freenovelworld Chapter 288 Do You Know? Lin Yitang 2
Chapter 288 Do You Know? Lin Yitang 2
After six months of observation, Lin Yitang and Lin Jingya were officially adopted as the goddaughter and godson by Master Bai, and were enshrined in the Bai family ancestral hall. Some of Master Bai's friends were also invited to witness the event.
Of course, the other branch of the Bai family was not satisfied and made a fuss for a long time. Only after the old master Bai gave them some benefits did the other branch reluctantly agree. The main reason was that the two were just adopted son and daughter and did not have any important status. When the old master Bai passed away, they would receive at most 10% of the property.
Master Bai also took care of Lin Yitang and Lin Jingya's travel permits, so the two were no longer "illegal residents," otherwise it would have affected Lin Jingya's scientific expedition in the future.
Lin Jingya has good talent. After studying for half a year, he has already learned quite well. The pedantic scholar that Master Bai hired is a man who is almost fifty years old and has no real ability. He barely passed the county-level exam after a long time. He is good at giving basic lessons, but if you want to teach Lin Jingya proper knowledge for the imperial examinations, you need to hire a talented person to teach him.
Since Lin Jingya showed his talent, Master Bai has paid special attention to him. Lin Jingya is a grateful and good child. Master Bai is also looking for a good teacher. Unfortunately, the Bai family are merchants and some scholars are not worth associating with. So he can only ask talented scholars to teach Lin Jingya. When Lin Jingya grows up, he will help him plan to study at an academy.
Two years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Bai Ruonan is now sixteen years old. Master Bai and Madam Bai do not want Bai Ruonan to marry into another merchant family. They want their daughter to transcend social classes. Master Bai wants to find a few talented scholars or those who have passed the imperial examinations, so that their daughter can also become a member of an official family.
Crossing social classes is not so simple. Since ancient times, the social hierarchy has been scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Although the status of merchants was elevated in the Song Dynasty, mindset was not so easily changed, and the status of merchants remained very low.
Lin Yitang had been raised for two years and had even used beauty pills. At only eleven years old, she was already a beauty of unparalleled grace. Master Bai was worried that Lin Yitang would be spied on by villains, so he told her to stay in the Bai family mansion with peace of mind.
In Shulin Garden, Lin Yitang skillfully played "High Mountains and Flowing Water" with her delicate hands. The rhythm was slow and steady, gradually expressing the majesty of the mountains. Then, she used clear piano music to imitate the sound of flowing streams.
Lin Jingya stood quietly in the courtyard of Shulin Garden, surrounded by the sounds of zither music that seemed to transport him back to the time when Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi first met.
As the music gradually stopped, Lin Jingya immediately clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Sister's music is becoming more and more exquisite."
"You're getting more and more mischievous. How did you get here?" Lin Yitang noticed that Lin Jingya had grown quite a bit taller in the past two years. Although he was only nine years old, he was already very handsome.
“Mother was worried about my eldest sister’s marriage a while ago. These past few days, I heard that someone from the Marquis of Ningyuan’s mansion came to propose marriage, and Father is quite agitated about it,” Lin Jingya said softly.
Lin Yitang's heart skipped a beat; she hadn't expected the Ningyuan Marquis's family to still come to propose marriage.
“This Marquis’s mansion is a deep and complex place with complicated interpersonal relationships. My eldest sister is simple-minded, so Father probably won’t marry her off to the Marquis of Ningyuan’s family,” Lin Yitang said.
“But, sister, our Bai family are merchants. I haven’t yet achieved fame and fortune in the imperial examinations. No matter what, the Ningyuan Marquis’s mansion is a powerful family. I guess Father is hoping that you can change your social standing.”
It is now the Song Dynasty. Although Lin Jingya and Lin Yitang are the adopted son and daughter of the Bai family, they are still not registered as merchants. Master Bai also hopes that Lin Jingya can succeed in the imperial examination and bring blessings to the Bai family. Therefore, he did not grant them household registration. The two were born as farmers.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Your father and mother will decide these things. How are your studies going these days?" Lin Yitang placed her hopes on her younger brother, just as the original owner hoped for a bright future for him.
“I have mastered everything that Master Wang taught me. My father said that next month I will go to the state school to study and take the exam to become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination).
When it comes to the imperial examinations of the Song Dynasty, Lin Yitang has learned about them, including the preliminary examination (xiangshi), the provincial examination, and the palace examination.
The preliminary examinations were presided over by local officials and were usually held in the autumn months of August or September; the provincial examinations were presided over by the Ministry of Rites and were usually held in the spring months of February or March; the palace examinations were presided over by the emperor himself.
"Of course I'm happy that you're studying hard, but you need to take care of your health."
"I understand."
……
The Ningyuan Marquis's family seemed eager to marry a second wife, and soon they came to inquire with Master Bai again. Master Bai and Madam Bai discussed it for a while, and then asked Bai Ruonan for her opinion. In the end, they agreed to the marriage with the Ningyuan Marquis's family.
Lin Yitang also wanted to stop it, but as an adopted daughter, she was already blessed to live in the Bai family. In addition, since ancient times, marriages of children have always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Master Bai hoped that the child born to Bai Ruonan could change the family's appearance.
In Huanxi Courtyard, Bai Ruonan and Gu Yan got engaged today and completed the betrothal ceremony, which includes matchmaking, exchanging betrothal letters, exchanging engagement letters, and meeting the bride. As for the betrothal gifts, they will have to wait and see. It is estimated that the two will get married next March.
Lin Yitang came to Huanxi Courtyard to congratulate Bai Ruonan, and said with a happy face, "Big sister, congratulations, I wish you and your brother-in-law a long and happy marriage."
Bai Ruonan had a good impression of her adopted sister. Since the two of them came to the Bai family, her father and mother smiled much more.
"Little sister's here, come sit down. What nonsense are you talking about? Things aren't settled yet." Bai Ruonan smiled, then lowered her head shyly.
Seeing that Bai Ruonan seemed quite satisfied with Gu Yankai, Lin Yitang couldn't spoil the mood by saying anything discouraging, so she could only say some nice things.
But Bai Ruonan was too naive. The original owner wanted to repay the debt of gratitude to Master Bai, so he could only try to persuade Bai Ruonan through her maid, hoping to make her see through Gu Yankai's true nature as soon as possible, so that she could close the door and live her own life properly.
……
In March, Lin Jingya returned from the state school. Since Master Bai was his father-in-law, he naturally couldn't personally escort Bai Ruonan to Bianjing. Lin Jingya was Master Bai's adopted son, so it was best for him to take the lead.
In her previous life, Master Bai had another branch of the Bai family send Bai Ruonan to Bianjing, which resulted in Bai Ruonan having no maternal relatives and being increasingly neglected by the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion.
After Bai Ruonan got married, Lin Yitang's life slowed down, and her appearance became more and more beautiful. Madam Bai was worried that someone might have designs on Lin Yitang, so she kept Lin Yitang confined and did not dare to let her go out.
Three years later, Bai Ruonan sent word that she had safely given birth to a boy named Gu Tingye, and that her younger brother Lin Jingya had also successfully passed the imperial examination and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations).
Lin Yitang is now fifteen years old, and Madam Bai has begun to admire her. However, her beauty is too striking, and if she lacks power, she will suffer instead.
The original owner of this body in her previous life was not as good-looking as her, so there was no need to consider too much. But now it's not so easy to find someone like her.
Lin Yitang had her own ideas. The original owner wanted power. In the Song Dynasty, who could rival the emperor's power? The emperor was only thirty years old and had just had three sons. She knew that the emperor's third son had not lived past the age of three. If she entered the palace and successfully gave birth to a son, she would become the empress dowager in the future, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Having made up her mind, Lin Yitang went to the front yard to find Master Bai and told him her plans.
"Yitang, have you thought this through? Once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea. We have no one in the previous dynasty who can help you," Master Bai said slowly.
"Father, with my appearance, I might not be able to protect myself even as a concubine. I'd rather try my luck in the palace. Please help me," Lin Yitang said calmly as she knelt down.