Xie Rou Niang was undoubtedly beautiful.
It was just that the temperament she carried was too gentle, causing her beauty to lack aggressiveness. At first glance, she was not the type to stun people outright. Only by quieting one’s heart and observing carefully could one truly glimpse her beauty.
Ji Xiu, however, was different from others.
He possessed a pair of eyes adept at discerning people. Upon first meeting Xie Rou Niang, he already felt that she was a peerlessly delicate beauty.
If he could have her by his side for several decades in this world, that would count as good fortune.
For that reason, he was willing to invest more patience and gentleness in treating her.
Thus, faced with her such proactive behavior, it was difficult for Ji Xiu not to be moved.
“Husband.” Xie Rou Niang noticed his gaze and came back to herself, feeling both shy and flustered. She did not know why she had blurted out such words. She clearly was not a frivolous woman, yet when she saw her husband about to leave just now, she did not know how her mind went blank and the words slipped out.
Perhaps it was because after her husband returned this time, there were changes about him that made her feel unfamiliar.
He had become the Top Scholar. His expression was confident and composed. His already handsome features had become even more dazzling and imposing. He was completely different from before.
She felt her heart stir when she looked at him, yet she was also afraid. She always felt that she could not hold on to such a man, which was why she had taken such a foolish step.
Xie Rou Niang lowered her head, reflecting on herself, hiding her slightly heated cheeks. She opened her mouth to salvage her dignity. “I misspoke for a moment. You, you should go to the study if you need to. I will sleep first.”
After speaking, she released her grip and turned back toward the bed in embarrassment.
Ji Xiu covered his mouth and gave a dry cough, then reached out to catch her arm. “No. I have thought it through. You are right. It is already late. Some things can be done tomorrow. Today, I have something more important to do.”
Xie Rou Niang froze. She bit her lower lip and turned her face aside. Her entire body flushed pink, yet she did not say any words of refusal.
Ji Xiu saw her reddened earlobes and felt amused. He wrapped an arm around her waist. “It is late. Let us rest.”
Three months apart, a brief separation sweeter than a new marriage.
Ji Xiu liked Xie Rou Niang, and thus was exceedingly gentle. The two of them did not settle down until well past midnight.
Xie Rou Niang was drenched in sweat and fell into a deep sleep.
Ji Xiu was still full of energy. Holding her in his arms, his gaze lingered on her sleeping face, a trace of gentle amusement flashing in his eyes.
Being with a gentle person made one unconsciously become gentle as well.
He lightly patted Xie Rou Niang’s back, like soothing a newborn infant. His movements were so gentle they were almost unbelievable. Narrowing his eyes, he looked toward the bed canopy above, thinking about his plans after returning to the capital.
In the previous life, the original body had been weak and useless, had failed her, caused her to suffer endlessly and die young, never enjoying the reward she deserved.
In this life, he would give her supreme glory.
…
After news of Ji Xiu becoming the Top Scholar spread back to Xunyang County, many people came to curry favor and deliver gifts, causing days of commotion.
After finally meeting with former teachers and classmates one by one, he also received a visiting notice from the county magistrate. After some thought, Ji Xiu simply sent out invitations across the board and, with the magistrate’s help, hosted a grand poetry gathering to satisfy these people’s pursuit of elegance and fame.
After the poetry gathering, the house finally quieted down, though it was now filled with many more items, all congratulatory gifts sent by others.
Ji Xiu and Xie Rou Niang spent an entire day sorting the gifts by category and selling them off one by one. The proceeds amounted to over a thousand taels. Added to the family’s original land deeds and assets, the family’s total savings exceeded two thousand taels in one stroke.
Xie Rou Niang was extremely surprised. Staring at the silver notes, she was still somewhat dazed. “How can there be so much…”
“Xunyang County may not produce a Top Scholar even once in a hundred years. This is normal,” Ji Xiu said calmly, explaining to her with a gentle expression. “When I passed the provincial examination last time, the gifts I received were already worth over three hundred taels. This time, becoming Top Scholar, receiving a thousand taels is nothing unusual. That is even because we are moving to the capital and these people feel they cannot rely on us for protection, so they were not as enthusiastic.”
The saying that books contain beauties and books contain golden houses was not empty talk.
A Juren already possessed considerable privileges. They did not need to kneel before officials, their registered land was tax exempt, they could write legal documents, interact with the county magistrate, establish themselves as local gentry, and help manage the populace on behalf of the magistrate. Many merchants who could not find higher officials to attach themselves to would shelter under a Juren’s name, sending gifts to gain closeness.
This was why there was the saying, poor scholar, rich Juren. Once a scholar reached the Juren stage, they would no longer lack money.
The authority of a Top Scholar was naturally even greater.
Leaving other things aside, just the official post granted by the court already started at sixth rank, one level higher than a county magistrate. Merchants seeking backing could only send larger gifts, never smaller ones.
Of course, such behavior would count as bribery in another era and would be highly improper. But in this feudal age, commoners’ lives were as cheap as grass, and merchants held even lower status. If they could not find powerful backing, it was easy to offend some official and end up with their family ruined, imprisoned, and their property confiscated.
Different lands had different customs. There was no helping it. Ji Xiu did not yet have the power to change this and could only go along with it.
If he refused the gifts, the merchants would instead become even more frightened.
By comparison, this only made the advantages of the modern world more apparent. At least in modern times, when Ji Xiu did business, he had never faced such troubles.
After selling everything, Ji Xiu bought a donkey cart.
Xie Rou Niang had wanted a horse carriage, feeling that a fine horse suited Ji Xiu’s current bearing. However, the journey to the capital was long, and there were two children in the family. A horse carriage would be too fast and easily jostle them. A donkey cart was simpler, so Ji Xiu insisted on choosing it.
Even so, among donkey carts, Ji Xiu selected the best one, so that it would be light and easy to pull, ensuring the donkey would not collapse midway.
After everything was packed, the entire Ji family set out.
One month later, they arrived in the capital.
After Ji Xiu paid the entry fee, he flicked the whip, urging the donkey forward, and brought his family back to the small courtyard he had previously rented.
“So this is where husband lived?” Xie Rou Niang stepped down from the cart, her eyes scanning around.
Ji Yue Sheng and Ji An Shu held hands and followed behind Xie Rou Niang, also craning their necks to examine the small courtyard.
Ji Xiu led the donkey, pushed open the courtyard gate, and brought them inside, casually explaining, “Before, I did not have much silver on hand, so I chose a simpler courtyard. If you do not like it, we can change to another one later.”
After looking around, Xie Rou Niang revealed a shallow smile. “No. On the contrary, I quite like it. It feels very much like home.”
The small courtyard was tucked deep in an alley, quiet and secluded. There was also a pear tree inside the yard, its branches full of green leaves, lifting one’s mood at the sight of it.
Ji Xiu tied the donkey in the yard and unloaded the luggage from the cart. He glanced at her. “As long as you like it.”
Xie Rou Niang lowered her head with a smile and stepped forward to help.
The two children also wanted to help. The family finished arranging the luggage and cleaned the house inside and out.
After all, two months had passed. Even though Ji Xiu had cleaned once before returning home, plenty of dust had still settled.
By the time everything was done, night had fallen.
Ji Xiu accompanied Xie Rou Niang and the children out to familiarize themselves with the surroundings, and also bought some ingredients and bowls and chopsticks to cook.
The alley they lived in was in the western part of the city, not among the residences of high officials and nobles. There were many ordinary citizens, mostly families of scholars who had once prospered and later fallen into decline.
In the courtyards along both sides of the alley, many women were doing handiwork.
As soon as the Ji family stepped out, they drew considerable attention.
Ji Xiu stood tall, wearing a blue long robe. His movements were natural and casual, yet he could not conceal the elegance that enveloped him.
Xie Rou Niang wore a blue skirt of the same color. Her raven-black hair was pinned up with a wooden hairpin. Her features were delicate, her temperament gentle.
Even the children beside them were neatly dressed and full of spirit.
Who could possibly ignore such a family of four?
Of course, the most eye-catching among them was still Ji Xiu. Perhaps because there were many beautiful women, outstanding men seemed scarce. As long as a man’s looks were passable, he would attract attention. The capital’s so-called four great beauties were merely well featured and fair skinned, yet already had many admirers. Now that Ji Xiu appeared, with refined temperament and handsome looks, one in ten thousand, it was hard not to let one’s gaze linger on him.
This was an age of prosperity. The more prosperous the age, the more it pursued male beauty.
Thus there was the style of Wei and Jin, and later the craze for fresh-faced idols.
This world was the same. Because the realm had been stable for a long time, the worship of beautiful men had only grown more intense over the past century.
Otherwise, the emperor would not have wanted to marry off a princess upon seeing Ji Xiu, nor would the princess have confessed her feelings after seeing the original body only once at a temple, without even knowing whether he would achieve official success.
As Ji Xiu walked along the road, young women and married women could not help but turn their heads again and again, casting astonished glances.
Unfortunately, Ji Xiu did not see them at all. All of his attention was on the beautiful woman in the blue skirt at his side. He smiled gently at her, his gaze tender.
The onlookers sighed inwardly, feeling regret.
How could he already have a wife? If he did not, they would surely disregard feminine restraint and take the initiative.
“Dad, they are all looking at you,” Ji Yue Sheng ran to Ji Xiu’s leg and whispered, her eyes full of curiosity. “Why are they all staring at you?”
Ji Xiu was taken aback and lifted his head to sweep his gaze around.
The young women quickly avoided his eyes, sighing even more deeply, feeling even greater regret.
How could there be such a handsome man in this world? Sword-like brows, starry eyes, pitch-black pupils. With just one glance, one wanted to drown in his gaze.
What a pity he belonged to someone already.
Toward a man with wife and children, no matter how astonished or fond they felt, they would not do anything improper. This was the basic moral line of the world.
Ji Xiu glanced at them, let out a light laugh, and quickly withdrew his gaze, explaining to Ji Yue Sheng, “Perhaps it is because our whole family just moved here.”
Ji Yue Sheng suddenly understood, her index finger poking at her cheek as she fell into thought.
Hearing this, Xie Rou Niang could not help lifting her head and shooting him an exasperated look.
Always talking nonsense to the children.
How had her husband become more and more fond of lying after becoming Top Scholar?
They were clearly looking at him.
Xie Rou Niang gazed at Ji Xiu’s face. In a hidden corner of her heart, happiness and pride swelled.
In the past, her husband had been busy studying and taking examinations, full of promises that he would treat her well after passing, but he had little energy to devote to the household. In five years of marriage, they had almost no communication. She was unfamiliar with him and could not enter his inner world.
Her husband spent long periods studying at academies. She managed the household alone, isolated and unsupported, working hard and enduring hardship, with no one to talk to. She was often uneasy, afraid that once her husband succeeded, he would become heartless and take another woman.
Now her husband had risen through the examinations and no longer needed to study.
Yet the husband who had set aside books and examinations did not betray her. Instead, he honored his promise, focused his attention on the family, treated her gently and attentively, caring and affectionate, making her feel a flutter she had not even felt during their wedding.
Xie Rou Niang felt that there was no one more blessed than she was.
This was her husband. His word was worth a thousand pieces of gold, perfect to the point of seeming unreal.
After soothing Ji Yue Sheng, Ji Xiu looked up and saw Xie Rou Niang’s expression, smiling at her.
Of course, this was because he did not know what Xie Rou Niang was thinking. If he did, he would probably pat this pitiful girl’s head and then show a helpless expression.
Naive people were always hurt the deepest.
…
The imperial palace.
“He is back?”
In the princess residence, Princess Dongzhu was bathing. Upon hearing a palace maid report that Ji Xiu had returned to the capital, she immediately stood up from the pool in excitement.
“Quick, dress me. I am going to see the Top Scholar.”
Two months ago, when Ji Xiu took leave to return home, she learned of it only after he had already left the capital. She had been furious, yet helpless.
Now that he had finally returned, she absolutely could not delay any longer. She had to seize his heart as soon as possible.
“Princess, the Top Scholar brought his family with him…”
The palace maid looked troubled, speaking with trembling caution. “The people below reported that the Top Scholar’s wife is beautiful and that the couple is very affectionate. Princess is of noble status. Why compete with a village woman…”
Smack.
Dongzhu slapped the maid across the face without mercy, her expression icy cold. “Dress this palace.”