Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Sitting on the Roof
After the first exam, Yu Li went to the Imperial Examination Hall to pick someone up.
She arrived quite early, and the dragon gate of the Imperial Examination Hall had not yet opened. The carriages that came specially to pick people up were waiting outside the Imperial Examination Hall.
Fearing that the carriages would be stuck in front of the Imperial Examination Hall, Yu Li asked the carriages to wait on the street outside while she waited outside the Imperial Examination Hall with an umbrella.
Many people made the same decision as her, all of them fearing that the road would be blocked by vehicles coming to pick up people.
The weather was cold, and the scholars taking the exam had to stay in the Imperial Examination Hall for three days and two nights. It was unknown whether their bodies could endure it. Usually at this time, someone was needed to pick them up.
"Cousin."
Chu Shaoyu also came over. He was worried that someone was going to make things difficult for Fu Wenxiao, and he wouldn't feel reassured unless he saw it with his own eyes.
So after the first exam of the imperial examination was over, he came early.
Yu Li also met Mrs. Wang.
It was snowing lightly. Mrs. Wang was accompanied by a boy of about sixteen or seventeen, a servant boy, and two maids, who were also standing in front of the Imperial Examination Hall holding umbrellas and waiting.
The young man was none other than Wang Rongxiu, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wang.
Wang Rongxiu studied at an academy in the capital. He returned home to reunite with his parents a few years ago. When he went to the Wang family to pay New Year's greetings, Yu Li and Fu Wenxiao both met him.
"Sister Su!" Yu Li walked over and greeted her, then asked, "Why are you here?"
It's really a torture to go out in such weather.
Mrs. Wang said, "I'm a little worried, so I came to take a look."
She and Mr. Wang were a young couple with a deep affection. She was somewhat worried about her husband as he had stayed in the Imperial Examination Hall for several days, so she could not wait for him at home. She came with her son to pick him up.
Wang Rongxiu stepped forward and saluted Yu Li, calling out, "Uncle Fu."
Yu Li accepted being called uncle by a boy of sixteen or seventeen very well.
The seniority is there, and Mr. Wang calls Fu Wenxiao "brother" all the time, so he naturally won't let Fu Wenxiao and Yu Li lower their seniority. Even if she is only a few years older than Wang Rongxiu, she is still the elder.
Wang Rongxiu not only calls Yu Lifu Auntie, but also has to call Chu Shaoyu Uncle Chu.
Chu Shaoyu was delighted when he heard the name "Uncle Chu".
When they were on the boat, he did not have a deep impression of Mr. Wang. He thought that Mr. Wang was just a nerd who often pulled him to discuss academic matters. He felt a headache every time he saw Mr. Wang.
Because of Fu Wenxiao, Mr. Wang also called him Brother Chu.
The seniority was determined in this way. Chu Shaoyu was a generation older than Wang Rongxiu, and he was quite happy about it.
After they talked for a while, they saw the dragon gate of the Imperial Examination Hall opened.
First, a group of scholars with pale faces and stiff steps came out, and then people were carried out by the officials. Whether they were standing or lying down, their conditions were all very bad.
Yu Li soon saw Fu Wenxiao.
He is always the most outstanding one in the crowd, like a crane standing out among chickens, particularly eye-catching.
Yu Li walked over holding an umbrella, and Mrs. Wang and others hurriedly followed. They had already seen that Fu Wenxiao was supporting Mr. Wang.
Seeing them, Mr. Wang reacted a little slowly and asked, "Why are you all here?"
"I'm here to pick you up." Mrs. Wang scolded him. Seeing his pale face with a hint of blue, she knew he was frozen. She hurriedly said, "Xiu'er, put some clothes on your father."
Wang Rongxiu hurriedly put the cloak he had been holding on his father.
Here, Yu Li also opened a dark jade purple cattail pattern fox fur cloak that he had prepared and put it on Fu Wenxiao.
Fu Wenxiao took the umbrella from her hand, leaned forward slightly, and put on the cloak with her help.
Chu Shaoyu asked with concern: "Cousin Fu, how are you? Are you okay?" His eyes moved around Fu Wenxiao, checking to see if he was feeling any discomfort.
Fu Wenxiao said: "Not bad."
At this moment, a warm hand held his hand. When his cold hand touched the soft warmth, his fingers trembled slightly. When she input her supernatural powers, his cold hand became a little warmer.
He tilted his head and saw the girl holding his hand with her wide sleeves. His heart softened and he smiled at her.
The weather was really cold and it was snowing, so no one wanted to stay outside and they all left.
After saying goodbye to the Wang family, Yu Li got on the carriage with Fu Wenxiao and Chu Shaoyu.
There was hot water in the carriage, and Yu Li poured a cup for Fu Wenxiao.
Although there were many servants at home, the couple did not like to be served personally, so they still did some things themselves. Just like this time when he came to pick someone up, except for a driver who was responsible for driving, Yu Li did not bring any maids or servants, as he felt it was unnecessary.
Chu Shaoyu asked, "Cousin Fu, how have you been these past few days? Has anyone deliberately made things difficult for you? Did they give you the worst quality charcoal, or gave you food with problems that you couldn't eat? Did they deliberately go to your cell at night to make some noise and disturb your rest..."
Chu Shaoyu listed all the difficulties that the scholars taking the exam might encounter in one breath. He spoke very clearly and it was obvious that he had done his homework.
Yu Li's eyes slightly widened when he heard this. How could someone be made difficult in so many ways?
She looked at Fu Wenxiao and felt a little worried.
Fu Wenxiao drank a cup of hot water, and after hearing what Chu Shaoyu said, he finally understood why he came to pick him up.
Seeing Yu Li's worried look, he patted her hand to comfort her and said, "I haven't encountered any of the difficulties you mentioned. The charcoal is uniformly prepared by the Ministry of Rites. There is no distinction between good and bad. And if someone really deliberately gave me inferior charcoal, I can also question it on the spot. There are so many scholars around me, they are not stupid. If I really encounter such a thing, they will definitely help me."
The imperial examination was related to the future of scholars. If some officials deliberately made things difficult for scholars during the exam, others would certainly not stand idly by.
How do you know if you will be treated like this? Or if your relatives and friends will be treated like this in the future? The best thing is to prevent this from happening.
Chu Shaoyu finally felt relieved after hearing this.
"That's good." He muttered quietly, "I heard from my father that the chief examiner of this examination is from the Third Prince's side, and I'm worried that the Third Prince will ask him to make things difficult for you."
Fu Wenxiao laughed, but was also grateful for his concern.
When they arrived at Liuwen Lane, Chu Shaoyu said goodbye and left.
Tomorrow Fu Wenxiao will go to the Imperial College to take part in the next exam. The Fu family definitely won't be in the mood to entertain him, so he won't bother them at this time.
After returning home, Fu Wenxiao went to wash up first, and then went to bed to rest after dinner.
At three o'clock the next morning, he got up, washed up simply, ate something to fill his stomach, and then rushed to the Imperial Examination Hall to take the second exam.
Fu Wenxiao was taking the examination in the Imperial Academy, while Yu Li went to the Princess's Mansion.
When she saw Princess Yuan An, she told her what she had seen and heard when she went to the Imperial Examination Hall to pick up people yesterday, "There are quite a few scholars lying down. Judging from their faces, they must have been seriously ill."
Nanny Ru was so worried that she asked hurriedly, "How is the prince? Is he okay?"
Yu Li: "Xiao brother is fine, his body is still good, but his face is a little pale from the cold."
Everyone else's faces were frozen blue, but his face was pale.
Fu Wenxiao was born with cold white skin, the type that never gets tanned. His face was truly blessed, and even if he was frozen, his skin tone only looked slightly pale, adding a bit of sickness.
Nanny Ru immediately breathed a sigh of relief and asked if a doctor was prepared.
"We still have to prepare a doctor in the mansion, just in case... bah, bah, bah, there is no such thing as a just in case." She slapped herself and said, "It's okay to let the doctor take a look at the prince."
Yu Li blinked and responded slowly without arguing with the old man.
Their family doesn't need a doctor. She can treat any illness, unless the patient is seriously injured, then let the doctor treat the injury first.
Although Princess Yuan'an did not go to pick up her son, she knew the situation of the scholars taking the exam from what Yu Li said.
She sighed, "The imperial examination has always been like this, it's never easy."
"yes."
Nanny Ru, Yuzhu and others echoed this, feeling sorry for the prince. To endure nine days of such weather would be unbearable without a healthy body, and in serious cases, people might even die.
Seeing that they were all feeling emotional and worried, Yu Li hurriedly said, "Xiao Ge'er is in good health, he will be fine."
"That's true." Nanny Ru continued, "The prince used to be in good health. He could go through wind and rain and was not a pampered child at all. The saint once praised him..."
Thinking of something, she closed her mouth silently and slapped herself secretly.
It's true that when people get old they tend to nag, and they may accidentally say some unpleasant things.
Princess Yuan An didn't mind and said with a smile: "Xiao'er is in good health, so there's no need to worry about him."
Since all mothers say this, naturally others will not say anything.
**
After successfully completing three consecutive exams, Fu Wenxiao had a good sleep at home and did not wake up until noon the next day.
Obviously these three exams also consumed a lot of his energy.
Yu Li was used to getting up early, so he got up early, but didn't go out. He stayed on the warm kang, reading a storybook and keeping him company.
Seeing that he woke up, she jumped off the warm kang and asked the maid to prepare water for him to wash.
A sumptuous meal has been prepared in the kitchen.
The family finished a lively meal, and Zhou said distressedly: "Xiao brother, take a good rest these days. You have lost weight."
Fu Wenxiao smiled and nodded.
Generally, the results of the imperial examination are announced ten days later, so the scholars can take this time to have a good rest.
Then Fu Wenxiao and Yu Li went to the princess's mansion together.
Princess Yuan An looked at her son and said, "He doesn't look thin."
A group of people were looking at Fu Wenxiao, feeling that he had been very busy these days. Nanny Ru, Yuzhu and others originally had distressed faces, but after hearing this, the distress on their faces suddenly became a little unbearable.
"Mother, Mom said he has lost a lot of weight." Yu Li interrupted.
"Really?" Princess Yuan An looked at her son carefully again and said truthfully, "I can't tell."
Fu Wenxiao said calmly: "I don't think I've lost weight either."
Although Princess Yuan An felt that he had not lost weight, she felt sorry for him for having endured nine days in the Imperial Examination Hall, and said, "You can have a good rest, or go out for fun with Li Niang." After thinking for a while, she said, "You should spend more time with Li Niang. She has been thinking about you these days."
Fu Wenxiao blushed and nodded, "Mother, I know."
The two stayed in the princess's mansion until it got dark before leaving.
When she got home, Zhou brought a lot of invitations, all of which invited Fu Wenxiao to attend various parties.
After the imperial examination, the capital city became lively again, with countless gatherings. Zhuangyuan Building also held a special literary gathering, and some nobles were invited to watch.
Zhuangyuanlou also sent a letter to Fu Wenxiao.
As the top scholar in Nanjun Province, Fu Wenxiao was extremely famous among the scholars in the capital, and many gatherings invited him to attend.
Fu Wenxiao and Yu Li went out for two days and started attending parties to build up momentum and fame for themselves.
Not long after he left, Chu Shaoyu came to find Yu Li.
"Cousin, I heard that my cousin is going to the Zhuangyuan Building to attend a party today. Let's go and take a look." Chu Shaoyu said, "The third prince, the sixth prince, the seventh prince, and the eighth prince may also be there."
Yu Li was puzzled, "What are they going to do?"
"Of course, we are trying to win over the scholars." Chu Shaoyu knew everything about this matter. "I am afraid that they will think that Cousin Fu is just a juren now, and will specifically target him at the literary meeting."
Every imperial examination year, when students from all over the world gathered in the capital, the princes would make a special effort to attend the literary gatherings held by these scholars. This allowed them to show their people-friendly and amiable side, and their purpose was naturally to win over these scholars.
Yu Li was very calm: "It's okay, Xiao Ge'er is good at writing. If we compete in writing, they won't be able to make things difficult for him."
"What if they are playing dirty tricks?"
"How do you do it?"
Chu Shaoyu scratched his face, actually couldn't figure out how they were playing tricks, and finally said: "Hey, let's go and take a look together."
Seeing that he really wanted to go, Yu Li decided to accompany him to take a look.
Probably because he grew up in Jiangnan, Chu Shaoyu doesn't have many friends in the capital. His brothers at home all wish he would die of illness so that they can inherit his position as crown prince, so it's better not to mention it.
So he loved to visit the Fu family whenever he had nothing to do, and he recognized Fu Wenxiao as his cousin.
When Zhou heard that they were going to Zhuangyuan Building, she smiled and said, "Go ahead. I heard that after every imperial examination, Zhuangyuan Building will hold a literary gathering. This is the most lively time, and many people will go to join in the fun. I'm afraid you won't have a place to sit."
Chu Shaoyu didn't quite believe it.
When they arrived at Zhuangyuan Building, they understood what Zhou meant. The building was actually full.
Chu Shaoyu sighed, "If I had known earlier, I would have asked someone to book a private room in advance."
Although it is difficult to book a private room in Zhuangyuanlou, he is the prince of Rui, so Zhuangyuanlou will give him some face.
Not to mention booking a private room, there were people gathered outside Zhuangyuan Building and they couldn't even get in.
Yu Li took a look and said, "Since we can't get in, let's sit on the roof and watch."
Chu Shaoyu: ??? What do you mean?
When Yu Li dragged him to the roof opposite Zhuangyuan Building and he sat on the roof, Chu Shaoyu finally understood what she meant.
All the doors and windows of Zhuangyuan Building were wide open, and sitting on the roof of the house opposite, one could just see what was going on inside.
The view here is pretty good.
The only bad thing is that the wind is too strong.
A gust of cold wind blew, and I felt cold all over and as if I were going to be blown away by the wind.
The wind was too strong, and the sounds coming from Zhuangyuan Building were intermittent. I couldn't hear clearly what the people inside were saying, especially when the cheers rang out, which always made me feel uneasy.
Chu Shaoyu was trembling as he grabbed onto the roof to prevent himself from being blown off by the wind, while he was holding his clothes tightly to keep out the cold. He had no time to pay attention to the Zhuangyuan Building.
He turned around and found Yu Li looking very interested, as if he could really hear what was happening inside the Zhuangyuan Building.
Chu Shaoyu asked curiously: "Cousin, can you hear it?"
Yu Li nodded, "Sure, I can hear some of it. They are writing poetry now."
Then Yu Li recounted to him the poems written by the literati in Zhuangyuan Building one by one.
Whenever someone finished writing a poem, someone would read it aloud next to them so that everyone could appreciate it and people outside could also hear it.
The literary meeting in Zhuangyuan Building was proceeding in an orderly manner.
Yu Li saw Fu Wenxiao sitting among a group of scholars. His manners were dignified and elegant, and he was handsome and graceful. It was hard to look away from him sitting there.
The poems, questions and even his calligraphy all aroused waves of applause.
Chu Shaoyu was delighted, "Cousin Fu is really amazing."
He also saw Fu Wenxiao. Occasionally, when the wind was not so strong, he could hear some voices from Zhuangyuan Building. It was always happy to hear those people praising Fu Wenxiao's poems.
Even laymen think that his poems are extremely beautiful.
The two were watching with great interest when suddenly a man appeared at a window on the second floor of Zhuangyuan Building. The man looked up inadvertently and saw the two people on the opposite roof. He was stunned.
Yu Li also saw the man and raised his eyebrows slightly. He actually knew him.
He is the Prince of Yue County.
Chu Shaoyu also saw Prince Yue, then calmly looked away.
There's no rule that says they can't sit on the roof.
He whispered, "Why is Prince Yue here too? He wouldn't come here on purpose to cause trouble for Cousin Fu, would he? I heard that he has been at odds with Cousin Fu since they were young. I guess he also played a role in the Fu family's troubles back then."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
