My Lord, my wife said she doesn't have time to talk to you.

The people from the county government asked some questions according to the procedure. Seeing that Manager Li didn't say a word, the waiter answered the questions of the yamen runners in a low voice. Afterwards, the yamen runners ordered the coroner to take the body to the charity cemetery for an autopsy before a final verdict could be made.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Shopkeeper Li was still kneeling on the river bank, staring at the river in a daze, wondering what he was thinking...

The atmosphere in the main hall of the imperial palace in the capital was solemn and dignified, and Prince Rui once again proposed the reform of the imperial examination with a determined look.

The Left Prime Minister also followed suit and expressed his approval. Emperor Wu, who was sitting in a high seat, listened quietly to the speeches of his ministers with sharp and deep eyes.

Looking at the ministers in the hall who all agreed to the motion, he thought secretly in his heart.

Then, Emperor Wu nodded slightly to the eunuch on the side.

The father-in-law understood what he meant and immediately stood up and carefully picked up the imperial edict that had been prepared long ago.

The eunuch unfolded the imperial edict, straightened his body, and read aloud in a clear voice: "In compliance with the will of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims that in the second year of Wu State, the development of the country requires the recruitment of talents. Therefore, it is decided to launch a one-year imperial examination system across the country. All talented scholars, regardless of their noble or humble origins, can participate in the imperial examination. This matter will be presided over by the Ministry of Rites, and it must be fair and just to select the truly virtuous. I hereby inform the world that I hope the students of Wu State will study hard, absorb wisdom from the sea of books, write brilliance with five-color pens, and compete for the title of trophy. I decree!"

When the ministers heard this, they all knelt on the ground and shouted, "Emperor Wu is wise!" The voices echoed in the hall, full of respect and loyalty.

Emperor Wu smiled, with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

After the court session, Prince Rui walked out of the palace gate, his heart filled with joy. Seeing Zuo Cheng walking in front of him, he hurried forward and said, "Lord Zuo Cheng, please stay."

When Zuo Cheng heard the voice, he quickly turned around and bowed to King Rui, and the two walked forward side by side.

King Rui smiled and said in a relaxed tone: "This imperial examination will definitely bring more opportunities to my Wu Kingdom. It is really exciting!" Zuo Cheng nodded slightly, "Indeed, there will be many outstanding people emerging in the court in the future, and my Wu Kingdom will become more prosperous because of this."

The two chatted all the way and unknowingly arrived at the palace gate.

At this time, King Rui stopped and said goodbye to Zuo Cheng.

Zuo Cheng quietly watched the carriage of King Rui going farther and farther away, thinking about something in his heart...

A few days later, the new scientific examination system was finally announced and posted.

The news quickly spread to all the major academies, and for a moment, many students cheered and were extremely excited.

They knew very well that this was a great opportunity to change their own destiny, so they worked even harder, studied diligently, and actively prepared for the upcoming imperial examination.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the month. The most talked about topics on the streets of Chang'an were the imperial examinations and the fact that Zuo Chengfu was about to marry the eldest daughter of the Bai family.

It was just dawn on the 29th day of the ninth lunar month, and the Zuo Cheng Mansion was filled with a festive atmosphere. The servants of the Shen Mansion were dressed in new clothes, all with happy faces, and were busy with their tasks in an orderly manner.

The entire courtyard of the Shen Mansion was covered in red silk brocade. Huge Chinese characters for "happiness" were posted on the eaves and corners of the corridors. Even the trees in the courtyard were hung with flowers cut from red silk. It looked like a sea of red flowers, which was extremely beautiful.

At this moment in Molan Pavilion, Huaying packed up early in the morning and came to her mother Chunhuayuan, and followed Shen's father, Shen's mother and brother to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors.

When she saw her elder brother wearing a bright red wedding suit, a top hat and a jade pendant around his waist, standing in the hall in a heroic manner, she couldn't help but feel moved.

After greeting his parents and elder brother, he turned his gaze to his eldest brother, smiled and said sincerely, "Congratulations, eldest brother. I wish you and sister-in-law a long and happy marriage."

Shen Nanxing, who was standing by, was serious for once and bowed to his elder brother earnestly, "Congratulations, brother, on your good day. May you be safe and happy, and may all your wishes come true."

Shen Nanting also returned a salute to them both. Mother Shen's eyes gradually became moist as she watched her children grow up. Realizing that today was a happy day, she quickly picked up an embroidered handkerchief to wipe her tears.

Together with Shen's father, he once again reminded Shen Nanting about the wedding arrangements and asked him not to be impolite.

The eldest brother agreed to all the requests, said goodbye to his parents, and led the wedding procession, riding on the tall and mighty horse.

For a moment, the drums and music were blaring, and firecrackers were blasting. It was so lively! People along the way stopped to watch, with smiles on their faces.

The wedding procession marched towards the Bai family like a long dragon.

At this moment, the servants of the Shen Mansion were making final preparations for the dinner. Huaying looked up at the gate again in the hall. Her mother smiled at her and said, "Don't worry. It will take some time for your brother to come back. If you feel bored, you can go for a walk in the garden."

Huaying smiled sheepishly and agreed, then took Qinghe to the garden. Looking at the happy faces in the yard, the corners of her mouth curled up, which really fits the saying "People feel refreshed when they encounter happy events."

Unconsciously, they arrived at their eldest brother's yard. Huaying slowly walked into the bridal chamber and looked at the bed covered with dried fruits symbolizing early birth of a son. She couldn't help but smile. Just as she turned around to leave, she caught a glimpse of a light blue skirt exposed from behind the gauze curtain.

Huaying walked slowly towards the gauze curtain out of curiosity, only to see a pretty woman with a white veil on her face and red eyes. She was slender and stood alone beside the gauze curtain. The wind from the window brushed her dress, making her look lonely and sad.

"Who are you and why are you in my eldest brother's bridal chamber?" Huaying was full of doubts and couldn't help but ask.

Today is the Shen Mansion's wedding. Yue Xing has been patrolling the surrounding area with guards for a few days to ensure the safety of the Shen Mansion. How did a woman like her get in?

The woman bowed her head slightly and saluted towards Huaying. "I am the legitimate daughter of General Li Wu in the court. I met you when you rescued me at the Spring Banquet. I heard that you were very happy today, so I wanted to come and see you." After she finished speaking, a tear fell on the white veil covering her face.

Huaying looked at the beautiful woman in front of her, chewing over the information she had said: the daughter of a military general, the one who came to the rescue at the Spring Banquet, and appeared in the bridal chamber, while the guests did not come to the Shen Mansion for the wedding banquet until dusk. Thinking of her elder brother's indifference when he first learned that the Bai family's eldest daughter had returned to Beijing, Huaying suddenly understood something.

He returned the greeting to the woman and said, "So you are Sister Li. A guest is a guest. Please follow me to the hall and wait."

The woman's eyes revealed a trace of attachment. She slowly looked at everything in the bridal chamber and said lightly, "I am sorry to be disturbed by your presence. I have already participated after seeing it. I will leave soon. Please give me some convenience, Miss Shen."

Huaying sighed secretly, smiled and said, "Miss, please make yourself at ease."

The woman walked to the door and flew out of the courtyard. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared from sight, leaving only a faint fragrance...