Little Matchmaker

Five years of Ansheng, August 16th.

There were still three days before the provincial exam results would be released.

And it had been three days since Li Yunqing left the Su family.

His departure, however, did not mean complete silence.

Miss Zhang first told Su Yinyin that Li Yunqing was actually the nephew of Li Shilang, a minister in the Ministry of Revenue. He didn’t need to send a formal letter of introduction, he could simply knock on his second uncle’s door.

Li Yunqing's father was the youngest of his generation, a free spirit who only had this one child.

This child learned to recognize characters at three, read at five, and passed the provincial exam at thirteen.

Had it not been for the border wars back then, causing his father to change his household registration to join the army, he likely would have passed the imperial exam by now, maybe even the Jinshi.

Therefore, the whole family had high hopes for Li Yunqing.

This year, when the military examination was permitted for the imperial exams, the family insisted that he take the exam.

But Li Shilang waited and waited, and his nephew never came.

He thought that this nephew, who was like his younger brother, might have decided against the exam.

Who would have thought that he had already arrived, and not concerned with material things, even sought refuge with his uncle’s former subordinate?

His goal was to achieve fame, give the family a sense of closure, and then leave without further attachment.

“Fine, fine, all Li’s family members, even learning from Li Bai, huh?”

Li Shilang directly twisted Li Yunqing’s ear, telling the family to prepare a feast, gather clothes, and arrange a comfortable courtyard for him to rest in.

In the end, he was still concerned for his dear nephew.

This matter wasn’t a secret in Bianjing, as Li Shilang always brought his talented nephew wherever he went.

Smart, well-read, well-traveled, and good-looking—who wouldn’t like a young man like that?

Indeed, as Li Yunqing had mentioned, Li Shilang wanted to arrange a marriage for him.

Although twenty-three wasn’t particularly old, most men by that age had children already.

But for some reason, less than a day later, Li Shilang stopped mentioning it and instead took Li Yunqing out for social events.

In the following days, Li Yunqing’s name spread across the social circles.

Who wouldn’t envy a young man like that?

Miss Zhang said, “If it weren’t for the same face, I really wouldn’t have recognized him.”

After all, when he was at the Hui Nu Pastry shop, he was dressed in ragged clothes, and calling him a poor scholar wasn’t an exaggeration.

But after returning home, he changed completely—dressed in fine silks and brocades, his demeanor matched his new attire.

Like an orchid branch, a jade tree, a refined young man—this was Li Yunqing.

Now, the question was, did he still intend to pursue someone?

Had he started his pursuit?

Miss Zhang didn’t know.