Chapter 34
In the main hall of the front courtyard, a young man sat at the head of the table, while Shen Jun, a marquis, could only sit at the lower end, looking uneasy.
Shen Jun was a member of the Crown Prince's faction, and the list he had given Shen Rang was full of the Crown Prince's retainers. His meaning was clear: he wanted Shen Rang to join the Crown Prince's faction in the future.
But to everyone's surprise, after so many days, Shen Rang still hadn't made a move.
And here comes the Crown Prince himself.
The crown prince was in his early thirties, wearing a golden crown and a brocade round-necked robe. His waist belt was decorated with a golden beast head. His noble demeanor was so great that people dared not look him in the eye, and he even overshadowed the older Shen Jun.
"Zirong has now become the top scholar in the imperial examination; he is truly in high spirits," the Crown Prince said with a smile, but his eyes remained indifferent.
Shen Rang cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and said humbly, "Your Highness is too kind. I only became the top scholar after studying for many years."
"Zirong, you have become the top scholar at such a young age. Your father thinks highly of you, and your future is limitless," the Crown Prince said. "However, as the saying goes, people choose good friends, and birds choose good trees to perch on. Zirong, do you have any plans in mind?"
Seeing that the Crown Prince was asking so directly, Shen Jun felt a cold sweat break out on his back.
However, Shen Rang remained seated, his usual indifference evident: "I have not been in the Hanlin Academy for long, and have not yet found a good friend. I have neither entered the court nor found my own suitable mentor."
As soon as Shen Rang finished speaking, Shen Jun's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.
The Crown Prince's face showed a hint of satisfaction: "Zirong is young, so it's natural that he has some ambition. That's good. I admire you."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Seeing that he was indeed undecided and not inclined to favor the eldest prince, the crown prince was relieved. He said that he had other matters to attend to and got up to leave. The father and son saw the crown prince off at the gate of the Marquis's residence before they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
On the way back, Shen Jun said earnestly, "Zirong, now that the Crown Prince has come in person, you should take action."
Shen Rang pursed his lips but didn't reply.
Just as Shen Jun was about to offer further advice, he looked up and saw Zhou's mother walking over.
Zhou Mama approached and bowed to the two of them respectively, then said, "The old lady requests that the young master come over."
Before Shen Jun could say anything, Shen Rang cupped his hands in greeting and took the lead in leaving.
“This child…” Shen Jun said helplessly.
It's really worrying me to death.
On the other side, after passing through the hanging flower gate, Shen Rang remembered to ask, "What does Mother want with me?"
"Naturally, I'm worried about the Crown Prince's family affairs."
Such a simple sentence made Shen Rang, who had just relaxed, tense up again.
The two remained silent on the way. When they arrived at Rongxi Hall, Zhou Mama stopped at the door and only allowed Chen Rang to enter.
After bowing to Madam Zheng, Shen Rang turned his gaze and saw a cup of tea on the small table, and a brocade box placed next to the teacup.
“This white jade ruyi is truly a fine piece; even I rarely see one like it,” Madam Zheng said in a calm tone. “Zirong, if your wife hadn’t come over, I wouldn’t have known that you hadn’t returned to your room for many days.”
Shen Rang pursed his lips: "The affairs of the Hanlin Academy are complicated, and I am too busy to handle them all."
“It seems you have really grown up. You’ve already forgotten what your mother just told you,” Madam Zheng shook her head. “Zirong, you are young now and have just entered the court. There are not so many important things to do. Now is the time to have a child.
“...Yes.” Shen Rang replied obediently.
Madam Zheng sighed and looked at him intently: "Mother Zhou, go and remove the couch from the study in the front yard. Now that you're married, what kind of behavior is it for you to always stay in the study?"
"Mother--"
Before Shen Rang could speak, Madam Zheng had already stood up: "I'm tired. You can take this jade ruyi back to your wife."
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