Tianliangyuan

Chapter 56 I only hope that next year will bring me good fortune!

Upon seeing this, the old lady immediately realized something was wrong and simply instructed her servants that if Xu Lin came again, they should only say that she was resting and not see anyone.

Why didn't the old lady suspect Wang Ruolan and Xu Zhaozhao?

Of course, it was because the mother and daughter came to pay their respects and talk almost every day, and sometimes Xu Han would stay here to have a meal with her, but these flowers and plants never had any problems.

Xu Lin was sitting in the house for a while today when this incident happened again.

This is clearly not right.

The old lady felt that things couldn't continue like this, and she had to find a way to get Xu Lin to go to the temple to pray to Buddha or burn incense. If she really had been tainted by something unclean, then she would have to clean it up as soon as possible!

But you can't say these things directly.

The old lady understood Xu Lin very well and knew what a stubborn person she was, so she deliberately arranged for someone to pass on a message to the people around Xu Lin, coaxing her to go to Huguo Temple outside the city to burn incense, and preferably stay there for a few days to get rid of the bad luck on her.

Xu Lin was already annoyed by Wang Ruolan and Xu Zhaozhao's lack of respect. When she returned and saw her concubine dressed up in a flamboyant manner, she naturally scolded her and punished her by making her kneel on the spot for half an hour.

Xu Lin actually intended to lead Xu Zhaozhao to Jiang's bedside so she could hear what kind of grudge existed between the two.

She had investigated the events of the day Sun Yuanshan had the accident. It couldn't have been Xu Zhaozhao who did it, because from beginning to end, no guards from the Marquis's mansion came out of the Hundred Fruit Garden, and even the farmhands working there didn't run out. So how could it have been done by a weak woman like Xu Zhaozhao, when it involved several grown men?

Moreover, Xu Zhaozhao has never left the Hundred Fruit Garden, so the claim that Xu Zhaozhao plotted to harm others is simply untenable.

But she also felt that Xu Zhaozhao must have something to do with this, which is why she wanted the two of them to meet and confront each other.

Unexpectedly, Xu Zhaozhao wasn't fooled at all!

What Xu Lin didn't know was that she wanted to find out the truth and thought she was clever. Jiang Shi took advantage of this and planned to implement her next plan after Xu Zhaozhao arrived. She wanted to make Xu Zhaozhao bear the infamy of driving someone to suicide, a reputation she could never shake off for the rest of her life!

Jiang had thought it through very clearly: Xu Zhaozhao had harmed her son, so she would make Xu Zhaozhao taste the bitterness of never being able to hold her head up high for the rest of her life!

However, they were both wrong.

Xu Zhaozhao isn't coming.

Jiang was so angry that she knocked over the medicine bowl and coughed for a long time before she slowly calmed down.

Jiang is now emaciated and can no longer eat normal food. She can only drink a few bowls of porridge each day, which is considered a good thing.

Given her current condition, the entire Sun family thought she wouldn't live much longer. If it weren't for the fact that Jiang Wanwan had caught the eye of the Duke of Su's son, the Sun family would have already thrown the letter of divorce in her face!

Although Xu Zhaozhao has the method of brewing wine, she has never actually done it herself, so she still needs to find an experienced winemaker to do it.

The task of finding the person will be temporarily assigned to Zhu Zi.

On this day of rest, Xu Junting specially invited Fu Pei to his residence to compose poems together. Also invited were two students from the Imperial Academy and several talented men he had met outside.

The imperial examination system in Daxing was basically complete. However, most of the sons of officials had some kind of privilege. For example, Xu Junting did not need to start from the lowest level of the imperial examinations. Instead, he studied step by step in the official school and was evaluated every year. As long as he passed, he would smoothly enter the next stage.

If nothing unexpected happens, Xu Junting will be able to participate in the provincial examination next year as a student of the Imperial Academy.

Of course, some scions of prominent families, even if they were highly learned, would not take the imperial examination route but could instead directly pursue the recommendation system.

If a teacher or friend recommends someone to the imperial court, and that person is qualified in terms of talent and has made certain contributions, then they can be directly granted an official position.

Now that the two systems are running in parallel, most of those who participate in the imperial examination system are from poor families. Of course, some children of officials also participate in the exams, their goal being to go further in their careers.

Xu Junting initially contacted Fu Pei at his sister's request, but after spending more time with him, he discovered that Fu Pei was indeed very knowledgeable, and he could talk endlessly about the local customs and culture of various places, which showed how rich his experience was.

This made Xu Junting very envious.

He even considered temporarily abandoning his studies and traveling around.

However, as a son of a marquis, this idea is somewhat unrealistic.

After learning of his thoughts, Xu Zhaozhao advised him, "Third Brother, why are you in such a hurry? After you finish the imperial examination, if you pass, you will be granted an official position by the court. At that time, you can request to be transferred to a post outside the capital. Wouldn't that be a good opportunity to see the beautiful landscape of Daxing? If you don't pass, you can use this as an excuse to travel around and study, broaden your horizons and increase your knowledge."

Xu Junting thought it made sense, and he could finally settle down and study properly.

Moreover, although he cannot leave Beijing for the time being, he can get to know students from all over the country!

In this way, Xu Junting, through Fu Pei, and by visiting various bookstores and other places, made many friends among students from other regions.

These young talents drank and ate meat, composed poems and essays, and occasionally discussed the current political situation. They were quite eloquent and ambitious.

Midway through the journey, Xu Zhaozhao ordered someone to deliver some food, including braised dishes and, of course, fried chicken.

The enticing aroma wafted on the wind and reached the noses of all the talented scholars.

After the maid put down the snacks, she reported, "Young Master, Miss said that drinking too much alcohol is also harmful to your health. She specially ordered me to prepare some fruit drinks, which were chilled in the well beforehand. They are now ice-cold and should suit your taste. Just don't overindulge."

"Alright, go back and tell your young lady that I understand. Third Brother also thanks her for her kindness."

"Yes, the slaves retire."

Among the snacks served were fried chicken, sweet fried pumpkin cakes, and taro cakes, which drew praise from the scholars.

Fu Pei had met Xu Zhaozhao before, and it was hard for him not to be moved by such a wise and intelligent girl.

However, he also knew that Xu Zhaozhao was engaged.

Fu Pei couldn't help but feel a little disappointed; he had ultimately been too late.

"Why is Brother Fu sighing?" Xu Junting asked with concern.

Fu Pei composed himself and smiled, "I was just thinking about some past events. These snacks are truly delicious and exquisite. Your sister is indeed very skillful."

"Haha! Brother Fu is right, my sister is indeed clever! If you all find these snacks delicious, let's get together again sometime!"

"Brother Xu, I take your words to heart. I will definitely come again next time I have a day off!"

With some people egging him on, Xu Junting's attention was finally diverted.

Fu Pei couldn't help but chuckle. How could everything in life go as planned?

Well, he's had a bad year in love, but maybe he'll be back in the limelight next year!