How could Wen Shu, the person involved, know nothing about this matter?
She took back the bowl and asked in confusion, “Father, where did you hear such idle talk? It is even more obscure than gossip.”
How could she possibly marry Li Chu? She could never marry Li Chu in this lifetime.
Setting aside the fact that they are both women, their temperaments simply weren’t compatible. She liked people who were gentle and refined; after all, her entire family had that kind of disposition.
And then looking at Li Chu’s “dog-like” temperament…
Minister Wen stared at his obedient daughter in astonishment, exclaiming, “It’s not just rumored all over the streets; even the people in the Ministry of Rites know about it. You call this ‘minor gossip’?”
His daughter was truly worthy of having placed as a tanhua (third-place finisher in the imperial examination); she didn’t even care about such trivial scenes.
Madam Wen looked from her husband to her daughter, asking in total bewilderment, “What is going on?”
Minister Wen pulled a chair over, sat down beside his wife and daughter, and began to explain to them, “Today, someone from the Ministry of Rites went out to make purchases and said they saw Shu’er and General Li distributing wedding candies on the street. General Li even claimed that her good news with Shu’er was imminent and that they would invite everyone to their home for a celebration.”
His words left Wen Shu completely dumbfounded. “?”
If she hadn’t been the one accompanying Li Chu on the street during the day, Wen Shu would have doubted whether the “Shu’er” her father mentioned was someone else entirely.
How did the whole situation, whether black or white, get twisted into something “red” (a wedding)?
The old madam frowned. “But Shu’er just said that the Little Chu pushed her into a crowd and that the candies they were handing out belonged to someone else. Why did this story turn into Little Chu and Shu’er getting married as it passed from person to person?”
They knew their own child well; she would certainly not lie.
Wen Shu nodded vigorously in agreement.
Minister Wen had no idea. He had heard about it in the afternoon and had suppressed his questions all evening, preparing to ask for clarity once he got home.
During that time, when colleagues came to ask for information or offer congratulations, Minister Wen didn’t dare to decisively clarify the matter, so he could only respond vaguely with awkward smiles.
After all, he wasn’t the one making the decisions regarding family matters. He was afraid that if he denied it now, and the two families actually ended up married later, it would be even harder for him to explain.
At the dinner table, all three pairs of eyes turned toward Wen Shu.
Madam Wen had the strongest reaction: “Have the two of you really set a date?”
Wen Shu: “…”
Wen Shu put down her bowl and chopsticks, feeling absolutely unable to defend herself. “No, we just went for a simple walk on the street.”
Minister Wen hadn’t had much contact with Li Chu, so he guessed instinctively, “Was it the General’s idea? To suggest the walk first, and then spread the news outside?”
Although Wen Shu did not want to make excuses for Li Chu, she didn’t want to wrongly accuse her either. So, she said reluctantly and softly, “It probably wasn’t. Because I was the one who initiated the walk.”
So, out of the two of them, it was his own daughter who had taken the initiative!
Minister Wen beat his thigh in shame. “It was my small-mindedness judging a noble person.”
He turned his head to ask his mother and wife, “If they do marry, would our family be considered as ‘marrying above our station’ to the Li family? We should be prepared to give a much larger dowry.”
Wen Shu wanted to punch her father. She said angrily, “Is this about marrying above or below our station?”
Minister Wen complied and said softly in a conciliatory tone, “Yes, yes, that’s true. It’s mainly a matter of the betrothal gifts.”
Wen Shu didn’t want to talk to her father anymore.
The old madam was the most composed. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Perhaps they heard wrong. After all, there were so many people gathered on the street, and the people from the Ministry of Rites who were out shopping only recognized Shu’er and Little Chu. Seeing them standing in the crowd holding wedding candies, they probably assumed they were getting married.”
Minister Wen nodded. “That is indeed possible.”
He took off his official cap to wash his hands before eating. However, Wen Shu, who had been about to eat, had lost her appetite. “But they shouldn’t spread rumors like this.”
She pursed her lips and frowned, staring at her father. “If anyone asks you tomorrow, you must explain the matter clearly.”
As for Li Chu…
Wen Shu felt troubled. When all was said and done, this incident had implicated her, but Li Chu might be secretly happy since the rumors were exactly what she wanted.
However, to clear up rumors, both sides needed to have the same attitude.
Wen Shu bit the tip of her chopstick, planning to have a good talk with Li Chu about this matter once she saw her tomorrow.
Perhaps because she had been thinking about the rumors before bed, Wen Shu had nightmares all night—all of them involving Li Chu turning into a giant dog gnawing on her mutton leg. She was so scared that she woke up before 5:00 AM.
She had to report for duty at the Hanlin Academy today. After waking up, Wen Shu didn’t go back to sleep. Instead, she washed up thoroughly and took the green official robes hanging on the rack, putting them on carefully.
After adjusting her official cap, Wen Shu stood in the courtyard, waiting for her father so they could enter the palace together.
Seeing Wen Shu looking upright, thin, yet standing tall, Minister Wen nearly cried. “Only at this moment do I truly feel that Shu’er has grown up.”
Madam Wen smiled and adjusted Wen Shu’s official cap, saying softly, “There are steamed buns in the small kitchen; take some to eat on the way. It’s your first day of duty; if you don’t understand something, ask. Don’t be afraid of losing face or making mistakes.”
Wen Shu nodded with a smile.
After bidding farewell to her mother, she boarded the carriage with her father.
It was still a bumpy ride, but fortunately, there were no major jolts on the road; otherwise, Wen Shu, who had just eaten, might have felt sick.
When she got off the carriage, Wen Shu’s stomach was already churning.
Seeing her father walking away, she reached out and grabbed his arm, emphasizing, “Remember to clarify the rumors.”
Wen Shu and her father were a seventh-rank and a ninth-rank official respectively, so they were not eligible to attend the morning court meeting; they only needed to arrive at their posts before 7:00 AM.
Wen Shu had been worried that she would be chased down and questioned about yesterday’s rumors after arriving at the Hanlin Academy, but everyone was focused on their own duties, and their idle chatter was only about beautiful scenery and food. Very few people made fun of her.
The Hanlin Academy lived up to its name!
The master assigned to guide her was a fifth-rank expositor, a fifty-year-old man with a gentle appearance who spoke in a soft, low voice. He was as loving as a grandfather from next door.
Because his personality was gentle and Wen Shu’s disposition was calm, the mentor and student worked opposite each other in a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere.
Wen Shu liked it here even more.
After taking her seat, she looked around. She had expected to see the second-place finisher, Wan Kaile, but he had been transferred to the Ministry of Revenue because they lacked personnel. Having the opportunity to gain experience outside was a good thing; after all, Premier Chu had started out the same way.
Wen Shu, who had been left behind, didn’t feel underutilized. Compared to dealing with people, she preferred editing and compiling books.
Half a day passed; Wen Shu’s day was peaceful and she was in a great mood. She hadn’t even thought of Li Chu once before it was time for lunch.
It wasn’t until she went to collect her lunch outside the Hanlin Academy that Wen Shu realized it wasn’t that others didn’t want to make fun of her; it was that compared to other rumors, people didn’t know which one to ask about.
“The Bo of Sinan, the Feng family, wants to propose marriage to General Li? Feng Zhang is actually willing to marry into her family as a son-in-law!”
A colleague was extremely shocked, failing to notice that Wen Shu was standing right behind him, while he was defending her:
“Didn’t I just hear yesterday that General Li was going to marry our Academician Wen? How did it change in just one night?”
Another person laughed and said, “Don’t you know? Yesterday was probably just a rumor.”
Wen Shu nodded, thinking that at least there were some clear-headed people.
The other person continued, “Actually, the one Academician Wen is going to marry is Miss Yang—from the family of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.”
Wen Shu: “???”
The rumors outside were so chaotic that Wen Shu didn’t dare to go out to eat. Instead, she took her food back and curled up in her chair to eat.
On the way out and back, the looks cast at her were even more numerous than when she was riding the horse through the streets the other day.
If she weren’t afraid of being too conspicuous, Wen Shu would have wanted to find a scarf to cover her face and pretend she wasn’t one of the people involved.
She not only didn’t know why so many rumors had appeared out of thin air, but she was also puzzled as to why Li Chu, who had been appearing before her eyes constantly for the past few days, hadn’t been seen all day today.
Two more days passed. As the day she promised to join Li Chu for a family banquet arrived, Wen Shu finally caught a glimpse of the very busy General Li!
Wen Shu was bursting with questions and had been dying to see her!