Female Supremacy and Rise to Power: Lin Shu's Imperial Examination Adventures

The next day.

Lin Shu got up early and first went to the clinic to ask a doctor to examine Song Ling.

Inside Song Ling's room.

"This is a minor ailment, but not a serious one. Although it cannot be cured, as long as you keep warm, you should be fine. I will prescribe two doses of medicine for this lady. Take them for half a month, and she will recover completely," the female doctor said after taking Song Ling's pulse.

"Thank you." Lin Shu paid the consultation fee and had the servant drive the carriage back to take the person home, and also retrieve the medicinal herbs.

As soon as she turned around, she saw Song Yun with dark circles under his eyes, looking at her with a resentful expression.

Lin Shu asked in confusion, "A-Yun?"

When Song Yun saw Lin Shu notice him, he pouted and said, "Hmph!" Then he went back to his room without looking back.

Lin Shu: ...? ? ? A man's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.

……

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the hazy morning mist dissipated, and the earth once again revealed its magnificent colors.

After tidying up their home and locking the courtyard gate, the Lin family boarded two carriages, one for men and one for women. Along the way, only the crisp sound of horses' hooves and the creaking of the carriages could be heard.

They finally arrived in Yun County at Chenshi (7-9 AM) and entered the county smoothly. Lin Shu found an inn for them to stay in, and then took the things she bought to the Li residence.

"Please inform them that Lin Shu has come to visit," Lin Shu said to the gatekeeper as she alighted from the carriage.

The gatekeeper told her to wait a moment and hurried inside to inform the gatekeeper. A short while later, he returned with a woman dressed as a maid.

"Miss Lin, please come with me." The maid bowed and said.

As the maidservant walked in, the artificial hills were arranged in a pleasing manner, and the babbling streams were melodious. The scenery was pleasant and beautiful.

The maid led him to the main hall and reported:

"Master, Lord, Miss Lin has arrived."

"come in."

When Lin Shu entered, she found that everyone in the Li family was there. Li's mother and father were sitting at the head of the table, while Li Yun'er and Li Huanzhi were sitting to their right and to their left. To their left were Li's mother's two other servants.

Handing the gifts she brought to the servant who came to fetch her, Lin Shu bowed and clasped her hands in greeting: "Junior Lin Shu greets all elders. Please forgive my sudden visit today."

"Hey sis, you're here! What did you bring?" Li Yun'er had been itching to come. She had wanted to go out and greet Lin Shu as soon as she heard she was coming, but her mother had stopped her...

Madam Li first glared at Li Yun'er, then, seeing Lin Shu's proper manners and appropriate behavior, she was filled with satisfaction and said, "No need for formalities. I've heard that you've taken good care of my Li family's children, and I haven't had a chance to thank you yet. How about this, let's have dinner at your home today, and I'll do my best to be a good host."

Lin Shu nodded in agreement.

Later, Li's mother tested Lin Shu many times, but Lin Shu remained calm, which surprised Li's mother's other two servants. Did this mistress intend to marry Huanzhi to Lin Shu?

Seeing that Lin Shu was a serious and reserved person, Madam Li was quite satisfied, though she didn't show it on her face. She added, "Not bad, not bad. There's still a while. We've just finished eating, so let Huanzhi show you around the mansion."

Lin Shu was surprised. She glanced at Li's mother, then at Li Huanzhi, whose face was flushed with embarrassment. Now she truly understood. It seemed her earlier feeling was correct; this young master of the Li family probably had feelings for her…

And so, Li Huanzhi led Lin Shu out of the main hall. Li Yun'er was about to follow when her mother called out to her, "Yun'er, come with me to the study. I'll test your knowledge." With that, she walked toward the study on her own.

Li Yun'er didn't know what had gotten into her mother today, what was there to test her about? So she said, "Mother, Lin Shu finally came, what's there to test? Besides, you're probably not even as good as me!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Li's mother turned her head and glared at her fiercely. She felt guilty and looked up at the sky and down at the ground, but avoided looking at her.

"Follow!"

If you dare to bother your brother, you're dead.

Li Yun'er didn't want to go and looked pleadingly at her father, who gave her a helpless expression. Reluctantly, Li Yun'er could only follow behind her mother.

Here, Li Huanzhi and his companion had already arrived at the pavilion next to the waterside pavilion. Lin Shu even looked back, but Li Yun'er hadn't followed.

Seeing the somewhat awkward atmosphere between the two, Li Huanzhi asked, "Miss Lin, what are your plans after you go to the prefectural city? Are you going to rent or buy a house?"

Lin Shu glanced at Li Huanzhi. He had clearly dressed up specially today, wearing the most fashionable blue willow gauze dress, his hair was tied up and adorned with a light blue hairpin, and a blue gemstone forehead ornament. Paired with his slightly upturned fox eyes and purple pupils, he was elegant yet alluring, and very beautiful.

The blue outfit suited Lin Shu quite well. But... Lin Shu felt that this color didn't suit him; instead, she preferred his usual purple, which she thought was mysterious and noble.

Li Huanzhi felt a little shy and uneasy when he saw Lin Shu staring at him. He wondered if she had noticed his clothes today.

"What is Miss Lin looking at?" Li Huanzhi couldn't help but ask.

“Young Master Li looks very handsome today.” Lin Shu looked at him intently and added, “However, I think your usual clothes would suit you better.”

Upon hearing this, Li Huanzhi's face turned pale. Was this a rejection?

Seeing Li Huanzhi's expression, Lin Shu knew that her words might have been misunderstood, so she added, "What I mean is, young master, your eyes are extremely beautiful." The implication was that you would look extremely beautiful even in purple.

Li Huanzhi looked up, his purple eyes shimmering: "Really?"

"Mm." Lin Shu nodded.

Li Huanzhi smiled, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Shu. Lin Shu felt a little uncomfortable under his intense gaze, so she said, "It's getting late, let's go back."

……

In the inn.

Everyone was having their meal in the lobby downstairs. Song Yun poked at the bottom of his bowl while looking out the door and muttering, "I wonder when my wife will be back?"

Su Mu, who was standing nearby, chuckled and put a piece of meat on Song Yun's plate before saying, "My lady is going to visit her elders, so she won't be back so soon."

"I wonder if my wife has eaten? I miss her so much, doesn't my brother miss her too?" Song Yun asked dejectedly.

"..." That's what I was thinking.

Upon seeing this, Xue Wen and Song Ling couldn't help but smile and shake their heads.

Li Family Dining Hall.

After everyone was seated, Lin Shu noticed that Li Huanzhi was sitting next to her, whether it was intentional or not.

"Niece Lin, please eat, don't be shy," said Li's mother, and even asked Li Huanzhi to serve food to Lin Shu.

"Thank you." Lin Shu lifted the bowl and took it.

If Li Yun'er, standing beside her, still didn't understand this, then she would have lived in vain all these years:

"Ah! Girl, I know, my mom..."

Just as he was about to speak, Li's father slapped his wrist with a chopstick and received a glare from Li's mother, immediately stopping the conversation.

Lin Shu looked up at her: "Hmm?"

Li Yun'er laughed awkwardly under her parents' murderous glares: "My mother thinks you're very knowledgeable and admires you... ha... haha..."

Lin Shu nodded, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes.

A meal for both the guest and the host.

……

After the meal, Lin Shu rested for a while before taking her leave.

As usual, Li's mother arranged for Li Huanzhi to see them off. The two had just stepped out when they were interrupted by a harsh female voice:

"You wretch, so that's why you broke off the engagement. You found someone else to keep you company?"

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