Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Visiting the City
On the first night in the city, the two of them slept in the same bed.
In the eyes of outsiders, they are husband and wife, so the people in Xuanfu naturally would not arrange two rooms for them.
Yu Li didn't say anything. After transferring his supernatural powers to Fu Wenxiao, he went to bed peacefully.
This made Fu Wenxiao, who had originally thought that she would take the opportunity to sleep in a separate room, a little confused. Then, thinking of her recent abnormal behavior, his heart beat irregularly.
He didn't get much rest that night.
When he woke up the next day, Yu Li saw that he looked tired and asked in confusion: "Didn't you sleep well?"
He hummed softly and said, "Maybe it's because of the unfamiliar climate."
Hearing this, she looked at him with a little more sympathy. As expected, people with poor health would react so strongly when traveling far away, so it is such a blessing for a person to have a healthy body.
After breakfast, the steward prepared a carriage for them to take Fu Wenxiao to the government office to register.
Today is the last two days to register for the provincial examination, so Fu Wenxiao has to register early.
Yu Li also went, mainly because she wanted to go out for a walk. It was a rare occasion for her to come to the provincial capital, so she definitely had to go out and take a look around.
The carriage drove out of the house and headed towards the county government office.
Yu Li lifted the car curtain and looked out curiously, and found that the provincial capital was indeed very different from the county town. The roads here were wide and clean, the surrounding houses looked much taller, and the pedestrians on the road seemed to be dressed much more decently.
Of course, it may also be because people living nearby have a higher standard of living.
When the carriage arrived near the county government office, they got off and found that Mr. Wang was already waiting there.
In addition to Mr. Wang, there was also a student on government academy who acted as a guarantor for Fu Wenxiao.
Unlike the county examination, scholars taking the prefectural examination needed to have two students on government academy to guarantee their admission, and this time it was Mr. Wang who helped arrange it again.
The rules for the provincial examinations vary from place to place, but they are basically the same.
For example, in Qing'an Prefecture, when scholars register for the prefectural examination, they must be accompanied by a student on government stipend to prove their identity. When the prefectural examination begins, the student on government stipend must be present.
Fu Wenxiao greeted them politely, and then they entered the government office together.
Yu Li did not follow in. She sat in the carriage and waited.
Perhaps because the registration deadline was approaching, there were not many scholars coming to the government office today. But after a short while, they all registered.
Fu Wenxiao thanked the two students, and they politely returned the greeting.
After seeing off the two students, Mr. Wang followed them to their carriage. Seeing Yu Li in the carriage, he smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, what are your plans for today? Do you want me to take you to the city for a stroll?"
He used to study at Yanshan Academy in the provincial capital and also lived here for a few years, so he was quite familiar with the provincial capital.
Yu Li didn't care about this and turned to look at Fu Wenxiao, letting him make the arrangements.
Fu Wenxiao reminded him, "Brother Wang, don't you have something else to do today? We won't take up your time, go ahead and get busy."
Because he had to come to the government office to register today, Mr. Wang took time out of his schedule to come here.
Mr. Wang really had something to do. He had many classmates and friends in the provincial capital. When they learned that he was coming to the provincial capital, they all sent him invitations, inviting him to go over and get together.
The Wang family also has some relatives in the provincial capital to visit.
He felt a little regretful. In fact, he wanted to discuss calligraphy with Brother Fu more than with his classmates and relatives.
"Okay." Mr. Wang said reluctantly, "I'll come to see you after I'm done. I'm quite familiar with the city and know there are many places with beautiful scenery. I'll go with you next time."
Fu Wenxiao smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Wang."
After Mr. Wang left, Fu Wenxiao turned to look at Yu Li and asked, "Mother Li, where do you want to go?"
Yu Li looked at his face and said, "Why don't you go home and rest first? I can go by myself."
Fu Wenxiao naturally refused. He looked at her with his dark jade eyes and said warmly, "This is my first time in the city too. I want to go with you."
"All right then."
Yu Li did not refuse again. At worst, he would wait until he couldn't hold on any longer and then transfer some supernatural powers to him.
Yu Li leaned over and asked the driver, "Where is the busiest place in the city? Let's go to the busiest places first." Then he added, "Are there any delicious foods in those bustling places?"
The driver suggested a place, and when she agreed, he turned the car around.
Before leaving, he received instructions from the steward to just listen to what the two distinguished guests said.
The carriage rattled along, and after about a quarter of an hour, one could hear the bustling sounds all around, as well as the peculiar smell of city life.
Yu Li's eyes lit up, he lifted the car curtain and looked out, and sure enough he saw a busy street with shops lining both sides of the street, including some shops specializing in selling various food.
The alleys beside the main street are bustling with smoke, and there are food stalls everywhere, with a strong smell of fireworks.
Yu Li asked the driver to stop the car at the intersection, and the two got off there.
Rather than going shopping in a carriage, she prefers to go shopping on her own two feet, walking around and looking around. This immersive feeling is what she likes most.
Yu Li likes the stable and peaceful atmosphere of this world, where people work hard to live a down-to-earth life.
There are a lot of people on the street, it's much more lively than the county town.
At this time, Fu Wenxiao went to pull her hand. When he saw her looking over, he said calmly, "There are too many people. We will be squeezed out."
Yu Li took a look and found that it was true. It was nothing to be squeezed apart. He was weak and it would be bad if he was hit.
So I acquiesced to him holding my hand.
The two of them strolled along the way. Yu Li was in high spirits. She had a very good appetite and ate almost from the beginning to the end of the street.
After a while, Fu Wenxiao came with some food wrapped in oil paper, all of which she bought.
Both of them exuded the unique aroma of food.
Whenever she saw new food that she had never eaten before, she would buy some. Of course, some of these foods were delicious while others were just so-so. When she ate something delicious, she would share it with Fu Wenxiao and ask him if it tasted good.
In her expectant eyes, Fu Wenxiao would always say, "Delicious."
At this time, she will be very happy and have a sense of pleasure of successfully sharing delicious food with her friends.
Fu Wenxiao felt that she was like a little child who enjoyed exploring delicious food. Eating delicious food would make her happy for a long time.
However, it is really a good feeling to be surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the world and eat the same food with the person you love.
Before noon, Fu Wenxiao was already full.
Yu Li was still not satisfied. She turned her head to look at him, but did not continue. She bought some things casually, and the two of them took a carriage back to the house to rest.
Because they were full outside, they didn't have lunch when they returned.
After Fu Wenxiao went to wash up, she urged him to go to bed and rest. As for her, she changed into a set of clothes that were convenient for movement and went to the yard to practice physical skills.
When he woke up, he found that she was still practicing.
She was sweating profusely while practicing, and most of her clothes were wet.
There were not many people in the yard, and the servants were told not to disturb her unless necessary. Even if they saw her practicing physical skills, most people thought she was just practicing casually and had no idea what the physical skills she was practicing meant.
Fu Wenxiao put on his clothes and sat by the window looking at her.
Because he had just woken up, there was still some fatigue and laziness between his eyebrows and eyes. He looked lazy and a bit idle. Outsiders seldom saw him like this.
Perhaps noticing his gaze, the people in the yard finally stood at attention and stopped.
She turned her head to look at him, wiped the sweat off her face, and came to the window to ask him, "Why did you get up? Why don't you sleep a little longer?"
She noticed that his complexion still didn't look good. Could it be that the acclimatization was so serious?
Fu Wenxiao took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off her face through the window, saying, "Come in and drink some water, your clothes are all wet. Go change first to avoid getting sick."
“I can’t get sick.”
Yu Li responded casually, but still went to change his clothes obediently.
After she changed her clothes, Fu Wenxiao asked someone to bring her some water for washing, and she washed up at the same time.
Seeing Fu Wenxiao ordering the servants to work naturally, she couldn't help but look at him a few more times.
he asked with a smile, handing her a glass of water.
Yu Li finished the drink in one gulp, looked at him and said, "You seem to be used to being served."
Fu Wenxiao paused, and was about to speak when she heard her say, "I heard that your family used to be a traveling merchant, and your business later became very big, with many people serving you, is that right?"
Fu Wenxiao: “…”
She was purely curious and had no other thoughts mixed in.
Fu Wenxiao was silent for a moment, then said, "Actually, I'm not used to being served by others. For things like washing and changing clothes, I'm used to doing it myself."
At this point, the expression on his face lightened slightly.
Yu Li looked at him strangely. Why did he look like he was in a bad mood again?
She has always been impatient with such guesswork, and would just say what she wants to say. If it were someone else, she would not bother to pay attention. However, this person is in poor health, and we can't let him keep everything in his heart. It would be bad if he became ill due to depression.
If Fu Wenxiao was in good health, she could drag him out for a fight and make him exhausted so that he would have no time to think about other things.
Fortunately, Fu Wenxiao quickly adjusted himself and returned to normal, and asked her what plans she had for tomorrow.
"There is still some time before the provincial examination. I can accompany you wherever you want to go."
Yu Li asked, "Don't you study?"
When he went to register earlier, she heard someone nearby say that the provincial examination was approaching, and many scholars, after registering, began to study hard in preparation for the examination.
Those scholars all wanted to get a good ranking.
Fu Wenxiao said tactfully: "You don't have to study all the time. I didn't fall behind when I was in the county town. It's useless to cram now."
If the scholars taking the provincial examination heard what he said, they would definitely curse at him.
Who says cramming is useless? The more critical the moment, the harder you have to work. Which scholar doesn't think so?
However, when Yu Li heard this, he agreed with it.
Studying is like practicing physical skills. You have to work hard at ordinary times and never stop. What’s the point of practicing only when the critical moment comes?
"Okay then. I want to go to the west of the city tomorrow. I heard there is a bustling tile market there." Yu Li said with a smile, "I heard from Aunt Qi in the kitchen that there is a restaurant in the west of the city that serves delicious food."
"Mrs. Li, who cleans the house, also said that there is a shop in the west of the city that sells mutton pies that are also very delicious."
"Xiao Xia also said that the roasted meat in the west of the city is also delicious..."
…………
Seeing her counting on her fingers, Fu Wenxiao couldn't help laughing.
The people she was talking about should be the servants serving in this house. It had not even been a day yet, but she had already talked to them.
He was not surprised at all. She had a special power that made it easy for people to like her and get close to her. Even if he thought she was cold and difficult to get along with when he first met her, once he talked to her, he would find that she was really well behaved, so well behaved that people could not help but worry about her and worry that someone would bully her.
This is the case with Zhou.
The next day, Fu Wenxiao still went out with Yu Li.
Yu Li found that he was in much better spirits and finally felt relieved. It seemed that the acclimatization problem was only temporary and he would be able to adjust soon. So there was no need to worry about his performance in the provincial examination.
The two of them walked around outside for most of the day and bought a lot of food, as well as some things that Yu Li found interesting.
Back at the house, she piled the things on the table and played with them for the whole afternoon.
Fu Wenxiao sat next to her reading a book, and would glance at her from time to time with a smile in his eyes.
On the third day after arriving in the city, they received an invitation from Old Madam Yao, inviting them to dinner.
The last time he parted with Old Madam Yao at the dock, Yu Li had promised Old Madam Yao that he would go over. Now that he had received her invitation, he naturally had to go.
The two of them dressed up a little and took a car to Yao's mansion.
The Yao Mansion is surprisingly not far from this house. It only takes a quarter of an hour to get there by car.
As soon as they got off the car, they saw Mr. Wang coming to greet them happily, "Brother Fu, sister-in-law, you are here."
Along with Mr. Wang, there was also a middle-aged man in his forties who went out to greet them.
When he saw Fu Wenxiao getting off the car, his expression changed slightly. Although he quickly calmed down, someone who was paying attention could still notice it.
Yu Li looked at him in confusion, not knowing who this man was.
"This is my second cousin Yao Yunhe, he is my aunt's second son." Mr. Wang introduced them, "Second cousin, they are my friends. This is my brother Fu Wenxiao, and this is my brother's wife Yu Li."
Yao Yunhe greeted them with a smile, and then thanked Yu Li for saving his mother.
After the greetings, Yu Li and Fu Wenxiao followed them to a hall.
Old Madam Yao also came over and happily held Yu Li's hand and talked to her. She asked her with concern whether she had adapted to the city, whether she had rested well, how she had been spending the past few days, whether she had gone anywhere to play, etc., just like an old mother who cared about her daughter.
Yao Yunhe was a little surprised. Although this girl was his mother's savior, did his mother like her too much?
"What's the big deal?" Mr. Wang didn't care. "Don't you see who she is? She's Brother Fu's wife. How can she not be liked?"
In his heart, everything related to Brother Fu is good.
Yao Yunhe felt that this was not right.
His mother liked this Miss Yu, but not because she was the wife of someone, not to mention that she was the wife of the prince of the Duke of Zhenguo, so his mother should be even more cautious about it.
It should be said that his mother could only endure getting along with the now transformed Master Fu because she really liked this girl, otherwise she would never have invited them to her house.
He had heard from his mother about what happened in Shanping County.
Yao Yunhe had never expected that the Prince of Zhenguo, who was said to have died four years ago, would actually appear in Shanping County. He even changed his name and identity, becoming the son of a traveling merchant and had a reputation as a sickly person.
It sounds quite pitiful.
Whenever Yao Yunhe thought about what happened in the capital city that year, he felt a chill in his heart.
The Prince of Zhenguo died too suddenly. It was his death that led to the dethronement of the Second Prince and the loss of one leg of the Fourth Prince, making him a cripple.
At that time, the saint was furious and punished a group of people. Everyone in the court was in danger. During that period, even the playboys in the capital did not dare to go out and cause trouble, for fear of attracting the attention of the saint.
Listening to Mr. Wang praising Fu Wenxiao, Yao Yunhe couldn't help but look at his cousin with sympathy in his eyes.
Does he know that "Fu Wenxiao" is actually the Prince Fu of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion in the capital?
Forget it, it seems that he doesn’t know, otherwise he wouldn’t praise him so much and call him “good brother” all the time.
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Anqing Prefecture is Madam Yao’s hometown. Three years ago, she missed her hometown so much that she decided to come back and live for a while.
The people in the Yao family were worried about her, so Yao Zhengqian asked his second son to come back with his wife and serve Old Madam Yao.
The Yao Mansion was the house that Old Madam Yao bought after she came back. The house had three courtyards and was not very big, but it was big enough for the mother and son and some servants of the Yao family to live in.
There were many flowers planted in the Yao family's yard. Old Madam Yao took Yu Li to appreciate the flowers and also invited a troupe to perform.
Unfortunately, Yu Li didn't understand anything at all. He looked confused from beginning to end.
Old Madam Yao loved to listen to operas. Seeing that she didn't understand, she smiled and said, "Actually, I didn't like it when I was young, but now that I'm older, I find it's quite nice."
Yu Li said "oh" and thought to himself, will she like it when she gets older?
She said, "Then I'll try to listen again when I'm older."
Old Madam Yao was amused by her and found her more adorable for being straightforward. She didn't go around in circles and was very comfortable to get along with.
She understood why Mrs. Wang liked her so much.
Ever since she met Yu Li, Mrs. Wang would mention her in front of the elders from time to time, and her words were full of affection.
Yao Yunhe, Wang Juren, Fu Wenxiao and other men were sitting not far away talking.
They also heard Old Madam Yao's laughter and couldn't help but look over.
Mr. Wang looked around and said, "My sister-in-law is amazing. My aunt is always happy when she sees her. She is always smiling and looks much younger." Then he said to Yao Yunhe, "I also said that if my aunt likes her, she might as well adopt her as her granddaughter."
Yao Yunhe's eyelids twitched, his expression froze, and he didn't dare to look at Fu Wenxiao beside him.
He was really speechless because of Mr. Wang. He felt that this cousin was always making people's hearts beat wildly, trying to provoke him to the point that he almost had a heart attack.
Does the mother not want to recognize the child? Can she recognize the child casually?
Yao Yunhe cleared his throat and said, "If mother really accepts Madam Fu as her goddaughter, you can't call Mr. Fu your brother. This is not right in terms of generation."
Mr. Wang was stunned, turned his head to look at Fu Wenxiao who was drinking tea, and finally realized this.
He touched his head and said, "Then you will be my goddaughter?"
Yao Yunhe: “…” It’s hopeless! It’s hopeless!
"Brother Fu, what do you think?" Mr. Wang asked happily.
Fu Wenxiao smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Wang, for your kindness. Let Li Niang decide for herself." He said that he would respect his wife's wishes.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Wang couldn't help but laugh and said, "That's true. Brother Fu has always loved his wife, I know that." Brother Fu is a man who loves his wife, he has known this for a long time.
Fu Wenxiao smiled gently.
Yao Yunhe had a blank expression on his face. What do you understand? You don't understand anything.
They stayed in Yao's house for nearly a day, and finally said goodbye and left in the evening.
Old Madam Yao and Mr. Wang were both reluctant to leave and told them to come over when they were free.
Old Madam Yao smiled and said, "Mother Li, when you have time, come and spend more time with me, an old woman. When I get old, I like young people like you. Talking with you makes me feel younger."
Yu Li agreed immediately. There was nothing wrong with accompanying the old lady because there were delicious food here.
The Yao family’s chef was indeed from the capital. The snacks and meals he made were delicious and not inferior to those of the Shen family.
Mr. Wang also said, "Brother Fu, you have to come too. We haven't finished talking about the Forest of Steles of the Previous Dynasty that you mentioned last time."
Fu Wenxiao agreed with a smile.
"By the way, the provincial examination will be held the day after tomorrow, right? Do you want me to send you off then?" asked Mr. Wang.
Fu Wenxiao said: "There is no need for Brother Wang to send me off, Li Niang will do it."
Mr. Wang said with a disappointed look on his face: "Okay..."
Yao Yunhe could hardly listen anymore.
Are you his father? He even has to personally send people off for the provincial examination. And from what Fu Wenxiao said, it's clear that he only wants his wife to send him off. Why would he want you, Brother Wang, to send him off?
After seeing the two off, Yao Yunhe saw that Mr. Wang was listless, muttering about the provincial examination the day after tomorrow, and looked worried about his brother Fu. He felt tired.
He said, "What are you worried about? Mr. Fu's talent is there, you don't need to worry about him."
He was a talented man who was taught by the great Confucian scholars of the world, and was praised by the saints as a talented and beautiful person. What was a mere provincial examination? There was no need to worry at all.
Mr. Wang said, "You don't understand. My brother Fu is not in good health. The provincial examination will be held for three consecutive days. I don't know if my brother Fu can hold on."
Then he lamented that God was jealous of talented people, and gave his brother Fu such talent, but did not give him a good body. It was really a thief of God...
Yao Yunhe couldn't bear to listen any more.
What a thief God! It must be that God gave him too much, so he took away his health halfway and turned him into a sickly person.
It just so happens that this sickly man has married such a good wife, and he will soon get well again.
Yao Yunhe couldn't stand it anymore and drove Mr. Wang away.
He went to tell his mother about this, and Old Madam Yao said helplessly, "Let him be! He doesn't know the identity of Master Fu, so it's fine. Ignorance is not a crime. On the contrary, people with his personality will not be afraid of him. Let him be on good terms with Master Fu."
Yao Yunhe thought about it and felt that Mr. Wang was a fool with good fortune.
Mr. Wang is not suitable to be an official, and the Wang family wants him to concentrate on his studies. If he wants to in the future, he can go to the academy to teach and educate people. Anyway, he has two capable brothers of the Wang family to support him.
At this time, Old Madam Yao said again: "If Master Fu returns to the capital in the future..."
Yao Yunhe was stunned for a moment, and asked hesitantly: "Could it be possible that he can come back to life and enter the court again?"
"Why not?" Old Madam Yao said calmly, "You know the current situation in the capital. Who knows the truth about Master Fu's death? Since he dared to participate in the imperial examination, it proves that he has his own plans, which are definitely not something that others can guess."
Yao Yunhe was a little worried, "Dad..."
My father is the emperor's teacher and has always been in the emperor's heart, but because of this, his position is very dangerous.
Sooner or later the saint will grow old, the princes are fighting for power, the situation in the court is becoming more and more dangerous, and I am afraid that my father will be dragged into it.
Old Madam Yao sighed and said nothing.
There is no point in saying more now.
It’s not that Yao Zhengqian doesn’t want to step down, but he can’t step down now, and the saint won’t allow him to do so.
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