Chapter 132 A Messy Scheme of Handsome Men
"Miss, Miss, hurry up, we'll be late!"
Two days before Lunar New Year's Eve, the city was bustling with activity and families were celebrating. Meanwhile, the imperial court was busy working overtime to produce the results of the palace examination.
The city was exceptionally lively that day. Early in the morning, the streets and alleys of the northern district were packed with people, all waiting for the newly appointed top scholar.
Although a top scholar emerges every other year, and even three years in a row this time, it doesn't stop ordinary people and nobles in the capital from enjoying the spectacle.
That's the top scholar!
Among the tens of millions of people in the entire Dayuan region, there is only one top scholar who appears once a year. Who wouldn't be envious?
Leaving aside the top scholar (Zhuangyuan), even the lowest-ranking scholar (Jinshi) would become a ninth-rank official. Only a few dozen or a hundred such individuals are produced each year out of tens of thousands.
They've seen it all before and look down on the top-tier aristocratic families, but even the more ordinary large families covet them, keeping a close eye on those talented young men around twenty who pass the imperial examinations every year.
Those who pass the imperial examination at a young age are all promising talents.
Those with exceptional looks are highly sought after.
Each family has daughters, sisters, cousins, sworn relatives, and friends—they can always find two suitable candidates. If they marry, she'll be an official's wife! Every year at this time, everyone's eager to snatch her up.
However, if someone is so outstanding that princesses and noblewomen would fight over them, that's something that only happens in stories.
There are no princesses in this dynasty, and as for a county princess, there is only one who is not yet married.
Song Jin strolled leisurely along the road, showing no interest whatsoever in the top three scholars (Zhuangyuan, Tanhua, Bangyan). She might at least glance at the martial arts champion, though; these cultured people...
She rolled her eyes: "If you want to see it yourselves, go see it yourselves. Why are you dragging me along?"
Xiao Er and Xiao Mei pulled her on either side.
Xiao Er, lively and energetic, skipped and hopped, "That's the top scholar, Miss! Aren't you curious? What if it's Young Master Yan? But judging from his looks, he's definitely the third-place scholar!"
Xiao Mei, arm in arm with Song Jin on the other side, smiled and said, "Young Master Yan's appearance certainly qualifies him as a third-place scholar, but he's young and this is his first time taking the exam. Even if he doesn't become a third-place scholar, passing the imperial examination would be a great achievement."
Neither of them had a good impression of the Yan family, but they thought highly of Yan Sheng himself. He was good-looking, had a good temper, was ambitious, and grateful. It would be wonderful if he could get into university.
Seeing their curiosity, Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "So curious? Should I tell you beforehand?"
She has a prince as a boyfriend and a relative who is in charge of the scientific expedition. She already knew the results last night, which is why she was able to remain so calm.
Xiao Mei and Xiao Er exchanged glances, then, in perfect unison, one covered her mouth and the other pulled her away, resolutely refusing to let her spoil the plot.
"We won't listen, we'll see for ourselves!"
Song Jin was tall, more than half a head taller than Xiao Mei, not to mention Xiao Er. Being held by two people, she had to bend over to accommodate Xiao Mei, and then take small steps to accommodate the even shorter Xiao Er.
Wronged--
The three of them squeezed through the crowds until they reached their destination.
Qingsonglou
Another restaurant under Song Qingzhi's name, located in the North District, is distinctly more artistic than the opulent commercial area of the West District. It exudes a scholarly atmosphere, frequented by the wealthy and powerful.
Wealthy people simply can't get in.
Xiao Er and Xiao Mei insisted on bringing Song Jin along because of this. Without her, even if they had gotten the tokens, they would be too timid to come over, and they needed her to back them up.
The restaurant was owned by Song Qingzhi, and a prime spot was reserved for the Song family so they could come anytime.
This area is also a must-pass for the annual procession of imperial examination candidates, making it an excellent spot to join the fun.
All the young ladies and gentlemen who are interested come here to admire the sights. Now the building is packed with distinguished guests. As soon as "Tangyuan Tangyuan" entered, Xiao Er immediately spotted the familiar chubby face in the private room. Excitedly, she rushed over, grabbed his arm, and kept muttering, "When did you get here? Aren't you on duty today? Have you lost weight...?"
"It's...it's alright," Jian Gaoyi said, feeling a little uncomfortable. The burly man, as solid as a wall, blushed, his baby face turning red. He seemed a bit awkward about her intimacy. But after saying that, he looked at her slender wrist and pursed his lips, "Why didn't you wear more?"
Little Ears cheerfully replied, "It's not cold, we walked here."
...
The siblings have been reunited for a few days, but they haven't actually spent much time together.
Xiao Er had to handle all the big and small matters of the Song family, and also busy with the blacksmith shop and the house outside, running around like a little bee every day. Jian Gaoyi, on the other hand, had more shifts to do due to the end of the year, and had little free time.
Of course, more importantly, although the two are siblings, they lost contact at a young age and lived far apart. After more than ten years apart, they suddenly became very close.
This is somewhat difficult for Jian Gaoyi.
But this is quite common for microtia.
She's very outgoing, lively, and adorable.
Song Jin leaned against the doorway, watching Xiao Er hopping and chattering like a little groundhog. A smile played on her lips; she figured the siblings would become close soon enough.
Once the two left the manor, she couldn't possibly visit them every day. With a promising young general like Jian Gaoyi looking after them, she felt more at ease.
Seeing that Xiao Er was getting comfortable with the place, Song Jin led Xiao Mei to the window and teased, "I was wondering where Sister Teng went. Turns out she was with Second Brother. No wonder I couldn't find her."
Teng Qianxuan blushed and said reproachfully, "Mingguang is talking nonsense. I invited you earlier, but you didn't come."
Song Jin blinked: "Isn't it because I didn't want to disturb Sister Teng and her sweetheart?"
Teng Qianxuan was practically smoking from all the teasing.
Song Shunzhi and she hadn't seen each other for several years, and after finally reuniting, they would indeed arrange to go out alone together.
But only occasionally; most of the time she spends time with Yang Yanjun and the others, doing charity work, writing poetry and painting.
Teng Qianxuan scolded: "You naughty girl!"
It's obvious she doesn't like these things, yet they're using them to tease her.
Song Jin laughed heartily, leaned against the window, and looked at the others in the private room: "Are you all so free?"
Besides Song Xingzhi, the chief person in charge of the palace examination, the other four brothers of the Song family were all there, making the originally spacious private room seem somewhat crowded.
Looking at her like this, Song Shenzhi couldn't help but say sarcastically, "Oh, isn't this Princess Mingguang? Long time no see, Princess, you look radiant!"
Song Jin crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow: "Oh, isn't this General Song? Look at that dark face, has something been wrong at work these past few days? Look at me, I almost forgot the General is currently unemployed."
Song Shenzhi chuckled: "That's no busier than the Princess."
That brat is always running around everywhere, you can never find her. We can't even get her to come out of our way, she doesn't want to play with us at all, it's so infuriating!
Seeing the two of them starting to argue, Song Shunzhi tugged at Song Shenzhi and gave him a meaningful look.
How could an older brother be so petty as to argue with his younger sister?
Song Shenzhi sneered
What right does this person have to say that? My younger sister only acknowledges him.
Song Shunzhi had a bit of a headache. This third son of his was really stubborn. One minute he was demanding to become a live-in son-in-law, the next he was being sarcastic and cryptic. He must have hit his head while fighting outside. He decided not to argue with him.
He looked at Song Jin: "Little sister, did you come with your mother and Young Master Qu?"
Upon hearing the name "Young Master Qu," Song Shenzhi's expression immediately changed. He adopted a serious and composed demeanor, his previous pettiness vanishing, replaced by the air of a stern and composed general.
Song Jin rolled her eyes and scoffed, "No, my mother and that person aren't interested in these things."
Song Qingzhi, who was huddled in a chair doing accounts, looked up, suppressing a laugh, and said with a hint of schadenfreude, "Really? But I heard that someone went up to the attic in the shop?"
Song Jin: ...
Before she left home in the morning, she asked her mother what her mother had said.
What's so interesting about a bunch of old guys?
What's good to watch?
Song Jin gritted her teeth, stormed out of the private room, and went up to the third floor. Sure enough, she saw a locked secret door. She knocked on the door angrily, and it opened after a short while.
Qu Maoze's upright and honest face appeared at the door.
Song Jin stared at him fiercely with wide eyes.
The hatred of having one's mother stolen is irreconcilable.
"What are you standing there for?" Niu Tielan's gentle voice came from inside. "Close the door and come in. The team will be here soon."
Song Jin walked in, holding her breath, and saw her mother sitting by the window, with tea, pastries, and a stove beside her, looking relaxed and carefree. She felt extremely wronged, so she went over and squatted down on the floor, clinging to her mother's lap, her voice muffled.
You said you weren't coming.
The result was simply that they didn't come with her, which made Song Jin feel wronged.
Niu Tielan was both amused and exasperated. She stroked her hair and said, "What's wrong with that? I never said anything when you went out alone before."
Song Jin put his arm around her waist and didn't say anything.
Niu Tielan sighed, patted her on the back, and explained, "I wasn't planning on coming, but then I thought Yan Sheng was here too, and it wouldn't be good if I didn't come. I wanted to call you, but you've already run off."
Song Jinmian reluctantly accepted this explanation, but still held onto the person tightly.
Her mother is so popular, so many people want to compete with her.
Seeing her like this, Niu Tielan shook her head and let her be, continuing to look out the window, waiting for this year's successful candidates to appear. She wasn't trying to fool Song Jin; her presence was indeed due to Yan Sheng.
He had worked very hard over the years, and these past few days, having obtained the books used by Song Xingzhi, he had not slacked off at all, studying diligently every day. He passed the imperial examination, although only ranking in the second class, but at only eighteen years old, this was already a remarkable achievement for someone his age.
It can be considered that the bitterness has finally given way to happiness, and the hard work has finally paid off.
Of course, besides that, she was even more concerned about what Yan Sheng had said last time. Thinking about it, she lowered her hand...
Song Jin hissed and looked up resentfully: "You even pulled my hair!"
Niu Tielan stopped, then slapped him again, glaring at him: "Is this never going to end?"
Song Jin pouted, got off her lap, stood up, and walked to the window to look out. In the distance, she could see the palace gates and take in the magnificent scene at the entrance.
The city gates had already opened, and streams of people poured out, dressed in red and adorned with scarves, accompanied by the sounds of gongs and drums; one could easily tell what was happening just by listening.
This batch of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) has emerged.
Niu Tielan had seen many outstanding young people and was not particularly interested in these Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), but now that they were all here, she became more curious. She walked over to Song Jin and looked outside with her.
The attic window is a bit low; it's easy to lift it off if you're not careful.
Seeing her approach, Song Jin immediately withdrew most of her body that had been leaning out, and was about to reach out to embrace her.
Qu Maoze, who had been watching leisurely from behind, walked over and stood on the other side. He reached out and put his arm around Niu Tielan's slender waist, smiling as he said, "Be careful not to fall."
Song Jin glanced at him, pursed her lips, and withdrew her hand.
So much time has passed, and she's not as resistant to this person taking her mother away anymore. Of course, the most important thing is that her mother is willing and happy.
Her mother was happy, and so was she.
She pursed her lips, withdrew her hand, and continued watching the procession with its gongs and drums.
There was a shortage of people this year, so a total of 65 Jinshi were recruited.
The top three Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) were ranked first; twenty-two Jinshi were ranked second; and forty Jinshi were ranked third.
Sixty-five successful candidates in the imperial examinations rode in a long procession, arranged according to their ranking, each basking in the gaze of those around them, beaming with pride. The youngest among them was Yan Sheng, and the oldest was an old scholar in his early forties.
Most of them were around thirty years old, all full of vigor and spirit, and quite a sight to behold.
Successful candidates in the imperial examinations, talented men and beautiful women—every year around this time, some wonderful stories emerge.
Song Jin craned her neck, watching the procession approach. She tilted her head, looked at the three people at the front, and muttered, "Oh, so it's them."
Niu Tielan: "What?"
Song Jin pointed to the third-ranked scholar in the second row: "That's the one, the one I ran into at the Animal Husbandry Hall last time. He said he wanted to buy a monkey as a gift for me, what was his name again, Pig or Monkey?"
It's hard to say whether the top scholar each year is the most cultured, but the third-place scholar is definitely the most handsome among the cultured.
This person is no worse than Yan Sheng, except that he's in poor health, always sickly, and allergic to monkey hair, and is also exceptionally sensitive.
Song Jin still remembered that this person had insisted on buying the monkey, which cost over a thousand taels of silver, and giving it to her, saying that the monkey and she were destined to be together, and that he couldn't bear to part with it.
That's so pretentious!
She was somewhat disgusted.
Niu Tielan's lips twitched; he had also remembered this matter.
That golden monkey was indeed docile, and quite expensive; she really liked it, but before she could even pet it twice, that brat gave it away.
Thinking of this, she looked at the man with more sympathy and said, "His surname is Chu, Chu Cheng'an."
Song Jin suddenly realized: "That seems to be the name, Mother, you have such a good memory."
Niu Tielan: ...
Her memory wasn't good at all; she didn't even remember seeing this person before. Her interest in him stemmed purely from his uncle, Chu Shao, a renowned Confucian scholar and a teacher at Wenyuan Academy.
People closely related to the Liang family
Yan Sheng specifically mentioned this person when he came last time.
Back in Si'an County, Chu Shao, as a distinguished guest of the academy and a benefactor of Yan Sheng, taught him many things, for which he was very grateful.
Out of gratitude, Yan Sheng paid close attention to people, and that's how he discovered that Yan Sheng had repeatedly invited someone...
The man was acting suspiciously, and further investigation revealed that he was none other than a member of the Liang family who had instigated the chaos in Lingnan, and was even planning to blow up Si'an City to cause unrest.
If the Liang family has ulterior motives, is Chu Shao, who has been in contact with them, really as wise and virtuous as he appears on the surface?
More importantly, Yan Sheng was invited by him that day and was questioned a lot about Song Jin. Just two days later, someone ambushed the mother and daughter who left the village. Is there really no connection between these events?
The mother and daughter had lived peacefully in the town for so many years; the only people who could recognize them were important figures from outside.
After much deliberation, Yan Sheng, though uncertain, shared his speculations with Niu Tielan.
He lacked the ability, and dared not, to meddle in such important matters, but he couldn't remain indifferent either. The safety of the mother and daughter was at stake; right and wrong were for Niu Tielan to judge.
He had always trusted his aunt and believed she was capable of discerning and handling the situation.
As for Song Jin, not to mention Yan Sheng, even Niu Tielan had no intention of informing him.
These kinds of messy things aren't suitable for her single-minded way of thinking, lest she impulsively start wielding a knife without considering the consequences.
Niu Tielan felt a headache coming on just thinking about her personality. He rubbed his forehead, then suddenly remembered something, frowned, and asked, "You saw him again later?"
If they had only met once, and so much time had passed, her daughter wouldn't have remembered her so quickly.
Song Jin didn't think much of it, yawning, "I've seen him before. That sickly guy likes to run around outside. I even saw him fall in the snow last time. He's so clumsy, he can even fall while walking. I had to call an oxcart for him, tsk tsk."
Niu Tielan's lips twitched: "Anything else?"
Song Jin spends most of her time wandering around outside, encountering a lot of things every day. She recalled, "I think so. Last month I saw him being bullied by some spoiled brat, and I also saw him reciting poetry, which sounded so stilted and incomprehensible..."
She spends most of her time wandering around outside. Although she appears and disappears mysteriously, a closer look reveals that she always stays in the same few places.
Wuma Street's own shops wealth circle
The busiest commercial street in the West District
The southern area with the most troublemakers
She only frequented the northern district, specifically the Song residence area, during the day; she usually sneaked out at night.
If you're willing, it's easy to run into one.
As Niu Tielan listened to her recount the chance encounters she'd had over the past six months, her eyelids twitched. Seeing the woman's disgusted expression, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief; being single-minded had its advantages.
As Song Jin was speaking, she met her mother's strange gaze, and she instantly became alert: "I haven't caused any trouble lately."
She's not exactly known for her good temper, but she generally doesn't cause trouble. Now that she's infamous, most people run far away from her, giving her no chance to stage an accident.
Judging from her reaction, Niu Tielan didn't need to worry about any messy attempts to seduce her by handsome men outside. She grabbed a piece of pastry from the table and stuffed it into her mouth, saying with a complicated expression, "Just eat yours."
She's at her most well-behaved when she's not talking.
Song Jin found her mother acting strangely. She munched on a pastry, puzzled, and muttered, "What's wrong with her?"
Niu Tielan didn't want to speak. She turned her head and met Qu Maoze's gaze.
He smiled, took her hand and gently squeezed it: "It's nothing, don't think too much, look down."
Niu Tielan looked over and saw that the procession had already reached them. There were especially many people on this side; young girls and adults alike, whether they were interested or not, were all holding sachets and throwing them at the scholars.
There were even people throwing footballs.
Yan Sheng and a few other good-looking people were the main targets; upon closer inspection, his face was red from being hit by the sachets.
Niu Tielan chuckled: "This kid..."
Qu Maoze looked at her smile, then suddenly raised the corners of his lips and said, "When I take the imperial examination next year, how about you throw me a bridal bouquet, Madam?"
"..."
Niu Tielan picked up another piece of pastry and stuffed it into his mouth, scolding, "You eat yours too."
Both father and daughter told her to speak less.
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