After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

As the saying goes, one should not refuse a gift from an elder. If this old man had given him gold or silver ingots, or even a house like Master Zhu had, he would have gladly accepted it without hesitation. But this old man had suddenly decided to bestow a marriage upon him. Ning Nan gritted his teeth, and the image of his aloof yet skilled martial artist wife, Cui Cui, naturally came to mind. He could only politely decline the old man's offer.

Since Cui Cui's wife hadn't explicitly stated that their marriage was a joke, he could only proceed step by step, as agreed in the marriage certificate, inviting relatives and friends to a grand wedding on June 28th, and bringing her home in a lively procession with eight sedan chairs.

If the other party really changes their mind before the wedding and doesn't want to marry... well... then we'll have to wait and see if this little vixen is planning to become a nun and never marry again. Otherwise, it's really hard to imagine what kind of bastard could possibly be better than me.

Thinking about it this way, things become simple... He truly has no chance with the Minister's granddaughter.

He wondered if the old man was so desperate for a husband that he was trying to seduce her... After thinking it over, Ning Nan chuckled to himself... Ha... Who the hell do you think you are, looking down on the Minister's granddaughter?

"...Thank you for your kind offer, sir," Ning Nan awkwardly flashed a white smile, setting the tone for refusal. "My wife...though we are not yet officially engaged, please allow me to address my fiancée as such...My wife is just a daughter from an ordinary family, and we are well-matched in terms of social standing. My mother is also very satisfied with her...Your grandniece comes from a distinguished family of a high-ranking official, and I...truly dare not presume to be worthy of her..."

He deliberately bowed slightly to express his gratitude, then said with a wry smile and self-deprecation, "I know my own limitations. The imperial examination is no small matter. As a commoner, I dare to speak of the examination; I am far from being able to even begin to grasp it... It would not be uncommon for me to fail the examination for three years, ten years, or even for life... Moreover—"

He forced a smile, a little guilty, and said, "My wife and I are childhood sweethearts, we've known each other since we were young, and we're deeply in love. By the grace of our parents and the words of a matchmaker, we've happily married... I'm overjoyed... and I truly dare not let anyone down..."

After spouting a few flowery, literary phrases, Ning Nan's teeth clenched a little sourly, but her tone was very sincere. "Better to tear down ten temples than break up one marriage"—in that case, it shouldn't be considered disrespecting the leader, right?

As for whether they are mutually attracted or not... he blinked twice, not knowing what the woman was thinking, but... let's just say it like this for now!

"Childhood sweethearts...a perfect match..." Gu Xichuan's lips curled into a strange smile as he looked at the junior advisor opposite him, his eyes narrowing slightly as he softly repeated the phrase.

"Hmm—" Ning Nan deliberately feigned a shy expression typical of young people, lowered his eyes, and pursed his lips.

Gu Xichuan chuckled and said, "Since that's the case, then very well, this old man will not play the villain."

Ning Nan immediately feigned fear and said, "You flatter me, my lord. I am not fortunate enough to have such an honor."

Gu Xichuan smiled and asked Ning Nan in detail about the ambush of Xiao Chun at Shili Gorge and the great victory at Black Tiger Mountain. Ning Nan answered him one by one.

Finally, Gu Xichuan told another strange piece of news, which made Ning Nan raise an eyebrow.

"Chen Mu of the Beijing Garrison did not rebel; he was captured by bandits and hidden in a cave... He has been found. Chen Mu's official document and gold tally were stolen, and the one who came to Li Family Village was a fake Chen Mu impersonated by the bandits."

Ning Nan opened his mouth, and it took him a while to process the news.

"Could it be that the fake Chen Mu was in disguise?" Ning Nan asked, frowning. Theoretically speaking, with Qin Yuanyao's abilities, she shouldn't have been unable to tell whether this person was the real Chen Mu or not.

However, nothing is absolute. With the official document and the golden talisman, the female commander might not have noticed.

Unfortunately, I blew Chen Mu's head off at the time, so I couldn't perform an autopsy to see if the person was in disguise. But judging from the scene, even if the other party wasn't the real Chen Mu, he shouldn't have been an unknown nobody.

The opponent raised his long spear and hurled it, instantly shattering Xiuxiu's shield. Such terrifying strength! He must be a seasoned general!

Gu Xichuan pondered for a moment and said, "It's not clear yet... The Ministry of Justice has already imprisoned Chen Mu. The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and even the Five Military Commissions are all investigating. The truth will come out sooner or later... You don't need to worry too much about this."

Ning Nan nodded and hummed in agreement, understanding what the other party meant... There was no need to worry that the imperial court was a sieve, not to the point that no one in the entire court could be trusted... But when he thought of Qiu Guang from Yunhu Camp last night, his brows still furrowed, and he did feel somewhat uneasy about the imperial court.

At this point, Ning Nan also handed over the bronze plaque that Da Hei had given him the night before, saying that it had been found on Xiao Chun's horse.

On the bronze plaque, one side is engraved with the character "坎" (kǎn), and the other side is engraved with the eight characters "身虽草芥，欲踏凌霄" (shēn suī cǎo jiè, yù tà líng xiāo).

Gu Xichuan's eyes narrowed. He picked up the bronze medal, flipped it over, glanced at it a few times, and then placed it on the desk without making a sound. He asked Ning Nan, "What do you think?"

Ning Nan shook his head frankly, saying that he didn't recognize all the characters and didn't know what they meant. He said he might have to consult a great scholar... Well, he declined to answer any questions, so as not to be conscripted.

Gu Xichuan didn't intend to continue conscripting him, he just smiled and said, "This is the Small Seal script that became popular only in the Qin and Han dynasties. Since you don't know it, then forget it."

Ning Nan immediately felt relieved and then smiled as he flattered Governor Gu, saying that he was indeed a great Confucian scholar of our time.

Gu Xichuan laughed and scolded, "I heard from Commander Qin that you are skilled in Yi Ya's art, and you are meticulous about the finest food and the most exquisite dishes. But while you can cook and eat well, you should not learn Yi Ya's flattery skills."

Ning Nan chuckled awkwardly. Yi Ya was an extremely skilled cook during the Spring and Autumn Period. In order to flatter Duke Huan of Qi, he cooked his own son and made a dish for Duke Heng of Qi, which almost scared Duke Heng to death.

Ning Nan smiled and said, "Mingtai's lesson is well-deserved."

Immediately, Gu Xichuan waved his hand, signaling him to leave first.

Ning Nan had just stepped out of the room.

A maidservant stepped forward and led him to a room to sit down, and even had someone serve him a cup of tea.

Looking at the sky, it was almost noon.

After finishing her tea, the young maidservant, her face slightly flushed, stepped forward, curtsied, and said sullenly, "Young master, the governor said that the kitchen has been cleared out for you."

Although the maid was young, she had been a maid since childhood and had learned a lot of etiquette and manners from various grandmothers. This was the first time she had encountered a situation where the master invited guests to cook in the kitchen.

Ning Nan seemed to understand, nodded, rolled up her sleeves, and smiled at the maid, saying, "Please lead the way, young lady."

As soon as I stepped into the yard where the kitchen was located, the sound of chopping vegetables came from inside.

Ning Nan frowned... Didn't they say there was no one inside?

Upon entering the kitchen, I saw a slender figure dressed in emerald green chopping vegetables. Her exposed forearms were as white as snow, and her chopping technique was extremely skillful.

As Ning Nan entered, she happened to turn her gaze over, and a cool, oval face came directly into Ning Nan's view.

"Uh..." He paused, then leaned forward to look at Cui Cui, who was already preparing the dishes, and said, "Shall I help you?"

Cui Cui pursed her pink lips, shook her head, and said in a gentle yet indifferent voice, "No... you cook this meal."

As if making a negotiated promise, she raised her chin and said, "I'll cook dinner when we get back to Lijia Village tonight."