Chapter 63 You're just a lecher.
Lu Jinlan pondered for a moment, "Let's see how serious the situation really is before we say anything more."
Two hours later, hundreds of exam papers were laid out, and almost every paper had two names on it. In other words, each person's score was not their own.
Some steal glory and gild their bodies, and from then on, they enter the imperial court and rise to high positions.
Some people fall into the mortal world because of this. In the most important game of their lives, when they have the most chance to turn their lives around, their cards are switched without their knowledge.
The three remained silent for a long time before Xiang Ruzhen spoke in a deep voice: "The Hanlin Academy can only find the archives from the last twenty years at most, but this kind of thing has probably existed for more than twenty years."
Lu Jinlan sighed and nodded. It wasn't just that it had been like this for over twenty years; it had probably been this way since ancient times.
She recalled a line from a Song Dynasty poem: "What did the Six Dynasties accomplish? Only to become private schemes among their own families?"
Throughout history, countless events have turned out to be nothing more than the narrow-minded calculations of powerful clans for their own selfish interests.
It is said that an old man, upon reading this sentence in his later years, burst into tears and could not control himself.
Lu Jinlan felt the same way, feeling extremely heavy and infinitely sad.
Even Yan Wuxin smiled bitterly, "The imperial court should select virtuous and capable officials in order to make the country prosperous and the people wealthy. The academy has been running itself haphazardly for so many years, no wonder there are always some corrupt and incompetent officials."
Lu Jinlan said firmly, "This matter is not something the academy wanted to handle. Think about it, this involves the interests of all the major families in Huaguo. How could the dean alone control it? If the dean hadn't intervened, the situation would probably be even worse. I suddenly understand why she insisted that we take the make-up exam."
Yan Wuxin hurriedly asked, "Why?"
Lu Jinlan: "Because she wants us to see our own strength while she can guarantee fairness. If we fall too hard later, we can always comfort ourselves that we have performed normally before, so we won't be too heartbroken."
Xiang Ruzhen said angrily, "How could she not be heartbroken? Take Lord Yu, for example. She was always number one, but suddenly she dropped to twenty-third. Didn't she doubt herself? Her grades were stolen, she lost her opportunities, and she watched those who were not as good as her rise to prominence while she was banished to some remote and desolate place, struggling to climb up from a lowly official position. How much bitterness, blood, tears, pain, and torment she endured must have made her depressed and heartbroken?"
Lu Jinlan held Xiang Ruzhen's hand and said gently, "Keep your voice down, this matter must not be made public."
Xiang Ruzhen frowned deeply. "We found out about this by chance, but I can't pretend I didn't know. I know this matter is of great importance, and you don't need to take this risk. I'll handle this myself. No matter what happens in the future, I won't tell anyone about you."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jinlan flew into a rage. "Xiang Ruzhen! After everything that's happened, how can you say such a thing? What kind of sworn brotherhood do you have?"
Xiang Ruzhen said urgently, "It's precisely because we're sworn brothers that I don't want to drag you down with me."
Seeing that the two men's expressions had changed, Yan Wuxin quickly shushed them twice and hurriedly closed the door. "My two ancestors, keep your voices down! The three of us have been in the same boat for a long time, so why are you talking about dragging us down with you?"
Yan Wuxin squatted between the two of them. "Ruzhen, I have to say something to you. Even if you mean well, you shouldn't exclude us. Who else can you turn to besides us? This is such a big matter, even if the three of us put in all our effort, we might not be able to handle it. And you want to do it all by yourself? Are you crazy?"
Lu Jinlan snorted, "They're capable enough, they don't need us. We're all afraid of death, but you, Xiang Ruzhen, are upright and fearless. You must have a foolproof plan, right?"
Yan Wuxin said helplessly, "Oh, Jinlan, quickly stop your sarcastic tone. I didn't even say anything to you, and you're already getting worked up. You're so sharp-tongued, you could practically poison someone with your words. You two, one with a stubborn temper, the other with a childish temper, you've driven me to my wits' end. I, Yan Shaoniang, am a respectable figure in the capital, and I've been reduced to mediating this. Please give me some face. We're clearly on the same side, so why are we arguing? Make up immediately, everyone take a step back, I'll say three, two, one, and then we'll all apologize to each other."
Yan Wuxin grabbed their hands, "Three, two, one."
The two looked at each other with furrowed brows, and said, "I'm sorry."
Yan Wuxin: "Alright, let's talk about what we should do about this."
Xiang Ruzhen: "I plan to go by myself..."
"Ahem!" Yan Wuxin coughed. "Organize your thoughts properly."
Xiang Ruzhen glanced at the two of them. "I originally planned to go to the yamen myself and bring this evidence to file a complaint."
Lu Jinlan said, "The person you want to sue is right here in the yamen. Who would dare take your case?"
"Ahem!" Yan Wuxin coughed twice. "You should also watch how you speak."
Lu Jinlan pursed her lips. "What I mean is, we have to take care of this, but we can't just act recklessly. Think about it, in the past twenty years, haven't any other people noticed something was wrong? For example, in our class, someone who always ranked at the bottom suddenly jumped to the top when we graduated. Wouldn't a normal person be suspicious?"
"Someone must have noticed something, but no problem has ever been exposed. Why? Because in this matter, all the powerful families, officials, warlords, and academic cliques are all in cahoots. So many people with the surname Zhao are listed at the top, what does that mean? Even the royal family is involved. Do you think the emperor doesn't know? Even if you complain to the emperor, it won't do any good."
Xiang Ruzhen glanced at Lu Jinlan, "Then tell me, what should we do?"
Lu Jinlan thought for a moment, "If I tell you, you'll get angry with me again."
Yan Wuxin chuckled, "No rush, no rush, let's discuss it properly. Jinlan always has the best ideas, so tell us what you think."
Lu Jinlan said, "I think our focus should not be on reopening old cases, but on the future. The past is the past. Some of those who took the exam may already be dead, and those who became officials have been cultivating their positions in the court for more than a decade. Behind each of them are countless intertwined networks of interests, so that moving one will affect the whole situation and they are simply unshakable."
“What we can do is start next year and force them to change this unspoken rule. Starting with our class, we will uphold fairness to the end. If they cheat on their grades, we will cheat back. If all else fails, we will expose the whole thing and turn the secret of the privileged class into an open secret. Then the whole city will be in an uproar, and we'll see who dares to take advantage of the situation.”
Xiang Ruzhen nodded. "Okay, let's do it that way."
"Huh?" Lu Jinlan was startled. "I thought you were going to say something like, 'So you're just going to ignore those people from before? Is that fair to them?'"
Xiang Ruzhen couldn't help but smile. "I do want to intervene, but you're right, we can't change the past. Those who were wronged back then probably have a vague idea of what happened, but they were powerless to change it. But we have the will and the power; we can change the future. At least starting with our generation, we can break the monopoly of powerful families and prevent injustices from continuing. We can definitely do it, right?"
Lu Jinlan hummed in agreement. "If the three of us work together, we can definitely do it. But if you leave the two of us behind, then it's not certain."
Xiang Ruzhen patted her shoulder helplessly and laughed, "Don't be angry. I've decided that even as ghosts, I won't let you go. When we're old and dead, we'll still cause trouble together, from broad daylight to the underworld, never to be separated, okay?"
Lu Jinlan smiled, "That's more like it. If we're going to make a scene about this, we'll have to wait until after the final exams next semester. Let's keep our mouths shut and not tell anyone. We can plan carefully over the next six months and then turn the world upside down."
The three clasped hands. "Okay, it's settled then."
*
The academic year exams were a matter for later; the make-up exams were just around the corner. A few days later, the four students' results were announced, and the dean combined their scores with those of the other students to re-rank them. The result was similar to usual.
Lu Jinlan is first, Xiang Ruzhen is second. Yan Yu is third; her identity as the eldest princess must remain a secret, so she will temporarily use the name Yan Yu.
As for Yan Wuxin, he ranked forty-sixth.
Lu Jinlan patted her shoulder reassuringly, "Look on the bright side, you've made the most progress among the four of us, improving by five places since the last exam, right?"
Yan Wuxin forced a smile. "Thank you, but you want to improve by five places. Do you really have that much room for improvement?"
Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "It's just a little bit of fame. Who are you, Yan Wuxin? Why would you care? Let's go to Zhongyong Garden and have some fun. You'll forget about this little thing in no time."
Yan Wuxin looked up at the sky and sighed, "Alas, fame traps me; happiness is not so simple."
Half an hour after he finished speaking, the three of them ran into Jiang Lan at Zhongyong Garden, where she was training the group of male servants again.
There was a handsome young man who kept making mistakes and was hit twice by Jiang Lan, his eyes turning red.
Yan Wuxin sighed repeatedly as he watched, "I can't stand seeing men suffer. Master Jiang doesn't know how to be gentle with women anymore. Look at how badly he's been beaten. It breaks my heart to see him like this."
Xiang Ruzhen glanced at her indifferently and ruthlessly exposed her, "Is it because you can't stand seeing men suffer? You're just a lecher. You only feel sorry for him because he's good-looking, but that fat guy next to you got hit several more times, why don't you feel sorry for him then?"
Yan Wuxin pursed his lips. "Who told him to eat so much? He's got thick flesh, so a few hits won't hurt. This one's different, he looks like he can't take a beating. I think Master Jiang doesn't know how to teach people. He should talk to people properly, why does he always resort to violence? I know this move too, I'll go teach him."
Lu Jinlan and Xiang Ruzhen watched Yan Wuxin walk over quickly, exchanged a smile, pulled up a stool, and sat down to watch.
Yan Wuxin greeted Jiang Lan and pulled her out of the line, asking, "What's your name?"
“Replying to Young Madam Yan, my name is Huaixing, Huai as in 'embracing' and Xing as in 'star and moon'.”
"Huaixing? That's a nice name. She's good-looking and has a nice name, but she's a bit slow."
Huai Xing lowered his head in embarrassment, "I've been slow-witted since I was a child. If I can't learn from Master Jiang, I'll only be able to serve tea and water and be a second-class male servant in the future."
Yan Wuxin smiled, leaned closer and whispered, "That's because Master Jiang doesn't know how to teach. You call me Master, so I'll teach you."
Huai Xing looked at the bright young man in front of her with surprise, "Young Madam Yan seems to be about the same age as me..."
Yan Wuxin: "What does being a master have to do with age? Besides, how old are you?"
Huai Xing: "I'm sixteen."
Yan Wuxin said proudly, "I'm seventeen, am I qualified to be your master? I've never been a master to anyone before, don't you want to be my first disciple?"
Huai Xing was silent for a moment, then answered firmly, "Yes."
Yan Wuxin smiled, "Call me 'Master' and let me hear it."
She leaned closer, and the young man's gentle voice rang in her ear, "Master."
"Good boy!" Yan Wuxin took the sword from his hand. "Watch your master demonstrate this move for you."
Xiang Ruzhen, watching from a distance, shook her head repeatedly. "She was all gloomy just a moment ago, but now she's all smiles. Do you think she even remembers that she ranked forty-sixth?"
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "She's so immersed in her art of flirting that she's long forgotten what the world is like. I really hope she can always be this happy. I wish we could be like her too, so that no matter what happens, we can forget everything when we have a handsome man in our arms."
Before she could finish speaking, Xiang Ruzhen raised her chin and said, "Your handsome man has come to find you."
Lu Jinlan turned around and saw Lin Cheng leading two male servants toward her.
Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "Finally not busy today?"
Lin Cheng chuckled softly, "With your father and my father's help, everything is ready, so you can relax and wait to be the groom. That's why I'm thinking of studying cooking so I can cook you a midnight snack when you're studying late at night."
Lu Jinlan thought for a moment, "I only remember that you can boil eggs."
Lin Cheng disagreed, "People can improve, and I've worked in the cafeteria for so long, I've learned by watching, it's not difficult. I made cordyceps and old duck soup today, you should try it."
The male servant behind him placed the soup pot on the table. Song Lincheng ladled out two bowls, one for Lu Jinlan and the other pushed in front of Xiang Ruzhen, saying, "Sister Xiang, please try some too."
Xiang Ruzhen smiled and said, "Thank you, brother-in-law, for your trouble."
Lu Jinlan took a small sip and exclaimed, "Mmm, delicious!"
Song Lincheng said happily, "It seems I have a talent for cooking. I'll learn more recipes and cook for you every day."
Lu Jinlan: "Don't rush to cook. Have you tried on your wedding dress yet? We're getting married tomorrow, let's go try on our wedding dresses together."
Lu Jinlan said, pulling Lin Cheng away, "Ruzhen, you two can do as you please. Your courtyard is all ready. You two can stay here tonight and come with me to pick up the bride early tomorrow morning. Oh, and remember to drink the soup, it's very delicious, don't waste it."
Xiang Ruzhen: "Okay, I know. Why are you suddenly being so long-winded?"
Watching Lu Jinlan pull Song Lincheng away, Xiang Ruzhen blew on the soup in her bowl, and as soon as she put it in her mouth, she quickly spat it out.
"What's this smell?" Xiang Ruzhen muttered to herself, frowning. No wonder Lu Jinlan ran away so fast, and even when he left, he didn't forget to trick her.
Xiang Ruzhen gritted her teeth in anger, then glanced at Yan Wuxin in the distance, who was busy flirting... no, busy teaching.
"No worries, come and rest for a while. Your brother-in-law has made old duck and cordyceps soup."
Yan Wuxin smiled and said, "Lin Cheng is becoming more and more virtuous. Jin Lan is truly blessed."
Xiang Ruzhen lowered her head and said, "Yes, yes, this bowl is for you."
Yan Wuxin was feeling thirsty, so he took the soup bowl and gulped down a mouthful, then spat it out. "Pah! Where did you find this duck? It's so sour and smelly!" Xiang Ruzhen laughed loudly. Yan Wuxin gritted his teeth. "Fine, you, Xiang Ruzhen, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes and upright appearance, have actually followed Lu Jinlan and become bad too. I'm the only honest person who fell for your trick."
The more she thought about it, the more indignant she became. "Huaixing! Come here."
Huai Xing ran over quickly, his face slightly flushed. He wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead and softly called out, "Master."
"Yes, my good disciple, you've worked hard practicing. Here's a bowl of soup for you."
As Yan Wuxin turned to serve the soup, Xiang Ruzhen shook her head slightly at Huaixing.
Yan Wuxin brought over the soup, and Huaixing suddenly said, "I'm not thirsty. Master has been talking a lot and it must be tiring. Master, please drink it."
Yan Wuxin: "Just drink what your master tells you to drink. Here, this is your master's way of showing you affection."
Huai Xing shook his head repeatedly, took a few steps back, and then turned and ran.
"Hey, stop right there!" Yan Wuxin chased after him, bowl in hand.
Xiang Ruzhen clapped her hands and laughed. Just then, Jiang Lan came over and hurriedly said, "Master Jiang, have some soup. Your young master made it himself."
*
On the eve of their wedding, according to custom, the bride and groom had to stay in separate places. Song Lincheng returned to his old residence, while Lu Jinlan remained at Zhongyong Garden.
With the moon high in the sky, she was still wide awake, so she simply pulled out a storybook based on her life—"The Romantic Past of Lu Jinlan"—from her desk and began to read it with great interest.
There was a knock on the door, presumably from someone delivering late-night snacks, so Lu Jinlan said, "Come in."
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the clothes of the male servants in the mansion, and then continued reading.
The person placed the late-night snack down but didn't leave. Instead, they moved behind her and put their hand on her shoulder.
"Hiss—" Lu Jinlan frowned.
What's wrong with people these days? Do they think I'm not picky?
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Author's Note: We're focusing on a balance between work and rest. The new man will appear in the next chapter. PS: Not this one... nor is he a male servant...
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