Traveling to an ancient peasant family: I got rich by doing business

If Xie Youlan's face wasn't so easy to recognize, Li Yu would have thought he had recognized the wrong person.

But why?

Clearly, when she saw Xie Youlan the night before, her complexion was still fine. It had only been two days, so how could it be like this?

Several possibilities flashed through Li Yu's mind in an instant.

Princess Jianing also saw Xie Youlan. She was stunned for a moment, then muttered, "Has she not rested these days? Her face is as pale as a ghost. Could it be that she can't sleep because she's been suppressed by me recently?"

Li Yu organized his words and said, "It shouldn't be. It's probably related to the two sons of the Changqing Marquis's Mansion participating in the imperial examination."

Princess Jianing immediately looked disdainful, "Just Xie Youlan's brother and cousin? If it weren't for the Great Yu's law that allowed students from the Imperial Academy to skip the county and provincial examinations and directly participate in the metropolitan examination, they probably wouldn't even be able to pass the examination to become a scholar. Why are they still participating in the metropolitan examination? They don't even look in the mirror to see what kind of character they are!"

When it comes to this, Li Yu said, "It is said that the Marquis' Mansion is hereditary and males do not need to take the imperial examinations. Why do the two sons of the Marquis' Mansion of Changqing want to take the examinations?"

"I don't know." Princess Jianing said, "Who knows what Earl Changqing is thinking."

As the two were talking, the carriage slowly turned a corner and Xie Youlan's figure disappeared.

Princess Jianing was silent.

After a while, she said, "It's getting late, and I should go back to the palace. Let's stop here."

Li Yu saw through her intention, but didn't expose her. He smiled faintly and said, "Okay."

*

Inside the carriage of the Marquis of Changqing’s mansion.

The car hit something and shook violently. Xie Youlan lost her balance and her back and arms hit the car wall hard.

A piercing pain spread from her arm, her brows furrowed, and cold sweat oozed from her forehead.

The accompanying maid anxiously helped her sit up, "Miss, how are you, are you okay?"

Xie Youlan shook her head, her lips pale, "It's already this time, what else can happen?"

"Master and Madam are really too much!" The maid's eyes were full of tears. "You believed all the nonsense. It was obviously all fake, but they insisted on letting you try it. You lost so much blood, how long will it take for you to recover?"

There was still a driver outside, and Xie Youlan scolded him, "Shut up, don't say anything if you don't want to get beaten when you go back."

After she finished speaking, a mocking smile escaped from the corners of her lips, and her voice was barely audible: "When have they ever cared about me? No matter how well I do, I am just a pawn. My cousin and brother are their lifeblood."

So in order to help their cousin and younger brother pass the exam, they believed the nonsense of a Taoist priest and wanted to refine a high-school medicine using her blood.

If she was not from the Changqing Marquis's Mansion, if she was not grateful for their kindness in raising her, if she did not want her sisters to have trouble finding a good family in the future, she would have spread the news of what they had done long ago.

Next to her, the maid couldn't hold back any longer and burst into tears. People outside said that the eldest daughter of the Changqing Marquis's mansion was both talented and beautiful, and they praised her with all their praises. In fact, she didn't want the eldest daughter to have such a good reputation at all.

Because of this reputation, whenever the monks and Taoists tell fortunes for masters, ladies and young men, they always bring the older girls with them. In the end, it is the older girls who suffer.

Like this time, the monk said that as long as the eldest girl prayed, the second and third sons would be able to pass the imperial examination. The Taoist priest said that the two sons would be able to pass the imperial examination if they took the elixir made with the eldest girl's blood, so the uncle and his wife tried their best to torment the eldest girl.

At this time, the carriage stopped.

"What's wrong?" Xie Youlan asked.

"Miss, Princess Jia... Princess Jianing is in front."

Xie Youlan paused for a moment, then slowly lifted the car curtain.

*

Princess Jianing stared at Xie Youlan, then frowned and asked, "How many days have you not rested?"

Xie Youlan: "My princess, are you concerned about me? Aren't you afraid of being outshined by me?"

Princess Jianing got angry for a moment and shouted, "Who cares about you? And how can you be better than me? My hot pot restaurant is the most popular in Beijing these days. I cook better than you!"

"Yes, the princess is doing better than me now, but I will catch up in the future."

Princess Jianing: "......"

The wound on her arm seemed to have split open. Thinking of the blood seeping from her clothes, Xie Youlan smiled at Princess Jianing and said, "Doesn't Princess dislike me? You suddenly came here now. Do you still consider me a friend?"

Princess Jianing exploded: "Xie Youlan, you schemed against me a few years ago, I don't consider you a friend!"

After she finished speaking, she lowered the curtain and told the driver to leave, "Go back to the palace."

Xie Youlan watched the car leave, sat back, rolled up her sleeves and looked at her arm. Sure enough, the wound was bleeding again.

The maid hurriedly found a clean cloth to bandage her.

*

After lunch, Li Yu and his companions returned to wait outside the Imperial Examination Hall.

At this time, there were still two hours left before the end of the first round of the examination.

After seeing another candidate being carried out, Han Xiaomei anxiously turned around in circles.

Li Yu held her down and said, "Don't move, or you'll get dizzy."

Han Xiaomei said: "I'm scared."

Li Yu held her hand instead, "What are you afraid of? Your third brother can do it."

Although she expressed her concern, she secretly felt that Han Zheng could at least get through the first two games.

*

Han Zheng was indeed fine.

In the past two years, in addition to studying every day, he has also exercised diligently, and his health is much better than before.

So when the first game was over, except for some discomfort in his waist and back from sitting for too long, there were no other problems.

When the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall opened, he went out carrying his examination basket and his quilt on his back.

There were more than 5,000 people participating in this examination. Everyone walked out together, and the road outside was crowded with people in a short time.

Han Zheng searched for a long time before he saw Li Yu and Han Xiaomei.

He waved to them and walked towards them.

"Second sister-in-law, Xiaomei."

"You must be tired." Li Yu took his exam basket, "Go home first, and we'll talk about the rest after we get home."

Han Zheng nodded.

*

In the private residence, Mr. Su had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Han Zheng coming back, he asked him to clean up first.

"Don't rush to tell me the test questions. The most important thing for you now is to tidy up your appearance."

Han Zheng bowed to him and turned back to his room.

Li Yu put down the things and took Han Xiaomei to the kitchen to cook.

The cook was preparing the food, and when she saw Li Yu coming, she immediately made room for her. Li Yu didn't hesitate, washed her hands, took the knife and started cutting vegetables.

Both sides were busy and had dinner at 7:30 p.m.

*

After dinner, Mr. Su took Han Zheng to the study to talk, and Li Yu went to the kitchen to prepare food for Han Zheng for the next three days, with Han Xiaomei helping him.

Lu Xuan and Si'er were fine, so they stood outside waiting for Li Yu's arrangements.

Everything is in order.

Soon, it was midnight again.

Li Yu and Lu Xuan sent Han Zheng to the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall again. Unlike three days ago, the atmosphere today was a bit agitated, with many examinees gathered together, their expressions revealing strangeness.