"All very good!" Xu Huaiqian was very satisfied that these candidates noticed problems he had seen but not yet solved, and also issues he hadn't even considered. "This is exactly it! Everyone should bloom together, pool wisdom, and jointly govern the country."
Meng Fangxun, seeing his focus was solely on the papers, sighed. "Don't just think about the good aspects. Think about what it means that this volume is being distributed to all prefectures?"
Xu Huaiqian frowned, puzzled. "Isn't it just for the Emperor to refute the protesting Xiucai across the prefectures?"
"Not only that," Duan Youyan, prompted by this, thought for a moment and pinpointed the key issue. "It's highly likely that students from various prefectures will study these papers to learn how to approach current affairs."
When it was first announced that current affairs would be tested, Xu Huaiqian could list all possible topics and explain how to tackle them. His essay this time covered many current affairs topics. If students from other prefectures put in a little effort, they could easily find their own approach to current affairs by studying it.
Xu Huaiqian didn't mind. "Let them study." The more educated people there were, the more officials would be capable of serving the people properly.
"Haven't you grasped the key point yet?" Meng Fangxun was getting anxious seeing Xu Huaiqian so oblivious. "We're about to go to the capital for the Metropolitan Exams soon!"
"The Metropolitan and Palace Exams will definitely still test current affairs. By distributing our papers to all prefectures, the previous Juren from those areas will certainly study them."
Before, no one had tested current affairs, so everyone was somewhat unclear on how to answer. Now, with Xu Huaiqian's paper published, it serves as a model answer for candidates nationwide. If they can't write well, they can still mimic the structure.
"There are so many talented people in the world. Those who become Juren are no ordinary scholars. If they thoroughly understand your approach, your chance at the Zhuangyuan title this year might be in jeopardy!"
This was Meng Fangxun's main concern. Since the Emperor appointed Xu Huaiqian as Jieyuan, the Zhuangyuan title was likely his too. But with the distribution of this volume, things might become uncertain.
Hearing this, Pei Wangshu also realized the issue and looked at Xu Huaiqian with dismay. "That's so unfair to you! They'll use the model answers you wrote to compete with you for the Zhuangyuan title!"
Zhang Bingwen also nodded. "Senior Brother, you're getting a raw deal here!"
Zhuangyuan! The Zhuangyuan! Only one every three years, each extremely precious. This year, Xu Huaiqian could have been the undisputed top candidate. But because the Emperor distributed his paper nationwide, he's forced to face many more competitors. What a disadvantage!
"Is that what you're worried about?" After listening to them, Xu Huaiqian waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine."
"I never really wanted to be Zhuangyuan anyway," Xu Huaiqian tapped his face. "I still want to be my Tanhualang the third-ranked graduate, often noted for good looks."
"There are many talented people in the world, but how many are both talented and handsome?" In his past life, reading novels and watching TV, Xu Huaiqian had always admired the Tanhualang the most.
The Zhuangyuan was chosen for true talent and learning. The Tanhualang could be chosen just for his looks. Xu Huaiqian considered himself not exceptionally scholarly, but he always believed he was quite good-looking.
Why should he compare his weakness to others' strengths? He should use his own strength against their weaknesses!
His words left Meng Fangxun speechless. "You'd be content going from Zhuangyuan to Tanhualang?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Xu Huaiqian found the question strange. "Isn't Tanhualang also a First Class Graduate?"
This silenced not only Meng Fangxun but also Duan Youyan and the others.
Here they were, people who might not even make it into the First Class, worrying about someone who could make it based on both talent and looks!
That night, after seeing off Meng Fangxun and the others, Xu Huaiqian sat alone at his dressing table, admiring his reflection for a long time. He decided to dig out all the pots and jars of skincare products Chen Liejiu had bought for him and slather them on his face.
"You stopped using these, why start again?" Chen Liejiu, returning after seeing off the guests, found Xu Huaiqian had brought out his collection and was surprised. Since his health improved and his complexion gained color, he rarely used these, saying wearing makeup wasn't manly. What was up today?
"The weather's been a bit dry lately, my skin feels dry too," Xu Huaiqian said, applying ointment to his face. "I'm just moisturizing."
"Really?" Chen Liejiu pinched his cheek, which was as smooth and tender as a peeled hard-boiled egg. "It doesn't feel dry at all."
"I think it's a bit dry!" Xu Huaiqian felt embarrassed to tell his wife he was worried about losing his chance at the Tanhualang title.
After Meng Fangxun mentioned the abundance of talent, it struck him that there were probably many handsome men too, especially those aristocratic young masters in the capital, raised in luxury and refined over generations. In a remote place like Yong'an, he might be a rare gem, but what about in the capital?
He recalled novel descriptions of noble sons, like Jia Baoyu: "His face was like the moon at mid-autumn, his complexion like the flowers of a spring dawn. His hairline was sharply defined, his eyebrows as if painted with ink. His cheeks were like peach petals, his eyes like autumn waves." Looking left and right, Xu Huaiqian felt his looks couldn't compare to Jia Baoyu's. He feared that in the capital, his appearance might be considered merely average.
What if he encountered someone truly talented and devastatingly handsome? He'd be finished.
Fortunately, his wife had bought him plenty of skincare products early on. There were still a few months until the Metropolitan Exams. A last-minute effort might help. He could sacrifice the Zhuangyuan title, but the Tanhualang title was absolutely non-negotiable!
"How do I look?" After giving himself a thorough facial spa with the most expensive Suzhou ointment, Xu Huaiqian looked up and asked his wife.
"Handsome!" Chen Liejiu nodded emphatically. Xu Huaiqian's skin was already fine, and after the moisturizing, his face looked so tender it seemed you could pinch water from it.
"Is it too pale?" Though pleased by the compliment, Xu Huaiqian picked up the mirror, examining his reflection. Seeing the slightly sickly pallor, he wasn't satisfied. "Maybe I should try applying a little makeup?"
He thought his face with a hint of sickly pallor looked better, but tastes vary. Some like that aesthetic, others don't.
He was going for the exams. He hadn't met the Emperor and didn't know if the Emperor favored his type of looks. What if the Emperor preferred the dashing, charismatic type, like Duan Youyan? Then he still wouldn't become Tanhualang.
"You're already very handsome," Chen Liejiu disagreed. "No need for excessive adornment." Putting on makeup in the middle of the night—who was he trying to seduce?
"Just a little, let me try a little?" Xu Huaiqian checked the mirror again and decided to experiment. He worried his wife might have a "husband filter."
He used a little rouge to subtly cover the sickly pallor, creating a more normal skin tone. Looking in the mirror, aside from wearing ancient attire, he resembled his healthy, modern self.
He looked at his wife. "A-Jiu, do I look good like this?"
"Good-looking!" Chen Liejiu gazed at Xu Huaiqian's face, his heart pounding. No matter how his little husband changed, his appearance was always captivating. "There's no one in the world more handsome than you!"
"A-Jiu, you're so... lustful," Xu Huaiqian said, noticing Chen Liejiu's subtly moving Adam's apple. He felt comforted. Even if he didn't become Tanhualang, he would undoubtedly be the most handsome in his wife's eyes.
"You're just so good-looking," Chen Liejiu hooked his arms around Xu Huaiqian's neck, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his lips. "A-Qian, someone called me 'Madam Xu' today."
"You don't like that title? I'll tell them not to use it." Xu Huaiqian's first thought was that since he was the one who married into the family, hearing "Madam Xu" must feel awkward for Chen Liejiu.
"It's not that," Chen Liejiu's gaze was intense. "I don't really like hearing others call me that. I'd rather hear you call me that."
"Mrs. Xu!" Understanding his wife's meaning, Xu Huaiqian's eyes lit up. He whispered the title into Chen Liejiu's ear.
"What's 'Mrs. Xu'?" Chen Liejiu was puzzled.
"It's like 'Madam Xu'," Xu Huaiqian explained, picking Chen Liejiu up and heading towards the bed, a bit breathless. "It's also a way to address one's husband."
"I'll be your little husband for a lifetime," Xu Huaiqian kissed Chen Liejiu's sensitive neck. "You be my 'Mrs. Xu' for one night."
While they were lost in passion, in a luxurious mansion in the capital, a man of exceptional bearing and considerable good looks—the former Jieyuan of the capital—was analyzing Xu Huaiqian's exam paper word by word, staying up all night.