The large gate of the small courtyard opened and closed again, and the originally bustling street regained tranquility. Only the moonlight slowly crawled onto the branches, illuminating the entire city.
If someone looked down from above, they would find that usually the crowded and narrow courtyard was noisy, while the spacious and bright places were exceptionally calm instead.
The Jiang family, Old Lady Jiang's courtyard.
Tan Yue respectfully reported, "The Third Young Lady is awake now. She is very depressed and rarely speaks, ignoring Old Lady's comforts without saying a word."
"The Eldest Young Lord threw a land deed to the legitimate young lady, but the young lady did not want it and threw it back, seeming determined not to be associated with the Jiang family."
Old Lady Jiang closed her eyes without any movement.
Tan Yue hesitated several times, "Old Lady, are we really not taking the young lady back?"
It was hard enough to find her in the vast sea of people without a clue. Now that she was finally found, could we really bear to see her suffering outside, unseen and unfelt, only able to wipe her own tears?
Although there was a prior promise, human emotions were uncontrollable and promises could not be made.
Tan Yue knew that she was a little agitated and that she had overstepped, but she just didn't understand.
"This servant is wrong. Please punish this servant, Old Lady. But this servant really doesn't understand." The head maid knelt down with both knees and lowered her head to apologize.
She had expected a storm to come, but a pair of hands reached out before she realized that Old Lady Jiang was already standing up, kindly and approvingly helping her up.
"Good Tan Yue, the fact that you can think so much shows that you really care about the young lady. Seeing the key points at the tribute academy entrance proves that you have grown rapidly over the years. In the future, if I’m gone, I’m afraid I’ll have to bother you to take good care of the young lady more, resolve worries and difficulties for her..."
Women in the Dayu Dynasty usually married and had children at the age of sixteen or seventeen. At the age of thirty, they could become grandmothers. Jiang Chengyuan was seventeen years old this year, and Old Lady Jiang had also reached the age of knowing the mandate of heaven.
It didn’t sound very old, but under the current average life expectancy of fifty, she really didn’t have many good years left.
Tan Yue’s nose soured as she choked and said, "Old Lady, don't say these things. You will live to a hundred years old."
"Living to a hundred is nonsense. Your grandfather has been gone for so many years, and I should also go find him." Old Lady Jiang patted Tan Yue's hand and took out a handkerchief for her. "As for the young lady coming home, it's only a matter of time."
Tan Yue's sobs halted.
"In Fengjing, money and power cannot be separated. Once you step into this vortex of power, in order to protect yourself or your loved ones, you have to work hard no matter what."
"She's still young and doesn't understand the importance of the Jiang family to her, but sooner or later one day...she will understand."
It was just uncertain whether her health could wait until then.
Under the dim moonlight, Old Lady Jiang sat cross-legged in the ancestral temple, chattering away at the nearest memorial tablet.
She talked about the changes in the Jiang family over the years, about their lost legitimate granddaughter, about the future of the Jiang family, and about how the old general had fought for most of his life, yet had no heirs in the end.
Unfortunately, the person who died on the battlefield could not even reach out to wipe away her tears.
That night was tranquil until dawn.
When the bright light shed the earth again, hope returned with a playful breeze, hopping on people's shoulders and wandering into every corner of Fengjing City.
Today was the last day of the imperial examination. The students of the tribute academy had put aside their pens and papers, while their families craned their necks waiting.
Among them were the Jiang Sheng siblings, still sitting in the carriage, still peeking out through the curtains.
After repeatedly confirming that there were no Jiang family members around, Wen Zhiyun cautiously lowered the curtain and said in a low voice, "Sister, you can rest assured to go wait for eldest brother now."
"Okay, I'll go down when the academy gate opens," Jiang Sheng also whispered as if acting stealthily.
Chang Yan could not help grinning.
They patiently waited until the afternoon when the gate of the tribute academy finally opened. The yamen runners of the Ministry of Personnel were guarding on both sides with long knives.
Jiang Sheng scrambled out of the carriage clumsily and squeezed to the front of the crowd, watching the loose students coming out, each with ecstasy or frustration.
At this time, Xu Mo, who was as calm as still water, was very recognizable.
He held a bamboo basket in his hand with a composed pace. The wrinkled blue cotton robe contrasted with his meticulously tidy hair bun. His spine was straight as a ramrod, standing out from the decadent students like a crane among chickens.
"Eldest brother." Jiang Sheng waved to him from afar.
Xu Mo turned his head with a faint smile.
"Eldest brother, how was the exam?" Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan stretched out their little heads behind him at the same time.
Before Xu Mo could answer, the haggard Qi Huai behind him complained, "In these nine days, the food and rest were bad. My performance was at most half as good as usual."
"That's because you didn't build a good enough foundation," Qi Yue, who had also squeezed over, said. "Brother Xu is not like you. He was the top scholar of Anshui Prefecture."
Looking through history, nine out of ten top scholars were guaranteed to be tribute students, and the remaining one could pass the exam with at most two attempts.
Qi Huai admitted inferiority and could only look to the equally miserable An Jun, "Brother An, how do you feel now?"
"Not bad, not bad," An Jun weighed it carefully. "In general, it wasn’t too difficult. I should have a seventy to eighty percent chance."
Qi Huai was dumbfounded. Usually when we play together, I’m the only one who really struggles with exams.
I feel like I have been betrayed by two good friends.
Beside them, the Jiang Sheng siblings were already chirping around Xu Mo. They were all words of concern.
Looking at Qi Yue in front of him who was only capable of cold ridicule and sarcasm, Qi Huai felt heartbroken. "What sin did I commit to have a little sister...brother like you?"
"Oh Lord, I also want an obedient, considerate little brother and sister like Brother Xu’s."
Qi Yue glanced at Xu Mo's siblings. For the first time, there was no envy, but instead pity. He pulled Qi Huai over, whispered a bunch of the most complicated things using the most concise language.
"What? You said the Jiang family and Sister Xu Mo..." Qi Huai was shocked.
"Keep your voice down." Qi Yue glared.
Qi Huai quickly shut his mouth, but Xu Mo had already noticed.
He asked his younger siblings to take the bamboo basket and get on the carriage first, then strode over calmly, leaving no room for objections, "What about my sister?"
