When Ah Man heard Murong Kai's words, she was in a trance.
It took her a long time to realize that what Murong Kai said was true, and her father wanted to arrange a marriage for them.
Ah Man's first reaction was happiness, because her relationship with Murong Kai finally received the blessings of their elders. But while she was happy, she also felt a little disappointed. She was afraid that her father would be anxious to marry her off so that Xuan'er would have no one to rely on, even though she was not much of a support.
Feeling Ah Man's body stiffen instantly, Murong Kai patted her shoulder gently and said softly: "Don't worry, the condition for him to grant us marriage is that I must participate in Bei'an's imperial examination this year and must get the top score. He granted us marriage to pave the way for Xuan'er."
These few words completely shattered Ah Man's worries, but before she could even smile, she remembered what Murong Kai had just said.
"You just said that only if you pass the imperial examination and become the top scholar, will the emperor grant us marriage?"
"Yes, he said he would grant me a mansion and a marriage when I pass the imperial examination and become the top scholar."
"But it should be difficult to take the top exam, right?"
"If I want to take the test, it shouldn't be difficult."
"What if I fail the exam?"
"Are you so afraid that you won't be able to get married?"
"No, I'm just worried about you, I..."
"Don't worry. Although I haven't done much in the Great Zhou these years, I have never stopped studying. Besides, my studies were taught by people sent by the Grand Empress Dowager. I have no problem coping with ordinary exams."
Compared to Ah Man's worries, Murong Kai was full of confidence. He loved reading, but never studied blindly. He also did the annual examination papers of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Every time he finished, his teacher would praise him as a top scholar after marking the papers.
"It's not good to be too proud. What if..."
"Don't worry, even if you don't pass the imperial examination, I can still find a way to get your father to grant you a marriage."
Murong Kai said this with confidence. He already knew Su Jing's greatest weakness, so naturally he had various means to make him marry Ah Man to him.
"If you want to pass the imperial examination and become the top scholar, do you have to leave here?" Ah Man held Murong Kai's hand and slowly walked into the palace. Since her mother passed away, what she feared most was separation, and she was even more accustomed to Murong Kai's usual care.
"Well, by then the top scholar from Bei'an will leave, but Xiao Yuanzi will still help the princess to sleep every night."
Bei'an Emperor Su Jing allowed him to enter the court, on the one hand so that he could legitimately grasp the power in the court, and on the other hand to keep him away from A'man.
But he forgot that with the identity of Xiao Yuanzi, he could enter the palace at any time.
However, Murong Kai did not expect that the identity of Xiao Yuanzi, which would provide him with countless conveniences in the future, would not be retained for long, because after he and A'man hugged each other at the palace gate that day, rumors spread that Princess Jiaoyang was having an affair with the young eunuch in the palace.
Along with the rumor, there was also news that Princess Jinxiu noticed that the relationship between the two was unusual and was accused by them. In this news, Princess Jinxiu became a loving elder sister who cared for her younger sister, while Ah Man was a spoiled, rude and willful girl who did whatever she wanted. Even Xiao Yuanzi looked arrogant and did not take Princess Jinxiu seriously at all.
The rumor spread quickly, and some people would ask Princess Jinxiu whether the story was true or not. Every time, Princess Jinxiu would burst into tears before she spoke, looking like a good sister with a helpless expression.
When the rumor first started, Ah Man didn't care about it. After all, there are rumors every day, and if you ignore it, no one will pay attention. But she didn't expect Su Jinxiu to stir up trouble during this period, causing the rumor to have new twists every day.
The rumor finally reached Su Jing's ears. He immediately called Murong Kai to his presence and asked him what he had done to ruin Ah Man's reputation. Murong Kai, obviously, came prepared. He threw out a bunch of names and asked Su Jing to find out the ins and outs of the matter before blaming him.
(End of this chapter)