Uh… host, it seems like the people next door are Prince An and his newly adopted son, the second-ranked scholar!
Oh dear, it turns out the flood washed away the Dragon King Temple—our own!
Yan Beichen listened to Shen Mingzhu's thoughts and smiled slightly.
Uncle An must have come along to watch the excitement.
Prince An: Oh no, we've been discovered!
"Mingzhu, try this Hibiscus Chicken Slices. It's a speciality of Tianxianglou."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Shen Mingzhu smiled gently.
Shen Qinghong said, "Little sister, try this pork tenderloin in a lotus leaf."
Shen Qinglan said, "Little sister, try this braised shark fin soup. It's made with shark fin as the main ingredient, simmered in chicken broth for 12 hours."
Shen Qingzhan said, "Little sister, try this Dongpo pork."
Shen Qingbo carefully ladled a bowl of soup for Shen Mingzhu.
"Little sister, have some soup..."
Suddenly, everyone came to feed Shen Mingzhu, which made her feel flattered and overwhelmed.
[Guagua, what's going on? Why is everyone so nice to me? They're all rushing to put food on my plate?]
[Host, you're already great, now you can take the role of the most beloved character and be the leading lady in your own right!]
Shen Mingzhu was in a daze, unable to believe it.
Am I really that amazing?
Then she looked at Crown Prince Yan Beichen.
[Guagua, if I were the female lead, would my prince brother also rise in status? He wouldn't have to be the main villain anymore!]
This is the general principle.
Crown Prince Yan Beichen: Thank you for helping me get promoted!
Shen Qinghong: Is that even possible?
Shen Qinglan: What is "upgrading to a higher level"?
Shen Qingzhan: Was the Crown Prince actually the main villain?
Shen Qingbo: he just quietly ate his meal.
Xiao Yanzhi: Is that even possible?
Thinking back to the letter he received from his family in Jinling, his father had given him a severe scolding and sent Uncle Liang to Shengjing to restrict his power, which completely ruined his previous carefree mood.
Zhao Deren and Leng Lujie, who were with him, were also reprimanded by their families.
It was only because the imperial examinations were imminent that they were not sent back to Jinling for punishment!
They are waiting to see their results of Imperial examinations.!
If they underperform, they'll be in deep trouble.
He was restless and wanted to finish lunch quickly so he could go back to study.
Zhao Deren looked at Xiao Yanzhi with some confusion.
"Yanzhi, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? You seem really off today."
"It's nothing, I just want to go back and study. After all, there's not much time left before the extra imperial examination, so I need to make the most of every minute to study."
Leng Lujie, who was standing next to him, chuckled and didn't seem to care.
"Yanzhi, you're so knowledgeable, you'll definitely pass! We've come all this way, so let's relax and enjoy ourselves."
Xiao Yanzhi: ...
[Host, host, Minister Zhao is downstairs searching for the scholar who will harm his daughter in the future! He's really going all out! One moment, he was having dinner upstairs. The next step is that he's downstairs looking for him!]
[A father's loving heart is truly touching!]
[Guagua, after talking for so long, what's that student's name? How well is he learned?]
When Shen Mingzhu finally got to the point, everyone perked up their ears to listen.
[Host, wait a minute, let me take a look.]
Look, look!
[Host, this student's surname is Liu, given name Xiaodong. He's from Suzhou and comes from a poor family. His entire family has poured all their resources into supporting his studies and examinations, hoping he'll one day make something of himself. Especially his older brother, who will do any job to earn money for him!]
This is understandable. Writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones are not cheap, and many families have to pool all their resources to support a student's education. However, once they arrive in the capital, learned students will recommend themselves, and some respectable families in Shengjing will provide them with some financial assistance, such as travel expenses.
After Shen Mingzhu finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement.
For example, the Marquis of Changping's family, including Shen Qinghong and Shen Qingbo, both pursued the civil service path. They would also provide financial assistance to some poor students in their academy who were knowledgeable and of good character.
He could be considered a disciple of the Marquis's household.
[Guagua, could this Liu Xiaodong, this student, be one that Minister Zhao favors?]
[Bingo! Host, you answered correctly! But there's no reward! It was because Vice Minister Zhao sponsored some of his travel expenses that Liu Xiaodong got to know Zhao Xue'er, the daughter of the Vice Minister's family, and gradually fell in love with her. In addition, after passing the imperial examination, Liu Xiaodong became a successful candidate in the second round of the examinations, proving himself to be a talented young man. Only then did Vice Minister Zhao agree to his marriage with his daughter.]
Upon hearing this, Shen Mingzhu couldn't help but curse him under her breath as an ingrate.
[Guagua, I bet Minister Zhao and his wife never imagined that their decision would send their daughter into a living hell!]
Yes, they originally thought that the Vice Minister's Mansion had given him financial assistance before, which was a great kindness. Knowing that his family was poor, they also prepared a generous dowry for Zhao Xue'er, hoping that their daughter would live a happy life in the future. But in the end, all they got was their daughter's untimely death!
You can know a person's face but not their heart!
Crown Prince Yan Beichen looked at Shen Mingzhu with a face full of approval.
In the main hall of Tianxiang Tower, Zhao Shilang looked at Liu Xiaodong, who was dressed in a blue scholar's robe, and wished he could rush forward, knock him to the ground, and send him to jail.
But Liu Xiaodong hasn't done anything yet!
Xiao Yanzhi listened to Shen Mingzhu's thoughts and paid special attention to the situation downstairs. When he saw Shen Changyuan and Zhao Shilang downstairs and then looked at the students opposite them, he instantly understood.
After carefully recognizing Liu Xiaodong's face, he added the person to his blacklist.
This person should never be associated with him again!
[Wow! Host, this Liu Xiaodong is no human being!]
[Guagua, what other misdeeds has Liu Xiaodong committed?]
Yan Beichen frowned. It seemed that he would have to discuss the decision with his father regarding this imperial examination. The students' character would also be carefully investigated, and those with bad conduct would be sent back to their hometowns. Those with particularly bad character would be stripped of their academic titles.
[Host, let me tell you, this Liu Xiaodong is really a bad person. His relationship with his sister-in-law is unclear. Do you think he's doing right by betraying his brother, who works tirelessly to support his education?]
Shen Mingzhu: ... This kind of person is really not fit to be an official. He should go home and grow sweet potatoes.
[Guagua, Liu Xiaodong's sister-in-law is also a bad person. As the eldest sister-in-law, how could she succumb to temptation and be seduced!]
[Host, Liu Xiaodong's older brother, Liu Yiming, toils in the fields every day, carrying heavy loads at the docks whenever he has free time. He's not old, but his back is already hunched, and he's dark-skinned and thin. Look at Liu Xiaodong, though thin, he's quite handsome, and he's also well-educated and has achieved academic success. He and Liu Yiming are like heaven and earth; anyone would know which to choose!]
[Guagua, shouldn't people know the most basic sense of propriety and shame? This is incest between him and his sister-in-law, extremely immoral. In the countryside, that would be punishable by being drowned in a pig cage!]
[Sigh... Host, I'm just stating the facts.]
I understand, I understand.