Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 111 School Examination
Rongqingtang Bisha Cabinet.

Yesterday, it was Zijuan who was on night watch, and Xueyan had not found time to talk to Daiyu. Seeing Zijuan leave, she exchanged glances with Nanny Wang before coming over and saying, "Miss, it was Master Yuan who invited the uncle over yesterday."

"Hmm?" A pair of eyes that seemed to be crying but not crying looked over, full of surprise.

Xueyan said, "Uncle Yuan heard that Second Master Bao was coming to cause trouble, and he was worried that he would provoke the young lady again. After much thought, he realized that only Uncle could control Heavenly King Bao, so he simply went to call for reinforcements."

Daiyu said angrily, "What Treasure Heavenly King? Don't talk nonsense from now on."

After saying this, he burst out laughing. Baoyu's behavior yesterday was like the king of heaven. With the old lady in front of him, everyone had to do what he wanted.

Daiyu felt a little relieved, thinking that at least when Baoyu was acting like a fool, there was always someone who cared about her.

Yesterday, my grandmother's eyes were filled with resentment and my aunt's eyes were filled with hatred, as if it was all my fault. But I never thought about how wronged I was at that time.
Nanny Wang saw Daiyu seemed lost in thought and said with a smile, "This Yuan seems to be a considerate man. After all, he is a few years older than Master Bao, and he is more considerate than Master Bao."

Daiyu glanced at him angrily and said, "Don't mention him. I'm still annoyed."

As they were talking, there was a noise outside, and then Xiren said, "Miss Lin, have you rested? Master Bao is here to see you."

Daiyu and Nanny Wang looked at each other, covered themselves with the quilt, and lay down on their sides, simply ignoring him.

Nanny Wang and Xueyan came out to greet them. They saw Baoyu, looking past Qingwen and Xiren, saying with an apologetic smile, "Sister Lin, are you still angry? Yesterday was all my fault. Old Madam and Mother have lectured me since then, and I know it was all my fault. But I was in a hurry, and I had no intention of angering Sister Lin... Sister Lin? Just look at me, and I'll apologize."

Nanny Wang stood in front of the green gauze cabinet and said, "Second Master Bao, the young lady is tired now. How about you come back another day?"

Baoyu was unwilling to do so and could only call Daiyu repeatedly.

Daiyu was so annoyed by the noise that she stood up and scolded him, "You caused a scene yesterday, and now you're admitting your mistake again. It's always like this. Do I owe you anything? Do you deserve to provoke me?"

"Sister Lin, is she awake?" Baoyu pushed Nanny Wang aside, came forward with a smile, and apologized profusely: "Every fault is mine. I apologize to you. How about I take off my clothes and carry the whip on my back?"

Daiyu glanced at him sideways and said, "Why do you feel more relaxed now?"

Baoyu smiled and said, "The old lady said that I had no choice in that matter. And since you set such a harsh agreement, even if Brother Zhu were still alive, I'm afraid he would be sad."

He smiled, but he didn't believe that Chen Siyuan could pass the Shuntian Prefecture's provincial examination in one try.

Daiyu breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that she was still in a bad mood, Baoyu told her a few naughty jokes and jumped up and down to coax her. Only then did she gradually calm down.

After a long while, when Baoyu had left, Nanny Wang came over and said, "Miss, is this... revealed?"

Daiyu sighed, "What else can I do?"

Yes, that's the Treasure Heavenly King! As long as the old lady is around, no one dares to mess with her. He can do whatever he wants, and if he's unhappy, everyone has to appease him.

Daiyu was living under someone else's roof. How could this granddaughter compare to a precious grandson? Everyone knew that antagonizing the Heavenly King would lead to bad consequences. Even Daiyu was no exception!
If we don't ease the situation, I'm afraid the people below us will do something bad in the future.

Nanny Wang understood and sighed, "Young lady, please be patient. I think Brother Yuan is a man of great potential."

Daiyu nodded without saying anything.

Nanny Wang continued, "I'm going out of the house in a few days. Is there anything you want to take with you, young lady?"

Leaving the house was just an excuse. Xueyan was a servant, and it was not easy for her to leave the house at will, but wet nurses like Wang Ma were not subject to such restrictions. She said she was leaving the house, but in fact she was going to find Jia Yucun to report the news.

Daiyu's eyes fixed, and she nodded slowly: "You don't need to bring anything, just go ahead, Ma'am."

Nanny Wang went to see Jia Yucun and would certainly discuss the engagement. As Daiyu's teacher and Lin Ruhai's caregiver, Jia Yucun would certainly test Chen Siyuan.

I just don’t know whether Chen Siyuan can pass this test.

............................................................

Chen Siyuan received two invitations. This long-awaited first one was from the Mei family. They agreed to visit in three days.

Chen Siyuan breathed a sigh of relief after reading this. Since Prince Ping of Yan had mentioned that the Mei family had a secret method for the imperial examinations, then they must have one. He just didn't know what the method was.

Chen Siyuan, while possessing a knack for pretentiousness, would surely reveal his true colors when he finally took on the role. However, within the five-year period, even if he cheated and delayed for half a year, Chen Siyuan would only have two chances to take the provincial examination... and that was assuming he could graduate from the Imperial College within a year.

How to graduate from the Imperial College? It's simple, just accumulate eight points.

The first place in a monthly exam is worth one point, and the exam must be held in August, which means that Chen Siyuan must at least be the first in eight consecutive monthly exams, or the first in four monthly exams and the first in two quarterly exams.

Although there are many troublemakers in the Imperial College, there are also outstanding students sent from all over the country. How can it be easy to get the top score?
Maybe he should find a shortcut. But Jia She was busy building the Grand View Garden recently and had no time to recommend officials from the Imperial College.

With a sigh, Chen Siyuan put down the invitation and looked at the second one.

The second letter was from Xue Pan, with the date written below: the second day of the twelfth lunar month was to be the day for the banquet to celebrate his concubine's marriage.

Chen Siyuan blinked and secretly praised Liu Yan'er for her ability. She actually persuaded Xue Pan to hold a banquet and take in a concubine.

While he was thinking, he saw the little maid Yunxiang walk in with a pouty mouth and a droopy head. Chen Siyuan put down the invitation and asked with a smile, "Who has offended you again?"

Yunxiang pouted and said, "I just asked the maid to check and she said the reward money will be released next month."

The monthly allowance from the Rongguo Mansion used to be paid out at the beginning of the month, but now it was always delayed for more than ten days, sometimes even at the end of the month. Yunxiang gossiped privately, saying that Second Wife Wang Xifeng took the monthly allowance and lent it out, making a small profit every month.

This is just for show. Jia Lian is the heir to the title of Rongguo Mansion, and Wang Xifeng was married to him in a formal ceremony and carried in a sedan chair. Apart from anything else, the dowry given by the Wang family is enough for Fengjie's expenses. Why would she need to make such a useless payment?
At this moment, Feng Jieer is the housekeeper, and Mrs. Wang is in charge of the household on the surface, but in reality, the power of Rongguo Mansion is still in the hands of Lady Jia.

Rongguo Mansion was struggling to make ends meet, and Sister Feng couldn't possibly fill the gap herself. Lady Jia wouldn't lend her money, and Lady Wang was eager for trouble. Under these circumstances, what could Sister Feng do? Sister Feng was straightforward and disdained petty gains. She feared that the money she lent out was mostly to cover the deficit.

Huh? Yes.

According to Baozhu, Jia Qiang was responsible for the incident last August, and Jia Zhen later took the lead in admitting the losses. I don't know the value of the property, but since it was used to cover the losses, it's possible that the Jia family hasn't received any funds from the project this year. Wouldn't that mean they're short of money?
Chen Siyuan then asked, "Let me ask you, when did the monthly payment start to be delayed?"

The maid Yunxiang thought for a moment and said, "It seems like it's been delayed since October last year, then on time in January and February, and then started to be delayed again in March."

That can’t be wrong!
Before the maid Yunxiang could continue, Chen Siyuan said, "There's no reward from the mansion, so it's not easy for me to take the lead. Are you short of money?"

Yunxiang nodded aggrievedly and said, "I heard there was going to be a reward, so I asked someone to buy some rouge and powder, but who knew the reward would be moved to next month."

Chen Siyuan called out to her, and Liu Wuer came out of the study, went into the bedroom, and found a sandalwood box.

Chen Siyuan opened it, revealing the loose silver coins he had exchanged with Hongyu last time. He picked up one, estimating it to be around two taels, and tossed it to Yunxiang with a flick of his finger. "Use it for expenses first, and I'll deduct it when the reward is given."

Yunxiang immediately beamed and bowed, "Thank you, sir! I knew you were considerate." After sending Yunxiang away, Chen Siyuan looked at Liu Wu'er again, "Are you short of money?"

Liu Wu'er shook her head and said, "I don't need any. I'll just wait for the reward."

Chen Siyuan nodded and let him put the sandalwood box away. Liu Wu'er was secretly annoyed. She had read a lot of Chen Siyuan's poems and essays recently, and she felt that they were so delicious that she admired them deeply. But when it came to talking to the master, she didn't know how to express herself.

............................................................

Three days passed in a flash. That afternoon, Chen Siyuan dressed neatly, brought four gifts, and took a carriage from Rongguo Mansion to go directly to Mei Hanlin's house.

Arriving at the place, Chen Siyuan knocked on the door. Once again, it was the old family member who opened the door and immediately invited him into the back hall to wait. A moment later, Mei Chong came again and led Chen Siyuan to the main hall.

When Chen Siyuan entered the room, he saw a man sitting upright. He had a gaunt face, with gray beard and temples. He looked to be nearly sixty years old.

Chen Siyuan did not dare to neglect the conversation and stepped forward to greet him, saying, "This humble student greets Hanlin Mei."

Mei Yucheng smiled and said, "You are born with a good appearance, no wonder you were recommended by King Ping of Yan."

Chen Siyuan frowned inwardly. The country had already been founded for a hundred years, and male homosexuality was thriving. There were even brothels in the capital, and Mei Hanlin's words were subtly ironic.

Chen Siyuan stood up and said, "Sir, you misunderstood. I met Prince Yanping by chance and came up with a bad idea, which is how I got the prince's recommendation."

Hanlin Mei didn't care at all. He waved his hand and invited him to sit down, saying with a smile, "No matter what, it's not easy to be recommended by Prince Yanping. Three generations of my Mei family have been in the Hanlin Academy. It's glorious to say it out loud, and everyone says there's some secret method, but in reality, it's just stupid tricks."

Just as Chen Siyuan was about to speak, Mei Yucheng laughed and said, "Do you think I'm being too modest? Haha, Chong'er, bring me that booklet."

Mei Chong stood up and agreed, went into the study, and soon came out with a stack of books.

Mei Yucheng waved his hand: "Just take a look."

Chen Siyuan took the book and glanced through it. It was all handwritten. In addition to the annotations of the Four Books and Five Classics, there were also methods to solve each sentence below.

"this--"

Mei Hanlin said, "You believe it? It's a stupid method. Whether it's about cutting and pasting or ordinary chapters and sentences, if you do it more often, you will understand it clearly."

This is the tactic of doing a lot of questions!

Mei Hanlin added, "Eight-legged essays are not difficult. A talented person can be admitted to the Imperial Academy in their twenties. Even someone like me, who has no talent, can become a Imperial Academy by studying this booklet repeatedly before turning sixty."

Chen Siyuan was at a loss for words. He thought there really was some secret, but it turned out to be just a stupid method.

At this time, Mei Hanlin said, "I owe King Yanping a favor. Today I have repaid it, but I wonder if King Yanping will feel I was wronged in the future." He paused and continued, "I am currently compiling a book. How about this? You come every ten days. If there is anything you don't understand, I believe I can still give you some guidance."

With the 'secret manual' and Hanlin's guidance every ten days, what more could Chen Siyuan ask for? He immediately thanked Mei Yucheng solemnly.

Mei Yucheng had no intention of making friends, so he said a few words and then served tea to thank the guest.

Mei Chong was embarrassed and said as he said goodbye, "My father is obsessed with calendar calculations and is not good at socializing. Please don't mind, my friend Chen."

Chen Siyuan also realized that this Mei Hanlin really couldn't speak.

Xiaoxiao didn't care at the moment, so she left Mei's house and took a bus back with a thick stack of books.

Just as they entered the inner city, the carriage suddenly stopped.

Suddenly, someone in front of me said, "Excuse me, is that Chen Siyuan, Master Chen, in the car?"

The driver replied, "That's right. I wonder who this person is——"

Chen Siyuan parted the curtains and looked around. He saw a servant blocking the carriage. When he saw Chen Siyuan emerge, he bowed and said, "My master would like to invite you, Mr. Chen, for a moment—" Then he extended his hand and said, "It's in the teahouse in front."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, since arriving in the capital, he's rarely been seen in public except at Rongguo Mansion. This man revealed his identity so readily, could he be the servant of Prince Ping of Yan?

Not daring to be careless, he told the driver, jumped off the car, and followed the servant into the teahouse.

This teahouse has two floors. The lower floor is the lobby with scattered seats, and the upper floor has elegant seats separated by screens.

Chen Siyuan went upstairs and followed the servant to a private room in the corner. Turning the screen, Chen Siyuan glanced around and saw a man sitting behind a desk.

He was dressed in ordinary robes, but with official boots on his feet. He had a round waist and a thick back, a broad face and a square mouth, and sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, a straight nose and a powerful face. When he glanced at me, his expression was majestic without anger, and he was full of official airs.

Chen Siyuan's heart moved, and he had a vague guess. Just as he clasped his fists and was about to greet him, he saw the man waved his hand, indicating Chen Siyuan to sit down.

Chen Siyuan bowed in response and sat opposite the man without saying a word.

The man took a few glances, his expression softening slightly as he asked, "Is Zongyou's death anniversary coming up soon?"

Chen Siyuan said, "My father passed away on the 19th of the winter month. I'm afraid the magistrate may have misremembered it."

"Oh," the man nodded in understanding, and said, "I met Zongyou twice before, but we were separated and haven't seen each other since then."

After a pause, he continued, "Are you coming to the capital this time to change your nationality, skip the scholar examination at the Imperial College, and go directly to the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination?"

"Yes."

The man praised, "When you're in trouble, you'll think of change. That's right." He added, "I've heard you're quite talented, especially in poetry. Would you mind writing a poem about Jiangnan?"

Here it comes! Whether you can pass this person's test depends on this level.

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment, and after a while, he came up with an idea. He began to chant softly, "Jiangnan is beautiful, with a bright moon and green willow branches. The solitary lamp in the thatched cottage still weaves in the night, the flowing water under the plank bridge is quietly rising, and the fishing lights are a distant star."

After reciting the poem, he felt uneasy and just waited for the man to speak.

After a moment, the man muttered, "Fishing lights and a distant star... Good, you do have some talent. But in the end, art is not about literary talent; poetry is ultimately a minor art."

"Yes."

"I accept the promise made between my female disciple and you. As long as you pass the provincial examination, I will take care of everything!"

Chen Siyuan raised his eyes and saw the man's burning gaze.

(End of this chapter)