Chapter 6 - Missing Her
"Miss?"
Bai Ge saw her bright smile, joyful smile, but rarely saw her smiling lightly and silently with tears flowing in her heart.
Seeing Cui Ti like this, she suddenly remembered something. In the past, the Miss did not celebrate her birthday. Later she opened up and started to celebrate her birthday after Bai Ge's persuasion.
In those years when she was unwilling to open up, every time it was her birthday, the Miss would be exceptionally quiet. When you talked to her, she would have a faint smile on her lips.
It was exactly the same as now.
She automatically ignored the "again" in Cui Ti's words, thinking that the Miss was very sad and talking nonsense.
San Jie beat her Miss, but Madam couldn't be bothered to ask, let alone justice? Who from their family could speak up for the Miss?
Previously, she had looked forward to the Miss getting married soon and leaving the cold-hearted Earl of Xining's residence. But would it definitely be good after she got married?
Bai Ge frowned with worry.
She felt deeply helpless and disappointed about the fate of the Miss and her own fate.
Cui Ti was in a daze again, staring out the window.
This time, Bai Ge didn't ask anything or say anything. She turned around to find something to do.
She couldn't stay idle. She was afraid that if she was too free, she would overthink and affect the Miss's mood.
The Countess of Xining was an extremely proactive woman. After obtaining the portrait, she first spread the news that she was looking for a husband's family for her daughter. Considering the high praise from the Prime Minister's wife, several families came to inquire about the Miss.
The second son of the Zhao family, 16 years old, deaf in both ears, his father was a fifth rank official.
A bastard son of the Qian family, 19 years old, lame in one leg, had a concubine before.
The youngest son of the Sun family, 15 years old, blind in one eye. His father was an advisory official of the fourth rank. The eldest brother was a jinshi. They were a family of officials. The young son was fond of women.
The madams of each family came to visit one after another. They were quite amazed after seeing the portrait.
Blindness was no big deal. Their sons were not perfect either. The key was good character, proper conduct, and loyalty to his wife.
They liked Cui Ti's appearance - gentle, refined, not flirtatious or timid.
A blind girl could have such outstanding temperament. They praised the Countess for teaching her daughter well, which made the Countess' face burn.
After sending off Madam Sun, looking at the name cards from several families, she was perplexed.
Among the three madams, Madam Sun was most satisfied with Cui Ti, because Cui Ti was beautiful and fully met the fussy aesthetic standards of the young son.
The Countess picked up the Sun family's name card in her right hand, and the Zhao family's name card in her left, weighing them carefully, hesitating.
The young Lord Sun's father and brothers were all officials in the court. But she found out that this young lord liked to toy with women and his character was not very proper.
In comparison, the second son of the Zhao family was a bit better. The only downside was that he did not look very good. Not to mention matching with Cui Ti, even matching with Bai Ge who served Cui Ti would be inadequate.
Madam Zhao was not as enthusiastic to her as Madam Sun.
Cui Ti was the eldest daughter. It was the custom in Xijing that the eldest daughter should marry well.
If the older one married well, then the younger ones would have a chance to marry into prestigious families. Otherwise, if the older sister married worse than the younger sister, outsiders would poke fun at the mother.
The Countess had made a decision in private. But as soon as she decided, looking at Cui Ti's portrait, she sank into contemplation.
This daughter, at first she loved her too. She was very happy when she knew she was pregnant, looking forward to the baby's birth whether it was a boy or a girl.
But this child was incompatible with her from birth, making her suffer for months. On the day she gave birth, she nearly lost her life. It was a difficult labor, with heavy bleeding. She desperately brought her into this world, but she was born with a defect.
Her daughter was blind.
Mother-in-law complained about her, husband resented her, younger sisters mocked her, saying the child was a disaster.
After hearing too many hurtful words, it was difficult for her to be a mother with kindness.
To be honest with herself, she hated her.
After giving birth to Cui Ti, not only did she fail to rise in status as a mother, but she was also weakened and caused her second child to be born frail.
Over the past decades, she would unconsciously think of her second daughter who died young. She couldn't love this eldest daughter who she had feuded with since the womb.
Thus all her love was given to Cui Dai, her little daughter.
"Let it be."
She put down the name card from the Zhao family and made a decision in an instant.
"Success! Success!"
A servant from the Pei family ran into the yard: "Madam! The young lord has topped the palace exam! His Majesty appointed him as the zhuangyuan (top scorer)!"
Lady Pei had been worried. Hearing this news, her hanging heart settled back down: "Good, good, quickly take out the cakes and distribute them."
The officials who delivered the joyous news earlier were rewarded, all smiles.
The newly appointed zhuangyuan Pei Xuan indeed topped the exam with true talent and knowledge. But the palace exam was not easy for her.
After reviewing the exam papers, the Emperor asked questions in public for them to answer. On a whim, he wanted to see Pei Xuan's left-handed writing. After reading it, he stared at her for a very long time.
It was so long that Pei Xuan couldn't help suspecting something was wrong, either with her handwriting or the matter of her disguising as a man to take the exam had been leaked?
She looked straight ahead, restraining herself from looking at her father the Prime Minister who sat at the top of hundreds of officials.
Fortunately, the zhuangyuan title still fell on her in the end.
It was thrilling but she went through it safely.
"Zhuangyuan's aura is outstanding. I'm overshadowed by you with my lower ranking. Walking next to you, with such a precious jewel in front, how will those young ladies in Xijing still look at me, this flower?"
He pretended to complain that Pei Xuan had stolen his limelight.
The top three of this year's exam wore red robes and red flowers, parading the streets to celebrate. Pei Xuan rode a horse gracefully, an official walked beside leading her horse. Countless fresh flowers were thrown from upstairs and alongside the road, falling into her arms full of floral fragrance.
Facing the teasing from her colleagues, she smiled lightly: "I can't help it. I was born like this, it's given by Heaven. How can I give it back?"
"Can't give back, can't give back, ow!"
Song Zizhen was hit in the face by a flower flying over.
Looking again at the zhuangyuan's and bangyan's side, busy left and right to dodge the onslaught of this beauty's favor.
He laughed loudly: "Splendid! Truly splendid!"
The top three scholars this year were all strikingly young and beautiful. Amongst this group of beauties, Pei Xuan stood out dazzlingly. Consequently, she received the most flowers, so much so that the hats of the officials beside her, who were leading her horse, were knocked askew by the shower of blooms.
Someone accidentally hit that handsome face with a flower. No one could fathom how the top scholar could look so delicate. The soft skin on her face turned red upon the gentle impact, causing many ladies, both young and old, to frown in sympathy, clutching their hearts.
Sitting on her horse, Pei Xuan felt the sweet inconvenience. With a swift motion, she caught a flower that was about to brush past her eye, lamenting that the people of Xi Jing were too enthusiastic.
It wasn't just the citizens being overly fervent. In many years, Da Zhao had not seen such a young top scholar. Not only the top scholar, but the second and third place winners were also just in their early twenties.
In their prime youth, seeing all the flowers of Xijing in a day.
The most glorious Pei family eldest young lord, when her name was put up on the stele, was thinking of the young lady living in the shabby tiled house. While her colleagues wrote proudly with ambition, her brush wrote with deep compassion.
Wondering how she was doing.
"The one who succeeded is the young lord of the Pei family, the eldest son of the Prime Minister."
"So amazing. The Pei family eldest son, isn't he less than 18 years old? I heard all the jinshi of this round are quite good-looking..."
"Good-looking is an understatement. If not for being the Prime Minister's son, there must be many trying to make the zhuangyuan their son-in-law!"
"Have you seen him?"
The young maidservants giggled with heads together.
Unable to wait and hear more, Bai Ge ran to the small yard.
"Miss! Miss!"
She rushed in like a whirlwind, and saw Cui Ti fallen at the door. She was so shocked that she forgot what she was going to say: "Miss, please get up quickly!"
With her help, Cui Ti got up, embarrassed as she tidied the loose hair by her ears: "I was distracted and tripped over the doorsill."
Bai Ge saw her praying every day. At first she thought the Miss was praying for her marriage. Later she happened to overhear her murmurs, and realized she was praying for that silly goose!
After dusting off the dirt on her clothes, she happily exclaimed: "Master Pei has succeeded! He's the zhuangyuan!"
"Zhuangyuan?" Cui Ti held her sleeve excitedly: "The zhuangyuan? Not the tanhua (third place)?"
"Not tanhua, but zhuangyuan! Not yet 18 years old!"
It was indeed rousing to speak of this matter. Especially since the top scorer was someone she had met before, not just met, but also saw him foolishly falling off a wall.
She had even held a ladder for the zhuangyuan!
Speaking of which, her Miss was Master Pei's benefactor. Without that "lending a mat" kindness, who knows if he would have stumbled from the zhuangyuan title.
"That's wonderful."
Cui Ti sincerely thanked Heaven.
"Miss," Bai Ge gently asked her: "Miss, do you have feelings for Master Pei?"
Otherwise why would she pray for him day and night, hoping he would top the exam?
The only son of the Prime Minister, and now the zhuangyuan, neither were what her Miss could aspire to.
She felt sad in advance for her mistress' 'misplaced affection'. Afraid her words would hurt Cui Ti, she forced out a smile: "Perhaps Master Pei is also missing you!"
"Would he remember me?" Cui Ti was uncertain.
After finishing the daily routine, Pei Xuan dragged her tired yet thrilled body back home, welcomed by her parents' smiling faces and high praises.
In the study, Pei Xiang went straight to the point: "Do you know why His Majesty was silent in the palace?"
Pei Xuan pondered and answered: "His Majesty's original intention was not to appoint a child as the top scorer."
"Correct. Your outstanding talent was too eye-catching. He wanted to suppress your edge a bit, blunt your sharpness. You should know, a path that is too smooth in public service can also lead to self-destruction. Entering officialdom too early is not always a good thing."
"As father said, why did His Majesty still appoint me as zhuangyuan?"
Pei Xiang looked at her with raised brows, his eyes full of pride: "Of course because my child is too brilliant. His Majesty could find no fault in you. How can the bangyan and tanhua be qualified to be placed above you? If His Majesty did not make you the top scorer, it would be unfair and indefensible by reason or ethics."
"His Majesty is old and wants to groom a loyal and reliable team for the Crown Prince. He picked you first."
"My child, from now on you can only walk the path of a pure official."
"Child remembers."
With such great success, those unstable might raise their tails to the sky. But she was the opposite, the higher she stood, the more composed and steady she appeared.
Perhaps this was the difference between a daughter and a son.
Pei Xiang did not regret his decision back then, and Pei Xuan did not regret it either.
"Alright, go accompany your mother. She's overjoyed today."
Pei Xuan smiled lightly.
"Still missing her?"
Pei Fu only had this one child. Her only child was truly remarkable, becoming zhuangyuan and embarking on officialdom. Her moral character, ambition and vision were what made Lady Pei extremely proud in this lifetime.
"Mother met that young lady. She's decent with good personality and looks. You two would definitely get along as friends."
Pei Xuan smiled and nodded: "She's different from others. She's better than other young ladies."
"Yes, yes, yes. Except for my Xuan'er, she's the best. But unfortunately she's not fated well. The Earl and Countess of Xining are not particular people. What parents would make the eldest daughter live in a tiled house and the youngest in a beautiful residence? I heard the Countess is recently looking for husband's families for her two daughters..."
"Looking for husbands? Which families?!"
"Why are you agitated?"
"I - "
She timely held her tongue and got up: "I'm going to find her!"