Union

Chapter 203 Matters in Jinzhou
In mid-February, the annual imperial examinations began. After nine days of grueling preparation, Chu Yanliang successfully passed the provincial examination and was able to participate in the palace examination.

The palace examination was held in March.

Before the imperial examination even arrived, Yunying stood once again in the Shili Pavilion in the capital.

This time, she came to say goodbye to her father.

Gu Wangchen rode his horse a long way, then looked back at his children in the pavilion, and his eyes still stung with tears.

Fortunately, he is getting old, and after serving the country for a few more years, he can return home to enjoy his grandchildren.

By then, Yan Zhou will likely be transferred to the capital, and he will be able to spend a few more years with his daughter.

After my father passed away, time seemed to accelerate.

Soon the palace examination began. Chu Yanliang did not pass the top three examinations, but he was successfully selected as a second-class tribute student and was granted the title of Jinshi.

Afterwards, he successfully obtained a post in Qianzhou as a county magistrate through the supplementary examination for officials.

It was at this time that Yunying realized just how valuable Chen Yanzhou's title of top scholar was.

He passed the imperial examination with top honors and was appointed a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. The lowest point in his life was when he became the magistrate of Yungui County. But his low point was the starting point for many officials who painstakingly pursued their careers.

Life's circumstances create a gap here, and while it's not impossible to catch up later, the time and effort required make it a lifelong hurdle that many people can only dream of.

After Chu Yanliang's appointment as an official in a remote area was confirmed, he went through the procedures at the Ministry of Personnel and then took office without delay.

According to the imperial law, he actually had time to return to his hometown to say goodbye to his family and share their joy. However, since the old man and his parents were both in the capital, there was no need for him to return to Jinzhou.

On the day Chu Yanliang left the capital, the Chu family followed him, including Yunying.

Yunying's departure from the capital this time was not to see off her maternal grandparents at Shili Pavilion; she was to fulfill her promise and go to Jinzhou.

On the surface, she was going to spend time with her maternal grandfather and visit the place where her mother had lived since childhood. But her true purpose was obvious to everyone.

But if I guessed it, could I still stop her from going?
There is no way for women to stay in college.

In the end, Duke Xuan and his wife could only sigh and agree to the matter.

No, it's not allowed; the Chu family patriarch is waiting nearby.

The old man had a ready excuse: he said he was frail and didn't have much time left, and wanted his granddaughter to stay with him for a while longer. Besides, his wife's old illness had relapsed due to the loss of their granddaughter and the death of their daughter; she had been bedridden for two or three months before passing away. Now, he wanted He'er to visit her grandmother's grave, to comfort his wife's longing.

The old master of the Chu family even brought up his first wife, so the Duke of Xuan and his wife had no way to refuse.

Yunying packed her bags and left the capital with her maternal grandparents' family.

When Yunying left the capital, she did not send a message to Chen Yanzhou.

But when they arrived at Jinzhou Wharf, they found Chen Yanzhou waiting for them there.

The passenger ship had just stopped when Chen Yanzhou strode onto it with a powerful stride.

To Yun Ying's astonishment, Chen Yanzhou's lips curled into an undisguised smile. He exchanged polite greetings with his maternal grandfather and his entourage before finally managing to cast his gaze upon her.

Chen Yanzhou was the prefect of Jinzhou. He was young, capable, and ruthless. In just three months in Jinzhou, he handled many important matters and had already established himself firmly.

He arrived at the Jinzhou dock early, attracting the attention of officials and wealthy merchants throughout the city, who all sent people to spy on him. Only after learning that he had humbly escorted Old Master Chu and his entourage home did some belatedly try to uncover the secret. They then discovered that his fiancée was none other than Old Master Chu's long-lost granddaughter.

In other words, the prefect was actually the grandson-in-law of the Chu family's direct descendant!
The Chu family's status in Jinzhou City was subtly elevated.

Fortunately, the Chu family was a prominent clan in Jinzhou, and its members were all strictly educated from a young age, diligently studying the Four Books of the Gentleman. Although there were some who were uneducated and incompetent, the overall family was of good character. This put people at ease, as they didn't have to constantly worry that the Chu family would become arrogant and do heinous things, incurring the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people.

The Chu family didn't care about the whispers and gossip of outsiders.

Seeing Chen Yanzhou humble himself and go to great lengths to arrange everything perfectly, they looked at their grandson-in-law with more satisfaction.

Although these were things he wasn't supposed to do—he had already sent a message to the steward of the mansion before leaving the capital to arrange them—Chen Yanzhou's willingness to do them and his personal welcome certainly earned him more goodwill and made them feel closer to him.

Because of their close relationship, when Chen Yanzhou and the others went to pay respects at Yunying's maternal grandmother's grave two days later, no one said a word of refusal.

When he later invited Yunying to enjoy the flowers and go boating, everyone in the manor tacitly agreed.

Although the elders of the manor specially assigned a younger cousin and a younger cousin to accompany Yunying when she went out, the two were young and playful. If Chen Yanzhou could appease them, it wouldn't be impossible for him to have some time alone with Yunying.

Chen Yanzhou could outmaneuver some seasoned veterans in officialdom, so how could he possibly be helpless against two children?
Once aboard the cruise ship, Chen Yanzhou had Suiyun bring out the things he had prepared in advance.

There were all sorts of fishing tools, fishing baskets, and plenty of fish food and bait. These things were small and exquisite, and quite attractive, instantly drawing my little cousin's attention.

Then there's my younger cousin. Although he's still wary of his future brother-in-law, he keeps his older siblings' advice in mind.

Seeing Chen Yanzhou's actions, he felt even more strongly that his cousin-in-law was deliberately trying to get rid of them and probably had ulterior motives.

With his younger sister no longer a possibility, his cousin decided to hold the line himself. Unfortunately, the enemy was too powerful; they not only brought out various military strategy books but also prepared a wall full of powerful weapons.

My little cousin was eventually "captured" and, filled with guilt, went to play tricks on his own heart.

Seeing that Chen Yanzhou had dealt with the two overseers so quickly, Yunying couldn't help but give him a thumbs up, "Prefect, you are resourceful and wise..."

She wanted to say "that old woman is incredibly cunning," but after seeing Chen Yanzhou's menacing gaze, she wisely swallowed those four words.

But swallowing it wouldn't help. Chen Yanzhou's momentum didn't diminish. He held her tightly in his arms, one hand gripping the back of her head, the other encircling her slender, soft waist. He couldn't wait a moment longer and kissed her fiercely.

Simply ravaging her lips was no longer enough for Chen Yanzhou.

The emptiness brought about by time and distance tormented him, keeping him awake at night and leaving him feeling spiritually empty.

Chen Yanzhou held her tightly in his arms, his hands moving unconsciously. Without him realizing it, his hands seemed to have gained their own will. They slipped through the gaps in her clothes, pressing against her soft skin, caressing her lightly, then gripping her tightly.

This final kiss almost escalated into an uncontrollable incident.

Fortunately, Chen Yanzhou retained some rationality and prevented things from escalating beyond repair. But once his mind cleared, holding the soft, fragrant woman in his arms, seeing her flushed cheeks and her helpless trembling in his embrace, Chen Yanzhou couldn't resist rubbing against her again, his voice hoarse as he coaxed Yun Ying, "Yingying, shall we get married soon? Yingying, you don't want me to spend every day alone in my empty room, falling asleep every night only by smelling your clothes, do you?"

These words reignited Yunying's passion, her cheeks flushed a deep, luscious red, and her eyes welled up with a misty haze.

Did he fall asleep smelling her clothes?

She couldn't bear to think about those images; just thinking about them made her feel hot all over.

Ultimately, whether she was tired of Chen Yanzhou's persistent advances or, deep down, she also wanted to marry him as soon as possible, Yunying finally agreed to set a wedding date and marry him as soon as possible.

Having achieved his goal, Chen Yanzhou leisurely tidied Yun Ying's disheveled front. Then, embracing the still trembling Yun Ying, he spoke tender words of love.

After that day, Chen Yanzhou would send invitations every few days. Sometimes he would take Yunying to a restaurant to eat local specialties, sometimes to a poetry and literature conference, and at the very least, he would find an excuse to take Yunying out for fun at a large market or temple fair.

To everyone else, this scene made it seem as if the prefect was a hopeless romantic, clinging to her too tightly as if afraid she would run away.

In the Chu family, Yunying's aunts, both paternal and maternal, discussed the matter and couldn't help but mutter to themselves, wondering if they should be a little more restrained. Otherwise, if something like premarital sex really happened, it wouldn't sound good to outsiders.

Upon hearing this, the eldest aunt said, "Yanzhou shouldn't be in such a state."

She learned from the old lady that Chen Yanzhou and Yun Ying had been together for two or three years, but they had never had any intimate relations.

This further proves Yan Zhou's integrity, uprightness, and prudent character.

Yan Zhou has weathered so much time; he shouldn't make a mistake now.

My second aunt, however, had a different opinion: "Times have changed. Back then, they might have had feelings for each other, but they didn't confess their feelings. Now it's different; they're engaged, they're an unmarried couple..."

It has to be said that my second aunt unintentionally discovered the truth.

She whispered, "You see, every time Yan Zhou comes to pick up He'er, even though he tries his best to restrain himself, his eyes are always burning with desire. I'm really worried that they might be bewitched and... they might..."

Even the eldest aunt was a little unsure, "It shouldn't be that bad, right?"

"It's quite true..."

The two then discussed whether to talk to their future in-laws about it and set a wedding date for the two young people as soon as possible.

Now that the wedding date has been set, we'll start going through the rest of the wedding ceremonies. We'll get married before He'er turns twenty, which isn't too tight a schedule, but it's just right.

As the two aunts talked, they decided to write a letter to the old lady later.

After telling this story, they couldn't help but praise Chen Yanzhou.

Since returning home, they had heard a lot of gossip from the servants.

The second daughter of the Chen family, a grain merchant, fell in love with the prefect at first sight and offered herself to him; the daughter of the education official, ever since meeting the prefect, has been lovesick and begged her parents to send a matchmaker to sound out his feelings; another official intended to send his illegitimate daughter to the prefect as a concubine, but was ruthlessly rejected; even the most beautiful courtesan in the Red Chamber declared that she didn't seek to be the prefect's bedmate, but only wished for a night of love...

Rumors of romance always travel fast, especially when they involve the newly appointed prefect. This prefect is not only powerful and capable, but also incredibly handsome, with a face that rivals even the most exquisite beauty. What else could possibly gossip about but his scandalous affairs?

The second aunt said, "Yanzhou frequently takes He'er out, probably to send a signal and curb this trend, so that some people will stop."

It was because they had considered this point that they didn't want to stop He'er from going out so frequently. Otherwise, given how often Chen Yanzhou was coming to invite people over, they should have spoken to He'er long ago.

My aunt then started gossiping, saying that Chen Yanzhou had been so busy lately that he had finished all the official duties in the government office. Even those that couldn't be finished in a short time were delegated to his subordinates to keep a close eye on, and the progress was strictly controlled.

At the time, the officials thought that the magistrate's decision to set aside some time meant he was planning something big. It turned out that he was indeed planning something, but it wasn't related to official business; it was only about personal matters.

It was truly eye-opening.

……

Jinzhou was a bustling and prosperous city, second only to the capital.

Yunying stayed in Jinzhou for two months, and all the initial dislike for the city brought by Wu Liang and Prefect Wei turned into fondness.

She strolled along the willow-lined embankment, enjoying the scenery with Chen Yanzhou; the two sat in a teahouse, listening to a woman singing in the soft Wu dialect; or at night, they would take a passenger boat downstream, watching the graceful figures of women singing and dancing among the magnificent passenger boats on the river.

……

When Yunying was preparing to leave Jinzhou and return to the capital, she received a very, very big surprise.

Qiu Ning has come to Jinzhou.

In fact, the moment Yunying met Suiyun in Jinzhou, she had already asked him about Qiu Ning.

She had previously instructed Chen Yanzhou to send a message to Suiyun, asking him to bring Qiu Ning with him when Suiyun returned from cleaning up his stall in Yungui County.

She met Suiyun in Jinzhou, but not Qiuning.

Suiyun relayed the message that Qiu Ning had not yet decided whether or not to come.

She got together with a man there, but the man was born and raised in Yungui County, and neither he nor his parents wanted him to leave his hometown.

Although Sui Yun didn't explicitly state his meaning, Yun Ying already understood what he meant.

Qiu Ning will likely compromise in the end and settle down in Yun Gui County.

There's nothing wrong with that. After all, Yun Gui County is different from what it used to be, and it's gradually becoming more prosperous. Qiu Ning is also doing well at the dried goods shop, so it's understandable that she doesn't want to adapt to a new environment and a new life.

Now that she has a legitimate status, no one can control her anymore. She should respect and bless her as she chooses to live.

Despite trying to comfort herself with these thoughts, Yunying was still feeling down.

No matter how good Yun Gui County is, it can't compare to the prosperity of the capital and Jinzhou. It's a pity that Qiu Ning, who could have risen to a higher position, chose to linger at the bottom.

Yunying thought that she would probably only be able to communicate with Qiuning through letters for the rest of her life. Unexpectedly, just as she was about to leave Jinzhou, Qiuning quietly returned and gave her a huge surprise.

(End of this chapter)