Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 510 The Yuan Family Joke
In contrast to the superficial harmony of the Yongchang Earl's Mansion, which was based on mutual benefit, the Yuan family of the Zhongqin Earl's Mansion was shrouded in a thick cloud of sorrow and despair, making it difficult to breathe.

Although the hall was lit with the finest silver frost charcoal, it did nothing to dispel the bone-chilling cold.

The biting wind and bitter rain seemed to penetrate the high walls, creating a stark and ironic contrast with the distant sounds of drums and firecrackers celebrating other high schools coming from the street outside the window.

The louder the celebrations, the more terrifyingly silent the main hall of the Yuan family seemed, making every second feel incredibly long and unbearable.

At the head of the flower hall, Madam Yuan sat upright, her back ramrod straight, her face ashen and terrifying, her carefully applied makeup unable to conceal her twisted rage.

She gripped the embroidered handkerchief in her sleeve so tightly that she almost tore the fine Suzhou embroidery to shreds.

Before her, Dong Wenchang and Yuan Wenxian, the two nephews she had praised as "the Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix" at various banquets, now looked like two drowned chickens completely wilted by a downpour. Their heads drooped, their faces ashen, their eyes darting around, as if they wished the ground would immediately crack open so they could disappear into it and vanish from sight, rather than endure this suffocating shame and reprimand.

"You...you failed the exam?"

Madam Yuan's voice seemed to be squeezed from the depths of an ice cellar, trembling with disbelief and about to erupt with boundless rage. Every word was as if it were being ground out from between her teeth: "You two... both failed the exam?! Neither of you passed? Not a single one?!"

Her vision blurred, her chest heaved violently, and beneath her magnificent brocade jacket, her breathing was so rapid that she seemed about to pass out at any moment.

Especially when she recalled how she had confidently and demurely praised her two nephews to the ladies and noblewomen of various families who came to inquire about the news in this very hall, saying that they were "skilled in writing and have reached the right level," "deeply rooted in family learning and have inherited the style of their ancestors," and "this outcome is sure to be a sure thing"...

Those words still echoed in her ears, but now they felt like red-hot, hissing branding irons, scorching her face with a burning pain. She felt so ashamed and angry that her throat tasted blood, and she almost vomited blood!
How could she hold her head high in Beijing's social circles after this?

Dong Wenchang, his face contorted with grief and sweat pouring down his face, made a last-ditch effort to defend himself, his voice trembling with tears: "Aunt, please calm down! Take care of yourself! It's not worth ruining your health!"

"It's just that...it's just that this year's exam questions were too tricky and obscure, full of peripheral and incredibly difficult topics. It's not...not my usual area of ​​expertise, and I wasn't prepared enough..."

"Absolutely! Absolutely!" Yuan Wenxian nodded hurriedly, his voice weak as he echoed, his eyes darting around, avoiding eye contact: "Brother Wenchang is absolutely right! Every word is true!"

"Moreover...moreover, the cells were so cramped and stuffy, like prison cells, that it was hard to even turn around! At night, countless mosquitoes would bite and buzz, making it impossible to sleep. My head would feel heavy, my spirits would be low, and my hands would be covered in welts...How...how could I possibly concentrate on writing a beautiful article under such circumstances?"

"Besides...it's possible...it must be that those examiners were blind and didn't recognize our true talents! They deliberately buried us!" The more he spoke, the more reasonable he felt, as if the whole world had truly wronged him.

"fart!"

Madam Yuan, having reached her breaking point, finally exploded!
She suddenly stood up and, disregarding all decorum, slammed her hand hard on the small rosewood table beside her, causing the entire set of celadon teacups to clang and spill tea everywhere!

"Small cell? Mosquito bites?" Her voice was shrill and piercing, almost cracking. "How come that illegitimate son of the Sheng family passed the imperial examination with top honors?! Did you two attract those mosquitoes? Did they specifically target you two?! Or was the cell made three feet smaller just for you two?!"

She trembled with rage, her fingers almost poking their noses: "It's clearly your own fault for being useless! You never study, all you do is talk big, all talk and no action! You can't even cram properly at the last minute! You've wasted the money we spent on the tutor! And now you have the nerve to come up with these low-class excuses! You've completely disgraced the Yuan family! Completely disgraced! You two wretches have utterly ruined my reputation!"

Madam Yuan was so angry that she nearly fell backward, feeling dizzy and almost unable to stand. Fortunately, her mother, who was nearby, caught her and helped her up.

"Mother, please calm down. Your hand hurts."

Just then, a slow, leisurely voice, with a hint of languid gazing at a show, rang out. It was Yuan Wenchun, the eldest son of the Yuan family.

He sat in a round-backed chair to the side, leisurely smoothing the hem of his robe. He seemed to be offering advice, but in reality, his eyes concealed undisguised schadenfreude and provocation: "Things have come to this point, it's not worth getting sick from getting angry."

"Moreover, although my two brothers didn't pass the imperial examination, I heard that my second sister-in-law's brother passed the highest level, which is also a great joy, isn't it?"

"We're all family, we share both honor and disgrace. I think this is a joyous occasion too?" He said these words lightly, seemingly offering comfort, but in reality, he was precisely diverting the flames to Hua Lan and the Sheng family, who were not present. His intentions were despicable.

"The same?" Upon hearing this, Madam Yuan exploded like a lit firecracker, her anger flaring even more, her voice suddenly rising, "How is it the same..."

How could she be like that Sheng Hualan? She came from such a humble family…

"enough!"

Old Master Yuan, who had been silent and whose face was equally grim, glanced at his eldest son, who seemed to thrive on chaos, and finally spoke in a deep voice, with the authority of the head of the family.

Although he was also utterly disappointed in his two nephews, he couldn't stand his eldest son stirring up trouble and causing unrest in the family.

"Failure is due to their own lack of knowledge and insufficient preparation; they have no one to blame but themselves! It has nothing to do with their in-laws!" His voice was solemn as he glanced at the good-for-nothing Dong Wenchang and Yuan Wenxian. "It's the Sheng family's business if they strive for success! Do you think your tantrums and outbursts will make them pass?"

"Isn't it embarrassing enough already! Aren't you enough of a laughing stock for everyone to see?!"

Old Master Yuan was more rational than Madam Yuan, and he knew that his impotent rage was of no use and would only make the Yuan family seem petty, ridiculous, and pathetic. However, his gaze toward Dong Wenchang and the other man was filled with cold disappointment and strong dissatisfaction.

Madam Yuan was furious and wouldn't listen to any advice. Especially after being provoked by Yuan Wenchun's words, both old and new grudges surged up in her heart, and she flew into a rage, blurting out, "How did I take my anger out on them? How did I throw a tantrum? What do you think the Sheng family is! They're nothing but..."

Just then, the steward outside, looking embarrassed and flustered, almost ran in to report, his voice so low it was barely audible, but he had no choice but to say, "Madam...Master, the Earl...Madam Wu from the Yongchang Earl's Mansion...has sent someone with congratulatory gifts..."

Because of Mo Lan and Hua Lan, the two Sheng family women were quite competitive in the Liang family, which also led to some comparisons between their mothers-in-law, Madam Wu and Madam Yuan.

Previously, Madam Yuan had often compared Liang Han to her own nephew, Yuan Wenshao, and belittled Liang Han to the point of being worthless. Now that the tables have turned, how could Madam Wu let go of this opportunity to "return the favor"?

Upon hearing that the two "treasures" of the Yuan family had both failed the exam, he almost immediately prepared a "generous gift" to express his condolences.

At this moment, Madam Yuan was furious. She waved her hand impatiently, as if shooing away flies: "What congratulatory gift? You blind fool! Get out! Can't you see we're busy?!" She didn't want to hear about any congratulatory gifts right now!
The steward shuddered in fright, but had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue reporting with a mournful face: "It is...it is two sets of the finest Huzhou brushes, Huizhou ink, Xuan paper, and Duan inkstones, made with extremely fine materials. It is said...it is a gift to my two virtuous nephews, hoping that they will devote themselves to their studies, not be arrogant or impatient, and continue to work hard, so that they can try again next year..."

This was no congratulatory gift; it was a slap wrapped in brocade, a naked and precise mockery! It was a knife stabbing her right in the heart!

"This……"

Madam Yuan was so angry that her vision suddenly went black, her body swayed twice, and she made a gurgling sound in her throat. She almost fainted on the spot, but fortunately, the mothers around her held her up tightly and called out to her repeatedly.

This wasn't the end of it. As if by prior arrangement, the Pingning Princess's Mansion, the Duke of Ying's Mansion, and even several noble mansions that had always been at odds with Madam Yuan, all "timely" sent people to deliver various kinds of "gifts of condolence."

It was nothing more than a complete set of top-quality writing implements, or beautifully framed ancient books that encouraged learning and inspired ambition. The wording on the congratulatory cards was carefully chosen, with every sentence containing phrases like "diligent study without stopping," "fight again next year," and "great success is sure to follow." The characters were neat and tidy, but every sentence was like a soft knife cutting flesh, repeatedly rubbing and trampling on Madam Yuan's face in the dust.

A corner of the main hall was soon piled up with these conspicuous "gifts," each one seemingly mocking the Yuan family's current miserable state.

Amidst the chaos, with Madam Yuan nearly collapsing in anger, Old Master Yuan's face as black as the bottom of a pot, and Yuan Wenchun secretly chuckling, a particularly loud, energetic, and deliberately drawn-out announcement of good news suddenly came from outside the second gate.

The sound was extremely penetrating, clearly drowning out all the noise and wailing inside the mansion!

Congratulations to the young lady!

"The seventh young master of the Sheng family has achieved the top score in the imperial examination! His name is on the honor roll, bringing glory to the family!"