Do you know? Do you know? It should be episode 28 of Green Fat Red Thin

  A month after leaving, Zhang Baiqing returned with a pale face and floating footsteps. After seeing his grandparents, he rushed into the room and fell asleep with a thud. This time, Sheng Xun didn't put on airs to lecture him. He himself had taken the exams and knew that the imperial examination was vastly different from the previous county, prefecture, and provincial exams, it really was like shedding one's skin.

  The provincial examination was held in Jinan, the provincial capital. The results were announced just a few days after the exam, so before Zhang Bai returned home, the good news had already spread to Dengzhou. Zhang Bai's older brother had ranked around 10th place, with very good results. To show off his worldly experience, Sheng Hong did not make a big fuss and only invited some colleagues and friends, including Mr. Zhuang, to hold a few tables of celebration banquet at home.

  On the banquet table, the audience was full of praise, and Sheng Hong was pleased in his heart. He glanced at the left side, where the county magistrate was sitting, and thought of his son who had lost everything due to his love of cockfighting and dog racing. He looked at the right side, where the judicial commissioner was sitting, and thought of his son who was a philanderer and a wastrel. In his heart, he felt extremely pleased.

  Inside, at the women's banquet, Wang Shi was also dignified and composed. The other officials' wives were flattering her with excessive praise, and some even hinted that they wanted to form an alliance through marriage since they had daughters of suitable age. Wang Shi pretended not to understand, but only spoke to Sheng Hong about it in the evening, expressing her pride and arrogance in every word, just like a peasant woman who had worked hard for many years and finally harvested a big white cabbage that was admired by everyone - all thanks to the good land.

  "Madam, don't be anxious. Ba Er is the eldest son, his marriage should be taken seriously. For now, let's not rush to discuss this with him. Let's wait until next year after the spring examination, if he gets a good name on the list, then we can find a suitable match for him from a reputable family."

  Wang said hesitantly: "What if it's not a match? It can't be that we have to wait until the imperial scholar is successful before getting married, or else Bo Ge will miss his chance due to age."

  Sheng Hong said: "It's just a matter of waiting until next year, if it doesn't work out I won't have to wait until three years later. Madam should think about Bai'er, this life is hopeless for entering the cabinet and becoming a central official, at most I'll mix in with some officials and have a third-rank title to retire with honor; even if Bai'er has a mentor or fellow student to promote him on the imperial court, it's still not as good as finding a wealthy and powerful family-in-law; those noble and scholarly families looking for sons-in-law at least need to choose someone who is a scholar-official."

  This was originally said by Old Lady Sheng to Sheng Hua twenty years ago. At that time, he had just passed the imperial examination and someone came to propose a marriage, but Old Lady Sheng rejected them all, saying that his father had died early, and the Sheng family was a merchant family with no connections in the official circles except for a few old friends who were also mourning the death of their fathers. It wasn't until Sheng Hua passed the imperial examination with honors the following year that he married the second daughter of the Wang family. Although Sheng Hua himself had made progress, he also received significant help from his wife's family.

  Now that I think about it, Sheng Hou's career was smooth sailing, never oppressed or bullied by his superiors. He had a good reputation in the official circles and many people came to visit him. Who knows if it wasn't because of the influence of his mentor Yang Ge Lao and the Wang family? Old Lady Sheng indeed had a keen eye for talent.

  Qī Huò's achievement was roughly ranked among the top hundred on the Imperial Examination list. However, for a family like Qī's, which was of high-ranking officials and nobles, Qī Huò was an anomaly. It is said that since the Taizu era, fewer than forty sons of families with hereditary titles had passed the Imperial Examinations. Although many of them held official positions, most were due to inherited privilege or later purchased offices. They generally felt somewhat inferior in front of colleagues who had risen through the regular civil service examinations. This time, Qī Huò's success on the examination made Qī Dàrén and Píng Níng Junzhu overjoyed, and they hastily sent word to the Qī Gongfu in the capital and the Xīangyáng Hóufǔ. For a time, Qī Huò became one of the outstanding representatives of the royal grandsons.

  Compared to the Shi family, who only set up a few tables for dinner, the Qi family held a half-city flowing water banquet. Just the firecrackers at the door cost several hundred taels of silver, and they also gave out several baskets of white steamed buns to poor people. On the second day, Mr. Qi and Princess Pingning brought their newly minted son, Qi Heng, to the Shi mansion to build relationships.

  Minglan had just gotten out of bed and was sitting in front of the mirror, yawning, when she heard that the young ladies were also going to meet Qi Daren and his wife. She immediately asked Danju to undo her hair, which had just been styled in a low bun with loose ends, and re-style it into two buns on either side of her head, adorned with a pair of crimson silk tassel pins with carnelian flowers. She put on a pale rose-red embroidered jacket with a delicate yellow fold at the front, back, and sleeves, paired with a moon-white satin skirt with intricate folds. On her chest, she still wore the glittering gold necklace and jade pendant. After dressing up, she asked Old Lady Shen to take a look, but the old lady thought it was too simple and called for a pair of pink lotus-shaped bangles with golden threads to be brought out for Minglan to wear. However, Minglan's hands were small and couldn't put them on properly, so Old Lady Shen sighed and replaced them with two pairs of crimson silk tassel earrings with southern pearls.

  Ming Lan raised her arm and saw that the plump white arm was wearing two tinkling bangles, which suddenly felt heavy.

  Mr. Qi is not as tall and handsome as Sheng Yun, but he has a noble air about him. He seems more pleasant to talk to than the county princess. After asking each of the Sheng family's children questions, he had the county princess give them a heavy, exquisite silk purse. After Mrs. Sheng received the gift, she went back to rest, leaving behind two couples and several children to chat; because the Qi and Wang families have some distant relatives, they can be considered cousins, so they didn't avoid each other much.

  "...Thanks to Mr. Zhuang's hard teaching, my son is what he is today. I wanted to thank him properly, but unfortunately, the teacher has recently taken leave to visit relatives and friends, so I'll have to wait until next time to come and thank him." Magistrate Qi stroked his chin whiskers, looking very pleased.

  Sheng Hong smiled and said, "During that period of time, Mr. Zhuang gave lectures to the two of them every day without rest, and he was really tired. As soon as they left for Jinan, Mr. Zhuang lay down, and when he got up, he said that he wanted to take a walk while they were still away taking their exams, otherwise he wouldn't have time once classes started again. When Mr. Zhuang returns, let's set up a table and have a good drink together."

  Mr. Qi applauded and nodded in agreement, then sighed and said: "Mr. Zhuang is indeed a true educator with the enthusiasm and rigor of the ancient sages!"

  The county master smiled and said, "...it's really convenient for my family to have Mr. Zhuang come to Dengzhou at the invitation of Governor Sheng. These days, Heng'er has been bothering the government a lot, and his wife is even more worried about taking care of him. I'm afraid that if he stays here, it will affect the studies of the brothers in the government."

  Wang smiled and replied, "Several brothers studying together is better than one alone. Heng is a sensible and polite child, there's no need to worry about any disturbance, Your Ladyship can rest assured."

  The lady touched the pearl hairpin on her temple and glanced at Changbai, a look of satisfaction in her eyes: "This is good. Your eldest brother has Er together to study, it's even better." The words were very polite, but the expression couldn't hide a hint of arrogance, as if Qi Heng studying in Shengfu was giving them face. Wangshi lowered her eyes and didn't speak.

  At this time, Sheng Hong's true nature was revealed. Minglan saw her father behave in front of his superiors for the first time, neither arrogant nor humble, with a good command of language and knowing how to show respect. He said loudly: "Studying relies on one's own hard work, those poor scholars who have risen from humble origins don't have such luxuries, during the reign of Taizu, there were Liu and Li, two prime ministers, and during the previous emperor's reign, there were three Yangs, who were all very capable and came from poor families. They are truly worthy of respect!"

  Kai Liu Xiang was indeed the great-grandfather of Qi Da Ren. Qi Da Ren had always admired this ancestor, and upon hearing this, his face lit up with pleasure. He praised, "Exactly! Although our two families are in good circumstances, you must not slack off and tarnish the reputation of your ancestors."

  This was said to the boys, and the three Sheng brothers stood up with Qi Heng, bowing their heads in unison. Mr. Qi couldn't help but say: "Brother Sheng is blessed with good fortune, all three young masters are talented and handsome." He also looked at several girls and said: "Many children bring prosperity to the whole family."

  The young lady's expression suddenly became somewhat uneasy, but this unease flashed by in an instant. Seeing that the young lady was not pleased, Mrs. Wang smiled and said: "Although it is said that many children bring much fortune, we are not those rural families who urgently need male labor to fight for property. It is said that one good child is enough, if they are well-behaved; but if they are not, the more there are, the more headaches."

  The county princess's eyebrows and eyes opened wide as she smiled and said, "Sister says yes."

  She casually pulled over a nearby Rulan, looked at her carefully, and couldn't help but praise her for being elegant and refined. She liked it very much, and then took off the jade bracelet on her wrist and put it on Rulan. Rulan was praised with a red face, and there was a hint of pride in her expression. She deliberately glanced at Mulan and Minglan, with a hint of triumph in her eyes. Mulan's face turned pale, and since she entered the house, she only spoke when receiving gifts, and then didn't have the opportunity to speak again. Her delicate hands tightly clenched the handkerchief, while Minglan was pinching the embroidered silk pouch, carefully feeling what was inside, without noticing Rulan's gaze.

  On this side, the county master and Wang's wife were chatting with Rulan, while on that side, Sheng Hong and Qi Daren were examining four boys' studies. Qi Daren was also a promising young man in his early years, but unfortunately, he received the imperial edict before taking the imperial examination. Although he later became an official of some standing, whenever he saw those officials who came from regular channels, he always felt inferior. Therefore, he highly appreciated these young men who were good at reading. After asking a few questions, he found that Chang Feng spoke fluently and eloquently, while Chang Bai was frugal with his words, with an air of elegance and refinement. Qi Daren couldn't help but say to Sheng Hong: "Your son has the same demeanor as the old master of the Wang family in his heyday."

  The old man in his mouth was King's father, Wang's late father, and Changbai's maternal grandfather.

  This royal grandfather was one of the few good officials who could be counted on to have a good ending, having gone through three dynasties without falling. He was low-key and stable, unaffected by fame or fortune, and no matter which emperor he served, even if there were initial grudges, he would eventually win their appreciation and reuse. He was truly a remarkable person of his generation. Unfortunately, the king's several uncles were not outstanding in terms of talent or learning, but relying on the emperor's favor and consideration for Zongren, they still managed to hold stable official positions, making Sheng Hong envy them deeply.

  Actually, Zhang Bai's appearance is similar to Sheng Hong, but his personality has changed in a strange way. He inherited one-quarter of the bloodline from his great-grandfather. Although Sheng Hong didn't particularly like Wang Shi, he was very satisfied with the excellent genes she brought. However, when he faced Zhang Feng, who looked exactly like his second son, his emotions underwent some subtle changes. Sheng Hong said, "If he really resembles the old master of Mount Tai, that would be great. I'm just afraid it's only a superficial resemblance." No matter how satisfied he was, fathers often couldn't bring themselves to say their sons were outstanding.

  Sheng Hong and Qi Daren reminisced about Wang Lao Tai Ye's appearance, while Wang Shi and Ping Ning Jun Zhu talked with Ru Lan. Wang Shi couldn't help but praise her own daughter, saying she was good in this way and that. When Wang Shi started praising Ru Lan's needlework, the Jun Zhu's eyes sparkled, and she caught sight of the young and delicate Ming Lan beside her. She suddenly said: "I was just about to mention this; speaking of which, I must thank your family's Sixth Miss."

  Wang was stunned, and Pingning Junzhu smiled and beckoned Qi Heng over. Qi Heng saw Minglan sitting beside him, looking bewildered, and couldn't help but chuckle as he explained the situation. That day, Old Lady Shen had instructed Minglan to make some clothes for Changbai, and Minglan immediately set out to do so. She found out that all clothing in the examination hall could not have layers, and thinking of the cold autumn weather, she took a large piece of thick velvet from the warehouse, carefully cutting it open and making a pair of leg warmers that went from her toes to her knees (similar to long tube socks). Who would have thought that when Qi Heng came over for dinner one day, he saw them and thought they were fun, so he also asked for a pair. After presenting Minglan with a rare edition of "Jinghua Cuizhen Pu", she reluctantly agreed.

  "It was fine for the first two days after arriving in Jinan, but who knew that on the eve of the exam, the weather suddenly turned cold and gloomy. Sitting in that stone shed, a chill ran up from my feet, luckily I had Sixth Sister's knee warmer, not a bit of cold got in." Just then Zhang Bai also came over, standing beside Wang Shi, speaking warmly.

  The county master's wife smiled and said: "Heng'er, don't you thank Sixth Miss? At such a young age, she is already so clever, it's really rare."

  Qī Huáng raised an eyebrow and said: "Thanks are necessary, but accounts must also be settled."

  "What's wrong?" Rulan asked in surprise and went to look at Minglan.

  Qizheng walked up to Minglan and hummed: "What did you embroider on the knee pad I gave you?"

  Minglan spread out her small hands innocently and said, "What's wrong? It's not allowed to have any words in the examination room, so I just embroidered a mark on my knee pads, so I wouldn't lose them."

  Qī Héng smiled, revealing a row of beautiful white teeth: "I knew you'd be lazy!" Then he turned to a little girl and instructed her for a few words, before turning back to continue speaking, "She embroidered a small pine tree on each of Zài Chéng's knee pads, which was indeed vigorous and upright. But she embroidered... Hmph..."

  At this time, the little maid returned, and Qi Heng took over a fluffy object from the maid's hand and brought it in front of everyone. On top of a neatly stacked pile of velvet fabric, a small piece of something sparkled. Everyone gathered around to take a look - on top was embroidered a small golden ingot, round and plump, with an endearing expression, quite interesting.

  Wang said with a smile: "What does this mean?"

  The county princess suddenly understood: "Oh, Heng's younger brother is named Yuan Ruo, Yuan Bao Yuan, did you embroider this?"

  Ming Lan's face turned red as she nodded slightly, shrinking behind Zhang Ping's back. Zhang Ping also stood up for her, blocking the front.

  Everyone looked at Junxiu's elegant and refined appearance, then looked at the chubby-headed, big-eared little Jin Yuanbao, and suddenly they all burst out laughing. Even Rulan and Molan covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and laughed, while Xiaozhuang hid her small mouth and giggled nonstop.

  Zi Heng deliberately pinched Minglan's little ear and said, "Even if I'm not as good as your brother, it doesn't mean I'm like a golden treasure! Little girl, you're being unfair again! See if I'll still bring you fun things in the future!"

  Minglan was pinched on the ear in public, and Bai Chui's small face turned red with embarrassment. She pulled open Qi Heng's hand and argued desperately: "The word 'yuan' is the same as 'yuán', isn't it? The golden yuanbao is so big and fat, and it cost me a lot of gold thread! If you don't like the golden yuanbao, I'll embroider the yuanxiao next time!"

  Everyone almost burst out laughing, and on the other side, Qi Daren and Sheng Hong also heard it. Sheng Hong pointed at Minglan and laughed: "You little girl, you're getting as fat as Yuanxiao!"

  Minglan covered her ears, pretending to be obedient, and stole a glance at Wang Shi. She seemed not unhappy, which made Minglan feel slightly relieved. Then she looked at Rulan and Molan, but saw that their faces were slightly stiff. Minglan's heart sank, knowing that the days of playing the ignorant child were numbered.