Chapter 108: Half unrestrained, half pitiful. ...
"Chirp chirp..."
Xu Rong was awakened by the chirping of swallows in the morning.
The room was quiet and empty. Xu Rong lifted the curtain, and the morning light spread to the bedside. She stared blankly for a while, somewhat doubting that the chaotic and tangled day yesterday was just a dream.
But she also knew that it was impossible.
As she came out dressed, Bai Fu saw her and told her, "Grandma, the young master has gone out."
Like after passing the provincial examination, Lin Xin also had some social obligations after the metropolitan examination. However, since there was still the palace examination to determine his future, the current social obligations were simpler, mainly involving visiting his mentor.
Although it was to be simple, Xu Rong thought it would still take a day, but unexpectedly, Lin Xin returned in the early afternoon.
Xu Rong was about to go into her room for a midday rest when she saw him enter, and she stopped: "—You're back? Have you eaten?"
She tried to act naturally, but soon realized it wasn't necessary, because Lin Xin didn't seem to mind, just muttered, "I've already eaten, Mr. Su asked me to stay."
He also went to Mr. Su's place? Then that's even more suspicious given the amount of time he spent there.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "Did your visit to Scholar Xia not go well?"
Xia Xueshi is the current head of the Hanlin Academy and the chief examiner of this year's imperial examination. All three hundred successful candidates are considered his students, and according to etiquette, they must pay him a visit after the examination.
Lin Xin followed her to the inner room and sat down. He poured himself a cup of tea and drank most of it before saying, "It's nothing. He didn't see me."
As he said those words, his expression softened.
Xu Rong raised an eyebrow: "Why?"
"The gatekeeper said there were too many visitors and that Scholar Xia was too busy to meet with them all, so he told me to just leave my visiting card."
This statement seems reasonable at first glance. Once the results of the provincial examination are announced, in the two weeks leading up to the palace examination, Scholar Xia would receive at least three hundred invitations. It would be impossible for him to see them all, so it's normal for him to make some choices.
What's abnormal is that Lin Xin, the top scholar, was listed as a "discarded" scholar.
If we can't even see the first-place winner, are we going to use the time saved to see the 300th-place winner?
"Did the Duke of Ying's mansion—or the Marquis of Changxing's mansion—offend him?" Xu Rong could only guess.
As for the Yongjing Marquis's family, from which Lin Xin truly came, there was no doubt about it. Lin Ding was a newly rich man, and his title was still very prestigious. Furthermore, he had been away from the capital for twenty years before that, so it was even less likely that he would offend any influential person in the capital.
"I guess so, but it's not like I've offended anyone," Lin Xin said after a moment's thought.
Xu Rong was puzzled and waited for him to continue.
"I didn't need to take this exam."
Lin Xin glanced at her, and Xu Rong understood—after his name was officially recognized, he was now the heir of the Yongjing Marquis's mansion. In the more than 100 years since the founding of the country, which mansion's heir needed to pass the imperial examinations to gain a place in the family?
It would be considered a success if they didn't squander their family's legacy.
Lin Xin, however, had a unique background that led to his unique experiences. Before becoming the heir of a marquis, he had passed the provincial examination with top honors. Once he had earned his title, it was his. The court could punish or dismiss him for issues related to his background, but it could not disregard his title simply because he had become the heir of a marquis.
After becoming the heir apparent, he could continue to take the imperial examinations, and no law could stop him.
Xu Rong was surprised but then realized something: "—Scholar Xia doesn't want you to take the exam again and pass it again?"
Lin Xin said calmly, "It's not just Scholar Xia."
Many in the civil service were wary of this.
This was told to him by the British Prime Minister.
Xu Rong suddenly remembered: "Yesterday, when we went to the Zhang family for dinner, the Duke summoned you. Was it because of this matter?"
Lin Xin nodded: "The Duke did not say it explicitly at first, but reminded me of some etiquette during the palace examination, and told me to be careful and not to lose points in small matters."
"Such trivial matters do not seem to require the Duke's personal attention."
Lin Xin nodded again: "Yes." It was through this that he discovered the Duke of England's concerns, and only after pressing him for details did he learn the truth.
Given the Zhang family's background, even though they weren't aligned with the civil officials, they could still find out some of the inside information once they discovered the clues.
Xu Rong went through the timeline: "This rumor started before the imperial examination, right?"
This is likely related to the controversy surrounding Lin Xin's background. Although the emperor ultimately granted him permission to take the exam, it also brought him into the sights of many officials in the court ahead of time.
The dynasty has continued to this day, and civil officials are civil officials and military officers are military officers. The distinction between them has become very clear. Only Lin Xin is an exception. He is the future Marquis of Yongjing and has also crossed the line to advance through the imperial examination. How can he not attract attention?
He hasn't done anything yet, but no one knows what kind of influence such a figure who disrupts the balance will have on the government in the future, or where he might push the court in the wrong direction.
Lin Xindao: "Yes."
"So they plan to—" Xu Rong thought for a moment, "to put some pressure on you?"
Lin Xin acquiesced.
The only way to suppress candidates is in the palace examination. The metropolitan examination has three thousand candidates, and it depends on their ability and fate. Even the chief examiner cannot distinguish one candidate from another among the massive number of examination papers.
The palace examination only had 300 participants. Although the names were usually kept anonymous, the whole process was much more relaxed, making it much easier to do something targeted.
The Duke of England hadn't originally planned to say so much to him, fearing it might affect his mindset for the upcoming palace examination. However, worried that he might fall into someone's trap, he held back until after the provincial examination results came out and still gave him a few words of advice.
Unexpectedly, the prediction came true today, even before the palace examination.
The fact that Scholar Xia, as the mentor, made an excuse to not appear was a signal.
"No wonder everyone says the officialdom is treacherous and the political landscape is full of ups and downs," Xu Rong sighed without hiding his feelings.
It was a completely new field, gathering the most talented people in the world. The scientific expedition was difficult, but it was just a stepping stone to enter that door. Once inside, you would find that everyone had plenty of resources. It was just the beginning.
"Xiao Bao, don't worry about it. Just do your best in the exam and don't have any regrets," Xu Rong comforted him.
She changed the way she addressed him, which he didn't like, intentionally trying to lighten the mood. He didn't object, but instead reached out and took her hand, looking into her eyes: "What if I do badly on the test?"
No matter how many powerful backers he has, they can't really help him with this; he has to shoulder the burden alone.
So it's really hard to say which grade it will be relegated to.
Xu Rong was optimistic: "Even if it's bad, you're still in the top three, that's enough. We can't just drop you, that would be too unreasonable."
"Don't be discouraged," Xu Rong encouraged him again. "It's not entirely because they dislike you. I've inquired, and there are fourteen examiners for the palace examination. I don't believe they can all be of one mind. Maybe some of them appreciate you. Besides, there's also the Emperor."
His Majesty doesn't have the time to review all three hundred papers, but he does want to hear the top ten selected by the examiners. If he feels like it, he might pick a few more papers from those ranked outside the top ten.
Although the chances are extremely small, it is at least an opportunity. Although the imperial examination system was corrupt, it was the fairest path to advancement in this era, and no one could control everything within it.
As she spoke, she couldn't help but frown. He had been bullied for no reason, and that feeling was unpleasant.
Feeling that he was still holding her hand, she squeezed it back reassuringly: "Do you want to go read a book?"
Lin Xin shook his head, a rare occurrence for him: "I don't want to see it."
Then let's not read it. It would be absurd to have to rely on books to improve our knowledge at this point.
Xu Rong didn't press him further and said, "Then go and rest for a while."
Lin Xin shook his head again: "I don't want to be alone."
Xu Rong was taken aback. Lin Xin met her gaze, but his expression was frank. Before yesterday, he would have silently processed these negative emotions on his own, but after yesterday, he felt that he had the right to tell her everything.
Xu Rong hesitated, then couldn't help but let out a smile: "Xiao Bao—are you being coquettish?"
Lin Xin clearly couldn't stand that word, and his face immediately hardened: "I didn't. I'm not a child, you've misunderstood."
He still cares a lot about his image.
“But you really do look like him.” Xu Rong persisted, unaware that the conversation was starting to veer off in a boring direction again.
Lin Xin narrowed his eyes: "Are you sure, sister?"
"...Fine, if you say no, then no."
Xu Rong didn't know why she chickened out so quickly, and she didn't know how a proper title could come out of his mouth like that—he was practically ruining it.
Feeling puzzled and indignant, she said, "I won't say anything to you, but don't call me that anymore."
What if I don't?
When he spoke, Lin Xin was still sitting properly on his side. By the time he finished speaking, he had already moved over to Xu Rong's side. Seeing that she looked flustered for a moment, he felt infinite satisfaction in his heart. He had never known before that he had hidden so many wicked thoughts. When he saw her lower her head to avoid him, he even tentatively reached out to hook her chin. He was not skilled at it, and his fingers were trembling slightly, but the joy he felt for this did not diminish in the slightest.
She was so beautiful, yet so fragile. Her eyelashes trembled restlessly under his hand, like butterflies about to take flight. Lin Xin's joy suddenly turned into tenderness. "...Don't be afraid."
He murmured to himself, seemingly trying to comfort no one.
He liked her the way she was, but he was also worried that his impulsiveness might have startled her.
I feel that it would be best to split myself in two, one half free and the other half pitiful.
Xu Rong: "..."
She initially thought the pose was a classic example of a bully harassing a woman, and almost burst out laughing. But when she was forced to look up and their eyes met, she couldn't laugh anymore; instead, her heart pounded with panic.
There's a reason it's a classic—in this pose, face to face, eye to eye, his outstanding features become even more striking and captivating when magnified, leaving no room for avoidance. And compared to his handsome features, his gaze is intense and deep, almost like a trance.
Xu Rong: "..."
She almost swallowed hard.
To be honest, even if she wanted to find one before, she probably wouldn't have been able to find one of this caliber.
In terms of beauty, men are far more rare than women.
She could only cling to her last shred of reason—in fact, she didn't even understand how things had suddenly turned out this way—and said, "Alright, stop fooling around, let's get down to business—"
Lin Xin murmured, "What important matter?"
He closed his eyes, lowered his head, and kissed him.
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