Even earlier, the father, who had been weak his whole life, had already died protecting the fourth branch of the family.
The fifteen-year-old brother, spared by the crown prince, had his age changed and was exiled to a harsh, cold land along with other men under the age of fourteen, women, and children...
Before she left, her younger brother came to see her.
She wept bitterly for her father and aunt, vowing to avenge them.
The younger brother said, "Your survival is the greatest comfort to them. There are no enemies; the Lang Family brought this upon themselves and deserves to die. Just be a good Crown Princess, and even if you don't become the Crown Princess, you must live on."
What did she say at that time?
She said, "Even if I die, I'll take Yuwen Duo with me!"
She didn't understand her brother's good intentions at all.
She never heard from her brother again until her death.
Look how stupid she is.
He can't distinguish between benefactors and enemies, nor can he discern right from wrong. If Yuwen Duo were to like her, he would be truly blinded by greed.
In this second life, my family is safe and sound, my gentle aunt is still here, and even my awkward younger brother seems Lovely now.
Lang Xuan's eyes welled with tears.
Concubine Yun had already seen her sitting by the window and exclaimed in surprise, "Miss, with this cold wind and rain, you mustn't leave the window open. What if you catch a cold?"
After saying that, she shoved the umbrella into Lang Wu's arms and quickly came in to help Lang Xuan close the window.
The wooden clogs made a crisp sound as they stepped on the bluestone path.
What a beautiful sound it is for someone who has just woken up from a nightmare.
Lang Xuan stood up and said with Yingying, "Auntie, it's alright, I just opened the window."
Concubine Yun was stunned when she saw her smiling face.
Lang Xuan knew that she had never given her a kind look, which was why her aunt was surprised.
She didn't know why her aunt in her previous life could take care of her day after day for more than ten years, without caring about her cold attitude.
Lang Xuan knew she couldn't change things too much, so she controlled herself and didn't go forward to hug Concubine Yun. She silently closed the window.
Lang Wu came in, but still refused to look directly at this older sister.
The young boy had his own thoughts—"You've mistreated my aunt, why should I acknowledge you as my aunt?"
Lang Xuan wasn't angry; instead, she asked him gently about his studies.
"It's none of your business!" Lang Wu said angrily.
Concubine Yun slapped him twice on the back. "Your sister is doing this for your own good, stop being so stubborn!"
Lang Xuan said, "I was just thinking about the autumn imperial examination today, and how you might have to take it in a few years, so I asked you a couple of questions. If you don't want to study, you can learn martial arts, but you still need to have a skill so that you can... properly repay your aunt."
Only his concubine was Lang Wu's Achilles' heel.
As expected, Lang Wu initially dismissed it, but his expression changed after hearing it.
Concubine Yun was delighted by Lang Xuan's goodwill today and quickly nudged her son, saying, "Did you hear what your sister said?"
Lang Wu awkwardly turned his head to the side, which angered Concubine Yun so much that she wanted to pull his ear.
Lang Wu nimbly dodged, making Concubine Yun's face turn red with anger.
"Never mind, Auntie," Lang Xuan said, "He's only seven or eight years old, a real nuisance. Let him play. Please sit down!"
"Alright, alright." Concubine Yun sat down listlessly.
She thought to herself that the girl seemed to be treating her better.
Is it because she was betrothed to a prince and is now living in a royal household that her entire demeanor has changed?
In any case, this is a good thing, and she is happy about it.
However, Concubine Yun really didn't know what to say to Lang Xuan, fearing that it would ruin this rare harmonious atmosphere.
After thinking for a long time, she said dryly, "The rain is getting heavier and heavier, and today happens to be the autumn imperial examination. Those candidates are going to suffer."
"Um."
Concubine Yun didn't know what to say next.
A moment later, she added, "I heard that the sixth young master of the Cui Family also took the exam. He's only thirteen this year. If he passes, he'll be a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations). Other people's children are so talented... If my nemesis could pass the Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations) at thirteen, I'd kneel before Buddha every day..."
Lang Xuan said softly, "Everyone has their own destiny. My younger brother may not be any less fortunate than Cui Ling in the future."
Lang Wu was actually very intelligent, but unfortunately he went to a harsh and cold place in his previous life, and he was destined to never achieve fame or success in this lifetime... Lang Xuan's heart began to ache again.
Concubine Yun laughed and said, "Miss, you're just being kind to your own people. How can he compare to Sixth Young Master Cui?"
Lang Xuan said calmly, "The higher you're praised, the harder you often fall."
Concubine Yun was embarrassed and didn't know how to respond.
Lang Xuan knew, however, that Cui Xiaoqiu hadn't won this time.
This was, however, the last time he would ever take the imperial examination.
Until her death in her previous life, Cui Xiaoqiu never participated in the imperial examinations again.
In the end, Cui Xiaoqiu had already entered the imperial court as an official and could no longer participate in the imperial examinations.
As for the Central Plains, Lang Xuan did not know.
In fact, Cui Xiaoqiu performed very well on the first and second days, even though the autumn wind and rain were so cold that it made people shiver.
Unexpectedly, the situation suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse on the third day.
Cui Xiaoqiu has an upset stomach.
He spent most of the entire exam in the outhouse, to the point that the examiners suspected he was cheating.
Cui Xiaoqiu didn't even have the strength to hold a pen anymore and had to be carried out of the examination room.
It's certainly regrettable that the exam wasn't finished, but what's even more worrying is Cui Xiaoqiu's health.
As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn.
The Cui Family invited the imperial physician.
The imperial physician said that Cui Xiaoqiu had eaten unclean food, which caused her stomach upset.
Cui Xiaoqiu, however, did not believe it.
Because he was extremely serious and dedicated to this exam, wanting to prove himself through it, he was very careful about everything he ate, drank, and used.
He had taken several mock exams himself, and he always used the same rations.
--As for Yanran's suggestion of eating hot pot, that's simply impossible.
How did things go wrong this time?
Yanran heard that Cui Xiaoqiu had been carried back from the exam hall after the exam had ended, when she had been waiting outside the exam hall for a long time but Cui Xiaoqiu had not appeared.
Upon hearing that Cui Xiaoqiu was ill, she rushed back to ask Tang Zhuyun to take a look at Cui Xiaoqiu.
Doctors are supposed to treat patients, why would they go out of their way to do that?
However, Tang Zhuyun was indeed worried about Cui Xiaoqiu, and couldn't bear to see Yanran so anxious, so she took Yanran to the Cui Family.
Yanran saw Cui Xiaoqiu lying on the bed, her face pale, she became anxious and squatted on the footstool.
"Are you hurt because of me...?"
That's because you didn't get enough rest!
Cui Xiaoqiu interrupted her, saying, "How could I get hurt because of you? I just ate something bad, what does that have to do with you? The food was all prepared by the manor, don't overthink it."
When I was young and naive, all I wanted was to be with her, so I lied and said my arm was injured. Yanran has always remembered this and felt guilty ever since.
Things are different now.
He understood that he couldn't bear to add even the slightest psychological burden to her.
Even if the sky were to fall, it would be him who held it up for her.
(The main storyline is nearing its end. The ascension of the Prince of Jin is essentially the protagonist's happy ending. What remains are the relationships of the other characters who have appeared. Though seemingly trivial, they are what make the story complete in my heart. I am grateful for everyone's support as we've come this far. If you don't like the remaining couples, we'll meet again in the next book. From beginning to end, it's a peaceful story without intense emotions. The author is laid-back, so there's no need for you to vehemently demand changes to the outline by threatening to abandon the book. I welcome and thank you for coming, but I can't exactly send you off with a grand send-off, can I? Laughing and crying.)