CHAPTERS
Days passed in a flurry of activity, and before they knew it, the palace examination arrived. Xu Gu spent an entire day in the exam hall, and when he returned home that evening, his face betrayed signs of disappointment. It was only after some inquiries that they learned he had ranked forty-third in the Second Class, narrowly avoiding falling into the Third Class. Both Grand Madam and Lady Bai were puzzled. "Was the palace examination question too obscure? What was the question?" Xu Gu shook his…- 643.5 K • Completed
- On the second day when he met with his ministers to discuss affairs, Xie Yi asked Ouyang Shen, "I remember there was an official in Guangdong last year who privately lent treasury silver to merchants to earn interest and then returned it to the treasury to cover deficits, and was later impeached by his superior, the provincial governor?" Ouyang Shen said, "Your Majesty is wise. It was Zhao Yu, co-governor of Qingzhou, who was suspended from duty for investigation after impeachment. The Ministry of…
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- The smoked ham, translucent from the tea smoking process, complemented the freshly picked yellow garlic sprouts perfectly. The salted fish was fried until crisp, emitting an enticing aroma. The pepper lamb soup was a creamy white, while the duck meat was stir-fried with young ginger. There was also steamed perch and tofu with crab roe sauce. Each dish seemed ordinary, but it was rare to see Lady Liubao's culinary skills, meticulously prepared. The dishes cooked in hot oil were fresh and crisp, a stark…
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- Xie Yi recalled the first time he met Xu Chun, when Xu Chun approached him, and despite knowing that Xu Chun had mistaken his identity, seeing how inexperienced he clearly was, yet indulged in wine and debauchery, patronizing pleasure boats and keeping male courtesans, Xie Yi couldn't help but taunt him with a couple of crude remarks. At the time, seeing his strong reaction, how he turned around and left immediately, it seemed now that those words had deeply wounded the young man, leaving a scar that had…
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- Xie Fei followed Su Huaizhen into the Hall of Prudence and Caution, where the Emperor would usually read. The interior was simple, with no antique vases, only bookshelves filled with books. Xie Fei entered to pay respects, but Xie Yi was engrossed in a book and did not even lift his head. He said, "Rise, there's no need for formalities between brothers. Why have you come today? Has something happened at the Empress Dowager's side?" Xie Fei replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty." He cautiously observed…
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- When Xu Chun returned to the Duke Jing's Mansion, his expression was far from pleased. The sound of firecrackers still echoed at the main gate as he entered the inner courtyard through a side entrance. Lady Sheng had already been waiting near the inner gate to greet him, glancing at Xu Chun's attire and letting out a slight sigh of relief. "Your clothes are fine. Your grandmother and your father are already up front, and so is your brother. You should offer your congratulations, no matter how much, and…
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- Xu Chun tossed and turned throughout the night, barely getting any sleep. As soon as the sky began to lighten, he jumped out of bed and rummaged through his wardrobe for a goose-yellow pearl satin round-neck robe. He combed his hair and tried three different hairpins, ultimately finding gold and silver too vulgar and settling on white jade hairpins and a white jade pendant. He chose a Buddha hand incense sachet to wear, skipped breakfast, and instead grabbed a sesame cake on the go. Without bothering with…
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- Even though he knew that visiting Bamboo Branch Workshop didn't guarantee seeing Xu Chun, he didn't send someone ahead to notify them of his arrival. Instead, he leisurely rode his horse to the back gate, where bamboo branches swayed gently and the red door was weathered. Xie Yi held his horsewhip on the horse, tapping it against the door. The old servant immediately came over to open the door, ready to take the horse, smiling broadly. "Young Master Nine, have you eaten yet? There's fish soup in the…
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- Three days later, the Imperial Academy announced the selection of students who would be admitted to the Imperial College. Xu Chun's name was prominently listed among them. The entire Jingguo Duke Manor was filled with joy. Lady Sheng was overjoyed, and she doubled the monthly allowances for all the servants in the manor. She also started making new clothes for Xu Chun. Even Jingguo Duke himself took advantage of his friends congratulating him and asked Lady Sheng for money to host a banquet. Xu…
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- Spring brought warmth, and the peach and plum blossoms bloomed brilliantly. The people of the capital, both men and women, roamed far and wide to enjoy the spring, and literary gatherings and banquets were held incessantly.Due to being mocked openly by Li Meiyai, Xu Chun decided not to engage in social activities. Together with Sheng Changzhou, they reviewed their businesses in the capital and prepared gifts for his grandfather. After seeing Sheng Changzhou off, Zhuzhifang fell silent once again. The…
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