Early the next morning, the courtyard began to bustle with activity.

Yun Jiao arrived early, and she didn’t bring the children with her today.

There were too many people here, and the courtyard had stoves set up; it wasn’t very safe for the active children.

Upon seeing Yun Jiao, Jiang Hua and Wulang were so frightened that they were about to kneel down.

Yesterday, they heard from Mrs. Chen that Sanlang was originally the biological son of the Duke and now had become the Chief Cabinet Minister.

Jiang Hua recalled last night the things he had done to Sanlang in the past and was so scared he couldn’t sleep.

Yun Jiao smiled, saying, "Third Uncle, please don’t, there’s no need for so much formality among family."

Jiang Hua and Wulang were visibly nervous, but Yun Jiao just smiled and went over to sit with the female guests.

There weren’t many guests in the house, just a few neighbors, some family members of the Renxin Hall staff, and a few people Liu Lang met in the military.

Jiang Youzhi was on duty today, and it wasn’t until evening when the bride was brought back that he hurriedly came over.

As soon as he entered, Liu Lang’s colleagues quickly stood up to greet him.

Jiang Hua and Wulang didn’t dare to approach, it was Jiang Youzhi who took the initiative to greet them.

The wedding was completed by the year’s end, and soon the new year had passed. Scholars participating in the Spring Imperial Exam began arriving in the Capital City one after another.

Yun Jiao was determined to choose a suitable son-in-law for San Ya from these scholars.

She first asked Jiang Youzhi for the list of scholars who were taking the exam.

She first eliminated those who were too old, and among the ones left with a suitable age, she sent people to different inns to inquire about them.

Those from noble families were certainly not suitable as the match between families wouldn’t be well-matched.

Even if those families agreed to marry San Ya for Jiang Youzhi’s sake, San Ya’s future life would definitely not be easy.

San Ya had not received the proper education of an upper-class lady and couldn’t adapt to the life inside a prominent household.

Yun Jiao’s target was scholars from impoverished families.

The servants from the Duke Mansion spent several days lurking around various inns and finally brought back a list.

The ten or so people on this list were all unmarried scholars who didn’t appear wealthy.

Next, Yun Jiao asked the servants to specifically observe these ten or so individuals, to see how they conducted themselves in daily life. Those who were too pedantic were not wanted, nor those who were too slick.

She also asked the servants to inquire about the reputations of these individuals from other scholars; those with a bad reputation were also not acceptable.

Now, there were only three potential candidates left.

Yun Jiao held the list and looked at it.

One was a scholar named Li from the southern region, aged twenty-four.

Another was Hu Juren from the Coastal Prefecture, aged twenty-three.

The last one was Zhao Juren from the neighboring State, only twenty-one years old.

Yang Ying watched Yun Jiao staring at the list in a daze and joked, "Even when the Royal Family selects a Prince Consort, they might not be this meticulous. I think it’s fine to just pick the most handsome one from these three."

Since Yun Jiao undertook this task, she wanted to do it as perfectly as possible. She thought over and over, still wanting to find a way to test these men’s character.

She didn’t intend to hide San Ya’s relationship with Jiang Youzhi like Mrs. Chen. In her view, it’s not terrible for people to have motives; in the world, men looking for wives either seek wealth, beauty, family background, or the woman’s virtue; at the very least, they want to pass on their lineage.

Ultimately, there is something they are after.

For a scholar from a poor family without a foundation, San Ya’s background could be considered something men dream of.

Even if someone married San Ya for Jiang Youzhi, Yun Jiao felt it was only natural.

The key is that this person should have good character and know how to be grateful.