Hearing that Lin Yufeng had also been admitted to Nanlu Academy, Lin Yuqi had been sitting in the study all afternoon.
In recent years, he got married and did a few decent jobs, but his situation was still far from his original plan. Not only did the crown prince fail to notice his intelligence and talent and subsequently favor him, but he also failed to make a name for himself in the official position that his father had worked so hard to obtain for him.
Lin Yuqi began to feel anxious. Lin Yucheng was about to take the provincial examination again, and even Lin Yufeng, who had failed the previous provincial examination, had entered Nanlu Academy. He was seeing that his younger brothers were about to catch up with and overtake him, and he felt very anxious.
This shouldn't be happening. He was clearly the eldest son, the one most anticipated by his father and grandmother, carrying the hopes of the Marquis's family. He should have a bright future and be someone his younger brothers looked up to. When did his advantages start to gradually disappear, and he became so insecure?
After Ms. Jin, who was supposed to care for him and bring him nourishing soup, scolded her and left, Lin Yuqi became even more annoyed.
His younger brothers were growing up and becoming independent, while he, the eldest brother who had lost his mother, only had his father's love left. Was his father now disappointed in him? He was beginning to feel uncertain about his father.
Lin Yuqi didn't understand why her father had secured her a minor official position as an Assistant Inspector, which meant she had no contact with important political affairs, the work was trivial, and her superiors were notoriously difficult to deal with.
Even Lin Youting, the playboy who often drank with them, became the Director of the Daolu Division, a higher rank than Lin Youting.
Has his father truly given up on him?
Even though Lin Yucheng took the exam three years late, he was still the center of attention and befriended many members of the royal family at literary gatherings. Now, who didn't know Lin Yucheng, the second young master of the Chenliang Marquis's mansion? Compared to her own obscurity, Lin Yuqi felt that Lin Yucheng had stolen all her limelight.
He didn't even know if one day Lin Yucheng would take his place as heir apparent.
As darkness fell, Lin Yuqi, burdened with worries, could no longer sit still. He knew that Feng Jin and several friends were having a banquet that evening. He felt that the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't stay alone any longer; perhaps seeing his friends would clear his mind.
Amidst the clinking of glasses, noticing that Lin Yuqi remained in low spirits, Feng Jin patted him on the shoulder and asked him what troubled him.
Lin Yuqi trusted Feng Jin completely; this close friend was like an older brother to her, and he always took good care of her. Although he had several younger brothers, none of them shared the same mother, and he was even closer to Feng Jin than brothers.
"My second younger brother, he's going to take the college entrance exam."
After stammering out this sentence, Lin Yuqi continued to chug her drink in silence.
Upon hearing Lin Yuqi mention her second brother, Feng Jin roughly understood the situation.
"Oh, Lin Yucheng. Having such a younger brother must have been tough for you."
When Feng Jin mentioned Lin Yucheng, the other friends at the table also stopped eating and looked over.
Lin Yucheng was well-known among the scions of prominent families in the capital. He passed the provincial examination at the age of twelve and, after entering Nanlu Academy, stood out among all the talented students. Even the academy's teachers had high hopes for him, and Lin Yucheng was almost certain to pass the provincial examination this time. Not only were he invited to various literary gatherings, but he also had many admirers among the young scholars.
"Sigh, I'm just too useless." Lin Yuqi felt depressed. Lin Yucheng was no longer the younger brother who could only watch him receive praise when they were little.
"I have an idea, would you like to consider it?"
Hearing that Feng Jin had an idea, Lin Yuqi quickly looked up at him, signaling him to continue.
"Lin Yucheng isn't married yet, is he? He's reached the right age now. I have a distant cousin whose family are imperial merchants, and her grandmother was the late emperor's wet nurse. Her family background is a good match for your brother. Why don't you act as matchmaker and let Lin Yucheng marry her? My cousin is naturally on our side. With a sister-in-law who's loyal to you, over time, she'll whisper sweet nothings in your ear, and Lin Yucheng will eventually realize your good qualities. Then, you'll be brothers, and what's there to worry about?"
Lin Yuqi thought about it carefully and it seemed to make sense. If her younger siblings sided with her, Lin Yucheng would be affected to some extent. If Lin Yucheng was willing to be as respectful and obedient to her as her second uncle was, he would definitely treat her well in return.
Even if it's useless, having a sister-in-law on his side is better than Lin Yucheng marrying someone else.
Although merchants have a lower social status, imperial merchants are still more respectable than ordinary merchants. Lin Yucheng is only a second son and cannot inherit the family business, so it's a good match for both sides.
After finding out about Feng Jin's cousin's family background, Lin Yuqi excitedly went back to discuss it with Chen Lianghou.
Lin Yucheng is getting on in years and has never gotten married, which makes his older brother very worried about him.
“The imperial merchant, Cheng-ge’er wouldn’t agree to that.”
Upon hearing Lin Yuqi's suggestion, Chen Lianghou tapped the table with his middle finger and slowly began to speak.
Lin Yuqi was prepared and explained, "My second brother will definitely obey his parents' wishes. Besides, the Lu family's ancestor was the late emperor's wet nurse, so they are quite respectable, and their family background is also worthy of the title. Although the status of a royal merchant is a bit lower than that of other officials' daughters, their dowry is generous. Since my second brother cannot inherit the title, he will definitely live a better life with the help of his sister-in-law's dowry."
Chen Lianghou outwardly listened to Lin Yuqi's explanations, but inwardly he sighed. This son of his, whom he loved most, was truly too impatient.
He appointed Lin Yuqi as an assistant judicial officer. Although the position was not prestigious, it would expose her to a great deal of criminal and litigation matters, and if she studied diligently, she would gain a lot, which would be helpful for her future career. Moreover, entering officialdom through the judicial office was the safest path.
But Lin Yuqi didn't understand his meaning. He only went to the government office sporadically, focusing solely on going to the Eastern Palace. Why didn't he consider that he, as her father, could possibly harm her? The Eastern Palace has many officials; they wouldn't easily let a young man like her stand out.
Chen Lianghou could understand Lin Yuqi's deeper meaning in wanting Lin Yucheng to marry the daughter of a royal merchant; it was simply that Lin Yucheng had been too prominent in recent years, making him uneasy. But there were many ways to subdue Lin Yucheng; why choose such a resentful method?
Despite his disagreement, Chen Lianghou was always unwilling to offend Lin Yuqi, especially since it wasn't a big deal and it wasn't entirely without benefit to Lin Yucheng.
Perhaps he should let go; children need time to grow up.
"Since you've thought it through, I'll talk to your mother and have her prepare to meet the potential matchmaker."
When Li told him that Marquis Chen Liang wanted to arrange such a marriage for him, Lin Yucheng was so angry he almost laughed.
"How could he even come up with that idea? I'm a son of a marquis, after all. Marrying a merchant's daughter-in-law, isn't he afraid of what people will say?"
"Cheng'er, don't worry, I have already refused your father. I will definitely not let their schemes succeed."
In fact, Li Shi reacted very strongly as soon as she heard Chen Lianghou mention it. In her previous life, at least she had arranged for Lin Yucheng to marry a daughter of a noble family, even if she was born out of wedlock, she could still have some dignity. In this life, Lin Yucheng is so ambitious, yet she was forced to marry the daughter of a merchant.
However, Chen Lianghou never valued Li's opinions. He simply said, "How can I disobey my parents' orders? I will personally talk to Master Lü," and left.
This infuriated Madam Li. She had been feeling depressed lately, and earlier, Madam Zhang had forced Madam Jin to take over the household management, arguing that "the young master's wife has been with the family for some time now, and it's time for her to manage the household." Having lost the management power, although she had cultivated some of her own confidants in the past, it wouldn't last long.
Although she couldn't hold back, she used the opportunity of going out to visit relatives to cry and complain everywhere. The rumors circulating outside that "Jin Shi is not a peaceful person. She took over the management of the household from her mother-in-law without even having a child after entering the family" are her doing.
By the time Ms. Jin realized what was happening, the rumor had already spread to countless relatives and friends, making it impossible to clear her name.
Lady Li was determined not to let Marquis Chen Liang mistreat her son like that; even if it cost her her life, she would not allow this marriage to take place.
Sensing something amiss and fearing Li's actions might be too extreme, Lin Yucheng, feeling sorry for his mother, quickly said, "It's alright, I'll handle it. Please trust me this once, Mother. I'm not the same person he used to be, someone he can manipulate at will. If he really thinks I'll just submit to whatever he wants, then his schemes will fail."
They couldn't refuse Marquis Chen Liang because he was, after all, the head of the family, and due to etiquette, they couldn't confront him directly; they had to find another way.
However, Lin Yucheng had thought about his marriage a few years ago, so he wasn't at a loss now that the matter was at hand.
He had pledged allegiance to the Third Prince a few years ago and had always maintained a close relationship with him. In particular, after the Third Prince got married the year before last and was granted the title of Prince of Huaiyang, he also had high expectations for Lin Yucheng. It was a perfect time for both of them to get along, and the Prince of Huaiyang should be able to help with this matter.
As expected, upon hearing that Lin Yucheng had encountered difficulties and sought help, the Prince of Huaiyang immediately put down his affairs and came out to meet him.
“This matter is not difficult to handle. I have also heard of the royal merchant family, Lü. This marriage is indeed not a good match for you, and I suppose the Lü family is not indispensable to you. I am on good terms with Liang An, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Huaiyang. His family has a son born out of wedlock who is about the same age as the Lü family’s daughter. If the Lü family can marry their daughter to the Provincial Administration Commissioner’s family, they will gain more than if she were to marry you.”
He admired Lin Yucheng's intelligence and talent, and knew he was ambitious. The Prince of Huaiyang believed that with Lin Yucheng's drive, he would surely achieve great things in the future; by bringing Lin Yucheng under his wing early, he was betting on his future. Now that Lin Yucheng needed help, it was the perfect time for him to gain favor.
The Prince of Huaiyang always maintained a humble and gentlemanly demeanor, his smile gentle and refined, appearing entirely innocent and harmless. However, Lin Yucheng never dared to underestimate him, knowing his capabilities; since he had agreed to this matter, he would naturally handle it beautifully.
"No wonder people are eyeing you; you're certainly of age. How about this, I'll help you all the way. If you trust my judgment, I'll arrange a marriage for you once you pass the imperial examination. What do you say?"
Seeing that the Prince of Huaiyang was willing to act as matchmaker, Lin Yucheng naturally agreed. However, judging from the unspoken implication in his words, he might already have someone in mind, but Lin Yucheng would only be eligible to propose marriage after he passed the imperial examination.
After discussing the marriage, the Prince of Huaiyang inevitably brought up the future development of Lin Yucheng, asking him what his thoughts were.
"I will follow Your Highness's arrangements."
Lin Yucheng knew that by joining the Prince of Huaiyang's faction, he would have to do things for him. Rather than exhausting himself, he decided to just follow the prince's arrangements.
"Good, good. Once you pass the imperial examination and are appointed to an official post, it would be best if you were sent to a post outside the capital for a few years. Most of the positions in the capital are already filled. Instead of waiting and waiting for seniority, it would be better to go out and explore. This will also increase your skills and experience. Getting to know more people outside will always be useful."
As expected, the Prince of Huaiyang had already made arrangements, and Lin Yucheng also had his own plans after hearing this. For him now, being sent to a post outside the capital was indeed the best option; the outside world was vast, and there would surely be no shortage of opportunities for him.
Both Lin Yucheng and the Prince of Huaiyang had already made plans to pass the exam, and no one thought that Lin Yucheng might fail.
As expected, he lived up to Lin Yucheng's expectations. After studying hard for more than ten years, he passed the imperial examination and performed exceptionally well, earning him the title of Tan Hua (third-ranked scholar) from the emperor.
In truth, given his talent, he could have easily been the top scholar (状元). However, Lin Yucheng was young and handsome, and to further enhance his romantic reputation, the emperor appointed him as the third-ranked scholar (探花). Historically, the third-ranked scholar (探花) was the most sought-after, even more so than the top scholar (状元).
Following the previous statement, the Prince of Huaiyang also acted as a matchmaker for his cousin, He Yunjia, the daughter of Princess Ruyang.
Because Lin Yucheng had only informed Li Shi in advance, when the imperial decree for marriage requested by Princess Ruyang was delivered to the mansion, Marquis Chen Liang, Lin Yuqi, and even Jin Shi were all very surprised, their expressions stiff, and their smiles forced.
After delivering the imperial eunuch, Marquis Chen Liang glanced at Lin Yucheng with a dark expression and then turned and left. Lin Yuqi watched as Madam Li and Lin Yucheng were beaming with joy, her heart filled with bitterness.
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