Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 538 Returning home
……

Meanwhile, Sheng Changquan, without waiting for Sheng Hong and Sheng Changbai to leave the yamen, went ahead and returned to the Sheng residence in Jiying Lane.

By the time they arrived at the gate, the sun was already setting, and the golden-red afterglow cast a warm glow on the vermilion gate of the Sheng Mansion in Jiying Lane, but it could not dispel the anxiety that permeated the area in front of the gate.

There, Wang Da Niangzi, along with her two daughters, her trusted confidante Liu Mama, and a group of maids and servants, were already craning their necks to look at the alley entrance, looking like a group of ants on a hot plate.

Seeing his familiar blue-curtained carriage rumble towards him and come to a steady stop, the curtain was lifted and Sheng Changquan had just leaned out when Madam Wang rushed forward. Forgetting all about being a proper lady of the house, she grabbed his hand tightly and scrutinized him from head to toe, as if to see if he had gained any weight or lost any hair in the day he had been in the palace.

His eagerness was even greater than when Sheng Changbai returned from the imperial examination.

Strangely enough, Madam Wang may not have truly placed Sheng Changquan on the same level as her eldest son. It was just that her family had sent word to her to take good care of this illegitimate son and to carefully probe his intentions to see how confident he was in the palace examination.

Regardless of what the Wang family is planning, Madam Wang is certainly "obedient," as evidenced by her current expression of concern.

"Quan-ge'er, you're finally back! Your mother was so worried about you!"

Madam Wang's voice was urgent and loud, and her questions came at her like a barrage of bullets.

"Is everything alright in the palace? Have you offended any important people?"

"Are the rules in the palace strict? Did you abide by them all?"

"And that article, how was it written? Were the questions difficult? You answered them all correctly..."

As she asked, she couldn't help but wipe her smooth forehead with a handkerchief. There wasn't a single bead of sweat on it, but her concern and nervousness were genuine, even more so than when she first peeked at Sheng Hong.

Sheng Changquan was both amused and exasperated by his stepmother's display of power. He quickly reached out and took her arm, gently reassuring her, "Mother, rest assured, everything is going smoothly. The palace has strict etiquette, but I have kept in mind the teachings of my father and elder brother and dare not make the slightest mistake."

"Furthermore, His Majesty is wise and benevolent, so he will certainly not make things difficult for us students in the palace."

"As for the essay," he paused slightly, a touch of youthful embarrassment appearing on his face, yet he tried to remain calm, saying casually, "I have done my best to write down everything in my heart. As for whether it passes or not, and what the ranking will be, that is a matter for the examiners and His Majesty to decide."

"My son believes that all we need to do is to have a clear conscience."

These words were perfectly worded, demonstrating both confidence and adherence to the scholar's duty to "avoid arrogance and impetuosity."

However, only Sheng Changquan himself knew that this was just a show for outsiders.

He had already caught a glimpse of those figures peeking out in the distance out of the corner of his eye; they were clearly spies from another household.

Sometimes, showing a bit of naivety can pave the way for the future.

Madam Wang was completely bewildered, feeling as if twenty-five mice were scratching at her heart—a hundred claws scratching at her heart.

She wanted to ask further, just how much did she "do her best"?

What does it mean to have a clear conscience?
Just then, Minglan, who had been standing quietly behind Madam Wang, stepped forward gently and softly advised, "Mother, Seventh Brother must be tired after a long day of travel."

"Since Seventh Brother says everything went smoothly, he must have done well on the exam. Please don't keep asking. Let Seventh Brother go in and rest for a while and have some hot tea. That's the proper thing to do."

Minglan, with her keen mind, had already discerned the subtext of "did well on the exam" from Sheng Changquan's calm gaze and the hidden sharpness in his brows.

A huge weight lifted from her heart, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons as she looked at her younger brother with pride and joy. In a daze, she seemed to see her birth mother, Wei Xiaoniang. "If Mother were still alive, how happy she would be!" Minglan felt a pang of pain in her heart.
Standing next to Minglan, Rulan pursed her lips. She didn't understand the many twists and turns in the story and just felt that her seventh brother spoke in a very literary way, which was not straightforward at all.

She tugged at Minglan's sleeve and whispered, "Sixth Sister, did you understand? Did he do well or poorly on the test? It's driving me crazy!"

It can only be said that Rulan and Madam Wang are truly mother and daughter; neither of them understood the subtext in Sheng Changquan's words.

Just then, the old lady's maid, Fang Mama, came out with a smile. She first bowed to Madam Wang, and then said to Sheng Changquan, "Seventh Young Master, you're finally back! The old lady has been worried about you all day at Shou'an Hall and didn't even get a proper nap. She's waiting for you to come and give her an answer."

Upon hearing his grandmother's summons, Sheng Changquan dared not delay and quickly said to Madam Wang, "Mother, I will go and pay my respects to you first, and then I will tell you in detail later."

Although Madam Wang was unwilling, she knew that the old lady's matter was of utmost importance, so she could only wave her hands repeatedly: "Go quickly! Don't keep the old lady waiting!"

"Aunt Liu, go quickly to the small kitchen and see if the rock sugar bird's nest soup for the Seventh Young Master is ready? He'll use it as soon as he gets back from Shou'an Hall!"

Sheng Changquan smiled and bowed in thanks before following Madam Fang toward Shou'an Hall.

……

Inside Shou'an Hall, incense burned in a quiet room, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Grandma Sheng sat upright on the warm kang by the window, slowly and deliberately turning a string of agarwood prayer beads in her hand. She seemed calm and detached, but if you looked closely, you could see that her fingertips were turning the beads a little faster than usual, and deep in her eyes, which had seen the vicissitudes of life, there was a trace of concern that could not be completely concealed.

Seeing Sheng Changquan enter, the old lady smiled kindly. She beckoned him to sit down and then had Fang Mama bring over the warm lotus seed soup that had been prepared beforehand.

"You're back? Is everything alright in the palace?" Her voice was gentle, and her question was much more tactful than that of Madam Wang.

Sheng Changquan respectfully accepted the soup bowl, thanked his grandmother, and then recounted the general process of the palace examination, focusing on the important and relevant parts.

He omitted the details of the emperor personally descending from his seat to inspect the examination and spending the longest time by his side, only saying that His Majesty had inspected the examination hall in a solemn and dignified atmosphere. He then focused on elaborating on the core ideas of his policy proposal, namely the strategy of "showing a defensive posture externally, strengthening the army internally, promoting trade to weaken the enemy, and accumulating strength to wait for the right time."

The old lady listened intently, her fingers unconsciously moving the prayer beads. After Sheng Changquan finished speaking, she pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "Your considerations sound prudent, neither radical nor timid."

"The political landscape is currently in turmoil. Military generals are eager for battle, while civil officials are worried about the foundation of the nation. Your ability to find a pragmatic path between the two, without being fixated on the debate between war and defense, shows that you have put your heart into it and have grown up."

Sheng Changquan smiled but remained silent.

She gazed quietly at her grandson's handsome and serene face, her eyes revealing genuine satisfaction: "Grandmother doesn't ask you to win the top prize or become famous throughout the world, but only that you can be upright and offer advice in a safe and secure manner. Since you can think of this, Grandmother is mostly at ease."

She paused, then her tone turned to admonition: "Your father and brother are still at the yamen and won't be back until later. You should go back to your own courtyard and rest well, relax and clear your head. You've been under a lot of stress these past few days and you must be exhausted."

"We'll talk about other things after the results are released."

Sheng Changquan knew what this "other matter" referred to—it was the matter of supporting his eldest sister, Hua Lan, that he had mentioned before. However, he could also sense the care in his grandmother's words. He nodded and respectfully replied, "Yes, grandson understands. Thank you for your concern, Grandmother."

After leaving Shou'an Hall, Sheng Changquan did not return directly to Zeyu Hall, but instead went to the courtyard where his elder brother and sister-in-law Sheng Changbai and Hai Chaoyun lived.

When his sister-in-law Hai Chaoyun heard that he had arrived, she was already waiting in the corridor with her two-year-old daughter Zhuojie. When she saw him, she smiled gently and said, "Seventh brother, you've worked hard. Come in and have a cup of tea to soothe your throat."

After entering the room and taking a seat, Hai Chaoyun personally poured a cup of warm Yunwu tea and handed it to him, her voice gentle: "The rules in the palace are strict, and you must have been under a lot of stress. You should relax a bit when you get back."

"The outcome is up to fate; there's no need to worry too much." She always spoke with such soothing and considerate words.