By the ti the waiter brought up the ward wine and dishes, everyone was pushing cups and changing toasts, quickly bursting into laughter and rrymaking.
Only Su Ke sat with a gloomy face, drinking sullenly by himself, visibly unhappy.
Across from him, Qin Shuang’er occasionally shot him furious glares, her attitude one of deep-seated grudge, drawing the attention of Zhang Zhongding beside her, who kept looking back at them.
Zhang Zhongding might have appeared to be a simple brute, but he was actually very attentive, sothing that was evident from his vigilant eyes. Yet, he pretended to notice nothing and continued to engage cheerfully with everyone else.
Xue Qian silently sighed to himself and couldn’t help carefully observing Qin Shuang’er beside him.
Qin Shuang’er’s beauty was different from the current aesthetic standards; she did not have the round face that was most admired, but rather an oval one. With Xue Qian’s eyes, now used to seeing all kinds of beauties, she at first seed above average, but the more he looked, the more endearing she beca. The more he looked, the more he could sense a serene quality in her that was irresistibly attractive, making him unconsciously want to draw closer...
Such a woman, if one were to marry her and keep her at ho, would indeed be a ’flower that can understand human speech’.
No wonder these two were so fiercely competitive in secret.
However, he could see the situation clearly. Although Su Ke had the advantage of being childhood playmates with her, it was not enough as she had already made up her mind.
For this to succeed... it would be difficult!
As he was lost in his thoughts, a commotion suddenly erupted from downstairs.
"The results are out! Hurry, go have a look, the results are out!"
The entire Bangpeng Street instantly erupted into excitent.
Everyone could no longer sit still and all rose to crowd around the windows, looking down at the situation on the street.
The more agile servants had already leapt out and quickly descended the stairs, presumably to check if their masters were on the Apricot List.
Today, the Apricot List was due to be announced. Early in the morning, His Majesty had personally visited the examination hall, waiting for the mont of unveiling.
According to the numbers written on the dossiers recomnded by the Review Officer, the students’ dossiers were retrieved, the seals broken, and details such as place of origin, na, and age were transcribed one by one before the announcent could begin.
The crowd on Bangpeng Street had long been waiting in anticipation.
Finally, when the tightly closed doors of the examination hall opened, the entire street burst into a frenzy!
A few guards brandishing the yellow Apricot List erged from the exam hall doors. After so scolding, they barely managed to squeeze through the crowd and reached the listing pavilion, where they applied the paste and then affixed the Apricot List onto it.
"Look, look! See who’s on it..."
Countless people shouted and jostled, a sea of bodies pushing and shoving.
Those who managed to squeeze to the front and could read started to call out the nas, "His Majesty decrees: on the eighth day of the third month of the second year of the Jiantai Era, the imperial exam for Tribute Scholars from all over yielded four hundred and fifty-three first-class scholars from Yingtian Prefecture, He Di, number four hundred and fifty-two..."
The ones at the front, disliking the drawn-out voice of the reader, eagerly pushed forward to read the list themselves.
Ye Han had also co to Bangpeng Street today.
Watching the throng of people crowding ahead of him, he silently observed for a mont before turning his body around and heading into the examination hall.
Xue Qian’s page boy, remarkably sharp, finally made his way out of the crowd to the front. Straining his neck, he diligently searched; the Apricot List was dense with nas, and amidst the jostling crowd, he stretched as much as he could to spot a na on the list. Just as his eyes almost crossed from strain, a flash of the character "Xue" caught his eye. Before he could look closely, soone next to him slapped their palm.
"I’ve passed, really passed! Hahaha... truly I have passed!"
The man standing before him suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, a frenzy of whoops and hollers! He appeared utterly mad.
However, the people nearby seed to find nothing strange about his behavior. Instead, they stepped forward to congratulate him, showering him with a barrage of complints. Phrases like "a paragon of wisdom and martial prowess," "a talent towering eight dou high," and "the reincarnation of the star of literature" were thrown at him in quick succession.
The page boy struggled to keep his composure, his heart sinking further and further. Had the young master truly not been successful? As the saying goes, hard work pays off, and finally, the na "Xue Qian" ca into his view. He stifled the joy within him and examined the na on the Apricot List carefully several tis. After checking the address listed before the na and confirming that it was indeed their young master, he shouted aloud.
"He’s made it! Our young master has made it!"
Having said that, he hopped and skipped his way back ho.
Seeing this, the crowd quickly parted to make way, letting him scramble and rush back to deliver the news.
At this mont, in the elegant room on the second floor, everyone was also on tenterhooks.
Growing impatient, a young officer suggested, "There are so many people down there, why don’t we go and have a look ourselves?"
"The crowd below is simply too large; getting jostled would be counterproductive. Besides, if he has made it, his na will still be there. If not, there’s no use squeezing into the crowd."
As they spoke, the page boy’s shouts of joy could be heard from outside.
"Young master, young master, you’ve done it! You’ve passed the high exam, you’ve passed..."
The page boy, with a face full of joy, suddenly pushed the door open and rushed over to loudly congratulate him.
Xue Qian was first startled, then joy spread wildly in his heart, "Really? Are you sure you saw the right na and birthplace? Don’t forget, in the last Apricot List, there was a mix-up involving people with the sa na and birthplace."
That ti, the mistake with the list had caused quite a commotion, not only had the ssenger reported the wrong na, even the sponsor made the wrong announcent. It was only when the actual candidate ca forward that they realized the blunder.
If such an incident were to happen again today, the embarrassnt would be imnse.
"Young master, I checked five or six tis with the utmost care. I have confird the na and birthplace, and there is also the Grand Scholar’s Residence ntioned. Only then did I co to you to ask for a reward."
In the Grand Scholar’s Residence surnad Xue, there was only him.
"Hahaha... Indeed, a reward is in order! A hefty reward! Quickly, send soone to the house to spread the news, let grandmother and the others rejoice too!"
Excitent finally overwheld Xue Qian.
Ever since he realized that his essay on the spring scenery had accidentally beco one on autumn scenery, Xue Qian had been imrsed in regret and pain.
Today, he had co to view the list only holding onto a one-in-a-million chance, yet, unexpectedly, he truly had succeeded!
The imnse surprise had stunned him!
Only after confirming his success on the list did he start to rejoice. He loudly announced rewards, with everyone present getting a share.
Su Ke and the others also crowded around to ask for their rewards.
"You good lad! You said you had no hope, and yet, you’ve co out on top! How you could ramble on about your lack of chances here is beyond ," one of them said.
"Hahaha... I truly thought I had no hope, especially since I got that question wrong. But in the end, I actually made it! It’s as though Heaven itself has aided , Xue Qian!"
Xue Qian, beaming with joy, continuously stuffed silver into the hands of those around him.
Even Qin Shuang’er and the two maidservants behind her received a share, which delighted everyone imnsely.
In his own joy, Su Ke couldn’t help but feel anxious about his own prospects and urgently asked the page boy, "Did you see my na on the list at all?"
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