Chapter 445: Scolding Someone Away

Chapter 445: Chasing Someone Away with Words

"You want to marry the daughter of a seventh-rank petty official!"

Lu Hanyi quickly recalled what kind of official the Capital County Magistrate was.

Capital County Magistrate, a seventh-rank petty official!

"Mother," Li Shouye frowned in displeasure, "Father is only the Donghai County Magistrate now, and the Xu family is a good match for our family."

"How can it be a good match!" Lu Hanyi burst out, "You are destined to be ennobled and appointed as a chancellor! How can the daughter of some lowly Capital County Magistrate be worthy of you!"

Li Shouye: "..."

"I forbid it! I absolutely forbid you to marry that so-called daughter of the Capital County Magistrate! A son as outstanding as you should only marry the legitimate daughter of a first-rank official, the Grand Preceptor and Chancellor!"

Li Shouye: "..."

"Mother, I have already promised them. After the palace examination, I will propose. If you are unwilling to propose for me, I will ask other elders to do it for me."

Li Shouye was resolute. He had already made a promise and couldn't back out now.

Moreover, if he didn't take responsibility for Xu Yinyin, Xu Yinyin would have no other option.

For both emotional and rational reasons, he was determined to marry Xu Yinyin.

But when Lu Hanyi heard that her son was so determined to marry the daughter of some seventh-rank petty official, she shouted in anger, "You unfilial son! I forbid it! I absolutely forbid you to marry her! She is not worthy of you! You are the most outstanding young man in the world, and only the best and most noble girl is worthy of you!"

"My son! Once you pass the palace examination, you will be the top scholar (zhuangyuan)! There will be countless noble ladies lining up from the street to the alley, all vying for your attention! You cannot marry such a petty official's daughter!"

"Mother, if you don't agree to my marrying Miss Xu, I won't take the palace examination!"

"Li Shouye!" Lu Hanyi glared at Li Shouye.

Li Shouye showed absolute determination, "Mother, Miss Xu is caught up in rumors because of me. I have already promised to marry her. If you don't agree, you're making me disloyal and unjust. In that case, what's the point of even taking the examination!"

"Shou Ye, you must take the examination. You must take the palace examination! You, finish the examination first!"

Lu Hanyi panicked and tried to coax him into taking the palace examination first.

"Mother, I must marry Miss Xu. If you don't propose for me, I will find someone else to do it."

Lu Hanyi gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, son, take the examination first! We'll discuss everything after you finish!"

After she agreed, Li Shouye went back to his room to study.

Seeing her son pacified, Lu Hanyi felt extremely aggrieved.

She had to wait; she couldn't cause a scene now.

She had to wait until he passed the palace examination!

Three days flew by, and the day of the palace examination arrived.

Lu Hanyi got up early today to prepare and send Li Shouye off to the palace examination.

As she sent Li Shouye to the examination today, she encountered Tong Nanyuan outside the palace, who was with Cheng Suying and another girl she hadn't met before.

"Second Aunt (Er Gu), we've come to see Shou Ye off together," Tong Nanyuan said.

After her words, Cheng Suying was the first to speak, "Cousin, I wish you good luck today and a remarkable achievement."

"Thank you, cousin," Li Shouye nodded to Cheng Suying.

He then shifted his gaze to the young woman beside Cheng Suying.

"Cousin, stay calm and do your best in the exam. I believe your talent will surely earn you a good ranking," she said, half-lowering her head, her face blushing with shyness.

Li Shouye smiled at her, "I will."

Seeing this, Lu Hanyi's eyes widened in shock.

No introduction was necessary; she had already figured out the girl's identity... As they say, a mother-in-law naturally has a sharp eye for her future daughter-in-law, spotting her instantly.

It’s her! It’s her! It’s her!

After bidding everyone farewell, Li Shouye entered the palace to take the exam. As soon as he left, Lu Hanyi fixed Xu Yinyin with a menacing glare.

Xu Yinyin had naturally noticed Lu Hanyi earlier. She stepped forward, her face showing shyness, "Good day, Madam Li."

"Pleasantries? Who asked for your pleasantries!" Lu Hanyi's face was full of hostility, directly startling Xu Yinyin.

Tong Nanyuan quickly said, "Second Aunt, this is..."

"I know who she is! Save your breath!" Lu Hanyi directly brushed off Tong Nanyuan's hand.

Tong Nanyuan, who was pregnant, quickly stepped back to steady herself.

Cheng Suying and Xu Yinyin both stepped forward to support her.

"Auntie!"

"Mrs. Lu!"

"You’re that Xu girl, aren’t you!" Lu Hanyi completely ignored Tong Nanyuan, aggressively staring at Xu Yinyin.

"Madam Li, yes," Xu Yinyin replied timidly, her eyes filled with caution and deference.

Mrs. Lu looked her up and down, "You look respectable, but what underhanded tricks did you use to ensnare my son! Making him insist on marrying you!"

"Madam Li, I..."

"Second Aunt, Yin Yin didn’t do anything; it was cousin who proposed to her."

"Quiet! Who said you could speak!" Lu Hanyi glared at her, "This isn’t your place to talk!"

Cheng Suying was silenced by her retort.

The fiercely combative Lu Hanyi turned her angry glare back to Xu Yinyin, "Let me tell you, my son will never marry a girl from a low-ranking official’s family! He’s destined to be the top scholar and a high-ranking official! Only the daughters of noble families are worthy of my son! You’d better give up now and stop chasing after my son!"

Hearing this, Xu Yinyin’s eyes welled up with tears.

Outside the palace, the other family members who had come to see their loved ones off all turned to look.

Lu Hanyi didn't care at all, pointing at Xu Yinyin's nose and scolding, "You, a girl from a respectable family, how shameless! Not even married yet, and already flirting with men everywhere! Is this how your parents raised you!"

"Lu Hanyi!" Seeing this scene, Tong Nanyuan exclaimed, "Are you out of your mind!"

"Don’t try to mediate here, don’t think I don’t know, you and your cousin must have instigated this! You two just can’t stand to see me live well! Making him marry such a minor official's daughter to ruin my son! I tell you, a girl from such a lowly family wanting to marry into my family, unless I’m dead!"

Xu Yinyin, upon hearing this, covered her face and ran off.

"Yin Yin!"

Cheng Suying and Tong Nanyuan called out simultaneously. They no longer paid attention to Lu Hanyi and quickly followed her.

Meanwhile, Lu Hanyi, seeing the person she had driven away, wore a big smile on her face.

All those improper women had been driven away by her!

By afternoon, the palace gates opened, and Li Shouye, having completed his exam, walked out.

Lu Hanyi was the first to approach him, "Son! How did the exam go?"

"Mother, I ranked first in the second tier, the Grand Herald (a high-ranking official title)," Li Shouye replied with a clear and confident demeanor.

"First in the second tier, the Grand Herald... That's impressive!"

The top three candidates are in the first tier, and the top ten are in the second tier.

First in the second tier, the Grand Herald!

Li Shouye had made an impressive comeback.

"The Grand Herald is good too! Being first in the second tier is still first!" Lu Hanyi laughed heartily.

As she laughed, she heard Li Shouye ask next to her, "By the way, mother, where is Miss Xu (referring to Xu Yinyin) and the others?"