Chapter 64 (Combined Chapter)
Having passed the provincial examination, the next step was the palace examination, where Xiao Jingshi would be considered a qualified Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). He was to prepare for the palace examination on April 1st. Miaozhen gave all the servants in the household double their pay, and Xiao Jingshi was also kept outside for a few drinks before returning home.
The happiest people were the third branch of the Xiao family, as their son-in-law Cen Yuan and nephew both passed the exam. The third master summoned them and gave them another set of instructions.
Cen Yuan's ranking was lower than Xiao Jingshi's, so he stayed home even more, focusing on studying. Xiao Jingshi was also persuaded by Miaozhen to study at home.
But he insisted that Miaozhen accompany him while he studied, and Miaozhen couldn't help but say, "If I stay in your outer study for too long, your ranking will drop, and people will definitely think that I'm deliberately bothering you."
"No way, I just thought you were too nervous," Xiao Jingshi said.
Miaozhen lowered her head and said, "I'm just a little scared."
Xiao Jingshi knew about her heartache. She had been slandered by Xia Xianjie while heavily pregnant, and this time, Lu Shi'an had almost used opera to gain the trust of many unsuspecting people, causing even the sisters-in-law of the third branch of the Xiao family to distance themselves from her.
She wasn't afraid of being affected herself, but rather worried about implicating him, so she became even more anxious about him.
That's just the kind of person she is; she's always worried that others will surpass her.
"You used to do moxibustion, massage, and acupressure for me. How about I do it for you today?"
Miao Zhen looked at him with deep longing, saying things like "Can you do it?" while taking off her outer garment. Xiao Jingshi massaged her body, not as intimately as before, but genuinely massaging her for more than half an hour.
He didn't know why, but he always felt sorry for her, was attached to her, knew what she was thinking, and was willing to help her solve her problems.
As a member of the Hanlin Academy, Lu Shi'an naturally saw the list and couldn't help but snort coldly. Knowing that he couldn't stop it, he actually sent a congratulatory gift over.
In officialdom, it's always better to have a friend than an enemy.
With Miaozhen obtaining the plaque from the palace and Xiao Jingshi passing the imperial examination, the rumor that the prototype of "The Story of Hanshan" was them was debunked. When someone asked Lu Shi'an about it, he laughed and said, "This play has nothing to do with me."
It takes only a mouth to spread rumors, but it takes a lot of legwork to refute them.
Miao Zhen felt a surge of resentment, while Madam Mei breathed a sigh of relief: "Since he said that, no one will talk about you anymore. That's great. I can rest assured now. It seems that Lu Shi'an is quite aware of the stakes involved."
"They only turned against you because they saw that your son-in-law was already a tribute student and they couldn't handle him. But this fabricated story has damaged my and my husband's reputation. I won't let it go like this." Miaozhen was definitely not the kind of person who was soft-hearted and easy to talk to.
Instead, Madam Mei advised her, "Forget it. People like Lu Shi'an are vindictive even when there's nothing wrong with them. Why offend someone like that?"
Not wanting her mother to worry, Miaozhen smiled and agreed.
After the palace examination in April, Xiao Jingshi ranked eightyth in the second class, and Cen Yuan ranked tenth in the third class. Miaozhen saw a copy of the list of successful candidates in the imperial examination, which read: Xiao Jingshi, a native of Wu County, Suzhou Prefecture, Zhili Province, a student of the prefecture. On another line, it read: He studied the Book of Changes, his courtesy name was Ningxia, and he was born on the tenth day of the fifth month at the age of twenty-four.
The following text lists the names of the great-grandfather, grandfather, and father, but Miao Zhen only glanced at the part about marrying a woman surnamed Xu, and couldn't help but laugh.
Given Xiao Jingshi's rank and age, he could easily enter the Hanlin Academy as a probationary official without any intervention from anyone.
At this point, Madam Mei suggested going home. She had witnessed her daughter and son-in-law's most glorious moments and visited all the ancient temples and famous buildings in the capital. She was very satisfied with the trip and had no regrets.
Miaozhen and Xiao Jingshi specially hosted a banquet to bid farewell to Madam Mei. Although they were reluctant to part with her, they also knew that she had been away for so long and still had a large family at home. Therefore, they did not insist on keeping her and prepared many gifts to send Madam Mei home.
The adults were able to adapt, and Miaozhen knew that her father and brothers must also miss their mother. She couldn't be so selfish, but the children were very reluctant to part with their grandmother, and it took them two or three days to calm down.
After the news of Xiao Jingshi passing the imperial examination reached his home, the second branch of the Xiao family was in an uproar. They held a continuous feast for half a month, and Xu Erpeng even came to eat so much meat that he got dizzy.
Han Yueyao and Lou Qiongyu were both busy preparing for the banquet, but they were also very happy.
For Han Yueyao, her ability to give birth to this child was entirely due to Miaozhen's treatment and prescription; otherwise, she would certainly have been overshadowed by the concubines and constantly berated by her mother-in-law. As for Lou Qiongyu, it goes without saying that after what happened with Xia Xianjie, she missed the days when Miaozhen was around even more.
After Fourth Sister-in-law left last year, Sister Xia Xian, who was pregnant, often asked her for advice on raising children. Although she didn't like Sister Xia Xian because of her cousin's situation, they still got along on the surface.
However, when she learned that Lou Qiongyu suspected Xiao Jingtang of having problems outside, she offered to help test him, but Lou Qiongyu insisted. She even specially chose a beautiful woman to seduce Xiao Jingtang. Although Xiao Jingtang did not fall for it, Lou Qiongyu disliked her more because of this incident.
She loves to make decisions on her own and enjoys seeing people make fools of themselves. She doesn't genuinely care about them; she just wants to show off her abilities.
It's one thing to compete for the best on ordinary days, but they also have to meddle in other people's marital affairs.
"Second sister-in-law, I won't be going to eldest sister-in-law's place." Lou Qiongyu said goodbye.
Han Yueyao knew about what had happened between them, and considerately said, "Go ahead."
Not to mention that it was already the end of April when Madam Mei returned. She went home first, and the couple talked almost exclusively about what had happened in the capital. Xu Erpeng listened to how Miaozhen calmly passed the imperial examination, how she entered the palace, and how she was bestowed with a plaque. He couldn't sleep all night after hearing about it: "Oh my, my daughter is so promising."
Xu Erpeng immediately had material, especially when he heard Lu Shi'an slander him and his daughter, he was so shocked that he sat up in shock.
"You brat, I really regret losing my ten taels of silver."
Madam Mei pulled him aside and said, "Alright, didn't he already send a congratulatory gift to our son-in-law? He must be hoping for reconciliation and even took the initiative to clarify things, so let's just let it go."
“No, we can’t just let this go. He sent the congratulatory gift because his son-in-law won the lottery, and he ranked high and has connections. Otherwise, he would definitely bully him to the end.” Xu Erpeng knew this kind of person all too well.
Some people always say, "Why would someone harm you if you have no grudge against them?"
Who knows what those people were thinking? They were all trying to harm others, so how could we possibly deduce their intentions using common sense?
Madam Mei still advised, "That man surnamed Lu has very powerful backers now, so let's just forget about it and not get involved in these things. Even our daughter and son-in-law have let go of this, so why shouldn't we?"
"That's not how it works. The bad guys didn't hurt us because we were strong enough to block them, but that doesn't mean they didn't do anything wrong. Look at that Bao family, wasn't that how they were? I still feel scared when I think about it. And Zhenzhen's sister-in-law, if it were a man who didn't understand things, Zhenzhen's child might have been lost. If it were a stubborn family, she might have been drowned in a pig cage. Just because our son-in-law fell in love with our daughter and we avoided an innocent disaster, does that mean our daughter should turn a blind eye?" Xu Erpeng was angry just thinking about it.
Seeing her husband so angry, Mei also said, "It was my fault."
"You think this way because you are a kind person, but in this world, kindness is often taken advantage of." Xu Erpeng saw it clearly.
Want to harm others but don't want to bear the consequences? Dream on.
The consequence of swallowing one's anger and trying to avoid trouble is that it only emboldens the bullies.
Mei lit a candle and opened the trunk for Xu Erpeng to see: "Zhenzhen gave me a set of jewelry made in the palace, which she obtained in the palace, as well as some colored silk from the palace. We can keep them as family heirlooms."
"I told you my daughter wouldn't mistreat you, but you didn't believe me. In the future, when our Jian-ge or Kun-ge passes the imperial examination, you'll be a noblewoman. Wearing this will be quite an achievement," Xu Erpeng flattered.
"Get lost, I never even thought of that," Madam Mei said with a smile.
Xu Erpeng looked at her and said, "Look at you this past year, you look great, with a rosy complexion, while I look like a sickly person."
Madam Mei smiled and said, "I'm back, isn't that good? To be honest, it's been almost a year since I left. I never thought I'd be away from you for so long. At first, I missed you all the time, but then I gradually got used to life in the capital."
Xu Erpeng sighed, "I've been playing both father and mother this past year, it's been tough. I have to manage everything. I also have to write stories and take care of the servants. It's driving me crazy. Thank goodness you're back, our family is back to normal now."
"Yes." Madam Mei recalled her days in the capital, as if it were a dream.
Miaozhen felt the same way. So much had happened this year; it all felt like a dream. Things she never dared to dream of before had now come true: she had successfully entered the palace to gain entry into the imperial examinations, and her husband had indeed passed the exams.
But after the initial euphoria, things eventually returned to normal.
Although Xiao Jingshi was from Jiangnan, she was easygoing, loved making friends, and had good interpersonal relationships. Not to mention Zhang Mianxue, a fellow townsman from the same batch of probationary officials in the Hanlin Academy, who was a frequent visitor, there were also Kang Siqian, Jiang Tang, Zhang Juzheng, and others. There were nearly thirty probationary officials in this batch, and half of them had eaten at her house.
Of all these people, the one Miaozhen was most familiar with was Zhang Juzheng, the first Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty. However, he was still quite low-key. I heard that he had lost his wife, so it's no wonder he looked a bit depressed.
However, the person Xiao Jingshi admired most was Yang Jisheng, whom Miaozhen didn't know much about. It was said that he was going to take up a post in Nanjing.
Their relative Cen Yuan, who ranked low in the top three in the imperial examination, became a clerk in the Bureau of Personnel. He has now moved out of the third branch of the Xiao family and rented a house near the East City.
There was no way around it; once he passed the imperial examination, the expenses were quite high. Six or seven hundred taels of silver were spent like water. Being an official in the capital was not as lucrative as being an official sent to the outskirts. If he wanted to buy a house, he would not have enough money and would have to rent a house.
After renting the house, Xiao Suyin invited her relatives over for her housewarming. Miaozhen naturally prepared some wine and food to send over. At this time, the Xiao family also sent money, rice, and servants from both households. Among them, Xiao Xi and others also came along.
After these matters were settled, Miaozhen began to set up her small pharmacy. In fact, her reputation was even greater in the capital than in Suzhou, so she was even more determined to develop her business.
When she was making pills again at the pharmacy, Xiao Xi wanted to tell her everything that had happened at home: "The eldest mistress gave birth to a son, and the eldest madam was very happy, but she never agreed to let the eldest mistress go there. The eldest mistress had to be humble for a long time, and it wasn't until we went to the capital that the eldest mistress went to Songjiang."
"I hope she can be more normal in the future and stop thinking about hurting others. That way, she can live a more comfortable life, and others can live a more comfortable life too," Miaozhen said.
Xiao Xi said, "What are you talking about? I heard that the eldest mistress sent a woman to the sixth master, which made the sixth mistress very angry. The eldest mistress even said that she was testing his heart."
Miaozhen had three question marks on her forehead. Had she watched too much Journey to the West? Did she think she was one of the Four Sages testing the mind of Zen?
"What other people do is none of her business!" Miaozhen was speechless.
Xiao Xi shrugged: "That's right. It's a good thing she went to Songjiang Prefecture. I noticed that Sixth Madam always felt uncomfortable whenever she was with Eldest Madam."
"Fortunately, we don't have to be with her anymore. Now that we live in our own homes, we're spared the trouble of dealing with such a troublesome person." She was truly grateful.
Xiao Xi said, "This servant forgot to congratulate you. You've finally gotten what you wanted."
"Yes, but it's come to an end, and now it's starting all over again. You don't know that recently there was a doctor who had practiced medicine for decades and received countless accolades, but just because he treated a patient who had been ill for a long time, his reputation was ruined. It's very pitiful. Even those of us who spoke up for him are being attacked."
It was because of this incident that Miaozhen realized that no profession is foolproof just because it has a prestigious reputation. On the contrary, because of this reputation, if there is a problem, people will say that you are not worthy of the name.
Xiao Xi opened her eyes wide and said, "Is there really such a thing?"
"Yes, that old doctor often provides free medical consultations and medicine. Even now, despite being slandered, he still does good deeds every year, giving over three hundred taels of medicine to poor families." Miaozhen felt it was all unworthy of him.
"Will you still be doing your free clinic?" Xiao Xi asked hesitantly.
Miaozhen nodded very firmly: "I will still do it. Although I sometimes dislike mobs, no matter what, if I heal someone and reduce their pain even a little, it is a great deed."
Xiao Xi thought to herself that this was her young lady—worldly-wise but not cynical. Some people, once they have a prestigious reputation and money, become overly protective of their image, but her young lady was different. She thought it wasn't just about fame; it was simply because she enjoyed it.
Miaozhen selected several popular nunneries for the free clinic and had Xiaoxi contact them first to assess the abbot's competence. A capable abbot would generally take your matter to heart, make proper arrangements, and even arrange for worshippers to come for treatment.
Naturally, those with strong abilities will generally have their temples very popular and well-managed.
Xiao Xi found a temple called Baiyi Nunnery, which was said to be a very large temple with the most worshippers, so Miao Zhen made preparations in advance.
Just then, someone came to deliver a visiting card. It was really strange. When she was just a scholar's wife or an ordinary person, most people would ask her to come to their homes for treatment. Now that she was the wife of a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), people who wanted to see her for treatment would personally send out visiting cards to her home.
It's probably because of the change in status that others respect me more.
The messenger was the wife of a Ministry of Works official. Miaozhen said to the messenger, "Tell your wife that I am free tomorrow afternoon and that she can come over then."
The next day, a lady arrived quickly. After exchanging greetings, Miaozhen invited her to the consultation room and asked her about her age, illness, and the onset of the illness.
The lady said, "I am twenty-seven years old this year. After giving birth last year, I have been suffering from alternating chills and fever all year round, and I have lost a lot of weight."
Seeing that she coughed a few times after she finished speaking, Miaozhen couldn't help but say, "You're suffering from postpartum exhaustion. Was your delivery not very smooth?"
The book "Complete Collection of Effective Prescriptions for Women" once stated that if a woman's childbirth is not smooth, she may become weak and short of breath, experience chills and fever like malaria, and cough with phlegm. This is known as postpartum exhaustion.
The sick woman nodded: "Giving birth was extremely difficult, and even after giving birth, all the doctors and medicines I tried were ineffective. It was only after my husband told me that Xiao Shuchang's wife was a skilled healer and extremely good at treating women's illnesses that I came to her house."
"You flatter me, you flatter me. I see that your so-called symptoms of chills and fever, even your cough and emaciation, are all superficial. The root cause is a severe deficiency of vital energy. General methods of tonifying the middle and replenishing qi will probably not be effective. Moxibustion combined with medication is necessary for a cure," Miaozhen said.
After saying this, she first had the maid help the lady take off her outer garment, while she finished writing her medical log. Then she took out moxibustion and applied it to her Dazhui, Feishu, Gaohuang, and Zusanli acupoints.
Dazhui is the meeting point of the three Yang meridians of the hands and feet and the Governing Vessel. Feishu is an important acupoint for treating lung diseases. Gaohuang acupoint, when combined with Dazhui acupoint, is used to treat consumptive diseases. Zusanli acupoint can strengthen the body and mind.
Moxibustion on these acupoints is used to strengthen the body's foundation and nourish the Qi. In addition to external treatment, I also prescribed Tiaozhong Yiqi Decoction and Hewei Baizhu Pill.
After the lady received some moxibustion, she felt completely comfortable after getting dressed. She had tried moxibustion before but never experienced this feeling. Seeing how attentive Miaozhen was, she was given a realgar sachet to wear on her chest and told her to take ten doses of the medicine, without even mentioning the consultation fee.
Given their status, how could they afford to leave any room for gossip in their social interactions? The wife of Manager Liu sent over one tael and five mace of silver, and Miaozhen asked her to come back for a follow-up visit in half a month.
After seeing her off, Miaozhen continued preparing the medicinal materials and supplies for the free clinic. She had just finished grinding the herbs when someone else arrived. With her hands still covered in grease, Miaozhen couldn't help but say, "Can't a person make medicine in peace? Who is it this time?"
Sweetie came over and said, "Grandma, it's Grandma Cheng who sent someone."
It turned out that it was someone sent by Madam Ji. Miao Zhen let her in, and sure enough, it was Banxia. She bowed to Miao Zhen before saying, "Our eldest mistress said she would like to invite you over tomorrow to take a look at our young master."
“That’s not a good time. I’m going to do a free clinic tomorrow, and the time is already set. Why don’t you have Madam bring the boy over today, or go find another pediatrician?” Miaozhen said.
She's no longer a servant of the Cheng family, so naturally she can't completely sacrifice her own affairs to accommodate them.
Banxia couldn't help but say with difficulty, "You know, our eldest grandmother has a difficult temper."
"My free clinic date was set half a month ago. There's really no other way. How about I go after my free clinic?" Miaozhen knew that this would offend someone, but if she didn't offend someone, she would just go back to being available whenever someone called.
Banxia had always been on good terms with Miaozhen. She thought that her son wasn't seriously ill, but just wanted someone to help him recuperate, so she went back to report. Ji Shi was naturally very angry when she heard this. Cheng Shu, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but say, "Sister-in-law, it's a waste of your praise. You really have taken my kindness for granted."
"I don't think she's that kind of person," Madam Ji said, though she was naturally displeased. But there was nothing she could do about it. The concubines in the palace would occasionally send Xu Miaozhen to the palace for treatment. If she really did something wrong, and someone mentioned it in the palace, what would she be considered?
Therefore, she said to Banxia, "When do you think she'll be free? Have her come to our residence."
"Yes." Banxia was finally relieved.
Miao Zhen's actions made Cheng Shu even more certain that she was such a person, and therefore she believed in what Lu Shi'an had told her.
Miaozhen was very well prepared for her first free clinic in the capital. She just didn't expect the palace doctor to be so famous, with hundreds of people standing outside the door.
"Come on, bring me a pen, ink, paper and inkstone. I'll write down numbers on them so they can line up and call out names based on their numbers. Otherwise, they might just push and shove."
In crowded places, it's essential to maintain discipline first, otherwise things will become quite chaotic.
The number plate was being handed out in droves, and he started helping people with their medical needs. Unexpectedly, the first person he spoke to said, "I need to get medicine for my son; he has boils—"
"This is for women and children. Please go somewhere else." Miaozhen glanced at her and told her to leave. It's already difficult for women to see a doctor, and if there are no restrictions, the free clinic here will gradually lose its original purpose.
The old woman said, "Alright, alright, I have boils, okay? Here's the medicine."
"Where do you grow? Let me see." Miao Zhen looked at her leisurely.
Seeing that Miaozhen was difficult to talk to, the old woman left dejectedly.
"Number Two." Miao Zhen directly summoned Number Two.
The second patient suffered from wind-heat attacking upwards, with swelling and itching of the head and face, frequent constipation, and red and difficult urination. Miaozhen gave her two pills of Toubing Dan and wrote: "You should dissolve the two pills in mint juice and warm wine and take them."
After examining about twenty people, one of them said that there was no medicine available for his illness, Miao Zhen. He said, "Give me the money, and I'll go buy the medicine."
"That doesn't make sense. I was originally providing free medical consultations, and dispensing medicine was an extra favor." Miaozhen was not someone to be trifled with.
Most people are quite nice to get rid of, and some of the farmers who live nearby even brought a basket of eggs. Although Miaozhen didn't want them, their kindness was truly appreciated.
She watched from early morning until night, so she had to sleep in the nunnery for the night. She got up early the next morning to help them finish watching, and then prepared to go home.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Jingshi came to pick her up. Miao Zhen asked happily, "Why did you come to pick me up?"
"I came over last night, but I was afraid of disturbing you, so I rested nearby. Look at you, you have dark circles under your eyes. Go back now." Xiao Jingshi looked at her with concern.
Miaozhen smiled sweetly: "Aren't I going back? Why did you come all this way here?"
A marriage where both partners support each other is actually quite beautiful!
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