Before the New Year, Mrs. Xie's favoritism towards Xie Yun was not obvious, but during the first month they would go out to pay respects and visit relatives and friends, as well as receive visits from others.

  As a result, many people noticed that Mrs. Xie was supporting Xie Xuan.

  Most people think Mrs. Xie is going to adopt a child for Second Master Xie, only a few people find it unthinkable.

  She thought again about having children, and it's impossible to choose from Xie Dalang either. Wouldn't that be letting Xie Erlang die with his eyes open?

  He was killed by Xie Dalang himself and finally had to adopt a cheap child from Xie Dalang?

  Just thinking about it makes me feel disgusted.

  Because this matter is a bit absurd, and the Xie family has been having joke after joke lately, so everyone is highly concerned, and some information slowly flowed out of Beijing.

  Shi Hui would know because she had friends in Beijing who would gossip with her and share jokes when they communicated.

  But Shi Hui couldn't laugh it off, because the rumor said that the child's mother was Lin Qingyuan. If they were to adopt him, he would have to be adopted under Lin Qingyuan's knee.

  Is this not a case of "sitting at home and having sons sent from heaven"?

  Shi Hui brought this up now, also to remind Lin Qingwan to be careful, otherwise she might unexpectedly end up with an extra son. Even if the Xie family wanted to adopt one, shouldn't Lin Qingwan personally come and choose?

  Lin Qingwan just smiled and said that Mrs. Xie would not adopt a child without asking her opinion, let alone the son of Xie Dalang.

  Rather than worrying about this, she was more worried about Mrs. Xie's condition.

  However, today is to accompany Lin Yuhai to pay New Year's greetings to the master. Lin Qingyuan didn't want to talk about this too much, so she quickly changed the subject and smiled, "Will the Imperial Examination be held this year?"

  Shi Xian also changed the subject, nodding and smiling: "I was just about to tell you, the imperial court had just made up its mind before sealing the edict, but hadn't issued a public notice yet. However, your nephews can start preparing."

  Shi Xian paused for a moment and asked, "How many nephews from your family are taking part in the imperial examination?"

  Lin Qingwan smiled, "But there are only three of them, they can't compare with the two talented families of Shi and Lu."

  However, among these three, Lin You's hope is also somewhat elusive.

  Still too tender, fame is not yet apparent.

  Shi Xianchong winked at her and said, "There are still eight months left, they will have to go to the capital two months in advance to build momentum, so this congratulatory poem can be prepared now."

  Lin Qingwan thought of that stupid imperial examination custom and couldn't help but get a headache, Lin You was worst at poetry composition.

  Having received the exact news, Lin Qingyuan returned to the Lin family and gathered several children who were going to participate in the imperial examination, telling them the news. She said: "From today on, you will each write a poem every ten days, and by June, there will be at least eighteen poems accumulated. At that time, we can select a few good ones to submit."

  Lin You exchanged a glance with each other and nodded in unison.

  "I'll tell the clan leader that our library will be open to you, and you can read whatever books you want. Just don't lock yourself up and try to create something from scratch all the time. Go out occasionally, listen to what other scholars have gained, and explore together, maybe you'll gain something." Lin Qingyan sighed: "Although I can introduce you to a few big shots, once you're in the capital, it's still up to your own abilities."

  Lin You and the other two responded in unison, and they worked even harder to study. During the New Year's festival, they were busy visiting relatives and friends. Although they ate a lot of meat every day, they didn't gain any weight.

  Lin Qingwan expressed her satisfaction and pointed out to them: "People who look good always have an innate advantage, so you must keep this beauty."

  Moreover, the court of the Great Liang inherited the strict requirements for officials' appearance from the Tang Dynasty.

  Lin You's two cousins turned their heads to look at him.

  Lin Youyi looked embarrassed and lowered his head to stare at his toes.

  Lin Qingwan comforted her two nephews, "Although you may not look as good as Lin You, you can still try your best. After all, clothes make the man. I'll ask our family's seamstress to make a few sets of clothes for you."

  The two brothers were choked with anger and stared at Lin You.

  Lin You continued to lower his head silently.

  This year's New Year passed especially quickly. On the fifth day, Lin Qingyan took Lin Yubin back to Bieliang and began preparing for the literary gathering on the eighth day by letting Lin Yubin go out.

  Lin Youze led his cousins to prepare for the other side, this time the literary meeting mainly invited literati and elegant scholars, so their task was even heavier, but Auntie was biased, sending someone to help Yuhintang's younger sister, while ignoring their pleas for help.

  The Wen family also invited several scholars who lived in seclusion in Jiangnan, so the literati from surrounding towns also rushed to hear the news.

  This is considered one of the most grand events in the Lin family in recent years, even the Zhou and Zhao families from Jiangdu sent their young masters to attend, they didn't even spend the whole first month at home.

  Zhao Sheng did not want to see the Lin family so prosperous, so he sent a cousin with several nephews to come over, and stayed in Jiangdu himself, no longer running to Suzhou as often as before.

  Lin Qingwan was also happy to see him gone and let the children have their way.

  She just didn't expect Zhao Sheng wouldn't come, but Shang Ping did.

  She was chatting and drinking tea with Shi Hui and others in a pavilion in the Wen Garden, watching a group of little girls dressed up and chattering in the plum blossom forest, looking so beautiful. A 12-year-old girl wearing the uniform of the Wen Garden servant quietly walked to Lin Qingyuan's side and whispered: "Young lady, Yu Shao let me tell you that the second uncle of the Shang family has arrived."

  Lin Qingwan was stunned for a while before she remembered who Shang family's second uncle was.

  She smiled and put down her teacup, nodding slightly: "I understand, guests are to be treated with courtesy, and Second Uncle is also a refined person. Since he has come to attend the literary gathering, let Yu Shao treat him well."

  The little girl bowed and backed away, and as soon as she was out of their line of sight, she skipped and jumped northward.

  That side is where the male guests gather, the garden is very large, with trees stacked up, and twenty steps away it's already unclear, but Lin You still had people set up a not short fence in the middle of the garden, and nearby there were also many servants patrolling.

  Female guests can come over through the fence gate, but male guests are not allowed to pass.

  But the garden is so big, although a piece has been separated, it's still enough for everyone to play.

  Xiao Yatou was the daughter of the Zhuang family. Her father had lost an eye in battle, but his ears and hands were still sharp, so he was transferred here to guard the courtyard, and she followed him to serve as well.

  She liked this job very much, relaxed and with a salary, so she was particularly careful about the masters' affairs. When Lin Youyi instructed her, she walked slowly in front of people, but as soon as she left their sight, she ran quickly.

  So she passed on the message very quickly and naturally soon told Lin Yu about what Lin Qingyan had said.

  Shang Ping came uninvited and was also a senior, Lin You couldn't figure out how to treat him for the time being.

  After all, he is Yu Bin Tang's uncle, and being too lenient would be inappropriate. Being too severe... considering the current relationship between his sister and the Shang family...

  Lin Youzheng smiled and greeted Shang Ping, but this kind of small talk couldn't go on forever, after all, people had to sit down eventually.

  He was hesitating about how to arrange this position, and the little girl quietly appeared behind Shang Ping, slightly bending her knees towards him and winking at him.

  Lin You immediately turned his head and smiled at Lin Wu: "Wu brother, you entertain Shi Shu first, I'll go arrange the banquet."

  Lin Fei immediately stood up, pulling Shang Ping to continue chatting. There were many people who came today, and more important figures, including the old masters of various families, famous scholars who lived in seclusion in the deep mountains, and officials from the imperial court. The seats had been arranged beforehand.

  However they came, how can they insert themselves into this position?

  It's really his position is neither high nor low, a bit awkward.

  Like Zhou Cishi, he is a fourth-grade official, so is he sitting below or above Zhou Cishi?

  Zhou Zhi Shi was the parent official of Suzhou, and Shang Ping was also a relative of the Lin family.

  Put in Jiangnan various big families this side?

  At that time, in order to be polite, it just happened that the number of people from each family was exactly five. So Lin's family arranged them separately in the Five Corners Pavilion, with one position for each of the six families: Lin, Zhou, Zhao, Xie, Lu, and Shangping had to squeeze out one family.

  The Lu family could have been arranged on the side of famous scholars and Confucian scholars, but because they asked the Shang family before, the Shang family said that there were no elders coming to attend, so they arranged the Lu family to go in.

  Can't we just bring out the people from Lu's family now?

  Then will the Lin family still have dealings with the Lu family from now on?

  So the Lin family's children hated this kind of person who was invited but didn't come, yet came uninvited.

  Xiao Yatou conveyed Lin Qingyuan's words, and Lin You immediately had a plan in mind. He turned around and let the steward add a position to the row of famous scholars, which happened to be diagonally opposite Lu Su.

  The location of the Wujiaoting has not changed.

  Lu Su's elder brother Lu Da was still sitting inside, but the representatives of the five families were stunned when they saw Shang Ping and came down to greet him one after another.

  Shang Ping took a glance at the Wujiao Pavilion, and only then did he realize that his sudden arrival seemed to have caused trouble for others. Although he was unhappy with the position arranged by the Lin family in his heart, he still had a smiling face.

  Lin You smiled and led Shang Ping to the position, with a face full of admiration: "I've long heard that Master Shi's writing is elegant and refined, especially his strategic theories are the most brilliant. I hope Master Shi will give me more guidance later."

  Shang Ping only then realized that everyone sitting on this side were all judges of the literary conference. Shang Ping had always been confident in his own talent, and upon hearing this, he felt a lot more at ease. He nodded his head and sat down, saying: "It's been years since I last returned to Jiangnan, I didn't expect that so many talented individuals would emerge, nowadays I don't even recognize several of the outstanding young men."

  "This is indeed a fate, today's literary friends who came, in addition to Suzhou scholars, there are also many outsiders."

  Shang Ping smiled and said: "You guys are getting more and more impressive. Such a grand gathering, even your second uncle would have found it hard to hold a few when he was alive."

  Lin Youqian humbly said, "It's just that our elders at home supported us, how could we children have such abilities?"

  Shang Ping nodded slightly, this literary garden is Lin Qingyuan's, if it weren't for Lin Qingyuan's support, how could they possibly hold such a grand literary gathering?

  It seems that the rumor is not true. It was said that Lin Qingwan had a bad relationship with her clan and would rather live in another house than return to her clan?

  Shang Ping's eyes scanned the garden, where many scholars and students were chatting with acquaintances. The weather was particularly good today, with mats laid out on both sides of the stream. Scholars sat cross-legged on the mats, each one with a low table in front of them, bearing tea, fruit, and snacks.

  And these elderly people sat in two rows, just sitting under the plum tree, with a stove placed beside each seat, heating tea.

  Petals from the tree occasionally fall off. Some people see them and simply pick them up, casually tossing them into a teacup to brew.