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Chapter 51: The Imperial Examination Success

After hearing this, Qingxue hurried to the side room.

Qin Rong had left the door half-closed, and as Qingxue pushed it open to enter, she saw Qin Rong walking out from inside.

Qin Rong moved lightly, appearing suddenly, which startled Qingxue.

Knowing she wouldn’t speak, Qingxue patted her chest and didn’t engage in conversation but simply said, “Rong’er, the old lady wants you to come over.”

Out of respect for the time they had spent together, Qingxue added another sentence, “There have been some issues with the Qin family, so when you see the old lady, don’t be too agitated.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Rong slightly furrowed her brows, and her usually indifferent expression was disrupted.

Qingxue noticed her expression turning serious and felt a bit odd. Qin Rong usually kept to herself, but now she looked somewhat imposing, even intimidating.

Shaking her head, Qingxue didn’t think much more of it and led Qin Rong toward Wen Ruyu’s place.

When they reached Wen Ruyu, she looked up at Qin Rong.

However, upon seeing Qin Rong’s frown and the complicated look on her delicate face, Wen Ruyu realized Qingxue must have mentioned something to her.

“You two may leave. Rong’er, stay here,” Wen Ruyu said to her daughter-in-law and Qingxue.

Zhao Shu and Qingxue quietly retreated.

Wen Ruyu sighed deeply and said, “The Qin family has been implicated and their property seized.”

The result of the property seizure was that the men would be exiled, and it was unclear how the imperial court would deal with the women of the Qin family.

While the men were exiled, the women would likely not face death, but they could be sent into exile, dismissed, or forced into service as military prostitutes.

With the men of the Qin family in such dire straits, the women would not have an easy outcome either.

“Tell me truthfully, you…”

Before Wen Ruyu could finish her sentence, Zhao Shu’s voice interrupted from outside: “Grandmother!”

Wen Ruyu frowned and called out, “What’s the matter?”

Zhao Shu entered and said, “The Xu family has said that Fu’er isn’t feeling well and wants Rong’er to go over and take care of her for a couple of days. The doctor said she’s having some pregnancy issues and needs to rest.”

“Isn’t there someone in the Qin family to take care of her?” Wen Ruyu asked.

Zhao Shu gave a small embarrassed laugh and softly said, “Grandmother, you’ve forgotten. They’re sisters. With such a big incident happening in the family, Fu’er only has Rong’er left by her side. How could she not think of her?”

Wen Ruyu then remembered that perhaps Qin Fu didn’t know about Qin Rong’s real identity.

Or maybe Qin Fu did know but was calling Rong’er over to discuss future matters?

But what could a woman in a courtyard possibly plan for Qin Rong’s future?

Thus, Wen Ruyu thought that it was most likely Qin Fu didn’t know the truth about Qin Rong.

If that was the case, perhaps Qin Fu only wanted to see her half-sister in this difficult time.

In this case, Wen Ruyu didn’t feel it was appropriate to stop her.

Although Qin Old Master had implicated the Lu family, Qin Fu was probably innocent if she didn’t know.

Moreover, Qin Fu had always treated her with great respect, and Wen Ruyu didn’t want her to get into trouble.

Since Qin Fu was only recently facing pregnancy complications, preventing Rong’er from going now would make it seem like the Lu family was hiding something.

With her daughter-in-law here, Wen Ruyu didn’t feel it was the right time to interfere.

She gave Qin Rong a deep look and said, “You go over and comfort your sister. Your family has been through a lot for you.”

Qin Rong’s eyes flickered, and she only nodded to Wen Ruyu, then followed Zhao Shu out.

At the Qin family, Qin Fu was lying in bed, her forehead wrapped in cloth to protect against the wind.

Zhao Shu had just seen Qin Rong a few days ago, and at that time, Qin Rong had rosy lips and a delicate face, looking fragile but still healthy.

Now, her lips were pale, her energy seemed drained, and her brows furrowed. She looked a completely different person.

Zhao Shu, empathetic by nature, couldn’t help but wipe away her tears as she looked at Qin Fu’s sickly appearance.

When Qin Fu saw Qin Rong, tears welled up in her eyes, and she reached out for her sister to come closer.

Qin Rong didn’t move much but her face turned even paler, clearly shocked by the Qin family’s tragic situation.

Zhao Shu nudged her. “Go on, go to your sister.”

Qin Rong finally shuffled forward.

Qin Fu’s cold fingers touched her warm sister’s hand. “Rong’er, at least you’re still by my side.”

She might never see her family again in her life. To be able to see her sister was some small comfort.

Qin Rong opened her mouth, but her throat was too dry to produce a sound.

Zhao Shu didn’t stay long at the Qin family, as she didn’t want to disturb Qin Fu who was ill.

After saying a few words of consolation, she returned to the Lu family.

After Zhao Shu left, Qin Fu dismissed the servants and grabbed Qin Rong’s hand, her brow furrowed as tears streamed down her face.

“Rong’er, we have no home anymore.”

Qin Rong was stunned by the words.

There was little sadness in her eyes, more fear and confusion.

That evening, the Qin family sent someone to the Lu family to pack Qin Rong’s things and send them over.

They explained that Qin Fu’s health was poor and that it was customary for Qin Rong to attend to her, so they hoped to keep her for a few days.

Wen Ruyu heard this and immediately gave the order to pack Qin Rong’s things and send them to the Qin family without hesitation.

To be honest, it might be a good thing for the Lu family if Qin Rong went to the Xu family.

The matter with the Qin family was far from over, but the two successful imperial examination candidates from the Lu family had finally returned.

After paying respects to the matriarch, the family gathered joyously.

The brothers, who had originally planned to return quietly, didn’t expect the news to spread so quickly. The day after Lu Songnian and Lu Ke returned, many people came to the Lu family to pay their respects.

Among the visitors were relatives, local gentry, classmates of the masters, and even matchmakers who had received money from others.

Some poor families brought their children, eager to become servants for the Lu family, willing to work without asking for pay.

Wen Ruyu only received the matchmakers, relatives, and so on, and those who came to seek refuge were few. Wen Ruyu sent each of them off with a hundred coins, treating it as a charitable act.

As for the others, Wen Ruyu let Lu Songnian and Lu Ke handle the reception.

Of course, any gifts received were placed into the family fund.

If there was any important matter, the two brothers would consult Wen Ruyu before making any decisions.

After two days of lively gatherings, the Lu family held a banquet, ostensibly to celebrate the success of Lu Songnian and Lu Ke in the imperial examinations.

Wen Ruyu specially invited the local gentry with daughters of marriageable age, hoping Lu Ke would find someone he liked.

If he found a suitable match, she would arrange for a matchmaker to propose.

Since the brothers were the main guests of honor, Wen Ruyu had them come to the women’s quarters to greet the ladies.

The women couldn’t stay for long, so Wen Ruyu had a brief conversation with the two brothers before sending them off.

After the banquet ended, Wen Ruyu summoned Lu Ke again to ask him about his thoughts on marriage.

Zhao Shu, hearing Wen Ruyu’s efforts to arrange Lu Ke’s marriage, said, “Normally, the elder brother should marry first, but since Bai Nian hasn’t married yet, shouldn’t we delay the arrangements for the third brother?”

Wen Ruyu wasn’t concerned about this.

“BaiNian’s previous issues were not small. It’s hard to find someone suitable for him now. But Lu Ke has passed the examination, and it’s the right time for him to settle down. We can’t let BaiNian’s situation delay Lu Ke’s marriage.”

She added, “Don’t worry. No one will gossip about BaiNian’s past.”

Actually, Wen Ruyu had already asked Lu BaiNian about his thoughts on marriage, and he had said to take it slowly.

Wen Ruyu was considering waiting another two years before making any decisions for him.

After all, he was a man with money, and there would be no shortage of women who would want to marry him. If necessary, they could always look at the lower social classes, where many women would gladly marry into the family.

The market was like that: upper-class men didn’t have trouble finding wives, while it was the lower-class men who struggled.

Zhao Shu, hearing this, couldn’t help but feel guilty for not being as virtuous as Wen Ruyu.

If it were her, she knew she couldn’t treat a son of a concubine so well.

As the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conversed, the servant girl outside reminded them, “The third master has arrived.”

Wen Ruyu straightened up and waited for Lu Ke to enter.

After a few words of greeting, Wen Ruyu asked, “Did you find any girls you liked at the banquet today?”

Lu Ke, not daring to speak plainly, smiled awkwardly.

This was the custom of ancient times—marriages were arranged by the parents, and younger generations couldn’t directly express their preferences.

Lu Ke, if he had anything to say, could only do so indirectly.

Zhao Shu, eager to tease, said, “The daughter of the county magistrate came today. She’s of good age and looks, very proper. I think she’s a good match.”

Lu Ke, hearing this, didn’t answer right away but gave a shy smile. “Sister-in-law, don’t tease me.”

Wen Ruyu, seeing his reaction, was sure there was something to it. “I think she’s a good match too. How about I send someone to ask her family? What do you think, third brother?”

Lu Ke lowered his head, his face slightly flushed, and smiled shyly. “The girl from the Lin family is elegant and wise. But when it comes to marriage, I can’t make the decision on my own. I still need to consider grandmother’s wishes.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Ruyu understood.

“Alright, I see.”

Lu Ke lowered his head, his eyes flashing with excitement.

However, just as his joy was rising, it was almost dashed in the next moment.

Wen Ruyu suddenly said, “But what about your matter with Fen’er?”

Zhao Shu, listening in, was intrigued.

What was going on with Fen’er and the third master? She hadn’t heard anything about this.

The moment Wen Ruyu spoke, Lu Ke stiffened. He glanced cautiously at Wen Ruyu, startled by her sudden remark at the happiest moment of the conversation.

But seeing that Wen Ruyu didn’t seem angry, Lu Ke relaxed a little. “Fen’er and I play and tease each other sometimes, but please don’t misunderstand, grandmother. There’s nothing improper between us.”

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