Arc 3: Chapter 30
When Lin Yuan woke up and saw that there was only 15% of the blackening value left, he rolled around in bed excitedly several times.
Lin Yuan rubbed 521 vigorously and pointed to the system screen: “521, look! Quickly look! The blackening value only has 15% left, I’m really awesome!”
521 became a little dizzy and peered at the system screen. He thought of his senior who cried the whole night and said: “Indeed, senior was really awesome last night…”
How hardworking, he even had to give birth in the middle of the night…
Lin Yuan rolled around again in happiness. At this moment, a pair of pale, slender hands opened the bed curtains.
Jiang Qian came back from ordering breakfast and happened to see his little prince having fun on the bed and seemed very happy.
“What’s the matter?” Jiang Qian picked the other up and kissed him on the cheek: “Did something good happen? Sui Sui looks very happy.”
Lin Yuan had his husband and immediately threw 521 to one side. He hugged Jiang Qian with a big smile and the joy in his voice couldn’t be suppressed: “En en en, something super good happened~”
Jiang Qian supported him stably and his eyes were full of tenderness: “Can you tell me?”
Lin Yuan mischievously put in finger over his lips: “Can’t say, it’s a secret~”
He elongated his tone and called Jiang Qian sweetly and softly, melting the tip of Jiang Qian’s heart: “Husband, I love you a lot~”
When Jiang Qian was young, he thought that he was very restrained and would never be easily enticed by another.
But now he raised his hand and gently pinched Lin Yuan’s supple cheeks. His throat was dry and he needed someone to quench his thirst.
“Sui Sui, some things you shouldn’t say casually.”
Jiang Qian stared at Lin Yuan’s soft and ruddy lips that tempted people to taste and his Adam’s apple rolled up and down. He lowered his head and kissed Lin Yuan heavily for a while before he parted and said hoarsely: “Okay, breakfast should be ready, let’s get up.”
It was obvious that Jiang Qian wanted to change the topic.
Lin Yuan didn’t understand. He buried himself deeper into Jiang Qian’s arms and looked at him with round eyes: “Husband, you’ve wronged me. I didn’t say it casually, I’m very serious. I love you a lot~”
Jiang Qian looked at Lin Yuan’s sincere expression and his breathing became slightly heavier. His hands itched but he had things to do this morning. Later, this afternoon, he would let the little prince know that some words couldn’t be said without consequences.
For example, a consequence being to birth a child.
Jiang Qian made a sound of acknowledgement and helped Lin Yuan put on his robes.
After breakfast, Jiang Qian took Lin Yuan to another courtyard in the Admiral’s mansion and they walked into the study.
Lin Yuan had been to this study before in the past three years, but this time, Jiang Qian pressed a few mechanisms on the shelf and a door to a secret room behind the bookshelf revealed itself.
Lin Yuan didn’t know that this room existed and he widened his eyes in amazement.
Jiang Qian lit a handheld lamp and stretched out his hand to Lin Yuan: “Sui Sui……”
Lin Yuan immediately held Jiang Qian’s hand and smiled at him.
They entered the secret room, which was an ancestral hall dedicated to the Jiang family members who died unjustly.
Lin Yuan looked at the memorial tablets and turned to Jiang Qian a little worriedly: “Jiang Qian……”
The lone lamp illuminated the dark room. Jiang Qian placed the lamp on the table and smiled lightly at Lin Yuan and said: “Sui Sui, yesterday, I didn’t kowtow to my parents. But now that I’ve married you, my parents can’t object anymore, so now we can meet them together.”
Lin Yuan nodded obediently: “Okay.”
Jiang Qian lit some sticks of incense and white smoke curled upwards. He gave half of the sticks to Lin Yuan and they knelt on the cushions.
“To my father and mother in heaven, to my ancestors in heaven, this unworthy descendent, Jiang Qian, with my lover, Lin Yuan, greet all of the elders!”
Lin Yuan knew that carrying on the family line was very important to the ancients, and Jiang Qian carried even more responsibility being the only survivor of the Jiang family. In the plot, Jiang Qian was focused on revenge and never went through this ritual.
“This younger generation, Lin Yuan, greets all of the elders.” Lin Yuan bowed to the tablets with the incense sticks in his hands.
After they finished the ceremony, Jiang Qian took Lin Yuan’s hand and they left the secret room.
The moment Jiang Qian closed the door, Lin Yuan hugged him and asked: “Jiang Qian, would your family not like me?”
Jiang Qian picked him up and placed Lin Yuan on the desk.
He poked Lin Yuan’s dimples and his eyes were deep: “Prince, what do you think? You kidnapped the Jiang family’s most treasured third son and led him astray. If my parents and brothers were still here, hmmm, I’m afraid they wouldn’t be happy to see you.”
Lin Yuan nervously grabbed Jiang Qian’s clothes and his eyes were wet. He stammered: “Then, then what should I do? What if they stopped us from being together? What if… they forced you to marry someone else?”
Seeing Lin Yuan getting scared of this impossible scenario, Jiang Qian chuckled. He smiled: “No matter, with the prince’s noble status, I can hide in the prince’s mansion and my parents can’t do anything about it. The prince and I will pass the seasons in the prince’s mansion just like a married couple, and we’ll be happy for the rest of our lives.”
Lin Yuan thought about this scene and thought it made sense. He was a prince with a very high rank, even Jiang Qian’s parents couldn’t do anything about him.
His whole body was relieved of tension and he said sweetly: “En, I’m a prince. I can protect you.”
Jiang Qian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
He wished it could be like this. He could have his father and mother get angry at him and scold him, and then have his brothers persuade him. Then he would run to Prince Chu’s mansion and get into the bed of his little prince and they could spend every day like a married couple.
Then the only stain of the Jiang family would be him, the broken sleeved third son of the Jiang family.
It would be great if the only stain on the Jiang family was Jiang Qian.
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After getting married, Lin Yuan discovered that Jiang Qian became very idle. He asked with some doubts about what was going on.
Jiang Qian held him from behind with an official document in his hand and said: “If I continue to be active in court, it will negatively affect Qingyuan Academy. Instead, if I fade out and concentrate on other things, people will believe that I am focused on being a scholar, not an official who will affect how the country is run.”
Lin Yuan seemed to understand. As soon as he wanted to speak, Jiang Qian placed the document aside and trapped Lin Yuan under him.
Jiang Qian lowered his eyes and said slowly: “Sui Sui, the other things that I mentioned, don’t you think we can do it right now?”
Lin Yuan could hear other people’s voices outside and his face turned red in embarrassment. He touched Jiang Qian’s Adam’s apple and whispered: “Be gentle…”
Lord Jiang naturally listened to the prince’s order, but it made Lin Yuan feel even more unbearable. He sobbed and gasped all afternoon. When the long deed was over, he was so angry he bit Jiang Qian many times before he calmed down.
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The fifth year since Qingyuan Academy opened, the first, fourth, and seventh place of the imperial examination were all from Qingyuan Academy. Six other students also passed, summing up to nine people achieving jinshi. t/n those who passed the imperial exam were called jinshi
Daliang held an imperial exam every three years, and the passing quota varied from 100 to 200 people. Across Daliang’s 132 prefectures and 1467 counties, it was very difficult for a school to produce even one jingshi for decades.
But in just five years, Qingyuan Academy produced nine scholars who were also top students. Some people were not pleased and even spread rumors that the president of Qingyuan Academy, Prince Chu, and the vice president, a second-ranked official, used their power to give spots to their students.
They were obviously accusing them of leaking questions to cheat for personal gain.
This matter spread around and got serious. An official proposed to hold the exam again. Emperor Liang came up with questions on the spot, and all of the students answered at the same time. t/n the imperial exam happens in the palace hall, in front of the emperor
After all of that tossing and turning, one additional student from Qingyuan Academy passed, totaling ten scholars from one school.
Ever since, Qingyuan Academy was known all over the country. Everyone knew that all of the students were Jiang Qian’s students, and Jiang Qian’s name was once again famous across the country.
As the first liuyuan in history, who once fell into slavery, he rose back up in a few years to become a second-ranked court official. Then he founded a school and brought out ten scholars at once. Everyone could see that his original intentions had not changed.
Three years later, there were another 15 jinshi scholars from Qingyuan Academy.
When Jiang Qian turned 50 years old, his blackening value finally dropped to zero. For Lin Yuan, there was still three years until the time limit. In the original plot, at this time, the country had fallen into chaos and the masses were miserable.
But now, many officials in Daliang’s court were Jiang Qian’s students. At least half of the inner cabinet were Jiang Qian’s students, and there were many more who were officials outside of the capital.
All of his students lived by the words qing yuan. The political landscape of Daliang turned from turbid to clear, order and justice were enforced, harsh laws were removed, and the people lived peacefully and feely. t/n qing yuan literally translates to clear source
Prosperous times had arrived.
Jiang Qian had resigned from his position three years ago, but retained a first-ranked title. He focused more of his time on Qingyuan Academy, and this year, the school produced 25 jingshi scholars.
The day after the imperial exam, Jiang Qian stood outside of the palace entrance in plain, white clothes.
The pounding of the drums voiced his grievances, they sounded that the Jiang family was wronged! t/n in ancient times, people who needed justice would go to the yamen and beat the drum to voice their grievances, it's like sueing someone in public