n Xian frowned. He remembered that the son-in-law of the emperor would not be allowed to be both a bureaucrat and a member of the royal family; they could only take a n.o.ble t.i.tle and nothing more.

"If you were to marry Miss Lin, even though her t.i.tle of "princess" is simply honorary and you would not be considered part of the royal family, there might be issues with your career as an official." Count Sinan saw Fan Xian's frown and thought that he was worried, so he thought it was best to explain this.

Fan Xian stood up and smiled. "We'll see."

"Also, to take next year's imperial exams, you'll have to start studying soon."

Did he really still have to take the imperial exams, competing with all the others? He smiled bitterly and said nothing.

After that, Count Sinan told him that the monthly poetry compet.i.tion at Crown Prince Jing’s estate was coming up soon, and that he had best prepare for it. When Fan Xian heard this, he wasn't filled with the same fear as being told to write an essay, but when he considered that he might have to fake some more poems like he'd done with the old salt-seller, his head began to ache.

Count Sinan looked at him and smiled. "I know you are a talented poet. In some situations, it is not right to hide your talent too much. Though there are people in the palace a.s.sisting your marriage, if you are able to garner a reputation in the capital's literary scene, perhaps the Eldest Princess will warm up to the idea of marrying her daughter off to you."

Fan Xian laughed bitterly in response. It seemed the old man had secretly read the letters he had sent his little sister. The fact that he had written Dream of the Red Chamber was also something he couldn't hide from him. He couldn't help but feel some admiration for the old man's shrewd nature in keeping it secret until now.

There were no Sundays in the realm; even if you worked, you would not be punished by the G.o.ds. For the same reason, there were no Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. In short, there was no clear division between working days and rest days.

Shops were open every day; government ministries were open every day; and it was said that even the Emperor refused to take a day off. But when it came to many sons of the great houses of the capital, every day was a day of leisure.

Sixteen years after the great war, the Kingdom of Northern Wei had been divided and weakened beyond repair. The western barbarians fled far away, their horses eating gra.s.s in the mountains. The Emperor had ordered the prince to take a hundred thousand soldiers westward to expand the border; this was also little more than sport.

The Kingdom of Qing was strong in military affairs, but after the Emperor had won his battles, they became fonder of reciting poetry. As it was fas.h.i.+onable among the upper cla.s.ses, it became even more fas.h.i.+onable among the lower cla.s.ses. Other sons of n.o.ble families had no jobs for the most part. Neither did they have the qualifications to lead troops. They prepared for the imperial examinations, and so they amused themselves in an elegant manner, keeping themselves separate from the lower cla.s.ses. They read books and discussed them, and read and wrote poetry.

And so the capital was a place where it was fas.h.i.+onable to duel with poetry rather than with weapons.