The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 399

Su Xi shook her head and said, "The weather changes too quickly during seasonal transitions—it's normal for predictions to be inaccurate."

Although the carriage roof was waterproof, if the road became too muddy, the horses might panic and refuse to move. If they were delayed until midnight, the city gates would already be closed.

Zong Zhao replied, "Then let’s stay here for the night and return to the capital tomorrow once the rain stops. We’ll make it in time."

Xu Wan went to make arrangements: "Alright, I’ll have Cui Zhi speak with the farmers."

There were many farmhouses nearby, but their group was too large to stay in just one, so they split up among several households. Xu Wan, feeling uneasy, stayed in the same house as the five children.

Before long, the heavy rain poured down in torrents.

With adults present, the boys carelessly played and laughed inside the house. Their excitement even led them to the kitchen, where they tried their hand at cooking.

As dusk fell, the rain only grew heavier.

Xu Wan gazed anxiously at the darkening sky and said, "Will the rain really stop by tomorrow morning? What if it doesn’t? I deliberately set aside a day for them to rest in the capital, but now we’re stuck in the outskirts."

Zong Zhao reassured her, "Don’t worry. I’ve already sent word to the nearby courier stations to deliver two fast horses for the carriage. If the rain hasn’t stopped by tomorrow, Buyan and I will take the main road and escort them back to the capital first."

Xu Wan asked, "Won’t the courier horses be afraid of the rain?"

Zong Zhao replied, "They are, but there are plenty of stations along the main road—we can switch horses after each stretch."

Hearing this, Xu Wan finally felt slightly more at ease.

Zong Zhao said softly, "Go to sleep. Overthinking will only make you restless. Who knows? By morning, the rain might have stopped."

"You’re right," Xu Wan agreed before turning to go inside.

The farmhouse had two bedrooms—one with a simple wooden bed for the adults and another with a large communal sleeping platform for the children. The five boys, never having seen such a bed before, rolled from one end to the other in excitement, still whooping and hollering well into the night.

It wasn’t until Zong Zhao came to remind them to sleep that they finally settled down.

Since they hadn’t brought any bedding, they used the farmer’s quilts, which carried a faint musty smell and felt slightly damp. Zong Zhao said to Xu Wan, "Just bear with it."

Xu Wan smiled. "You’re the one who needs to bear with it, aren’t you?" She had grown up in poverty, after all.

Zong Zhao chuckled. "Military life is much harsher. Sometimes we had to sleep outdoors, and the mosquito bites alone made it hard to rest."

"Well, that’s true…" Xu Wan was easily convinced.

With only one quilt between them, the question of whether to share a bed didn’t even arise. They slept side by side, growing more accustomed to each other’s presence.

But that night, Xu Wan slept poorly. She kept dreaming that the rain hadn’t stopped, that the roads had been washed out, and that she couldn’t get the children back to the capital in time for the imperial examinations—forcing them to wait another three years.

"Ah—" She jolted awake from the nightmare.

Cold sweat drenched her body, her heart pounding. Outside, the sky was a dull gray, signaling the approach of dawn.

Zong Zhao quickly sat up and asked, "What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Has the rain stopped?" Xu Wan countered.

Zong Zhao didn’t even need to look outside—the relentless downpour grew louder by the minute. "Not yet."

Xu Wan’s heart sank. "I was too optimistic. I shouldn’t have taken them so far from the capital just two days before the exams."

Zong Zhao comforted her, "It’s not your fault. Their poetry skills were lacking, and they needed the extra practice. Besides, you already set aside a full day for them to rest. The weather changed too suddenly—no one could have predicted this."

Xu Wan asked, "Can we leave this morning? They must return to the capital today. If they miss the exams tomorrow, they’ll have to wait three more years. They’ve prepared so long for this."

Zong Zhao glanced outside. "I’ll check if the courier horses have arrived. If not, the carrier pigeons might have been delayed by the heavy rain. Buyan and I will go to the station to fetch the horses and escort them back. Cui Liu can stay here to protect you."

"Alright."

Xu Wan knew how crucial these exams were—even more important than the annual college entrance exams in modern times. They couldn’t afford any mishaps now.

Zong Zhao dressed quickly and left with Buyan, their figures soon disappearing into the rain-drenched dawn. Before long, Cui Liu and Cui Zhi arrived.

Cui Zhi urged, "Madam, try to sleep a little longer. It’s not even light out yet."

Xu Wan asked, "Cui Zhi, do you think the rain will stop today?"

Cui Zhi knew nothing of weather patterns, but seeing Xu Wan’s distress, she offered reassurance: "I’m not sure, but the north isn’t like the south—we don’t get such heavy rains. It’s been pouring since last evening. Surely it’ll let up soon."

Xu Wan murmured, "Right, right… The north doesn’t get much rain. It should stop soon."

By mid-morning, the five boys had woken up one after another.

Cui Liu had already brought back food and told them to wash up before eating. Zong Jincheng glanced outside at the relentless rain and muttered, "Why hasn’t it stopped yet?"

Cui Liu replied, "It should soon. Both Cui Zhi and Madam say northern rains don’t last long."

"Oh, that makes sense." Zong Jincheng perked up and called to his friends, "Come eat! After breakfast, we can write poetry—this autumn rain, this thatched cottage, what inspiration!"

"What inspiration? This damp, miserable weather just makes me want to curse like Old Master Su!"

"Then curse elegantly—mind your language."

"Hahaha… fair point."

Before ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‍long, Zong Zhao and Buyan returned with the horses, bringing rain hats and umbrellas. Xu Wan urged them to eat first while Shunzi and the others prepared the saddles.

Once everything was ready, the five boys climbed into the carriage. Zong Zhao and Buyan mounted their horses and set off down the main road.

When Su Xi arrived under an umbrella, she only caught a glimpse of the carriage disappearing into the distance. She said to Xu Wan, who wore a stern expression, "Don’t be so tense. Your husband seems reliable—he’ll get them back safely."

Xu Wan replied, "I hope you’re right. The main road is a bit longer, but they should reach the capital by afternoon. I just hope they don’t catch cold—nine days in the examination hall with a fever would be unbearable."

During the nine-day imperial exams, examinees could bring medicine, but colds were stubborn. Not only would it affect their performance, but severe cases might even prevent them from lasting the full duration.

Su Xi reassured her, "Don’t overthink it. Their carriage is waterproof, and they have quilts. They won’t freeze or get drenched—they’ll be fine."

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om