Fang Qing couldn't contain her joy, and that very evening she returned to the inn and hosted a banquet for the managers to celebrate.
Late at night, when all was quiet, Fang Qing replied to Zhao Shi'an's letter, first congratulating him on passing the high school entrance exam, and then casually reminding him to take care of his health and safety.
Zhao Shi'an will soon be entering officialdom, and many troubles await him in the future.
The next day, Zhao Fen happily brought the good news to Fang Qing, only to find out that Fang Qing already knew about it the day before.
It's not unusual for the imperial court to produce a new top scholar, but the fact that this top scholar is Fang Qing's brother makes Zhao Fen happy for Fang Qing.
"By the way, the newly appointed top scholar is Zhao Shi'an, your brother. How come they don't share the same surname?"
“He’s not my biological brother. My brother is from our village. He lost his parents and came to live with us.”
Zhao Fen nodded, then, as if remembering something, asked, "Is your brother married? If not, I'd like to play matchmaker for him."
Fang Qing's smile faltered.
"without……"
"That's good. The person I'm talking about is none other than my mentor's granddaughter. She's been living in Jiangnan ever since the Zhong family's misfortune happened. If the top scholar is interested..."
"I'm sorry, Lord Zhao, but my brother didn't mean that."
"ah?"
"Actually, my brother already has someone he likes."
Fang Qing blushed after she finished speaking.
Zhao Fen, however, felt embarrassed.
"I was rash. I really messed up the matchmaking. The scholar's sweetheart must be extraordinary. When the scholar gets married in the future, I really want to shamelessly ask for an invitation."
Fang Qing was so embarrassed she almost scratched her toes on the ground.
"I will definitely ask Lord Zhao for help."
After Lord Zhao took his leave, Fang Qing drank two glasses of water.
After calming down from her embarrassment, Fang Qing couldn't help but think that even Zhao Fen wanted to arrange a marriage for Zhao Shi'an after learning that Zhao Shi'an had become the top scholar in the imperial examination, so naturally, the people in the capital would have the same idea.
Zhao Shi'an did like her, but there were plenty of outstanding young ladies from high-ranking families in the capital.
Fang Qing has never been this kind of person, but when it comes to matters of the heart, she really can't explain it.
Perhaps most people are like this, prone to sentimentality when it comes to relationships.
Meanwhile, Fang Qing's worries in the capital were not unfounded.
At the Qionglin Banquet, many students brought their younger sisters and eagerly introduced them to Zhao Shi'an.
Zhao Shi'an originally didn't want to come to such an occasion, but Fang Dashu insisted on dragging him along. Besides, he was the top scholar in the imperial examination, so it wouldn't be appropriate for him not to come.
He had only been there a short while when these people started crowding in front of him, which he found really annoying.
It's unclear which student brought their younger sister over, but Zhao Shi'an actually said to them directly, "There's no need to get to know each other; men and women shouldn't touch each other."
The girl's face immediately fell; this student still wanted to get along well with Zhao Shi'an.
“Brother Zhao, my sister is very talented. It would be good to get to know her. Besides, you are both of suitable age. If it can help you two get together, it would be a great deed for me.”
Zhao Shi'an's face instantly turned cold.
"I am already engaged, so please do not disturb me."
After saying that, Zhao Shi'an flicked his sleeves and strode away, leaving the brother and sister feeling very embarrassed.
The news of the top scholar's angry departure from the Qionglin Banquet soon reached the Crown Prince. He was the one who hosted the banquet, and Zhao Shi'an left without even informing him, which was a blatant disrespect to him.
Everyone was waiting to see the Crown Prince teach Zhao Shi'an a lesson, but the Crown Prince simply nodded calmly after hearing about it and continued talking with his friends.
Even after the Qionglin Banquet ended, the Crown Prince personally visited Zhao Shi'an.
That's all the gossip they heard; they had no way of knowing about the conversation between Zhao Shi'an and the Crown Prince.
From the very beginning, Zhao Shi'an did not hide his identity as the owner of Fengyu Tower from the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince not only wanted to win him over, but also respected him more.
The two talked about the Third Prince's underhanded tactics to save the Qin family, and also discussed some things in the Northwest.
"In order to force Fang Zhu to side with the Third Prince's faction, Gao Ren will not provide supplies to the Northwest. Now that Fang Zhu has been punished by the Emperor and cannot return to the Northwest, I am afraid that the Gao family will arrange for someone to fill Fang Zhu's vacancy and go to the Northwest."
This is a problem that the Crown Prince is worried about.
Since the Zhong family was framed and plotted against by the Gao family, the Northwest has been in the hands of the current Northwest Grand Marshal, who is the Emperor's own brother and is trusted by the Emperor.
However, the Grand Marshal's health has deteriorated significantly in recent years, leading the Gao family and the Third Prince's faction to engage in numerous underhanded tactics.
If the Zhong family were still alive, there would be no need to worry about the Northwest.
"Does the Crown Prince believe that the Gao family has someone who can replace Fang Zhu?"
The prince was deep in thought.
"I haven't found it, but I can't deny that the Gao family lacks talent in this area."
"Your Highness, rest assured, will anyone in the Gao family be able to wait until then? Even if the Gao family wanted to take over the Northwest, His Majesty would not agree."
The Crown Prince looked at Zhao Shi'an.
I had several conversations with Zhao Shi'an and found that he spoke with certainty about some things, yet somehow they were convincing.
"Your Highness doesn't need to fight for control of the Northwest. His Majesty is getting old, and Your Highness should focus on the court. As for the Northwest, it's not too late to consider the Northwest issue after Your Highness has taken the throne."
"Yeah?"
Zhao Shi'an poured a cup of tea for the Crown Prince.
"His Majesty's days are numbered."
The crown prince had originally intended to drink tea, but upon hearing Zhao Shi'an's words, he nearly dropped the teacup.
"Don't talk nonsense like that!"
His heart was pounding in shock.
He couldn't tell whether he was frightened or excited.
"I saw His Majesty during the palace examination, and he looked like he was about to die."
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