This chapter has been provided to you by me, ororomunroe90 and leecherleechleech.

I always get the perception that He Heng is such an awkward person with his feelings. Of course, it’s not his fault since this is his “first love” but he is so vague. It’s like “you know what I feel so I won’t say it but take my implicit promise and trust in what I haven’t actually said.” It might go against his entire personality, though, if he really did go out and proclaim it to the heavens.

Chapter Sixty Six Intentions?

Qu Qing Ju didn’t go to sleep when she entered the inner room. Instead she just picked up a book to read as she sat next to the window. When He Heng came in, she didn’t pay any attention to him, flipping the pages of the book in her hand.

Step by step, He Heng slowly made his way behind her. Looking at her book, he spoke: “This “Qian San Wanderings” isn’t as novel as “E Nuo to ride and parade on the street,” Huang Yang answered from outside the sedan, “Right now, they are walking towards here so it’s busier.”

Qu Qing Ju instantly understood. The top thesis author, the eyes positioned beside, and the flower snatcher[iii] were parading on the street. The culture of Da Long Dynasty was relatively liberal so there were many young women throwing handkerchiefs, pouches and flowers among other things towards the three males. Qu Qing Ju couldn’t see the people, but could see the objects flying in the air.

This road headed straight towards the Imperial Palace. After these three finished parading on the streets, they would have to participate in the Qiong Lin Banquet in the palace. He Heng would be appearing at the Jasper Forest Banquet [iv] as well.

After fifteen minutes, the crowds gradually thinned and Qu Qing Ju’s sedan continued forward. Sitting in the sedan, she heard a passer-by remarking about how the “flower snatcher” was so handsome and how scholarly the top thesis holder was. She couldn’t help but smile. It was lucky this era wasn’t ridiculous to the point where women couldn’t leave the house. Otherwise, it would have been terrible.

The culture of Da Long Dynasty was similar to the Tang and Song Dynasties of history. There were even some similarities in cultural habits. But the structure of government was a mishmash of different dynasties. It was slightly complicated but it meant that she wasn’t exactly in the dark. Qu Qing Ju’s knowledge gave her the motivation to keep on living.

The people on the side of the street found an eight-person sedan with qing luan ornaments, and pearl-encrusted dark yellow cloth and red heading their way. They all simultaneously moved out of the way. Other than the Imperial House, who else dared to sit in such a sedan?

“Mistress, there is an honoured person passing by, we have to move out of the way.” Qu Yue Su heard the words as she sat in the sedan. She asked, “Which fu?” As she spoke, she raised the curtain to look outside and saw an eight-person large sedan heading her way. She frowned, “Quick, move back.”

Feeling the sedan she was sitting on sway as it retreated a length, Qu Yue Su’s heart was bitter. Unless she could sit on the position of Empress or Dowager Empress in this lifetime, she would never be able to use red cloth.

After the procession of the eight-person sedan passed them by a certain distance, Qu Yue Su’s sedan was raised again. The taijian guarding the sedan outside said: “Mistress, this one saw that the person sitting in that sedan was most likely Duan Wang Fei.”

Duan Wang Fei? Qu Yue Su stilled, wasn’t that Qu Qing Ju?

Thinking about the other’s honors and her present situation, she gave a cold smile, “Alright, I know.”

The taijian who spoke heard the tone wasn’t right and jerked his mouth to one side as he lowered his head.

At Jasper Forest Banquet, the advanced scholars that qualified were all in a good mood. All those years of hard studying, wasn’t it just for this day?

Qing De Emperor only sat a while before leaving. The rest were being handled by the Ministry of Rites. Some advanced scholars were composing poems or getting to know each other, making the Jasper Forest Banquet very busy.

But there were many who were steady, who didn’t not casually speak nor show off. They didn’t excessively drink wine to prevent loss of composure after getting drunk.

He Heng sat on the first spot at the left side. Looking at the variety of people under him, there were so many students, but the ones who would be used would only be a select few.

That was the cruelty of politics.

[i]婀娜 (e nou) means a graceful bearing of a woman

[ii]进士: the highest degree achievable by scholars in Ancient China.

[iii]状元, 榜眼, 探花: top three performers in the Imperial Exam. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_examination#Degree_types

[iv]琼林宴: A banquet hosted specifically for all new advanced scholars by the Royal Court