readytorunbook Chapter 192 Kindness
Chapter 192 Kindness
Jiang Mingyuan told Old Madam Jiang what had just happened.
Since the results of the imperial examination were announced, Jiang Mingxiu and Jiang Mingyuan have been receiving many invitations because both of them have become Jinshi. Today, they went to keep an appointment with their classmates and went into a calligraphy and painting shop with several classmates. They picked out a painting and a few books, but when they were paying, they found that their wallets were missing. They didn't know when their wallets disappeared.
Under normal circumstances, if they didn't bring any money, they would just put the books back and buy them another day. But unfortunately, the brothers' rival in the academy, the second young master of the Sun family in the Hanlin Academy, was also there. He came down from the second floor with a folding fan and mocked them, mocking them for not even bringing any money when they went out and having to buy books on credit.
At that time, many people in the shop looked over. Jiang Mingxiu and Jiang Mingyuan were always thin-skinned, and they felt like crawling into a crack in the ground when they were stared at. Several classmates wanted to help him pay the bill, but they didn't dare to offend Young Master Sun.
Young Master Sun was also on the list, and his ranking in the examination was below Jiang Mingxiu and above Jiang Mingyuan. Jiang Mingyuan was very angry, and Jiang Mingxiu pulled him away. As a result, the painting he handed over was damaged when the shop assistant checked it.
Young Master Sun demanded that they must buy it, otherwise they would be bullying others by taking advantage of the Jiang family's reputation of having two successful Jinshi scholars.
I have no money, but I still need to buy the painting, and no one dares to help me...
Jiang Mingxiu asked the calligraphy and painting shop to go to Jiang's house to get the money. The clerk said that their shop was small and they didn't have many staff, so they couldn't spare anyone to go to Jiang's house to get the money. Then the situation became deadlocked.
Jiang Li was filled with righteous indignation when she heard this and asked, "Who helped you? The Prince of Jingyang?"
The first person who came to mind to help out of Shen Tang's favor was the Prince of Jingyang.
Shen Tang thought so too.
Jiang Mingyuan shook his head. "It was Prince Ning. He happened to be in that shop. He bought the books and paintings and gave them to my brother and me. He also said that my cousin had come to the Jiang family, so we came back."
"It's obvious that they're helping us out of my cousin's favor."
Shen Tang laughed, "Maybe it's just for the sake of my eldest and second cousins' face."
Jiang Mingyuan was very confident. "This is the first time I've spoken to Prince Ning, and it's the first time for my brother too. Where do we get the face from?"
He had no other problems, but he had self-knowledge. Although he and his elder brother both passed the imperial examination and had some reputation for talent, he was the Prince of Ning, the only grandson of the current emperor's uncle, Prince Ning. Not to mention that they were just Jinshi, even if they were the top scorer in the imperial examination, it would be nothing in the eyes of the Prince of Ning.
But for some reason, I always feel a sense of familiarity when I see the Prince of Ning.
Shen Tang just smiled and didn't say much. Old Prince Ning was a kind-hearted man. His father had driven his own younger brother out of the house. In addition, his eldest brother was engaged to Princess Roujia, so it shouldn't be long before he could return to his ancestral home. By then, his two cousins would naturally know that what she said was right.
Thinking about the incident in his previous life when his two cousins went boating with their classmates before the imperial examination, Shen Tang felt uneasy and said, "The palace examination will be held in a few days. It would be better for the two cousins to stay at home before the examination. What happened today is too coincidental. Those cousins' classmates..."
Shen Tang had no evidence and couldn't speak carelessly, so he just said, "It's better to stay away from it."
They were classmates, but in this matter, Shen Tang did not see any friendship between them. The second young master Sun from the Hanlin Mansion was openly looking for trouble with her two cousins. She was afraid of offending the young master of the Hanlin Bachelor's Mansion, so she watched her cousins being bullied.
He's already so timid and fearful even before he enters officialdom. If he becomes an official in the court, he will most likely be a person who goes with the flow and is not worthy of close friendship.
Besides, the wallets of the two cousins were lost, and they happened to buy calligraphy and paintings when they encountered the attack of Young Master Sun Er, and the calligraphy and paintings were destroyed. It was obvious that he was targeting the two cousins today. Shen Tang didn't want to think badly of anyone, but it could be said that the life and future of his cousin in the previous life were ruined by his classmates, so he had to be on guard.
Jiang Mingyuan nodded. "On the way back just now, my eldest brother also said that Prince Ning mentioned my cousin, meaning that we should return home and stay away from those classmates."
Madam Jiang said, "Your cousin is right. It's better for those classmates to have less contact in the future. After the palace examination, thank Prince Ning for what happened today."
Jiang Mingxiu and Jiang Mingyuan nodded and took note.
Now that you're back, let's have lunch together.
The family was talking and laughing, having a great time.
After dinner, Shen Tang stayed for a while before leaving. Jiang Ning and Jiang Li saw her out of the house.
Jiang Mingxiu and Jiang Mingyuan wanted to send Shen Tang off, but Shen Tang refused. "My two cousins should just focus on preparing for the palace exam. I can go back home by myself."
Knowing that Prince Jingyang had sent someone to escort them, the two men felt relieved and did not send them off.
Fortunately, he didn't send it off, otherwise it would have been embarrassing. Not long after the carriage left Jiang's house, there was one more person in the carriage.
Seeing Xie Guimo come in, Yin Xing and Qiu Tong's cheeks flushed, and they hurried out of the carriage. Shen Tang's face was also red, "You... Can't you just go to the Marquis' Mansion to find me?"
Xie Guimo said, "I came from the Marquis' Mansion."
Shen Tang, "..."
Xie Guimo sat down next to Shen Tang. Shen Tang moved to the side to make room for him, but when his butt moved a little, he was picked up by him and sat in his arms.
Shen Tang's face was so red that blood could drip out.
The servant driving the carriage is from the mansion, but not his.
Although they were engaged, they didn't get married after all. If this got out... Shen Tang felt like a dead pig that was not afraid of boiling water, thinking about being accused of kissing her face and causing the rash.
Shen Tang looked at Xie Guimo, "What do you want to talk to me about?"
"Do I have to have something to ask you?" Xie Guimo asked.
She just said something nonsense.
Xie Guimo looked at Shen Tang and said, "I really want to just kidnap you and take you back to Prince Jingyang's Palace."
Shen Tang looked bewildered, "What happened?"
Xie Guimo's eyes were filled with resentment. "Originally, mother was planning to come to discuss the betrothal gifts today and send them to your house tomorrow. But something happened at the Pingyuan Marquis's residence. Mother was afraid that father-in-law and your grandmother would be upset, so we have to wait a few days."
Although he was a little dissatisfied, he had no choice but to listen to his mother.
The quarrel between the brothers in the Pingyuan Marquis' Mansion was known to everyone in Kyoto. It was very ignorant for the Jingyang Prince's Mansion to send the betrothal gift at this time.
According to my mother, we need to wait at least half a month until this storm has passed.
God knows how depressed he is. Why is it so difficult for him to marry Shen Tang? First, his grandfather arranged a wrong marriage for him. He finally canceled the marriage and proposed again, which delayed him for a long time. After so much trouble, he finally got the marriage settled. He thought that nothing would delay him in the future, but then something happened.
"It's not easy to marry you," Xie Guimo buried his head in Shen Tang's neck.
The hot breath penetrated into her clothes, burning from her neck all the way to her heart. Shen Tang moved uncomfortably for a few times, and then her waist was hugged tightly. She felt something pressing against her butt. Knowing what it was, her face was burning, "You, you let me go quickly."
The voice is unnaturally soft.
Shen Tang was about to sit aside when Xie Guimo said in a hoarse voice, "Don't move..."
How could Shen Tang dare to move? But being held like this made her almost stiff. She couldn't remain calm, so what was the point of holding her like this?
Xie Guimo just held Shen Tang in his arms. The more twists and turns there were, the more worried he became, and the more anxious he became to marry her.
Shen Tang just let him hold her until the carriage reached the Marquis of Pingyuan's mansion. Shen Tang said, "We're almost there."
Xie Guimo said, "Let the servant go around again."
Shen Tang, "..."
Did this bastard think she really liked riding in a carriage?
She didn't like riding in a carriage at all, but she had no choice but to do so.
Shen Tang glared at Xie Guimo, and Xie Guimo looked at her innocently. Shen Tang was defeated, but she had dealt with Xie Guimo and forgot about the servant. Look, the servant really obediently drove the carriage around in a circle.
Shen Tang, "..."
The gatekeeper at Pingyuan Marquis's mansion saw the carriage coming from afar and went down the steps to help move the footstool, but the carriage just passed by him.
The servant was dumbfounded, wondering if he was seeing things. That was not the marquis's carriage.
But it is clearly so.
The servant was confused. Shen Tang saw that the carriage hadn't stopped for a long time and asked, "Why hasn't it arrived yet?"
The servant asked, "Aren't we going to go around again?"
Shen Tang, "..."