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

Wine is a wonderful thing. The four young scholars were actually quite reserved just now, but after a few cups of wine, they became more talkative and bolder.

In his drunken revelry, he couldn't help but make some bold pronouncements, saying that he would definitely pass the imperial examination this time, that he would definitely realize his ambitions in this life, and that if he became an official in the future, he would definitely not associate with insects and worms, but would definitely serve the people and bring benefits to the region.

After the Poetry Gathering at Yanchun Pavilion, Ning Nan's alcohol tolerance had improved considerably, far surpassing theirs. At the table, he drank and chatted idly with a smile.

In the middle of the night, Cui Cui's wife returned from the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) office.

Upon entering the main hall, I went to greet her and introduced my new classmates to her.

Cui Cui, who is always aloof and rarely smiles.

At this moment, she revealed a smile that Ning Nan had almost never seen before, and even performed a Jiangnan lady's curtsy, saying, "This humble servant greets all my fellow students."

Cui Cui was already incredibly beautiful, with a delicate oval face that could launch a thousand ships.

At this moment, her smile transformed her from a snow lotus of the Tianshan Mountains into a peony in the blink of an eye, leaving Ning Nan somewhat stunned... wondering if he could spend some time farming with this peony-like Cui Cui tonight.

He was somewhat dazed, let alone the young scholars.

The faces of the group turned bright red, and they stammered, unable to utter a word. It was the fat man, with his eyes half-closed, who called out, "Greetings, Sister-in-law!" Only then did the group react, bowing repeatedly and greeting the fat man with "Greetings, Sister-in-law!"

Cui Cui's wife smiled slightly, then went to the backyard to eat, without disturbing them in the main hall.

Before leaving, from an angle unseen by others, Cui Cui rolled her eyes at Ning Nan, moved her lips, and said: "Drink less."

Ning Nan then opened his mouth wide and breathed a breath of alcohol onto her.

The smell of alcohol blurred her vision.

In an instant, Peony Cui Cui's eyes shot at him like bullets.

Fortunately, there were guests at home, so she couldn't have a breakdown.

All she could do was send out a barrage of bullets through her eyes and two pink lips, leaving behind the words: "We'll see tonight."

Ning Nan curled her lip: "Who's afraid of who!"

When Ning Nan returned to the table, he was met with five incredibly resentful faces.

"Brother Ning," Zhao Jing said, his eyes red with suppressed emotion, but he couldn't speak for a long time. After saying "Hey!" he suddenly poured a bowl of wine into his mouth!

Chu Pangzi looked at Ning Nan with resentment, but by this time he had drunk quite a bit. After raising his glass and saying "Your dad is so envious," he slumped down, feeling dizzy.

Ning Nan hadn't even had a chance to curse back before he could only forgive him like a grandson.

Zou Tianju and Tang Lianbin smiled wryly and toasted him, no longer making any grand pronouncements, seemingly drinking alone in silence.

Although the youngest, Zuo Yong, also envied him for having a wife as beautiful as a fairy, his jealousy was not as intense as that of the others.

The warmed rice wine tasted excellent. He drank it until he was tipsy and very happy, with a satisfied expression. Although he was still young, it was already clear that he was a wine lover.

After finishing two jars, Ning Nan asked Steward Wang, who said he had a collection of wine at home, so Ning Nan asked him to bring out another jar.

It was almost midnight when the young scholar finally passed out from drinking.

After arranging the guest rooms, Steward Wang ordered his servants to carry the guests to the guest rooms and settle them in.

The others were easy to move, but the fat guy and his group couldn't lift it. They were sweating profusely and could only move it a short distance with all their might.

Fortunately, Sanzhuang returned at that moment.

Ning Nan asked Xiu Xiu for help and found several mentors for San Zhuang within the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Some teach fist and foot techniques, some teach sticks, and some teach swords. Try them all, see which one suits you best, and then choose the one you want to learn last.

I didn't expect that we would practice until so late today, and that it was already curfew before the Imperial Guards sent us back.

Ningnan asked the cook to prepare some food for him.

San Zhuang said with a pained expression, "Big brother, can I not go tomorrow?" He raised both hands and shook them; his forearms and wrists were limp. "My hands are about to fall apart."

Ning Nan pointed to Fatty Chu, who was snoring on the ground. Four servants were standing beside Fatty Chu, catching their breath. Ning Nan said, "Don't worry about tomorrow for now. Help me get him to the guest room."

"Oh." San Zhuang nodded.

He stood up, walked over, grabbed the fat man by the collar, and headed towards the guest room.

Manager Wang and several servants stared in astonishment at the tall, burly figure, speechless for a long time.

"Keep practicing." Ning Nan pursed his lips.

With a physique like that, it would be a shame not to train.

The maid Qiu Mu ran over with a flushed face and said that the madam had already taken a bath and returned to her room, and the master's hot water was ready.

Ning Nan took a breath and gave a long "hmm".

When I returned to my room feeling refreshed after my bath, I found that Cui Cui's wife had already huddled under the covers.

Tonight is a little different.

When Ning Nan realized his mistake, he was already dying...

The previously passive Tianshan snow lotus Cui Cui has truly transformed into peony Cui Cui tonight.

Fiery red and extremely irritable, Ningnan has been at a disadvantage in its confrontation with Mudan Cuicui.

I don't know how much time passed.

Cui Cui said, "Do you know you were wrong?"

Ning Nan buried her head in the pillow, her voice trailing off weakly, "Mmm...mmm...wrong...wrong..."

……

Life in Nanjing is gradually getting back on track.

I get up before dawn, see my wife Cui Cui off to work, then go back to my room for a short nap before getting up again to go to Taiping Private School.

In the private school, his writing of the eight-legged essay improved more and more.

Old Huang is indeed quite capable. His initial introduction and development of the topic were good, but his later sections on the initial and middle parts were a bit lacking.

Old Huang then gave him some examples and told him to start by practicing the stock market. He was to memorize some model essays written by successful candidates in the imperial examinations and then practice on the same topics. After a few days of practice, he found it quite difficult and unfamiliar at first, but he quickly became proficient.

In the first few days, his essays were not as good as those of Zhao Jing and others, but after ten days of practice, they gradually became comparable to those of Zhao Jing and Zuo Yong.

And on that very day, exciting news arrived for the candidates—

On July 29th, Prince Xin will hold a ceremony at Xiaoling Mausoleum to worship his ancestors and inform Heaven, officially becoming the Crown Prince.

On August 29th, Prince Xin officially ascended the throne and became emperor.

On the third day after his ascension to the throne, September 1, he held a grand imperial examination.

In early September, county-level examinations were officially held in various regions.

This message has been officially documented and proclaimed to the world; it cannot be changed.

On this day, Taiping Private School and even the entire city of Nanjing were filled with jubilation.

But soon, the joyful atmosphere turned into endless tension and anxiety.

When the rumors became reality, along with the joy, pressure also pressed down like a mountain.

With less than two months until the county examination, everyone was naturally incredibly nervous.

On such a day, Ningnan took leave.

He needs to go back to Lijia Village.

"We're leaving tomorrow," Ning Nan said to Cuicui's wife while picking up some food. "On one hand, Er Lai wrote to say that he's hired a few more servants. He said they're quite good, and they'll feel at ease after I sign their contracts. On the other hand..."

Ning Nan paused, then frowned and said, "Li Baoxin sent our village head, Li He, to deliver a message saying that there's still a problem with my household registration. According to the law, he might be needed to issue a permit or something during the county examination later. He told me to go back and check it out so I can resolve the matter as soon as possible."