Chapter 029 Injustice in the Imperial Examinations

Chapter 029 Injustice in the Imperial Examinations

Xie Yuan reached out to smooth Lin Baozhen's hair. "How did you get so disheveled? You, a precious and noble young miss, shouldn't have pushed your way to the front of the crowd to see the list. You should have sent a servant instead."

Xie Yuan had noticed Chang Yan's disarray, his gaze sweeping over her. Fortunately, this maid was protective of her mistress; otherwise...

Chang Yan shivered, unaware that she had narrowly escaped trouble.

Lin Baozhen looked up at Xie Yuan, her eyes bewildered. "Lord Xie didn't make the list. How could this be?"

Another Xie Jingzhi.

Xie Yuan suppressed his displeasure and spoke gently. "His mind hasn't been on the examinations lately. Not making the list is fine; there's always next year. Besides, with his background, he doesn't need the examinations."

But Xie Jingzhi should have been the top scholar, riding through the streets in high spirits. When she saw him from afar, her heart would race.

Lin Baozhen looked back at the bustling crowd by the imperial list, feeling a deep melancholy. She sighed and said, "You're right. He's the heir, and will inherit the title of Lord Wei Wuhou."

Xie Yuan's eyes flickered. "Do you know that Xie Jingzhi is just my adopted son? I don't have any children of my own."

Lin Baozhen, of course, knew this and nodded slightly.

"He was brought in from a side branch by my mother. The reason was simple—he looks most like me."

Lin Baozhen was confused, not understanding the meaning behind Xie Yuan's words.

"If I never have my own child, the position of heir will fall to Xie Jingzhi. But if you, Baozhen, were to bear my child, the position would naturally go to our child."

Xie Yuan's hand rested on Lin Baozhen's abdomen, speaking with infinite tenderness.

When he was younger, he didn't particularly like children, thinking it was fine not to have any. As he grew older, seeing others with their grandchildren, he felt a sense of regret, especially since Xie Jingzhi resembled him but wasn't his blood.

Now, with Lin Baozhen, as long as he could successfully marry her, it would mean his fate had changed.

Lin Baozhen was stunned, instinctively looking down at her stomach. Seeing Xie Yuan's expectant expression, she shivered. "The position of heir should belong to Xie Jingzhi, shouldn't it?"

Xie Yuan's eyes darkened. He was marrying Lin Baozhen for the sake of having children, yet she reacted this way.

Xie Yuan spoke earnestly. "As the saying goes, a mother grows strong for her child. Bao'er, you don't have a child now, so you think the position should belong to Jingzhi. But if you had a child, you would naturally plan for your own child."

In her previous life, Lin Baozhen married Fu Jiaze without consummating the marriage. Later, she had an affair and dared not become pregnant. Hearing about children now, she couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.

Xie Yuan smiled slightly. "Well, I've had bad luck with offspring. If we can't conceive..."

Lin Baozhen replied without hesitation, "We definitely will."

Lady Wei Wuhou had already prayed for a child, and Xie Yuan, looking at the chubby porcelain figurine, felt warmth in his heart. Hearing Lin Baozhen's words, he said, "I recently received some silver. Since you're out today, let's forget about the results of the autumn examinations. Jingzhi will have his own destiny. Let's go buy some jewelry."

New silver?

Lin Baozhen's heart raced, realizing that Lord Wei Wuhou must have discovered a mine. She thought about the events in her premonition, even though some things had changed, the situation with Xie Yuan remained the same.

Lin Baozhen hadn't been out shopping for a long time. She leaned gently into Xie Yuan's embrace as they left the alley and headed towards the busiest jewelry shop.

/

Meanwhile, Lin Yingxue saw the imperial list but couldn't find Fu Jiaze. Unexpectedly, she saw her mother, Wen Hui.

After the court hearing, Wen Hui had put away the golden gauze robe and returned to her old clothes, but her spirit was different.

In the past, Wen Hui was always distant in the Lin household. Now, her expressions were much livelier. Before, she seemed like a dying tree, but now, after removing the rot, new green shoots emerged under the gentle breeze.

Wen Hui approached Lin Yingxue, took her hand, and looked her up and down. "You've lost weight, but you seem to be resting well. Your spirit looks good."

Old Nurse O nodded continuously. "Miss, you should take care of your health. How are things in the mansion?"

Lin Yingxue smiled. "If everything went smoothly in the mansion, Mother and Nurse O wouldn't believe it. Overall, life has been good. I thought I wouldn't have a chance to go out, but now I can see the imperial list with my own eyes."

Wen Hui glanced at Feiyan's slap mark. "Is this considered living well?"

"It was because Feiyan protected me," Lin Yingxue said with a smile. "My elder sister is always impulsive, so she wanted to slap me without thinking. I explained various reasons to her—she's the future Lady Wei Wuhou, and every move she makes is watched. I doubt she'll do it again."

Wen Hui smiled faintly, and Old Nurse O recited a Buddhist prayer. "That really does keep the eldest lady in check."

Old Nurse O couldn't help but ask, "Where is the eldest lady now?"

"She just went to look at the imperial list, upset about Lord Xie not passing. I saw Lord Marquis comforting her."

Many scholars whispered, "What a disgrace," due to these comments, Wen Hui also saw Lin Baozhen.

Wen Hui knew Lin Yingxue wanted to see Fu Jiaze, so she ordered tea at a nearby teahouse and waited quietly.

When the imperial list was first posted, the teahouse was bustling. After a while, the crowd dispersed, and they waited here. Soon, they saw carriages arriving.

First to jump off the carriage was Fu Wanan, who ran eagerly to see the nearly empty imperial list. Then came Fu Heng, followed by Fu Jiaze.

Fu Jiaze heard congratulations in the courtyard but still felt like it was a dream. When Fu Heng prepared to distribute rewards, Fu Jiaze shook his head. "Mother, wait. I want to see the list with my own eyes."

Fu Jiaze went to the imperial list with his mother and sister.

His name was at the top, confirming his success.

Standing on the teahouse balcony, Lin Yingxue suddenly stood up. From her angle, she could see someone holding a knife approaching Fu Jiaze, who was looking up at the list, unaware.

Lin Yingxue cried out, and Xiao Wu acted faster than Fu Jiaze. The man with the knife, seeing Xiao Wu chase him, fled quickly.

More guards appeared from the shadows, and the man shouted, circling around the imperial list, "This examination is unfair! The top name is the nephew of Nine Thousand Years Fu Bin!"

Others joined in, shouting, "Fu Jiaze, nephew of Fu Bin, is the top name! This examination is unfair!"

Hearing this, Lin Yingxue rushed downstairs. "Mr. Fu..."

Fu Jiaze stood where he was, and he let out a relieved laugh. "Second Miss, there's no need for you to worry about me."

Even after seeing his name on the imperial edict, something could still go wrong. Before leaving home, he had thought that with the results already posted, there wouldn't be a cheating scandal to strip him of his title. Yet, someone really did cause such a commotion.