Chapter 434: I Don’t Want to Talk to Her

Chapter 434: Don't Want to Talk to Her

Good news, Li Shouye passed the Imperial Examination.

Bad news, he ranked last.

Lu Hanyi looked at Li Shouye's name at the bottom of the red list, feeling like the world was spinning.

Seventeen years ago, she had been full of hope, expecting Li Wenxun to make a big impression in the spring examinations, but he ended up in the lower half of the rankings.

Seventeen years later, she had pinned all her hopes on her son, hoping he would erase her past shame, but in the end... he came in last!

Even worse than his father's ranking back in the day!

How could she ever measure up to Lu Lingyun now?

If Lu Lingyun found out, she would surely mock her behind her back!

For a moment, Lu Hanyi felt dizzy, with countless thoughts racing through her mind—disappointment, loss, resentment, jealousy, dissatisfaction, and anger.

"How could he be last?"

"How could he be last..."

"Dead last... There must be some mistake! The Imperial Examination must be unfair, they all cheated, placing my son's paper at the bottom!"

Li Shouye: "..."

Seeing his mother muttering and on the verge of unleashing her fury, Li Shouye quickly pulled her aside.

"My son! Let's go find your uncle, have him pull some strings to have your paper re-evaluated. There's no way you could be last!"

Li Shouye looked at her, "Why can't I be last? Don't you know what happened on the day of the exam?"

This struck Lu Hanyi hard, leaving her speechless.

"After all the chaos you caused that day, it was already a miracle I managed to finish the exam. What more do you want from me!"

Hearing her son blame her, Lu Hanyi's eyes darted, "My son, it's their fault for not selecting you. Don't be upset, we have the talent. Even ranking last means you passed. You can still shine in the palace exam!"

She looked at Li Shouye eagerly, "The preliminary exam results aren't important, the palace exam is what counts! Just pass the preliminary, and then excel in the palace exam. Bring home the top prize for your mother!"

Speaking thus, she gazed earnestly at Li Shouye, "The preliminary exam doesn't matter, the palace exam is the most crucial! As long as you pass the preliminary, that's fine. Mother didn't hinder your big plans; just focus on the palace exam and bring home the title of top scholar for me!"

Li Shouye listened to his mother's excuses—blaming the examiners, downplaying the importance of the preliminary exam, and shifting all the blame onto others. He felt completely powerless.

But seeing the expression in his mother's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to argue.

He didn't want to speak.

He really didn't want to speak to her.

Some people just push their children to the point where they don't want to say a word!

He stayed silent, and Lu Hanyi took it as agreement, enthusiastically dragging him along, dreaming of the future.

"My son, when you make a name for yourself and become the top scholar, you'll bring great honor to your mother!"

"That useless father of yours is no help at all, still just the Donghai County Magistrate. Once you're the top scholar, we'll start as a prefect! Then rise straight to the top, become the prime minister, and get your mother a noble title!"

Li Shouye: "..."

Lu Lingyun heard from Tong Nanyuan that Li Shouye had passed the exam.

Upon hearing the news, she couldn't help feeling relieved for Li Shouye.

"Just passing is enough, even if it's the last spot on the list."

As long as he made it onto the list, regardless of how he performed in the palace exam, he would at least secure the title of Tong Jinshi.

Regardless of the size of his official position or his future prospects, making it onto the list meant he had already entered the official career path and successfully landed on shore.

"With a mother like that, it's already a stroke of luck for Shou Ye to have passed," Tong Nanyuan remarked. "His mother must be overjoyed at home now, feeling like she's come out on top again!"

Hearing this, Lu Lingyun smiled lightly. "Hanyi has always hoped for someone to bring her glory and pride. Passing the exam is just the first step. She must be at home right now, urging Shou Ye to perform well in the palace exam and secure a good ranking."

Cheng Suying and her friends were sitting around a small table nearby. Upon hearing this, Cheng Suying was the first to express her dissatisfaction. "She only knows how to push her son to excel and does nothing else. My cousin has to study while enduring her constant nagging. It's really unfortunate!"

Zhang Qingyu, sitting beside her, also chimed in, "Mr. Li really is unlucky. Any family with such a talented child would spoil and support him, not constantly nag and pressure him. Who could endure that?"

Lin Zhiyan added, "For children to succeed, parents need to give them a leg up too. Relying only on his own efforts isn't enough."

Hearing Lin Zhiyan's response, Lu Lingyun's eyes lit up, and she glanced at her with interest.

"Mr. Li is filial and kind. Someone like him is bound to achieve good results in the palace exam!" Xu Yinyin finally spoke up.

At this point, Lu Lingyun smiled and looked at Xu Yinyin, who had just spoken. She saw a glimmer of admiration and anticipation in her eyes.

Just then, Li Shouye arrived.

"Auntie, the young master has arrived," a maid reported.

Tong Nanyuan, who was currently pregnant, quickly waved her hand. "Show him in."

"Yes."

Shortly after, Li Shouye was led into the courtyard by the maid.

"Greetings, Auntie," Li Shouye first greeted Tong Nanyuan, then turned to see Lu Lingyun. "Auntie is also here."

"Congratulations, Shou Ye," Lu Lingyun said with a smile.

"Yes, you're so young and have already passed the metropolitan exam. That's truly impressive!" Tong Nanyuan praised.

"Auntie, you're too kind," Li Shouye replied. He had come to share the good news and to apologize for the trouble his mother, Lu Hanyi, had recently caused.

Lu Lingyun and Tong Nanyuan had been so kind to him, so he felt he had to show up in person.

"Cousin, it's not just flattery. You're only seventeen and have already passed the metropolitan exam. Since the founding of our dynasty, you're the first to achieve this!" Cheng Suying chimed in. "With such extraordinary talent, you truly deserve the title of genius."

Hearing Cheng Suying's words, Li Shouye smiled at her. "Thank you, cousin."

Zhang Qingyu and Lin Zhiyan also congratulated him, saying, "We wish Mr. Li great success in the palace exam and a promising future."

"Yes, Mr. Li, I believe you will certainly do well," Xu Yinyin stood up to encourage him.

Having been constantly nagged by his mother and feeling completely drained, Li Shouye was deeply touched by all the warm encouragement. He nodded gratefully to everyone. "Thank you."

After chatting with Tong Nanyuan for a while, Lu Kuan returned.

Li Shouye followed Lu Kuan to his study.

After he left, the people in the room once again began to express their pity for Li Shouye.

Xu Yinyin was the most curious of them all. She asked Cheng Suying many questions about her cousin's family, such as where his father served as an official, and learned that he had lived alone with his mother in the Imperial City since childhood, hadn't seen his father in over a decade, and other similar trivial matters.

Zhang Qingyu and Lin Zhiyan were also listening and speaking, but they treated it more as casual gossip and didn't pay much attention.

Lu Lingyun and Tong Nanyuan sat at another table listening to the Young Girls talk. As the sun gradually set in the west, the group of Young Girls began to disperse.