Xu Rong didn't have time to settle accounts with Xiao Xin, because the people who came to announce the good news and ask for rewards were waiting outside, and they had already started beating gongs and drums, attracting servants from neighboring households to come and watch.
On the way there after leaving the hospital, Xu Rong took a moment to ask Xiao Xin some details—mainly why he didn't attend the last two events.
He had failed every single county-level exam before, but he passed it all with flying colors.
"The prefect told me I didn't need to go anymore, and to just go back and wait for the results," Xiao Xin said. "I asked my teacher, and he said the prefect was probably just saying it casually—"
Since winning the first round is already considered a pass, whether or not to participate in the next two rounds is entirely voluntary.
"But the gentleman also said that since the prefect had said so, if I went against his wishes, I might offend him and cause further trouble, so he told me not to go," Xiao Xin continued.
Xu Rong nodded. She understood what this "minor detail" meant. Given the prefect's words, if Xiao Xin insisted on going, it might trigger two options: First, the prefect's good intentions might not be appreciated, causing him displeasure; second, the prefect might be magnanimous and not take this small matter to heart, but having had some prior interaction, he would pay more attention to Xiao Xin, or even go further, greatly admire Xiao Xin's hard-working spirit—which seemed like a good thing, but wasn't necessarily true. Greater expectations inevitably bring higher demands, and Xiao Xin's performance in the second and third rounds must be better than the first, or ideally, better in each round, to satisfy the prefect's appetite and prevent the good impression he made in the first round from fading.
That's very difficult.
Moreover, the risks are very high.
Although the Eight-Legged Essay had many restrictions and fixed patterns, its essence was still literature. In literature, there is no first place, but in martial arts, there is no second place. Uncertainty not only exists but is also considerable.
Mr. Su's teachings were very effective: when it's time to charge forward, you should charge forward; when it's time to back down, you shouldn't force your way in.
Xu Rong put his hands behind his back and narrowed his eyes: "So, Second Young Master, Mr. Su knows all about this and even gave you advice."
She knew nothing about it.
"You never asked," Xiao Xin said, walking with his hands behind his back, his tone tinged with a hint of complaint. "I thought I'd wait until the rankings came out before asking."
At first, he hadn't intended to keep it from her for so long, but after that morning, she never mentioned it again. He couldn't bring himself to say it, and the less he said, the harder it became to say. As a result, it dragged on until the end of the entire prefectural examination, and finally the long scroll was posted.
Xu Rong understood this unspeakable feeling—it was like a joke had gone too far and put her in a difficult position, but he turned around and blamed her, which she disagreed with: "Was it my fault?"
"No, that's not what I meant." Xiao Xin turned back, his voice lowered. "I know you're good to me."
Xu Rong: "..."
There's no need to suddenly take it so seriously.
She was speechless for a moment, then suppressed a smile before saying, "Mm."
As they were talking, they arrived at the gate of the prefecture. There's no need to go into details here; just listen to the congratulations and receive the reward money, and that's it. Next, they went to see the list of successful candidates, pay their respects to the prefect, and report the good news to Mr. Su.
Xu Rong could only participate in the first item. The list format for the county examination and the prefectural examination was similar. Both were long lists, with names listed in order of ranking, such as first place, second place, and so on.
The list was crowded with people, some cheering and some dejected. Xu Rong happened to see two or three old men mixed in. At first, she thought they were also candidates—which was not surprising. Later, one of them started arguing with another, and she realized that they had come to find a husband.
In a good mood, she also became interested in watching the spectacle. She watched with great interest for a while and found that the two women had taken a liking to the same scholar and wanted to sell their daughters to him, which led to the argument.
"My family owns a grand mansion and possesses immense wealth—"
"My daughter is gentle, virtuous, and as beautiful as a flower!"
The two old men each asserted their advantages, and after speaking, they glared at each other.
The young scholar, who had been pulled back by the two men, looked left and right, and finally found a moment to speak. He licked his lips and said, "Well, gentlemen, I already have a wife at home—"
The two old men were taken aback and immediately let go.
"But the position of concubine is still vacant—"
The student continued, walking a bit towards the old man with the large house on the left. He hesitated, reluctant to leave, and couldn't help but look towards the old man with the beautiful young woman on the right.
"Pah!" The old man on the left spat at him first. "A mere student wants a concubine? Can you even afford to support one? Go home and dream about it!"
The old man on the right also rolled his eyes and quickly squeezed out of the crowd.
The title of "Tongsheng" (童生) is not worth much, as one must pass two rounds of the prefectural examination to obtain it. However, it is not even as valuable as "Xiucai" (秀才). The people who came to find a son-in-law were only after potential. If they wanted their daughters to become concubines, they might as well find someone from the imperial examination hall outside the city. Why bother with a mere Tongsheng?
A large crowd had gathered to watch their spectacle. The old man, trying to squeeze his way out, accidentally bumped into someone walking in. The person reached out to help him, and the old man, regaining his balance, instinctively turned around. His eyes lit up immediately: "Young master, are you also here to see the results? Did you pass? If not, it doesn't matter. I have a beautiful young daughter; perhaps you would consider her—"
"I have a wife."
Xiao Xin interrupted him. He had just finished paying his respects to the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture and found Xu Rong, walking towards her.
The old man followed his steps and saw them too, and could only sigh regretfully. Another old man looked Xiao Xin and Xu Rong up and down as they were about to leave, gritted his teeth, and chased after them, whispering, "If they were to become the young master's concubines, it's not impossible to discuss it—"
Xiao Xin didn't even turn his head: "No."
Xu Rong found it amusing and, after getting into the carriage, teased him, "The Second Young Master is quite popular."
“What’s the use of that?” Xiao Xin said coolly. “I don’t need it.”
Xu Rong chuckled again.
Sometimes she felt that the indifference and suppression of Xiao Xin by Marquis Xiao and Madam Xiao were not entirely bad things. Xiao Yi, who was spoiled by Marquis Xiao, was arrogant and could not withstand any setbacks. Xiao Lun, who was valued by Madam Xiao, seemed mature and opinionated, but in reality, his future, marriage, and even concubines were all arranged for him. Although his life was smooth sailing, she doubted how much fun it really had.
Only Xiao Xin was unconvinced. He made his own way in the world. He grew up in this feudal family, but he was not tainted by its corrupt atmosphere. He was pure.
"What are you laughing at?" Xiao Xin asked her again.
He started to fixate on her emotions, wanting to know if she was angry, and even if she smiled, he would still ask her.
Sometimes it's unnecessary, because it's not that he doesn't understand, but he still has to ask.
It's commonly known as making conversation out of nothing.
Xu Rong, not wanting to delve deeper into the topic of him and his concubine, replied, "I wasn't laughing at anything. It's a good day, I'm just happy."
Xiao Xin's lips curled up upon hearing this; he was naturally pleased.
They arrived at the Su family's house after a bumpy ride. Xu Rong was unsure how long she would stay, so she originally planned to drop him off and then go back. But luckily, at the entrance of the alley, she saw Mr. Su walking leisurely inside with his hands behind his back.
Xiao Xin hurriedly got out of the carriage. His superior was in front, and Xu Rong also got out to pay his respects.
Mr. Su turned around at the sound and nodded, not too surprised: "You've seen the list?"
Xiao Xin cupped his hands in agreement. Xu Rong could tell from his tone that Mr. Su had probably just returned from seeing the list. Although he knew in advance that Xiao Xin had passed, he didn't know his ranking.
Sure enough, Mr. Su didn't ask him how he had done it. He just smiled with satisfaction and nodded, saying, "Alright, I didn't let your hard work go to waste."
Xiao Xin bowed deeply: "This student relies entirely on your teachings, sir."
Mr. Su accepted the bow without hesitation. After he finished, he waved his hand and said, "Alright, you've passed this hurdle. You don't need to think about it anymore. There's still a long road ahead. Go back and rest for a few days, calm down and take care of your health."
Xiao Xin said, "The student is alright."
"Then go and rest too." Mr. Su laughed and scolded, "You're not tired, but my old bones are. You want me to have some peace and quiet. Besides, you should also spend some time with your family. Don't neglect them. You're always buried in books. Do you think there are beautiful women in those books?"
This was a joke made upon seeing Xu Rongtong arrive.
Xu Rong kept his head down, feigning shyness. Hearing Xiao Xin pause, he said, "Yes."
Mr. Su waved his hand again, then gracefully walked to his own courtyard gate and went inside. Xu Rong and Xiao Xin boarded the carriage again and returned home.
Because they didn't linger much at Mr. Su's place, it was only afternoon when they returned to their residence. Xu Rong took a nap and slept until dusk before getting up to tidy up and prepare to go to the main courtyard with Xiao Xin.
Paying respects was secondary; Xiao Xin's achievement of becoming the second top scholar in the imperial examination was something he still needed to explain to his elders.
Actually, it was a little strange that no one came to disturb her outdated afternoon nap. Last time, the county magistrate had caused quite a stir.
It doesn't make sense that upgrading would lead to this.
Hongliu, who was left behind, ran over and told her the reason—it turned out that Madam Xiao was angry again.
Xiao Lun actually refused the two maids that Madam Xiao had sent.
The two girls were led back by Chang Shuyin. They carefully conveyed the message, their joy barely concealed, saying that Xiao Lun thanked his mother for thinking of him, but he was too busy with official duties to take care of anything else, so he would not accept the money.
Xu Rong was quite surprised.
"Madam got angry right away and gave the eldest mistress a hard time. She was unhappy ever since, so everyone in the mansion tried to avoid her and didn't dare to move around or talk to her. I've come back now," Hongliu said, sticking out her tongue.
She was a clever little girl; although she loved to wander around, she knew to avoid her master's sharp edge.
Xu Rong nodded: "Mm."
Unexpected as it may be, the maid who sent Xiao Lun was none of her business, and she knew what was going on. She would go out with Xiao Xin at the meeting.
When they arrived at the main courtyard, there were already people inside, namely Xiao Lun and Chang Shuyin.
Both of them were standing. Xiao Lun was still in his official robes and had his back to the door. He was bowing and saying something to Madam Xiao. Xu Rong couldn't hear what was going on in the courtyard. She only saw Chang Shuyin standing to the side, looking at him with admiration and emotion in her eyes.
"That's really stupid," she couldn't help but shake her head and mutter.
Xiao Xin asked in confusion, "What?"
Xu Rong hadn't told him about the girl—there wasn't much to say. But when he asked, she briefly mentioned it, emphasizing the last part: "If you really don't want her, just return her."
He insisted on having Chang Shuyin come forward first. As a daughter-in-law, what good could Chang Shuyin possibly gain by going against her mother-in-law? After a heated argument, she went back home, and only then did he come again. Chang Shuyin was even moved by this.
How stupid!
After listening, Xiao Xin said calmly, "Don't worry about him."
Xu Rong: "I didn't care."
It wasn't her business to begin with.
Xiao Xin glanced at her again, seemingly not quite satisfied that the name "Xiao Lun" had come out of her mouth.
"..." Xu Rong could only pretend not to notice.
After talking for a while, Xiao Lun finally seemed to have calmed Madam Xiao down. The maid reported Xu Rong and Xiao Xin's purpose, but although Madam Xiao had calmed down, she was still annoyed and simply said that she was busy and had no time to spare, thus sending them away.
Xu Rong was happy to save himself the trouble, so he turned back and arranged for Xin Cheng to go to the kitchen to ask for another banquet—of course, this would require an extra reward—and then they would close the gate to the courtyard and celebrate at home.
The maids in the courtyard also received a round of rewards, and they were all very happy. They made merry until the end of the day before finally cleaning up the remaining food and fetching water to bathe.
Xiao Xin was still bathing in the east side room. After he finished washing and changing into clean clothes, he took his outer robe and socks in his hands, walked barefoot into the warm pavilion, lifted the curtain and went in.
Xu Rong was now quite adept at avoiding awkward situations. Knowing that he wouldn't come out after going in, she felt at ease undressing and getting into bed.
Just before she lay down in bed and drifted off to sleep, she suddenly woke up for a moment—
No, why did he come over?
He's been resting for a little over a month now, he should be better now, and he told Mr. Su that he's fine.
However, he's always been so stubborn...
I still need to see the doctor for a follow-up appointment...
Never mind, I'm sleepy, I'll talk about it tomorrow.
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