The sickly son died young? After the marriage exchange, I will bring prosperity to his entire clan f

She stammered as she explained, "I... I often visit the Wen family mansion. My aunt and great-aunt always tell me to treat the Wen family mansion as my own home. I often help entertain guests at the Wen family mansion, so my action just now was subconscious and I didn't think about it."

Du Mingxian understood the implied meaning in the tea and immediately stood up with a face full of apology. "I'm sorry, you know, I've never been taught anything since I was little, unlike you who, despite having the surname Cheng, can receive many benefits from the Wen family. I didn't know that the Wen family was your Cheng family. I was wrong just now. Ignorance is no excuse, please forgive me?"

Everyone knows how to appreciate the essence of tea, and I do too.

Cheng Jinyun's expression changed several times. She wanted to say a few more words, but Wen Shiyan immediately stepped forward happily, "Cousin, she has already apologized, so don't be upset."

Cheng Jinyun: "..." Is this idiot helping her or deliberately talking about her?

Her suspicions vanished the moment she met the other woman's clear yet foolish gaze; this cousin had truly been raised into a useless piece of trash by her aunt.

The atmosphere became awkward for a moment, but Wen Shiyan didn't notice. She even ran to the window to look out, somewhat regretfully, "I wonder when the top scholar will parade through the streets on horseback."

Cheng Jinyun didn't want to be angry with Du Mingxian either. There would be plenty of opportunities to get revenge later. So she naturally went over and started chatting with Wen Shiyan. "What's the big deal? Just send someone to guard the palace gate. Once the person comes out, they can run back to inform us, and then we can go guard the window. We'll have plenty of time."

"Yes, yes, my cousin is so smart. I'll send someone over right away." Wen Shiyan ran out.

The large private room was now empty except for the two of them. At first, neither of them spoke, but Cheng Jinyun eventually got bored and took the initiative to speak first, "I'm a month older than you, so you can call me cousin like Shiyan does."

"Is this...appropriate?"

“There’s nothing inappropriate about it. Even if we consider you as my great-aunt, you still call me cousin.”

"Cousin." Du Mingxian wasn't bothered by it. What did it matter what kind of address it was? Look at how conflicted Cheng Jinyun was, constantly trying to win her over.

“Cousin.” Cheng Jinyun happily agreed, and after carefully observing Du Mingxian, she said, “Cousin Huan’er, there are no outsiders here, you can take off your veil.”

Du Mingxian deliberately lowered her head in a flustered manner, touched the injured side of her face with her hand, and finally murmured, "I'm fine, so I won't take it for now."

Cheng Jinyun wanted to persuade her again, but Wen Shiyan returned from outside and said, "I've already sent the driver. We can just wait for news here."

"You just gave me an order, why did it take you so long?"

"I ran into someone I didn't like, and we exchanged a few words before I came back," Wen Shiyan didn't mention.

Du Mingxian couldn't guess, but Cheng Jinyun did. However, after glancing at Du Mingxian, she asked softly, "Is it her?"

"Ugh, how annoying. She lives right next door to us, dressed like a peacock. She's only good because she's on good terms with the princess. Otherwise, with her status, how would she have the right to talk to me?"

"Why are you arguing with her? If she goes to the princess and complains, the princess will come looking for you again."

Recalling some unpleasant memories, Wen Shiyan instantly became unhappy. She leaned closer to Cheng Jinyun and whispered in her ear, "She actually came to me and said that this time she's going to be very selective. The princess has promised her that if she chooses someone, the princess will help her. How can I not be angry?"

"Mother said that if there are talented people with average family backgrounds this time, she would keep them for me, and if they are better off, she would give them to you, cousin. What right does she have? Just because of her relationship with the princess?"

Du Mingxian was speechless at the two's childish and deliberately exclusionary behavior, so she simply got up and walked directly to the window to stand and look at the scenery outside.

There were many people downstairs, coming and going, with vendors shouting and bargaining, creating a lively and pleasant atmosphere.

After an unknown amount of time, there was a knock on the door. The maidservant standing guard at the door opened it, and the coachman stood there panting heavily. "They're here. The parade is about to begin."

That sound really ignited the atmosphere in the private room.

Wen Shiyan and Cheng Jinyun, disregarding their image, rushed to the window, both with excited smiles on their faces. "I want to be the first to see it."

Du Mingxian didn't move when she saw the two of them crowding her. Wen Shiyan, seeing that she couldn't squeeze through, simply moved closer to Cheng Jinyun.

The window is quite large; there's really no need to squeeze in. I have no idea what those two ladies were thinking.

Du Mingxian's face beneath the veil was filled with joy; her heart was racing and her palms were sweating.

A person was running past on the street outside, shouting repeatedly.

"Top Scholar: Chen Zhe, Second Scholar: Wang Taohong, Third Scholar: Qi Ji."

"Top Scholar: Chen Zhe, Second Scholar: Wang Taohong, Third Scholar: Qi Ji."

Du Mingxian watched as people ran over, shouting. The windows on the second floor of every shop were full of people, one or two of them excitedly holding purses, handkerchiefs and other items, thinking that they would throw them at the people they liked. If any of the three people below were interested, they would catch the things thrown down by the girls in public, and many of them would end up becoming a couple.

The two people beside him were also holding purses and excitedly looked to the side.

At this moment, Chuntao stepped forward excitedly.

Du Mingxian noticed her small step instantly. She turned around and looked in the direction Chun Tao was looking. She saw several young men at a window on the second floor of the teahouse diagonally opposite.

However, she recognized one of them, the future emperor, though he was much younger now and lacked the imposing presence he would have when he sat on the throne many years later.

She didn't recognize the other people either, and didn't know who they were.

Just then, a procession came along the street, led by officials carrying red tents. The procession was quite impressive. From afar, Du Mingxian spotted the man riding on the side.

The man she had been longing for day and night had finally come, and he had indeed passed the exam. But could she throw things away?

Cheng Jinyun, who had been perfectly fine, turned her head and noticed that Du Mingxian had nothing in her hands. She frowned and said, "Cousin Huan'er, why don't you have anything in your hands? What are you going to throw it with?"

"I... forgot to prepare," she said somewhat embarrassedly.

Cheng Jinyun turned to look at Chuntao, "You silly girl, how can you serve her like this? You don't even know how to prepare everything. What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go prepare for your master."

Chun Tao snapped out of her daze and looked at Du Mingxian somewhat shyly. Perhaps because she had just seen her mistress, she was happy and immediately nodded in agreement, "Yes, this servant will go right away."

After Chun Tao left, Du Mingxian suddenly felt that Cheng Jinyun wasn't so particularly annoying after all. She deliberately pointed to the window that Chun Tao had been looking at earlier, "Cousin, you've seen a lot in Beijing, do you know who's in each of those private rooms?"

Cheng Jinyun looked over and became even more excited when she saw the people inside. "Shiyan, look quickly, look quickly! All the princes are there, not one missing. Oh my, this is the first time I've seen them all together. I'm so excited, what should I do?"