Two days later, Shen Muqing let Luo Mei and Zhu Ji accompany Jiang Shuangrui to see if there was anything suitable for her to send as a gift, while she returned to the Ming Shi Fang of Shen.

  Li had not received any news beforehand and was shocked to hear that Shen Muqing had returned. Fortunately, Shen Muqing also knew that Li would be worried if he went back like this, so he didn't even go to pay his respects to Shen Zhen who was resting, and instead went straight to the Chaoxi Hall.

  After dismissing the maids and servants, Shen Muqing recounted to her what had happened with Liang yesterday, saying at the end: "...I remember we have a painting of Emperor Ai's 'Lychee Pigeon Picture'. At that time, both my mother-in-law and sister-in-law were present, and it was also one of Master's treasured possessions. I couldn't make the decision myself, so today I made an excuse to come back and ask you. Can you lend me that painting? Later, I'll think of a way to find another Emperor Ai painting to give to Master."

  Li listened and chuckled, raising an eyebrow at Wang's mother beside her, saying: "Look, look. She's only been gone for a month with Liang and already knows to come back asking for things. No wonder they say women are outward-facing. It's not false at all."

  Shen Mu Qing's face turned red: "Madam" pulled Li Shi's sleeve and pouted.

  Wang's mother knew Li was playing tricks on her daughter, so she smiled and covered her mouth without saying a word.

  "You're too late," said Li with a deep sigh, looking very regretful.

  Shen Mu Qing was shocked: "Is there someone who has this idea? Who is it? How can they make the old master bear the pain of giving up?"

  "You also know it's for Grandpa to bear the pain and cut off his love?" Shi Guai scolded, "What's the point of coming back to ask for it then?"

  Shen Muqing had no choice but to swallow her pride and come. She clutched onto Li's arm, swaying from side to side: "Madam, this concerns your son-in-law's entire future..."

  "Ah yo", Mr. Li said with a smile, stroking his forehead. "Don't shake off this old bones of mine."

  Shen Muqing chuckled and said: "Madam, just help me this once."

  "Ah," said Mrs. Li, nodding her head at Shen Muqing's nose. "Use your brain. Who else could make the old master bear the pain of cutting off his love?"

  Shen Mu Qing thought for a moment: "Mr. Min?"

  Mr. Li shook his head.

  "Liu Xueshi? Their nephew also participated in the imperial examination"

  Mr. Li smiled and gently patted her head: "Who else can your grandfather be so humble for except you?"

  Deeply shocked and saddened.

  Mr. Li smiled and said, "The 'Lychee Pigeon Picture' of Emperor Xizong was taken out from the warehouse two days ago by Mr. Ouyang himself and sent to Yuan Ren's place, so you can rest assured that not only did he send someone to Yuan Ren's place, but also to Liu Ren and Xu Ren's places where they co-hosted the imperial examination."

  Shen Mu Qing was even more surprised.

  Liang Jimin and Liang Shuxin's conversation in Congludang that day floated into her ears.

  Is Shen Zhen going to cheat on the imperial examination for his son-in-law Liang Jimin?

  This is no small matter!

  "Madam," Shen Muqing felt his forehead was wet with sweat, "the master is still young, if he doesn't pass the exam this year, he can try again in three years... I just wanted to give a gift to Yuan Ren to make the master more confident..."

  If imperial examinations can be passed by giving gifts or relying on personal relationships, then why would the sons of officials and descendants of meritorious families need to study hard and sacrifice themselves?

  Li was taken aback at first, but soon understood Shen Muqing's meaning.

  She smiled and said: "You child, did Grandfather's years of being an official all go to waste?"

  Shen Muqing felt a bit embarrassed.

  "I thought that last time Master helped Liang suppress the military situation... " She murmured, "Isn't it a bit worrying?"

  "Foolish child," said Li with a smile, "that is the imperial court's way of selecting scholars. It is a hundred-year-old strategy. Your master also came from the imperial examination system, how could he not understand the usual rules?"

  "Is that so?"

  "Is it possible that you randomly picked this son-in-law for our daughter? Season Mian was once a champion of the Imperial Examination. Moreover, Master personally went to the Imperial Academy and read through his writings, also finding his former teacher to discuss whether he had real talent and learning. Could my husband and I casually give our daughter away to him?"

  Shen Muqing really didn't know.

  Looking at Li's white hair, her heart ached.

  That day Shen Muqing waited for Shen until it was time to light the lamps.

  She accompanied Li to lunch, and in the afternoon at Jiuxi Zhai, she painted a peony picture with powder for Shen Zhen. At dusk, they had dinner together.

  When she returned to Liang's house, she first went to pay her respects to Madame Wang.

  Old Mrs. You sat alone on the windowsill, her expression vague and distracted, without noticing Liu Niang, who was usually by her side.

  Shen Muqing made a bow to the old lady, who smiled and pointed to the cushion beside her: "Muqing, come sit down and have a chat with your grandmother."

  Shen Mu Qing smiled and responded with a "yes", half sitting on the edge of the kang.

  The old lady looked thoughtful and after a while said softly: "Your mother-in-law says I'm biased. Do you think so too?"

  These old diseases left over from past years, Shen Muqing felt that he didn't have the qualifications to judge or preside over justice.

  She smiled and said: "Since I married into the Liang family, everything has been harmonious."

  "Grandma treated us with both kindness and strictness, I really don't understand what you mean by saying that."

  The old lady listened and after a while, she revealed a tired smile.

  She nodded.

  "Go back to your mother, it's also very tiring. Go down and rest now."

  Shen Mu Qing smiled and got up, then bowed to Tai Fu Ren again before quietly retreating, going to Feng Shi's place.

  Feng had already received the message and was waiting at the entrance of Guiyuan Hall. When she saw Shen Muqing, she hurried over, not noticing the maids and daughters-in-law by her side, saying: "Shuangrui has been looking for you with some ancient porcelain from the previous dynasty, waiting for your return."

  Shen Mu Qing glanced at the people around her and smiled: "Mother, let's go back inside and talk."

  "Alright, alright, alright." Feng immediately understood that this was not a place for conversation and pulled Shen Muqing back to the main house.

  Dong's mother blocked the servants outside, Shen Muqing said in a low voice to Feng Shi: "Mother, Master said, let us not make any more trouble, be careful that some bad rumors will spread out."

  Feng didn't expect Shen Muqing to bring back such news, she hesitated for a moment and asked somewhat unwillingly: "That... that place of Yuan's, aren't we going there?"

  "Mother, the master has already gone and even managed to get a painting of Emperor Ai to give as a gift. Moreover, the mistress said that just bribing Mr. Yuan is not enough, we also need to bribe other people. Let's rest assured, the master has thought everything through."

  "Ah" Feng looked at Shen Muqing with surprise, "It's over, it's already gone."

  Shen Mu nodded calmly: "The old master also said that there are numbers inside, so let's not make a mess."

  "Good, good. Everything will be done as you wish."

  The matter of sending paintings has finally come to an end.

  From that day on, everyone's attention was focused on Liang Jiemin. Shen Muqing also started to take care of Liang Jiemin's daily meals and laundry every day. Liang Jiemin also changed his previous leisurely attitude and began to study hard all night. Sometimes when Shen Muqing went to deliver soup to him, she would say a few playful words to tease him, seeing that he was tense. Although Liang Jiemin only smiled faintly, Shen Muqing could tell that his mood had relaxed a lot.

  The days passed quickly and soon it was February 1st.

  Madam Feng and Mrs. Li went to the ancestral temple early in the morning to offer incense to Liang's ancestors, and then went to Congludong to check on the pen, ink, paper, and inkstone that Liang Jiming was going to bring into the examination hall. After lunch, Mrs. Li sent Old Lady Wang to give Liang Jiming an amulet, saying it was specially sought from the Wanshou Temple in Baipu Alley, where people from Kyoto believed was protected by the star of literature and therefore every year during the imperial examinations, one talisman was hard to come by.

  Feng was very grateful for Dong's mother to follow Wang's mother to Ming Shi Fang to thank her on his behalf.

  In the afternoon, Madame Feng personally went to the kitchen to prepare dry rations for Liang Jiemin. Shen Muqing naturally followed closely behind Madame Feng, busily doing this and that.

  In the evening, Feng checked everything again and then went to the Green Pavilion.

  She pulled Liang Jimin's hand and kept reminding him to take his body seriously, and when he entered the examination room, he should be careful not to write anything before thinking it through, as someone had previously been disqualified because of an unclean test paper.

  Madam Tai frowned upon hearing this and, citing Liang Jiemin's need for rest, had them all shooed out of the Conglu Hall.

  Shen Muqing suddenly thought of his own experience participating in the college entrance examination.

  She gave Liang Jimin a thumbs-up and followed Feng's departure from Congludong with a smile.

  The next day, all of them got up at the end of Chou time.

  After paying respects to Madame Tai, Madame Feng took three daughters-in-law together to send Liang Jiemin to the corner gate of the second door.

  Liáng Shūxìn had already brought Dīng Xiǎo along with him there and he would personally escort Liáng Jì Mǐn to the examination hall.

  Liang Jimin took the exam for nine days, and Liang Shangshangxia was nervous for nine days.

  Madam Liu accompanied the old lady to copy Buddhist scriptures, while Mrs. Feng still presided over the mid-autumn festival as usual, but a small matter could easily irritate her and make her appear very irritable. Even Shen Muqing often worried that if Liang Jiamin failed the exam, what words of comfort should he say to him.

  The day when Liang Jiemin was going to take the exam, it was still Liang Shuixin who took Ding Xiaocai to pick him up.

  As expected, entering the examination hall was like entering a prison, Liang Jimin had lost some weight, but his spirit was very good, with two bright and shining eyes, radiating joy.

  The old lady looked at him and then turned west, clasped her hands together and whispered "Amitabha".

  Feng didn't have Ta Furen's composure and pulled on Liang Qiming's sleeve nonstop: "How was it, how did the exam go?"

  Liang Jimin smiled faintly, his eyes full of confidence: "This will have to wait until the results are announced"

  "Mother, Master is a steady person. Even if he did well on the exam, he would still be talking nonsense beforehand." As she spoke, she nodded towards Liang Jiemin, "Just look at Master's expression."

  Liang Jimin just smiled and didn't speak, while Madame Feng looked her son up and down, feeling a little more at ease in her heart.

  After leaving Guī Huì Táng, Liáng Jìmǐn stood on the stone pier, hesitating.

  Shen Mu Qing pretended not to know and smiled: "Sir, you should hurry back to Cong Lü Tang, the imperial examination is approaching."

  "Then you..." Liang Jimin's eyelids drooped slightly, and he muttered.

  Shen Mu Qing pulled Liang You Hui who had just walked out of Gui Xiang Tang: "We'll head back first"

  Liáng Jìmǐn lightly said "oh", looking very disappointed.

  The additional update for the normal pink tickets will be a bit late around 5 pm, let's check it out early tomorrow morning (＿)) Hehe...... ()