At the beginning of the fourth month, the metropolitan examination results were announced. Cheng Xu ranked fifth in the second tier—an even better result than Cheng Chi had achieved in his year.
Old Madam Guo was naturally very pleased upon hearing this. She instructed Zhenzhu to open the chests and take out several Duan inkstones, several sticks of medicinal ink, and two reams of Chengxin paper as congratulatory gifts for Cheng Xu.
Zhou Shaojin added two cases of Huzhou writing brushes and had them sent over together.
Yuan Shi, however, looked as though she had been doused with ice water on the coldest day of winter—her face was ashen.
Fifth in the second tier!
Why hadn’t he worked harder and advanced just one more place to become a palace examination presenter? Or worked even harder to rank in the top three?
Yuan Shi sat there in a daze, her mind completely blank.
Every servant attending her in the room was terrified, afraid that the slightest sound would provoke Yuan Shi’s anger and make them a target for her rage.
Finally, Yuan Shi’s wet nurse timidly approached and said in a low voice, “Madam, the government messenger bringing the good news is still waiting outside. According to usual custom, should we reward him with ten taels of silver?”
For such congratulatory announcements, following precedent, a reward of five taels of silver would suffice. The Cheng family was particularly generous and typically gave ten taels—neither stingy nor extravagant.
Only then did Yuan Shi feel as though she had “come back to life.” Tears streamed down her face.
Her wet nurse could only signal with her eyes to the serving maids to quietly withdraw, gently consoling Yuan Shi: “The young master is only twenty-three this year—he’s probably one of the youngest presented scholars in this examination. This is a joyous occasion other families couldn’t even dream of. Now the young master has easily brought you this honor—what more could you want? Look at the top scholars, second-ranked scholars, and third-ranked scholars throughout history—how many of them entered the cabinet and became prime ministers? A person’s life is long—you must look to the future. How do you know the young master won’t become a Grand Secretary like the master? Why must you insist he compete for the top three?”
“What do you understand?” Yuan Shi glared fiercely at her wet nurse and said, “Both the Yuan family and the Min family have produced many talented people. If Jiashan doesn’t return as the top scholar, how will the Yuan and Min families regard him? How will they support Jiashan in his official career?”
Her wet nurse couldn’t help but let out a long sigh and said, “Madam, no matter how excellent the young master is, his surname is still Cheng. Unless both the Yuan and Min families have no scholars of their own, why would they help a son-in-law or grandson instead of their own sons and nephews?”
The wet nurse’s words struck Yuan Shi like a thunderbolt. She said in panic, “No, it can’t be. Surely a grandson is closer than a nephew?”
Not necessarily.
When an uncle dies, the nephew still goes to pay respects at the grave, but when a maternal grandfather passes away, what reason would there be for a grandson to perform the sacrifices?
The wet nurse didn’t dare continue. She stood up and said, “Madam, let me bring in a basin of hot water to help you wash your face. The young mistress should be coming soon to congratulate you. If she sees you like this and gives the young master a hard time, what will you do?”
Min Jia had never been meek and mild.
Thinking of this, Yuan Shi felt another wave of irritation.
Seeing that she remained silent, the wet nurse quickly instructed the maids to bring water and arranged for the steward to reward the messenger. She finally managed to smooth over the situation.
Cheng Xiao had already gone to Taiyuan with Gu Xu, but she had been constantly concerned about the spring examination results since Cheng Xu took the test. When Cheng Xu passed the imperial examination, she was delighted and sent gifts over.
Even Zhou Zhen sent ceremonial gifts.
Old Madam Guo instructed Zhou Shaojin to arrange several tables for a banquet and invite Cheng Jing and the others for a meal on a rest day.
This meant that among the five men in the family, four were now presented scholars.
Old Madam Guo was extremely pleased. She drank a few more cups and teased Yun Ge’er, saying, “Grandmother is counting on you to earn me an imperial honor!”
The old lady already held a first-rank imperial honor. Even if Yun Ge’er became a first-rank official, he couldn’t request another honor for her. She said this merely to express her hopes for Yun Ge’er and wish him success in the imperial examinations.
Everyone laughed heartily.
Not knowing what everyone was laughing about, Yun Ge’er also grinned, showing a mouthful of small white teeth—absolutely adorable.
Qiu Shi couldn’t help but tease him: “Yun Ge’er, in a few days you’ll have your first birthday ceremony where you choose an object. Have you decided what you want to grab? Should Second Aunt put a gold hairpin on the table?”
For some reason recently, Yun Ge’er had developed a fondness for gold ornaments. Whether it was the hairpins Old Madam Guo wore, Zhou Shaojin’s earrings, or the pure gold lilac flowers on the maids’ ear studs—whenever he saw them, he would reach out with his little hands to grab them. Once, when Old Madam Guo opened a chest to organize things and found a palm-sized pure gold deer, he clutched it in his hands and refused to let go. In the end, Old Madam Guo had no choice but to let him take the little deer back to place by his pillow, repeatedly warning the maids and servants attending him: “You absolutely must not let Yun Ge’er bite off a piece or swallow the deer’s ears or hooves!”
Pure gold was soft and could be bitten off relatively easily.
This frightened the maids and servants in Yun Ge’er’s room so much that they took turns keeping watch by his bed, not daring to even doze off.
This had become everyone’s source of amusement.
Zhou Shaojin also laughed.
She enjoyed these good-natured jokes.
“If we’re going to put anything, let’s just put that golden deer on the table,” she said with a smile. “He’ll surely go to grab it, but I don’t know what it would mean if he chooses the golden deer.”
“Those ceremonial announcers are all quite clever,” Qiu Shi said with a laugh. “I think even if your Yun Ge’er grabbed a scallion that day, they could probably interpret it as him being clever and intelligent, naturally gifted and bright.”
Everyone laughed again.
Qiu Shi removed a gold bracelet from her wrist for Yun Ge’er to play with: “Look, what’s this?”
Cheng Rang, who had been sitting quietly behind his mother, kept his head lowered.
Now that Cheng Xu had passed the imperial examination, everyone suddenly treated him like an adult. His great-uncle, who used to constantly criticize Cheng Xu, now looked at him with appreciation and had even proactively instructed a maid to pour wine for Cheng Xu. But he himself—only a few years younger than Cheng Xu and already married—was called to Old Madam Guo’s side after the midday meal to sit with the female relatives… still being treated like a child.
He felt somewhat dejected.
Yet he couldn’t blame the family elders.
If he could study as diligently as Cousin Xu and bring home a presented scholar plaque for the family, he could probably sit at the outer table and converse too, couldn’t he?
Cheng Xu’s head drooped even lower.
Someone gently tugged at his sleeve.
He looked up.
He saw his wife’s eyes, bright as stars.
“Elder Cousin studies so diligently every day that he has no time to spend with his wife,” his wife whispered in his ear. “He didn’t even go on the spring outing a few days ago. Abao and Aren both envied the kite you made for me. When you have some free time, make a few for Abao and the others too. In a few days, we can go fly kites together.”
Cheng Rang felt as though a warm current flowed through his heart.
The corners of his mouth slowly curved upward, and he quietly responded, “Alright.”
Xie Shi smiled with pursed lips and passed the small sweet white porcelain bowl of red bean soup from the tray in her hands to Cheng Sheng, who sat not far away.
Cheng Sheng smiled slightly, looking at Xie Shi with very gentle eyes that also held a hint of gratification.
Though her younger sister-in-law didn’t have Min Shi’s appearance or family background, she was gentle and lovely—a perfect match for her younger brother.
Money couldn’t buy suitability.
Mother had truly found her brother a good wife.
She called Rui Ge’er to eat the red bean soup: “Your aunt made this for us herself!”
After one bite, Rui Ge’er ran off.
Abao and Aren were more attractive to him than red bean soup.
Cheng Sheng smiled and ate the red bean soup spoonful by spoonful, finding it tasted excellent.
Zhou Shaojin began arranging the furnishings in the room in preparation for Yun Ge’er’s first birthday ceremony.
Chang Shi’s younger brother arrived in the capital with his two sons and eldest grandson, travel-worn and dusty.
Cheng Chi personally went to Chaoyang Gate to meet them and escort them into the city, settling them in Yuqian Alley and dispatching Nanny Shang to personally attend to the Chang family.
Zhou Shaojin and the others, due to the proprieties between men and women, couldn’t visit in person, so they all sent servants to pay respects to Chang family’s uncle.
He was called uncle due to generational hierarchy, though in reality he was only thirty-eight years old. His two sons were twenty-three and twenty respectively. The eldest grandson was only four years old and was carried by a wet nurse when the Chang family came to pay respects to Old Madam Guo.
Zhou Shaojin saw that the young master of the Chang family was a delicate little person, fair and clean, looking seventy to eighty percent similar to Chang Shi. She liked him very much and, besides clothing and ornaments, also gave the young master a bamboo dragonfly and a kraft paper kite.
The young master of the Chang family was delighted. Before long, he was kicking his feet wanting to get down.
The wet nurse didn’t dare let him run around and quickly said, “Our madam is in poor health and couldn’t endure the journey. The second young master isn’t married yet. Just before departure, the eldest young mistress was found to be three months pregnant, so the servant had to bring the eldest young master to the capital. If there are any improprieties, please don’t blame us, Old Madam.”
“This is very good,” Old Madam Guo said with a smile, exchanging pleasantries with the woman. Seeing that the young master of the Chang family was already impatiently wanting to play with Abao and the others, and fearing some mishap, after a few more words, she carried him out of the mansion.
Old Madam Guo knew very well what the wet nurse was worried about.
The old lady smiled. Just as she was about to speak with Zhou Shaojin, a young maid came to announce that Yuan Shi’s wet nurse had arrived.
Old Madam Guo didn’t understand why and had Yuan Shi’s wet nurse brought in.
The wet nurse entered, kowtowed to Old Madam Guo, and glanced around the room.
Zhou Shaojin stood up to leave.
But Old Madam Guo kept her, saying, “You manage the household—you should hear this too.”
Yuan Shi’s wet nurse couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Shaojin. Seeing no one else in the room, she finally said, “Madam got into an argument with the young master. Madam took up the family punishment rod to beat him, and the young master didn’t dodge or evade, just let Madam beat him…” At this point, tears nearly came to her eyes.
Old Madam Guo’s brow furrowed slightly as she asked, “What has your madam done now?”
The wet nurse felt ashamed.
In her mother-in-law’s eyes, Yuan Shi was apparently this kind of person.
The wet nurse couldn’t help but want to defend Madam Yuan.
She said in a low voice, “This time it’s not Madam’s fault. It’s the young master who says he won’t take the imperial bachelor examination. After Young Master Yun’s first birthday celebration, he plans to seek a posting outside the capital… Our madam was so angry she couldn’t even speak…”
Not participating in the imperial bachelor selection meant giving up the opportunity to remain in the Six Ministries for observation and forfeiting the chance to serve in the Hanlin Academy.
The court had always maintained the practice of “none but Hanlin scholars may enter the cabinet.” He was essentially giving up his future opportunity to become a Grand Secretary.
No wonder Madam Yuan was furious.
Old Madam Guo quickly asked, “What time is it now?”
“Three quarters past noon,” Zhenzhu said.
Cheng Jing wouldn’t leave his office until the afternoon hour of the monkey.
Old Madam Guo stood up and said, “Quickly, help me dress. I must go to Xinglin Alley.”