Chapter 303 – Three Years of Langya (Three)
“This heavy snow is going to last another day or two,” Feng Jin shook his head. “Beijing is always like this; it snows more and more each year.”
Jiang Pengji stared at the roofs covered with a layer of white snow in the distance, her brows furrowed, as if troubled by something.
On the day of the Qionglin Banquet, the snow showed no signs of stopping, and the entire capital was draped in a white garment.
However, the chill outside couldn’t dampen the lively atmosphere of the Qionglin Banquet.
Amidst the clinking of cups and the sound of music, the graceful dancing girls dressed in translucent blue gauze twirled elegantly in the snow, resembling celestial beings who might ascend to the heavens at any moment. Seeing them dancing barefoot, with their feet reddened and blue from the cold, made Jiang Pengji lose her mood instantly.
While she felt discomfort, the surrounding scholars were thoroughly engrossed.
“Mr. Yuanjing is truly amazing; two of his students managed to secure the top three spots. They say if it weren’t for Lü Zheng’s humble beginnings as a hunter, he could have competed for one of those top positions too… that’d be terrifying.”
“Did you hear? Mr. Yuanjing has another student that nobody has seen.”
“Are you talking about Wei Zixiao? I heard that during the evaluations, someone insulted him, and he just punched them and left…”
“What a pity…”
“What’s to pity? Hitting someone like that is so rude; it’s not like a scholar at all, just a brash brute.”
Jiang Pengji sat at her table surrounded by similarly prestigious young scholars, their chatter incessant.
Some relied on their family wealth to buy themselves a useless position, while others qualified purely thanks to their parents.
Well, Jiang Pengji fell into the latter category.
Sipping on some sake, she used her low tolerance as an excuse to quietly slip away from the Qionglin Banquet.
Xu Ke was waiting outside with the carriage. When he saw Jiang Pengji bundled up in a heavy, fluffy white cloak approaching, he couldn’t help but suppress a laugh as she looked like a walking white ball. He hurried to get the stool ready for her.
He wasn’t actually a coachman; he came just to take a look at the place where the Qionglin Banquet was held.
The poor and common folks had a chance to enter here, but Xu Ke knew that unless something extraordinary happened, he’d never have the chance in his whole life.
Jiang Pengji understood Xu Ke’s thoughts and didn’t stop him.
“It’s so cold so quickly; you should wear more layers when you go out. It’s no fun having you wait in the carriage while you opt to sit outside. Here, take this hand warmer to warm your hands, so you won’t complain about me mistreating you…”
Xu Ke accepted the delicate hand warmer, small and exquisitely wrapped in thick fabric, it wasn’t hot to the touch and seemed fit for a young girl.
“Young Master, you’re wronged! When have I ever complained about you? Even if I did, it would be face-to-face,” he replied.
Jiang Pengji didn’t want to provoke Xu Ke’s keen eyes.
No matter what thoughts he had, he couldn’t hide them. Rather than keep them to himself and be laughed at, it was better to be straightforward.
“Sassy,” Jiang Pengji smiled and said.
As she was about to step onto the stool to hop in the carriage, she caught a glimpse of Wei Ci in his dark blue scholar’s robe, standing in the snow with an umbrella.
She paused and turned to Xu Ke, “You should take the hand warmer inside the carriage. I have something else to attend to.”
Xu Ke was taken aback, his gaze drew towards Wei Ci involuntarily.
As an unnoticed audiophile, it was hard for him to forget anyone with a particularly charming voice.
Not to mention, aside from his captivating voice, Wei Ci also had a refreshing and striking demeanor.
Jiang Pengji approached and teased, “Are you waiting for me, Zixiao?”
Wei Ci didn’t react as dramatically as before; instead, he replied lightly, “I’m just waiting here like the Young Master’s accountant. As for who I’m waiting for, it depends on who’s looking. If the Young Master thinks I’m waiting for you, that’s not inappropriate.”
Was that a jab at her self-absorption?
Jiang Pengji’s expression darkened, and she studied Wei Ci with a curious gaze.
Wei Ci didn’t flinch. He lowered his gaze slightly, meeting hers calmly, with eyes that were open and clear, not the emptiness of before.
As he spoke, the umbrella tilted slightly, shielding Jiang Pengji from the snow above.
“The snow is heavy, Young Master, you should head back quickly.”
“Did you write that essay yourself?” Jiang Pengji asked sternly, her tone lacking any politeness.
Wei Ci smiled calmly, retorting, “Does the Young Master suspect your father leaked the questions for me to find someone to ghostwrite?”
Jiang Pengji fell silent. It wasn’t that she doubted Wei Ci had employed someone; it was that she felt his thoughts were worlds apart from those of contemporary scholars. If everyone rushed to their books, who would till the fields? With so many people to share the pie, how would those elitist families who monopolized knowledge and inherited power agree? And let’s not forget, Wei Ci also came from a prestigious background.
Even if the Wang family of Langya had declined, their ancestors were once renowned.
Scholars innately bore a prideful spirit, believing their lineage set them above others; they were meant to be superior.
Either Wei Ci genuinely possessed such high-minded vision, or he was just a naïve, middle-school boy unaware of reality.
No matter how Jiang Pengji viewed it, Wei Ci didn’t seem like the latter.
“Your tongue is quite sharp.” She said with a forced smile, “Looks like you already know how to maintain your composure in front of me.”
Wei Ci’s voice carried a hint of relief. “Experience brings wisdom. Although Zixiao wouldn’t dare to compare to friends like Mo, I’m not entirely devoid of talent either, so I won’t stumble in the same place again. If the Young Master wishes to probe further, you may be disappointed.”
Jiang Pengji turned to look at him, elongated her “oh” sound, and suppressed her laughter.
“You should be glad there are many people and carriages around.”
Wei Ci raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
“With your talent and appearance, your outfit blends so well with the snowy backdrop; if there were no one around…”
Jiang Pengji didn’t finish her sentence but instead raised an eyebrow at him, giving a rather ambiguous and flirtatious hint.
Wei Ci suddenly tightened his grip on the umbrella, his expression turning serious as he straightened the paper umbrella.
“Go eat snow!”
Jiang Pengji laughed so hard that her shoulders shook, not for any other reason but because Wei Ci’s reaction was truly amusing.
Like an arrogant cat.
Unintentionally, Jiang Pengji stared at the vast snowy scene and suddenly said, “After the Qionglin Banquet, Father is going to submit his resignation.”
Wei Ci’s eyes flickered with surprise, “Your father has just reached his thirties; why would he want to resign?”
“Guess.”
Wei Ci looked at the short individual that barely reached his chest. He lowered his voice, “If the Young Master doesn’t intervene, your father might enjoy a bit of leisure in retirement. The situation in Dongqing is becoming increasingly harsh; when Nansheng falls, chaos will ensue. Resigning might be a decent way to avoid turmoil. But if the Young Master intervenes, that resignation might be a strategy of retreating for advancement…”
“Retreating for advancement? Nice term; now guess which step I’m advancing to?”
With his eyes closed, Wei Ci thought for a moment. If nothing changed, this person in front of him didn’t have such big ambitions yet, at most leading a band of bandits wreaking havoc in Dongqing. But now, Wei Ci sensed that she had grown several years beyond her former self, aiming straight for the imperial throne.
If it was this way… he pondered and resolutely uttered two words, “Chongzhou.”
Fortune is often found in risk; whether it was the past or present Jiang Pengji, Wei Ci didn’t expect her to take every step cautiously.
“You truly understand me.”
Wei Ci’s heart couldn’t help but race.
