Chapter 1: Announcement of Results

It is not uncommon to find relationships as close as that of Si Sujin and Xiaoman in such a lively environment. Like the two of them, since the young lady's debut, the maid has been attending to her, and before she became famous, they often shared the same clothes, food, and carriage, which deepened their bond. Therefore, even though they must avoid suspicion in public after achieving success, referring to each other as sisters in private is not considered unusual.

Wenyuan Academy is the place where the results of the spring imperial examination are announced every three years in Nanjing.

Seeing Tan Zong with a look of annoyance, muttering to himself, the onlookers nearby immediately began to laugh and make a commotion.

However, even amidst the clamor, the students were not ignorant individuals; within just two or three breaths, the noise gradually subsided. Even those on the periphery who had come to watch the excitement mostly closed their mouths, widened their eyes, and perked up their ears.

In terms of Zhang Heniang's experience, this outstanding top scholar can be considered a first of its kind

Unlike other students who exude a certain charm and elegance, Xu Jun is quite the opposite, being a complete plump individual. At the age of eighteen or nineteen, he stands only at 1.67 meters tall and weighs around 167 pounds. When he starts running during the physical tests at the academy, each step causes him to shake three times. If he walks heavily up the stairs, the floor itself seems to sway in response.

It is a pity that although the wounds of the past have healed, a faint scar remains on the neck. While it is difficult to notice unless one looks closely, it ultimately becomes a regret among many.

However, for those students who have been waiting early in front of the Wenyuan Courtyard, today is a significant day that can determine the course of their entire lives

Hmph! Upon seeing the little girl with a pleading expression, Su Jin couldn't help but laugh inwardly, yet scolded her, "Why haven't you opened the window? Keeping the window shut in this April weather will suffocate us in here!"

As soon as he approached Tan Zong, a familiar smell of scallion pancakes wafted into Tan Zong's nose. Upon closer inspection, he immediately noticed that the fat man indeed had greasy hands. Realizing this, he quickly pulled the man over and, with one hand, lifted the fat man's ear, angrily exclaiming: "You glutton, it was indeed you who ate the pancakes!"

The person at the forefront is clad in a loose-fitting scarlet robe, with an emblem on the chest depicting a bird that resembles neither a crane nor a vulture: this large bird appears poised to take flight, embodying the spirit of soaring to great heights, and is indeed the white pheasant that is appropriate for a fifth-rank civil official of the Great Shun Dynasty. However, this individual's emblem is bordered with silver, indicating a deputy position; had it been bordered with gold, it would signify a full fifth rank.

In the Wenyuan Courtyard, several individuals were streaming out one after another

Oh? Tan Zong's heart sank, and he turned his head to shout: "Wen Chang, Wen Chang, come here quickly, you have achieved the highest rank in the examination."

Li Mingju and Tan Zong are both from Yuhang in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and they study at the same academy, thus their relationship is extremely close. In this provincial examination, Li Mingju has already passed, ranking ninth, while Tan Zong's knowledge is significantly superior to that of Li Mingju, leading to the firm belief that even if Tan Zong does not achieve the top scholar, he will undoubtedly secure the second place.

On the first day of the fourth month in the thirteenth year of the Great Shun and Peace, it was evidently another day suitable for a spring slumber.

"What the hell, this time I've really been done in! Don't let me find out who did this, or I will make that person pay!" Tan Zong felt a surge of anger and quickly took a clean sleeve to wipe his eyes vigorously.

Tan Zong pulled away the hand that Li Mingju was gripping on his sleeve, quickly glanced at it, and immediately frowned, saying: "Well, this is great. It was just a few drops, but with your grip, it has truly turned into a real mess"

"Tan Zong, come here quickly, come here quickly." Li Mingju was searching for him and, upon seeing Tan Zong indeed huddled at the back with an air of nonchalance, could no longer afford to be concerned about much. She hurriedly grabbed Tan Zong's sleeve and dragged him forward.

Su Jin possesses a character that is soft on the outside yet strong on the inside. In the past, there were high-ranking officials who attempted to coerce her with their power, but unexpectedly, Su Jin resorted to self-harm with a knife. Fortunately, the wound was not deep, and she ultimately survived. However, from that point on, no one dared to pressure her again. Thus, in the land of cosmetics in Jiangnan, she has maintained her purity, which is truly rare.

Examiners and students are not allowed to engage in excessive communication with each other, which has been a rule since the establishment of the Great Shun dynasty over four hundred years ago. The several attendants behind the three civil officials, upon merely glancing at the wide sleeves adorned with the golden characters "Inspection" on a black background, immediately recognize their role in supervision. This rule was also established by the founding Emperor Taizu.

There is actually a historical anecdote here. During the founding of the nation, the grandson of Emperor Taizu, who was the young Emperor Gaozong of the Dashun Dynasty, once secretly took the imperial examination under a false name. However, when the results were announced, it was observed that the students were overly submissive in front of the supervising officials, fearing to offend those with the power to evaluate their character. This was indeed inconsistent with the celebratory atmosphere of the announcement. Therefore, after ascending the throne, Emperor Gaozong issued a special decree, ordering the supervising officials not to interfere in this matter, which led to the lively and festive scene we see today.

Similarly, compared to the surrounding crowded people, there is also one person who appears slightly out of place

The scholars of Nanjing Prefecture are renowned throughout the world. Not to mention that among the current court officials, two or three out of ten hail from Nanjing, even the top three candidates in the imperial examinations over the years have certainly included scholars from Nanjing. Moreover, during the more than four hundred years of the Great Shun Dynasty, Nanjing Prefecture has produced eight or nine instances of candidates who achieved the highest honors in the examinations.

Regarding the gossip and teasing from those on the sidelines, Tan Zong did not mind it at all. Over the decades of life experiences that followed, he had encountered such situations many times, whether with colleagues, classmates, or friends. Especially those who flattered and sought connections, whenever a group of men gathered, there was not a single one who could hold their tongue; even more malicious jests were common, and Tan Zong had long since grown accustomed to it

The imperial examination commenced on the 9th day of the third month, lasting a total of nine days. Subsequently, an additional twelve days were allocated for the grading and ranking of papers, thus the announcement of results has been consistently scheduled for the 1st day of the fourth month. This has been the established practice for over four hundred years since the founding of the Great Shun Dynasty.

Before Tan Zongzhen could act, he suddenly heard someone shout: "Stop!"

As soon as these words were spoken, someone in the crowd immediately chimed in, "Exactly, exactly, but has Tan from Yuhang really become the top scholar?"

Hmph, I just can't stand those obnoxious men gossiping! Since Su Jin debuted, Xiao Man has always been by her side, officially a servant but in reality as close as sisters, so she wouldn't care about Su Jin's scolding. Seeing the half-smile on Su Jin's face, Xiao Man couldn't help but speak up, raising her hand and saying, "Alright, alright, I just don't want to see that Master Tan. I don't understand why you chose him, sister; in my opinion, he is even inferior to that Young Master Wang in the city!"

Unlike Tan Zong, there is someone on the Wenyuan Pavilion opposite Wenyuan Academy who is quite frustrated about this! If Tan Zong were here, he would certainly recognize that the person sitting on the soft seat, dressed in male attire, is none other than the other party mentioned in the earlier jest—now a renowned singer in Jiangnan—Su Jin

Su Jin debuted at the age of fourteen, gaining fame in Jiangsu and Zhejiang with a song titled "Die Lian Hua" written by Emperor Taizu. She later performed many of Emperor Taizu's renowned works, gradually increasing her popularity and becoming one of the most prominent singers in Jiangnan.

Upon raising his head, Zhang Heniang noticed that it was already late. He said little and directly announced the list of successful candidates. Those who passed were naturally overjoyed, while those who did not were dejected yet looked at Zhang Heniang with hope.

To put it bluntly, this appearance of the candidate is likely not much different from that of a "poor meat" with a fat head, big ears, and a brain full of fat. If placed in the context of previous dynasties, it is likely that just this appearance alone would have led to a downfall.

Once the students cleared the area around the announcement board, Zhang Heniang finally let out a sound and then proclaimed loudly: "This year, there are a total of 152 candidates in Nanjing Prefecture. According to the longstanding regulations of the court, 15 should be selected. However, after evaluation by the esteemed officials, it has been determined that 17 candidates are indeed qualified. Therefore, an urgent report was sent to the court from 400 miles away. After review by the Cabinet, a special decree has been issued to increase the quota by one for this year's provincial examination in Nanjing, thus allowing 17 candidates to be selected."

Looking at Jin Kejieyuan, who was caught by the ear, Zhang Heniang felt both curious and amused

However, whenever he heard others mention Qiuyue Tower or Su University, Tan Zong could not help but feel his heart race, his blood surge, and a captivating smile would instantly appear before his eyes. Although he had only caught a glimpse of her in the crowd the previous night, Tan Zong felt as if she were a celestial being.

To speak of it, Xu Jun is also a well-known figure in Nanjing.

As he rolled up his cuffs, Tan Zong slightly sniffed and a hint of pleasure crossed his face: "What a fragrant scallion pancake!" However, he soon remembered that this was his newly made garment, and instantly became angry again

Although these bayberries appear somewhat unripe, it is indeed rare to enjoy such a delicacy in April, especially when it has been chilled. Xiaoman and Su Jin are in sync with each other, so how could she not understand Su Jin's thoughts? With a few turns of her eyes in those large eye sockets, she continued, seemingly intentionally: "It is fortunate that Young Master Wang remembers that the young lady loves to drink this, and specially ordered someone to pick them. He even brought out the ice blocks saved from last winter, truly putting in a lot of effort for the young lady."

However, this was originally common knowledge among these students, yet one person only became aware of it two days ago

Zhang Heniang had long heard that the scholars of Nanjing were youthful and impetuous, bearing a resemblance to a certain senior. Therefore, he did not take Tan Zong's words and actions seriously. He merely glanced down at the name at the beginning of the imperial edict and shook his head, saying: "It is not Tan Zong, but Xu Jun, the student Xu Wenchang from the Nanjing Prefecture."

Zhang Heniang held the imperial edict in his hands, not putting on any airs, standing straight in front of the Wenyuan Courtyard and acknowledging the students with a bow. Even the two attendants behind Zhang Heniang did not return the greeting; they merely acknowledged with a nod, which sufficed as a response.

You!

Only when people around him occasionally congratulated him did Xu Jun begin to believe it. He hurriedly tossed the scallion pancake in his hand aside, not even knowing where it landed. He didn't bother to wipe his greasy hands, but instead pushed through the crowd in front of him, saying: "Everyone, please make way, let me go see if this is true or not. I must not be deceived by this 'Dream of Abundant Flowers' Tan Menghua."

At that moment, a chubby boy appeared seemingly out of nowhere, pushing aside all the scholars around him who had been successful in the imperial examination. While he was shoving them aside, he shouted, "Is it true that I have succeeded? Is it true that I have succeeded?" As he spoke, he seemed somewhat incredulous, clearly not having anticipated this outcome himself

Xu Jun, coming from a wealthy family and being generous in nature, is quite favored by his classmates. Furthermore, although Xu Jun cannot be considered exceptionally quick-witted, he is diligent and hardworking, and in terms of literary skills, he can be regarded as quite proficient. Even in Nanjing, no other student dares to claim they can surpass Xu Jun, making it only reasonable that he should achieve the top rank in the examination.

After greeting a few classmates who had come with him, Tan Zong hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd. It was only then that he realized he looked quite disheveled; even the new scholar's robe he was wearing had become wrinkled, and there was even some oil smeared on the cuff of his left sleeve, though he did not know who had done it

Upon seeing this, Xiaoman immediately realized that her young lady was no longer angry. She instantly felt a weight lift off her shoulders and hurriedly opened the window, only to see several officials in official robes walking out of Wenyuan Courtyard, followed by a few black-clad attendants. She quickly turned back and said, "Miss, come quickly, the results are about to be announced!"

Only because, according to the court's customary practice, this list is read in reverse order, with those mentioned earlier ranked lower, and the last name mentioned naturally being this year's top scholar in the provincial examination. Therefore, the scholars, while saddened by not hearing their own names, could not help but be filled with hope, eagerly wishing for their names to appear last.

It is infuriating that there are those who disdain the principles of propriety. In front of the Wen Yuan Academy, under the gaze of the public, someone actually dared to assault the top scholar of this examination. Truly, it is unworthy of being a son! Ironically, this top scholar from Nanjing is indeed different from others; not only is his literary work splendid, but his attire is also quite extravagant. Moreover, when this scholar arrived earlier, his hands were clearly soiled, evidently having just indulged in a hearty meal.

Young Master Wang possesses commendable knowledge, yet it is regrettable that he is burdened by his family background Su Jin, still savoring the moment, set down the chilled bayberry juice in her hand, her eyes slightly closed as if in reminiscence

The gentle sunlight, the refreshing coolness after a light rain, and the pleasant climate of early spring are all undeniably evident at this moment

Once this news spreads, it would likely cause a stir in other places. However, in Nanjing, the students showed no reaction at all, as such occurrences are quite common in the local examinations. In previous years, there have even been instances of adding three or five additional candidates, making it entirely unremarkable.

Forget it, I will come back to check later

Master Tan, such words should not be spoken lightly. The oil stains on your sleeve and the books you carry may very well belong to the future scholar. If by chance this reaches the scholar's ears, you might find yourself in trouble

In Tan Zong's eyes, he found the embroidery of the white pheasant to be truly terrible, even inferior to his own cross-stitching from his previous life. However, in the eyes of others, especially the students, it was met with envy: a civil official of the fifth rank, that was equivalent to a deputy in various offices, a truly distinguished fifth-rank official, perhaps even a high-ranking official in a province!

"Pah, look at your pitiful appearance." Li Mingju knew Tan Zong's temperament. She understood that although he was not born into great wealth, he was not lacking in money to spend. However, he was somewhat lazy, preferring tranquility over activity, and his greatest fear in life was trouble. This time, it was likely not that he truly cared about this new outfit; rather, he was probably too lazy to go to the tailor's shop to have another made.

Oh... is that so? Su Jin cast a meaningful glance at her young maid.

Ah, since Master Tan has become the Duke of Yiyuan, does that not mean that Madam Su of Qiuyue Tower will follow Master Tan to a life of propriety?

However, regardless of how the scholar is, based solely on his status as a scholar, if he were truly assaulted in front of the Wenyuan Academy, then it would be difficult for us to absolve ourselves of responsibility. Although it may not lead to a formal accusation, the outcome of being criticized for failing to protect the scholar during the year-end evaluation is unavoidable. Therefore, Zhang Heniang's loud shout was something that had to be done, whether he wanted to or not.

"It is impossible to explain clearly to you, young master." Seeing that his sleeve cuff was beyond saving, Tan Zong, being a carefree person, simply rolled up his sleeve, disregarding the fact that half of his arm was bare, and walked straight up to Zhang Heniang. He first bowed and said, "Your Excellency, you have worked hard," and then directly asked, "May I inquire, Your Excellency, is the one who achieved the top score from Yuhang Tan Zong?"

In that moment, Xiaoman felt as if her young lady's gaze pierced her heart like a sharp sword, as if she had uncovered a hidden secret within her. She suddenly felt flustered, sensing that the golden phoenix hairpin in her sleeve was exceedingly hot, almost burning her hand. For a moment, she even stumbled over her words: "Could it... could it not be?"

The reason why the ranking of the provincial examination papers differs from that of previous dynasties and is scheduled to last for twelve days is due to the regulations established by Emperor Taizu. This was intended to prevent the officials reviewing the papers from making irreparable mistakes due to the rush to meet deadlines. It is precisely because of this highly humane arrangement that the Dashun Dynasty, for over four hundred years, has never made significant errors in rankings, and each provincial examination ranking has been widely accepted by the scholars.

The sound of the wooden window closing was quite jarring, causing Su Jin, who had been sitting upright, to furrow her brows slightly and softly reprimand, "The mouth is on someone else; how they choose to speak is their own business. If you do not like it, simply do not listen. Why must you close the window?"

How truly wonderful it would be if life were always as it was at first sight

I do not know which scoundrel has smeared the oil from the cake onto me! If I find out who it is, I will make sure they pay for it

As for the noisy scholars and commoners in front of the door, the inspectors directly under the cabinet are rather indifferent to managing them

Hey, back in the day when I was taking the civil service exam, there were only two or three people admitted out of several thousand applicants, which truly felt like a thousand troops crossing a single-log bridge. Now, well, it's a one in ten chance, which is much simpler. Without any pressure, Tan Zongwei lowered his head and casually wiped his somewhat bleary eyes with his sleeve, only to feel a sharp sting in his eyes, realizing that there were bright yellow oil stains on his sleeve.

Unfortunately, during each spring examination, the entire process from grading to ranking and then to the announcement of results is overseen by officials from other regions. Moreover, these officials are strictly prohibited from interacting with outsiders during the examination period. As a result, the students have no way of knowing which prefecture the supervising official is from. Therefore, aside from expressing a polite greeting and saying "Your Excellency, you have worked hard," there is little else to say.

Ah! Little Man was taken aback. Although she knew that the young lady was mostly joking, her face still showed a look of panic, and she quickly pleaded, "Good young lady..."

Tan Zong looked up and immediately realized that something was amiss: in a moment of excitement, he had completely forgotten about his current surroundings

"Indeed, indeed, the Su family initially agreed to Young Master Tan's wager: if Young Master Tan truly achieved the top two positions in the imperial examination, he would be allowed to take the bride and marry her, following him into a life of propriety."

Zhang Heniang was not surprised by the students' reactions

Seeing Xiaoman still speaking on behalf of that Young Master Wang, Su Jin couldn't help but shake her head and smile bitterly, knowing that her money-loving friend had likely already received some benefits from him; otherwise, why would she be so eager? However, the two shared a deep bond, so Su Jin couldn't bear to truly scold her. Yet, she was unwilling to let this girl continue to cheer for that Young Master Wang, so she had to put on a serious face and feigned anger, saying: "If you think Young Master Wang is so wonderful, I might as well speak to him and send you to him!"

Hearing someone respond, they further teased Tan Zong, and the onlookers were even more amused

It is said that the Zhongshan Mountain in Nanjing is exceptionally endowed, gathering seven parts of the world's talent, which is indeed no exaggeration

As Zhang Heniang was about to call out a name, he suddenly felt a blur before his eyes and noticed that the group of scholars in front of him had all turned their heads in unison, wondering if something was wrong. Just as he was about to inquire, he heard someone shout from the crowd, "Tan Zong is behind!"

Those obnoxious men's mouths are truly irritating! Little Man angrily closed the window, pouting in frustration.

At this moment, another fearless person joined in the fun and said: "Who says otherwise? Perhaps our Young Master Tan has benefited from the hand oil of our future scholar, and will also share in the glory, becoming a sub-scholar himself!"

It is important to understand that even if a scholar later achieves the highest degree, he will merely be appointed to a minor position of the seventh rank during his tenure, and at most to the sixth rank, often working in the Hanlin Academy compiling books. However, if one lacks favorable circumstances and does not have capable individuals supporting him, it is uncertain how many years it would take to reach the fifth rank. Yet, looking at the current deputy magistrate, he is not yet seventy-five years old, clearly belonging to the type that achieves success early.

However, no one noticed that among the crowd, there was a person who was extremely impatiently yawning, feeling that this moment was truly unbearably dull

As soon as Su Jin finished speaking, the stern expression could no longer be maintained, and she couldn't help but break into a light laugh.

Let go, let go!