Yang Chuxia looked up at him, seeing the concern, reluctance, and heartache on his face, and couldn’t help but feel even more distressed.
Brother An had been away from ho before, having traveled extensively and often being away from ho, even going to the prefecture city for a month this ti, but no departure had ever made her feel so lancholy.
As her gaze fell on Ye Zi’an’s delicate, jade-like face, full of nobility, she suddenly realized sothing. Such a man, like a pearl, would inevitably shine brightly one day, and at that ti, no one would be able to cover up his brilliance, and countless people would flock to him.
The Capital City was also full of beauties, beautiful won with incredible talents, charm, gentleness, and good family backgrounds. She wasn’t afraid that Ye Zi’an would change his heart, but she was afraid that soone would actively approach him, and that person would be irresistible. For example, the princesses and commandery princesses in the plays often chose their husbands.
That was the sorrow of a society based on imperial power.
"Xiaxia, what’s wrong?" Seemingly sensing her sorrow, Ye Zi’an was sowhat alard.
"I was just thinking about whether I could dot so moles on your face to make you less striking. That way, even if you beco an Advanced Scholar, not many people will notice you. The plays all say that country boys who beco scholars will be noticed by those young ladies from big families." Yang Chuxia joked casually.
However, Ye Zi’an seriously considered the feasibility of this idea, saying, "You’re not wrong. Whenever soone ranks high in the Cultivated Talent or Recomnded Man examinations, people start paying attention, and then soone will actively approach them to arrange a marriage. I heard that it is even more so for the Advanced Scholar exam. Noble families may not necessarily participate, but the families of high-ranking officials, especially those of the second or third rank, love to find husbands for their daughters in such places."
"Oh, why isn’t the first rank ntioned?" Yang Chuxia asked, puzzled.
Ye Zi’an explained, "The first rank officials are focused on the palace and the noble families, or else those old aristocratic families. As for those with even lower ranks, the Advanced Scholars might look down on them."
"How so? They are still officials, even if they have a lower rank," Yang Chuxia remarked.
Ye Zi’an continued, "In the Capital City, officials of the fifth or sixth rank or even the fourth or fifth rank can be found everywhere, making it very difficult for them to rise higher. But Advanced Scholars are different, as they have even more opportunities for advancent. At this point, who wouldn’t want a more powerful father-in-law for themselves?"
Then Ye Zi’an touched his face and added, "I think that if I participate in the exam like this, I might beco one of those people’s targets. They don’t care if you have a wife already, and they might even try to demote my wife to a concubine, or persuade to divorce her and remarry. Those families are very arrogant and conceited, thinking that they are important officials in the capital, and they don’t put people like us, from peasant families, in their eyes. They think they are doing you a favor by letting you follow their orders."
Yang Chuxia was stunned by his words.
"Then what should we do?"
Ye Zi’an grinned, "Didn’t my wife think of a solution?"
"What solution do I have?" She didn’t say anything.
Ye Zi’an laughed, "Dotting moles on my face, right?"
With that, Ye Zi’an went to the study and brought back several brushes and found an eyebrow pencil and so loose powder from Yang Chuxia’s vanity. He then started ssing around with them in front of the mirror.
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