Changsheng: Peak at the Beginning

In order to prepare for the imperial examination next spring, the classes of the three girls of the Sheng family were suspended. But this did not mean that they could live an easy life. Sheng Hong immediately sent the girls to study music, chess, calligraphy and painting with Mrs. Zhuang, and also to learn how to manage the household with Wang Ruofu. It was not easy at all.

Molan is smart. Although she seems to be able to handle anything and anything with ease, she also needs time to relax. Fortunately, Mrs. Zhuang is very considerate of the fact that girls like them do not spend much time at home, so she gives them one day off after every five days.

As the day of the Spring Examination after the New Year approached, the entire Sheng family was like a taut bowstring. Not only did the maids not dare to joke, but even the serious girls like Molan, Rulan and Minglan mostly stayed in their rooms playing by themselves, for fear of causing trouble and wasting the time of their two brothers.

Molan and Rulan both have brothers who are going to take part in the Spring Examination, so the two of them privately agreed to go to Sheng Hong, a veteran, to ask him about the rules. But Sheng Hong is a man after all, and the patriarch of the Sheng family. He, like many fathers, wants to use the Spring Examination to train his sons, so he only explained in detail how to arrange food, clothing, housing and transportation during the Spring Examination, and refused to reveal anything else.

Not only that, he also let Changbai and Changfeng figure it out on their own.

Molan held a different opinion and immediately advised Sheng Hong: "Perhaps in Dad's opinion, the two brothers still have some flaws in their personalities, but I think that even if we want to take the opportunity to make the two brothers suffer, there is no need to use the Spring Examination as an excuse. After all, time waits for no one. If the two brothers miss this year, they will have to wait at least three years for the next Spring Examination."

Rulan also chimed in: "Yes, father, even though the two brothers are only at the age of twenty, if they are delayed for three years, their promotion will be delayed for more than three years."

After hearing his two daughters say this, Sheng Hong began to hesitate, especially since he thought that the brothers Changbai and Changfeng could at least become important officials. He secretly calculated in his mind and found that it would not be a good thing to let the two children miss this year's spring examination just to make them suffer.

But Sheng Hong couldn't just agree in front of his two daughters, so he asked Molan and Rulan with a smile: "After listening to you two sisters talk so much, do you have any ideas?"

Molan and Rulan nodded at the same time. Molan spoke first, "My daughter's idea is, why don't we try to take the test at home first? If nothing else, Dad, you can at least see how well the two brothers cope with situations."

Rulan added: "It would be best if you could let the two brothers try the stinky trumpet. Also, we don't know what the weather will be like during the Spring Examination. We have to consider all these carefully. It would be best if we could experience them all and let the two brothers practice more. This will also help us fill in the gaps when we prepare things."

When Sheng Hong heard this, he couldn't help but applaud his two daughters for their clever ideas, "Great, great, our family will not only have two sons of the highest rank, but also two daughters like the Cao family!"

Sheng Hong accepted Molan and Rulan's suggestions and quickly made arrangements. Changbai and Changfeng had been overwhelmed by their recent review and really needed a change of pace to relax. Even Zhuang Xuejiu got involved and not only set the questions himself, but also took the initiative to take over Sheng Hong's responsibility as invigilator.

After Wang Ruofu knew about this, she was also eager to try. In her opinion, the Spring Examination was very serious, but the arrangement of adapting to the environment at home in advance was a bit like an upgraded version of playing house in her eyes. She directly took on the examination baskets and chores for Changbai and Changfeng, and even personally played the role of "sending students to the exam with strength".

Only when Old Madam Sheng knew about this could she not help but remind Sheng Hong: "There are more than just Changbai and Changfeng brothers who will be taking the Spring Examination at home. Haven't you ever thought about the two young masters from the Duke of Qi's Mansion and the Marquis of Ningyuan's Mansion?"

Sheng Hong was not very happy at first, but then he thought that Qi Heng and Gu Tingye had both studied in the Sheng family for several years. Since the Sheng family was sincere in wanting to gain the favor of these two families, it would be better to be good people to the end. Therefore, he quickly wrote down the items needed for the Spring Examination and the matters of the Sheng family's mock examination room at home in a booklet, and gave a copy to Qi Heng and Gu Tingye respectively.

In the Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion, although Ningyuan Marquis Gu Yankai always looked very impatient towards Gu Tingye, he also attached great importance to Gu Tingye's participation in the Spring Examination. Therefore, when he knew that the Sheng family had specially sent a booklet, he made a special trip to copy one and took it to worry about Gu Tingye.

Of course, Gu Yankai was a very patriarchal person. He instructed his wife Xiao Qinshi to do this. Although Xiao Qinshi hoped that Gu Tingye would fail the exam, she would not do anything about such things. Besides, her own son Gu Tingwei would also take part in the Spring Examination in the future, so she was somewhat grateful for the Sheng family's kindness.

As for the Duke Qi's Mansion, Princess Pingning has always looked down on the Sheng family. Even though her son is still studying there, she still can't change her opinion of the Sheng family. Instead, as the girls of the Sheng family get older, her views on the Sheng family become more extreme. The worst thing is that she found that Qi Heng seemed to have the signs of falling in love, so she would find Qi Heng's personal servant every day to carefully interrogate Qi Heng's every move and every word.

Even though she received the goodwill from the Sheng family, and Duke Qi himself was very grateful and was ready to prepare a thank-you gift to send to the Sheng family, she still snorted coldly and belittled Sheng Hong, saying, "For a family like the Sheng family, there is only one old lady from the Yongyi Marquis's mansion who is good enough. Their eldest lady, Wang, is a sycophantic and stupid person, and the girls are even more timid and not dignified at all."

Duke Qi heard his wife talking more and more outrageously, so he interrupted her: "You are really getting more and more outrageous. I know you mind the fact that several girls from the Sheng family go to school together, but they didn't want outsiders to go to school in the first place. Besides, do you think Yuan Ruo's reputation is so great that he would let the Sheng family delay the education of the girls in the family for him?"

Princess Pingning regretted some of the things she said, and couldn't help feeling embarrassed after hearing what her husband said, but she was always strong and couldn't say anything soft at this time. Fortunately, Duke Qi knew her very well and knew that she looked like she knew she was wrong, so he would not press on the victory, but changed the subject and talked about giving Qi Heng a mock exam at home in advance.

However, the Duke of Qi's mansion was of military origin, and even the Duke of Qi himself entered the officialdom through patronage and had never participated in the imperial examination. It was the Sheng family who had to trouble them with the task of setting the questions. Princess Pingning then willingly prepared generous gifts and came to ask for advice. Zhuang Xuejiu and Sheng Hong did not think that this was a big deal, and simply took out various questions that they had prepared in advance for Changbai and Changfeng, and asked Princess Pingning to pick one and take it back to Qi Heng.