strictlysupreme Chapter 364 Apricot Garden and Apricot Blossoms
Chapter 364 Apricot Garden and Apricot Blossoms
Jiang Mingyuan mounted his horse again and rode away, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. He gave a polite smile and bowed slightly, his expression calm and composed.
Whether it comes from people's envy, admiration, jealousy, or the admiring gaze of women.
It seemed to make no difference to him.
He wasn't arrogant enough to look down on others, but no one could easily disturb his peace of mind.
A woman clutched her heart and sighed, "He truly is a gentleman, gentle and refined like jade."
"If only he would look at me even once more."
The silence of the others also proved their agreement.
At this moment, when the women looked at Gu Xixi again, most of them were unimpressed.
No wonder the top scholar stopped to talk to her; it turned out she was just a poor relative traveling with him from the Northwest.
Their wariness of Gu Xixi vanished instantly.
The families of the candidates who were expected to pass the imperial examinations had all conducted some investigations before the spring examinations.
It was already known that the top scholar had not been engaged in his hometown.
Besides, times have changed. Since this woman didn't have a chance in the past, she's even less of a threat now.
As for Miss He...
She was clearly not familiar with the top scholar when she spoke to him.
Moreover, given her background, if the top scholar were willing to marry into the He family, he could present her with the hairpin on the spot.
Since the top scholar didn't do that, Miss He is probably no match for everyone.
The noble ladies dispersed one by one, some with heavy hearts and hidden talents.
Some people were full of fighting spirit, their determination written all over their faces...
On the way back, the maids talked about the flower hairpin in the top scholar's hair.
Lianxing patted her chest and said, "When the top scholar came over just now, I thought he was going to pick that apricot blossom and give it to our young lady. I was so nervous!"
He Jinglan glared, "Dreaming in broad daylight! What would he do with my apricot blossoms?"
Ziyan smiled and said, "If I really give it to you, will you take it or not, Miss?"
He Jinglan said matter-of-factly, "I can't control who he gives his flowers to, but I've found what I want."
"Of all the waters in the world, I will only take a sip."
Guangzhu was surprised and blurted out, "Does the young lady have someone she likes?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Ziyan lightly patted her on the shoulder, saying, "Don't talk nonsense!"
Guangzhu realized he had spoken out of turn, looked around, and thankfully saw no one else, before letting out a sigh of relief.
He Jinglan wasn't angry. "Who says that all a woman can want is marriage? You're so young and you're always thinking nonsense. I think we should give you more work."
Guangzhu lowered his head pitifully, "Guangzhu knows he was wrong, please forgive me, young lady."
An Qing asked curiously, "I see that only Brother Zichu is wearing a fresh apricot blossom in his hair."
Is there any custom associated with giving these apricot blossoms to a young lady?
He Jinglan laughed and said, "There's quite a lot going on behind this."
Legend has it that the sage taught his disciples in the Apricot Garden.
The day the results of the imperial examination were announced during the Daye reign coincided with the season when apricot blossoms were in full bloom.
This gradually evolved into the royal family holding a banquet in the Apricot Garden to celebrate the top thirty candidates in the spring imperial examinations.
The emperor will be accompanied by several high-ranking officials, all of whom will be outstanding individuals.
Therefore, the name "Xingyuan" also carries the auspicious meaning of a scholar passing the imperial examination.
The apricot blossom pinned to Jiang Mingyuan's temple was plucked by the reigning emperor himself in the Apricot Garden.
This was unique to the newly appointed top scholar, and it symbolized the emperor's respect for and appreciation of talent.
As for the meaning of sending apricot blossoms to a young lady, we have to trace it back to the fourth top scholar of the Daye era.
He was so excited when he saw his beloved while strolling through the streets that he picked an apricot blossom and gave it to her.
When the emperor heard about it later, he was overjoyed. He believed that he had facilitated this marriage, a double blessing, a minor success followed by a major success, which was both elegant and auspicious. He even bestowed upon the emperor a plaque inscribed with "A Perfect Match".
This story has been passed down as a legend ever since.
Later, whenever a top scholar paraded through the streets, many girls would stare at the apricot blossoms at his temples.
We eagerly await to see who will ultimately win the prize.
At this point, we have arrived at the front courtyard of Xiao He's residence.
He Jinglan smiled and looked at Gu Xixi, saying, "Actually, I originally thought he would give the flowers to Xixi."
"But it's good that he didn't do that."
Gu Xixi was listening intently when she heard this and was taken aback.
Before she could say anything, An Qinghe waved his hand with a smile, "How could that be!"
"Why is Brother Zichu giving flowers to Xixi? Xixi isn't his..."
As he was talking, he realized something was wrong and froze for a moment.
Then, he was horrified, exclaiming, "What?!"
"Even a rabbit won't eat the grass near its burrow, and that kid Jiang Mingyuan has feelings for Xixi too..."
He Jinglan cleared her throat forcefully and gave him a wink to stop him from continuing.
Anqing and Jing Jing were reminded and calmed down a bit. They realized that they had not yet truly revealed their true feelings, so how could they have the right to react in this way?
He Jinglan deftly stepped An Qinghe aside, took Gu Xixi's hand, and said as they walked:
"I mean, Lord Jiang is currently riding high on his popularity, it's a good thing he didn't send you flowers."
"Otherwise, you would be a thorn in the side of countless people today."
An Qinghe always protected Gu Xixi without any reason, and this time was no exception.
He immediately retorted, "Isn't it just jealousy that Xixi is better off than the others?"
"If anyone dares to use any underhanded tricks or dirty tactics, we won't take them lying down!"
He Jinglan smiled, "Of course we don't need to be afraid, but Xixi always considers whether something is worthwhile when she does it."
"If it were a man I like, that would be fine, but if I don't, it's still troublesome to bring this upon myself..."
An Qinghe understood, and a Chinese proverb came to mind: "It's like a toad landing on your feet; it doesn't bite, but it's disgusting!"
Gu Xixi nodded with a straight face, "That's right."
She always felt like she didn't have enough time.
If you are treated as a potential rival by others and forced to deal with it, you will waste your time.
Just thinking about her is driving me crazy.
As soon as he reached the second gate, a servant came over, smiling broadly at An Qinghe, and asked him solicitously if he was thirsty or hungry.
An Qing rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't go into the inner courtyard. After living here for so long, don't you know the rules?"
The servant smiled obsequiously, "My master said that Boss An can go wherever he wants in the mansion, except for the inner courtyard."
Anqing and Chao took a few steps into their own room, then suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at Gu Xixi's departing figure, their eyes gradually overflowing with ecstatic joy.
Yup!
She was right just now.
Therefore, she dislikes Jiang Mingyuan and is unwilling to compete with other women for his affections!
An Qinghe chuckled to himself, "I don't like it, that's good. I knew I wouldn't like it. How could that be? It's great that you don't like it..."
He muttered these words over and over again before running into the house.
The servant stood there in astonishment. After a moment, he shook his head. "Has Boss An gone mad?"
The atmosphere at the Fan residence was heavy at this moment.
Inside the council hall, Grand Secretary Fan sat solemnly at the head of the table.
The faces of all the Fan family members below were very grim.
After a moment of silence, someone spoke up, "The rumors circulating in the streets are getting more and more rampant. Public opinion can be very powerful. If this continues, it will reach His Majesty's ears sooner or later."
"If His Majesty becomes suspicious, that person's identity can no longer be concealed..."
Some were anxious, some were frightened, and some looked at Grand Secretary Fan, waiting for his instructions.
However, Grand Secretary Fan remained silent for a long time, like a stone statue, with his eyes half-closed.