Chapter Twenty-One: Jia Zhu Passes the Imperial Examination

Qin Mingyue had been keeping to her own courtyard for the past few days, careful not to cross Lady Wang’s path. Now that Wang Xifeng was managing the household, her monthly allowance had not been shorted.

"I fear for poor Zhu..." Lady Xing remarked, watching her own year-and-a-half-old daughter happily playing with Jia Huan in the distance. Thinking of Jia Zhu’s condition, she felt a flicker of sympathy for Lady Wang.

Qin Mingyue knew that Jia Zhu likely had only days left. Lady Wang had sealed off that courtyard like an iron fortress; even Li Wan could barely get a glimpse of him, let alone her. However, Qin Mingyue was no saint. She had offered a kind warning once before, only to be accused of harboring ill intentions. Sometimes, one simply has to learn to respect the destiny of others.

"We should just focus on living our own lives; there is little else we can control," Qin Mingyue thought, content to tend to her own small corner of the world.

"That is true. I only hope my Nianjie grows up well and marries a man of her heart; I have no energy for anything else," Lady Xing said, pulling Qin Mingyue into a long conversation about child-rearing before finally taking her little girl back home, satisfied.

Watching the little chubby child sleeping soundly in her arms, Qin Mingyue felt a sense of relief. She had been trapped in the Jia household for two years; if it weren't for Jia Huan’s mischief and Lady Xing’s visits, she might have been driven to madness.

When bored, she would plant flower seeds that Zhao Guoji had obtained from traveling merchants in the courtyard, accompanied by the two little troublemakers. It was a passable life. Not wanting to dwell on vexing matters, Qin Mingyue let out a breath of relief as she looked at the vibrant flowers blooming in the yard.

The somber atmosphere in the Jia mansion had not yet lifted when the day for the exam results arrived. Though Lady Dowager and Lady Wang said nothing, they had long since sent servants to wait for the news outside.

Lady Wang looked at her son, who had grown increasingly gaunt on his sickbed, her heart twisting with pain.

"My Lady, the young mistress is still waiting outside," Zhou Rui’s wife reminded her cautiously.

"Hmph! If it weren't for her failing to look after Zhu’er, he wouldn't be in this state! If Zhu’er hadn't begged for her, I would have had her sent back to the Li family immediately!" Lady Wang, finding a target for her frustrations, berated Li Wan relentlessly.

Outside the door, Li Wan heard every word, tears streaming down her face. Fearing that Lady Wang might see her and be further displeased, she quickly wiped them away with a handkerchief.

"Why are you still standing there? Come in!" Lady Wang, having finished her venting, did not drive her away—in the end, she feared that if her son woke up, he would be looking for Li Wan.

Perhaps it was due to the bond between the couple, but Jia Zhu woke up not long after Li Wan entered. Li Wan’s tears, which she had finally managed to check, began to flow once more.

"Do not cry. You have been wronged," Jia Zhu said. He knew his body could not last much longer. He understood his mother’s temperament well, but he felt helpless regarding his wife’s current plight.

"I have worried myself sick for so many days, and you, you heartless child, the moment you wake up you only think of your wife. Are you afraid I might eat her?" Seeing Jia Zhu wake up, Lady Wang oscillated between tears and laughter, unable to resist chiding her son.

"Mother, please calm your anger. I am filled with gratitude toward you... but I am an unfilial son, likely forcing you to suffer the grief of a parent burying their child..." Jia Zhu’s eyes reddened, and he began to weep.

"My poor son! I will not let anything happen to you!" Lady Wang wept, clutching her son in a tight embrace.

After the mother and son had finished their bout of crying, they finally composed themselves.

"Enough! Now that you have finally awakened, I shall go tell your father and the Old Lady so they can share in the joy!" Once she calmed down, Lady Wang intentionally left time for the couple to speak.

"I have failed you. When Concubine Zhao kindly warned me to take care of my health, I was young and thought that worrying about my body would distract me from the imperial examinations. My mother always told me she was... so I paid no heed. Now it seems this result is entirely of my own making..." Looking at Li Wan, who had only been in the household for a few years, Jia Zhu felt a deep sense of guilt and regret.

"It is not your fault, my husband! I have never regretted marrying you," Li Wan replied. Since she arrived, she had known how hard her husband worked and had often worried it was too much. Yet, seeing the earnest expectations of her parents-in-law, an invisible pressure had mounted, leaving her afraid to suggest he rest for fear of interrupting his studies.

They did not speak for long before the Lady Dowager and the others arrived.

"My poor Zhu’er has finally woken up. These past few days, your grandmother has been so distressed, hoping only for your recovery. From now on, we shall never listen to your father’s talk of diligent study again. A family such as ours does not need to suffer these hardships!"

"Mother!" Jia Zheng, too, was now filled with regret for pushing his son too hard, though he still believed that passing the exams and becoming an official was better than sitting on the cold bench as he did.

"Enough! Do not be in such a hurry to argue with me. Now that Zhu’er has woken up, if I ever catch you forcing him to study, do not blame me for being heartless!" The Lady Dowager held resentment toward Jia Zheng; how could she not ache seeing her own eldest grandson of the Jia house driven to such a state?

"Yes. It was my fault this time. As long as Zhu’er recovers, I will not push him too hard, but he cannot abandon his studies entirely," Jia Zheng said. He believed his son had survived this crisis and could not bear to see his son’s talent wasted.

The Lady Dowager glared at him, and Jia Zheng immediately fell silent, offering a few words of concern before sitting quietly to the side.

The group sat in the room, hiding their anxiety and making small, casual talk.

"Good news! Good news! Old Lady! Master! The eldest young master has passed the provincial examination!"

These words swept away the fear and anxiety that had plagued everyone for days.

"Quick! Send rewards!" The Lady Dowager suddenly found her strength again.

"Yes!" Lady Wang immediately and joyfully arranged the follow-up matters.

"Zhu’er, you are now a provincial graduate. From now on, set your mind at ease and focus on recuperating," the Lady Dowager instructed.

"Yes, Grandmother, I shall obey your every word," Jia Zhu replied. Unlike his previous pallor, he now looked flushed with excitement.

"Good! Our Ningguo House has produced a provincial graduate. Zhu’er, your contribution is immense!" Jia Zheng finally felt a sense of pride.

The mansion became lively once more, and a banquet was held for three consecutive days. Jia Zhu was even able to leave his bed to greet guests within a few days, leaving the servants of the household marveling in wonder.

The brief joy made everyone forget their previous worries, and they even forgot the sight of Jia Zhu lying critically ill only days before.

"Something is wrong! Young Master Zhu has fainted!"

Another flurry of chaos ensued, shattering the lively scene. Qin Mingyue knew that this time, Jia Zhu would likely never rise again. Watching him greet guests with a flushed face these past days, his steps had been visibly unsteady and weak. The household had been blinded by joy, failing to realize this was merely the final flare of a dying lamp—or perhaps they did know, but were only deceiving themselves, refusing to believe the truth.

The banquet came to an abrupt end, and the sound of wailing filled the Jia mansion. The female relatives were especially distraught, and Lady Wang fainted several times.

"It is you! It is you, you harbinger of misfortune! Zhu’er was perfectly fine all these years, but the moment you married into this house, his health began to fail!" Upon waking, Lady Wang could not accept the reality of her son’s death and pointed at her daughter-in-law, cursing her.

Li Wan, deathly pale, looked like a walking corpse. She offered no defense against Lady Wang’s accusations, only letting tears stream endlessly from her eyes.

"The young mistress has fainted!"