By a twist of fate, the illegitimate son of the Marquis's family marries the county princess.

Chapter 310 Jiao Yansong

Wen Zongji was promoted, but he couldn't report to the Shuntian Prefecture office immediately; he had to hand over his current duties first.

Wen Zongji spent three days handing over all his current duties.

Normally, he only needs to report to the Shuntian Prefecture government office within ten days.

Wen Zongji thought that he had been busy with official duties and had not had much time to spend with Pei Rujing and Rui Ge'er, so he decided to use the remaining days to take the family out of the city for a trip.

March is a time of warm spring weather and blooming flowers, making it the perfect time for travel.

Rui-ge'er, who rarely saw the outside scenery as he stayed in the mansion all day, was very excited as he left with Wen Zongji and the other man. Sitting in the carriage, he looked out the window at the scenery and exclaimed, "Father, ya ya—!"

Wen Zongji hugged him: "We're all human, aren't we?"

Rui waved his little hands: "Ya ya ya—"

"You're too young to go down and play. We'll talk about it when you're older."

Rui Ge'er nestled in Wen Zongji's arms, blinking his eyes.

Pei Rujing asked, "Can you understand what Rui-ge'er is saying?"

"Of course I don't understand."

Baby talk, can anyone understand it?

Pei Rujing: "...Then you still go back and forth with him, which seems quite convincing."

Wen Zongji said, "He can't understand what I'm saying either."

Pei Rujing blinked, even more confused.

Does this mean you two are just talking nonsense to each other?

Wen Zongji laughed and said, "He can't understand what I'm saying, but he knows I'm talking to him. Children need a response; what I say isn't important."

Pei Rujing said thoughtfully, "No wonder Zuo San always has so much fun playing with Rui Ge'er whenever he comes."

It turns out that Zuo Mingxuan had been responding to Rui Ge'er the whole time.

Wen Zongji said, "My wife can respond to Rui-ge more often in the future."

Pei Rujing nodded: "I'll try my best."

She was mainly uncomfortable with this mode of communication where they couldn't understand each other but still insisted on having a conversation.

……

Pei Rujing owns an estate outside the city. They stayed there for the past few days while traveling, having a picnic with Rui Ge'er by the river, watching the tenants work in the fields, and even visiting a temple to pray for Rui Ge'er.

They did not return to the capital until Wen Zongji was supposed to report to Shuntian Prefecture the next day.

Granny Feng was too old to go out of the city with them, so she called them back and took Rui Ge'er with her.

She missed Rui Ge'er very much after not seeing him for several days.

Pei Rujing sighed, "In the past, the nanny cared about me the most, but now that Rui-ge'er is here, the nanny doesn't see me anymore."

Upon hearing this, Granny Feng said, "The county princess has a son-in-law who cares about her."

Wen Zongji then embraced Pei Rujing, saying, "Haven't I shown enough care for my wife?"

Wen Zongji raised an eyebrow at her.

Pei Rujing was just joking, and couldn't help but laugh when she heard this.

"By the way, I'm going out in a bit, so I won't be having dinner at the manor."

Wen Zongji said.

Pei Rujing nodded: "Go ahead."

After changing his clothes in his room, Wen Zongji left.

Granny Feng asked in confusion, "What business does the young master have that can't wait until after the meal?"

Pei Rujing took a sip of tea: "He made an appointment with someone at Wangchun Tower."

Granny Feng suddenly realized, and didn't ask any more questions. She was only concerned about whether Wen Zongji had eaten yet.

Wangchun Tower

Wen Zongji arrived first at the private room on the second floor. He had a servant bring him a pot of tea, and after sitting down for a short while, there was a knock on the door.

Wen Zongji put down his teacup and glanced at Chang Dong.

Changdong immediately went over and opened the door to the private room.

A tall, handsome young man stood outside the door.

The man entered the private room, cupped his hands, and said, "This humble official greets Lord Wen."

Wen Zongji raised his hand: "No need for formalities, Scholar Tanhua, please sit down."

The imperial examination has ended, and the top three candidates have emerged. This person is Jiao Yansong, the third-ranked scholar in this year's examination.

Jiao Yansong sat down opposite Wen Zongji: "Your Excellency is too kind. Just call me Yansong."

"Changdong, go and have someone serve the food."

After giving his instructions, Wen Zongji looked at Jiao Yansong and said, "I don't know your taste, so I ordered some of the restaurant's signature dishes. You're from the South, so see if you can get used to Beijing cuisine."

"You're too kind, sir. I'm fine with anything and not picky about food."

While waiting for the food to be served, Wen Zongji chatted with Jiao Yansong, and the atmosphere was quite relaxed.

Jiao Yansong remained calm. He knew that Wen Zongji would not invite him to dinner for no reason, but he did not ask until now, as if he really came to chat with Wen Zongji.

Wen Zongji nodded secretly. This composure alone would allow him to go further in his official career.

Before long, all the dishes were served.

"Editor Jiao, have a taste."

Jiao Yansong tasted each dish and exclaimed, "As expected of the most famous restaurant in the capital, their signature dishes are truly exceptional."

"I thought you weren't used to the food."

Jiao Yansong said, "Although I grew up in the South, my parents are from the North, and the cooks in my household often cook Northern dishes."

Wen Zongji suddenly realized: "I see... Your parents are both in Yong'an Prefecture. You'll be working at the Hanlin Academy from now on. Has your family arranged for someone in the capital to take care of you?"

Jiao Yansong's father was the prefect of Yong'an Prefecture, so he was considered to be from an official family. However, his ancestors did not have any background. His father was the first in his clan to pass the imperial examination.

Jiao Yansong is the second one!

Jiao Yansong said, "When I came to the capital to take the imperial examination, I brought a few servants with me. I never expected that the Emperor would select me as the third-ranked scholar. Only then did I send the letter home to announce the good news to Yong'an Prefecture."

Wen Zongji clinked glasses with him: "Editor Jiao is a promising young man, and now he's about to take up his post at the Hanlin Academy. I'm afraid quite a few people want to arrange a marriage between you and your spouse. But so far, there's been no news. Is it because Editor Jiao is not interested in this matter at the moment, or should he consult his elders?"

Jiao Yansong lowered his eyes and said, "I was focused on preparing for the palace examination before, and had no interest in anything else."

Wen Zongji chuckled: "So, are you in the mood now?"

Jiao Yansong was slightly taken aback, not expecting Wen Zongji to ask such a direct question.

In fact, Jiao Yansong had guessed Wen Zongji's intentions before he arrived.

After all, he was not yet married and they were complete strangers. However, most of the people who held high positions of power who wanted to see him were there because of his marriage prospects.

Wen Zongji was a prominent figure in the capital. It was common knowledge that he had a younger sister who was not yet engaged.

But Jiao Yansong really didn't expect that Wen Zongji would start making direct statements after just a few casual words.

Wen Zongji said frankly, "Editor Jiao is a smart man, and I won't beat around the bush. I'm looking for a marriage for my younger sister, and I admire Editor Jiao's character. If you're interested, you can meet my younger sister, and you can decide for yourselves whether it works out or not."

Wen Zongji had already said it bluntly, so Jiao Yansong naturally couldn't dodge the question.

He hesitated for a moment and said, "This humble official may not be able to satisfy Miss Wen."

"Then let's just drop it."

Wen Zongji laughed and said, "Editor Jiao, don't worry. I'm not a bully who forces marriage. I just want to find a suitable husband for my little sister. Forced marriages are never sweet. I would never do anything to harm my little sister. If either of you is not satisfied, this marriage will not happen."

"You don't need to worry that I'll make things difficult for you because of this. I don't think my reputation is that bad, right?"

Jiao Yansong said, "I naturally trust Lord Wen's character."

In fact, everyone in the capital knew that Wen Zongji was exceptionally capable and had a bright future, but there were actually no rumors about his character.

But having come this far, Jiao Yansong had no choice but to agree.