Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2626 Still Vigorous in Old Age 7.0
"That's it?" Jin Miaomiao didn't understand. "Aren't most people in this world like this? They like pretty people and pretty things. How is their taste any different from others?"

“Their tastes are indeed different from those of ordinary people. If they set their sights on something, they want to get it. And,” Shen Cha thought for a moment, chuckled, and said, “their definition of good-looking and beautiful is a bit different from that of ordinary people.”

What kind of difference?

“First of all, the Harnu family is different from other noble families. The head of their family is not a man, but a woman.” Shen Cha looked at Jin Miaomiao and smiled. “Although the one you met is nominally the head of the Harnu family, his daughter is in charge of the household.”

"Isn't this just passing it down to daughters but not sons?"

“That’s right!” Shen Cha nodded, looked at Eagle Falcon who was also nodding, and smiled, “General Eagle Falcon said that the life of a live-in son-in-law is not good because once the head of the household no longer likes him, thinks he is boring, or fails to leave offspring, he may give him a sum of money and let him leave this mansion to fend for himself.”

"Oh, there are actually families like that." Jin Miaomiao's eyes lit up. "Wouldn't it be great to be their son-in-law?"

"It's alright now, but the previous few Harnu rulers all had a lot of romantic affairs." Shen Cha smiled. "The most common rumors about the Harnu families in the capital are that some handsome young man has been taken to the mansion today, and some young man has fallen out of favor and been kicked out of the mansion. I heard that the previous Liao kings also asked the queen to talk to the Harnus and ask them to restrain themselves, but it really had little effect."

"How do we stop this? I think they did a good job. Keep the ones they like and throw away the ones they don't." Jin Miaomiao chuckled, then suddenly remembered that the three old men were still asleep. She quickly glanced over and, relieved to find that they hadn't been woken, lowered her voice and said, "Xiao Cha, you just said that their definition of 'good-looking' and 'beautiful' is different from that of ordinary people?"

“It is indeed different.” Shen Cha nodded, glanced at the three old people, and continued, “The person you saw was actually a live-in son-in-law. He was the illegitimate son of a minor noble family in the South Courtyard. He was not very favored at home, but by sheer coincidence, he was taken a liking to by this young lady from the Haernu family, who spent money to buy him and his unfavored mother.”

"Huh?" Jin Miaomiao picked at her ear, looking at Shen Cha in disbelief. "Isn't this a bit too outrageous? He..." She thought for a moment, "...isn't he that good-looking either. Anyway, I don't like him. Like I said, he doesn't look like a decent person; he looks like someone who's out chasing after women." She looked at Shen Cha, "Does their family like this kind of thing?"

"Anyway, they're pretty much the same," Shen Cha nodded. "Those delicate, frail types, with faces like peach blossoms and handsome as Pan An, while those burly, strong men don't catch their eye. I've heard some like tall, skinny guys, while others prefer petite, delicate ones." She spread her hands towards the crowd. "So, their tastes are different from ordinary people. And, I've heard, to become their son-in-law, you have to take an exam." She looked at Yingjun, "Right?"

“Although it’s incredibly absurd,” Eagle Falcon sighed, nodding to Jin Miaomiao, who remained in shock, “it is indeed the case.”

"An exam?" Xue Ruitian and Bai Meng had been sitting nearby listening the whole time. They had heard some rumors about the Harnu family and weren't too shocked, but when they heard that even marrying into the family required an exam, they couldn't sit still anymore. "Isn't this a bit too much?"

"I know you're shocked, but wait a moment before you're shocked, because so far, what's been said has been reasonable enough. What I'm about to say will make your jaw drop." The hawk looked at Shen Cha. "Young Master should know a little bit, right?"

“I’m quite interested in their family’s affairs. I asked Uncle Shi about it, and it’s really unbelievable.” Shen Cha tugged at Shen Haolin’s sleeve. “Right? It’s truly eye-opening.”

Shen Haolin nodded. After Shen Cha returned from Linhuang Prefecture, she had talked to him several times about her experiences there, and she had mentioned the Ha'ernu family. Everything about this family was indeed very surprising to him. He had never imagined that such a magical family would exist in a place like Liao Kingdom. "Come on!" Xue Ruitian took a deep breath. "Come and tell us what exactly their exam is about, and let us broaden our horizons."

"There's nothing special about it. Music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and poetry writing are all you need. As for other skills, there aren't any special requirements." Shen Cha spread her hands. "You can be proficient in all of them, or you can be proficient in one or a few of them. In any case, you have to have something to offer."

"Oh, that's alright. These things might be a little lacking for the Liao people, but for us, they're a piece of cake, right?"

"I haven't finished yet, the most explosive part is yet to come." Shen Cha chuckled, glanced at Yingjun who had already started covering his face, and continued, "The process of becoming a live-in son-in-law is quite complicated. From the decision to actually becoming part of this family, it takes about half a year."

"Ah, no wonder General Eagle's brother lost contact with his family for more than half a year; he was preparing for this?"

“Yes!” Shen Cha nodded. “For the past six months, he has been staying in a separate courtyard, learning a lot of things every day, all of which are related to the Liao Kingdom and his family. Of course, if he is a Liao person, some of these things can be omitted, and there are also some etiquettes to learn.”

“That’s only natural.” Xue Ruitian nodded. “Before the Empress Dowager entered the palace, she was taught by palace matrons for a long time. After all, she was going to live in a completely new and unfamiliar place, so this was inevitable. Even though the rest of our family members will not live in the palace, we still learned along with her, since we often have to go to the palace.”

"Hmm!" Shen Cha revealed a meaningful sly smile. "Studying is a must, but exams won't be neglected either. I heard that in the past six months, the music, chess, calligraphy, and painting exams have been held every fifteen days, while the others have been held every ten days."

"What is this?" Xue Ruitian picked at his ear. "Are these tests being conducted so frequently? How are these 'music, chess, calligraphy, and painting' tested?"

“It’s about finding some very capable opponents to fight against.” Eagle sighed. “Anyway, it’s very complicated. I don’t have time to think about anything else every day. As soon as I open my eyes, I’m thinking about what to study and what to take the exam today. According to my brother, it’s even harder than when he was taking the imperial examination. Although I have no worries about food and clothing during this period, but…” He sighed again, “My mental state is not very good.”

"That's alright, I guess. Once we get through this period and get inside, everything should be fine?"

Shen Cha and Ying Jun exchanged a glance, then looked at Xue Ruitian and shook their heads at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You're too naive. The real test is just beginning!"