Chapter 250 Counterfeit
One was a scholar from a poor, remote village, and the other was a princess of the royal family who was born with a title. Two people of vastly different statuses who should not have any connection actually went boating on the lake together on the night of the Lantern Festival.
As Sheng An watched the magnificent painted boat disappear into the distance, he suddenly remembered that two years ago, Xu Huaining participated in the prefectural examination and, by chance, met a noble person in Jinling. After passing the county-level examination, he was recommended by the noble person to study at the Imperial Academy.
Could this distinguished person be Princess Shanmin?
The provincial examination two years ago was held in February. It just so happened that Princess Shanmin was temporarily residing in Jinling at that time, and she and Xu Huaining should have met then.
When the two people he hated most in his life were together, Sheng An felt a strong sense of unease and involuntarily tightened his grip on Xu Jinnian's hand.
Xu Jinnian noticed her unease and reassured her in a low voice, "It's okay, that woman didn't see you."
Sheng An shook his head and looked at him with concern: "Xu Huaining doesn't get along with you. With the imperial examination just around the corner, will he take advantage of his power to trip you up?"
Xu Huaining himself is not a threat, but he happens to have Princess Shanmin as his backer.
One of these two is cunning and the other is vicious. If they were to really make a move against Jin Nian, the couple would be powerless to resist.
"I will be careful."
Xu Jinnian's eyes were deep, and he did not think that Sheng An was worrying unnecessarily: "This is under the emperor's nose, it won't be so easy for him to trip up my husband."
Sheng An knew the man was a calculating person, and hearing him say that put her at ease:
"There's less than a month until the spring imperial examination. During this time, you can focus on your studies and I can focus on my pregnancy. Try not to go out unless necessary. We'll talk about everything after the examination."
Xu Jinnian nodded and gently squeezed his wife's hand: "Yes, I'll listen to you."
Seeing the couple whispering to each other, Fang Qingzhou and the others, who were sitting not far away, assumed they were talking about something private that they couldn't hear, so they wisely didn't come over to disturb them.
Tan Zhenlin whispered to his two senior brothers, "Xu Fox is too clingy to his wife. Only his wife doesn't mind."
After saying that, she earnestly instructed Tan Qingrou, who was standing to the side: "When you look for a husband in the future, you have to find one who is clingy. If he stops being clingy to you one day, nine times out of ten he has ulterior motives, and you will know immediately!"
Tan Qingrou was speechless: "Brother, you're a man yourself. Isn't it normal for a man to have two minds?"
Tan Zhenlin was momentarily speechless, then coughed and tried to argue:
“Not all men are fickle and have multiple wives and concubines. Look at your brother Jin Nian, your brother Qing Zhou, and your brother Yun Hua, their love for your three sisters-in-law is stronger than gold.”
Tan Qingrou asked, "What about you, brother? After you marry your sister-in-law, will you remain faithful to her?"
Tan Zhenlin hesitated for a moment, then looked at his innocent and naive sister, and gritted his teeth and said, "What's so difficult about this? Any man can do it."
Tan Qingrou chuckled, thinking that if other men heard her brother say this, he would be so disgusted by their spittle that he wouldn't dare to leave the house.
The painted boat floated quietly on the lake, and the chill of the night did not dampen the joyful atmosphere between the brother and sister.
On the magnificent painted boat that had already sailed away, Xu Huaining and Princess Shanmin sat facing each other.
On the square table between the two people were several plates of exquisite court pastries and a pot of tea, but neither of them touched them.
Compared to two years ago, Princess Shanmin is now even more imposing. Her arrogant and fierce demeanor, which she usually exudes, is surprisingly restrained in front of Xu Huaining.
Princess Shanmin seemed to be in a good mood tonight, with a faint smile on her lips. When she looked at Xu Huaining's face, she revealed a kind of infatuation that was hard for others to see.
At this moment, Xu Huaining, who had been in the same position for a long time and whose legs were numb, moved slightly.
Princess Shanmin's smile vanished, the infatuation in her eyes disappeared, and she shouted in a sinister tone, "I haven't given any orders, what are you doing!"
Xu Huaining's face stiffened slightly, then she gave a warm and gentle smile: "It was my fault, and I hope the princess will forgive me."
With a face that bears a striking resemblance to Xu Jinnian, and that expression, if Sheng An were here, she would definitely be disgusted and vomit in his face.
His expression, the curve of his mouth, and his tone of voice were clearly imitating Xu Jinnian.
Despite Xu Huaining's attempts to appease her, Princess Shanmin remained unmoved, her face even more unpleasant than when she had been angry, her eyes practically overflowing with contempt and disdain.
"A fake is a fake. No matter how well it is imitated, it can never capture the essence of the original."
The person I caught a fleeting glimpse of at Shenhu Mountain in Qingzhou that year would never have shown me such a fawning side. When those deep, indifferent eyes looked at me, it was no different from looking at a stone.
Hearing Princess Shanmin's mocking words, a hint of embarrassment flashed across Xu Huaining's face. He lowered his head and pursed his thin lips, not daring to let the person opposite him see the hatred and ruthlessness in his eyes.
Seeing this, Princess Shanmin felt even more bored and listless, yet she couldn't bear to part with that face, so she simply looked away and said coldly:
"I will give you the opportunity to be on the list in this spring examination, but you must also keep your promise to me. Otherwise, I can either make you rise to the top or drag you down to the bottom, where you will never be able to recover!"
Xu Huaining took a deep breath, stood up, and said respectfully, "This humble servant will certainly not fail the Princess's expectations."
Princess Shanmin was fairly satisfied with his attitude. She clapped her hands twice, and immediately two ordinary-looking men, who would have been inconspicuous in a crowd, walked in.
"Take these two people back with you. Let them handle any inconveniences they may have."
Princess Shanmin raised her chin and looked down at Xu Huaining with a disdainful gaze, her eyes full of calculation: "I've given you the manpower. You can do whatever you want from now on. I only care about the results."
Xu Huaining bowed and replied, "Yes."
After the Lantern Festival, Sheng An stopped going out, and Xu Jinnian and the others also stayed at home, spending even more time reading each day.
However, having just participated in the provincial examination, they knew how grueling it was to stay in the examination hall for nine days straight. Therefore, they actively exercised, squatting in a horse stance for at least half an hour every day, and then practicing a set of Tai Chi.
Sheng An was only three months pregnant and hadn't felt any discomfort yet, so she took care of two meals a day for the four of them, trying her best to increase their nutrition so that they could go to the exam in the best possible condition.
After half a month of studying at their desks every day, the four of them ate themselves until they were rosy-cheeked and full of energy, feeling like they could kill a cow with their bare hands.
Tan Zhenlin occasionally went home to visit his relatives. When Madam Tan saw that he was in such good condition, she asked him about it and learned that it was thanks to Sheng An. She personally went to the storeroom to select a thank-you gift and had it delivered to Sheng An at the Jiang residence.
As the imperial examination drew ever closer, Xu Jinnian remained calm and showed no signs of anxiety.
Sheng An, who was initially anxious, calmed down upon seeing him like this.
The day before the imperial examination, Xu Jinnian put down his books and focused on helping Sheng An with needlework.
Sheng An isn't good at needlework, and hasn't learned much in recent years. He just stays in the yard with nothing to do, so he can only do some needlework to pass the time.
She had just finished making a baby outfit and excitedly held it up to Xu Jinnian's chest: "How is it? Isn't it cute?"
"Yes, it's very cute. Our children will definitely love it."
Xu Jinnian accepted the little garment with great courtesy, and, drawing on his years of diligent study, praised it highly, from the stitches to the colors and the style.
"Hehe, I also think the kids will like it."
After being praised so effusively, Sheng An felt a sense of elation, as if she had become a top-notch tailor.
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