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

Lin Shu moved through the miasma forest and soon found Su Mu, Li Yun'er and the others in the clearing.

Su Mu stood at the crossroads, anxiously gazing at the road he had come from. It was so late, why hadn't his wife returned yet?

Li Yun'er walked to his side, handed him a steamed bun, and said, "Brother-in-law, eat some first! People need food to survive, don't wait until my sisters come back and you're already collapsed."

Su Mu had no choice but to reach out and take it, but he found it hard to swallow. At that moment, a blurry figure suddenly appeared and slowly approached.

"Wife master!"

Su Mu carefully examined Lin Shu and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she had no injuries.

He rushed forward and hugged Lin Shu tightly, burying his head in her soft chest and listening to her heartbeat. Only then did he feel that his worries had been put to rest.

Lin Shuyi reached out and hugged him, gently stroking Su Mu's back, and whispered, "I'm sorry to have worried you."

Hearing the noise, the others rushed over. Lin Shu released Su Mu at the right moment and instead took his hand.

"My lady, you're finally back!" Song Yun ran over with a joyful expression and hugged Lin Shu's other hand.

"You're back, it's good that you're back..."

"..."

Listening to everyone's expressions of concern, Lin Shu responded to each one.

This matter has now come to a temporary close.

……

The rest of the journey went smoothly, and after three days, the group finally arrived in Mengzhou Prefecture.

The Li family owns property in Mengzhou Prefecture. Lin Shu declined Li Yun'er's invitation, and the two groups parted ways for the time being.

Lin Shu and the others first found a wonton stall to eat at. After they had almost finished eating, Lin Shu wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and said:

"It's already mid-March, and we need to visit our teacher's classmates as soon as possible. I'll have to trouble Father and my husbands with the house-renting arrangements today!"

The three men responded in unison.

After paying, Lin Shu asked the proprietress, "Auntie, may I ask how to get to Shangyang Academy?"

Upon hearing this, the proprietress calmly replied, "Oh my! Young lady, are you going to study? This Shangyang Academy is indeed excellent; you have good taste. Just follow this road straight to the end, which is the northernmost part of our prefectural city."

"Thank you," Lin Shu said.

"Oh, no need, no need, let me tell you..." The aunt seemed to have heard that Lin Shu was going to Shangyang Academy, and her attitude was quite enthusiastic. She was eager to tell Lin Shu everything she knew, which gave Lin Shu a general understanding of the academies in the prefecture.

Mengzhou Prefecture had two academies: Shangyang Academy and Nachuan Academy. The two were rivals and had a long-standing conflict.

Nachuan Academy, backed by the prefect, is rumored to be secretly supporting the Third Princess. It originally only recruited aristocratic students to bolster its reputation, and its tuition fees were quite high. On the other hand, the headmaster of Shangyang Academy was a student of the Imperial Academy, who strongly supported the Crown Princess and widely recruited students from poor families.

Unexpectedly, this year, Nachuan Academy suddenly began recruiting students from ordinary families, and even openly poached students from Shangyang Academy at high prices. They actually managed to poach several promising students from Shangyang Academy, all for the "Ink Fragrance Poetry Gathering" held every three years in May in Mengzhou Prefecture. It is rumored that a distinguished figure will be attending this year, and the winner will receive a generous reward.

Lin Shu pondered this matter in her heart, and soon arrived at her destination. Looking at the large characters "Shangyang Academy" in front of her, Lin Shu couldn't help but praise, "Beautiful calligraphy, the strokes are vigorous, and one can tell from them that the character must be upright and righteous."

She stepped forward and gently knocked on the door. After a moment, an old woman came to open it. She looked her over for a moment, making sure she didn't recognize Lin Shu, before asking, "May I ask what brings you here, young lady?"

Lin Shu first bowed, and then explained, "My master Han Shuang instructed me to come and pay my respects to Mr. Du Ziqi. Please inform him, Aunt."

When the old woman heard that she was looking for Du Ziqi, she let her into the gatehouse first and then went to announce his arrival. Not long after, she returned and said, "Let's go, the master asked me to take you there."

Lin Shu followed behind her, secretly observing the Shangyang Academy. It had everything from plum blossoms and orchids to bamboo and chrysanthemums, with winding paths and a tranquil environment, truly a good place to study.

"Sir, the person has been brought."

"Come in," came a female voice from inside, neither happy nor sad.

Lin Shu pushed open the door as instructed and entered. Sitting at the head of the table was a woman in her thirties, dressed in a blue robe with cross-over lapels. She had a delicate face and a refined temperament, giving people a sense of tranquility and serenity.

After standing still, Lin Shu clasped her hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Student Lin Shu greets you, sir, and conveys my regards to you on behalf of my teacher, Han Shuang."

"No need for formalities." Du Ziqi scrutinized Lin Shu and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. His old friend had a discerning eye. Although this woman seemed aloof, her eyes were clear and upright, and her temperament was like that of a cedar tree. She must be a virtuous woman.

"Did your master send me a message?"

Lin Shu was slightly surprised to hear this, wondering how she knew, but she still took out the letter and handed it to her.

Du Ziqi looked at it for a long time before laughing a few times and saying, "Very good, very good! Han Shuang has already told me about your guarantee for the examination, so there is no need to worry. In addition, he instructed you to stay at Shangyang Academy to study quietly after the prefectural examination and to attend the Ink Fragrance Poetry Gathering in May."

"Yes," Lin Shu nodded in response.

"Alright, go back and settle in first! There's less than a month until the prefectural exam, so you can enroll after the exam. If you have any questions, feel free to come and ask me." After instructing Lin Shu, Du Ziqi seemed to realize that she was new to the prefectural city and told her to go back and settle in first.

Lin Shu took her leave.

……

Sifang Street.

After Lin Shu left, the group went to Sifang Street to look at houses.

Since it was not advisable for too many people to view the property, Xue Wen let Song Ling's family rest in the carriage while he and Su Mu went to the real estate agency to view the property.

Both were strikingly beautiful, and as they walked down the street, they were constantly met with the prying eyes of many women. Both felt somewhat uncomfortable, but fortunately, they finally arrived at the brokerage firm they had inquired about earlier.

A plump, fair-skinned woman hurried out to greet the guests:

"Oh my! Gentlemen, are you looking to buy servants? Or perhaps purchase property?"

"You can all go to me, Aunt Qian. I've been working here for decades, and my reputation is impeccable. Just ask around and you'll see."

Seeing that she didn't seem to be faking it, Su Mu said, "Auntie, we need to rent a house. We'd appreciate it if you could take us to see some houses first. We'd like to find a place in a good location that isn't too noisy."

"Yes, yes, I have all kinds here." Aunt Qian nodded quickly and stepped forward to lead the way.

The first house was located in the south of the prefectural city, close to Nachuan Academy, but it only had two rooms and no kitchen. It was not only too small to accommodate everyone, but also quite inconvenient.

Su Mu shook his head and asked, "Is there anything better?"

Aunt Qian readily agreed, "Of course there are. I just heard you mention, sir, that your wife is preparing for the imperial examinations, which is why I brought you here first. Since that doesn't work out, come with me to the next place. I guarantee you'll be satisfied..."

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