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

"Has Yun'er found someone she loves?" Li Huanzhi teased, his eyes full of laughter.

Li Yun'er's face turned even redder. She lowered her head and fiddled with the chopsticks in her hand. "Brother, please don't talk nonsense..."

"Alright, let's eat." Li Huanzhi shook his head helplessly and said in a deep voice, "However, you are not young anymore. If you have someone you like, you must tell me and I will help you make a decision."

Upon hearing this, Li Yun'er's face turned even redder, and she lowered her head even further. She hurriedly ate a few mouthfuls of rice and then found an excuse to leave the Lin family.

After leaving, Li Yun'er arrived at a painted boat, which was quite lively at the time.

Li Yun'er paid no attention to the hustle and bustle in the hall and went straight to the door of "Ya Xuan" upstairs, raising her hand to gently knock on the door.

"Who is it?" A voice as clear as the tinkling of a spring came from inside the house.

"Ayu, it's me." No matter how many times Li Yun'er had heard that man's voice, she could never resist it.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the door was opened from the inside.

The person who opened the door was Bai Yu, eighteen years old, wearing a light green robe. He was bright and beautiful, like a willow swaying in the breeze, with misty eyes that revealed both innocence and allure.

After entering the house, the two had barely exchanged a few words when a servant outside the door reminded them that the pimp wanted Bai Yu to go down to rehearse.

“Ayu, we have already consummated our marriage. Didn’t I say I would redeem you from your servitude? Why do you still want to participate in that so-called ‘Gentlemen’s Grand Competition’?” Li Yun’er frowned upon hearing this.

This "Gentlemen's Grand Competition," ostensibly to select the most outstanding young men in the capital in terms of "music, chess, poetry, and painting," was in reality nothing more than a way to cultivate them from childhood and send them to high-ranking officials and nobles as playthings...

“Yunniang, don’t be angry! I have no choice but to do this. A powerful man has taken a liking to me. Even if my father agrees to redeem me, it will probably be of no use…” Bai Yu looked at Li Yun’er with tears in his eyes and a sorrowful expression.

Every time Li Yun'er saw him like this, she felt a pang of pity, yet she couldn't help feeling anxious.

“What should we do? My brothers have already arrived in the capital. I originally intended to redeem you from your servitude and then take you to see him after some time, and then arrange the marriage, but now…”

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in Bai Yu's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said:

"Yunniang, please calm down. If anyone is going to compete in the 'Gentlemen's Grand Competition,' they can determine the winner based on their talents. My specialty is poetry. If you can win first place, you can become my guest... In that case, redeeming yourself will not be difficult..."

After speaking, Bai Yu glanced at Li Yun'er with his eyes before lowering his head shyly.

Li Yun'er pondered for a moment. She wasn't good at poetry, but then she suddenly thought of Lin Shu and had no choice but to agree.

After exchanging a few more words, Li Yun'er got up and left.

Strangely enough, aside from that night when he saved her, Bai Yu had never allowed her to stay overnight, saying he wanted to wait until they were married. Li Yun'er complied with his wishes. Therefore, all along, their feelings had been expressed but kept within the bounds of propriety, and she had not forced him.

Unbeknownst to her, Bai Yu, who watched her leave, no longer wore the gentle and weak expression he had shown moments before. He merely smiled contemptuously and turned to head towards a boathouse on the top floor…

"Master, the fish has taken the bait!"

"Very good!"

……

Three days later, at noon.

Lin Shu was studying in the study. Perhaps she had been reading for too long, because her eyes felt slightly sore. So she raised her hand, which wasn't holding the book, and rubbed her temples. When she looked up, she saw Li Yun'er clinging to the door frame, peeking in and looking rather furtive.

"Come in!" Lin Shu noticed her expression and felt her eyelids twitch slightly before asking, "Is there something you need?"

"Ah! Hehe! Sister, I... I want to ask you for a favor." Li Yun'er scratched her head shyly.

"Oh? What is it?" Lin Shu put down the book in her hand and asked.

Li Yun'er glanced outside the door to make sure no one was there, then hurried a few steps to Lin Shu's ear and said, "It is..." (Aba aba, ten thousand words omitted here)

"What?" Lin Shu looked at Li Yun'er in surprise, her voice rising slightly. She hadn't expected that the person she liked would actually be...

Li Yun'er quickly tried to cover Lin Shu's mouth, but Lin Shu blocked her way. She hadn't forgotten that Li Yun'er had just used this hand to hold onto the threshold.

"Keep your voice down, lest my brother hear!"

"What is it that you can't let me know?" Before Lin Shu could speak, Li Huanzhi walked into the study with a bowl of soup on his face and a smile on his face.

"Ah! No, it's nothing! It's just that my sister wants to buy some things for you and your two brothers-in-law, and she asked me not to tell you..." Li Yun'er replied hastily.

Lin Shu turned her head and looked at Li Yun'er with a puzzled expression. Li Yun'er clasped her hands together and kept giving her meaningful glances.

Lin Shu had no choice but to say helplessly, "Yun'er and I have to go out for a while. Please ask Huanzhi to inform everyone that I will not be back for dinner tonight."

After Li Huanzhi agreed, Lin Shu and the other person left the mansion and headed straight for the Qizhen Pavilion.

Li Yun'er asked in confusion, "Sister, weren't we going to the pleasure boat? Why are we here?"

Lin Shu raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you say I wanted to pick out a gift? Besides, it's still too early to go to the pleasure boat."

"Ah! Yes, yes!"

……

Lin Shu first selected a pale yellow gold-threaded sachet for Song Yun; then she gave Li Huanzhi a purple jade pendant with cloud patterns; finally, she saw a white jade pendant with ink splashes, and for some reason felt that it matched Su Mu perfectly... Without asking the price, she had it all wrapped up...

"Miss, the total is four thousand five hundred taels?" the shopkeeper asked, putting down his abacus.

Just as Lin Shu and her companion were about to pay, a familiar and arrogant voice came from behind them:

"I want this item..." After saying that, he raised his hand and pointed directly at the jade pendant in Lin Shu's hand.

Lin Shu looked closely and realized that the person who came was an old acquaintance: Du Ruo, Lin Dafeng's second husband, and there was a handsome young man next to him, who must be the husband of her good sister Lin Yue.

However, these two should be in Peach Blossom Village, so why are they in the capital, and dressed so... well... elegantly refined...?

Both men were dressed in colorful brocade robes, embroidered with various patterns, looking like peacocks, or nouveau riche who wanted to wear all their money on their bodies.

While she was deep in thought, Du Ruo suddenly pounced, trying to snatch the jade pendant. Seeing this, Lin Shu quickly stepped back, causing Du Ruo to miss and instead smash many jade artifacts displayed on the counter.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper quickly moved the abacus a few times, looked at Du Ruo and the other person expressionlessly, and said in a deep voice:

"The two gentlemen broke a total of five jade artifacts and eight porcelain artifacts, amounting to 2,832 taels. You will only need to pay 2,830 taels! Furthermore, our shop does not offer credit!"

"What? So much?" The man brought them to the capital and gave them only a few hundred taels of silver. Having suffered too much poverty in the past, they spent all the money on themselves as soon as they received it. The rest was also gambled away by Lin Dafeng.

He'll only pay me when he needs to do something for me in the future; where would he get so much money now?

"This...this was clearly broken by her. Which eye of yours saw it was me? If you want money, go ask her...she has money..." Du Ruo said shamelessly, pointing at Lin Shu.

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