Shen Yuan had no idea her father was already overthinking things. Xie Hui was indeed handsome, but based on that single glance alone, she hadn't reached the point of entertaining designs on his "beauty" just yet.
The next morning, Shen Yuan set out with her sister-in-law to visit Shen Su at the Imperial College.
The Imperial College was located in the east of the city, while the Shen residence was in the south; the journey by carriage took nearly half an hour.
Shen Yuan propped her head on her hand and looked at He Ying, who was wearing a verdant green dress. A faint smile played on He Ying's lips, and she showed a hint of shyness as she looked at the bundle in her arms. Her usually calm eyes were now shimmering with extra warmth.
"Sister-in-law, my brother is truly a lucky man."
In Shen Yuan’s heart, He Ying was a girl of the highest quality. Not only was she well-versed in the classics and proficient in the four arts of the scholar, but her needlework was also top-tier. Furthermore, she was magnanimous, elegant, and understanding, with a beauty that felt as refreshing as a spring breeze.
Shen Yuan had heard from her brother that during the year of He Ying's hair-pinning ceremony, the threshold of her family home was nearly worn down by suitors, though in the end, it was her brother who won the beauty's hand.
He Ying thought Shen Yuan was talking about the clothes. She reached out to stroke Shen Yuan’s hair, her lips curving slightly.
"I’ll make an even prettier dress for Manman later."
Shen Yuan took the opportunity to lean into He Ying’s embrace. "Sister-in-law, I don't need a dress. Making clothes is too much hard work, and I can't bear to see you suffer. You look so beautiful today; I bet my brother will be stunned speechless when he sees you."
As soon as Shen Yuan opened her little mouth, sweet words poured out—something He Ying was well aware of.
Shen Yuan had known how to charm people since she was a child. Coupled with her jade-like, adorable looks, she could make even her stern grandfather beam with joy.
At first, He Ying would turn red in the face upon hearing such things, but after all these years, she had gradually grown accustomed to it.
"Manman is also very beautiful."
Everyone in the Shen family was good-looking, especially her mother-in-law, Madam Shen. He Ying had seen Madam Shen a few times when she was a child; she had been a woman as ethereal as a celestial being, a memory He Ying still held vividly to this day.
It was just a pity that the heavens are often jealous of such beauties… Thinking of this, He Ying reached out and affectionately stroked Shen Yuan’s small face.
Shen Yuan looked very much like her mother, though she was still young and her face retained a touch of childishness.
Her round, dark almond eyes seemed as if they could speak; even in silence, they radiated a natural spark of intelligence.
When she smiled, two pear-shaped dimples would appear on her cheeks, and her eyes would curve into crescents, a sweetness that reached straight into one's heart.
Shen Su was also handsome, with clear features and an elegant bearing. He had the same dimples as Shen Yuan, but because he wasn't as fond of smiling as his sister, those dimples were rarely seen.
Thinking of Shen Su, He Ying’s face reddened slightly.
…
"Young Madam, Miss, we have arrived."
The Imperial College was the highest institution of learning in Da Zhao, and its grandeur was naturally extraordinary. The plaque hanging at the highest point of the main entrance bore the calligraphy of the Taizu Emperor himself. In this dynasty, the sons of officials of the fifth rank and above could enroll without an examination; each official was allotted two such spots. If a family had more sons than that—well, the rest would have to take the entrance exams like everyone else!
As the highest seat of learning, the Imperial College naturally could not only accept the children of officials. Every July, the college organized an entrance examination open to all scholars, giving everyone a chance to enroll.
Of course, the admission spots were extremely limited. Scholars fought tooth and nail to enter the Imperial College, not only because it housed the most excellent talents and the most knowledgeable teachers, but also because the Board of Personnel organized an examination specifically for its students every year. Passing that exam allowed one to be directly selected for an official post. One could imagine how attractive this was to scholars.
Shen Yuan and Shen Su’s older cousin had once studied at the Imperial College and had passed the selection exam from the Board of Personnel; he was now serving as a county magistrate. Shen Su was different from his cousin; he did not intend to take the Board of Personnel's exam, focusing all his efforts instead on the Imperial Examination.
Shen Su had always been a diligent student, and since returning from his last ten-day holiday, he had reached the point of forgetting to eat and sleep. This afternoon, the Director of the Imperial Academy was scheduled to give a lecture personally. It was rumored that he would even personally critique the students' essays. At this moment, students were gathered in groups of two or three, discussing the matter.
The Director of the Imperial Academy had once achieved triple first-place honors in imperial examinations, a feat all scholars naturally aspired to. Shen Su was no exception. He was currently flipping through his past essays, trying to select the best one in hopes of receiving personal guidance from the Director.
It wasn't until a servant announced that his family had arrived that he blankly set down his essay.
"Jin Xing, hurry up! Your family is here to see you." A classmate nearby saw him dazed and gave him a quick nudge. Only then did he snap back to his senses and rush outside.
"Didn't Jin Xing just go home for his last ten-day holiday? Why has his family come to visit again?"
This was also the reason why Shen Su had been dazed. For a moment, he had even wondered if something had happened at home.
"You guys don't understand. Brother Jin Xing is a newlywed. I’d bet it’s his wife who has come to see him."
Inside the Imperial College, there was a specific area for receiving students' families. To accommodate those visiting from out of town, there were separate lodgings provided. These were all concentrated in a courtyard in the southeast section of the college.
Only when Shen Su saw the figures of his wife and younger sister outside the courtyard did he breathe a sigh of relief. As long as his wife and sister were well, nothing was wrong. As for his father, he was a fourth-rank official, after all; if something had happened to him, it would be impossible for Shen Su not to have heard any rumors.
Even though both of them had been missing each other, they stood there like fools once they met, unable to speak.
It was Shen Yuan who broke the silence first. "Brother! Sister-in-law and I came to see you. Are you happy?"
"I am, I am!" Shen Su revealed a silly grin that only his family ever got to see.
The husband and wife surely had many private words to share, so Shen Yuan decided not to stay and disturb them.
"Brother, Sister-in-law, take your time chatting. I’m going to go for a walk outside."
He Ying was about to say that Manman didn't need to leave, but Shen Su spoke first. "Then don't go too far, Manman. Stay just outside here. In a bit, I’ll take you both to the dining hall for a meal."
With his sister right there, Shen Su really would feel too embarrassed to say many of the things he wanted to say.
There weren't that many strict rules within the Imperial College. As long as they didn't disturb the students' studies, visitors were allowed to look around. Shen Su only gave those extra instructions because he was afraid his sister would get lost.
Shen Yuan also knew that the Imperial College wasn't a place where she should wander aimlessly. She obediently stayed outside the courtyard and waited for them to come out, without walking around.
In about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the two emerged side by side. The bundle previously held by He Ying was now in Shen Su’s hands. Shen Yuan saw that her sister-in-law’s face was flushed red, while her brother had a silly grin plastered on his face. She pretended she hadn't seen a thing, laughing secretly to herself.
"Yingniang, Manman, it's still early. I’ll show you around before we come back to eat."
Inside the college, the two naturally followed Shen Su’s lead.
"Jin Xing! Quick, quick, come with me!"
Before the three of them could even step out of the courtyard, they saw someone rushing in, grabbing Shen Su and pulling him away.