The Imperial Examination was grueling. The next day, Zhao Jing and Xu Yanhe both slept in until mid-afternoon.
Zhao Jing possessed a much stronger constitution. Upon waking, he felt refreshed; his previous exhaustion was swept away, leaving him looking radiant and energetic.
Xu Yanhe, on the other hand, looked as though he had fallen gravely ill. He lay listlessly in bed, his body so weak he could barely sit up. Worried, the old madam summoned a doctor to examine him. Fortunately, there was nothing seriously wrong; he was simply severely depleted from the grueling days of the exam.
His grandmother's heart ached for him, and she ordered the servants to send over a mountain of health tonics.
Mrs. Guo and Xu Su Ying couldn't stand the sight of it. The next day, they went to Xu Yanhe's room together, chatting casually beside his bed.
"They both stayed in the examination hall for nine days, yet Jing isn't acting like this," Mrs. Guo remarked.
