After seeing off Aunt Ren, Jiang turned around and walked to Jiang Xirong, holding her daughter's hand and asked, "What do you think of this Mr. Gao?"

Jiang Xirong lowered her eyes in embarrassment, and said in a voice as thin as a mosquito: "Let's talk about it after the results are announced."

I don't know what kind of spell Yuan Jiaqi has cast on this silly girl. Jiang poked Jiang Xirong's forehead in anger: "You, you, I really don't know what to say to you."

After saying that, she drove her back to the room to prepare the betrothal gifts for the Luo family.

The business of the wine shops in the capital has always been good. People in Ning'an like to drink, drink, and play with wine. The business of the wine shops often starts in the afternoon and lasts until curfew.

A young man in a simple white cloth fell to the side drunk, and his handsome face was covered with red. He stretched out his white hand with prominent joints, waved, and said drunkenly: "Boss... Another, another pot..."

The boss was a man in his early fifties. He came over with a pot of wine, and his tone was a little worried. I think he was an acquaintance: "Jiaqi, what's wrong with you? You've been drinking all afternoon, and it's already evening. If you don't go back, your mother will be worried."

Yuan Jiaqi laughed foolishly, pulled open the lid of the bottle, and drank it up.

The boss sighed, shook his head and walked away.

This child of the Yuan family is a filial son known to all the neighbors. He is ambitious and promising. I don't know what happened. He never drank a drop of alcohol, but suddenly came to drink, and drank so much.

Not far away, two young men in brocade clothes walked slowly.

Yao Kang took out the banknotes he won today from his sleeves and put them in front of Gao Mingxuan's eyes, saying, "Look, look at my skills and luck."

Gao Mingxuan pushed his hand away, saying, "Vulgar."

Yao Kang couldn't stand his pretentious and hypocritical character, and said sarcastically, "Don't pretend in front of me. Others don't know what kind of character you are, but how can I not know it?"

The two walked to the side of the wine shop. Gao Mingxuan was about to leave, but Yao Kang stopped him, saying, "Wait, I'll buy a pot of wine."

Gao Mingxuan turned back and waited at the door of the shop.

Yao Kang took the wine, turned around and asked, "Didn't your biological mother go to the Jiang Mansion to propose marriage to the eldest daughter of the Jiang family? How is it going?"

The voice was getting farther and farther away, and gradually became unclear.

After the person walked away, Yuan Jiaqi finally reacted, threw the wine pot, and murmured: "Rong'er..."

He stumbled out of the door. The boss looked at his back and waved: "Hey, you haven't paid yet."

The tall and thin back walked farther and farther, gradually disappearing at the end of the alley. The boss sighed and cleaned up the debris on the ground.

Jiang Yuanyi was reading a military book in the house. Tong Yuan suddenly knocked on the door and whispered: "Miss, there is a person wandering outside the mansion for a long time, but he doesn't look like a thief." Jiang

Yuanyi put down the book, opened the door, and did not go through the back door. Instead, she asked Tong Kui to pull her out from the wall.

She walked to the front door and saw a familiar figure wandering at the door. His face was flushed, his eyes were confused, his long gown was wrinkled, and his hair was a little messy.

She put on her veil and walked over, whispering, "Brother Jiaqi, are you looking for my sister?"

Yuan Jiaqi looked at Jiang Yuanyi in surprise, and guessed her identity. His already red face became even redder, and he turned around to leave.

Jiang Yuanyi whispered, "Brother Jiaqi, why are you like this?"

Yuan Jiaqi's voice was a little choked, but he held it back and said as calmly as possible, "I made a mistake this time... It's impossible for me to be on the list..."

Jiang Yuanyi said, "Then Brother Jiaqi means that if I can't pass the imperial examination, I won't marry my sister?"

Yuan Jiaqi turned around and looked at Jiang Yuanyi, his lips trembling, unable to speak.

The little girl's voice was calm and gentle, but it was like a sharp sword that pierced through all of Yuan Jiaqi's decadence, collapse, and frustration.

Yes, if he hadn't passed the imperial examination, what qualifications did he have to marry her? So many young men from aristocratic families went to the Jiang Mansion to propose marriage, so why would she follow a poor man with nothing?

Yuan Jiaqi raised the corner of his mouth and smiled sarcastically: "What qualifications do I have to marry her..."

He dragged his feet, feeling that all the energy in his body would be drained away, and it was difficult to turn his head. He turned around slowly and heard the girl's gentle voice: "But my sister told me that whether you succeed in the imperial examination or not, she is willing to marry you, and only wants to marry you."

The voice came bit by bit, every word, like water flowing into the dry land. Yuan Jiaqi slowly turned his head and frowned, as if he didn't hear clearly, and as if he didn't react. His voice was a little hoarse: "Really?"

"Really?" Jiang Yuanyi's voice turned a little colder, and she looked at him, "But what about you, Mr. Yuan? Do you want to give up on my sister and let her marry someone she doesn't like at all?"

Yuan Jiaqi shook his head violently: "I'm not!"

He just felt that Xirong should be matched with the best man in the world, not a poor loser who failed the imperial examination.

His eyes were clear and pure, filled with the purest childlike heart. Jiang Yuanyi pursed her lips, unable to say anything harsh to provoke him, so she only asked, "Mr. Yuan, do you really want to marry my sister?"

Yuan Jiaqi nodded without hesitation, and then heard the woman's soft but firm voice say, "Then show your attitude and prove to the world that you are worthy of her, instead of complaining and being afraid to move forward."

The voice, along with the cool evening breeze, went straight into his heart. Yuan Jiaqi walked home in a daze, looked at his mother whose temples were already gray, and suddenly knelt down with tears in his eyes: "My son will prepare for the exam again, and I will not let you down!"

He kowtowed suddenly on the uneven mud ground, and refused to get up for a long time.

____

Jiang Yuanyi had just woken up in the morning and was eating breakfast in the front hall when she saw a eunuch in a blue-gray palace dress and a dark blue hat coming over. He brushed off the dust and said sharply, "Who is Miss Jiang Yuanyi?"

Jiang Yuanyi walked out of the front hall and immediately knelt down with her head on the ground when she saw that it was the eunuch from the palace.

The eunuch said, "Princess Mingyue is looking for you. I'm sending you to take you there."

Jiang Yuanyi said respectfully, "Yes."

Xiaoqing helped her up, and the other people in the Jiang family also stood up.

Jiang looked at Jiang Yuanyi with excitement and some worry. Jiang Yuanyi turned to look at her mother, shook her head, and then walked out with the eunuch.

A luxurious carriage was parked at the gate of the mansion. It was beautifully shaped like a lotus, with colorful cloud patterns painted all over it. The base color of the carriage was an orthodox vermilion paint surface, which was polished and smooth. Jiang Yuanyi stepped slowly into the carriage. The interior of the carriage was even more exquisite, with the seats covered with fine silk fabrics and a small table for placing things.

As soon as she sat down, she heard her father-in-law ask, "Miss Jiang, are you seated?"

Jiang Yuanyi said softly, "Yes, please help me, eunuch."

The carriage drove slowly, rolling over the streets made of stone bricks. It was still early and the streets were quiet. When passing by a place, it suddenly became lively.

Jiang Yuanyi gently opened the curtain and saw a large arena set up on the open space not far away. Next to the arena was a two-story wine house. A woman wearing a crabapple brocade dress with cloud-like makeup flowers and a high bun was leaning on the second floor, looking at the situation below.

There were two long lines next to the arena below, entering from the entrances on both sides, and then fighting one-on-one.

There was a man, standing tall, wearing black clothes and a black scarf that covered half of his face, standing at the back of the team. Jiang Yuanyi suddenly remembered something and covered her mouth and laughed.

She remembered Xiao Tuo's reaction not long after, and thought it would be more fun to hide it from him.

The author has something to say: I got teary-eyed when I wrote about Brother Yuan.

Don't tell me you can't guess who it is...