Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Rong Tang spent an entire winter in Yong'an Lane, only occasionally visiting the Wangfei and the Princess at the Ning Xuanwang Mansion. The rest of the time, he stayed in the west-facing study of Tang Jing's residence, watching the days grow longer, observing the pear blossoms bloom and fall like snowflakes.

On the day of Jingzhe, a heavy rain fell in the capital. The insects, silent all winter, seemed to have agreed to sing their long and piercing calls, as if heralding the arrival of some change.

Su Huaijing swiftly rose in rank from a sixth-grade official in the Imperial Censorate to a higher position, achieving this in just two short months.

Su Huaijing never brought matters of the officialdom home; he and Rong Tang always talked about daily affairs like what to eat for meals, where to go on days off, the group of itinerant merchants who came from the north bringing many borderland trinkets, and whether they should go see them…

Rong Tang, who had toiled behind Sheng Chengli for two lifetimes, found himself completely shielded from the struggles for power, which left him somewhat disoriented.

However, Su Huaijing did not entirely exclude him. At certain unspeakable junctures or regarding some indispensable officials in the original story, Rong Tang occasionally exploited loopholes in the system to provide Su Huaijing with ambiguous hints.

Often at these times, their interactions would become Rong Tang talking and Su Huaijing listening.

Su Huaijing would brew him a pot of tea, prepare some dried fruits and snacks, and set up pen, ink, paper, and inkstone within easy reach of Rong Tang, just in case he got excited and needed to jot down or sketch out some power dynamics.

The information Rong Tang possessed was often intricate and secret. Though it could be unearthed with effort and energy, Su Huaijing, owning a gambling house like Jade Quest, found most officials of the Da Yu transparent before him.

But he liked to listen to Rong Tang's rambling and disjointed chatter.

It was not just to help himself clarify thoughts and reduce troubles, but more to give Rong Tang more vitality.

He might not realize it himself, but when Rong Tang spoke about those officials' trivialities and gossip, his face did not show boredom or tedium. On the contrary, it was a kind of liveliness he had never shown before.

Su Huaijing enjoyed that liveliness.

In the spring of the tenth year of Qingzheng, Da Yu faced a significant event for all scholars: the imperial examination.

The day the results were posted happened to be in mid-spring, the season of blooming flowers.

Before the start of Sheng Chengxing’s Flower Picking Assembly, the entrance of the examination hall was crowded with many candidates eager to see their rankings, as well as some officials who had detoured there after their court duties.

As a Deputy Minister of the Imperial College, Ke Hongxue only held a nominal position and didn’t need to give lectures daily, making him a true idler.

The top scholar of the previous session, who had stunned the entire capital of Yu Jing, drove his luxurious carriage from the Ke residence early in the morning, went around to Yong'an Lane to pick up Rong Tang, and then together they headed to the Zi Wu Gate to meet Mu Jingshu and Su Huaijing, who had just left the court.

They even picked up Liú Jiāxī along the way.

Liú Jiāxī, both nervous and excited, thought that under normal circumstances, he would be among those anxiously awaiting the exam results outside the tribute academy.

But now, having taken advantage of the flower festival and experienced the Jiangnan flood, his experiences and insights far surpassed those of the freshly graduated scholars.

The carriage stopped at a corner near the academy. The entire street before the academy was crowded with scholars and servants waiting for the announcement. As Róng Táng walked past, he recognized the faces of many court officials.

"Catching a son-in-law under the list," Kē Hóngxuě joked, glancing at Mù Jǐngsèqu, "If I hadn’t clung to my senior that spring, Mù Shàoqī might now be the prized son-in-law of some high official's residence."

The irony in his words was almost palpable. Róng Táng discreetly moved a few steps away from him. Mù Jǐngsèqu maintained his usual cool demeanor, yet in their private moments, they had glimpsed hints of the once most charming and debonair Third Prince of Yùjīng City.

In his short life of twenty-eight years, Róng Táng had experienced the dispersion of friends and family and the loss of subordinates. He wore the plain garb of mourning for ten years, and the mask on his face had become a decade-long facade. Glimpses of his past self were fleeting and ephemeral, disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared, unable to linger for long.

Róng Táng couldn't quite articulate his feelings, surrounded by a boisterous crowd, his mind picturing the scene described by Kē Hóngxuě.

On a sunny day in Yùjīng City, with flowers in full bloom, promising young men about to embark on their careers stood under the spring sunshine, their faces softened by its warmth. Matchmakers in bright colors approached to arrange marriages, and officials in black robes sincerely extended invitations.

It was a vivid and vibrant scene, yet when associated with Mù Jǐngsèqu, Róng Táng felt an incongruity.

The once-arrogant and privileged prince had transformed into untouched snow atop a distant mountain, a breeze that passed through the mortal world without stirring a speck of dust, hardly fitting for such a noisy and chaotic scene.

Walking beside Sù Huáijǐng, Róng Táng looked at Mù Jǐngsèqu with a hint of disbelief.

Before Róng Táng could voice his doubts, Liú Jiāxī interjected skeptically, “That doesn’t sound right. When I was at the Ministry of Rites, I heard the Deputy Minister saying that in the seventh year of Qìngzhèng, the most popular figure on the announcement day was actually you, Kē Hóngxuě.”

Caught off guard, Kē Hóngxuě’s composed and smug smile momentarily froze.

As he turned to warn Liú Jiāxī against indiscretion, Sù Huáijǐng swiftly intervened, cutting off their line of sight, and asked with a smile, “Would Liú Jiāxī elaborate?”

As he spoke, Sù Huáijǐng glanced at Róng Táng, clearly noticing the eager curiosity in his eyes.

Indeed... his curiosity was always so intense.

Su Huaijing shook his head with a wry smile, listening to Lu Jiaxi narrating to Rong Tang the stories he had heard from the Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Rites, embellished and distorted after being passed through several hands.

Mu Jingshu passed a glance, his lips curving slightly.

Ke Hongxue complained incessantly, only intending to tease his senior, but not expecting that Lu Jiaxi, even as an official, couldn’t change his habit of eavesdropping. With so many new events at court, it’s a wonder he still found time to spread stories.

On the day of the imperial examination results in the tenth year of Qingzheng, last session’s top graduate clung to his senior, plaintively saying, "I didn’t accept any of them, you know that."

The top scholar looked at him and countered, "What does that have to do with me?"

His voice was as cold as ever. In the city, the spring breeze was gentle, and the reflection of the golden powder river in the sky fell into the clouds and cast back down, turning the millennium-old Yu Jing City into a hazy realm of splendor.

Like a giant bubble, it reflected another dimension of life, shimmering in the sunlight with a spectrum of colors, reflecting the myriad facets of human life.

Lu Jiaxi and Rong Tang had talked from the imperial examination day three years ago to the palace examination, and from there to the Dali Temple. Lu Jiaxi seemed to know a bit of everything and had a story for every topic.

Rong Tang listened with joy, while Su Huaijing contentedly acted as a barrier, shielding Ke Hongxue’s view and making sure Rong Tang wasn’t jostled by the crowd.

On the other side, as Mu Jingshu finished speaking, Ke Hongxue's laughter faded, and he uncharacteristically fell silent.

Mu Jingshu, feeling uncomfortable, took a few steps but couldn't help looking back at him.

Ke Hongxue opened his folding fan, gently waving it to block an oblivious scholar who accidentally bumped into him. His arm took a hard hit but didn't shake.

The impact didn't reach Mu Jingshu at all. His dark blue court attire, like his usual white clothes, always remained spotless, especially with Ke Hongxue around.

He is the glorious snow of the harsh winter, always knowing how to conceal and cover with purity.

Mu Jingshu paused, subconsciously moving a step towards Ke Hongxue. The latter had already casually closed his fan, letting the scholar go and conjuring up another smile for Mu Jingshu. His peach blossom eyes were charming and affectionate, his words ambiguously sincere: "Senior, you keep saying that, and it will make me sad."

The warmth of the mid-spring sun and the breeze mingled with the crowd and carriages. Mu Jingshu stood still for a moment, then restrainedly withdrew his gaze.

Su Huaijing glanced at them but remained silent.

Ke Hongxue, familiar with the way, led the group into the crowd under the announcement board. Looking up at the board, he read with an air of importance, "Xun Boguang, Xu Pengchi, Lei Hang... The academy has done well this time. The teacher should be pleased."

The 'teacher' he referred to was naturally Mu Jingshu's nominal father, whom Ke Hongxue would visit every year with gifts during the three major festivals. It was unclear whether this was to repay the teacher's kindness or to fulfill someone else's gratitude.

The Jinwu Guard maintained order nearby. Rong Tang glanced casually at the names on the list, then shifted his gaze to a group of Jinwu Guards on the left side of the Imperial Academy, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Su Huaijing leaned in to ask, "What's wrong?"

"He got promoted?" Rong Tang indicated with his hand from a distance, then quickly withdrew his arm.

Su Huaijing followed his gesture and saw Shen Feiyi among the guards.

Su Huaijing: "He was promoted last month to the position of Deputy General of the Right Valiant Guards."

Rong Tang: "…That's impressive." He was genuinely admiring.

Shen Feiyi hadn't been promoted for a year since the Xianhu incident, but Su Huaijing, only two months after entering court, had already begun to elevate his own forces secretly.

Truly impressive.

Su Huaijing initially missed the underlying tone of his words, his expression cooling, he said in a low voice, "Tang Tang."

Rong Tang, startled, quickly sensed the antagonist's mood wasn't quite right. Turning back and seeing the look in his eyes, he paused for a second, uncharacteristically finding Su Huaijing a bit ridiculous.

"I'm praising you for being impressive," he said.

Su Huaijing blinked, realizing what he meant, and the slight annoyance in his eyes dissipated immediately. He smiled, his eyes curving, softly responding, "Thank you for the compliment, Tang Tang."

Rong Tang: "…" Eat a little less vinegar, will you!

Little vinegar jar!

He felt speechless, his ears blushing with embarrassment. Turning his head, he suddenly noticed something off in the atmosphere between Ke Hongxue and Mu Jingshu, pausing before asking, "What's with them?"

Su Huaijing glanced casually and shook his head, "Nothing serious, just something that needed to be resolved."

Just too stubborn to admit their liking.

Su Huaijing thought, the elder brother is not as honest as Tang Tang.

At least Róng Táng would invite him to sleep together.

Though it was just sleeping.