Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Imperial Street Praise Official

There was still half an hour before the new Jinshi's parade on the Imperial Street, and the streets along the way were already bustling.

No matter how many years have passed, the people of Beijing would always come to watch with great interest to catch a glimpse of the new Jinshi.

The wealthy people would book a private room in a restaurant along the street and sit comfortably to watch, while the poor people would watch from both sides of the street.

As the time got closer, news finally came.

Someone shouted excitedly: "The list of top scorers has been posted, the new top scorer is Fu Wenxiao!"

"The runner-up is Wang Xianchun!"

"The third place is ..."

“…”

The visitor called out the names of the top ten successful candidates in the imperial examination in one breath, his voice extremely excited.

There was a sudden commotion around and everyone started talking.

"The top scorer is Fu Wenxiao? Oh, it seems he was the top scorer in the imperial examination."

"I guessed right. Fu Wenxiao was chosen as the top scholar. This is the sixth highest scorer!"

"I heard that Fu Wenxiao is a rare handsome man..."

“…”

Unlike the previous dynasties, in the Daqing Dynasty, the dragon gate where the golden list was posted was open to the public. When the golden list was posted, there would be people waiting there.

Many scholars even went out of their way to copy a copy of the gold list for collection.

After the golden list was posted, the new successful candidates were paraded through the streets.

In this way, the people can know in advance who the top three winners are, and there will be many people introducing them along the way.

In the restaurant's private room, Yu Li and others also heard the sound coming from below and were all surprised.

Chu Shaoyu jumped up in surprise, clenched his fists and waved them, shouting, "Great, Cousin Fu is indeed the top scorer!"

Wang Rongxiu also said: "My father was the runner-up."

Mr. Wang’s name was Wang Xianchun.

Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Wang were both in high spirits, and their two children were also shouting happily.

Yu Li was also happy. She stood by the window and looked out. Although she knew that the newly-appointed scholars on parade had not arrived yet, she still couldn't help looking.

Suddenly, Yu Li saw someone waving at her from a private room in the restaurant opposite. She looked over and found that it was Princess Fuhui.

These two restaurants happen to be across from each other. I heard that they are competitors and often compete fiercely for business.

The two restaurants are in a great location, on both sides of the Imperial Street. At times like this, all the private rooms in the restaurants will be reserved by distinguished people. If you don't have some power, it will be difficult to reserve one.

The private room in the restaurant where Yu Li and the others were staying was booked by Chu Shaoyu. He was the prince of Rui, so the restaurant gave him some face.

Princess Fuhui did not call Yu Li's name in public, but just waved and greeted her. When she saw her looking at her, she threw the bouquet of flowers in her hand to her.

Yu Li reached out and caught it.

When Princess Fuhui saw that she caught it, she smiled happily.

Chu Shaoyu happened to see this scene and said in surprise: "Cousin, isn't that Princess Fuhui? Why are you taking her flowers? We have flowers too. When Cousin Fu comes over for the parade later, you can throw flowers to him."

It is a beautiful time of spring, when the spring flowers are in full bloom.

When such a grand event happened, the common people would pick flowers and throw the flowers to the new scholars when they passed by in parade, to express their love and blessings for them.

There are even many people who take the opportunity to sell flowers along the way and make some money.

In fact, it is mostly women who throw flowers. When they see a man they like, they can throw flowers to him. The more flowers are thrown to him, the more popular he is.

Of course, if there are no flowers, you can also throw handkerchiefs, purses, etc.

However, generally speaking, such things are girls' personal belongings, and very few girls would throw them away. If they were thrown to the wrong place, or if they fell on the street and were picked up by other men, it would be bad and would damage their reputation.

Before going out, Qing Huan prepared a basket of flowers in advance, and threw them to the masters when they were praising the officials in the Imperial Street.

Yu Li put the bouquet of flowers aside and said, "These flowers are blooming beautifully."

If the other party throws them to you, there is no need to be hard on yourself with the flowers. You can give them to others later.

In fact, Yu Li likes flowers and plants very much. They have various colors and are bright and eye-catching, representing their vigorous vitality. No matter how long you look at them, you will never get tired of them.

Chu Shaoyu wondered, "She's fine, why would she throw flowers at you?" He glanced at Princess Fuhui across from him suspiciously, and then said, "Cousin, I heard that Fuhui used to like cousin Fu very much, and she even stayed single for him. You'd better be careful."

Yu Li looked at him: "What are you being careful about?"

"Be careful..." Chu Shaoyu looked at her and suddenly felt stuck.

Yeah, what should we be careful about?

With the powerful force that could easily smash the boat, if Princess Fuhui dared to snatch the person from her, she could deal with her with just one finger. Why would she be afraid of a princess? Even if Princess Fuhui used her power to suppress others, don't forget that there was also Princess Yuan'an. Could her power be greater than Princess Yuan'an?

Moreover, Fu Wenxiao is a very opinionated person. Needless to say, his character is also very good. With such a good girl around him, how could he look down on others?

Princess Fuhui couldn't snatch it away even if she wanted to.

After Chu Shaoyu figured it out, he rubbed his head and said sincerely, "Just pretend I didn't say anything."

Yu Li said "oh" and didn't take it seriously, continuing to look outside.

She found that the doors and windows of the shops and restaurants on both sides of the Imperial Street were open, and there were young women with sweet and pretty voices, all of whom had come specially to watch the parade of the top scholar.

The girls were discussing who was more handsome, the No. 1 or No. 3 scholar, and quite a few of them had heard of Fu Wenxiao's name.

Finally, the sound of drums came from the front.

Hearing this sound, everyone became excited, knowing that the parade was coming.

The people along the road looked forward one after another, and there were officials around to maintain order, to prevent the crowded people from accidentally falling in the middle of the road and affecting the parade of the new scholars.

As the officials leading the way came over, everyone first saw the top scholar in the group.

He was dressed in a black gauze and red robe, with a palace flower in his hat, and riding a white horse. He came towards the bright spring sun, with a handsome face like a jade crown and extraordinary beauty.

Everyone was stunned.

When the girls reacted, their faces flushed and they threw the flowers in their hands towards the number one scholar.

For a moment, it seemed as if the flowers were falling like rain, and the petals were dancing in the spring breeze.

People on both sides of the street said one after another: "Oh, this number one scholar is so handsome, even the third place scholar is not as good-looking as him."

"I heard that he was the first person to win six yuan in the imperial examination."

"I don't know if he's married."

“…”

Many girls around him want to know whether the top scholar will get married.

Especially those unmarried girls sitting in the private rooms of the restaurant. They can book the private rooms, which shows that they come from good families. This time they came to watch the parade of the top scholar, besides to join in the fun, they also want to pick a good husband from here.

The girls who were interested in the number one scholar threw the flowers in their hands at him.

However, somehow, none of the flowers fell on the number one scholar, and he easily avoided them.

Some people saw through the trick and couldn't help but laugh. It seemed that this top scholar had quite some skills.

Until amid the noisy sound, someone called out "Xiao Ge'er", and then a bouquet of flowers was thrown at the top scholar, hitting him right in his arms.

The top scholar took it, looked towards the restaurant, and then a smile appeared on his face.

She was dressed in red and had a jade-like face. Her demeanor was ethereal and she looked like a jade tree in a jade forest. Everyone was stunned again.

Yu Li leaned against the window, smiled at the man who caught the flowers, and waved.

Influenced by the lively atmosphere, she also became more lively. When she saw him looking at her, she couldn't help but feel happy. Especially when she heard people around her praising him, she felt a sense of honor in her heart.

This is the partner she chose. When others praise him, they are naturally praising her for her good taste.

The handsome and incomparable No. 1 scholar attracted everyone's attention, while the second and third place candidates were ignored.

Fortunately, Mrs. Wang did not forget her husband.

She also took a bouquet of flowers and called out to the runner-up who was passing by, "Husband!"

Mr. Wang - Wang Xianchun heard his wife's voice, looked up and was about to smile, but his wife threw the flower away and he didn't catch it.

Fortunately, Wang Rongxiu was prepared and handed another bouquet of flowers to his mother. Seeing his mother throwing flowers to her lover like a twentieth-century girl, he couldn't help but shake his head secretly.

This time, Mrs. Wang finally threw the flowers into Wang Xianchun's arms, and Wang Xianchun looked delighted.

When the third place winner saw Wang Xianchun also received flowers, he said enviously, "Brother Wang, your sister-in-law also came to give you flowers. That's great."

Wang Xianchun said with a smile: "You are not bad either, you are the third place in the imperial examination, and all the girls around here are here for you."

To be chosen as the third place in the imperial examination, he must have a good appearance. Riding on a tall horse, he is also an elegant young man, which naturally attracts the attention of many young girls.

The third place winner glanced at the first place winner who was walking in front of him with flowers, and said quietly, "Brother Wang, I think those girls are here for the first place winner, and have nothing to do with me, the third place winner."

If it weren't for Fu Wenxiao, he, the third place winner, would naturally be the most outstanding looking among all the new Jinshi.

Even though they were both men, he couldn't say with a clear conscience that he was better looking than Fu Wenxiao.

Wang Xianchun looked at the girls around him who were throwing flowers, handkerchiefs and purses at the champion. They were just like crazy. He comforted them, "It's okay. Our champion is a rare handsome man in the world. It's normal for ordinary people to be inferior to him."

Tanhua: “…” Is this a comfort or a blow?

This is also the first time that the third place winner’s appearance is not as good as that of the first place winner.

Even Princess Fuhui, who liked handsome men, felt that something was missing after seeing the handsome No. 1 scholar and then the elegant No. 3 scholar.

She sighed, "Why is there only one Fu Xiao in this world?"

**

After the street patrol, Fu Wenxiao returned to his house in Liuwen Lane.

When he entered the door, he saw everyone was waiting for him, even Chu Shaoyu was there.

"Cousin Fu, you look so handsome in this red top scholar robe." Chu Shaoyu circled around him.

Zhou was also cheerful, "Xiao has been handsome since he was young, and he looks even better in red. It's a pity that he rarely wears such bright colors."

Look at this red robe, it makes his face look even more handsome, even the third place winner is overshadowed by him.

She couldn't help laughing when she thought of those people on the street saying that the third place winner was not as handsome as the first place winner.

In fact, Tanhua was also very handsome, more handsome than the average man, but unfortunately he met Xiao Ge'er.

Fu Wenxiao smiled gently and his eyes fell on Yu Li.

He walked over, took her hand, and called out with a smile, "A-Li."

Yu Li tilted his head to look at him and said, "Fu Wenxiao, red suits you very well. It looks good."

After hearing her words, he lowered his eyes and smiled, with his ears slightly red.

He had been accustomed to his appearance since he was a child, and no matter how much others praised him, he never took it to heart. However, when he heard her praising him, he was extremely happy, as if he was about to overflow.

After a lively meal, it was already late.

Then Yu Li and Fu Wenxiao went to the princess's mansion to pay a visit to Princess Yuan'an.

Such a happy event naturally requires me to tell her in person.

The princess's mansion was decorated with lights and looked extremely festive.

As early as when the news came that Fu Wenxiao had won the top spot in the imperial examination, the princess's mansion started to get busy and made the house bustling with activity.

Every servant in the princess's mansion had a smile on their face and was extremely happy.

When Yu Li and Fu Wenxiao entered the house, the servants along the way congratulated them.

The two men arrived at the main courtyard. Mammy and others were standing at the door looking in, and when they saw them they shouted with joy.

Princess Yuan'an, who was in the room, heard the noise and was helped up by the palace maids to come out to greet them.

Seeing her, Yu Li and Fu Wenxiao stepped forward to support her and helped her into the house.

Yu Li said in a brisk voice, "Mother, Xiao Ge'er has become the top scorer in the imperial examination."

Princess Yuan An smiled and said, "My son has always been diligent and honest, which is very good."

Fu Wenxiao bowed his head slightly and said respectfully, "I will follow my mother's teachings."

Both mother and son knew that becoming the top scholar was only the first step for Fu Wenxiao to return to the capital. There would be more things to come. When Fu Wenxiao returned to the court, there would be many twists and turns, and it was not time to relax.

Princess Yuan An couldn't help but glance at Yu Li and said, "Tomorrow is the Qionglin Banquet. Perhaps the Saint will announce your identity at the Qionglin Banquet."

Fu Wenxiao nodded, "I know."

He was prepared for this, too.

Yu Li was holding some snacks and was about to eat them. Hearing this, he looked at the mother and son and saw that the smiles on their faces had disappeared and their expressions were calm and restrained.

The servants tactfully withdrew, and Nanny Ru and Yuzhu stood guard at the door.

There were only three people in the room.

Yu Li slowly put the snack into his mouth and listened to what the mother and son said nonchalantly.

"...You are already married. The Queen will probably summon Li Niang to the palace. I will send Yuzhan over. With her there, you don't have to worry."

Fu Wenxiao nodded.

At the end, Princess Yuan An narrowed her eyes slightly, looked towards the door, and said softly: "From now on, the Duke's Mansion will be handed over to you."

Fu Wenxiao said in a deep voice: "Mother, I will."

Princess Yuanan patted his hands, expressing her great confidence in her son's abilities. Some things did not need to be said.

A little later, the princess's residence also held a banquet to celebrate Fu Wenxiao's success in becoming the top scholar.

After Yu Li gave the princess mother-in-law a treatment with supernatural powers, he became hungry and had a great appetite, so he ate up the entire banquet.

**

The next day, Fu Wenxiao changed into the imperial scholar's uniform and went to attend the Qionglin Banquet.

As the new number one scholar, Fu Wenxiao was the most eye-catching person at the Qionglin Banquet, and all the successful candidates came to make their acquaintance with him.

The banquet had not yet begun and the sage had not arrived, so the scholars were all very relaxed and chatting casually.

In the attic not far away, Princess Fuhui and others were sitting and looking at this group of new scholars.

A little princess about ten years old asked, "Sister Fuhui, is the emperor going to choose a prince consort for you today?"

The other princesses all looked at Princess Fuhui.

The old emperor had a total of six princesses, three of whom were already married. The remaining three, except Princess Fuhui, were two little princesses around ten years old.

All the princesses are here for the Qionglin Banquet today.

When they learned that their father was going to choose a son-in-law for Princess Fuhui from among the new scholars, they became somewhat curious and came to take a look. Here they could just happen to see what was happening at the Qionglin Banquet.

Princess Fuhui looked distracted, waving a palace fan, and said, "I think so."

The eldest princess frowned slightly and said seriously: "Fuhui, are you still thinking about Fu Xiao?"

"Not really." Princess Fuhui shook her head.

Hearing this, the eldest princess' expression eased a little, and she stopped worrying about it. She said earnestly: "I heard that Fu Xiao has married, so don't worry about it anymore. Let your father find you a good-looking man, and live a good life with your husband in the future."

The eldest princess has a serious personality and always follows the rules. She cannot stand some of her younger sister's behavior.

It would be good if Fuhui could calm down and live a good life with her husband in the future.

This is to avoid spreading the reputation of being dissolute. People would think that all princesses are like this, which would be bad for the princesses' reputation. After all, they still have two younger sisters who are not married yet.

Princess Fuhui didn't take it seriously. After hearing the eldest princess's nagging, she said, "I want to find a consort, but none of those men can compare to Fu Xiao. What can I do? I am not interested in men whose faces are not as good as Fu Xiao's, and I am not willing to spend the wedding night with him."

The eldest princess: “…”