bustling
Xia Buyu's eyes brightened the moment he saw Taishi Zheng, and he called out joyfully, "Zheng—"
Then he asked, "Why are you here?"
Zheng Mo Ran landed from the carriage and stood in front of Song Mingyue, squeezed in the crowd.
Song Mingyue glanced at the young man on the horse in surprise, then shifted her gaze to Zheng's back. "Zheng? Second sister-in-law, do you two know each other?"
Zheng turned her head, smiled, and said, "Mingyue, this is the servant of the General of the Right Guard. We've been friends since childhood. His name is Xia Buyu. You can just call him Lao Wu like me."
Song Mingyue was shocked when she heard this. The son of the commander of the Imperial Guards. He wanted her to call him Lao Wu?
She can't afford to shout.
Zheng Shun turned her head back, looking up through the glaring sunlight, unconsciously raising her hand to shade her brows. "Xia Laowu, you're still asking me why I'm here? I was going to ask you why you're here! You can't even pass the provincial exam, so why are you here to join in the fun? What's going on? Uncle Xia didn't teach you a lesson this time, and you're already getting carried away? We're in public, and everyone's almost squeezed in, and you're still riding a horse. Look at how capable you are."
"Also, quickly release Sister Chun'er. How long do you plan to keep her captive?"
Zheng's words were like a sister scolding her younger brother: on the surface, she expressed displeasure, but inwardly, she was deeply concerned. And her younger brother? He was also beaming with delight. Xia Buyu, upon hearing Taishi Zheng's words, hurriedly reached out to Cui Jianchun's arm.
Cui Jianchun also hurried back to his two sisters-in-law.
Xia Buyu just let go of his hand and jumped off his horse. He looked at the three people in the group and asked in confusion, "Sister Chun'er? Zheng, are you two together?"
Zheng hummed and introduced, "This is Erlang's cousin—"
But before Taishi Zheng could finish her words, Cui Jianchun appeared behind her, leaned forward slightly and said, "My humble daughter Cui Jianchun greets Mr. Xia."
Zheng grinned when she heard that and met Song Mingyue's eyes. The two sisters-in-law smiled knowingly at each other.
Xia Buyu was a simple-minded man. He led his priceless steed and replied to Cui Jianchun straightforwardly, "Ah, so you're Cui Cui's cousin. We're all family. Sister Chun'er, there's no need to be so formal. Just call me Lao Wu like Zheng did. And who is this——"
Xia Buyu was really not shy. He turned around and looked at Song Mingyue.
Song Mingyue also quickly took over the conversation and replied, "I am the wife of his third son, Erlang and Zheng's sister-in-law, Song Mingyue. What do you call me, Sheren Suixia?"
"Oh, okay." Xia Buyu laughed heartily after getting the explanation.
He thought the relatives of the Cui Cui family were actually quite nice people. How could they be as messy as they say? Zheng hadn't been able to get a word in for a while, but now she had the chance to ask, "Old Five, you haven't answered me yet. Are you here to see the list too?"
Xia Buyu shook his head. "I'm not here to see the list. Don't you know my ability? I—"
As he spoke, Xia Buyu looked around. After confirming that no one was familiar, he whispered in Taishi Zheng's ear, "I'm here to see the number one scholar. I heard that this new number one scholar is very popular recently. I wonder if Sister Yi's father can help Sister Yi get this number one scholar? Aren't you curious? What does this number one scholar look like? Or what are you all here for today? Is there anyone from the Cui family who has passed the imperial examination?"
Xia Buyu didn't understand why. As he stood up and left Taishi Zheng's side, he accidentally met Cui Jianchun's eyes and smiled brightly twice.
Cui Jianchun lowered his head instantly, avoiding his frank gaze.
Zheng originally wanted to tell the truth about how she had captured Cui Jianchun's son-in-law.
But after turning around, Zheng changed her words and said, "No one took the exam, and no one passed. We are just here to join in the fun."
Xia Buyu narrowed his eyes when he heard that. "I knew it. How could you not come if there's something going on? Well, let's go together. If there are any of you who are physically unable to move, let me clear the way for you so that those ignorant people won't get squeezed."
Zheng sneered and said, "Master Xia is kind-hearted. So, we will trouble you, Master Xia."
"It's a small matter." Xia Buyu waved his hand and led the crowd towards the sea of people.
Zheng looked back and said softly, "Let's go."
Several people set off and moved forward slowly.
But the noise and disturbance in his ears made Cui Jianchun feel a little uneasy.
She found she still preferred a darkened room, with the window half-open, letting in only a thin ray of light on sunny days. On rainy days, she could eavesdrop on the wind and rain beating against the windowsill. She clenched her palms in confusion when suddenly a voice brimming with confidence fell into her ears.
Cui Jianchun looked up and saw the thin figure of the young man, moving among the bustling crowd, so out of tune with everything around him.
How can a person be so hot and bright?
Xia Buyu raised his voice from time to time, clearing a safe path for them, not paying any attention to the gentle gazes cast from behind him, "Everyone, please make way. There is a pregnant woman here, please give me some convenience, please give me some convenience——"
Cui Jianchun was fascinated.
She gradually relaxed her clenched palms and happily walked to the front of the gold list with everyone else.
The few of them stood there, Song Mingyue completely unconcerned with the words on the golden list. She looked around, searching for Chu Fanghua and Cui Bin in the crowd, but couldn't see a single shadow. She lowered her eyes and leaned close to Tai Shi Zheng, wondering, "Second sister-in-law, how come we can't see a single person? Could it be that Second Aunt and the others... have already caught them and taken them home? Are we too late?"
Zheng was also confused. "They can't be that fast, right? I see some people have just arrived here."
The two looked at each other, unable to find the answer.
Zheng no longer cared about anything else. She raised her eyes and looked silently from back to front on the golden list.
Unexpectedly, when she saw the list of second-class candidates, she suddenly let out a cry of surprise, startling Song Mingyue beside her. Song Mingyue reached out and patted Tai Shi Zheng, calling out, "Second sister-in-law, what are you doing! Is my second brother's name on the list, or what? Why are you so surprised?"
Zheng turned around, pointed in the direction of the first place in the second class, and asked Song Mingyue, "Sixth Brother, am I seeing correctly? That's Liu Yugeng on top?!" Song Mingyue looked in the direction of Taishi Zheng's finger and confirmed again and again, "Yes, it's Liu Yugeng. Second sister-in-law, didn't you go to school and learn to read? What's the matter? Do you recognize this person?"
Zheng retracted her fingers in surprise, "Lao Liu, do you know who this person is?"
"Who?" Song Mingyue was confused.
Zheng replied, "Baonian's husband."
"It's actually him!?" Song Mingyue was incredulous. Being first in the second class was considered a good result.
"If it's really him, then Bao Nian will have a good life in the future!" Song Mingyue shook Taishi Zheng's arm, but Zheng stared deeply at Liu Yugeng's name, thinking of their meeting at Xiangguo Temple more than a month ago, Bao Nian's melancholy under the ancient tree, and muttered in a trance, "I hope so."
At that moment, a whistle suddenly sounded from somewhere, and a young man came forward surrounded by a crowd. Someone suddenly shouted, "Here comes the champion—"
Zheng and everyone else looked away.
Look at the young champion, elegant and graceful, with picturesque features and a scholarly demeanor. Just as they imagined, Zheng subconsciously glanced at Xia Buyu, and they both said in unison, "This is great!"
As congratulations echoed, the top scholar walked past them, gradually disappearing into the crowd. Amidst the chatter of those around her, Zheng heard that the top scholar had actually agreed to the Yi family's marriage proposal. It was truly a double blessing.
In this way, Zheng and Xia Buyu finally felt relieved.
It seems that the young lady is very prudent. Maybe she had already decided on the new son-in-law before the results were announced publicly.
Zheng turned around and saw her little cousin. Then she remembered the situation at home.
So, she looked left and right, searching for a long time, but she saw only the bustling crowd in front of the rites department, with people looking for a son-in-law or checking the list. But she couldn't see the second-house elder who had hurried out for a while.
Zheng was confused. Why did this person disappear?
-
The next day, Da Nei Bao Ci Hall.
The Empress Dowager was too lazy to get up and dress. A palace maid, carrying an incense burner, walked around the hall for a while. As she was leaving, she happened to see Chu Zhaoyuan entering through the curtains. She was a frequent visitor to the Baoci Hall. The palace maid had long been accustomed to this. Seeing her bow twice, indicating that the Empress Dowager was in the inner hall, the palace maid lowered her eyes and walked out.
Chu Qiyu walked in with his neck tilted high, without even glancing at the palace maid.
Look at her newly made palace gown, draped behind her, trailing behind her as she walked proudly into the inner hall. The golden hairpins in her hair, unbecoming of her rank, swayed across her pale cheeks. Chu Qiyu approached Empress Dowager Chu and asked her well. "Your Majesty, you were up late today. Is there something that has pleased you so much that you can sleep well?"
Empress Dowager Chu sat at the dressing table and rubbed her eyebrows.
Looking in the mirror, she looked no more than thirty years old, but the heavy phoenix crown made her features look more aged.
Empress Dowager Chu said, "Satisfied? How can I be satisfied as long as you are not the empress? How can I be satisfied as long as you do not give birth to a prince? Yesterday, the top scholar was snatched away by the Yi family right under our noses. So we have lost another game to them."
"Saitama, do you know that the current situation is not favorable for us—"
Upon hearing this, Chu Qiyu complained to the Empress Dowager, "I've tried every trick I can. The Emperor doesn't like coming to my place, and there's nothing I can do about it. Who knows why the Emperor has changed his ways recently, liking to go to the Jade Pavilion so much! It must be that bitch Si Kou Jue who pulled some dirty tricks!"
"But, Aunt, even if the Yi family got there first, and the runner-up and third place finishers were promised to prominent families long before high school, didn't my father also bring home the second and third place finishers for my seventh sister? And didn't the Jia, Xu, and Zhao families, all those families close to us, bring home sons-in-law according to your request?"
"We outnumber them. In the future, won't all of these people be of use to us in the court? Even the emperor has said that this year's humble scholars will be given important positions! Aunt, please be patient. We will definitely not lose to that arrogant Sikou family."
As Chu Qiyu was speaking, she recalled something and began to speculate maliciously, "It's strange. Yesterday, several families were trying to do things for the Empress Dowager, but the second branch of the Cui family, who kept saying they were following your orders, couldn't even get a third-class Jinshi degree. My niece wonders if they're deliberately opposing the Empress Dowager or if they have ulterior motives. What do you think we should do about this?"
Empress Dowager Chu's expression changed when she heard this.
But she didn't get angry, she just narrowed her eyes and said, "What should I do? If I can't catch her, I'll catch her again. I don't care what means Chu Fanghua uses, I just want her to give me an explanation."
"Go, call Chu Fanghua into the palace for me—"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
