The Marquis doesn't support his beloved wife's ambitions, so I'll take the imperial e

A haughty figure was reflected in the indigo screen. The young man, dressed in fine clothes and wearing a magnificent crown, stepped on the ground with one foot. His voice, which was tinged with the faint scent of incense, said, "Even if she escapes to the ends of the earth, she will not escape my grasp."

A man in brown robes knelt on one knee and said obsequiously, "Your Excellency is wise."

The young man scoffed, his right hand touching the heater, his thoughts returning to five days ago.

At that time, his kept woman in the mansion had somehow seduced a young man, and they were always exchanging flirtatious glances. He couldn't help but feel jealous and neglected her for a few days.

To everyone's surprise, Jiang Zhenxue seemed like a completely different person, mocking and disdainful of him, and even slapping him when he grabbed her by the neck and questioned her.

In the past, the two would reconcile after only two or three days of conflict, but this time Jiang Zhenxue did not back down. Instead, she swept away the gold and silver valuables, slipped out of the courtyard wall, and disappeared without a trace.

Thinking of this, the young man couldn't help but squeeze the carved armrest until it creaked.

"In the harsh winter, sparrows will freeze if they are outside."

……

At the same time, Jiang Zhenxue, who was riding in a blue-gray sedan chair, sneezed and thought to herself: That damned man must be thinking about her again.

Jiang Zhenxue used to be captivated by the angst-filled love stories in novels, but she never expected that her soul would be transmigrated into the body of the female lead after she started complaining about them again.

The novel's plot is actually quite simple: the male and female protagonists repeatedly misunderstand each other, tormenting one another—a slap in return for a chokehold, physical and emotional abuse that seems endless...

The reason for this argument was simply that she and the servant were from the same hometown and had exchanged a few words. Coincidentally, the servant was fair-skinned and handsome, and Xiao Qingyan became extremely jealous, interrogating her like an official judging a criminal.

She explained, but the other party couldn't understand her, so in a fit of anger, she ran away with the money.

Jiang Zhenxue has already decided to go to Lizhou.

Located in the northwest, Lizhou has produced three prime ministers and two chief ministers. It is also the best place for those seeking a career in the imperial examinations, where countless students have studied diligently for years.

Jiang Zhenxue, sensing a business opportunity, wants to open a private school in Lizhou, deviating from the original storyline.

The carriage sped along, having traveled all night, and soon arrived at Pu County in Lizhou.

Puxian County is the county in Lizhou with the highest concentration of students participating in scientific expeditions. It is said to be a place of outstanding natural beauty and has the world's largest temple dedicated to Wenchang Dijun (the God of Literature), as well as the place with the most schools.

As darkness fell, Jiang Zhenxue decided to stay at the inn for the time being.

Exhausted from the long journey, she was too tired that night and just wanted to get a good night's sleep. But just as she was drifting off, the light from next door shone brightly through the paper on the lattice door and fell directly on Jiang Zhenxue's face.

She couldn't stand the light while sleeping and was too lazy to deal with it, so she covered her head with the blanket and endured the stuffiness to continue sleeping.

However, just as he was about to meet the Duke of Zhou, he heard the faint sound of reading coming from next door.

The sound, sometimes rapid, sometimes paused, was driving Jiang Zhenxue crazy. She sat up abruptly: "As expected of the capital of the imperial examinations, are they setting up these places in the middle of the night, studying diligently?"

Jiang Zhenxue was determined to get a good night's sleep today. She got up quickly, put on her clothes, and decisively went to the next room to knock on the door.

"Knock knock knock".

Jiang Zhenxue made a gesture as if she was about to start an argument.

Soon, the person inside opened the door.

The other person was a handsome young man, but he looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes and pale lips, as if he didn't have much time left.

Jiang Zhenxue's anger subsided considerably in an instant. She said in a gentle tone, "Young master, it's the middle of the night. If you don't sleep, others will. Why don't you read during the day?"

Unexpectedly, after hearing Jiang Zhenxue's words, the young master suddenly burst into tears!

"..."

"Why are you crying?" Jiang Zhenxue felt that she hadn't gone too far, especially since the other party was in the wrong first, which made her feel a little helpless.

The man clung to the door, wiping away tears with his sleeve: "Eight years!"

"I took the exam for eight whole years! I didn't even pass the lowest level. My parents scolded me at home, and my teachers disliked me at school. I had no choice but to rent a room in an inn to live in, and now you're criticizing me too!"

Jiang Zhenxue thought to herself, "This is too much."

The first time she thought of Lizhou was because the devoted second male lead in this novel was born there. He was a rising star who fought his way up from among thousands of students to become the Grand Secretary, a position above all others. He was also the only character in this melodramatic novel who insisted on pursuing a career path.

"Why don't you find a study room to memorize your notes? That way you won't disturb other people's rest..." Jiang Zhenxue was too embarrassed to pursue the matter further, so she left after saying that.

Suddenly, she heard a heavy thud on the ground, and a sense of unease arose in her heart. She went next door and knocked on the door again.

But this time, the door wouldn't open.

Jiang Zhenxue felt something was off, and on a whim, she poked a hole in the paper on the door and peered inside.

What I saw was terrifying; I almost fainted. The man was hanging from the roof beam, the stool beneath his feet had been kicked over, and he was struggling.

Jiang Zhenxue immediately slammed the door shut and frantically grabbed the struggling man. However, she was too weak; she could only offer him some support, not save him.

Fortunately, the innkeeper happened to pass by the door.

"Could you please..." The boss was terrified by the scene and quickly helped Jiang Zhenxue put the person down.

The man lay on the bed, looking utterly dejected.

The boss retorted angrily, "Go ahead and hang yourself if you want! Are you deliberately trying to ruin my business?"

The man remained silent, as still as a corpse.

Jiang Zhenxue kindly advised, "Great talents mature late. If you die, you have nothing left. If you live, there is still a glimmer of hope."

The man's throat bobbed. "No, there won't be a chance. I'll never pass the imperial examinations in my lifetime..."

After saying this, two lines of clear tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.

Jiang Zhenxue pondered, "Perhaps you should change your study environment to relieve stress."

"What did you just say about a study room? What kind of place is that?" the man asked.

"The study room has private rooms and thousands of books. You can concentrate on your studies there without being disturbed by anyone." To prevent the man from not understanding, she explained a few more words.

"Does such a place really exist?"