Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Among the three candidates, the first was a scholar surnamed Qin.

He took the imperial examination in the same year as Yun Zhangxie. While Yun Zhangxie earned the title of Tanhua, Qin only managed to become a Tongjinshi, an equivalent of a successful candidate.

His family background wasn’t particularly outstanding, but their family values were quite respectable.

In his family’s previous generation, aside from one uncle who took on a concubine, none of the other men did.

If Aicao took a liking to him and married him as the main husband, with Yun Zhangxie as the elder brother-in-law keeping an eye on him, he certainly wouldn’t dare take a concubine.

That was the general situation of the first candidate. Then came the second one.

The second was also Yun Zhangxie’s former classmate, though he wasn’t much of a scholar. When Yun Zhangxie passed the exams, this man failed.

In recent years, he was said to still be attempting the exams. Since his family was quite wealthy, his constant attempts weren’t a burden on the family.

This man wasn’t as successful as the first one.

However, he was decent enough, and Yun Zhangxie had interacted with him before.

Such a man wouldn’t achieve great success in the future, but he also wouldn’t step too far out of line.

Many people believed that marrying such a man offered no future, preferring someone more capable and ambitious.

But those who were capable and ambitious were also rarely the type to stay faithful.

Once they achieved great success, they might no longer value their original wives from humbler times.

The third candidate was surnamed Yu. He wasn’t a scholar but rather the owner of a restaurant.

Yun Zhangxie had once dined at his establishment and had some dealings with this young proprietor.

This man was good-natured, was generous to others, and had even helped out a struggling scholar.

He was the only son in his family, with no siblings, so there was less chance of family conflicts.

Yun Zhangxie had also met his mother, a kindly, gentle woman.

Marrying someone wasn't just about the man himself—it was also important to understand his family background.

His household, parents, relatives, friends, and so on.

Birds of a feather flock together. By observing his close acquaintances, one could discern his true character.

The three candidates, Yun Zhangxie and Su Qingruo, took a look at each from a distance with Aicao.

After all, wasn’t the first thing one looked for in matchmaking their looks?

If one didn’t even like their looks, there was no point in discussing anything further.

Aicao took a look at all three and felt the second and third both seemed alright.

The second was more handsome, with the delicate, fair features of a refined scholar.

The third was just average-looking, but Aicao liked him because he was tall and well-built.

Thinking his sister was no longer young, he slipped away to discuss the matter with her.

Aicao: "Fourth Sister, I think the three men Brother-in-law Yun Zhangxie found for me are all quite good. The first one is even a jinshi candidate (scholar eligible for official appointment). Although he doesn’t hold a high-ranking position now, he seems to be doing alright."

Shanli showed displeasure at these words. "What do you mean? Just because you don’t fancy him, you’re pushing him onto me?"

"It’s not that I don’t fancy him. I just think he’s too scholarly. I’m an unrefined person myself, and I’m afraid we wouldn’t get along in daily life."

"I won't take your castoffs. These three were all picked by Brother-in-law Yun Zhangxie for you, not specifically for me. You’d better choose carefully yourself. My matters can wait until next year."

Seeing this, Aicao didn’t press further. Instead, he went to find Elder Aunt Liang to ask for her opinion.

Aunt Liang was an elder with broader experience, and Aicao was close to her, often seeking her advice.

After listening to both sides, Aunt Liang smiled and said to Aicao, "The third one. You’re not Shanli—you don’t like scholars, so why insist on marrying one? That man hasn’t passed the exams yet but keeps trying, which shows he cares deeply about the imperial examinations. And if he cares about the exams, he naturally cares about studying. You don’t like reading, so you probably wouldn’t have much to talk about on that front. If he later meets someone who’s literate, well-read, and can share literary refinements with him, he might end up finding you wanting."

Aicao thought Aunt Liang spoke wisely and agreed to meet the third man.

As a fifth-rank official, Yun Zhangxie naturally wouldn’t handle matchmaking himself. He found a reputable go-between to arrange a meeting first.

Even if nothing came of it, they had observed proper formalities, so no one could gossip.

Things went smoothly. The other party was very willing once they heard Aicao was the brother of Yun Zhangxie's husband.

Aicao was quite comely, and after years of learning to read and write under Aunt Liang and Tian Sang, his demeanor had improved greatly.

The two met formally and seemed satisfied with each other.

Madam Liu personally took charge to discuss betrothal arrangements, dowry, and gifts.

They got engaged by the end of the year, with the wedding scheduled for the following autumn.

This left nearly a year to prepare for the wedding.

Liu Shi, along with Su Qingruo, began making methodical preparations.

Liu Shi said to Su Qingruo, "Your speech has improved somewhat, so this is a good chance to practice speaking with others. Don’t be afraid—I’ll be with you the whole time. You also need to learn how to oversee household affairs."

Before, Liu Shi hadn’t felt old, but now, seeing Lou’er coming of age, she realized she truly was aging.

Even Aicao and Shanli, who had once been young, were of marriageable age.

Su Qingruo thought Shanli was no spring chicken either, so while arranging Aicao’s dowry, he should also prepare Shanli’s in advance. That way, when Shanli married, he wouldn't be caught unprepared.

For wealthy families, weddings involved so many rituals and procedures that preparations could take a year or more.

Su Qingruo accompanied Liu Shi, using the opportunity to learn.

After Aicao got engaged, he was permitted occasional meetings with his betrothed.

Since they were betrothed, they could meet privately as long as they were accompanied by servants.

Yun Zhangxie thought it was good for them to meet more often—if there were any incompatibilities, they could discover them before the wedding.

Of course, to protect Aicao’s reputation, he was provided with an additional attendant.

Aicao had previously been attended by just one servant, but now Yun Zhangxie arranged for another.

This way, if one servant had to step away, the other could still remain in attendance.

Shanli was no exception. As her wedding day approached, the more careful she needed to be.

The following year, after the Metropolitan Examination concluded, Yun Zhangxie had people look for good matches for Shanli.

To avoid showing favoritism, he also prepared three candidates for her—two scholars and one military officer.

The first two were jinshi candidates, both having passed the latest Metropolitan Examination.

The latter was a military officer, a son of a high-ranking official Yun Zhangyu knew from court.

His family was all military officers, and he had been serving on the frontier before returning to the capital the previous year.

Yun Zhangxie thought this military officer was quite good—tall, strong, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, exactly the kind young women fancy.

In fact, Yun Zhangxie guessed right.

Shanli was instantly smitten with him.

However, she had her stubborn side and still wanted to marry a scholar.

She wanted to marry into scholarly circles, perhaps even earning an honorary title for herself someday.

So, though it went against her heart, she wanted to choose between the first two scholars.

Yun Zhangxie didn’t understand her thoughts, and as her elder brother-in-law, he couldn’t really interfere.

Su Qingruo and Aicao saw her inner conflict but couldn’t persuade her to change her mind.

In the end, Shanli still chose a scholar—the one who later passed the Jinshi examination.

The matchmaking went well, and whether it was to curry favor with the Yuns or because of Shanli herself, the other family was thrilled about the marriage prospect.