Chapter 674 - 247: Metropolitan Examination Champion

Chapter 674: Chapter 247: Metropolitan Examination Champion

The Imperial Examination was grueling. The next day, Zhao Jing and Xu Yanhe both slept in until mid-afternoon.

Zhao Jing possessed a much stronger constitution. Upon waking, he felt refreshed; his previous exhaustion was swept away, leaving him looking radiant and energetic.

Xu Yanhe, on the other hand, looked as though he had fallen gravely ill. He lay listlessly in bed, his body so weak he could barely sit up. Worried, the old madam summoned a doctor to examine him. Fortunately, there was nothing seriously wrong; he was simply severely depleted from the grueling days of the exam.

His grandmother’s heart ached for him, and she ordered the servants to send over a mountain of health tonics.

Mrs. Guo and Xu Su Ying couldn’t stand the sight of it. The next day, they went to Xu Yanhe’s room together, chatting casually beside his bed.

"They both stayed in the examination hall for nine days, yet Jing isn’t acting like this," Mrs. Guo remarked.

"His body has been pampered more than a young lady’s," Xu Su Ying chimed in. "I’m afraid he won’t be able to shoulder any real responsibilities in the future."

"Keep this under wraps," Mrs. Guo added. "Let it stay within our family, and don’t let a word slip out. Otherwise, I’m afraid he’ll have a hard time even finding a wife..."

Listening to his mother and aunt banter back and forth, Xu Yanhe pulled the covers over his head in utter despair, too mentally exhausted to utter a single word. Having finished roasting Xu Yanhe, Mrs. Guo and Xu Su Ying turned and left the room.

Not long after stepping outside, they spotted De’an alongside Sheng Saya and Sheng Kaolin. The three of them appeared to be heading out.

Upon seeing the elders, Sheng Saya and the others hurriedly bowed in greeting. De’an quickly explained, "Mother, the betrothal gifts you gave Kaiyan have all been sent to Sheng Mansion. We didn’t have time to properly organize them back then, so I’m taking Kaiyan and Lian’er over today to see how the servants have arranged things."

Xu Su Ying shot her son a glare. She could barely stand to look at his frantic, flushed attempts to prove their innocence.

She knew that even if he had no legitimate reason and simply wanted to take Kaiyan out for fun, she wouldn’t say a word. She was an open-minded mother, not some pedantic old traditionalist. Besides, on such a beautiful spring day, they were an engaged couple. As long as they went out accompanied by maids and older servant women, even the most sour-faced scholars wouldn’t be able to gossip.

Xu Su Ying simply waved her hand. "Go on, hurry up and go."

She put on an expression of *out of sight, out of mind*.

Seeing Sheng Saya cover her lips in a soft smile, Xu Su Ying turned to her. "Once you’re done with your chores, have De’an take you for a stroll outside the city. The weather is perfect right now—it’s the ideal time to admire the flowers and enjoy the spring. The outskirts of Capital City have a unique beauty of their own; it would be a shame not to see it."

Sheng Saya smiled and nodded. "Then we’ll head to the outskirts after we finish. Please tell the kitchen not to prepare lunch for us today."

"Alright, I’ll let the kitchen know in a bit. Off you go now."

After sending the three off, Mrs. Guo returned to the steward’s room to handle the estate’s affairs, while Xu Su Ying wandered toward the backyard to check on her daughter.

Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing were sitting beneath the wisteria trellis in the courtyard, chatting leisurely.

It hadn’t rained this March, and the temperature was slightly warmer than in previous years. The wisteria bloomed in succession, dotting the trellis with vibrant hues of yellow and purple. A gentle breeze blew past, carrying a faint, elegant fragrance and sending petals spiraling to the ground. The scene was as beautiful as a dream, bringing a sense of tranquil relaxation to anyone who beheld it.

Adding a young man and woman of exceptionally striking appearances made the picturesque scene all the more captivating. Xu Su Ying found herself transfixed, unable to bear interrupting them.

Ultimately, she signaled the servant woman who had spotted her to keep quiet, and silently retreated the way she came.

In mid-March, Chen Song sent someone to deliver several letters, along with some local delicacies and fabrics from Xinghuai Prefecture.

Tucked among these were letters from Mrs. Zhao and Xiang’er addressed to Zhao Jing and Chen Wanqing.

Xu Su Ying took the letters and delivered them personally. Turning around, she opened Chen Song’s letter right in front of her daughter. As she read, she couldn’t help but let out a PFFT of laughter.

"Your father... I knew he’d be restless the moment he found out I recovered my memory. He looks like someone who can handle anything on the surface, but in reality..."

In reality, whenever something concerned her, he lost all his composure.

She had been a bit wicked, intentionally leaving him to stew; she hadn’t written him a single letter since regaining her memories. Sure enough, after holding it in for so long, he was the first to cave and send a letter.

The letter was drenched in nostalgia from start to finish.

First, he mentioned their old house in Qingshui County—how a corner of the backyard had collapsed under heavy snow, and Mrs. Ying had taken the initiative to have it repaired. Then he noted that the incense-making operations had been taken over by Kangning Fragrance Workshop. The servants she had purchased were all transferred under the workshop’s name as well. As for the silver coins owed to their daughter, they would be handed over in full at the end of the quarter.

He also brought up that there were too many servants left in the courtyard in Xinghuai Prefecture. With none of the masters at home, keeping so many people was a pure waste of resources. Furthermore, since she was accustomed to being served by the Xu family’s staff, she would undoubtedly bring them along whenever she visited Xinghuai Prefecture in the future. Thus, there was no need to keep all the original household servants around.