Chapter 332 The Shen family chooses a son-in-law from among the scholars for their daughter!
If it weren't for her previous plea, she would have genuinely believed that Zhou Yunxue had come to mend their sisterly relationship.
"Alright then, I'll accept it!" She had indeed been a bit extravagant in the past, giving many things not only to Zhou Yunxue but also to others.
Zhou Yunxue introduced the two children to her: "The older one is a daughter, called Sister Lan, and the younger one is a son, called Brother Hu."
Shen Lanxi had already ordered people to prepare a gift for the two of them.
"Sister Lan, Brother Hu, come to your auntie. Your auntie has prepared a glass ornament for each of you."
A glass orchid the size of a fist, and a glass tiger the size of a fist.
When Zhou Yunxue saw the gift, a fleeting look of amazement crossed her eyes.
"Lanxi, this is a tribute, isn't it? You can't accept it. Sister Lan and Brother Hu, quickly return it to Auntie."
The crystal-clear and exquisitely crafted ornaments easily captured the hearts of the two children, who held them tightly in their hands, reluctant to part with them.
Zhou Yunxue felt embarrassed.
Shen Lanxi smiled faintly: "Take it. It was given to me by the three clans when I was in the Northwest. In the entire Great Zhou, apart from you, only the imperial palace has such gifts."
Zhou Yunxue's eyes flickered, and she dared not meet Shen Lanxi's gaze.
"Lanxi, you should keep such a good thing for yourself."
Shen Lanxi: "Who told you to be my best friend?"
A bitter feeling washed over Zhou Yunxue; her friend had long since changed.
"By the way, I heard you say before that your husband is a county magistrate, so why does he still need to take the imperial examination?"
A hint of unease flashed across Zhou Yunxue's face: "He was an acting magistrate. He was originally going to the capital to take the imperial examination, but the examination was suspended that year."
Shen Lanxi looked like she suddenly realized something: "I remember now, it was after our family was exiled to Dongchuan."
Zhou Yunxue: "If he, as the acting magistrate, wants to take the next step, he needs to have an official title. In recent years, there has been a shortage of talent in the imperial court, and many local officials are promoted temporarily. Because of this, this year's imperial examination is much more lenient than in previous years, allowing acting officials to take the examination."
Oh, so it wasn't her cousins taking the imperial examinations before, it was her husband himself.
"So that's how it is! I was poisoned a few days ago, and I've been feeling weak ever since. People from the Ministry of Rites did come, but I didn't see a single one of them!"
Zhou Yunxue: "I should meet them. I've heard my grandfather say that there are many tricks to the imperial examinations, and you can easily stumble if you're not careful."
Shen Lanxi nodded: "Then thank you for reminding me."
Not long after Zhou Yunxue left, rumors began to circulate that Fang Wenting had visited Shen Lanxi's residence and become her disciple.
The news spread quickly, and by the third day, it had become known that Shen Lanxi had countless disciples.
The old Grand Tutor, who had been kneeling at the palace gate, begging Emperor Renxiao to rescind his order, fainted upon hearing the news. He was carried back to the Grand Tutor's residence by the Imperial Guards, and Emperor Renxiao didn't even send an imperial physician.
News of the Grand Tutor's fall from power spread quickly, and even more people went to the Marquis of Zhenbei's residence to present their visiting cards!
...
Shenfu
“Father, my eldest sister is the chief examiner for the imperial examination!” Shen Yuanxin looked at his father with a glint in his eyes.
Since Zhang Zifen was punished, Shen Congwen has always felt guilty towards his illegitimate children, especially those born to Zhang Zifen, whom he took great care of.
"Your eldest sister is at best a military officer. What does she know about the imperial examination? If you want her to give you guidance, you'd be better off reading more books with Mr. Ruohua."
A flash of impatience crossed Shen Yuanxin's eyes. Why hadn't his father understood him?
“Father, what I mean is, since my eldest sister is the examiner, she must know what the exam content is.”
Before Shen Yuanxin could finish speaking, he was scolded.
“You scoundrel! How can we scholars resort to deception? Yuanxin, how could you think such a thing?” Shen Congwen looked at Shen Yuanxin with a scrutinizing expression.
The latter hurriedly explained, "Father, that's not what I meant. What I meant was that the Shen family's sons have a weak foundation, but if they could get guidance from eldest sister, they would definitely make great progress."
What guidance? How could Shen Congwen not understand what his son meant?
"Don't even think about finding your older sister. And don't mention it to anyone else, or it will bring disaster to our family."
Shen Yuanxin gritted his teeth and said, "Father, I heard that if high-ranking officials in the court jointly recommend someone, they can directly enter the palace examination?"
Shen Congwen's gaze towards Shen Yuanxin instantly turned icy.
Shen Yuanxin was startled by that look. Why was his father's gaze so frightening?
"I'm warning you, the imperial examinations are based on genuine talent and learning. If you dare to cheat on the exams, don't blame your father for being ruthless."
Shen Yuanxin was so frightened that he quickly lowered his head and repeatedly said yes.
The news that Mr. Ruohua had been invited to teach at the Shen residence was leaked by someone, and soon the Shen residence was filled with guests.
Having heard the story of catching a son-in-law after the imperial examination results were announced, Madam Shen immediately called her three daughters-in-law to her side.
“Those people who came to our family to ask for our hand in marriage before were all like weather vanes. They thought our family was about to lose power and wanted to sever ties with us. I’ve figured it out. None of them are reliable.”
Liu asked with concern, "How is Yuantang?"
When Madam Shen heard her mention Yuan Tang, her face turned cold and dark.
"She's just clueless about the situation. The engagement has already been broken off, but she's still clinging to it. Our Shen family isn't some lowly, insignificant family. We're keeping a close eye on her to prevent her from bringing shame to our family!"
Madam Miao thought that Old Madam Shen's suggestion was quite good. She had quite a few illegitimate daughters in her household, all of whom were of marriageable age. If they were properly arranged, they would be a great help to their third branch of the family in the future.
Then there's Shen Yuanruan, her own daughter. Because of this daughter, she was criticized by her sisters-in-law and complained about by her husband. She really wished she could marry her off to a distant place as soon as possible, so she wouldn't have to see her anymore.
"Mother, Yuan Ruan is of marriageable age. Our third branch is different from the first branch. We only hope to benefit from our eldest brother's influence and find a promising scholar for Yuan Ruan to marry. As for the illegitimate daughters in our third branch, Mother and eldest brother can arrange them as they wish. We only hope they can help the family."
Seeing that the third branch of the family had spoken, Madam Tian immediately added, "Mother, what about our fourth branch? We fourth branch don't have much ability either, but if we can help the family with marriage alliances, it will be a contribution to the family."
Madam Shen was very pleased that all three of her daughters-in-law were considerate of the family, and that very day she called Shen Congwen into her room to discuss the matter.
Not two days later, news spread that the family had taken a liking to two scholars from Jiangnan and intended to marry their two daughters to them.
For a time, the Shen family mansion was bustling with activity, its scene rivaling that of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion.
Zhou Ruyuan recruited many fierce generals through the military examination and also placed several people in the Ministry of War. After he finished his work, he heard that the Grand Tutor had fallen ill. After inquiring with Emperor Renxiao, he personally led the imperial physician to visit him.
Shen Lanxi had only been idle for a couple of days when the Shen family had already chosen a husband for Shen Yuanruan and asked her to return to the mansion to help make the selection.
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