Chapter - 32

A month later, as expected, Fang Zhichen passed the exam. However, he was not the top scorer, but the third.

The top scorer was from Lingnan. His surname was Shen and his name was Yuanqi. In terms of appearance, he was even more handsome than the third. When he was paraded through the streets, he was almost drowned by the flowers thrown at him by passersby. However, what was even more impressive was his talent. The Emperor gasped in admiration at his incisive words, his original arguments, and his insightful policy treatise. He claimed that this was the most outstanding dossier he had ever read since he ascended the throne. Thereupon he invited several great scholars of the present age to take turns at the Qionglin Banquet to sound him out.

The top scorer was neither servile nor overbearing, neither in a hurry. He refuted the scholars until they were speechless and ashamed of their inferiority. Not only was he talented, but he was also good at conducting himself. With just a few words, he smoothed things over, making the Emperor very happy and praising him endlessly.

The second and third place finishers were also outstanding talents of the present age, but in comparison to him, they seemed to be overshadowed.

After the banquet, the Emperor kept the top scorer for a long talk through the night. The next day, he transferred him to the Hanlin Academy as an attendant scholar. Unexpectedly, he was promoted to a fifth rank official in the capital. It was obvious that he was favored by the Emperor.

Not to mention how various forces were trying to win over the top scorer, the annual ceremony was going to be held at the Baiyun Taoist Temple. This was a big event in the capital. Whether it was high officials, nobles, or commoners, they would all go to the Taoist temple to hold a sacrificial ceremony to pray for a bumper harvest and favorable weather in the new year.

Although the Emperor and Empress could not come in person, they would send servants to deliver offerings to the temple. The ten-day celebration would attract everyone in the capital.

Marquis Yongle, West Wing Courtyard.

Ah Lu, standing on a golden frame, saw the handsome young man striding over. She flapped her wings and shouted, "Master Hou is here, Master Hou is here!"

While walking, Yu Pinyan flicked a peanut into its mouth. Only then did it stop its loud and rough voice, which sounded like a broken bellows. Tao Hong and Liu Lu had just finished changing their master's clothes and were kneeling to tidy up her skirt.

The young girl was wearing a fiery red silk dress that trailed along the ground, and a light transparent mermaid overshirt draped over her shoulders. The rich colors of her dress were not covered by the overshirt, and instead added to her mysteriousness.

She dismissed the two maidservants and picked up a fine brush to draw her eyebrows. When she heard Ah Lu's noisy voice, she turned her eyes and looked over. She lazily said, "Older Brother, wait for me. I'm still early."

Every time his younger sister went out, she would spend at least an hour dressing up. Yu Pinyan had long been accustomed to this. He sat by her side and drank tea, his dark eyes never leaving her fair and delicate face.

Yu Xiang dipped some charcoal powder and carefully smeared it along the direction of her eyebrows. After deliberately thickening and darkening it, she gently drew it up at the end of her eyebrows. Her face, which was already beautiful and dazzling, immediately looked extremely fierce.

She looked left and right in front of the bronze mirror and changed a few places. Then, she raised her eyebrows and smiled proudly at her brother. "See? This is called the Unibrow Blade Style. Does it feel very fierce? This is exactly the effect I want. " She then dyed the ends of her eyes with a weasel brush and hooked it. Her round and big cat eyes became even brighter. Then, she squinted slightly and looked at her brother. "Look at me. Do you feel that your heart is trembling and panicking? You don't even dare to come forward and talk to me? Those talkative girls always laugh at me behind my back. I want to crush them in terms of appearance. I want to make them feel ashamed and take a detour. "

Hearing this, Yu Pinyan's chaotic heartbeat gradually calmed down. He felt both funny and sympathetic. He tapped the tip of her nose and said, "That's right. Just your face alone can make them die of beauty."

"Not only do they die of beauty, but I'm also almost dead of beauty when I look at myself in the mirror." Yu Xiang turned her face in front of the mirror.

Yu Pinyan put down his teacup. He laughed and pinched her cheeks. He joked, "Let me see how thick my little Xiang 'er's skin is. I'm afraid that even a crossbow arrow might not be able to pierce through it."

Yu Xiang shook her head left and right to avoid him. The brother and sister pair instantly became a mess.

After a quarter of an hour, Yu Xiang laughed and fell into her brother's arms. She said angrily, "Stop fooling around. We won't be able to make it in time for the ritual. I haven't put on lipstick yet. "

Yu Pinyan let go of her soft cheeks and smeared some lipstick on her face. After that, he pinched her chin and admired it for a long time. Then, he put her down and carried her into the wheelchair.

Yu Xiang saw that he didn't push her out of the door. Instead, he turned around and went to the cubicle. She called out warily, "What are you doing? The Old Ancestor must be waiting anxiously. "

Yu Pinyan smiled but didn't say anything. He held a wet handkerchief in his hand and wiped off the makeup that she had painstakingly applied for more than an hour. He smiled and said, "It's fine if you're so beautiful that you die of it. Don't harm others." There were too many people at the ritual. He didn't want his precious little sister to be seen by other men.

"At least put a flower ornament on my forehead." Yu Xiang made a last-ditch effort.

Yu Pinyan rummaged through her makeup box and found the simplest flower ornament that looked like a cinnabar mole. He stuck it between her eyebrows and urged, "It's done. Let's go."

"How about the lotus-shaped one? It's not that eye-catching. "Yu Xiang tugged on his sleeve.

Yu Pinyan didn't answer. He bent down and peeled off the cinnabar mole between her eyebrows. She hurriedly hid her face in his arms and shouted, "It's done, it's done. It's done. Brother, let's go quickly. "

Yu Pinyan hugged her shoulders and chuckled.

-----

Although the old lady believed in Buddhism, an annual event like the Tea Gathering was a good opportunity to visit her old friends. Naturally, she couldn't miss it. At this time, she had already dressed up and was sitting in the hall drinking tea. When she saw her granddaughter, who was wearing no makeup and looking listless, she smiled and said, "Oh, did your brother wash off your makeup again?"

"Isn't that so? It's always like this at a larger gathering. How can I face others?" Yu Xiang sighed.

The matriarch laughed even harder. She pinched the tip of her nose and said, "If you don't have the face to see others, how will all the noble maidens in the capital deal with themselves? You have to leave a way out for others. " She wasn't boasting, but her granddaughter's appearance was one of the best in the entire Great Han Dynasty. If she hadn't tragically lost her legs, the iceman who came to propose marriage would have trampled down the Marquis Household's steps.

Yu Pinyan warmly agreed, "Old Ancestor is right. That's why I always tell her not to harm others. It's enough for her to harm only me."

These words sounded a little strange, but the matriarch didn't think much of it. Mama Ma came in with a red envelope and reported, "The Old Lady, this is the marriage proposal from the Fang Clan. Do you want to take a look?"

The matriarch waved her hand carelessly, "What's there to look at? Anyway, it's going to be rejected. Have you made arrangements with the monastery head? "

After Fang Zhichen came in third place in the high school, the Pei Clan arranged a meeting with Yu Siyu. Both sides were very satisfied, and not long after, the iceman came to propose marriage. Because the matriarch and the Pei Clan's mother were old friends for decades, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that they were as close as sisters. Even if she wanted to refuse, she couldn't make it too obvious. Therefore, she asked her to send the marriage proposal first. When the time came, she would just say that the two of them didn't match.

"We've already discussed it. These two characters definitely won't match. It's a pity that such a good marriage would be ruined." Mama Ma sighed as she put the marriage proposal into her sleeve.

The two of them weren't playing a game of riddles. After a little thought, one would know what they were talking about. Yu Siyu, who arrived late because of her meticulous makeup, happened to hear the whole story. The joy on her face disappeared.

Wan Qiu held the curtain open for her for a while, but she didn't move. He reminded her, "Eldest Miss, The Old Lady is only waiting for you."

Yu Siyu seemed to wake up from a dream. Her footsteps were weak as she walked in.

Old Madame Furen saw her expression as if she had lost her parents and naturally knew that she had heard her, but she did not explain the reason, nor did she open her mouth to comfort her. As long as she had a bit of brain, she would know that the Fang family was definitely not a rich village, but a cemetery of peace and happiness, where people died without knowing why.

"Since everyone is here, let's go." She waved her hand lightly.

Yu Siyu nodded and lowered her head slightly to hide her resentful expression.

-----

The Baiyun Taoist Temple was indeed crowded. Fortunately, the temple master had already prepared the most comfortable accommodations for the officials and nobles. Yu Pinyan was in charge of the temple's defense. After sending her grandmother and sister to the side room, she hurriedly left.

The three of them rested for a while, took the offerings, and went straight to the Lei Zu Temple.

Outside the temple stood two rows of Dragonscale Guards with swords and halberds. The formation was strict. Someone who could make the Dragonscale Guards personally protect must have an extraordinary identity. There was an eighty to ninety percent chance that he or she was a member of the imperial family. The matriarch stood in place and hesitated for a moment before turning to leave.

An old mama came out with two sticks of incense and inserted them into the large bronze cauldrons on both sides of the temple door. Seeing the three of them, she hurriedly greeted them.

The matriarch looked back and saw that it was the Crown Princess' wet nurse, Song shi. She immediately showed a surprised expression. "So it's Song shi. The noble person inside is actually the Crown Princess? Isn't Her Highness … "

Song mama gave her a look and mouthed silently, "I just want peace of mind."

The matriarch nodded in agreement.

The Crown Princess had been married to the Crown Prince for more than six years, but she had never given birth. This year, she finally became pregnant, but she was pregnant with twins. If she gave birth to two boys, one would have to go. It was fine if one didn't go, but both would be stripped of their inheritance rights. If she gave birth to two girls, the birth of twins would be difficult and dangerous. Who knew if it would damage their bones and make it difficult to conceive in the future.

The best case scenario was a boy and a girl, a dragon and a phoenix. But twins were difficult to raise. It was fine if both children were safe, but if the dragon died and the phoenix was born … … then the Emperor and the Crown Prince's faces would be 'good'.

Reality was worse than speculation. The Crown Prince's concubine had already given birth to the Crown Prince's eldest concubine, and that concubine was the Empress Dowager's grandniece. Her family background could only be higher than the Crown Princess'. If the crown prince consort could not keep a healthy baby boy in this pregnancy, her future could be said to be uncertain and extremely dangerous. No wonder she insisted on coming to the Daoist temple to pray after being pregnant for seven months. She was eager to have a child.

The matriarch gestured at her belly and asked, "Is it alright?"

Song shi nodded, "The Imperial Physician said that the fetus is very stable. It's fine to come out and pray."

Just as the two were talking, the Crown Princess heard the noise and walked out. When she saw Yu Xiang, she was very happy and waved, "Xiang 'er, come here quickly."

Liu Lu of Tao Hong hurriedly pushed Yu Xiang forward to greet. Yu Siyu, who was ignored, felt resentful and humiliated. She could only stand stiffly in place and bow.

The Crown Princess grasped Yu Xiang's white wrist and smiled at the matriarch, "Old Yu matriarch, your granddaughter is famous for being intelligent. Can she borrow ben gong's good fortune?"

"Niang niang is too kind. In terms of good fortune, how can she compare to you?" The matriarch hurriedly waved her hand.

The Crown Princess smiled but didn't say anything. She pulled Yu Xiang into the hall and pointed at a bamboo tube, "ben gong has been standing here for half an hour, but ben gong doesn't dare to reach out to draw. Xiang 'er, help ben gong draw one. Whether it's good or bad, ben gong won't blame you. "

When Yu Xiang heard this, her scalp went numb. Even if she said she wouldn't blame her, who would be able to maintain a calm attitude if she really drew the worst lot? She would more or less mind. However, the Crown Princess was the monarch, and she was the subject. This was an era where 'if the monarch wants the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die.'

Yu Xiang had no choice. She closed her eyes and prayed for a moment. Then, she decisively drew one and handed it to the Crown Princess, who was full of hope.

The matriarch didn't show it on her face, but her heart was in her throat. She was afraid that her granddaughter would draw the worst lot and cause the Crown Princess to hold a grudge.