Chapter 29 The Ancient Scholar Used as Cannon Fodder (Part 29) Lin You Reads...
Lin You couldn't help but roll her eyes. This wasn't making a friend, it was picking up a godson. Was it really okay to spoil him like this?
Now that the imperial examinations are over, the matter of the Emperor's special instruction that Xie Zian should not disturb Chu Nanfeng before the provincial examinations can be considered settled.
Xie Zian was very happy after being comforted, and went to find Chu Nanfeng to play again the next day, only to find that Chu Nanfeng was out shopping early in the morning.
He was very familiar with the capital, but Xie Zian searched through all the bookstores, art galleries, and other places frequented by literati, yet he still couldn't find Brother Chu.
Young Master Xie would never have imagined that his gentle and refined friend, Brother Chu, frequented food streets and jewelry shops.
Because of his exam, Lin You, who hadn't gone shopping for more than two months, didn't head home until sunset, still feeling unsatisfied.
She bought a bunch of spring snacks, picked out some silk flower jewelry suitable for spring, and also selected a lot of bamboo woven toys from the roadside.
The items weren't worth much, and it only cost a little over two hundred coins in total, but Lin You was very happy and kept chattering away.
Fortunately, this time when he went out, he specifically asked Afu to come along, so Chu Nanfeng didn't have to carry his hands full of things and parade around town anymore.
The next day, Xie Zian got up very early and left the house shortly after his father, who was going to court. Before dawn, he squatted down at the entrance of the Chu family's house to wait.
Xu Wuchen followed behind, sword in hand, feeling utterly helpless at his stubborn insistence on personally confronting the person and refusing to submit a formal invitation.
"Even debt collectors who come to your door aren't this enthusiastic," Guard Xu complained, leaning against the wall.
Xie Zian snorted, "Didn't you have a job? Why aren't you on duty? What are you doing following me?"
"Don't worry, I'll stay with you for the last three days. I'm going to take up my new post after that." Xu Wuchen was even more helpless.
He was a free spirit, and because of the kindness he received in his youth, he was content to serve as a guard in the Marquis's mansion. The Marquis treated him like a son or nephew, and he didn't feel any constraints.
But after he did a few errands with the Marquis, the Emperor took notice of him and repeatedly wanted him to do work.
After the case of Prince Cheng was resolved, the emperor took the opportunity to promote him and assigned him to a post as the commander of the city defense department, showing considerable trust in him.
The two spoke in a low voice. Afu, who lived in the gatehouse, was quick-witted and, upon hearing the commotion outside, went to inform Chu Nanfeng.
Chu Nanfeng, who had just gotten up, hadn't even had time to wash up yet when he invited the two of them in. "Zian and Guard Xu, you've come so early. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"We came to ask you to go out and have some fun. You've been taking exams for so long, you should relax a bit," Xie Zian said, making no attempt to be polite as he mentioned that neither of them had eaten breakfast yet.
The Chu family's breakfast was very simple: soft and sticky pumpkin porridge, two plates of refreshing pickled vegetables, small and delicate minced meat rolls, and golden-brown egg pancakes, all made by Chu's mother herself.
It looked ordinary, but the taste was surprisingly good. After eating and drinking his fill, Xie Zian took Chu Nanfeng out.
He knew all the fun places in the capital like the back of his hand. Xie Zian led Chu Nanfeng into the Xie family's carriage and headed out of the city.
Lin You also joined in the fun, still sitting on the roof of the carriage. And you know what? The view was much more expansive than when she was on Chu Nanfeng's shoulder.
Xu Wuchen sat upright on his horse, always protecting the carriage from both sides, keeping a watchful eye on everything around him, and remaining extremely responsible.
Their destination was a secluded manor surrounded by peach trees, which were now in full bloom.
A playful young master organized a flower-viewing party here, without issuing invitations; entry was based solely on merit. This unique and interesting gimmick actually drew crowds to the event.
Among those who arrived were people dressed in cloth robes and long gowns, as well as those dressed in silk and satin. There were more than thirty people waiting to enter outside. Chu Nanfeng scanned his surroundings and, as expected, did not recognize a single one of them.
To enter the manor, one must demonstrate a skill, such as reciting poetry, playing musical instruments, or painting—a variety of talents.
Just like a modern talent show, there were even judges commenting. The talents that the ancient gentlemen could display were far more exciting than modern programs. Lin You watched with great interest from the side.
Xie Zian drew his bow and shot an arrow, hitting the bullseye in the distance. Cheers erupted from the crowd. Lin You estimated that it was about a hundred meters away. He was indeed impressive.
Chu Nanfeng was low-key; he only wrote two lines of poetry. With his skill level, getting in was naturally not a problem.
Xie Zian knew quite a few people, but not many of them were close friends. He didn't introduce Chu Nanfeng to anyone. Fortunately, the two had come from the same place and seemed to be chatting and laughing, so no one dared to cause trouble for Chu Nanfeng.
Chu Nanfeng rarely participated in poetry gatherings before, and Lin You had never seen such a scene before. However, he naturally joined a circle of people who were competing in poetry and quickly became familiar with them.
Xie Zian watched for a while, and seeing that Brother Chu was having a good time, he went to find his own favorite game. After all, he found games like Flying Flower Orders to be a headache.
Chu Nanfeng followed the others in playing a few word games, matching some couplets, and even composed a poem based on Zhuangzi's peach blossoms. He also played two games of chess with great interest.
Xie Zian became much more flamboyant. He set up a challenge and played pitch-pot with people, defeating seven or eight people in a row, and was very proud of himself.
Then, acting like he was the best in the world, he started to provoke Xu Wuchen.
Then, Young Master Xie was taught a lesson by his own guards. After all, the guards who were his bodyguards were naturally much better at martial arts than him.
Xie Zian glared angrily at Xu Wuchen, then pulled Chu Nanfeng away from the group of scholars, wanting to play pitch-pot with him.
This game is not difficult; both scholars and generals can play it. Chu Nanfeng also competed with his classmates when he was in the academy.
However, while he excelled in poetry, he was not so good at sports. He almost always missed when throwing arrows into the pitch-pot game, and he was just there for fun each time.
For Xie Zi'an, who was always right on target, winning brought no sense of accomplishment whatsoever.
In the end, the competition between the two turned into a lesson, with Xie Zi'an giving Chu Brother pointers on pitch-pot techniques for quite a while.
By the time the game ended, Chu Nanfeng's skills had deteriorated to missing eight out of ten shots, but he still had a lot of fun.
The results of the imperial examination were released a month after the exam, during which time Chu Nanfeng was extremely busy.
She had to chat with Chu's mother, teach her younger sister to read, go shopping with her older sister, and also go out to parties with Xie Zi'an.
Of course, they went to civilized and harmonious places, where there was at most a girl playing the piano and singing.
Chu Nanfeng got to know quite a few people as a result, but he didn't make any close friends anymore. After all, friends like Xie Zi'an were hard to come by.
Xu Wuchen no longer followed them. Now, Guard Xu has become Commander Xu, and he has to clock in for work every day.
The Marquis did arrange a new bodyguard for Xie Zian. Perhaps knowing Xie Zian's personality, this bodyguard had been hiding in the shadows for a long time, and Chu Nanfeng had hardly ever seen him.
One day, Chu Nanfeng was led to the racetrack, where Xie Zian, dressed in white, rode his horse with dashing style, galloping freely across the track.
"Brother Chu, come along! The horses here are all fine steeds," the young man invited with great enthusiasm.
But then I heard Brother Chu firmly refuse.
Upon hearing that he couldn't ride a horse, Xie Zian was quite surprised. Didn't Brother Chu keep horses at home?
As if playing a prank, Young Master Xie suddenly grabbed Chu Nanfeng's arm and pulled him onto the horse.
"Brother Chu, hold on tight. I'll take you for a spin. Giddy up!" Xie Zian held him with one hand and pulled the reins with the other, squeezing the horse's belly hard, and the horse immediately galloped forward.
The wind whistled past his ears, and the scenery on both sides rushed past him. Chu Nanfeng sat on the horse's back, his whole body stiff.
Even though Lin You emphasized that the system store had a protective shield that only cost two points each and that she would help if they encountered real danger, it did not alleviate Chu Nanfeng's tension.
Xie Zian was quite sensible; his horse didn't run particularly fast, and he kept protecting Brother Chu. Even so, Brother Chu was still terrified and turned pale.
Even after being helped off the horse, Chu Nanfeng was still somewhat shaken and in a daze.
"Um, Brother Chu, are you alright?" Xie Zian then realized that he had never ridden a horse before, and awkwardly touched his nose.
He thought that Brother Chu was just not very skilled at riding, so he was just taking him for a ride. Besides, they really only rode around once.
After Chu Nanfeng recovered, he patted Xie Zian's shoulder hard. Although his strength was not heavy, Xie Zian couldn't help but shrink his neck.
He had a feeling that Brother Chu was a little angry this time.
When Xie Zian went to visit Brother Chu again, he was indeed met with Brother Chu's concern. He was forced to write test questions for a whole day, and they were the questions for this year's imperial examination. He was completely overwhelmed by the task.
Chu Nanfeng was very kind and corrected and explained everything to him one by one, saying that there was still a lot of room for improvement.
Just as the two were exchanging ideas amicably and learning from each other's strengths, the day for posting the results finally arrived. Chu Nanfeng was on the list, still ranked second.
Putting aside the Chu family's joy, Xie Zian was indeed greatly relieved. His brother Chu had to prepare for the palace examination and wouldn't have time to supervise his studies for the time being.
As for the palace examination, Brother Chu should have already forgotten about it.
Young Master Xie happily loaded a cart with more than half a cart of fireworks and set them off in front of the Chu family's house for a long time, leaving a thick layer of firecracker wrappers at the entrance.
His brother Chu was very touched and made a large box of pastries as a thank you gift. If there hadn't been a stack of homework at the bottom of that pastry box, Xie Zi'an would probably have been even happier.
The homework assigned by Chu Nanfeng was not entirely for revenge. Xie Zi'an was decisive and efficient, but he was too impulsive and easy for others to take advantage of.
Based on his personality, Chu Nanfeng presented him with numerous case studies, asking him to write solutions, and stated that after completing fifteen questions, he could exchange a painting for one of his.
This method was inspired by the questions I gave Lin You, and Lin You was very pleased with it.
Although Chu Nanfeng wouldn't let Xie Zi'an off the hook just because he gave him a set of questions, it was still nice to have someone to do homework with.
Xie Zian was quite happy!
Brother Chu hasn't painted for two months because of the imperial examination!
Although I've drawn quite a few pictures of him before, you can never have too many!
One month after the results are posted, the palace examination will begin. Preparing for the palace examination involves more than just memorizing and writing essays.
Half a month in advance, officials from the Ministry of Rites would come to instruct them on the precautions and etiquette for entering the palace.
Lin You watched as Chu Nanfeng practiced again and again, bowing, kneeling, and chanting. Every step was meticulous, much more complicated than the original Deer Cry Banquet.
Meanwhile, Xie Zian had been in the study for more than ten days, studying books and researching information every day, working very hard.
Lord Xie was stunned, thinking that something was wrong with his son, and almost sent someone to the Imperial Hospital to fetch a royal physician.
It wasn't until she saw the questions Chu Nanfeng had set and the rewards for completing them that she felt relieved. This time, Zi'an had made a truly insightful friend.
The palace examination only lasted half a day and did not require a search. After discussing it for a while, Lin You and Chu Nanfeng were finally allowed to accompany each other into the palace.
"There are unknown underworlds within the palace, sister, don't wander around," Chu Nanfeng cautioned, thinking of her timid nature.
"I know, don't worry." Lin You didn't plan to wander around the palace. She still needed to watch Chu Nanfeng take his exam. After all, it was the palace, and if anything happened, she could help in time.
After going through a series of complicated procedures, it was already more than half an hour later when Chu Nanfeng finally sat down to take the exam.
Lin You wandered around the exam room with her hands behind her back like an invigilator, but didn't make a sound, for fear of disturbing Chu Nanfeng's train of thought.
She even went to see the emperor in the middle of the room. Well, he looked much kinder than she had imagined; he was a handsome middle-aged man.
The palace examination only tested one essay, and the time allotted was not long. When Lin You had circled the palace seventeen times, the paper was collected and sent to the emperor. Lin You followed curiously.
In the inner room, besides the emperor, sat several elderly men with gray hair and beards. The exam papers were placed beside them, as if they were to be graded on the spot.
Because of Xie Zian's influence, the Emperor had a good impression of Chu Nanfeng, and Chu Nanfeng's performance in the imperial examination was also very good, so the Emperor had someone take Chu Nanfeng's exam paper to examine directly.
Lin You saw him nod while holding the exam paper and immediately designated Chu Nanfeng as the third-ranked scholar.
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