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

The people outside the door had no idea what was happening inside. Su Mu led Lin Shu to the room she had been in before her marriage. Su Jing watched their backs, snorted coldly, and then pulled Gu Qing back to his own courtyard.

"My mother-in-law and father-in-law..." Lin Shu hesitated slightly. She shouldn't have interfered in this matter, but if the two got into a conflict, her father-in-law probably wouldn't be a match for her.

"Pfft..." Seeing Lin Shu's expression, Su Mu could roughly guess what she was thinking and couldn't help but chuckle. He then explained, "My lady, there's no need to worry. The Su family is currently living off Father's dowry, so Mother won't make things difficult for Father."

Moreover, such situations have occurred frequently since he can remember. Although he doesn't understand the reason, his mother always speaks harshly, but in reality, there's nothing seriously wrong.

As the two chatted, they strolled leisurely in the courtyard, enjoying a relaxed and carefree moment...

Su Jing took Gu Qing back to her room and then hurriedly went to find her second husband.

"Father, what's wrong with my eldest father today? Why did he suddenly start a fight?" Su Jing asked, approaching his second husband.

"How would I know? Do you think that because Su Mu and his useless wife are here, they have someone to back them up?" Su Er's voice returned to normal, and he tapped his hand lightly on the table before asking, "Didn't you say last time that Su Mu married the wrong person and is now living in poverty? But today, judging from their clothes..."

Upon hearing this, Su Jing felt slightly guilty. He had deliberately made up stories when he returned earlier, never expecting that Su Mu would suddenly return to his parents' home for a visit.

Seeing his expression, Su Erfulang understood perfectly. He raised his index finger and poked his forehead, saying helplessly:

"Forget it! So what if he's not shabby? He's just a hoodlum, who knows where he'll extort money... Your most important thing right now is to try to get pregnant with the Gu family's child as soon as possible, lest someone else beats him to it. If Gu Qing passes the imperial examination in the future, not only will your life be better, but you can also support me and your sister..."

Upon hearing this, Su Jing lowered her head and said shyly, "Father~~"

Su Erfu smiled, then asked with some doubt, "Speaking of which, you and Qing'er have been married for two years, why is there still no sign of pregnancy?"

Upon hearing this, Su Jing's expression froze, and he said somewhat awkwardly, "My wife is focused on her studies and rarely stays in my room." Moreover, since she last met Su Mu in Yun County, she has not shared a room with him.

"You'd better hurry up. This Gu family line only has one heir. If you're not in a hurry, someone else will be..."

The father and son chatted in the room for a long time until a servant came to invite them to the dining hall for a meal.

Dining room.

When Lin Shu and Su Mu arrived, everyone had already gathered around the table, and even Su Yi, the only daughter of the Su family, was sitting next to her mother.

Su's mother and father sat in the main seats, seemingly oblivious to what they had just discussed inside the room, as if nothing had happened.

When Su's father saw them enter, he hurriedly greeted them, "Mu'er, come and sit here with your father."

Su Mu turned to look at Lin Shu, and seeing her nod, he sat down. Lin Shu then casually found a seat and sat down.

"Let's eat!"

At Su's mother's command, everyone began to pick up their chopsticks, and for a moment, the only sound on the table was the clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

At this moment, Su Yi, who was sitting next to Su's mother, said with a smile to Gu Qingyan, "Second brother and sister-in-law, do you have some free time today to give your little sister some pointers on her studies?"

Upon hearing this, Su's mother also looked at Gu Qing with hope. After all, Gu Qing was a top scholar two years ago, and he would surely achieve something in this year's provincial examination. This was a world of difference between him and a scholar like herself who barely made it onto the list and could hardly make any further progress.

(To explain: The provincial examination was held twice every three years, divided into the annual examination and the subject examination. The provincial examination was held once every three years. Therefore, Gu Qing passed the county-level examination two years ago, but had not yet participated in the provincial examination.)

"Of course, if Fourth Sister has any questions, I will do my best to answer them." Gu Qing nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Su's mother beamed with joy and repeatedly urged Gu Qing to eat.

"I heard from Jing'er that Mu'er's wife is also going to take the imperial examination? I wonder how the preparations are going? If it's not going well, would you like Qing'er to explain it to you?" At this moment, a male voice with ill intentions suddenly rang out in the dining room, and his words caused everyone at the table to fall silent.

"Pfft... Hahahaha! Dad, stop joking! A hooligan taking the imperial examination? Does she even know how to read? I think she's just..." Upon hearing this, Su Yi exaggeratedly spat out the sweet soup she had just drunk and burst into laughter.

"Bang!" Before he could finish speaking, Su's father slammed his hand on the table, his brows furrowed, and looked at Su Yi: "You shouldn't talk while eating or sleeping, but now look what's happened! You've eaten all the food on this table today!" He had originally intended to help Lin Shu, but Lin Shu used to...! Now he could only interrupt the conversation.

Su Yi, however, remained unfazed, muttering under her breath, "That's just how it is, and people aren't allowed to speak the truth..."

Su's mother also tried to persuade her, saying, "Yi'er is still young, and besides, she didn't say anything wrong..." Seeing Su's father's expression, her voice gradually became inaudible until it disappeared.

"Alright, if you want to learn, feel free to go to the study after dinner..."

"No need." Before Su's mother could finish speaking, Lin Shu put down her chopsticks and declined.

"Elder brother and sister-in-law, you probably don't know, but my wife is a top-ranking scholar. Countless people would rather die than receive even a single word of instruction from her." At this moment, Su Jing felt dissatisfied again. What kind of attitude was this?

"People should never be too ambitious!" Su Yi looked at Lin Shu with a mocking expression, then turned to Gu Qing, instantly switching to a fawning look: "Don't you agree, second brother and sister-in-law?"

Gu Qing, one of the few people present who knew Lin Shu's true talents, was inexplicably unwilling to reveal that Lin Shu was the top scholar. Upon hearing Su Yi's words, he simply nodded a few times haphazardly.

“My wife…” Su Mu felt guilty, as his wife had suffered a lot of grievances since his return.

"It's alright." Lin Shu comforted Su Mu, then looked at the different expressions of the people at the table, turned her gaze to Gu Qing, stood up, took a step back, and said apologetically, "I didn't introduce myself just now."

After a brief pause, he continued:

"My name is Lin Shu, a native of Yun County. In the thirteenth year of the Qing Dynasty, I achieved the top score in the county, prefectural, and provincial examinations. I am ashamed to say that I have now barely managed to obtain the title of 'Minor Triple Crown'."

"What? Lin Shu? The champion of this year's Ink Fragrance Poetry Festival?"

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