Mrs. Shen was completely satisfied with Lin Su, except for the fact that she ran away after being fed up with him. Didn't you see that her son never went to the brothels again after getting married? It turned out that marriage was useful. Marrying a virtuous wife was truly a blessing for the family.
The Shen family was living in harmony, but there were great changes in the court. In the palace examination, some people's essays did not express their ideas clearly, while some people even wrote their words crookedly. The cheating in the examination was exposed on the spot, which caused heated discussions in the court and the public.
The emperor's majesty could not be challenged. Within a month, countless mansions were sealed off, properties were confiscated, and some were imprisoned. People were in a panic all day long, and the dust finally settled a month later.
The emperor originally planned to cancel this exam, but due to opposition from his ministers, he had no choice but to reopen it with grace and hold the exam again.
The students experienced great ups and downs, toiling twice within a year, some even dying from exhaustion in the Imperial Examination Hall. After the results of the joint examination were announced, Yun Hui was still the top scorer, and those who had previously doubted him were convinced. A month later, during the palace examination, he won the top spot again, becoming a true triple-top winner.
Although Yun Hui was a talented person, the emperor also realized that he could not offend the old general anymore.
The palace examination was finally decided. I was supposed to be in high spirits and enjoy the view of all the flowers in Chang'an in one day. Unfortunately, the cheating incident lasted for several months, and by the time the palace examination was over, it was already the hottest summer.
Chen Tang went to watch the ceremony. The temperature was not too high because of the ice in the pavilion, but the long street was crowded with people and the sun was scorching. Yun Hui was wearing a fiery red robe and was sweating like a fountain.
"Being the top scholar is a tough job." Chen Tang leaned against the fence and waved to Yun Hui, scattering countless flowers.
Lin Su didn't care about his ostentatious behavior. Instead, he suggested, "When he's done, invite him up to have a cup of cold tea to cool him down."
Chen Tang looked back at him, thoughtful, and leaned in close to him to sniff and said, "Hmm, why isn't it sour?"
He was afraid that Lin Su would be jealous because of Yun Ziyu's matter, but this guy turned out to be calm.
"Since you have let go of the past, why should I bring it up again?" Lin Su would not be jealous of this.
Some vinegar can be eaten to spice up life, such as the story of Master Chen's frequent visits to music halls in the past, but some vinegar really hurts people's hearts. It does him no good to remind Chen Tang again and again that he used to treat Yun Ziyu differently.
Chen Tang laughed, opened his folding fan and fanned him, saying, "I'm truly fortunate that you're so thoughtful. After the Luming Banquet, all the scholars of this class will have a private gathering. Ziyu will go, and Xiao Huang will go too. Do you want to come with us?"
"What banquet?" Lin Su asked him.
"It's a flower-viewing banquet. The lotus flowers in the pond at the Shen family's villa are in bloom, which is a perfect opportunity for talented scholars to recite poems and compose couplets." Chen Tang replied.
Lin Su roughly knew that this was a banquet to introduce Xiao Huang to someone, and also a banquet for Chen Tang to test Xiao Huang. If he had to do something, this peacock would have wanted to show all the things in the warehouse to everyone, so how could he hold a flower viewing banquet?
It was both a flower-viewing banquet and a Hongmen Banquet.
"Go, even if we are just pretending to be harmonious, I have to fulfill my duties as a master." Lin Su did not intend to interfere too much.
It is best to let Chen Tang take full charge of this kind of thing, so that he can have complete trust in it when the results come out.
Whether Xiao Huang's character can withstand the unexpected test depends on how he behaves.
The Lu Ming Banquet was not pleasant, because the emperor arrived very late and was a little drunk. He even took advantage of his drunkenness to comment on Yun Hui's appearance, which was quite teasing and frivolous. Then he left in a hurry after sitting for less than a cup of tea, making the whole Lu Ming Banquet awkward.
After the Lu Ming Banquet, this matter was spread widely by someone unknown. Although it should not be discussed openly, the sound of sighs in private was endless.
"The emperor is dissolute and immoral. He even hurriedly rushed to the Luming Banquet through a crowd of women. How can such a person be worthy of being a king?!" There was a hint of anger in Chen Tang's eyes.
Although he was the richest man, his life was not as smooth as outsiders saw. Not only did he have to pay extremely heavy taxes, he also had to support Xiao Huang. Moreover, officials would take advantage of him from time to time to extort money from him. If he had not managed everything properly, the Shen family would have fallen into decline long ago.
This chaotic situation all stems from the fact that the current emperor is incompetent, indulges in alcohol and sex, and ignores state affairs.
Each and every incident was enough to label him as a tyrant. Chen Tang had been fuming for a long time, and he took advantage of the Lu Ming Banquet to vent it in front of Lin Su.
"Well, you're right." Lin Su did not comment.
Whether it was the remarks about the current emperor being foolish and incompetent, or about Xiao Huang being extremely suspicious and levying heavy taxes, the person in front of him probably wouldn't listen at the moment.
"Gentlemen think alike." Chen Tang received his affirmation and complained bitterly again, "If it weren't for this emperor, the Shen family's wealth would definitely be much more than what we see now."
"You've been wronged," Lin Su said, touching the corner of his eye. "But under such heavy pressure, you can still do everything you can to ensure the Shen family remains standing and allow your parents to live out their days in peace. Not everyone has this kind of talent."
Chen Tang was still angry, but his praise calmed him down and made him feel a little elated.
Of course, other people praising him wouldn't have such an effect, but who was Lin Su? He was a figure that even Yun Ziyu admired, and he was also the person that Shen Tang loved. With this double blessing, Master Shen had to open his screen even if he didn't want to.
"This young master is naturally not inferior to others. Do you really think I am so good?" Chen Tangmei waved the fan a few times, then turned around and asked.
"Well, I really think you are amazing. Not only are you talented and bring benefits to the people, but you are also very beautiful. There are only a handful of people in and outside the capital who are better than you." Lin Su praised casually.
But it was these casual words that made Chen Tang overjoyed, and he even took a glance at the mirror before passing by.
Lin Su said he was born well.
After he looked around and felt that everything was good, he leaned forward and approached Lin Su: "Madam, your words are very nice. What reward do you want?"
"Any reward is fine?" Lin Su raised his eyes and said with a smile.
Chen Tang's eyes widened, and he suddenly understood why the tyrant emperor was so fond of beauty. It was simply because beauty was loved by everyone: "Of course."
"Okay, I got a new thing recently. If you use it, it will definitely be very good for your health. I only hope that I can grow old with my husband. I'm sure my husband will want the same, right?" Lin Su said sincerely.
Chen Tang felt that these words were extremely heartwarming: "Nature, what is it?"
It wasn't until night that he saw the medicinal jade in the box and heard how to use it that he was completely stunned: "Lin Su! How can this be used on humans?!"
"Husband, are you going to go back on your word?" There seemed to be disappointment in Lin Su's eyes.
Under normal circumstances, Chen Tang would have been fooled by this, but at this moment, he was completely clear-headed: "Don't even think about doing anything to me!"
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