Chapter 59 Celebrating the three of them having a meal.
Yu Man practically flew along the street towards the examination hall, her heart pounding like a rabbit. Pei Ji followed half a step behind her at a leisurely pace, watching her slightly swaying hair and the back of her head, a smile playing on his lips, gently reminding her, "Xiao Man, slow down, watch your step."
Slow down?
Yu Man couldn't help but grumble inwardly, "This really proves the old saying—'The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuchs are dying of anxiety!' Whose results are these anyway? How come the people involved are acting like nothing's wrong!"
Besides, it was already this late, and the entrance to the examination hall must be incredibly crowded. If she arrived too late, she might not even be able to see the edge of the notice. Thinking this, she didn't slow down at all; instead, she simply lifted her skirt and started jogging.
Sure enough, even before approaching the examination hall, a sea of people was already thronging outside the red walls. The screen wall displaying the list of successful candidates was surrounded by layers upon layers of people, making it impossible to move. Forget about squeezing in; even getting close was as difficult as climbing to the sky.
Yu Man stood on tiptoe, her gaze passing over the layers of heads, only able to see the various situations of the many examinees.
Some elderly men collapsed to the ground, pounding their fists and wailing, tears streaming down their faces; others, thin scholars, appeared to be insane, gripping the arms of their companions or strangers tightly, their eyes wide open, repeatedly shouting, "I passed! I passed! Heaven has eyes!" Their expressions and postures bore a striking resemblance to the description of "Fan Jin passing the imperial examination" in textbooks, evoking a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep emotion/reflection) in the viewer.
As her gaze swept around, Yu Man spotted a familiar figure—it was her straightforward aunt who had been waiting with her that day! At that moment, she was standing on the outer edge of the crowd, wiping away her unstoppable tears with her sleeve, but the corners of her mouth seemed to be hooked by something, unable to be suppressed, and kept turning up.
She was speaking to a middle-aged man beside her, dressed in a brand-new scholar's robe, with a refined appearance but also unable to hide his excitement. The man nodded repeatedly, holding her hand, his eyes glistening with tears. Judging from this, her husband, the old scholar who had failed the imperial examinations six times, must have finally passed with flying colors!
"Auntie!" Yu Manyang called out, trying to push through the crowd, but was still separated by several layers of people.
The aunt turned around at the sound of her voice, and when she saw it was Yu Man, her eyes, which were red from crying, immediately lit up. Forgetting to wipe away her tears, she said with great enthusiasm, her voice still choked with sobs, "Sister! You're here too! There are so many people, it's impossible to squeeze in! What's your husband's name? Tell me, I have good eyesight, I'll help you check the list!"
Touched, Yu Man quickly said, "His name is Pei Ji! Not Pei for clothing, but Ji for books!" Afraid her aunt might not hear clearly or remember correctly, she added, "Ji for being unknown!"
“Pei Ji… okay, Auntie remembers!” The aunt nodded vigorously, then turned around, stood on tiptoe, squinted, and habitually started searching for each name from the bottom of the long list, muttering to herself.
"Fan Xingyan...no."
"Hou Hongfu...no."
"Xu Xian... is not it either."
...
She was searching very carefully, completely unaware that the originally noisy voices around her were gradually subsiding, and many people were glancing at them with an indescribable strange look in their eyes.
Yu Man's heart pounded with each step her aunt took in the list. Seeing that her aunt had already passed the middle of the list but showed no sign of stopping, her heart sank. Could it be… he didn't pass? With Pei Ji's talent, this shouldn't be… Or is it that the capital is full of hidden talents, and there are always stronger contenders?
The aunt had long felt sorry for Yu Man and that extremely handsome young man. What a perfect couple they were, a handsome man and a beautiful woman. If this didn't work out, she was afraid it would be heartbreaking. She had even started mentally preparing how to comfort her sister later.
Just as the auntie's finger was about to sweep across the top half of the list, and Yu Man's heart was about to sink to the bottom, a student who was watching the commotion couldn't help but cautiously remind her, "Auntie... why don't you... start counting from the very top?"
The aunt was completely focused on her work. Upon hearing this, she didn't even turn her head, but waved her hand and said, "Don't interrupt! I'm used to counting from the bottom, it's reliable!"
Her husband, who had just graduated from high school, seemed to sense something, gently tugged at her sleeve, and whispered, "Madam..."
"Hey, don't bother me!" The aunt glared at her husband, annoyed. "I'm looking for someone for my sister! This is urgent!"
Helpless, her husband could only reach out and grasp his wife's finger, guiding it past the densely packed names below to precisely point to the top, most prominent, and largest-font name on the apricot-yellow list—
Pei Ji.
Two bold, powerful characters stood out at the top of the list!
The aunt was stunned, her eyes widening, and she stammered as she repeated Yu Man's words: "Fei...Fei Yi Pei? Ji...Ji Ji Wu Ming?"
Her husband nodded in confirmation.
The next moment, the auntie, like a firecracker that had been lit, suddenly turned around, squeezed out, and grabbed Yu Man's hands tightly. Overwhelmed with excitement, her voice rose several octaves, filled with disbelief, almost shouting:
"Oh my goodness!"
"The champion! It's the champion, girl!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Man's first thought was: Do I need a membership to view the rankings? There are so many rules in the capital...
The aunt in front of her was even more anxious, stamping her feet and pointing to the top of the list, her voice trembling: "First place! Number one! Sister! Your husband is the top scholar in this year's imperial examination! The number one scholar!"
Yu Man also realized what was happening, and a huge shock instantly overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, even temporarily suppressing her joy.
She knew Pei Ji was talented, after all, he was the top scholar in Laizhou, but... this was the imperial examination! A place where the best talents in the country gathered! The top scholar in the provincial examination was equivalent to the best in a prefecture, while the top scholar in the metropolitan examination was the best among all the candidates in the country! The difference between them was beyond measure; it was like a stream compared to a river!
She turned her head stiffly to look at Pei Ji, who had been standing quietly behind her, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding commotion. Meeting his smiling eyes, Yu Man opened her mouth, finally managing to find her voice, which trembled with uncertainty:
"Member...Member of the Hall of Fame?"
Pei Ji looked at her, his smile deepening, and gently took her fingertips in his hand, his voice as steady and gentle as ever:
"Yes, madam."
...
Yu Man felt a buzzing in his ears. The sounds of congratulations—whether from envy, jealousy, or sincerity—as well as the lamentations and sobs of those who failed the exam, all seemed to be separated by a thick wall, making them inaudible.
She was practically half-protected and half-embraced by Pei Ji as she walked out of the surging crowd and embarked on the road back to the inn.
All the way, she kept repeating those two words to herself:
"Huiyuan..."
Pei Ji walked beside her, carefully separating her from the people passing by. Each time she murmured something, he would respond gently.
"lady."
Yu Man continued in a daze: "First place..."
Pei Ji repeated, "Madam."
Finally, Yu Man came to her senses. She stopped and turned to look at the calm new top scholar beside her, who seemed to have just gone for a walk. She was slightly speechless: "...Are you a parrot that can only mimic speech?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Ji chuckled softly. He reached out and gently touched her cheeks, which were flushed from walking so fast, with the back of his fingers. The touch was slightly cool.
"Xiaoman," he called to her, "are you happy?"
"I'm so happy!" Yu Man nodded without hesitation, her eyes sparkling, a sense of pride and disbelief filling her heart.
The feeling is probably like suddenly discovering that someone you've been living with day and night has quietly become the top scorer in the national college entrance examination; the shock and surprise are indescribable.
She countered with, "And you? Are you happy?"
Pei Ji looked down at her, his emotions unreadable, and said in a calm tone, "I didn't think there was anything special about it before, but at this moment... I am also happy."
Yu Man blinked, understanding the unspoken meaning in his words, and couldn't help but feel a sweet warmth in her heart.
She suddenly remembered a seemingly unrelated question: "Speaking of which... what exactly did you do during your time in Xunyang?" She was really curious where this person learned such seductive words, besides scheming and plotting.
Pei Ji seemed surprised that she would suddenly ask this question. He paused for a moment, then said frankly, "I met some of my former subordinates and took stock of some... assets and land left behind by the Prince of Yuzhang's mansion."
Yu Man blinked, wondering to herself: Could this person be exceptionally gifted? She stopped dwelling on the question and turned her attention to another important matter.
“I’m going back to write home to share the good news,” she said, her tone becoming lighter. “And I’ll also think carefully about what a grand and auspicious name to give Er’an.”
Pei Ji readily agreed: "Let's go to my room."
Yu Man looked up at him.
Pei Ji calmly explained, "I have more books in my room, so I might find some inspiration there. Paper and ink are also readily available."
Yu Man looked away, but said, "Well... that's fine too. But, winning the top prize is such a great honor, we should at least celebrate."
“Alright, as you wish,” Pei Ji replied with a smile.
The two returned to the inn and went into Pei Ji's room.
His room was indeed more spacious and tidy than Yu Man's. A large desk stood by the window, neatly arranged with the Four Treasures of the Study. Most eye-catching was a row of bookshelves against the wall, piled high with all kinds of books, including thread-bound ancient books and newly printed collections of essays, exuding a faint fragrance of ink and paper.
Yu Man skillfully took off her shoes and casually settled into a comfortable position on the cushioned couch by the window. Pei Ji then walked to the bookshelf, carefully selected several books related to the meaning of names and classical texts, and gently placed them on the small table on the couch for her to read. Afterward, he turned and went to the desk, rolled up his sleeves, and began to carefully grind ink for her.
The sunlight streaming in from outside outlined his profile. He gently lifted his sleeve, his movements as he ground ink were unhurried and graceful, exuding a pleasing elegance. As the saying goes, one can appreciate a beauty under the lamplight, let alone in such a scene of "a beautiful woman adding fragrance to one's sleeves." Yu Man couldn't help but rest her chin on her hand, admiring the scene for a while before finally picking up a book with satisfaction and beginning to read.
Between the pages of the book are many annotations left by Pei Ji in his elegant and upright handwriting, either expounding on the meaning of the classics or recording his thoughts. His insights are unique and every word is precious.
As Yu Man looked through the list, he added several characters with auspicious meanings to his mental shortlist, such as "睿" (ruì), "轩" (xuān), and "宸" (chén).
She wrote down the characters she had chosen on a piece of paper and handed it to Pei Ji. Pei Ji took it, examined it carefully, and then explained to her gently, "Although the original meaning of this character is good, there is an ancient saying that... it is slightly sharp; this character is often seen in... contexts that are slightly frivolous..." He quoted extensively from classical texts, explaining in detail the common usages and implied meanings of each character in ancient books, some of which were indeed different from Yu Man's modern understanding.
The two sat close together, discussing for a long time, interspersed with Yu Man's arguments and Pei Ji's patient explanations. Finally, Yu Man managed to choose the name she felt was most suitable from the remaining few characters that had auspicious meanings and conformed to classical style.
After deciding on the name, Pei Ji tidied up his writing materials and returned all the books to their original places.
Yu Man lay on the couch, her gaze involuntarily following his back. Watching his meticulous movements, her nerves suddenly relaxed. Coupled with the mental exertion she had just endured, a deep weariness washed over her like a tide. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
Pei Ji put the last book back on the shelf, turned around, and saw that Yu Man was already asleep on the couch. She was lying on her side, her cheek pressed against the soft cushion, her breathing even and long, clearly she was in a deep sleep.
He walked over quietly, stopped by the couch, and gazed at her silently for a moment. Then, he bent down and gently lifted her into his arms. Yu Man unconsciously snuggled closer to him in her sleep, finding a more comfortable position, and drifted off to sleep again.
Pei Ji settled her on his bed, pulling the quilt over her. He then knelt down to remove her shoes and socks, carefully tucking her feet into the quilt as well. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he reached out and gently brushed a few stray strands of hair from her cheek. Making sure she wouldn't wake up anytime soon, he rose, quietly left the room, and gently closed the door behind him.
He found Xiao Tao, who was busy downstairs, and whispered to her, "Xiao Tao, could you please go to Wen'e Xiaozhu in the west of the city and book a private room for tonight? Just say it was booked by Young Master Xi."
Xiao Tao didn't accompany her wife today; instead, she waited for news at the inn. She also heard about Pei Langjun's success in the imperial examination and guessed that he wanted to celebrate with his wife. She obediently agreed and immediately went to do it.
After giving his instructions, Pei Ji turned and went back to his room. He didn't disturb the person on the bed, but walked to the window and sat down on the couch where Yu Man had just slept.
The faint scent of her still seemed to linger on the couch. He casually picked up a book she had previously flipped through, but didn't open it; he simply stayed quietly by her side.
Yu Man didn't sleep for long this time. She rubbed her eyes, sat up with the quilt around her, and found herself sleeping on Pei Ji's bed. The brocade quilt was warm and still had the familiar scent of ink.
Turning my head, I saw Pei Ji sitting at his desk by the window, quietly reading a book by candlelight. His profile was elegant and his expression was focused.
"What time is it?" she asked as she threw back the covers and put on her shoes.
Upon hearing this, Pei Ji put down his book, looked up at her, and said gently, "It's three-quarters past Shen Shi (3:45 PM)."
Yu Man did some mental calculations and realized that this time was just in time for a sumptuous dinner. She thought that Pei Ji's passing the imperial examination with top honors was a joyous occasion and deserved a proper celebration, so she decided to go to the inn's kitchen to see what fresh ingredients they had and personally cook a feast.
"I'll go check the kitchen..." Before she could finish speaking, Pei Ji had already gotten up.
“No need to rush,” he said gently as he walked to her side. “I’ve already made reservations.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Man's eyes lit up slightly: "Really? That's great!" With someone else making the arrangements, she was happy to have some peace and quiet.
After tidying up briefly, the two went out together. On the way, Pei Ji explained, "We're going to Wen'e Xiaozhu in the west of the city. It's a property under Xi Queping's name. The environment is elegant and the food is decent."
Yu Man never expected that this young master Xi's businesses spanned the four seas.
Before long, they arrived at their destination. There, a courtyard with white walls and black tiles was hidden among the green bamboo, with a babbling brook in front of the door, creating an extremely quiet environment.
Stepping into the courtyard reveals a hidden paradise. Winding paths lead to secluded spots, pavilions and waterside terraces are scattered in a well-organized manner, and the air is filled with the faint scent of sandalwood and fresh grass. It is more like an elegant garden villa than a restaurant.
The waiters were all dressed simply, moved lightly, and spoke in soft voices, creating a tranquil atmosphere that made people unconsciously slow down their breathing.
Yu Man was secretly admiring the excellent choice of location when he noticed that Pei Ji, who was walking ahead, suddenly paused almost imperceptibly.
"What's wrong?" Yu Man sensed something was wrong and asked in a low voice.
Pei Ji remained calm and simply said, "It's nothing. I just suddenly remembered that I heard they recently changed their chef, so the food might not be as good as before. Perhaps... we should go to another restaurant?"
Yu Man found it strange. He had just said the taste was okay, so why did he change his mind when they got to the door? Curious, she pushed away his hand that was trying to stop her and insisted on going in: "Since we're already here, we have to try it to know."
Just as she rounded a delicate rockery and entered the reception hall, Yu Man spotted a familiar figure—Zhang Jian.
Today he wore a plain Hangzhou silk robe of excellent quality, draped in a deep blue, without a single embroidery. Only a dark blue sash cinched his waist, adorned with a fine, unadorned white jade pendant. Apart from the jade, he wore nothing else, his attire minimalist to the extreme. His clear, focused eyes further revealed a restrained and detached air about him.
He was standing in the hall, talking to a waiter who looked like a manager. He had obviously just arrived. The waiter said apologetically and respectfully, "...I'm sorry, Young Master Zhang, all the private rooms are indeed booked today. The only one that Young Master Xi booked earlier is still available, but I dare not move it."
Zhang Jian had hosted a banquet at his residence today to celebrate his ranking among the top eight, but he disliked noise and only managed to attend for a short while before making an excuse to leave. He strolled to this quiet place, only to find it turned out to be a restaurant. He was intrigued, but unfortunately, there were no seats available. His expression was indifferent; he was about to thank the waiter and leave when he heard a noise and turned to look.
Their eyes met, and Yu Man was somewhat surprised, while Pei Ji's gaze deepened almost imperceptibly.
When Zhang Jian saw them, a faint hint of surprise flashed across his eyes, but he quickly regained his usual coldness, nodded slightly to Yu Man and Pei Ji as a greeting, and then prepared to turn and leave.
Yu Man recalled Zhang Jian's two previous acts of kindness—once lending her an umbrella and once giving her a ride. Although it was somewhat awkward afterward, he had ultimately helped her. Seeing that he also seemed to want to eat there but had no seats, she inexplicably called out, "Young Master Zhang."
Zhang Jian stopped and turned to look at her.
Yu Man spoke sincerely: "If Young Master Zhang doesn't mind, would you like to dine with us? The place was booked by Pei... my brother, and it's quite spacious. Consider it my way of repaying a favor to Young Master Zhang." She deliberately omitted the matter of borrowing the carriage for lodging, only mentioning the favor of borrowing the umbrella.
After she finished speaking, Pei Ji, who was standing beside her, lowered his eyes to look at Yu Man. He saw her gaze fall on her face and felt grateful.
Naïve and simple-minded.
He then turned his gaze, guessing that given Zhang Jian's personality, he would surely politely decline.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jian's calm and unwavering gaze lingered for a moment on Yu Man's smiling face before sweeping over Pei Ji, who stood expressionless to the side. He remained silent for a moment, and just when Yu Man thought he would refuse, she heard his clear voice:
"good."
He bowed slightly to Yu Man, his manners impeccable, and his tone remained calm.
"Then I will trouble you, Madam Yu."
Pei Ji: "..."
His face seemed expressionless, but the corners of his lips appeared to be slightly taut, and a hint of surprise flashed deep in his eyes, which then turned into a smile of exasperation.
He had planned everything meticulously, but he never expected Zhang Jian to actually agree.
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