August 3rd.

Early morning.

The rising sun, its golden warm rays spilling over the uneven pavilions and towers, draping the expansive Prince Wei’s Mansion in a golden cloak.

In the rear courtyard suite.

On a face as delicate and smooth as pear blossom, those watery apricot eyes seemed to reflect the handsome youthful face of a sleeping man.

Han Anniang had woken up early, her mature and full figure lying on Chen Mo, one lotus-like arm supporting her upper body, while the other gently teased his hair. Instead of getting up immediately, she thoroughly enjoyed this tender moment, gazing lovingly at the young man.

Just then, a soft "mhmm" came from beside her. Wu Mi, who had served Chen Mo with Han Anniang the night before, let out a gentle hum, feeling the temperature rise inside the drapes. Her delicate brows slightly knit together, her curved lashes fluttered, and she awoke.

Wu Mi lay on the inside, and with a slight turn of her head, she saw Han Anniang being intimate with their husband.

The two women weren’t new to serving Chen Mo together, so Wu Mi naturally greeted Han Anniang, "An Niang, you’re awake... your face..."

As she spoke, Wu Mi suddenly exclaimed, pointing at Han Anniang.

Han Anniang was startled, quickly raising a hand to touch her face, and asked in surprise, "What’s wrong?"

"An Niang, I feel like you’ve become much younger..." As she spoke, Wu Mi reached out to pinch Han Anniang’s cheek, marveling at its jelly-like softness, "So tender, just like a newly adult girl."

With Wu Mi pinching her cheek, Han Anniang’s plump face flushed like snow, and upon hearing this, a spark of light flashed in her eyes. Saying nothing, she pulled back the curtains, got out of bed without clothes, and walked to the dressing table to take a closer look.

With the weight on him lifted, Chen Mo also opened his eyes, sitting up from Wu Mi’s soft lotus arm, instinctively looking at the owner of that arm, his face refreshed: "Mi’Er."

"Husband." Wu Mi got up and hugged Chen Mo.

Chen Mo lowered his head, kissed Wu Mi’s smooth and fair forehead, then glanced around. Not seeing An Niang, he couldn’t help but look outside the bed.

There, in front of the dressing table, stood a white jade-like elegant body, bending forward, almost leaning over the dressing table, her ample hip raised high, the fullness like twin full moons on the table, watching something in the copper mirror.

The sunlight streamed through the window, falling on this white jade-like body as if a golden halo had covered it. From this angle on the bed, Chen Mo could see lush greenery.

This stirred Chen Mo’s heart, though they were an old couple, and they hadn’t done much last night. Yet, just as they woke up, he couldn’t help having wicked thoughts.

The saying goes, action is better than thought, so Chen Mo got out of bed and walked towards Han Anniang.

Wu Mi, as if knowing what was about to happen, slightly closed her eyes, sitting on the bed wrapped in the quilt, her face of ice and jade blushing with a tipsy hue.

Han Anniang was still looking at herself, her eyes filled with unspeakable joy.

Her frown lines were gone.

The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were also gone.

The slightly saggy skin after childbirth had become firm and shiny.

Even the dull blackheads beneath her nostrils had vanished.

Han Anniang seemed to have become ten years younger.

She knew these were the effects of the Youthful Appearance Pill.

She had taken the Youthful Appearance Pill three days ago. In fact, she saw the effects on the first day, but it wasn’t very apparent then because after taking the pill, her skin had been changing every moment, only clearly perceptible after three days.

Han Anniang couldn’t hide the smile on her face.

Since having a child, Han Anniang’s only remaining concern was her fading beauty and lost youth.

But at this moment, her concern was gone.

Just as she was about to joyfully hold her head high, someone embraced her from behind, the intoxicating masculine scent enveloped her, making her feel reassured in that moment of panic.

"Erlang, stop it..." Han Anniang’s face seemed to be cloaked in a layer of grace, as the young man holding her began to frolic among the grasses.

"An Niang, why are you so happy so early this morning?"

Chen Mo could feel her full thighs occasionally trembling gently.

"Erlang..." Han Anniang supported herself on the dressing table, her voice tender.

"Call me husband."

Chen Mo raised his brows, in the grass, the butterfly spread its wings, dancing to welcome his arrival.

Han Anniang immediately bowed her head, her words of protest turned into a soft moan at the tip of her tongue.

Han Anniang bit her lip, preventing herself from losing composure.

Yet looking at herself in the copper mirror constantly weakened her resistance.

In that copper mirror, two full moons were each covered by five-fingered, mountain-shaped dark clouds, making it seem as if the full moons were subjected to these clouds’ whims, incessantly manipulated.

Han Anniang turned her face to the side, at this moment, she didn’t dare to look in the copper mirror, even closing her eyes.

Behind her, Wu Mi’s face was also flushed. Her husband was good in every way, except for these sudden creative expressions, which could be overwhelming.

Wu Mi didn’t want to be just an audience, attempting to connect with the male lead in this scene: "Husband, it’s been over half a month since the imperial examination results were announced. When are we going to the Capital?"

"Soon, Mi’Er, do you already want to go to the Capital?" Chen Mo replied while busy with his work.

"I’ve just missed seeing father. And Sister Ru Yan." Wu Mi said.

"There’s still a bit of business at the government office that needs handling; it shouldn’t take much longer. Mi’Er, you can start packing your luggage."

"Okay."

"Dong dong dong..."

As they spoke, a knocking sound was heard.

Wu Mi’s personal maid stood outside the room, knocked a few times, and said, "Princess Consort, is the Prince here? Lord Song from the Government Office has come and wishes to see the Prince."

Inside the room, upon hearing this, Chen Mo shivered like a phoenix tree in the cold wind of winter and said, "It seems the matter at the Government Office can be settled today."

Nalan Yiren had told him about the effects of the Youthful Appearance Pill, that it wasn’t just skin-deep, making one’s skin appear youthful, but rejuvenating the entire body’s vitality, rather than maintaining a youthful exterior while still decaying inside.

Chen Mo had been skeptical, but now he believed it.

Just as it was a few years ago, back in Fu Ze Village in Pingting County.

...

Before long, in the study, Chen Mo met with Song Qing.

Song Qing cupped his hands and said, "Prince, the people sent to Yanzhou Taoyuan County have returned. There indeed is a Dai Tu in Taoyuan County, who left Yanzhou last spring, just as Huang Zhaodi said. Here is the household registry of the Dai Tu family brought back from Taoyuan County, along with the marriage registration information from the Government Office.

Additionally, the clan elder mentioned by Huang Zhaodi has also been invited to the Government Office. Now, as long as we bring ’Guo Xian’ to the Government Office for confrontation, the truth can be fully revealed."

Chen Mo nodded, then inquired, "Did you leak the matter I instructed you to handle last time?"

"According to your instructions, Your Highness, I have done as you asked. General Zhang indeed lives up to your trust, declaring on the spot not to practice favoritism and directing me to handle official matters fairly."

"While investigating in Yanzhou, did you encounter any resistance?"

"No."

"That’s good." Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief; all these days, Zhang River hadn’t approached him about ’Guo Xian’s’ matter asking for leniency or anything.

In this way, Zhang River isn’t implicated in the matter.

With hands behind him, Chen Mo said, "Since everything is prepared, go fetch the people then."

"Yes."

...

Fu Ze Restaurant.

Since that night, after Chen Mo’s words, "soon enter the Capital with me to see the Emperor," the scholars who passed the imperial examination stayed in Xiangyang, frequenting between restaurants and taverns, either composing poetry and painting or discussing politics over drinks.

Today, the rich young master Qin Shi booked the entire Fu Ze Restaurant, inviting all the scholars for a tea discussion.

In addition to those who passed the palace examination, Qin Shi also invited those who did not, and "Guo Xian" was among those invited.

If it were before, Dai Tu wouldn’t have come.

But since more than half a month had passed since the ’Peng Si’Er was captured’ incident, Dai Tu had relaxed considerably, and since the Zhang Residence was rather dull today, Dai Tu also wanted to go out and unwind.

Moreover, constantly avoiding Guo Ning wasn’t a solution; it made him seem guilty instead.

Also, soon he would be entering the officialdom, and these scholars could be valuable connections, potentially helping him someday, so he had to acquaint himself with them.

Today’s tea discussion initially revolved around personal ambitions, aspirations, and ideals.

The first to speak was naturally the Champion Scholar Sun Cheng; his ideals were not overly grandiose.

Very realistic, just to glorify the family name.

He wished to make the Jiangdong Sun Family just as influential as the Jiangdong Wu Family.

He hoped to remain in the Capital and enter the Hanlin Academy.

Of course, he also had ambitions.

To support the land, to utilize his lifelong learning for the welfare of the people.

When he finished speaking, the surrounding scholars erupted in applause and cheers.

No matter what they might become in the future.

At least at that moment, in their hearts, they all wished to apply their lifelong learning for the good of the people.

Afterwards, it was Guo Ning’s turn, the second-place scholar.

He stepped to the center of the scholars, calm and composed, not overly excited, as the sunlight streaming through the window cast a halo on his back, like a rising sun:

"I want to go North. With my old friend Lin Zhong, to develop the North, to restore the livelihoods there. I hope to establish county schools in the North, because I have found that exam candidates from the North, whether passing the general or palace exams, are far fewer than those from the South... Similarly, this is also to follow in King Wei’s footsteps.

To set one’s heart for heaven and earth, to set one’s life for the people, to perpetuate the lost teachings of past sages, to bring peace to all generations."

Upon hearing this, initially, the scholars fell silent, then erupted into cheers even louder than those for Sun Cheng.

At the same time, they felt admiration for Guo Ning.

After all, Guo Ning is the second-place scholar; if he wished, he could absolutely stay in the Capital and become a more promising Capital Official, yet he hoped to go to the desolate North to become an official, which is akin to seeking hardship.

If they were Guo Ning and had a choice, they would definitely choose to stay in the Capital.

After all, in the Capital, they too could serve the people.

Yet they were also moved by Guo Ning’s words, especially by his final two lines of poetry.

Sun Cheng applauded and acclaimed, "Guo, well said, to set one’s heart for heaven and earth, to set one’s life for the people, to perpetuate the lost teachings of past sages, to bring peace to all generations. Good poem, good poem, I am far inferior to Brother Guo Ning."

Sun Cheng is a very proud and self-assured person, especially after achieving the title of Champion Scholar; saying he is far inferior to Guo Ning at this moment, enough shows his admiration for Guo Ning’s words, acknowledging his own inferiority.