In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!
Chapter 1191 - 1103: This meal of Stir-fried Pork with Bamboo Shoots Can’t Be Avoided!

Chapter 1191: Chapter 1103: This meal of Stir-fried Pork with Bamboo Shoots Can’t Be Avoided!

Ye Xin was followed by two slightly older students, and the three of them entered the small pavilion together and sat down.

"Speaking of which, you also found yourselves in the line of fire today."

With a smile in his speech, Ye Xin introduced the two behind him to Su Ke, who turned out to be members of a branch of the Ye Family, also in the prime of their studies. After acquaintances were made, he explained the whole situation: "Not to conceal from you two, that Cui Young Master, before your arrival, had a little friction with us. Afterwards, considering the prestige of Lord Cui, Ye Xin had no choice but to temporarily retreat. Witnessing Brother Su’s exchange with him, Ye Xin felt abashed, hence I took the liberty to come over and make your acquaintance."

"Oh, why is that?"

This piqued Su Ke’s curiosity.

"It’s really nothing. Just because of that question in the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination."

Ye Xin’s face carried a hint of shame: "My two elder brothers also participated in this Spring Examination. They discussed the ’Yellow Flowers are like Scattered Gold’ question. One brother expressed ’In the month of late autumn, there are yellow chrysanthemums,’ while the other brother refuted, saying it should be ’Green stalks aspire to be like lush jade, yellow flowers like scattered gold.’ When the argument heated up, it drew in Young Master Cui. Afterwards..."

The two cousins behind Ye Xin all wore expressions of shame, bowing to the two with clasped fists in greeting.

Su Ke suddenly understood!

Seeing Su Ke’s realization, Ye Xin became even more embarrassed: "Yes! The two masters just happened to come at this time, I suppose Cui Young Master recognized your identity. He also knows very well about Ye Xin’s family background. To insult you is to insult me. Unexpectedly, Brother Su turned the tables on him."

"Hahaha..."

Xue Qian laughed heartily: "I was wondering why Cui Minghao was so easily defeated today, turns out there was such a story behind it. He deserved his bad luck today. However, as for that question, Brother Su, how did you answer it?"

When it came to answering the question, Su Ke didn’t keep any secrets and shared his answer and thought process.

After hearing Su Ke’s answer, Xue Qian’s face lost all traces of a smile, he couldn’t help beating his chest and stomping his feet: "Could it really not be the line from ’Book of Rites: Monthly Proceedings,’ ’In the month of late autumn, there are yellow chrysanthemums’? How detestable, how lamentable! I foolishly thought that the yellow flowers were chrysanthemums, composing a poem to get the scenery of autumn day. It seems now I made a huge mistake!"

Su Ke was surprised by these words!

"Brother Xue, don’t jest, given that Lord Xue is of great erudition and scholarship, and as a Grand Scholar of the Hanlin Imperial Academy, with such a profound family learning background, how could you possibly get ’Green stalks aspire to be like lush jade, yellow flowers like scattered gold.’ wrong? Stop teasing us," Su Ke said.

Xue Qian hung his head with a resigned look, pointing at his nose: "Which eye of yours saw me teasing you? Alas! Luckily, I was confined at home these past few days and didn’t go out, otherwise, imagine how embarrassing that would’ve been... What a disaster! Right now my father is still grading papers in the examination hall, if he finds out I even got this question wrong, I’m afraid the Stir-fried Pork with Bamboo Shoots is unavoidable."

He repeatedly exclaimed in despair, turning in circles anxiously.

It was Ye Xin’s two cousins who stepped forward to console him: "Brother Xue, there’s no need to worry, most people got that question wrong. Even the two of us didn’t get it right. Presumably, your esteemed father won’t be too severe on you."

Such words provided no consolation to Xue Qian.

"My intent in my writing was indeed appropriate, but ultimately it was a mistake in my understanding that reduced it to mediocrity. From the lines ’Green stalks aspire to be like lush jade, yellow flowers like scattered gold’ and ’Green trees darken the village, yellow flowers scarce among the wheat,’ one can tell the yellow flowers in the question don’t refer to chrysanthemums, but to spring rape flowers, thus it would be a poem regarding the scenery of spring that is superior."

Xue Qian’s face was downcast as he sighed repeatedly, "With this poetry question coming out, who knows how many will fail the examination. Writing about spring scenes for an autumn topic, even if the prose is exquisite, misses the point entirely. Only spring, truly aligns with the intent of the topic. It seems my hopes of ranking high in this imperial examination are now slim."

Su Ke quickly offered comfort, "The weight of the poetry question in the spring exams is indeed significant, but it’s just one of many questions. Brother Xue, why judge the whole by one part? There are always many who answer incorrectly every year! In a few days, we are bound to receive news."

When the news from the examination hall came, it was likely not far from the day the results would be announced.

After such an incident, everyone appeared crestfallen. Even when the old bustard indeed brought in two delicate artistes, it failed to lift their spirits.

"Gentlemen, these two ladies are the most beautiful and tender girls from our Wentao Pavilion, Autumn Fall and Marvelous Medicine, specially brought over for you to meet today. Our girls are currently competing for the title of top courtesan, and both Miss Autumn Fall and Miss Marvelous Medicine have made it into the top ten. If the ladies can advance even further, it will be all thanks to your patronage..."

The old bustard smiled with her eyes narrowed, her words laden with deeper implications.

If it were any other time, Xue Qian would not mind playing the patron. But at that moment, the two of them had long lost interest in such romantic affairs.

"Go away, go away! Can’t you see I’m in a foul mood? Anger your master here and you’ll regret it!"

Xue Qian was blunt in his words, and he was drinking as if the wine cost nothing, non-stop.

It was Ye Xin on the side who, seeing the situation, quickly had his attendant give a silver ingot to the old bustard.

He also conveyed a subtle message, "Lord Xue is not in the best of spirits, so please be considerate, madam. Bring out the best wine and dishes, and then go about your business."

The old bustard, well practiced in her craft, caught the hint immediately, taking the silver ingot with a smile blooming like a flower on her wrinkled face, "Look what Master Ye is saying. Wentao Pavilion is a haven for scholars to relieve their boredom, have a little drink, listen to a tune, and have some girls sit with them; all worries disappear! The lords enjoy their food and drink, and leave the rest to me—I’ll prepare the finest wine and dishes."

Finished speaking, she then gave a knowing look to the two artistes, Signalling with Eyes, "Take good care of our gentlemen, understand?"

Getting their acknowledgement, she confidently swayed her Fat butt and left.

The two artistes, daring not to neglect them, came forward with flirtatious laughter offering wine, but Xue Qian kept his head down and drank somberly, impervious to their attempts to amuse him.

With Xue Qian in a bad mood, Su Ke had no choice but to join him for a few drinks, and even Ye Xin ended up with a belly full of wine.

Xue Qian, utterly drunk, spilled his bitterness, "You artistes have it easy! You earn fame and fortune just by moving your lips and casually singing a few lines, whereas we... we pour ten years into hard study, serving the Imperial Family, but all it takes is one wrong answer on the exam and ten years of effort vanish overnight. My heart is filled with sorrow..."

"Brother Xue, you’re drunk!"

Su Ke, still sober, scolded him, unwilling to let Xue Qian continue his ruckus. He hastily threw down a silver ingot and, with some effort, propped Xue Qian onto his shoulders and onto the carriage.

No sooner had they returned home than they heard from the gatekeeper that his mentor had visited earlier.

The mentor must have come regarding the imperial examination. Su Ke took a moment to compose himself, washed his face, changed his clothes, and hurried to the Leaning Against the Sky Building where his mentor had requested his presence.