Gu An'an never expected that Chen Yuan would come.
She was somewhat surprised. "What are your orders, General Chen?"
How long has it been since we last met?
Chen Yuan thought for a moment, and it seemed that they had never seen each other since they parted ways in the capital.
Gu An'an had grown much taller than before, and the sharpness in her eyes seemed to have softened, making her appear more gentle.
However, this gentle warmth felt like it came from afar, not what Chen Yuan had imagined.
"I heard that your son is also participating in the autumn examination, so I went up the mountain to get two amulets for good luck."
Gu An'an looked at the thing that was stuffed into her hand. This person was in the examination room, so it seemed that she didn't need any good luck charm.
Could something really happen in the exam room?
The crucial point is that the amulet isn't in Jiang Mingyi's possession either.
Before Gu An'an could even speak, Chen Yuan had already left.
Looking at the amulet in her hand, Gu An'an sighed and turned to hand it to Jiang Mingyi.
She couldn't possibly lose her things, could she?
The provincial examination consisted of three sessions, each lasting three days, which was a torment for the candidates both physically and mentally.
The Mid-Autumn Festival passed by during this test. With neither of the two men in the family present, Jiang Mingzhu and Bao'er both looked dejected.
"Mom, can my little brother come back for the New Year?"
This question left Gu An'an unsure how to answer appropriately.
Coming back wouldn't be a problem, but Jiang Mingxu is currently making a lot of money out of the Tian brothers, and seems to be enjoying it and doesn't want to come back.
"Why don't you write to him and ask him about it later, Bao'er?"
Bao'er immediately found her own fun, "Okay, I'll write a letter to my older brother."
...
After the final round of the provincial examination, Jiang Mingyi felt completely exhausted as he walked out of the examination hall.
After saying goodbye to Chen Bei, he went straight home and slept in bed for a whole day before he felt a little more comfortable.
When he woke up the next morning, he saw Bao'er standing by his bedside. "Brother, you're awake?"
Mother said that her brother was very tired and that he should just sleep, and that she should not disturb him.
Bao'er was a little worried, fearing that her brother's illness had relapsed, so she stayed here for a long time.
Jiang Mingyi smiled and patted his little sister's head. "I'm fine, Bao'er, go play."
Bao'er nodded repeatedly.
I won't disturb Jiang Mingyi while he washes up.
He was too tired when he came back yesterday to take a bath or change his clothes.
Now I can finally take a hot shower, and I feel so refreshed.
After all that commotion, Jiang Mingyi came out and discovered that Gu An'an was not at home.
He was somewhat downcast.
“Something happened at the shop over there. Mother was called away early this morning to deal with it. She left some of the mooncakes she made for you, brother.”
The mooncakes are decorated with images of people climbing to the moon and plucking laurels, conveying Gu An'an's heartfelt blessings.
Jiang Mingyi suddenly realized that he had been too petty. "Thank you, Mother."
After giving her instructions, Jiang Mingzhu went about her own business, without delaying Jiang Mingyi's meal and rest.
Family members don't necessarily have to be together all the time. For Jiang Mingzhu, it's enough to be able to have dinner together and know what the other has been up to.
For Jiang Mingyi, the provincial examination was just another test.
After he finished packing, he went to see Sun Hanzhou and recited his article from memory for his teacher to see.
Sun Hanzhou frowned and stared at him for a while before finally speaking, "What do you think?"
This article is not bad, but it's not good enough.
Perhaps I'll please the examiner and get a good ranking, but maybe the examiner won't like me and I'll fail...
Over the years, Sun Hanzhou had little knowledge of officialdom, and hadn't paid much attention to who the education commissioner of Anzhou Prefecture was, or who was the chief examiner this year.
He had long since lost interest in officialdom, and if it weren't for that strikingly similar face, Sun Hanzhou would never have had any further involvement with the imperial examinations.
Jiang Mingyi looked at the lengthy article and said, "I'm not entirely satisfied. If it's not good enough, we'll come back in three years."
This imperial examination was postponed for a year, and the next provincial examination should be two years later. Actually, if you think about it carefully, it's only two years. I'll be fifteen years old then, so it's not too late to take the exam.
"It's good that you can think things through." Sun Hanzhou didn't say much, but handed him a book. "Go back and read this carefully. If you don't understand anything, come and ask me. But I might not be back by then."
The book is so thick that it would take some time to fully understand it. "Is the master going on a long journey?"
"I'll be away for a while, at most a month." He had been away from the capital for a long time and wanted to revisit his old haunts to pay respects to his deceased friends. This thought had been particularly strong when he left Anping County, and now that the autumn imperial examinations were over, it couldn't be more appropriate.
Jiang Mingyi thought for a moment, "Take care, sir. I won't disturb you any longer."
...
Xiao You told Gu An'an about Sun Hanzhou's departure from Anzhou Prefecture, "It seems he went towards the capital. But boss, things haven't been peaceful in the capital lately. Is it really okay for Mr. Sun to go there?"
"What's wrong?" Gu An'an asked casually.
Xiao You chuckled and said, "I heard from the passing merchants that the Imperial Noble Consort in the palace gave birth to a son, but he died a few days later. There are all sorts of rumors circulating in the palace. Some say he was the reincarnation of the Fourth Prince, while others say the child's origins are unknown. Anyway, the Imperial Noble Consort made a scene, and Emperor Longqing beheaded several officials."
Gu An'an was genuinely unaware of this matter. She was somewhat lost in thought, and after a while, she said, "Things in the palace are unpredictable. Just listen and don't spread rumors."
"Am I that kind of person? But Master, the Longqing Emperor even reprimanded the Crown Prince for this matter, acting like he'd lost his mind. Do you think these princes might start arguing with the Crown Prince later?"
The crown prince's position isn't that secure; who knows what trouble might arise if the princes start causing trouble in the future?
"It's hard to say, but fighting won't do us any good either. The people suffer when the country prospers and when it falls. In the end, it's the common people who suffer." Gu An'an said with some emotion. "By the way, can you ask me about something? I heard that Chen Shu is getting married soon. Can you find out when the wedding date is set so I can prepare a gift for her?"
"No need to ask, Feng Yue came to see Man Niang a few days ago and told her about this. The wedding date is set before the Dragon Boat Festival next year. She wants to prepare a unique gift for Feng Yue and even went to discuss it with Mei Niang for a long time."
Gu An'an laughed upon hearing this, "It's really not easy for something so unique that everyone knows about it."
“That’s right. But I think we should prepare one for General Chen before preparing one for Miss Chen Shu.” Xiao You looked at Gu An’an carefully. “Master, I heard that General Chen is getting married and is marrying the daughter of a prominent family in Anzhou.”
She scrutinized Gu An'an's expression, as if trying to discern something from her face.
In the end, I still couldn't figure it out.
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