The group arrived at the side hall of the Zhu family home, where the meal had already been prepared.
Jing Zhe deliberately avoided Liu Jinghong and Zhu Xinning's gaze, not daring to look at them, especially Liu Jinghong's, as he always felt that she had ill intentions...
It looks like tonight is going to be tough!
what to do?
At this moment, a servant came up carrying a wine jar. The jar had the character "Zhang" on it, indicating that it was the most popular and best-selling spirit on the market recently!
Hey, I've got it!
I'll get completely drunk tonight, lie down on the bed, and then what will I be afraid of, Second Sister?
Seeing Jing Zhe staring at the wine jar with a silly grin, Zhu Tong said, "This is a very popular strong liquor on the market recently. It's so hard to find even one jar. Thanks to you, Manager Zhang sent ten jars to the Prime Minister's residence."
Jing Zhe smiled and nodded, saying "Of course," but in his heart he was cursing Zhang Xuexian, thinking, "Why is he acting so important? If he wants to drink, he should just buy it. Why is he giving it away as a gift?"
Chen Jiannan, who was standing next to him, was quite unconvinced when he heard this. He curled his lip and thought to himself, what use are these strange and ingenious techniques?
Soon after, dinner was served.
While eating, Zhu Tong looked at Jing Zhe and Chen Jiannan sitting next to him and said with a smile, "Jing Zhe and Jiannan, you two are both outstanding talents among the younger generation. One of you won first place in the Mid-Autumn Poetry Competition, and the other won first place in the provincial examination. Tomorrow His Majesty will summon you to court to reward you with official positions. Do you have any thoughts on this?"
Jing Zhe was so engrossed in gnawing on a chicken leg that he couldn't speak, his mouth bulging. He could only shake his head first, and after finally swallowing a bite, he managed to squeeze out a few words through his teeth: "No...no."
No?
Of course there are!
Zhu Tongcai did not believe that Jing Zhe, with his intelligence, would not have any thoughts about official positions, especially since Emperor An had summoned him alone several times and said something to him.
Zhu Tong had never thought about it before, but now he felt that it was very likely that Emperor An had discussed official positions with him. So it was understandable that Jing Zhe was deliberately saying "no" because he didn't want to reveal his conversation with Emperor An.
Zhu Tong nodded, deciding not to ask him any more questions, and instead looked at Chen Jiannan, who was sitting there, gentle and refined.
He stood tall and proud, quite conspicuous at the dinner table, his upright manner making him seem out of place with the others.
Especially compared to Jing Zhe, who was wolfing down his food next to him…
Zhu Tong couldn't help but wonder, what if he gave half of his seriousness to Jing Zhe?
He then shook his head in denial.
Jing Zhe's uniqueness lies in his unruly and unconventional personality. If he had followed the rules like an ordinary person, he probably wouldn't have achieved what he has today.
He smiled wryly to himself before asking, "Jiannan, you came first in the imperial examination. Do you have any thoughts on tomorrow's appointment in court and your future career as an official?"
It seemed he had been waiting for this for a long time. Chen Jiannan gently put down his chopsticks and slowly stood up.
Jing Zhe, who was munching on a chicken leg next to him, glanced at him and thought to himself, "What the hell are you pretending for?"
At this moment, Liu Jinghong put the big chicken leg from her bowl into his bowl. What should have been a very affectionate scene turned into a fierce remark from her: "Eat more. I'll teach you martial arts tonight, so don't say you're hungry!"
"..."
Jing Zhe started eating in silence.
Chen Jiannan witnessed this scene and felt disdain.
“Uncle, young people like us should plan for our future. Otherwise, what’s the difference between us and those headless flies or moths that fly at night?”
"puff!"
Jing Zhe couldn't hold back and spat it out. Of course, considering that he couldn't spray Liu Jinghong on his left or the table full of untouched dishes, he could only spray Chen Jiannan instead.
And he was quite angry: You fucking treat me like a fly?
However, when he saw Chen Jiannan after he had been scolded, his anger immediately subsided.
At this moment, Chen Jiannan's face was covered in food, he looked extremely disheveled, and his eyes were burning with rage, as if he wanted to roast Jing Zhe alive.
Zhu Tong gave Madam Zhu a wink, then said, "Nephew Jing Zhe, why don't you apologize to Jian Nan?"
"Brother Chen, I'm really sorry!"
Jing Zhe laughed and said something, which made Chen Jiannan even angrier.
At this moment, the maidservant instructed by Madam Zhu had brought a towel to help Chen Jiannan wipe himself. To express his apology, Jing Zhe took the towel and personally wiped him down. His attitude was sincere and his movements were very focused. Chen Jiannan's face quickly changed, and he let out a groan of "comfort".
After wiping his face, Jing Zhe glanced at Chen Jiannan's head, hesitated for a moment, and finally handed the towel to the maid.
Seeing him staring at his head, Chen Jiannan asked suspiciously, "What, is there something on my head?"
"No."
Jing Zhe quickly shook his head and said, "It's all wiped clean, Brother Chen, no need to thank me!"
"..."
So the dinner resumed, and Zhu Tong continued the topic from before. But Liu Jinghong secretly tugged at Jing Zhe and whispered, "Why are you so mean? He clearly had a vegetable leaf on his head, why didn't you wipe it off for him?"
Jing Zhe turned his head to look at the vegetable leaves in Chen Jiannan's hair. The lush green color, combined with his elegant and composed demeanor, seemed even greener...
"To make a living, you have to wear a green hat."
"Then why didn't you bring it?"
Jing Zhe was shocked, "I'm not bringing it!"
"..."
...
The conversation at the dinner table still revolved around official positions.
Chen Jiannan was clearly well-prepared for this. Although he was sprayed by Jing Zhe once in the middle, it did not affect his mood at all. With his green hair, he was full of enthusiasm.
“Uncle, I have analyzed the pattern of the official positions His Majesty has bestowed in previous years. There are actually only two types: Imperial Academy Doctor or Grand Secretary. But if one really wants to serve His Majesty and be able to advance further in his career, then choosing Grand Secretary is more suitable. After all, we scholars can better perform in this position!”
After listening to him finish speaking, Zhu Tong nodded repeatedly and praised him, "Jiannan spoke very well. It seems that he has already made preparations. If he enters the court as an official in the future, he will surely achieve great things!"
Chen Jiannan, flattered by the praise, glanced at Jing Zhe and continued to boast, "Uncle, you flatter me. My father was also a Grand Secretary, and even became the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan. I only learned a little bit from his side!"
"Jiannan, there's no need for you to be modest!"
Zhu Tong then remarked with some emotion, "Seeing you young people already making plans for the future reminds me of my own career when I was young, and it really touches me!"
Chen Jiannan said a few words of modesty, then glanced at Jing Zhe, who was wolfing down his food without any regard for his image, and secretly spat: I am a young man with plans, but what does he know besides eating?
Zhu Xinning, however, didn't seem to care at all and just laughed at him, which made Chen Jiannan feel even more that it was unfair.
Hmph, although you're good at poetry, just wait and see who's stronger once you get an official position!
————
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