Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Chapter 246: What? You Like the Emperors Mother-in-Law??? (1 / 2)

Gao He had no idea of the terrifying fate that awaited him.

First, he laughed and said, “Thank you for your kind words.” Then, curiously, he asked, “You two brothers seem to be around my age. Are you also candidates participating in this imperial examination?”

Xu Yanmiao blinked and gave a subtle smile. “Lian Hang is not, but I am indeed participating in this examination.”

Gao He was delighted. “In that case, we are fellow examinees of the same year.”

Lian Hang joked, “How can you be so sure Xu Lang will definitely make it onto the ranking list?”

— Only those who passed the exam could be considered peers of the same year.

Gao He laughed. “Brother Xu is intelligent and elegant, with a celestial demeanor. He will surely emerge as the top scorer.”

That was a compliment anyone would love to hear.

Xu Yanmiao immediately started sharing his knowledge about the imperial examination.

“For instance, never choose a perfectly even-tipped brush. The ink will be too thick, and a slight mistake could smudge the exam paper, making it unsuitable for the imperial exam. It’s best to choose a brush with a fine, pointed tip so you can lightly tap the paper while writing.”

“In the capital, the ‘Songdai Pavilion’ sells ink at a low price. You can buy some in advance to avoid wasting time grinding ink during the exam.”

“Be sure to bring a hand warmer to keep your brush and inkstone warm.”

“Now that you have some money, you should buy some ginseng slices to carry with you. The exam is physically demanding, and this will help you endure the hardship.”

Gao He was deeply moved. He suddenly bowed and performed a grand salute. “Thank you, Brother Xu.”

For impoverished scholars like him, many of these details were unknown. Wealthy families had elders to advise them or had long hired teachers with exam experience. But poor scholars had to figure everything out on their own. Take the matter of using a perfectly even-tipped brush—some poor students might have taken the imperial exam several times, never realizing they failed because their ink was too thick and smudged the paper.

After expressing his gratitude, Gao He hesitated, seeming troubled for some reason.

Xu Yanmiao asked, “What’s wrong? Are you running out of money?”

Gao He’s face turned bright red. “I… I was wondering… Brother Xu, could you share this exam knowledge with other impoverished scholars?”

Xu Yanmiao replied, “Of course. But just this information isn’t enough. Give me a few days. I’ll find out which places sell the cheapest yet best charcoal, where to buy affordable firewood and rice, which academies and temples rent rooms for the lowest prices, and which food stalls are the cleanest and most hygienic. I’ll compile everything into a small booklet and distribute it to the scholars.”

He spoke casually, but Gao He’s heart burned with warmth, as if drenched in fire-heated water.

“Brother Xu!” Gao He hurriedly said, “I have gathered information on many scholars. If we cannot seek guidance from high-ranking officials and literary masters, discussing academics with these fellow scholars can still bring insights. Would you be interested?”

Xu Yanmiao perked up. “I am interested! I am interested!”

Lian Hang: “……”

He silently cast a sympathetic glance toward the scholars who weren’t present.

Gao He then began listing names like he was counting family heirlooms.

“The person in the room next to mine at the inn is a provincial graduate named Yin. He has a hunched back and a terrible temper. Whenever he gets angry, he likes to smash things. It’s best not to engage in debates with him—if your opinions differ and he ends up injuring you, it could affect your performance in the imperial examination.”

[Failed the imperial exam eleven times and still hasn’t passed—of course, he’d be irritable.]

‘Whoa—’

Lian Hang’s eyes widened.

Gao He continued, “Back when I was staying at a temple, there was a scholar surnamed Fang who was highly skilled in the classics and had a deep understanding of the Book of Changes. However, he had a habit of taking advantage of others—constantly borrowing things from people. Small things like toilet paper, big things like quilts—he’d borrow but never return them. That said, he was generous in discussing academic matters.”

[Ah, so that’s the guy who secretly took all the toilet paper from the guest restroom! How unethical—hmm, maybe I should prepare an exam question related to ethics.]

‘Oh wow—’

Lian Hang’s eyes grew even wider.

There were people like this???

His Majesty was already notoriously stingy, but compared to this Fang guy, he was nothing!

Gao He continued, “Then there’s a scholar named Wang Fugui—now he is truly rich. His upper row of false teeth? All gold! Gold!”

Xu Yanmiao: “Huh?”

Gao He coughed and got back to the main point. “He’s a generous guy. He brought an entire crate of books and is willing to lend them to other scholars. The only rule is that people can only read them in his courtyard, and they have to return them before leaving.”

[Wow! He really is generous. And seriously wealthy—he even hired people to go into the mountains in the dead of winter to gather mushrooms for him!]

Gao He continued, “And then there’s… ah—!”

“Ah—!”

He had bumped into a middle-aged man—strong, sturdy, and well-built. The man had been carrying a bundle in his arms, but upon impact, it fell to the ground and burst open with a thud, revealing a thick cloth sack.

The man seemed to be in a great hurry. “Sorry! Sorry!”

The man hurriedly stuffed the thick cloth bag back into his bundle. However, perhaps due to his flustered movements, a wad of blood-soaked old cotton accidentally fell out from the bag’s opening.

Gao He and Lian Hang instinctively took half a step back, and Gao He even covered his eyes.

Xu Yanmiao, however, was still confused.

The man hastily shoved the old cotton back in and whispered to Xu Yanmiao, “It’s my wife’s menstrual cloth, not something filthy.”

After saying that, he glanced at Xu Yanmiao. Seeing no disgust in his eyes—only admiration—he tugged at the corners of his mouth in a small smile before hurriedly grabbing his bundle and leaving.

Xu Yanmiao turned to Lian Hang in amazement. “Judging by his behavior, he was helping his wife handle her menstrual cloth. I never expected that, in a time when so many people consider menstruation unclean, there are still men like him.”

Lian Hang forced a smile.

Gao He lowered the hand covering his eyes, visibly shocked. “Isn’t that the eldest son of the Ministry of Justice’s Senior Secretary? He’s also a candidate in this imperial examination—who would have thought he’s so devoted to his wife?”

[Liang Rui?!]

Xu Yanmiao had a good impression of Senior Secretary Liang. He had risen from a county magistrate to his current position, and back when he was a magistrate, he was widely recognized by the people as a just and upright official. After joining the Ministry of Justice, he never let a single criminal escape, nor did he ever wrongly accuse the innocent.

[If it’s him, it’s no surprise that he could raise such a son.]

Lian Hang couldn’t help but nod as well.

A few days ago, someone had fallen into the Luo River during the freezing winter. Liang Rui had jumped in without hesitation to save them, nearly drowning himself in the process.

However… Lian Hang mused, Liang Rui’s eldest son is really dark-skinned.