Tang Yizi followed Ji Yanming’s gaze as he walked away. “I heard people say that Ji Jieyuan is smart, but I’ve never seen him like this…”

“He’s good-looking, isn’t he?” Tao Sheng said with a smile. “I thought so when I first saw him.”

Tang Yizi agreed, “He is so handsome!”

As they went inside, they continued talking about Ji Yanming. Tang Yizi felt he was quite special. “Speaking of which, the emperor has many princesses, and the princesses have many daughters. Maybe your cousin will be like the young master of the Zhang family, who passed the imperial examination twice and was chosen as a son-in-law by someone under the list, marrying a county lady.” 

“This is something for my aunt to worry about,” Tao Sheng replied, recalling that in the original text, Ji Yanming did not have an official match. “It won’t be too late to think about it after my cousin passes the exam.”

Tang Yizi smiled and nodded, then explained the purpose of her visit.

Tao Sheng’s birthday is the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. Ruo Jin’s birthday is unknown, but it’s most likely not on that day.

However, Shen Ruojin is now the second daughter of the Shen family. She has celebrated her birthday on this day in recent years, and Old Madam Shen plans to hold a coming-of-age ceremony for Shen Ruojin on this day.

Since both ceremonies would be on the same day, Shen Yue asked his wife, Tang Yizi, to see if Tao Sheng wanted to return to the Shen family to hold the coming-of-age ceremony together with Ruojin.

Tao Sheng repeatedly shook her head, refusing. “This coming-of-age ceremony is not a big deal; there’s no need to make such a fuss. Let the family enjoy a good New Year.”

Tang Yizi was amused by her words. “Mother said early this morning that she would attend your coming-of-age ceremony. Father has been unhappy about my second brother’s imperial examination lately and quarreled with Mother twice after hearing this. Mother insists on coming, so she would naturally ignore Ruojin. Your brother is someone who pursues perfection, so he thought of other ways.”

Tao Sheng was curious. “What method?”

“Your brother found out that many families in Beijing have held coming-of-age ceremonies for their daughters one or two days in advance. Since Ruojin’s birthday isn’t originally on this day, if necessary, she could hold her ceremony one day earlier. Then on the eighteenth day, they could come to the Su family to watch your ceremony. It would be the same as accompanying you for your coming-of-age ceremony.”

Thinking about the family coming to celebrate her birthday, Tao Sheng felt overwhelmed.

She quickly stopped Tang Yizi from talking. “My coming-of-age ceremony isn’t worth the Marquis’s family making such a fuss, and we shouldn’t let Second Miss Shen down. It’s enough for the Marquis’s wife to come to my humble home; we can’t trouble the whole family to make a big deal out of it. Sister, please remember to pass my message to the Marquis’s wife at home.”

“Look at how useless you are! I’m just here to celebrate your birthday, and you’re so scared?” Tang Yizi said with a smile. “Don’t worry, the old lady won’t let Ruojin be wronged. Your brother asked me to come here just to ask you a question. Only Mother will come to your coming-of-age ceremony, so don’t be disappointed.”

Perhaps Ji Yanming’s performance gave everyone hope for a potential match, and Tao Sheng’s coming-of-age ceremony unexpectedly became lively. Almost everyone connected with the family who knew about it prepared gifts and attended, making the ceremony quite grand.

After Tao Sheng’s coming-of-age ceremony, the Chinese New Year arrived, followed by the Spring Examination.

Ji Yanming’s performance in the imperial examination seemed better than in the previous autumn exam. He passed all the tests and won first prize, completing the transformation from Jieyuan to Huiyuan, then to Zhuangyuan ^[1]Zhuangyuan is the highest honor in the imperial examination.. This is often referred to as “three consecutive first prizes.”

If we consider the previous exams, Ji Yanming truly achieved “six consecutive top scores.” Tao Sheng thought this was nearly impossible in human society; only a character like Ji Yanming could achieve such a level.

At the same time, those observing Ji Yanming’s performance finally got their answer.

From a classmate close to Ji Yanming, they learned that his level of study was only average. He never had any amazing performances or mentioned special study methods. When they chatted, the most he talked about was how his cousin once played the zither for him.

After discussions and analysis, everyone felt they understood something.

On the day the palace examination results were announced, Su Jia’s Oriental Musical Instrument Store welcomed many enthusiastic customers, and almost everything was sold out.

Not only were all the music scores that Tao Sheng selected gone, but also the decorative ornaments and paintings were bought at high prices, along with tables, stools, and tea sets in the tea room.

Su Jia talked to the customers buying tables and chairs for a long time. These were just ordinary items with no special attributes. Even Ji Yanming didn’t have time to visit the tea room in the store to drink tea; he had never even touched those tables and chairs.

However, these people rushing to buy only had their eyes on the goods and not the shopkeeper. Most of what Su Jia said went in one ear and out the other. No one had the time to pay attention to her. Instead, they were all focused on their own world, buying things crazily.

In addition, many people posted messages, expressing their willingness to pay a large sum of money to book Tao Sheng to play the zither, even for just one song.

Tao Sheng was tuning a new batch of guitars at home that day and did not come to the store. Su Jia just left her name and address according to the invitation order and said she would give everyone a reply after asking her niece Tao Sheng.

At first, those who invited Tao Sheng to play the zither were all young gentlemen preparing for examinations. Later, the requests made by the guests were a little strange. One said that their newborn baby needed to be enlightened by the sound of the zither, and education should start from an early age; another said that their mother had been blind for a long time and had sought medical treatment many times but to no avail, and she needed Tao Sheng’s zither playing to heal her.

Su Jia could understand most of the other people’s requests, but she couldn’t understand the one about using zither music to treat her eyes.

The man looked wealthy and spoke with confidence.

“Is curing my mother’s eyesight harder than winning the imperial examination? Her zither playing can help family members win three imperial examinations in a row, so why can’t it make my mother’s eyesight better?”

Su Jia: …

The other party spoke in an orderly and well-founded manner.

It sounds like this makes sense in some ways.