While Song Shi'an was lying in bed reading a novel, there was suddenly a knock at the door, followed by the cheerful voice of the inn's attendant: "Song-daren."
Song Shi'an had just gotten up when Wang Shuishan went to open the door.
He walked over as well.
"What is it?"
Wang Shuishan asked.
"Wang-laoye." The attendant greeted Wang Shuishan with a smile before turning to Song Shi'an who had walked up beside him. "Song-daren, there's a madam downstairs who says she's your mother... This humble one wasn't sure, so I didn't dare bring her up directly."
"That's definitely her."
Song Shi'an replied without hesitation.
Who would go around pretending to be someone's mother for no reason?
People who randomly claim others as their mothers—now those exist.
"Understood, Song-daren. This humble one will go invite her up right away."
With that, the attendant went downstairs.
Wang Shuishan hurriedly straightened his clothes and appearance, quite concerned with image management.
"Don't worry, just relax. My mother is very kind," Song Shi'an consoled him.
"Of course, of course."
Wang Shuishan nodded with a smile.
After a while, a beautiful middle-aged woman dressed in silk came up the stairs.
"My son!"
The moment Jiang-shi saw Song Shi'an, her face lit up with joy as she hurried forward: "Mother has missed you to death!"
Song Shi'an didn't hold back at all either, immediately embracing her.
Such an action would be fine for a child, but here was a young man in his twenties, and in front of his friend no less. Jiang-shi was momentarily surprised, but then completely let go and hugged her tall, handsome son, her eyes brimming with tears: "My son, you've really made me proud—you passed as Jieyuan! You're truly your mother's pride!"
"I'll make you even prouder in the future."
Gently patting Jiang-shi's back and half-embracing her, Song Shi'an introduced her to Wang Shuishan: "Shuishan, this is my mother."
"Shuishan pays his respects to Auntie."
Wang Shuishan clasped his hands in salute, speaking with extreme courtesy.
"Mother, this is Wang Shuishan, my close friend. He also passed the juren examination," Song Shi'an introduced.
Hearing the words "close friend," Wang Shuishan's posture straightened even more.
"What a fine young man." Jiang-shi gently patted his arm, then said to Song Shi'an, "Spend more time with good children like this. Don't associate with that awful boy from the Northern Capital Commandant's family anymore."
"Understood, Mother."
"Then Auntie and Jingxiu can have your reunion. Shuishan still has some matters to attend to, so I won't intrude."
Wang Shuishan took the initiative to excuse himself.
"Stay and eat with us."
Jiang-shi tried to keep him.
"Shuishan will definitely come pay a proper visit next time."
"Alright, alright, you must come."
After the polite refusal, Wang Shuishan left.
Only the mother and son remained in the room.
Song Shi'an helped Jiang-shi sit on the bed while he sat beside her, holding her hand and keeping her company.
"You haven't suffered these past few days, have you? Where have you been staying?" Jiang-shi asked.
"I've been with Shuishan since the exam ended, staying in his room. He's a very good person—he gave me the bed and slept on the floor himself," Song Shi'an said.
"He really is an honest, good child. Which family is he from..." Halfway through asking, Jiang-shi shook her head and said simply, "Never mind who he is—being a good person is enough. Take good care of him in the future. If his family is short of money or anything, have someone send them some."
In ancient times, social circles were extremely strict.
Old money families, for the sake of dignity and prestige, would basically never befriend commoners.
Even for illegitimate sons, families required them to network upward as much as possible.
"I understand," Song Shi'an said.
Looking at Song Shi'an, who was so sensible and had somehow suddenly grown into an adult, Jiang-shi's eyes were full of emotion: "You actually passed in one try, and as Jieyuan no less. My son, could you really be a celestial star descended to the mortal realm? A divine being?"
"I just decided to study seriously for once," Song Shi'an said smugly.
To outsiders, the turning point for him was when he went drinking at a brothel and fell into the water.
Could it be... enlightenment through courtesans?
"I never thought my son, such a playful person, could stand being cooped up in this little inn..."
Jiang-shi glanced around the room with amusement. However, when she saw a novel with a red-marked title beside the pillow, she paused, then quickly turned her gaze back, changing the subject: "Oh right, do you know Minister Sun's youngest daughter?"
Damn, Mom thinks I'm sexually repressed.
Song Shi'an acted as if nothing had happened and said, "Isn't she supposed to be the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan or something?"
"Speaking of beautiful women, you really rattle them off," Jiang-shi teased.
"Not at all, Mother," Song Shi'an denied.
He'd never even seen her face properly. What "most beautiful woman in Jiangnan"?
She didn't have his approval.
"Son, do you know?" Remembering this matter, Jiang-shi became excited. "That Minister Sun had his eldest son—the one who's a high official at the Court of Judicial Review, Sun Heng—personally come to our estate to find your father and invite you to attend the birthday celebration."
"Really?"
Song Shi'an was quite surprised.
That was a Fourth Rank from the Bottom official in the imperial court.
Never mind a Jieyuan—even many jinshi couldn't reach that level in their entire lives.
Moreover, that was the Sun clan of Yangzhou.
One could say, aside from the Qin Prefecture Meritorious Nobility Clique, they were the most elite noble house.
Not something the humble Song family could compare to.
Why would they come to invite me?
It makes no sense. Not a damn bit of sense.
"Why do you have the same reaction as your father?" Jiang-shi said, quite puzzled.
"Ah, what about Father?" Song Shi'an asked curiously.
Jiang-shi said, "Your father said that Minister Sun is narrow-minded about such matters and might be afraid you stole his son's Jieyuan position, so he'll set traps to make things difficult for you."
"What does Mother think?" Song Shi'an asked.
"No matter how narrow-minded he is, he shouldn't stoop to quarreling with a junior like you. Besides, no matter what, he should at least give your father some face, right?"
Jiang-shi smiled, quite optimistically speculating: "Mother thinks it's a good thing. You're the Jieyuan, and he's choosing a husband for his daughter, so naturally he'd pick the best. If you can latch onto the high branch that is Minister Sun, won't your future be smooth sailing?"
"Ah, your son hasn't thought about such things..."
"The most beautiful woman in Jiangnan."
"..." His hand stopped mid-wave. Song Shi'an pursed his lips, then said, "Let's see how it goes, let's see."
"I knew you'd like beautiful women, you brat."
Jiang-shi stood up with a smile, then pulled Song Shi'an along: "Enough talk, let's go home."
However, Song Shi'an slowly raised his head to look at her without speaking.
In an instant, Jiang-shi felt like the sky was falling: "You can't possibly still not want to go home?!"
"Mother."
Song Shi'an stood up and slowly embraced her.
He still wasn't sure what Minister Sun intended to do.
But he had a speculation that wasn't entirely far-fetched.
If he guessed correctly...
Then he really couldn't go home.
………
At the Prince of Jin's estate, in a pavilion by Quanshi Lake, two princes dressed in python robes were fishing, attended by an old eunuch.
The Prince of Zhongping's lips curved into a slight smile as he spoke: "Second Brother, Minister Sun's birthday celebration is inviting the sub-yuan scholars. That Jieyuan who guessed Father Emperor's intentions will also be there. Perhaps... it will be quite interesting."
"What do you mean by interesting?"
The Prince of Jin pulled up his fishing rod—the hook was already bare.
He hung a new earthworm and cast the line back into the water.
"That person stole Minister Sun's son's Jieyuan position. Given that man's temperament, he probably won't have a pleasant expression and might make things difficult for the Jieyuan."
The Prince of Zhongping slowly turned his head to look at the Prince of Jin, reminding him: "And the Jieyuan was personally designated by Father Emperor."
"..."
After a moment of contemplation, the Prince of Jin said, "Then on the day after tomorrow for the birthday celebration, you go."
The Prince of Zhongping turned his head back and pulled up his fishing rod—a large fish broke through the water.
"As you command, Prince of Jin-dianxia."