Chapter 243: The Imperial Examination

Chapter 243: The Imperial Examination

"The Lin family moved Lin Yunwan's grave?"

Ge Baor was astonished.

If one could mistake Lu Zhengliu and Qing'er for their striking resemblance, the relocation of Lin Yunwan's grave raised even more suspicions.

Lu Zhengliu nodded silently.

He couldn't articulate his feelings, fearing he might have been overthinking or mistaken someone else, but he was now convinced he had not.

He suddenly laughed, "It's her. It's definitely Yunwan."

Ge Baor was skeptical.

After all, she had witnessed Lin Yunwan's burning to death herself and had personally locked the doors.

Her curiosity peaked, "How similar are they? You and Qing'er both mistook her at the same time?"

"I need to see for myself."

Lu Zhengliu immediately objected, "What do you plan to do to her?!"

Ge Baor retorted irritably, "I just want to have a look! I can't believe there are two people in the world who look that alike. What do you think I'm going to do?"

Lu Zhengliu replied coldly, "Forget it, you won't be able to see her."

"She's now Princess Huan, not someone a concubine of a marquis house can easily approach."

Ge Baor knew he was mocking her.

She replied sharply, "You're right, she's a princess, not someone ordinary people can meet. Even if she is Lin Yunwan, you should give up any thoughts!"

Lu Zhengliu gave Ge Baor a cold glance.

With her mind fixated on Princess Huan, Ge Baor paid no heed to her husband's opinion.

She was determined to meet Princess Huan.

Ge Baor went to see Lady Chen.

"Mother, help me find a way to meet Princess Huan."

Lady Chen looked haggard; the Duke had sent someone to reprimand her.

It was embarrassing to be scolded in a long-standing marriage.

She said, "Baor, don’t worry about these things. You and Qing'er should just live well. As long as your father and I are here, you and Qing'er will be fine."

"Even if Princess Huan is of high status, she can't uproot our Duke's family."

"You won’t be in trouble either."

Ge Baor anxiously said, "But didn’t you say that since the Crown Prince has no sons, Prince Huan will inevitably ascend the throne?"

"Then she would become... the Empress."

Ge Baor was fearful, "Even if I don't provoke her, she might seek revenge on me. And Qing'er, she used to hate him the most when she was in the mansion."

"Do you expect your daughter to just sit and wait for doom?"

Lady Chen said, "If she really is the mistress of the Lu family, what can you do?"

Ge Baor fell silent for a moment, then smiled, "Mother, are you being naive? If she truly is Lin Yunwan, that would be a crime of deceiving the emperor!"

"Why worry about what our daughter should do? Would the emperor tolerate such a woman as a royal daughter-in-law?"

"The Empress Dowager herself would surely demand her life."

This made sense.

Lady Chen remarked, "If she truly is from the Lin family and one day becomes the empress, it will be an endless source of trouble."

"Be patient and wait. If there's a chance, I'll secretly take you to meet her."

Ge Baor smiled in gratitude, sharing a close moment with Lady Chen.

Soon it was August, and the imperial examination had already begun.

On the day of the examination, there was a long queue at the entrance of the examination hall. The candidates lined up for a body search; they had to undress for inspection to ensure they didn't bring any cheat sheets before they could enter.

At the entrance, the officials were verifying the candidates' names and appearances.

"Lin Yunyi, aged eighteen."

Lin Yunyi stepped forward.

"Wen Hai, Jiang Qian scholar..."

"Present."

"Xia Jin, scholar from the capital..."

And there was Lu Changgong.

Before entering the examination hall, Lin Yunyi saw Lu Changgong. They nodded and greeted each other before entering the Imperial Academy.

Wen Hai rubbed his hands. Before entering the hall, he looked back to see his mother and Lin Yunjiao sitting in the carriage, eagerly waiting.

Wen's mother retreated into the carriage once she could no longer see her son.

It was too cold in the early morning.

Inside the carriage, Wen’s mother complained, "Your sister is so fortunate to be a princess, a notable figure in the capital. Why haven’t you inherited any of her luck?"

Lin Yunjiao snorted coldly, retorting, "Mother-in-law, am I short of food or shelter? Do I need to rely on my sister, the princess, to be satisfied?"

Wen's mother clenched her teeth, choosing not to argue with her daughter-in-law.

She smiled coldly, "Wait until Wen Hai passes the imperial examination, then I'll deal with you!"

Lin Yunjiao was not afraid; over the years, her family had generously supported her, and fortunately, her husband was also promising. The teachers at the Jiangqian Prefectural School had said he had a great chance of passing the exams this year!

"Once my husband becomes a licentiate, we'll have more expenses. If my mother-in-law thinks we no longer need her support, she's welcome to send me back to my family's home – I would be grateful!"

Wenhai’s mother was smug, "Once my son passes the examination, countless fine ladies will be waiting to marry him. I can divorce you and find him a better match!"

Lin Yunjiao did feel a bit nervous.

But she wasn’t too afraid; returning to their rented small courtyard, she called out, "Lan'er, Jin'er."

Her two children came out, joyfully rushing into her embrace.

Wenhai was very fond of their children; she didn’t believe Wenhai’s mother would dare divorce her.

The provincial examination lasted nine days, and many examinees who weren’t in good health fell seriously ill after the exam.

Lin Yunjiao, worried about her husband, waited anxiously for nine days. Only after Wenhai finished the exams did she start to think about Lin Yunwan's situation.

"They say that Princess of Prince Huan is the legitimate daughter of the Lin family who returned from the dead, looking exactly like her!"

"Really? This sounds like something out of a drama!"

Lin Yunjiao, while buying rice and groceries with her maid, fell into a deep reverie.

"The Lin family, the Lin family..."

"The legitimate daughter of the Lin family had just died, and then Lin Yunwan returned to our Lin family. Could it really be a case of returning from the dead?"

The more Lin Yunjiao thought about it, the more she felt things were amiss, "No wonder Lin Yunwan is so formidable. Could it be that she's not my real sister?"

\\

After the provincial exams, the Crown Prince’s residence hosted a banquet.

Lin Yunwan attended as a guest, courteously remarking, "The Crown Princess has worked so hard her eyes are red."

The Crown Princess said with a smile, "The Crown Prince and I usually live too quietly. It's nice to have you all here to liven things up."

She was delighted to see Qi Zaijun standing nearby, "Jun'er?"

Qi Zaijun bowed respectfully, "I pay my respects to the Crown Princess."

The Crown Princess was very fond of Qi Zaijun, taking him aside to talk and even bringing him to see the Crown Prince in the warm room.

"Nephew pays his respects to the Crown Prince."

Qi Zaijun was a bit nervous, with only maids attending and Lin Yunwan unable to follow.

The Crown Prince was kind, but his complexion was too pale. He extended his bony hand, speaking gently, "Come here, let your uncle have a good look at you."

Qi Zaijun hesitated but approached, softly asking, "Are you very cold?"

The Crown Prince nodded, "Your uncle is cold."

Qi Zaijun warmed his hands.

The Crown Prince was momentarily surprised, then touching his head, said, "Good boy," and gave Qi Zaijun the jade ring he was wearing.

The Crown Princess was shocked; it was a gift from Emperor Jingshun when he was appointed Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince didn't seem to mind, only saying to Qi Zaijun, "Wear it when you're older. Your uncle is very ill; go play with your aunt."

"Jun'er thanks Uncle. I'll come to see you again soon."

The Crown Prince smiled.