Anle Residence, the study.
The sun slanted through the window lattice, casting a warm, checkered pattern of light across the red sandalwood desk. The air was filled with the scent of ink and the very faint, sweet fragrance of osmanthus.
The two scents intertwined, creating an unexpectedly harmonious atmosphere.
Pei Cijing leaned back in his armchair, holding a thick case file in his hands, reading it with great relish.
This file had been sent over yesterday by his brother-in-law, Shen Mingxuan. It was said to be a transcribed copy of classified old cases from the Dali Court, provided for his reference and study.
The path of the imperial examination was about far more than just the Four Books and Five Classics, or archaic literary jargon.
If he were truly to become a local official in the future, trying cases, determining right from wrong, and deciding on sentences and punishments were all essential fields of knowledge.
The legal clauses of the Great Qian Dynasty were dry and tedious. They used to give him a headache just looking at them, but now, for the sake of this unavoidable path of the imperial examination, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and study them.
However, as he read on, he actually found it somewhat interesting.
The cases recorded in the file were bizarre and showcased all kinds of human nature. There were brothers who turned against each other over three acres of paddy fields, ultimately resulting in murder; there were those who poisoned their own nephews to snatch an ancestral secret recipe; and there were serial killings disguised as ghost hauntings that were actually schemes to murder for money...
As Pei Cijing read, his mind automatically played a mashup of Detective Conan and Young Justice Bao, shows he had watched in his past life. From time to time, he would even offer a few critiques:
This killer's psychological endurance is too weak, leaving behind so many flaws.
Tsk, using arsenic? Too unoriginal, and it's easy to trace.
This locked-room trick...
It's not even as clever as Prefect Chen's ice blade.
Just as he was comparing the pros and cons of the criminal methods in the files—
Ding! Successfully gossiped about the Brothers Feuding Over Property Case, Gossip Points +5.
Ding! Successfully gossiped about the Secret Recipe Nephew Poisoning Case, Gossip Points +8.
Ding! Successfully gossiped about the Fake Ghost Serial Robbery Case, Gossip Points +12.
Several crisp notification sounds rang out in his mind one after another.
Pei Cijing froze for a moment, then chuckled.
Hey!
So studying these old cases and deducing the truth behind them also counted as gossiping?!
Although the points weren't many—only a few to a dozen points per case—the sheer quantity made up for it! The box of files Shen Mingxuan sent over contained at least twenty or thirty case summaries.
If he finished reading all of them and solved all the cases...
Even a mosquito's leg is meat!
Many drops make an ocean; grains of sand build a tower!
He instantly felt that the boring file in his hand had become quite attractive.
Even those obscure and difficult-to-pronounce legal clauses seemed to be coated in a layer of golden light. Those were Gossip Points that could be exchanged for system rewards! Every single word was an accumulation towards redeeming an unknown, mysterious ultimate grand prize in the future!
He was fully motivated!
He immediately sat up straight, his eyes shining brightly as if a starving wolf had spotted a fat sheep, flipping through the pages rapidly. The system notification sounds in his mind chimed like beautiful, heavenly music, even if they weren't entirely continuous.
An unknown amount of time passed.
He finished reading the last scroll.
Pei Cijing let out a long breath, leaned back in satisfaction, and gave a big stretch.
His bones made a faint clicking sound, and a long-lost feeling washed over him—a mixture of exhaustion and fulfillment that comes after cramming for an exam.
He glanced at the system panel that only he could see:
Host: Pei Cijing
Current Gossip Points: 928
Skills: Master Healer, Martial Arts Grandmaster
Items: Fitness Pill x3, Antidote Pill x1, Premium Wound Ointment x1, Beauty Preservation Pill x1
Not bad, not bad.
One step closer to four digits.
Sure enough, learning makes me happy (not really), learning makes me rich (barely)!
Today's criminal investigation training was complete. It was time to reward himself by slacking off for a bit!
Pei Cijing shifted into a more comfortable position, rested his chin on one hand, and let his gaze drift brazenly toward the other end of the study.
Over there, Shen Ninghuan was sitting on the heated brick bed by the window.
Several thick account books were spread open on the low table, with a small red sandalwood abacus resting beside them.
She had her head slightly bowed, revealing a section of her fair, elegant neck, with a few stray strands of hair softly clinging to her cheek. Her slender fingers occasionally turned the pages of the ledger, making a faint rustling sound; at other times, they flicked the abacus beads, producing crisp, rhythmic clicks.
The sunlight fell perfectly upon her.
It coated half of her profile in a halo of pale golden down. Her long eyelashes drooped, casting two gentle shadows beneath her eyes. Her expression was focused and tranquil, as if all the disturbances of the outside world had nothing to do with her, and the only things left in the universe were the rows of numbers and the account books in front of her.
As the officially wedded Second Young Mistress, the authority to manage the household naturally fell into her hands.
Although the Second Branch would not inherit the noble title, and Pei Fugui himself lacked grand ambitions, Madam Zhou's maiden family was a wealthy merchant clan from Jiangnan. Over the years, through dowries, investments, and business operations, they had accumulated quite a substantial amount of property.
Shops in the capital, farming estates outside the city, warehouses in the south, and even shares in two maritime trading ships... all sorts of businesses required regular auditing of their accounts.
This was to prevent subordinates from deceiving their superiors, hiding the truth, and lining their own pockets.
Shen Ninghuan took this matter very seriously.
When her husband studied, she accompanied him by his side. He read his books of sages, and she calculated her business affairs. They did not disturb each other, yet their auras blended together. In the quiet room, with only the turning of pages and the soft clicking of the abacus, there was a unique sense of harmony and peace.
Pei Cijing stared at her, somewhat entranced.
He suddenly felt that his wife looked exceptionally beautiful when she was working so earnestly.
It wasn't the kind of beauty that came from wearing hairpins and gorgeous clothes, but an inner radiance—a confident and determined glow that emanated from being immersed in a field she excelled at.
Her eyes were calm, the corners of her lips slightly pressed together. As her fingertips rose and fell, it was as if she could manipulate the unseen universe.
Indeed...
He muttered silently in his heart.
A woman who takes her career seriously has a unique kind of charm.
This aura, this level of focus... Tsk, it really makes one want to call her older sister.
As soon as this thought popped up, he himself was momentarily stunned.
Wait.
Older sister?
He subconsciously counted on his fingers. Excluding the twenty-odd years from his past life and only looking at this lifetime, he had just turned eighteen, while Shen Ninghuan was older than him by...
A month and a few days, it seemed?
Uh, it seemed...
She really was just a tiny bit older than him.
But it was only a tiny bit!
Normally, she was gentle and dignified, and the cleverness and slyness she occasionally revealed carried a lively, girlish aura. He had never truly realized the fact that she was older.
But at this moment, watching her calmly manage the family business with features as tranquil as water, that tiny age gap suddenly materialized.
It was as if she truly was someone who could stand on her own and gently protect him under her wing...
An older sister.
Pei Cijing's ears inexplicably began to burn. A mixture of shyness, novelty, and a certain hidden excitement quietly crept into his heart. He hurriedly looked away, pretending to lower his head and study the ink stains on the file, but his heart was pounding wildly, like a restless little rabbit was trapped inside.
Damn it...
Pei Cijing, snap out of it! Your two lifetimes combined add up to almost forty years! What is all this nonsense about an older sister!
But... the way she was flicking the abacus just now was so cool...
I really want to call her older sister!
No, no, I cannot let my thoughts run wild! Study! Studying makes one clear-headed!
He tried hard to pin his gaze on the files, but the words seemed to have grown legs, jumping around before his eyes and refusing to enter his brain.
His heart and eyes were completely filled.
Filled with the quiet silhouette by the window.
Shen Ninghuan closed the last ledger, tapped her fingertips lightly on the cover, and curled her lips slightly.
Hmm, the income this month is not bad.
The batch of silk from the south sold exceptionally well. The shopkeeper was capable and deserved a reward. The rents from the farmsteads had all been collected without delay, and the maritime trade route went without saying... Although the risks were higher, the profits were truly substantial.
Everything was in perfect order.
In a rather good mood, she raised her eyes and happened to catch her husband's guilty look of pretending to read but actually peeking.
And, the messy, passionate, and cute muttering in the bottom of his heart.
A very faint trace of a smile flitted across Shen Ninghuan's eyes.
Like ripples on spring water.
She put down the ledger, stood up, and walked slowly to the desk.
Pei Cijing was wandering in his thoughts when he suddenly saw a pale green skirt hem come into view, carrying a familiar, light orchid fragrance. He snapped back to his senses and looked up, meeting Shen Ninghuan's smiling eyes.
"Husband is very diligent today." Her voice was soft and gentle. She picked up the empty teacup by his hand and turned to refill it with hot tea. "These files are dull and hard to understand. It is truly not easy for Husband to study them quietly for so long."
Pei Cijing coughed dryly, trying to put on a serious face. "Ahem, Father-in-law and Brother-in-law were kind enough to send them over, so as your husband, I naturally have to study them attentively. Besides, these cases... are actually quite inspiring."
Shen Ninghuan gently placed the refilled teacup by his hand and looked at him with clear eyes. "Husband is working so hard, and your knowledge is improving day by day. In my opinion, if you continue like this, by the time of the next Spring Examination, you will definitely stand out and see your name on the list of successful candidates."
Her tone was gentle.
Full of encouragement and expectation.
Hearing this, Pei Cijing immediately felt light and airy.
Look!
How well my wife speaks! How much she trusts me!
The corners of his mouth could not help but rise, and that little bit of smugness in his heart began to bubble up again:
'Of course! Just look at who I am! The wisdom of living two lives! And the system... Uh, although the system does not really give any learning cheats, my brain works well!'
'The next Spring Examination? Hmm, calculating the time, it seems to be just over half a year away? If I hurry up, maybe I really can...'
Wait.
Spring Examination?
The smile on Pei Cijing's face suddenly froze.
He suddenly realized a crucial issue that he had long ignored: the Spring Examination, also known as the Metropolitan Examination, was a national exam to select Jinshi, and only Juren were qualified to participate!
But what was his, Pei Cijing's, identity right now?
The second young master of the Weiyuan Marquis estate.
That was it.
He did not have half a scholarly honor to his name! He was not even a Tongsheng!
According to the orthodox imperial examination process of the Great Qian Dynasty, one should take the Tongsheng exams to become a Xiucai, then the provincial exam to become a Juren, and finally the Metropolitan Examination to become a Jinshi!
How could he skip the first two steps and directly think about the next Spring Examination?!
It was like playing a game.
He had not even left the beginners village, and he was already thinking about fighting the final boss?!
"Wife..." Pei Cijing looked up, his eyes full of confusion and shock. "Your husband... seems to not even be a Tongsheng?"
Shen Ninghuan was slightly startled, but then she understood.
Looking at her husband's blank expression of who am I, where am I, what am I doing, she could not help but cover her lips with her sleeve and chuckle.
The laughter was like pearls falling on a jade plate, clear and moving.
After laughing for a while, she lowered her sleeve, her eyes still brimming with smiles, and explained gently:
"Has Husband forgotten? In our Great Qian's imperial examinations, besides the orthodox path—that is, testing up step by step from Tongsheng to Xiucai to Juren—there is also the system of shadow privilege."
"The Weiyuan Marquis estate is a nobility with hereditary succession. According to the regulations, the children of the Marquis estate are qualified to directly participate in the Metropolitan Examination after studying in the Imperial Academy, without having to go through the three levels of assessment. This is the imperial court's intention to show favor to the descendants of nobles and widely recruit talents. Although the quota is limited and requires the Marquis's guarantee and the Imperial Clan Court's approval, with Husband's identity, taking this path to participate in the Spring Examination is not difficult."
Pei Cijing opened his mouth wide.
It could actually be like this?!
Isn't this just... a recommended student?! And the kind directly recommended into the finals!
In his previous life, he only knew that ancient times had the shadow privilege, and in this life, he did not intend to study at the beginning, so he did not understand that much. He did not expect the privilege to be so direct and so brutal!
"So..." He swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "Your husband can actually... just directly prepare for the Metropolitan Exam? I do not need to take the exams for Tongsheng, Xiucai, and the provincial exam?"
Shen Ninghuan nodded with a smile. "Exactly. Father already wrote a letter to the Marquis mentioning this matter the day before yesterday. In a few days, Husband will be able to enter the Imperial Academy to study. He hopes that Husband will use this half a year to study attentively and hit the mark in one fell swoop."
Pei Cijing was speechless.
His mood was complex.
On the one hand, there was a huge sense of surprise and relief of not having to grind from the beginners village, but on the other hand, he felt as if he was missing a bit of the sense of achievement from fighting monsters and leveling up.
Moreover.
The pressure was even greater!
Skipping all the minor exams in the early and middle stages and directly attacking the final level!
If he passed, he would reach the sky in a single bound; if he failed... then he would lose face all the way to his grandmother's house! The whole capital would know that the second young master of the Weiyuan Marquis estate was a piece of trash who could not even pass with the shadow privilege!
This was no longer a personal matter.
It concerned the face of the Marquis estate, the expectations of his father-in-law, and... his wife's dignity.
Pei Cijing slowly let out a breath of stale air.
Lying flat?
That was completely non-existent now...
