Nian Jiaojiao signaled with her eyes:
Chuan'er, do you remember what I just said?
Yu Chuan was helpless:
Wife, do we really have to do this?
Nian Jiaojiao pursed her lips, her gaze sharp.
Yu Chuan reluctantly nodded:
I remember...
Adjusting her composure, Nian Jiaojiao led Yu Chuan through the door.
The four men in the main hall were either flipping through cultivation manuals or examining implements, their minds not on the two who had just entered.
Therefore, without raising their heads, they naturally noticed nothing unusual.
"Ahem..."
Nian Jiaojiao cleared her throat twice.
Tong Ziyao was the first to look up. Seeing Yu Chuan beside Nian Jiaojiao, he was stunned at first, then his gaze fell upon their clasped hands, and he frowned slightly:
"Wife, who is this young master?"
Upon hearing Tong Ziyao's words, the other three also stopped their actions and looked towards Nian Jiaojiao and Yu Chuan.
Seeing that her plan had worked, Nian Jiaojiao suppressed a smile and said:
"Actually, besides bringing back these treasures from the dispersed states, my greatest gain this time is this handsome young man beside me."
This wasn't entirely a lie; hadn't she obtained the pill and gained the beautiful Yu Chuan?
Xing Yun's mouth fell open.
Xuan Yi looked at Nian Jiaojiao expressionlessly.
Tong Ziyao's brows furrowed deeper.
Nan Qing looked at Yu Chuan thoughtfully.
Nian Jiaojiao continued:
"Yu'er is the son of a county magistrate in a small border town of the dispersed states. He was captured by a tentacle demon while passing through Shazhou, and I rescued him in time. We fell in love at first sight. What do you all think?"
After a pause, Xing Yun pouted:
"Wife, you're so wicked, bringing back another brother... no, a sixth one."
Regardless of what the others were thinking, they all shot Xing Yun a look. Feeling the anger from his brothers, Xing Yun quickly covered his mouth.
Nian Jiaojiao then sat down with Yu Chuan and said:
"You were all picking out items, and it just so happens that Little Yu Yu can pick some too."
At this moment, Nan Qing suddenly asked:
"Where is Yu Chuan?"
Nian Jiaojiao blinked, "What?"
"You were talking to Yu Chuan alone just now, why isn't he back with you?"
Nian Jiaojiao put a hand to her forehead. As expected of Nan Qing; she hadn't expected to be exposed so quickly.
Since she had enjoyed everyone's amusing reactions, she decided not to tease them any longer.
Thus, she explained the entire sequence of events regarding Yu Chuan's transformation.
Finally, Xing Yun widened his gem-like cat eyes and asked Yu Chuan:
"Are you really Brother Yu Chuan?"
Yu Chuan smiled and nodded.
Upon hearing the affirmative answer, Xing Yun immediately clung to Nian Jiaojiao, "Wife, I want some too~"
Nian Jiaojiao's expression turned dark.
"You want what?"
Wouldn't this be inappropriate in broad daylight...
Xing Yun innocently replied:
"I also want to eat the pills that Brother Yu Chuan ate."
Nian Jiaojiao was somewhat speechless.
"That's medicine, you can't eat it randomly. Yu Chuan took it to detoxify him."
Xing Yun was a little displeased:
"Then maybe I was poisoned before too?"
Knowing Xing Yun's little scheme, Nian Jiaojiao pinched his little face and said with a smile:
"You're already very good-looking. If you become even more handsome, it wouldn't be fair."
Xing Yun successfully received Nian Jiaojiao's first sentence and was overjoyed.
*Wife praised me for being good-looking...*
After the amusing scene, everyone gathered around the pile of implements and secret manuals for distribution.
Since everyone had different cultivation paths, the items were quickly allocated.
...
Half a month later.
Nian Jiaojiao walked through the grand entrance of the examination institute.
Today was the day she would participate in the Jinshi examination.
Nian Jiaojiao was already very familiar with the examination process.
Soon, Nian Jiaojiao found her assigned examination seat.
After receiving the examination paper, she briefly reviewed the questions before beginning to write.
The entire examination hall was filled with the scent of ink. If one listened carefully, they could hear the sound of papers being rustled by the wind.
Occasionally, small birds would fly past the window. As if in tacit understanding, they chirped not, but quietly observed the examinees within the hall.
Since last year, the examination had undergone a reform, and this year was the second reform.
The biggest difference in the Jinshi examination compared to the past was the shortened duration.
Many categories that were deemed not very practical in the future had been abolished. Therefore, even the Jinshi examination was limited to being completed within a single day.
Time ticked by, and the sun, which had been hanging high in the sky, had set by more than half. Nian Jiaojiao had reached the final question.
As she worked through the questions, Nian Jiaojiao had already grasped the thoughts of the ruling powers of Dayue.
Not only had the number of questions been reduced, but the difficulty of the examination had also been lowered.
Dayue intended to allow more people to enter the threshold of Jinshi...
However, the final question accounted for a quarter of the total score, making it the decisive factor for ranking.
To Nian Jiaojiao's surprise, the final essay question was about poetry.
But upon seeing the prompt, she felt it was only natural.
This was because the theme of the poem was expelling demons.
This truly aligned with the current political climate...
Nian Jiaojiao closed her eyes, pondered for a moment, and then picked up her brush to write:
I wish to expel demons and clear the celestial,
Soaring through clouds, searching mountain peaks.
When the elixir matures and spring returns,
Miasma vanishes, and all things thrive.
As Nian Jiaojiao put down her brush, the surrounding examinees were still scratching their heads and pondering, likely finding the last major question challenging.
After all, who could have predicted that this year's exam would feature poetry on the theme of demon expulsion?
Furthermore, poetry on this theme had rarely been created in Dayue before, catching all the examinees off guard.
...
This time, Nian Jiaojiao did not submit her paper early. It was only a matter of waiting an extra half hour, so there was no need.
Therefore, she walked out of the examination institute with the crowd.
"Wife, you've worked hard. The food at home is warm."
"Patriarch, please."
"Patriarch, our carriage can't drive in, please come this way..."
Unlike the scenes she had witnessed before examinations, those emerging from the examination hall were now successful candidates. They all possessed some industry, and their family backgrounds and statuses were quite good.
Nian Jiaojiao had asked them not to pick her up, so she didn't look for her husbands in the crowd.
Not long after she left the examination institute, she was stopped by a clear male voice.
"Jiaojiao Yuan Sheng, you were hard to find."
The one who called her this way, even without turning her head, she knew who it was.
Nian Jiaojiao turned to look at the approaching person with an expressionless face.
Indeed, Qin Binbin was looking at her with joy.
However, this time he was not wearing women's clothing but had changed into men's attire.
What was he planning?
Had he decided to reveal himself?
Was he not going to study at the Gongyuan anymore?
Unlike Nian Jiaojiao's calm demeanor, the successful candidates who had just finished the exam and were emerging from the hall cast envious and jealous glances at Nian Jiaojiao.
*What a fortunate woman!*
Qin Binbin shyly walked up to Nian Jiaojiao and said softly:
"Jiaojiao Yuan Sheng, it's my first time meeting you. I am Qin Binbin, the twin brother of Qin Bingbing Yuan Sheng."
Nian Jiaojiao: ...
Are you playing a nesting doll game here?