Back home in the evening, Lin Yan mentioned that person to Lin Bo. Before she could say anything, Lin Bo quickly shook his head.
"Yan Di, that person has poor character and is not worth befriending." He then told Lin Yan some things he had heard about that person.
What Lin Bo said were just minor matters, but they could reveal that person's character from his words and actions.
Seeing that Lin Bo understood so clearly, Lin Yan didn't say anything further.
Lin Bo also knew that Lin Yan disliked interacting with outsiders, so he didn't invite many people to the subsequent gatherings.
Lin Yan would have to endure these stifling days for another two years. Once the results of the provincial examination were out, Lin Yan could prepare to go to the capital.
Her teacher, Du Meng Zhou, had already told her to go to the capital in advance. He would write a few letters for Lin Yan, and when she arrived in the capital, she would take these letters to seek advice from his friends.
Now, they were just waiting for the provincial examination rankings to be released to see if her cousin could pass. If Lin Bo passed the imperial examination, they would go to the capital together.
As for Lin Yan herself, she was very confident that she would definitely pass; it was only a matter of ranking.
In Yingchuan City, An An was quietly reading in the study, with the evening sunset shining into the room.
"An An," King Yingchuan walked into the study. "Your eleventh birthday is coming soon, and the imperial court has already drafted your title."
When the emperor sent people to monitor him, King Yingchuan had also sent some people to gather information for him. Recently, his informants had sent him news that the emperor had drafted a title for An An.
"What is it?" An An was wearing a red padded skirt, and the bright red made his complexion look much rosier.
"Fuan, you have been enfeoffed as Princess Fuan."
The words "Fuan" were good. Before Lin Yan appeared, his greatest hope for An An was nothing more than his peace.
"This is a very good phrase," An An smiled.
"It is good," but he wished more that people would call An An the Crown Prince or Young Lord.
However, he also knew that he couldn't do that. The emperor was extremely wary of him, and if An An's true gender were discovered, then various assassinations would await An An.
"Your fief is adjacent to Yingchuan, with two thousand households." Although the imperial decree had not yet arrived, he already knew its contents.
"It seems my imperial uncle is still very generous," An An's tone carried a hint of mockery.
"But it seems he knows that your health has improved slightly, and he might ask you to live in the capital for a while."
King Yingchuan was in a difficult position. He could not do anything yet. If the imperial court truly issued a decree, they would not be able to disobey it.
"It's alright, Father. My health is very good now. Even if I really go to the capital, it should be fine," An An comforted his father.
"Father, isn't the urgent matter now my name? You said you were going to search through books, but it's been several days, and your birthday is in two days. When will you tell me my name?"
An An did not want his father to worry about this matter anymore. He did not strongly dislike going to the capital.
As a sickly county princess, she would only be pampered by the emperor in the capital. Even to appease his father, the emperor would not let him suffer any grievances.
Lin Yan should be in the capital now. The Imperial Examinations would be in February, and he must have gone to the capital in advance to prepare.
Now, they had been separated for more than half a year. He heard that he had placed second in the provincial examination and did not achieve the title of Jieyuan, which displeased his teacher greatly.
"This, anyway, An An, you don't need it urgently now, so let me look through more books. This is a lifelong matter for you, and I must take it seriously."
An An had not been given a formal name due to his poor health. Now that his title had been decided, it was time to give him a formal name, a name that belonged to the Crown Prince of Yingchuan.
"That's true. By then, everyone will be calling me Fuan, and the name you choose won't be used. As long as you can think of it before I regain my true identity."
After speaking, he no longer paid attention to this matter. He had no expectations for his upcoming tenth birthday, but another birthday would only mean he had lived another year.
He, who once endured hardships, could now embrace the future with hope.
Lin Bo returned to the rented courtyard through the snow. That's right, he hadn't returned home this year.
He had passed the provincial examination, ranking in the lower to middle tier. Although he knew he couldn't pass the Imperial Examinations, he accompanied Lin Yan to the capital to take the exam.
After the provincial examination, they held a few days of lavish banquets at home, and then they set off for the examination again.
The further north they went, the colder it became. Lin Bo had never felt winter so cold, and it even felt colder each day than the last.
Fortunately, Lin Yan had brought a relatively luxurious carriage, which allowed them to travel comfortably.
Their existing clothes were no longer warm enough, so they bought a lot of fur clothing along the way. Although Lin Yan didn't feel very cold, she couldn't show it.
She could only let Lin Ao wrap himself and her up like a ball. Lin Yan was not short of money now, and Lin Bo had also earned a considerable amount during his trip home.
Therefore, as soon as they arrived in the capital, they found a nice small courtyard and bought a lot of charcoal.
"Finally, I've survived. This heated brick bed is so comfortable," Lin Bo brushed the snow off his body and walked towards the bed.
"Then you still need to go out?" Lin Yan sat on the heated brick bed reading. Hearing his words, she couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Suffering the consequences of one's own choices. Seeing the heavy snow outside and still going out, wasn't he just asking to freeze?
Although Lin Yan could understand Lin Bo's fondness for snow, she did not approve of his behavior of going out in the snow.
"This is the only time. I won't go out again before the Imperial Examinations." Although Lin Bo came for the Imperial Examinations, it was merely to gain experience.
However, he harbored a glimmer of hope in his heart. If, by some chance, he passed the examination this time and became a Jinshi, wouldn't he avoid waiting another three years?
"There's still nearly a month before the Imperial Examinations. Don't speak so soon," Lin Yan gently placed the book in her hand on the low table.
She was tired from writing essays these past few days, so she was reading a book now to change her mood. Having a renowned teacher was not always a good thing. Her teacher was somewhat displeased that she hadn't achieved the title of Jieyuan in the provincial examination and demanded that she achieve the title of Huiyuan in the Imperial Examinations.
After the previous few examinations, Lin Yan truly felt that she could not underestimate these ancient scholars. She had narrowly missed the title of Jieyuan in the provincial examination.
With the Imperial Examinations being even more difficult, she felt that it would be incredibly challenging to aim for the Huiyuan.
"I definitely won't go out. I'll study diligently during this period, and at least I'll have a greater chance of success."