Even though Lu Chang had previously announced his engagement publicly at the examination board, it couldn’t dampen people’s keen interest in him. He had forged himself into a golden image of the Top Scholar, dazzling and awe-inspiring. Combined with his outstanding looks, he had instantly become a new noble of Bian Jing, like a freshly unsheathed sword displaying its sharp edge.
Of course, he was also like an aromatic piece of meat, making everyone around him stare hungrily with barely contained desire.
When people at Guan Yuan Tower heard that Lu Chang’s sister was present, they came in waves to socialize. They were all from prestigious families in the capital – some might become Lu Chang’s future colleagues, his superiors, or even her sisters-in-law. Ming Shu had to remain extremely alert while dealing with them. After a round of socializing, Ming Shu didn’t even have a chance to chat with Wen An and Yin Shu Jun. Fortunately, the sound of the ceremonial procession outside interrupted everything.
Wen An and Yin Shu Jun pulled Ming Shu to the balustrade on Guan Yuan Tower’s second floor, joining other young ladies to gaze into the distance.
The main street below had been cleared by yamen runners, with commoners retreating to both sides, leaving the center empty. The streets were packed with spectators, including many young ladies dressed beautifully, carrying small wicker baskets filled with flowers, ready to throw them at the most handsome of the three top graduates.
The ceremonial procession appeared first. Beyond the clamorous gong and drum sounds, the crowd at the front had already erupted in cheers. The cheering surged toward them like waves, making everyone more curious and excited. Some stood on tiptoes, others craned their necks, wishing they had supernatural abilities to be the first to see the scene.
The ladies at Guan Yuan Tower naturally didn’t need to squeeze like the commoners on the street. These well-bred ladies maintained basic etiquette, though their slight leaning forward revealed their girlish thoughts.
“I heard this year’s Top Scholar who achieved all three levels is incredibly handsome.”
“How could he be more handsome than Young Lord Song from the Duke’s mansion? He’s known as the most beautiful man in Bian Jing.”
“Don’t say that – according to tradition, the Third Scholar should be the most beautiful…”
Several young ladies nearby were discussing the appearances of this year’s top three graduates. Even usually proper young ladies couldn’t hide their girlish thoughts, showing somewhat playful expressions. Ming Shu stood aside, listening and smiling continuously.
This year’s spring examination seemed to break from convention.
As everyone harbored their thoughts and expectations while gazing into the distance, another wave of cheers rose from that direction. The gong and drum sounds drew closer, and three golden-maned horses came parading down the street, surrounded by escorts. On the lead horse sat the new Top Scholar Lu Chang, only twenty years old.
Lu Chang’s eyes sparkled like stars, his eyebrows raised with spirited brilliance. With a slight smile, his red lips and white teeth showed as he waved to the crowd, his manner as casual as strolling in a garden, without a trace of timidity. His elegance flowed freely – truly a splendid youth in fine clothes on horseback, at his prime.
The crowd continuously erupted in female shrieks, and countless flowers, handkerchiefs, and fragrance pouches were thrown at Lu Chang.
Do you think this was the most exciting part? Behind Lu Chang came Song Qing Zhao.
As Bian Jing’s renowned beauty, Song Qing Zhao matched Lu Chang not only in scholarship but also in appearance. It was hard to determine who was more handsome – they were like spring flowers and autumn moon, each with their charm.
After throwing their items at Lu Chang, the young ladies saw Song Qing Zhao following closely and erupted in another round of exclamations.
This year’s candidates were exceptionally outstanding – they had both knowledge and looks, each one extraordinary.
Ming Shu stood on the tower waiting for the procession to pass, hearing the rising and falling voices drawing closer. The young ladies beside her grew increasingly excited.
Finally, the golden-maned horses reached Guan Yuan Tower. Ming Shu heard several young ladies beside her gasp. Screams simultaneously erupted from below as Lu Chang approached with a smile amidst numerous enthusiastic “gifts.”
Ming Shu leaned on the railing, originally waving hard at Lu Chang, when suddenly a fragrance pouch hit him squarely on the temple. She couldn’t help covering her mouth and bending over the railing, nearly bursting into laughter – she could tell her brother’s smile was about to crack.
In his heart, Lu Chang must be cursing.
As if sensing her thoughts, Lu Chang suddenly looked up toward Ming Shu, immediately spotting her standing among the crowd.
Their gazes met across the bustling crowd, and Lu Chang’s smile deepened, his eyes crinkling.
The young lady beside Ming Shu clutched her chest and said, “Is he looking at me? Is he smiling at me?”
“No way, he’s smiling at me!” her companion retorted.
Ming Shu listened to them argue for a while, then smilingly raised a blooming peony she had prepared, gave Lu Chang a knowing look, and threw the flower toward him.
The peony wasn’t going to land near Lu Chang, seeming about to miss him as he passed. However, Lu Chang suddenly reined in his horse, leaned sideways, and with his foot in the golden stirrup, jumped up to catch the peony deftly before landing back on horseback.
Ming Shu’s peony was firmly held in his hand.
He turned to look at her again, waving the peony and mouthing the words – thank you.
Behind the railing, the young lady’s smile was as brilliant as the proud sun, bright and radiant.
As Ming Shu watched Lu Chang’s figure disappear, the cheering didn’t subside, and then she saw Song Qing Zhao. Though ranked below Lu Chang, Song Qing Zhao’s popularity was no less than Lu Chang’s.
In crimson robes and black gauze cap, the young man had clear eyes and handsome brows, carrying an air of nobility, like a young lord riding forth from an ancient scroll.
Wen An beside her nudged Ming Shu’s elbow: “How do you find my cousin?”
Ming Shu replied: “Naturally excellent.”
Below, Song Qing Zhao also looked up, appearing somewhat delighted to see Ming Shu. She smiled broadly, waving at him and giving a thumbs up.
Song Qing Zhao released his reins and cupped his hands toward her in thanks for the praise.
The cheers gradually faded with the procession, and the crowd on both sides of the street, unwilling to disperse, followed behind the procession. Others began to leave, and the street slowly emptied. Ming Shu watched from the railing for a while longer before following Wen An and Yin Shu Jun inside.
Wen An covered her mouth with a silk fan and said to Ming Shu: “I advise you to hurry home, don’t stay here.”
“Why?” Ming Shu was feeling thirsty and pouring herself tea.
“If you don’t leave now, I’m afraid you won’t be able to get away later,” Wen An predicted.
Yin Shu Jun looked at the shadows behind the screen and said, “Too late.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a wave of fragrance wafted in from behind the screen as graceful figures flooded into the small private room. Young ladies’ crisp voices rang out: “Miss Lu, we’ve come to visit you!”
Before Ming Shu could react, she was surrounded by several young ladies.
Again?!
Wen An and Yin Shu Jun tactfully retreated from the battlefield, one shrugging at Ming Shu, the other spreading her hands – nothing they could do to help.
Before her brother had revealed his true appearance, these young ladies could still maintain rational courtesy. Now that her brother had shown his true face – with his scholarship, character, looks, and prospects… what family wouldn’t fight to have such an outstanding young man as their son-in-law?
Not just Lu Chang, but even Ming Shu, the Top Scholar’s sister, could hardly escape being coveted by Bian Jing’s noble circles.
In the end, Ming Shu sneaked out through Guan Yuan Tower’s back door under Wen An and Yin Shu Jun’s cover.
“How does it feel, Top Scholar’s sister, to be surrounded by passionate admirers?” Wen An teased Ming Shu.
Ming Shu, hugging a large bundle of “gifts,” twitched her mouth corner, unable to smile.
“Stop teasing her.” Yin Shu Jun came to Ming Shu’s defense and asked, “Where should we go now? We rarely get to meet!”
“Today is my brother’s special day, and Mother is waiting at home. I need to return.” Ming Shu had originally planned to go home after watching the parade.
“Are you walking back?” Yin Shu Jun asked, eyeing her heavy bundle of gifts.
Ming Shu had walked here, so naturally she could only walk back.
“Well, let’s finish what we started. Call me ‘dear sister Wen An,’ and I’ll take you home,” Wen An said coquettishly.
Ming Shu leaned toward her: “Dear sister, would you please take me home?”
“Let’s go, my carriage is over there. We can chat on the way,” Wen An accepted graciously and pointed in a direction, leading them there.
Today, no carriages were allowed on East Yong Street, so the Prince’s carriage was parked quite far away, requiring them to turn through two small alleys. Wen An led them for a short while before reaching the western street from Guan Yuan Tower’s back door.
This street was rather narrow, unlike the prosperous East Yong Street, with only scattered small shops and modest tea houses and taverns with few customers. The Prince’s three carriages were parked opposite a small tavern, taking up half the road. As Ming Shu, Wen An, and Shu Jun approached the carriage laughing and chatting, just as the driver was getting the stepping stool, a deep voice suddenly came from the tavern.
“Wen An…”
Wen An was about to step onto the stool when she, along with Ming Shu and Shu Jun, turned around.
A man stood under the tavern’s straw curtain, gazing at Wen An.
Ming Shu and Shu Jun exchanged worried glances and looked at Wen An, whose smile, though still present, had turned from natural to frigid.
The man was none other than Xie Xi, the former heir of the Yong Qing Marquis, who had ruined his future for a “Tang Li.”
Xie Xi seemed like a different person, transformed from his former dashing self to a haggard, decadent figure. Ming Shu had to look several times to recognize him. He wore plain clothes, his hair bun was messy, his once-clean chin sprouted disheveled stubble, his face was ashen, and he held a small wine jar, looking at Wen An with slight intoxication.
It was said that because of the Song Ling Academy incident, the entire Xie family had nearly been implicated, and thus they all despised this disgraced former heir. With his future destroyed, Xie Xi had no face to stay at home and had moved out of the Yong Qing Marquis mansion to live alone in a small residence outside. Today was the grand occasion of the palace announcement and the Top Scholar’s parade. He came here to drink, listening to the distant festivities on East Yong Street – the glory that should have included him, but now he could only drink bitter wine alone, hoping to drink himself to death.
Unexpectedly, halfway through his drinking, not yet drunk, he encountered an old acquaintance.
Wen An passed by gracefully, as radiant as before, even more beautiful now.
It felt like a dream reunion.
But Wen An would no longer approach him gracefully as before and sweetly say, “Brother Xie.”
She coldly looked at him across the short street, her smile full of unfamiliarity and mockery. Xie Xi thought she would ridicule and curse him the next moment, and he waited for her to speak.
Let her curse a few times; perhaps it would ease his heart.
But Wen An didn’t. She turned again, and stepped into the carriage, not even sparing him a glance.
Xie Xi rushed to the door, only to see the carriage departing in a cloud of dust.
“Serves him right!” Shu Jun leaned out the window and cursed at Xie Xi.
“Wen An, how did Xie Xi end up like that?” Ming Shu asked puzzled, speaking only after seeing Wen An’s composed expression.
Logically, although Xie Xi had lost everything, he still had Tang Li. Though they couldn’t live like before, the Yong Qing Marchioness would surely provide some support, so life shouldn’t be too difficult, and they could still be together as they wished.
Hearing this, Wen An laughed mockingly: “Don’t you know? Su Tang Li left Xie Xi long ago and stepped on him to climb to Prince Yu’s side. As you said, her methods were extraordinary. Xie Xi was just a blind fool.”
Ming Shu was shocked.
How long had it been since the Song Ling Academy incident? Su Tang Li had already attached herself to Prince Yu?
Prince Yu and the Yong Qing Marquis’s mansion were worlds apart in status.
—
After the parade on horseback, there would be a palace banquet that night. Lu Chang went home first to change clothes.
It wasn’t dark yet, and the front door was half-closed. Ming Shu’s voice came from inside.
“Mother, you don’t know my brother’s impact – when he appeared, the whole street nearly turned upside down! The young ladies around me almost fainted from his handsomeness! I! As the Top Scholar’s sister, was nearly overwhelmed by admirers.”
Ming Shu vividly described the morning’s spectacle to Madam Zeng, who was so engrossed she forgot to drink her tea.
“Look at all these gifts on the table, they’re meeting gifts for me, the Top Scholar’s sister.”
When Lu Chang pushed open the door, he saw Ming Shu gesturing at the colorful trinkets covering the table. His expression darkened as he slowly approached, picking up a winnowing basket from the corner.
Ming Shu hadn’t noticed Madam Zeng’s expression and continued exaggerating: “The gifts aren’t the real point – they’re all after my brother. Mother, you didn’t see the scene – if a brother had been there, they might have torn him to pieces. Mother, I think I’ve found prospects for my sister-in-law. It’s a pity I didn’t bring my notebook, or I would have recorded all their names, so we could discuss later and find a suitable one for brother…”
Before she could say “bride,” there was a clattering sound as Lu Chang began sweeping everything on the table into the winnowing basket.
“Brother, what are you doing?!” Ming Shu exclaimed anxiously, trying to stop him. “These are gifts from others showing their goodwill.”
“Goodwill? What goodwill? Didn’t you say they had ulterior motives? Then it’s not goodwill.” Lu Chang found all these scattered items on the table truly irritating – using him to gain favor?
“No, no!” Ming Shu squeezed between him and the table, blocking him with her body. When she saw his expression clearly, she suddenly laughed. “Never mind about me, look at yourself first!”
Madam Zeng couldn’t help but burst out laughing too.
Ming Shu reached up and plucked a fragrance pouch that had caught on his hat, waving it in front of his eyes. “Which young lady gave you this token of affection, dear brother? Tell us about it.”
Lu Chang snatched the pouch and tossed it into the basket.
Ming Shu remembered his forced smile that morning when the young ladies of Bian Jing were throwing flowers at him, and nearly laughed herself breathless. “Brother, don’t be angry.”
Lu Chang’s face was red, mostly from her teasing. He set the basket down heavily and said coldly, “Pack up your belongings in the next two days and settle the rent.”
“Huh?” Ming Shu and Madam Zeng stopped laughing and looked at him puzzled.
“His Majesty has gifted a three-courtyard residence to the Top Scholar. We’re moving.” Lu Chang said, then pointed at the items on the table, “These things are not allowed to come with us.”