Chapter 434 if line-May you live forever
Two months later.
The spring river water is warm and the peach blossoms are in full bloom.
Lu Wan was admitted to the official school and became the youngest female student in the school.
The official school exempted her from tuition and also gave her a certain amount of money and food every month to cover her daily needs.
The mother and daughter, who had been drifting like duckweed in Beijing, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
He Yan wrote a letter back to her hometown, telling Lu Jiawan'er that she had been admitted to the official school and that they would continue to stay in Chang'an.
After receiving the letter, everyone in the Lu family was shocked and didn't believe it at first.
But after asking a fellow villager who had returned from the capital city for the imperial examination, I heard that this was true.
The Lu family immediately gained more face in the local area, and even the other granddaughters of the Lu family gained a good reputation.
This time, the Lu family was more generous than before. They paid money and asked someone to take it to the capital and hand it over to the mother and daughter, asking them to stay in the capital and let Lu Wan succeed in the official school.
However, they only know that it is difficult to pass the entrance exam to official schools, but they don’t know how difficult it is to excel in official schools.
Lu Wan entered the official school.
She wore the new clothes her mother had the tailor make for her and walked into the school with curiosity.
The students in her class were all between ten and twelve years old.
Most of those who were able to enter the official school at such a young age were either from wealthy or noble families, and had the opportunity to hire good teachers to teach them.
Sitting on Lu Wan’s left was Zhao Mo, the great-granddaughter of Duke Ming.
Lu Wan's eyes flashed across Zhao Mo's figure.
It was quick, but I could see it clearly.
Zhao Mo was wearing a piece of clothing made of a material she had never seen before. It was so shiny and soft, and with the pink and white embroidery, it looked as if it was covered with a layer of glow.
The pearl flower on Zhao Mo's head was also beautiful. It was inlaid with half a circle of round pearls and fixed with gold wire on the outside.
The four treasures of the study placed on the table were not provided by the school, but high-quality items brought from home.
Lu Wan had never seen such fine fabrics and pearl ornaments, but she had seen top-quality study treasures in pen and inkstone shops.
She knew that the ink stick Zhao Mo had just taken out was called "Golden Branches and Jade Leaves". It was ink made by the Song family and was very expensive. Most people could not afford it.
Lu Wan pursed her lips, pinched her sleeves, and stopped looking at Zhao Mo.
The doctors who teach in official schools are very knowledgeable and the students who are selected are all very smart.
The questions raised by the doctor in class were answered not only by Lu Wan but also by others. The essays assigned after class were not only well written by Lu Wan but also by other students.
Although Lu Wan was under great pressure in this situation, it also allowed her to progress faster.
Books were expensive, and she had access to fewer books before, so she didn't read as much as her classmates.
Fortunately, there was a large collection of books in the official school. Lu Wan often went there to read, and sometimes even sat in the library on her days off.
When I came across something I didn’t understand, I wrote it down and then asked the doctor for advice.
If the doctor did not think the article she submitted was good, she would ask for advice on the shortcomings of her article and rewrite it that night.
She seemed to be born with a strong desire to strive for progress. She would seize any opportunity to move forward and become the best among her peers.
Hard work pays off, especially for those with talent.
Lu Wan finally came first in the third assessment of the school.
day to day.
The sunlight outside the window became stronger and stronger, and the cicadas in the trees began to chirp.
When the weather gets hot and the cicadas' chirping becomes louder and louder, the official school will be on holiday.
A month-long vacation.
At this time, the students in the school became familiar with each other after spending some time together.
Two days before the holiday, Zhao Mo said to her classmates:
"We're going to have a tea party in a couple of days. Would you like to come and join us?"
The students from official families in Chang'an were very calm when they heard this, because they knew that the Duke of Ming's Mansion was going to hold another banquet.
"I want to go with my grandmother to escape the summer heat, but I may not be able to go."
"I'll go back and ask my mother. If she goes, she will probably take me with her."
"I remember the delicious bayberry soup I had at your house last summer. Are you still making it this year?"
"that……"
The students started talking at once.
The few students without any family background just quietly put away the things on the table without saying anything.
The same is true for Lu Wan.
Lu Wan was closing the book on the table and putting it into the bookcase when she turned around and saw Zhao Mo's face enlarged in front of her.
"Lu Wan, come too. I've told my great-grandmother about you. You're smart and good at studying. My great-grandmother also wants to meet you." Zhao Mo looked at Lu Wan expectantly.
Lu Wan shook her head subconsciously: "I have something going on at home, so I can't go..."
Zhao Mo held Lu Wan's hand and said, "I haven't told you the date yet, why are you saying you have something to do? It's only one day, it won't delay anything."
"Also, our new cook is an expert at making pastries. We're all classmates, so why not come and try it out with us..."
When Zhao Mo pulled Lu Wan, a brand new gold bracelet appeared on her wrist, reflecting a dazzling light.
Lu Wan lowered her eyes and responded softly:
"good."
A few days after the holiday, it was the day of the tea tasting party at the Duke of Ming's Mansion.
He Yan escorted Lu Wan to the gate of the Duke's Mansion.
He Yan tidied up her daughter's clothes and smiled and told her:
"Don't be afraid, Wan'er. Just go inside and have a few cups of tea and take a walk with your classmates."
Lu Wan smiled faintly at her mother, hiding her nervousness.
"Mom, I understand."
Lu Wan entered the Duke's Mansion.
This was her first time stepping into a noble family's home.
The respectful and orderly servants, the spacious courtyard, the pavilions and terraces in the garden... everything opened her eyes.
The maid who led the way took her to see Zhao Mo.
Zhao Mo was sitting in a pavilion with a gauze curtain and eating snacks with several girls of the same age.
"Lu Wan, you're here, come in." Zhao Mo invited Lu Wan to sit in the pavilion.
Lu Wan saw that Zhao Mo seemed to be wearing new clothes again.
These ladies seem to have endless new clothes to wear.
Lu Wan went in and sat down.
The maid brought a cup of tea.
Zhao Mo introduced her to the other girls: "This is my classmate Lu Wan from the official school. She's a very good student. She was the top student in the last exam."
Everyone followed Chen's lead and said a few words.
One of the girls asked, "Which Lu family in Chang'an? Is it the Jingzhao Yin family?"
Lu Wan was about to pick up the teacup, but when she heard these words, her hands froze for some reason.
She looked up at the person who asked the question and said, "My family is in Shannan Road, not in the capital, and none of my family members are officials in the capital. It was only because I was admitted to the official school that my mother and I came to the capital."
Inside the pavilion, the youngest child asked the older sister next to him without hesitation:
"Sister, can people without official status come here?"
The question was asked quietly, but loud enough for everyone in the pavilion to hear.
Lu Wan's face suddenly turned red, and it felt like needles were pricking her skin.
Zhao Mo noticed Lu Wan's embarrassment and quickly said, "My great-grandmother said that anyone we invite to our house is a guest. Today, we are here for tea, not to mention your official position."
Zhao Mo wanted to bring up this topic.
But when Lu Wan heard this, her face turned even redder, and she bit her lips with her upper teeth until they were completely bloodless.
She shouldn't have come.
This was not the place she should have come to. She should have expected a scene like this.
She could only blame herself for not being able to resist agreeing to it before.
She couldn't help wanting to see how magnificent the mansions of the royal nobles were, and couldn't help wanting to see what their extremely luxurious homes looked like.
She studies hard every day, but she also has a love of beauty and vanity.
She also longed for beautiful and exquisite dresses, jewelry, and fine writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.
She also wanted to live in a spacious house instead of living in a damp and cramped old house.
She told herself that she was just here to take a look and that she would earn everything on her own in the future.
But when she saw the gap with her own eyes and heard the contempt in other people's words, her eyes still turned red.
She stood at the foot of the cliff and tried to look up, but all she was greeted with was the gazes of a group of people on the cliff looking down at her.
Lu Wan lowered her eyes and was about to say goodbye when a plate of lotus cake was pushed in front of her.
"Try this, it's delicious." A voice sounded.
Lu Wan looked in the direction of the voice and was stunned for a moment.
When she entered the pavilion just now, she did not look carefully at the girls sitting there. Only now did she notice that the girl sitting next to her was the girl she saw on the Nichang painted boat on the night of the Lantern Festival.
"The lotus cake from the Duke of Ming's Mansion is the best in Chang'an City. People coming from outside the city must try it."
Zhizhi looked at Lu Wan with a pair of clear black and white eyes.
Just when Lu Wan thought Zhizhi was mocking her for being a foreigner, she heard Zhizhi continue:
"I grew up in Lingnan. It was only after I came to Chang'an that I was able to eat such delicious lotus cakes."
Lu Wan opened her mouth and said, "Lingnan?"
Such a remote and poor place?
Zhizhi smiled and said, "Yes, Lingnan is far away from Chang'an. When I go back to Lingnan, I will definitely bring back the recipe for lotus cake."
"We have everything good in Lingnan: sweet fruits, fresh lychees, and plenty of rice. But, we don't have as many varieties of dishes and pastries as we do in Chang'an."
Yuan Caiwei, who was sitting opposite, held her forehead with her hand:
"Here we go again. Zhizhi talks about the good things about Lingnan for a long time."
"Hahaha..." Everyone at the table in the pavilion laughed.
The awkward atmosphere just now also eased a lot.
Lu Wan ate a piece of lotus cake.
The pastry is soft and glutinous, and a sweet taste spreads after taking it in the mouth.
Sweet but not greasy.
It’s really delicious.
Lu Wan looked at Zhizhi and whispered, "Thank you very much... May I know your name, Miss?"
"My name is Pei Zhi." Zhizhi only said her own name and did not mention the elders of the Pei Mansion.
She didn't say it, but Lu Wan guessed a little.
The Pei family has a great reputation among literati. How could she not have heard of them?
Everyone sat in the pavilion for a while, and then several maids came to invite them to take their seats.
A group of people walked out of the pavilion.
Zhizhi held hands with Caiwei and turned back to whisper to Lu Wan, "If you want to leave, you can eat first. Since you're here, you can't leave on an empty stomach."
Lu Wan looked at Zhizhi doubtfully and asked in a low voice:
"Why are you two ladies helping me? I come from a humble background and am not from a prominent family."
Zhizhi's eyes sparkled, and her tone was filled with admiration:
"I think you're amazing. I've heard from my grandfather that the disciples of aristocratic families receive enlightenment from a young age and almost monopolize official schools. For the children of common people, it's as difficult as ascending to heaven to enter official schools and enter the imperial court."
"You said that no one in your family is an official, and that you and your mother came from other places to settle in the capital. You were able to pass the entrance exam to the official school, which shows that you have accomplished something as difficult as climbing to the sky."
Yuan Caiwei also leaned over and added:
"And it's not really a favor. Zhizhi just really wants people to try the lotus cake. Last time, Zhizhi stuffed it in my mouth."
Zhizhi nodded:
"Yeah, they're not really helping. You can do things that are as difficult as climbing to heaven, so why are you afraid of having a few snacks here? They're not bandits. As long as you're not afraid, they can't bully you."
When Zhizhi just returned to the capital from Lingnan, people laughed at her and said she was a girl raised in a remote village.
Zhizhi didn't take it seriously. Instead, she always told others how great Lingnan was, and from time to time she even competed with others in writing and martial arts on the spot.
Make those who laugh at her stop laughing, and let them know that the girl raised in Lingnan is both talented in literature and martial arts.
However, Zhizhi later understood that some people laughed at her precisely because they were not as good as her.
"Let's go, let's eat."
Zhizhi and Caiwei walked towards the banquet hand in hand.
Lu Wan stood where she was.
A few bright crape myrtle petals flew over and landed leisurely on Lu Wan's nose.
It took me a while to come back to my senses.
She caught up with Zhao Mo, said goodbye to her, and decided not to stay for dinner.
But when she said goodbye, there was no sign of grievance on her face and she smiled calmly.
Everyone has a different temperament.
Lu Wan is not Pei Zhi.
She knew that she couldn't be as open-minded as Pei Zhi, and she would probably not feel comfortable eating at the banquet.
But she figured one thing out.
She came to the capital to ascend to heaven and to overcome all difficulties.
Clothes, jewelry, house, servants, all these things are in her heaven.
She felt tired of looking up now, so she decided not to look.
As she climbs higher and higher, one day, when she no longer needs to look up, it will be time for her to enter this circle.
The lotus flowers in the pond are in full bloom, swaying in the breeze.
Amidst the fragrance of lotus flowers, Lu Wan, after eating lotus cake, left the Duke Ming's Mansion.
Six years later.
When Lu Wan was sixteen years old, she passed the examination and became a female official.
Although his official position was low, Lu Wan hugged her mother and cried the moment she heard the news.
She grew up to be a graceful and talented lady. When she went to the palace for the examination, she even received two words of praise from the Empress.
Two months later, the news reached my hometown.
Another letter came from the Lu family.
One thing is to urge He Yan to return to her hometown to serve her husband.
Another thing is to ask someone in Chang'an to act as a matchmaker for Lu Wan.
Lu Wan is now a court lady. It would be great if she could get engaged to an official family in Chang'an.
If Lu's brothers came to Beijing later, they would not be completely without connections.
He Yan showed the letter to Lu Wan and asked her, "Wan'er, do you want to see me?"
Sixteen-year-old Lu Wan, wearing official uniform, glanced at the contents of the letter.
She did not answer her mother first, but asked:
"Mom, are you willing to go back to the Lu family?"
He Yan was silent.
Silence is the most obvious answer.
Lu Wan: "Then I'll write back and tell them that mother is not feeling well and shouldn't travel far."
After that, he turned the topic to his own marriage:
"Mother, it's not appropriate for Wan'er to look for a marriage right now. It will take another two years."
"In two years?" He Yan asked worriedly, "In two years, you'll be eighteen. It'll be hard to look at your age. Does Wan'er not want to get married?"
Lu Wan: "Mother, you misunderstood. I am willing to get married, but the time is not right yet."
She is telling the truth.
She was not against marriage at all. On the contrary, she was willing to regard her marriage as a help in her ascension to heaven.
There are so many men in Chang'an who have passed the imperial examinations and were chosen as sons-in-law, and then relied on the power of their Yue family to gain a foothold. Why can't she do the same?
But if she were to marry at this time, with her low official position and unreliable background, she would definitely not be able to find a good marriage.
She had just become a female official and needed some experience in the palace.
If she has the chance to be appreciated by the nobles in the palace in the future, she will have a place in the capital, and it will not be too late to talk about marriage then.
Some people say that when she gets a few years older, she might only be able to become someone else's second wife.
Lu Wan didn't find it scary either. Getting married was just a matter of mutual benefit. If it worked out, then it would work out, and it would be fine even if she became the second wife. If it didn't work out, then she could be a court lady in the palace for the rest of her life.
After Lu Wan became a female official in the palace, she still tried her best to do her best in everything.
The Queen Mother manages the harem well and is clear about rewards and punishments.
Lu Wan did a good job and would receive rewards from time to time.
She used her saved salary and rewards to rent a separate small courtyard for her mother to live in.
She had a foothold in Chang'an.
During her rest period, she would go out of the palace to visit her mother.
One day, He Yan mentioned to Lu Wan, "Wan'er, your grandmother and three uncles were exiled to Qiongzhou. Your grandmother is no longer with us, but the three uncles are still here."
Lu Wan knew what her mother meant and told her clearly:
"Unless the Emperor grants amnesty, my uncles won't be able to come back. If you're worried, mother, you can ask someone to send some money. We can't do anything else."
After hearing this, He Yan could only sigh: "It would be great if you can come back, but it would be fine if you can't."
As a female official, Lu Wan often moved around the palace.
Occasionally I would run into Yuan Caiwei and Pei Zhi.
When Lu Wan passed the examination to become a female official, Caiwei and Zhizhi also passed the military examination and joined the army to serve in military positions.
Princess Ning'an would still summon them to the palace to practice martial arts, chat and drink tea.
Lu Wan and Zhizhi didn't have much interaction, and they just said hello briefly when they met.
Sometimes, she would also hear news about Zhizhi.
For example, Captain Pei is a martial arts expert. He can fight four people alone in the martial arts field, and he can swing his long whip with great momentum.
For example, Captain Pei was young, but he led 300 soldiers to wipe out the bandits in Gyeonggi Province.
For example, Captain Pei had just gotten engaged to Xue Che, the young master of the Xue family, and they were going to get married in two years.
for example……
After hearing the news, Lu Wan just smiled.
What came to my mind were the conversations I had at the Duke Ming's Mansion when I was young, and the scene of guessing lantern riddles during the Lantern Festival when I was ten years old.
During the Lantern Festival when Lu Wan was seventeen years old, she met Zhizhi again.
Lu Wan was wearing a well-fitting spring jacket with a light blue brocade cape on the outside. The pearl hairpin on her head shone brightly in the light.
She and her mother went to the lantern festival again at night.
Seven years have passed, and the Lantern Festival in Chang'an is still as brilliant as the Milky Way, with the sky full of fireworks.
The Nichang Houseboat is still there, but the proprietress in charge has been replaced.
The heavily made-up proprietress is gone, replaced by a delicate woman named Cui Xiaoxiao.
Cui Xiaoxiao was once a famous singer. Later, she saved a lot of money, redeemed herself, and bought this colorful pleasure boat.
Now when you approach the pleasure boat, in addition to seeing the exquisite lanterns hanging all over the boat, you can also hear the leisurely tunes coming from the cabin.
Lu Wan and her mother walked to the side of the pleasure boat, and Cui Xiaoxiao beckoned them:
"Miss and Madam, would you like to come in and listen to the music? We have a private room in our pleasure boat specially for the ladies."
Lu Wan looked at the dazzling lanterns on the boat and asked:
"Can you guys still spend ten taels of silver to guess lantern riddles and win lanterns?"
Cui Xiaoxiao raised the embroidered handkerchief in her hand and said, "You don't have to spend ten taels of silver. Just buy some wine from our pleasure boat and you can guess the riddles. If you guess ten correctly, you can pick a lantern you like and take it away. It's a great deal."
She said it was a good deal, but when Lu Wan saw the price of the wine written on the sign, she knew it was several times more expensive than what was sold in other wineries.
But Lu Wan still bought some wine.
The waiter led the mother and daughter to a seat and presented them with the prepared riddles.
Lu Wan looked at the riddles and guessed the answers one by one.
At the same time, at the other end of the pleasure boat.
Zhizhi and Ache stood under the lanterns, their young and plump faces illuminated by the lights:
"Ah Che, do you remember that one year when we were guessing lanterns here, I won a small fish lantern, and you took a small horse lantern?"
Xue Che looked at the sea of stars in Zhizhi's eyes and said in a gentle voice:
"Remember, on the way back, your little fish lantern accidentally broke a hole, and the candle flame inside burned out, not only burning my pony lantern, but also singed both of our clothes."
When talking about interesting childhood stories, Xue Che had a smile in his eyes.
He quietly held Zhizhi's hand, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up:
"Want to guess again this year?"
Zhizhi took Xue Che's hand instead:
"Guess!"
Zhizhi was guessing riddles, but Xue Che didn't guess any. He just looked at her with red ears.
After guessing ten riddles, he was led by the waiter to choose lanterns, where he ran into Lu Wan who was also there to choose lanterns.
The two nodded at each other and said in unison:
"What a coincidence."
"What a coincidence."
The night wind blew from the water, bringing some moisture.
The lanterns swayed in the moist wind, and even the shadows of the lights on the boat became vague and dreamy.
There were many lanterns, and Lu Wan and Zhizhi walked slowly to choose one.
Lu Wan saw a lotus lantern, which was somewhat similar to the one she had liked when she was ten years old, but it was not that one.
The petals are no longer made of glass, but the lanterns are made of oil paper, which are suitable for use as river lanterns.
Lu Wan looked at the lotus lantern and suddenly said to Zhizhi:
"Pei Zhi, do you know? When I was ten years old, I first saw you, not in the Duke of Ming's Mansion, but on this pleasure boat."
"At that time, I was standing on the shore and saw you guessing riddles on the pleasure boat. You may not believe it, but I also guessed the riddles you guessed at that time. I still remember those riddles."
"At that time, I really hoped that ten taels of silver would fall from the sky so that I could go to the pleasure boat and take away the most beautiful lantern."
When she said the words "falling from the sky", she laughed, a little self-deprecatingly.
She thought Zhizhi was just listening to it for fun, but Zhizhi's gaze shifted from the lantern to Lu Wan's face:
"I know."
Lu Wan: "What?"
"I know you were watching me on the shore." Zhizhi repeated.
"You were staring at me from the shore, so of course I felt it. After I finished guessing the riddle and got off the boat, the guards waiting at the shore told me that there was a little girl there who had guessed all the riddles correctly."
Lu Wan was slightly stunned: "You...did you recognize me when you were at the Duke of Ming's Mansion?"
Zhizhi blinked. "Why else would I push the lotus cake to you? I just saw that you missed the lanterns, and I didn't want you to miss out on such delicious lotus cake."
"However, I didn't expect you to bring this up on your own initiative."
The two looked at each other for a moment and then laughed.
Zhizhi picked a pony lantern.
Lu Wan: "Do you like this?"
Zhizhi half-jokingly said, "I once accidentally burned someone's horse lantern, and then he started to blame me, and I had to compensate him with a lantern every year."
Lu Wan didn't ask any more questions.
She took down the lotus lantern and asked the waiter to bring pen and ink.
Lu Wan wrote a few words on the lantern and turned to Zhizhi:
"Back at the Duke of Ming's mansion, you said you didn't help me, but I feel like I owe you a favor. Today, I'll pray for you with lanterns as a way of repaying that favor, okay?"
On the shore, many people were releasing lanterns on the water.
At first glance, the surface of the river is covered with firefly-like light spots.
Zhizhi glanced at the words on the lantern and smiled:
"You're a bit strange. You insist on owing favors, yet you also insist on repaying them. This is your lantern, do with it as you please. As for praying for blessings, just think of it as praying for both of us."
Then, she remembered something:
"Oh yeah, I forgot to congratulate you. You've done something incredibly difficult again."
Lu Wan curled her lips and replied, "Same here."
Lu Wan went to the river to release lanterns.
She stretched out her hand and pushed, and the petals spun on the surface of the river, gradually drifting away along with the current.
Lu Wan and Zhizhi watched as the lantern merged into the myriad of fireflies, unable to distinguish them any more.
Zhizhi took Majudeng to look for Xue Che.
Lu Wan also returned to her seat to look for her mother.
He Yan asked Lu Wan: "I saw you with a girl just now, did you meet a friend?"
Lu Wan took a sip of the fine wine in the cup and said calmly:
"We're not friends, we've only met a few times."
Not only do they have different backgrounds, different temperaments, different desires, but they also see things differently.
We can't be friends, but we won't be enemies either.
When we meet by chance, we may not even have common topics.
Just like before, they just talked about their childhood memories for a few minutes and then parted ways.
They each have their own path to take and their own difficulties to overcome.
And all she wanted to give Pei Zhi were the two blessings on the lantern.
The night sky is deep.
The moon broke into millions of pieces and fell down.
It falls on the river surface on earth and turns into thousands of lanterns, sailing leisurely towards the place where the water meets the sky.
The inscription on the outer wall of one of the lotus lanterns flickered in the light of the candle flame in the center:
【May you live forever and never miss spring】①
May you live a long life and be indestructible to wind and rain.
May you be free from worries every year and have spring all year round.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
