Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 412 The Imperial Examination: A Masterpiece of Literature

Daiyu snapped out of her reverie and said, "It's too early to talk about these things now."

The provincial examination was held in three sessions on the 9th, 12th and 15th of the third month. The results were announced around the 10th of the fourth month, and those who passed were called Gongshi. The palace examination was held on the 21st of the fourth month. Only those who passed the palace examination were granted the title of Jinshi or Tong Jinshi.

During this period, there were countless events such as the Deer Cry Banquet, the compilation of poetry collections by fellow scholars, and various elegant gatherings. It's likely that by the time all the work is finished, it will be May.

Even if the wedding is arranged right after the imperial examination, it will take at least July or August for the ceremony to take place. If the wedding is arranged too hastily, it will easily attract gossip.

It was too early to talk about these things now. Daiyu put her wedding dress aside, stood up, tugged at Chen Siyuan's sleeve, and whispered, "Come with me."

Chen Siyuan stood up in surprise and followed Daiyu into the study. Daiyu left him and searched through the manuscripts for a while, then suddenly pouted somewhat embarrassedly, but finally handed him a manuscript.

"This is..." Chen Siyuan took it and glanced at it, only to find that it contained some obscure excerpts and excerpts that Daiyu had randomly selected from books.

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but smile knowingly, and bowed slightly to Daiyu, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, sister."

Daiyu, her face tense, said, "You have the grand competition in March, and I don't know how I can help. I've been thinking about these past few days and picked some topics. If they're useless, just treat them as a joke; if they are indeed useful..."

“It will definitely be useful,” Chen Siyuan said with a smile. “Putting aside everything else, I need to think for a long time before I can remember the source of this question, ‘切切偲偲怡怡’.”

Daiyu glanced at him and, seeing that he didn't seem to be faking it, breathed a sigh of relief and then smiled slightly, saying, "It's good that you can help. It's a pity that what I learned from my teacher was too superficial, and I know very little about the eight-legged essay."

Chen Siyuan carefully folded the paper and said with a smile, "Sister, you've always been intelligent, so why belittle yourself? With your talent, a few years of practice should be enough for you to succeed. Oh? Have you written any new lyrics, sister?"

Chen Siyuan inadvertently caught a glimpse of a piece of paper peeking out from below and reached out to snatch it for a closer look. However, Daiyu glanced down at it, her expression instantly changing. She quickly pulled the paper away, her face flushed with embarrassment, and said, "You can't look at this..."

Seeing Chen Siyuan's astonishment, Daiyu said in annoyance, "Xiangling has become increasingly mischievous lately, always writing nonsense. I won't show this to you."

Chen Siyuan had sharp eyes; with just a glance, he noticed the last line: "May your heart always remain unchanged, so that your beautiful hair in the secluded boudoir may not grow cold." Looking at Daiyu's flustered expression, he knew perfectly well that it was just a pretext, and that this lament of a woman confined to her quarters was probably written by Daiyu herself.

If it were Baochai, Chen Siyuan would definitely have teased her. However, Daiyu was too young and delicate, and Chen Siyuan couldn't always interact with her, so the two became somewhat estranged.

Since it was Chen Siyuan, he did not reveal the answer, but pondered the question from before. After a while, he casually recited: "A scholar is a person of knowledge and propriety in ancient times. His conduct must be in accordance with the Way and revealed in his feelings. The Master said that 'earnest, sincere, and pleasant' does not refer to the general state of getting along, but rather to the difference between getting along with friends and getting along with brothers: when dealing with friends, one should be earnest and sincere, striving to encourage and motivate each other; when dealing with brothers, one should be pleasant, striving to be harmonious and loving. Each of these two has its proper place. Only by combining and possessing both can one be the demeanor of a scholar, and this is also the essence of the Master's answer."

Daiyu had been hiding her poem of lamentation behind her back. After listening to him recite it, she blinked in surprise and said, "You've already solved the problem?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and shook his head, saying, "It was just a thought on the spur of the moment. Upon closer examination, this approach is still too mediocre."

Daiyu nodded and said, "That's right. I've heard that there are five or six thousand people taking the imperial examination each year, but less than three hundred are selected each year, which is roughly one in twenty. The examiners must be discerning in their judgment." At this point, Daiyu chuckled to herself and said, "I'm just parroting what you've heard. I'm afraid you know more about how to answer the questions than I do."

Chen Siyuan nodded, feeling a little envious as he looked at the increasingly graceful Daiyu. He had already seen Baochai in her wedding dress, so it wouldn't be right to show favoritism. After a moment's thought, he said, "After today, I will be staying home to study, and I have one more request for you, sister."

Daiyu thought it was a serious matter and hurriedly said, "Just tell me, is it that you need some essays? I'll go to the workshop tomorrow and check the bookstore on the way."

Chen Siyuan shook his head and said jokingly, "I just want to see what my sister looks like in her wedding dress."

"you--"

Daiyu was immediately embarrassed and glared at Chen Siyuan a few times. But seeing his grinning face, she didn't know if she softened or if she wanted to see for herself, but she bit her lower lip and finally agreed.

"Then... wait a moment."

"As expected?" Chen Siyuan was overjoyed and repeatedly bowed to Daiyu, saying, "Sister, you are truly a savior. If it weren't for your mercy, I'm afraid I would have failed the special imperial examination due to my constant worry."

Daiyu was both amused and exasperated. With a stern face, she urged him to stay in the study, then picked up the wedding dress from the table and gracefully entered the bedroom.

Chen Siyuan had been drinking a cup of tea for a while, but Daiyu still hadn't come out. Just as he was getting impatient, the curtain was lifted, and Daiyu, dressed in a bright green wedding gown, stepped out.

Chen Siyuan focused his gaze and saw Daiyu approaching, her golden lotus feet swaying gracefully in the breeze, her jade pendants jingling.

Truly, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, her face radiant with beauty, her cheeks rosy and her complexion flawless! Her lips were like cherries, her eyebrows like autumn waves, her features like auspicious clouds. Adorned with gold and jade, she was like a dragon and a phoenix, like a precious tree exuding fragrance.

Daiyu was already exceptionally beautiful, and with this adornment, she became even more stunning. Chen Siyuan was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, no wonder Xue the Fool in the book was completely captivated by her at first glance.

Meanwhile, Daiyu stopped in front of the bedroom door, fiddling nervously with a round fan in her hand. Seeing Chen Siyuan staring at her intently, she embarrassedly raised the fan to cover her eyes, but he was still lost in thought.

As the saying goes, a woman adorns herself for the one who appreciates her, and naturally, she rejoices when that person admires her beauty. Feeling a little smug, she stepped forward, extended her fan, and playfully tapped Chen Siyuan's chest: "Fool, what's wrong with you?"

Chen Siyuan came to his senses and sighed, "Ever since I saw your beautiful face, I've been in a daze and don't even know what you are!"

Daiyu couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh. She was about to turn around so that Chen Siyuan could see her clearly. But before she could turn halfway, Jinlian tripped on the table leg and fell to the side with a cry of pain.

Chen Siyuan acted swiftly, pulling Daiyu into his arms. Daiyu, disregarding her embarrassment, could only frown and gasp for breath.

Chen Siyuan quickly asked, "Where are you injured?"

Daiyu said with a pained expression, "I bumped my toe on the table leg, and it hurts terribly."

Chen Siyuan made no attempt to hide it, bending slightly to reach out and scoop Daiyu into his arms, then strode through the curtains and into the bedroom. Daiyu was startled, her heart pounding, but she quickly came to her senses. Chen Siyuan was not the kind of person who didn't know his place; he would never take advantage of this moment to do anything improper.

Daiyu felt relieved and wrapped her arms around Chen Siyuan's neck. With a swaying motion, she raised her small face to observe Chen Siyuan.

He was delighted after just one glance, thinking to himself that only someone as handsome and dashing as Chen Siyuan was worthy of him.

After a short while, they arrived at the warm pavilion. Chen Siyuan gently put her down, then reached out and picked up Daiyu's left foot, took off her shoe, and was about to examine her.

Daiyu snapped out of her daze, hurriedly pulled her slender foot back, and said embarrassedly, "It's alright, it doesn't hurt as much now."

Unfortunately, she lacked strength, and her ankle was still held in Chen Siyuan's hand. As Chen Siyuan took off her socks, he frowned and said, "Sister is still too weak. Look at this ankle, it can be held in one hand. It's not good to go out in a strong wind like this."

As he spoke, he glanced at Daiyu's feet and immediately realized that every part of her was beautiful. Just look at those feet; they were adorned with dragons, gold, kingfisher feathers, and phoenixes, highlighting the double jade hooks of lotus flowers.

On the other side, Daiyu said, both amused and exasperated, "How am I weak? I measured myself just a few days ago, and my waist is two inches longer than last year."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Siyuan did not respond. Looking over, he saw Chen Siyuan staring blankly at his own feet.

Daiyu became even more embarrassed, shrank back further, and lifted her skirt to cover herself, only then did she see Chen Siyuan come to his senses.

"Sister Lin..."

Chen Siyuan called out softly, a sound that tickled Daiyu's ears and heart. When she looked up and met his burning gaze, Daiyu's heart pounded wildly. She leaned back shyly, but Chen Siyuan pulled her close. Their lips met, and there was no other sound between them.

After an unknown amount of time, Daiyu repeatedly pounded Chen Siyuan's chest before finally turning her pretty face away. She then gasped for breath, her face turning so red it looked as if it could bleed.

However, after she scolded him a few times, Chen Siyuan said pitifully, "After today, I will shut myself in to study."

Daiyu was soft-hearted after all, so she let him take liberties with her for a while. Only when she heard a noise outside did she quickly push Chen Siyuan away.

Chen Siyuan was delighted. After getting up and tidying himself up, he said to Daiyu before leaving, "Sister, just wait. I will definitely be on the list of successful candidates in this imperial examination."

Watching him leave so casually, Daiyu muttered "lecherous scoundrel" under her breath, then covered her cherry lips and chuckled.

............................................................

Chen Siyuan said he would stay home and study, and indeed he never went out again. Every day he would carefully study in his study, and after much deliberation, he devised a suitable solution for each of the questions Daiyu had listed.

Whenever I feel tired, I just wander around in the small courtyard.

Chen Siyuan, a member of the household, was to take the imperial examination in March, so he usually dared not disturb the vicinity of Qingtang Thatched Cottage. Even when he had no choice but to come and go, he would tread carefully when he got close.

In the thatched cottage, Qingwen, Xiangling, Wu'er, and others devoted themselves to serving Chen Siyuan, ignoring everything else. Hongyu, who served the Second Miss, couldn't stand it and secretly spoke to Xiangling, saying, "Although the Second Miss instructed us, the Master has still troubled those old women these days. They may not say it, but they must be complaining. I think we should spend some money to treat those maids and old women to a feast."

Xiangling turned to Qingwen and they agreed to distribute ten taels of silver. This earned praise from all the maids and servants, who became even more careful when cleaning. The little bit of resentment in her heart naturally vanished.

Time flies, February has passed, and it's already the first day of March.

In mid-spring, the weather was warm, flowers were in bloom, and birds were singing. At noon that day, Chen Siyuan had his afternoon snack and, feeling drowsy, went to take a nap on his bed. Qingwen stayed in the room to serve him, while Xiangling, having nothing to do, went outside to the courtyard.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Cuilu, who was beside Xiangyun, hurrying towards her.

The two met halfway, and Cuilu lowered her voice and said, "It's good that you've come. I was going to look for you anyway. Go and see the good poem."

Xiangling asked in surprise, "Where did this wonderful poem come from?"

Cuilu smiled and boasted, "I won't tell you, you can see for yourself in a while. Hurry up, the girls are all at Qinfang Pavilion."

After saying that, he pulled Xiangling and ran towards Qinfang Pavilion. When the two got closer, Xiangling saw Tanchun, Xichun, Daiyu, Baoqin and Xiangyun. Xiangyun was holding a manuscript of poetry and was carefully examining it.

When everyone saw Xiangling arrive, Baoqin asked, "How is your master?"

Xiangling smiled and shook her head, saying, "Every day, besides eating and sleeping, I read books. In less than a month, I've used up half a basket of candles, and I look a bit thinner."

Baoqin sighed, "Only by enduring the bitterest of hardships can one rise above others."

Tan Chun said, "Studying requires a balance of work and rest. There are only a few days left, so let your master relax a bit later."

Xiangling smiled and nodded, but didn't respond. She thought to herself that her master was indeed diligent, but that didn't prevent him from enjoying himself at night. He had all sorts of tricks up his sleeve, like 'pushing the pillow in the mattress' and 'linking jade beads on the pillow'!
After everyone had spoken of Chen Siyuan, they hurriedly examined the poem manuscript again. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, Daiyu quietly called Xiangling to her side, slipped her a sachet, and whispered, "This is a newly made incense recipe. It's meant to refresh the mind. Give it to your master later."

Xiangling glanced at Daiyu teasingly before slowly tucking her sleeves into her bosom.

Just then, the second young lady finished her work and walked gracefully into the Furen Yude Hall. Upon entering, she asked, "Why are there only a few of you? Where is my sister-in-law?"

Xiangyun smiled and said, "Let's discuss it and then go find Old Farmer Daoxiang."

Daiyu then said, “Our poetry club has been disbanded for a year, and no one is in the mood to revive it. Now that it is springtime, when all things are renewed, we should encourage people to set it up again.”

Xiangyun nodded repeatedly, hoping, "When the poetry club was first established in autumn, it shouldn't have flourished. Now, all things are in spring, and everything is full of life. Besides, this poem about peach blossoms is excellent, so let's change the name of the Begonia Club to the Peach Blossom Club."

Everyone applauded, and the second young lady, Yingchun, was invited to see the peach blossom poem, which she praised highly. When Xiangling took a look, she immediately recognized it as Daiyu's work, admiring Daiyu's natural poetic talent while jokingly remarking that she could only write doggerel.

After some playful banter, the group headed towards Daoxiang Village. Upon arrival, Suyun and Biyue served tea, and Li Wan, after reading the Peach Blossom Pavilion, praised it highly.

When everyone discussed starting a club, Daiyu laughed and said, "It's my turn to be the host, you can't compete with me for it."

Everyone agreed not to rush, and they discussed setting a date. Originally, it was to be the second day of the third month, but Daiyu remembered that Tanchun's birthday was the next day, so they changed it to the fifth day of the third month.

After the calculations were settled, the ladies dispersed, and Xiangling returned to the thatched cottage in high spirits. Chen Siyuan had already woken up and was drinking tea and joking with Qingwen. When he saw Xiangling return, he asked her with a smile where she had been playing.

Xiangling smiled and replied, "Miss Lin is starting a poetry club, and it's set for the fifth day of the third month." She then recounted everything that had just happened, as well as Daiyu's peach blossom poems.

After speaking, he became melancholy again, frowning as he said, "Compared to Miss Lin, my usual practice poems are at best doggerel. But I have to write a poem about peach blossoms on the fifth day of the new year. If I can't write one, won't I become a laughingstock?"

Upon hearing this, Qingwen laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? Just be attentive to the master at night and please him, and he'll write you a couple of pieces later."

Xiangling got annoyed and started tickling Qingwen mercilessly. Chen Siyuan watched with amusement, a slight feeling stirring within him, and suddenly a poem came to mind. The first half was quite fitting for the occasion, but the second half was rather out of place.

He got up and strolled into the study, picked up his brush and wrote half a poem. After the two maids had finished their playful banter, he handed it to Xiangling and said, "Take this and fill in the rest of the poem if you feel inspired."

Xiangling smiled and agreed, then remembered the sachet Daiyu had given her, and quickly took it out of her sleeve and presented it to her.

Chen Siyuan, holding the sachet, couldn't help but feel a little lost in thought, recalling what had happened a month ago. After a while, he came back to his senses and sat quietly in his study, practicing his writing.

Before they knew it, it was the third day of the third month, the day of Tan Chun's birth. Chen Siyuan was busy, so he had sent Qingwen earlier to get some South Sea pearls to make a pair of pearl hairpins for Tan Chun.

Early in the morning, a young eunuch, on Yuan Chun's orders, delivered congratulatory gifts. The whole family had birthday gifts, which goes without saying. Tan Chun changed into her formal attire and went to pay her respects to everyone. Just as the sisters gathered together, the head maid, Amber, came to invite them, saying, "Auntie has arrived. Please come out and pay your respects, young ladies."

Everyone rushed to Rongqing Hall to pay their respects and spent a long time with the old lady, the madam, and Lady Wang Ziteng. Finally, the maternal aunt looked at Feng Jie and said, "It's quite a coincidence that Yunping has just been engaged, and the wedding date is set for the tenth of the fifth month. We were originally hoping that Feng Jie would go and help out, but she is now pregnant, so we may have to ask for help from others."

Sister Feng smiled and made a few dismissive remarks, her words neither warm nor cold, while inwardly rolling her eyes—if it weren't for Prince Teng's help, how could Madam Wang have won over Sister Feng's three maids? Now she still wants to order people around for free, it's truly a pipe dream.

Before Aunt Wang could take her leave, another maidservant came running up excitedly, saying that the master had sent someone with a message.

Grandmother Jia was overjoyed. She accepted the letter while a servant boy brought it inside.

The head maid, Amber, hurriedly brought over a pair of reading glasses. Grandmother Jia glanced at them and immediately beamed with joy, saying, "Master said he'll be back by mid-June!"

Upon hearing this, all the young ladies were overjoyed. Afterwards, a servant boy from Jia Zheng's side entered, and Grandmother Jia asked him a series of questions in casual conversation. The servant boy answered them one by one, and upon hearing that everything was going well for Jia Zheng, Grandmother Jia and the others were finally relieved.

Sister Feng, wanting to sow discord, smiled and said to Grandmother Jia, "It seems that Aunt Fu is taking very good care of Master. Grandmother, you can finally rest assured."

Grandmother Jia smiled and gave a vague reply, then glanced over and saw that Lady Wang's face was indeed displeased.

Sister Feng was immediately pleased with herself, and couldn't wait for Jia Zheng to bring Fu Qiufang back. When the time came, one would be old and faded, and the other would be young and beautiful; one would be born with a jade pendant, and the other would be born with a literary star. Tsk tsk, there would definitely be plenty of fun to see!

Before long, Aunt Wang got up to take her leave. Madam Wang, Yingchun, and Tanchun saw her off, but Fengjie, being unwell, simply returned home with Daiyu, Baoqin, Xiangyun, and the others.

After circling around Rongqing Hall and passing through the passageway, with the large, pink-painted screen wall in front of them, Sister Feng suddenly said, "I heard that Lin girl is going to start a poetry club these days?"

Daiyu, understanding the implied meaning, smiled and glanced around, saying, "Look at you, I was worried about disturbing Sister Feng, but who knew she would come uninvited."

Feng Jie was in a great mood and laughed, "I can't stay cooped up in my room all day. The other day, Physician Wang said I need to move around more. After all, I'm the CEO, so I can't miss out on such enjoyable things!"

Daiyu and the others smiled and agreed, only urging Fengjie to come early the day after tomorrow.

On the fifth day, the literary society was indeed established. Baoyu went to the Xia family again that day. Before leaving, he heard that there was a lot of noise in the garden. He asked a maid and learned that the sisters had started a literary society again.

Baoyu was stunned for a moment, because no one had told him about starting the literary society. Feeling disappointed, he recalled what Lady Wang had said: "You are a father now, you can't be fooling around with your sisters anymore."

Baoyu felt sad, and was urged on by Mushe, so he left the ceremonial gate with a droopy head and took a carriage to the Xia family.

In the Grand View Garden, the Peach Blossom Society was bustling with activity, but unfortunately, Sister Bao returned to the Xue family's old residence early.

After a day of joyous gathering, when it was time to disperse, Xiangling followed Daiyu back to Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Upon entering, she hurriedly presented the half-finished poem about peach blossoms, saying with a smile, "Last time, when Master heard that Miss had composed a poem about peach blossoms, he couldn't help but compose half of one himself, and insisted that I complete it. Where would I get such talent? I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Miss with this task."

Daiyu instinctively took the paper, but before she could say anything, Xiangling had already covered her mouth and laughed as she drifted away. Daiyu couldn't catch up, so she just smiled wryly and then looked down at the note.

The inscription reads: "An east wind overnight awakens the peach blossoms, spring arrives in the human world. Taking advantage of the bright moon and gentle breeze, a small boat glides across the vast green waves, the shadows of flowers shimmering. Within the cave lies the heaven, beyond the horizon the road; the wind, moon, orioles, and flowers remain forever at peace. I lament the passing of spring, fearing the peach blossoms will bear fruit, leaving the immortals neglected."

"What a beautiful 'Qinyuanchun'!" Daiyu pondered for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. This first half already contains a turning point; the second half will surely be filled with sorrow. No wonder Chen Siyuan didn't continue writing.

She then recalled the day Chen Siyuan had taken liberties with her, and Daiyu's pretty face flushed red. If it weren't for the sole of her shoe, she probably would have dug a hole in the ground and hidden herself in it!

After a long period of contemplation, Daiyu, though not a big believer in gods and Buddhas, secretly clasped her hands in prayer when no one was around, hoping that Chen Siyuan would have a smooth life and pass the imperial examination.

............................................................

Before they knew it, it was the eighth day. On this day, Chen Siyuan put away his weapons and let his horses graze on the southern mountain. He wandered around during the day and then went to bed early.

That day, everyone from Madam Xing to Baoqin, and even Baochai from the Xue family's old residence, sent people to deliver gifts. Some were talismans, some were sachets, and others were various practical items.

Knowing that Chen Siyuan needed to recuperate, everyone sat for a while and then left, and no one dared to disturb him.

Then, Grandmother Jia spoke up, saying that Jia Lian should be sent to take the exam the next morning.

Chen Siyuan thanked them all and went to bed early that night. He got up at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) the next morning. After having breakfast and getting ready, he left the ceremonial gate under the escort of several maids and took a carriage straight to the examination hall.

The details of the name verification and search are omitted. Chen Siyuan found his own examination room, ordered a rain shelter, laid down a plank, rolled up his quilt, and fell fast asleep.

It wasn't until the gong sounded three times and a minor official walked around carrying the exam questions that Chen Siyuan finally got up, looking refreshed. He wasn't in a hurry to look at the questions; instead, he tidied himself up while cooking a bowl of chicken noodles in a small pot. Only after eating and drinking his fill did he finally look at the questions.

Who knew that not looking would have been a problem, but once he did, he was delighted, because he had seen and done the first question before, which was exactly the question Daiyu had asked that day, "tenderly and sweetly"!
(End of this chapter)