomy face, and rushed straight to Shen Xuan's courtyard as soon as he got off the carriage.
It is March now and the weather is getting warmer, so there is no need to light the charcoal brazier in the house anymore. Shen Xuan's door was open, with two curtains hanging to block the wind. Even from a distance, he could smell the aroma of hot pot.
Xue Fenglin opened the door curtain and went in, sitting down at the Eight Immortals Table. When Shen Xuan saw him coming, he smiled and said, "You are finally here. Light up the stove and eat first."
Jin Gui and Jin Zhi, who were waiting on the side, skillfully took the fire starter to light the charcoal and start the stove. They have eaten this hotpot many times in winter and have become very skilled at making it.
Xue Fenglin carefully looked at Shen Xuan's expression, and after a long while he asked tentatively: "Have you known about the Shen family's affairs?"
Shen Xuan then looked at him, nodded and said, "Need I tell you? I'll be the first one to know."
"Then you knew that I was going back to attend the Hongmen Feast? You didn't remind me earlier!" Xue Fenglin looked a little aggrieved, and he grabbed Shen Xuan's wrist and said coquettishly: "You are so careless, aren't you worried that I will be snatched away by someone? Do you like me or not?"
Xue Fenglin has always been the high and mighty prince in the Xue family. He has never acted in such a pitiful manner.
Jinzhi and Jingui were staring at the scene, feeling both surprised and amused, and couldn't help looking at each other.
Chen Xuan had no choice but to cough and dismiss Jin Zhi and Jin Gui.
When he and Xue Fenglin were the only ones left in the room, he spoke up, "This is just your stepmother causing trouble. As long as you don't change your mind, why should I worry? I trust you."
"Besides, if you have doubts in your heart, can my worrying make you change your mind?"
When Xue Fenglin heard Shen Xuan say that he believed in him, he felt a little happy, but the next sentence made him feel a little uncomfortable.
What Chen Xuan said made a lot of sense, but if I were in his shoes, I would tie Chen Xuan to my side even if I had to.
He felt that this was not a good thing, but he didn't know how to change it.
Everyone said that it was a blessing for a country boy like Shen Xuan to marry a prince, but only he knew that Shen Xuan could live just as well without him, and could even live better and freer, but he couldn't live without Shen Xuan.
It was so hard to have someone he loved so much in his life, who provided him with a peaceful and warm haven in his treacherous life, allowing him to temporarily put aside all calculations, gains and losses, and simply be himself. He was determined not to let go.
The hot pot soup base on the side was already bubbling. Inside was the chicken soup that Shen Xuan had asked Chef Huang to cook in advance, and the whole house was filled with fragrance.
He took the chicken out of the pot, shaved off the bones and dipped it in the sauce.
The chicken is tender, smooth and delicious. Shen Xuan picked up a few pieces for Xue Fenglin and said, "Eat quickly? Am I starving, or have you already eaten enough at home?"
Xue Fenglin then picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the chicken. Then he suddenly raised his head and said to Shen Xuan, "After the results are announced in a few days, there will be a palace examination. After I am appointed as an official, I will be officially an official, and I will marry you."
"Ah?" Shen Xuan was stunned. He didn't expect Xue Fenglin to suddenly talk about getting married.
His face turned red, and seeing Xue Fenglin's serious look, he said a little embarrassedly: "Your stepmother has brought those people from the Shen family, and your father and the elders of the Xue family have taken a fancy to them. How can they agree to our marriage so quickly?"
Xue Fenglin shook his head after hearing this, and just looked into Shen Xuan’s eyes and said, “It doesn’t matter what they think, what matters is whether you are willing or not?”
"Why wouldn't I want to?" Shen Xuan couldn't stand being looked at by him, so he lowered his head and said. But in my heart I just felt that Xue Fenglin was probably just talking.
After all, in the Jin Dynasty, marriage was still decided by parents. Even if he became an official, he couldn't do whatever he wanted while his parents were still alive.
After getting Shen Xuan's promise, Xue Fenglin was in a good mood.
He had hardly eaten at home, and now he was hungry, but faced with a table full of delicious food, so he started to eat with relish.
Shen Xuan prepared a lot of fresh-cut mutton slices, lotus root slices, bean curd sheets and other side dishes. Add the chicken and mushrooms from the bottom of the pot and dip them in the red oil sauce.
Xue Fenglin was sweating after the meal and his belly was full, all the fatigue from eating dry food in the examination hall in the past few days was gone.
After dinner, Shen Xuan saw that he was so hot that he took off his shirt, so he asked Jin Zhi and Jingui to clear the room and then
Go to the kitchen and boil some bath water.
After the hot water was ready, he said to Xue Fenglin, "I'll have someone send the bath water to the room where you usually stay. You can go and take a bath later and relax."
Xue Fenglin heard this and said, "You are quite skilled at chasing me away now. Once you and I are married, I will not leave."
"If you don't want to leave, then don't leave. Then I'll ask Jinzhi Jingui to bring the water over?" Shen Xuan blushed, but asked Xue Fenglin while looking at him.
Xue Fenglin didn't expect Shen Xuan to be so generous. He was delighted and put his arm around Shen Xuan's waist and said, "I've been busy taking exams these days and haven't come to you to collect the interest. Are you also worried about me?"
"I didn't!" Shen Xuan's face flushed. Xue Fenglin's words were so blunt that he felt embarrassed from head to toe. How could he admit it so easily?
Seeing that Shen Xuan was saying one thing and thinking another, Xue Fenglin raised the corners of his mouth, but very impolitely reached out and twisted it there.
“You!” Shen Xuan’s eyes turned red, and his eyes were filled with water. His body trembled and he glared at Xue Fenglin fiercely.
"You're tough on the outside, but your body is honest." Xue Fenglin let go of Shen Xuan and said with a smile, "Just wait for me here, I'll be here in a while."
After he finished speaking, without waiting for Shen Xuan to refute anything, he left and went to the guest room.
…
After the Spring Examination papers were initially reviewed by the examiners, more than a hundred candidates passed the examination and became official Gongshi.
On the day when the results of the Spring Examination were announced, Xue Fenglin was going to send Wuxin to take a look, but Chen Xuan said that the Spring Examination was of great importance and he had to go there in person.
Xue Fenglin couldn't persuade him, so he simply accompanied him. When they arrived at the place where the results were announced, he didn't get off the carriage. Instead, he said to Shen Xuan: "I'll wait for you here. Come back when you're done."
Chen Xuan felt a little surprised and thought that Xue Fenglin was nervous because he didn't know the results, so he asked him to stay in the car and went down to check the list himself.
At this time, the list had not been posted yet, but it was already crowded with people.
Chen Xuan stood below with Wu Xin Wu Wang. After waiting for an incense stick of time, an officer came over with the list and pasted it on the bulletin board with glue.
"The results are out, the results are out!"
"Is my name on it? Why haven't I seen it yet?"
"I got it right! I saw your name, Master!"
…
Voices of joy or dejection could be heard all around. Shen Xuan looked through the lines carefully and saw Xue Fenglin's name at the top of the list. He actually got first place in the exam and won the title of Huiyuan!
"It's the champion! I passed the exam!" Shen Xuan was so happy that he blurted out.
As soon as he finished speaking, many people suddenly crowded around him and asked in unison, "Who is the champion?"
"Is the Master Huiyuan here?"
"Master Huiyuan, I don't know whether you are married or not, why not take a look at my daughter! She is the most gentle and beautiful!"
…
The list was filled with merchants and wealthy people who wanted to capture a son-in-law. Seeing Shen Xuan's tall figure from afar, they thought he was a member of the association and wanted to capture him to be their son-in-law.
Wuxin and Wuwang quickly protected Shen Xuan and left. They only breathed a sigh of relief when Shen Xuan squeezed out of the crowd and returned to the car in an awkward manner.
At this time, Xue Fenglin looked at him with a half-smile and said, "I told you not to go and see it in person, didn't I? But you didn't listen."
He had already experienced the pain of being caught as a son-in-law under the list of candidates, during the autumn examination, and was determined not to endure it again.
Only then did Shen Xuan realize why Xue Fenglin was unwilling to go and see the list in person. He said to Xue Fenglin with some amusement: "How could I know it would be like this? You are quite popular now, Mr. Yuan."
Xue Fenglin knew that he had done well in the exam. When he heard that he had won the first place, he said as if it was a matter of course: "I was very confident in this spring exam, so it's not surprising that I won the first place. There is still the palace exam in seven days, and I don't know what the final result will be."
"You are so smart, the palace examination will be no problem for you." Shen Xuan said with a smile.
He had always heard people around him talk about how young and talented Xue Fenglin was, but it was not until today when he saw him pass the imperial examination that he truly understood that this was not just bragging because of his status as a prince.
Xue Fenglin shook his head upon hearing this and said, "This palace examination is very complicated, it is not just about the exam. But at least I should be able to see the emperor and be appointed an official, that is enough."
It didn't take long for the news that the eldest son of the Xue family had won the first place in the spring imperial examination to spread throughout the capital. Everyone said that the Xue family was honored to have raised such a capable eldest son! Many people who wanted to please the Marquis' Mansion came with generous gifts to congratulate.
When the Ye family learned about this, everyone was very happy. Even Lord Xue smiled, a rare sight. He ordered people to hang red silk at the door of his house to celebrate the fact that his family had produced a top scholar. He also asked Mrs. Bai to receive those who came to congratulate him well.
Bai felt very upset. Her Li'er was only two years younger than Xue Fenglin, and now he only passed the imperial examination and became a scholar.
Although he was also studying in the Imperial College, he was not as famous as Xue Fenglin. His teachers often compared him with Xue Fenglin, which made him even more reluctant to go there. He even attended classes only occasionally.
However, no matter how upset she felt, she had to cheer herself up in front of outsiders.
But when he saw Xue Fengli being intimate with his personal maid at home, he could not bear it anymore, and finally lost his temper and sold the two maids. Only then did the servants around Xue Fengli feel insecure and no longer dared to let him do whatever he wanted.
Besides, after Xue Fengli was disciplined by Bai, there was no one around him who could vent his anger.
He had been spoiled since he was a child. At a young age, he had two maids who shared the same room with him. He and his friends often went in and out of brothels. Now that he suddenly had no one to serve him, he was naturally feeling very anxious.
After he had been well behaved at home for two days, he took the opportunity to go to the Imperial College to study and went to the Baihua Tower on Zijin Street with the sixth young master of the Qian family.
As soon as he arrived at Baihua Tower, he called two beautiful courtesans to serve him, while Young Master Qian Liu called a young man with a handsome face like a beautiful girl.
When Xue Fengli saw the boy, he frowned and asked, "Liu Lang, I remember that you and I both like women. Why did you change your taste this time and call a boy like this?"
Upon hearing this, Young Master Qian winked mysteriously and said, "Before, I was young and didn't understand. After someone took me to experience it last time, I realized the wonders of this guy."
"Is there anything interesting about it? Tell me about it." Xue Fengli asked curiously.
The Sixth Young Master Qian leaned over to Xue Fengli's ear and whispered something until Xue Fengli's face turned red. He coughed and said, "You are well-informed. No wonder the guys in Baihua Tower are so popular."
He was so excited by what Qian Liulang said that he followed his example and called a boy to serve him.
After he imitated Qian Liulang's words and gave the guy a lot of trouble, Xue Fengli was quite satisfied and rewarded the guy with one or two taels of gold before leaving.
After he returned, he asked Bai to arrange two attendants for him on the grounds that he lacked someone to serve him.
Bai knew that Xue Fengli had never liked boys, but when she saw that he did not ask for a maid, she did not think much of it. She thought that he finally had the desire to study, so she asked someone to select two young boys from the family to serve him.
After that, Xue Fengli often hung out with Qian Liulang, and used the lewd techniques he had learned on the two guys, torturing them severely.
On this day, Xue Fengli returned home after school for a rare occasion, but happened to meet Shen Congshuang, the son of the Shen family who lived at home, in the back garden.
He had seen these descendants of the Shen family at banquets before, but because he had little interaction with them, he never looked at them more than once.
It was just that he suddenly became interested in his brother these days, and he couldn't help but look at Chen Congshuang a few more times. Seeing that he looked weak and feminine, with a thin waist and fair skin, he felt a little bit of interest in him.
After Chen Congshuang walked away, Xue Fengli actually turned back and looked at him several times.
When Shen Congshuang returned to the room, his attendant who was waiting on him said, "Brother Shuang, why do I feel that the second young master of the Xue family has been looking at you just now?"
Shen Congshuang had just felt it, and her face flushed when she heard it, and she quickly said, "Don't talk nonsense."
However, he had another plan in his mind. He thought that he, Shen Congyu and Shen Congxin had been in the Marquis' Mansion for so long, but they had not seen the prince return home many times.
Seeing that the prince passed the imperial examination a few days ago, the gifts that were sent to the Marquis' Mansion like water were more than the wealth of the Shen family. Even if she could stay in the Marquis's Mansion as a concubine, it would be better than being randomly married off to a merchant by the Shen family.
If the path of the prince is not feasible, the second young master of the Xue family can be a fallback!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
