Chapter 81
Perhaps because I had a goal, every day after that went by extra quickly.
However, in stark contrast to Lu Shang and the others, the people still in Songxi County City, especially Jiang Wanning, have been living like a year every day since the last half month of delivery.
"Wanwan, are you awake? The doctor is waiting in the yard. Let's take her pulse." This was the third time that Jiang's mother had called out softly at the door. If there hadn't been a response from inside every time, she would have broken in long ago.
As May approached, Jiang Wanning felt worse day by day. She could get out of bed easily yesterday and stroll around the yard, but after just one night, she was so tired that she couldn't even get out of bed.
Jiang's mother and Grandma Lu waited for her all morning but didn't see her. They then realized something was wrong and quickly brought the doctor to her bedroom. When they went in, they found that Jiang Wanning couldn't turn over by her own strength, so naturally she couldn't get out of bed.
From that day on, Jiang's mother would take care of her until she went to bed every night before leaving. The next day, she would come and knock on the door early, and only after Jiang Wanning agreed would she go in and help her up.
This went on for about seven or eight days. Today, Jiang's mother came to ask as usual, but Jiang Wanning just said that she was awake and refused to let Jiang's mother in.
Jiang's mother's first reaction was that something had happened, but no matter how much she asked, Jiang Wanning refused to answer. When asked urgently, he said that he was still sleepy and not only would he not allow Jiang's mother in, he would not allow anyone else in either.
But Jiang's mother thought her voice was normal and there was no unusual sound in the room. She couldn't just barge in without permission, so she could only come and ask every half an hour to make sure her daughter was awake.
Jiang's mother kept asking back and forth for six times. The last time, she couldn't help herself and insisted on going in to take a look. "Wanwan, mother is going in. I won't ask the doctor or the maids to go in. I'll go in alone—"
There was no sound in the room for a long time. Mother Jiang pursed her lips and finally pushed the door open and went in.
She walked around the screen in the room and saw the person lying on the bed with his back to her. She was shocked when she saw this scene, and she ran two steps quickly and hurried to the bed.
There was no other reason. It was just that Jiang Wanning had not been able to sleep on her side in the past two months. Her belly was not too big compared to others, but she was pregnant after all. The weight of a child in her belly always made her feel uncomfortable. Lying flat would put pressure on her waist and abdomen, which was already unbearable, but if she turned to her side, her whole body would become numb in a quarter of an hour at most.
Jiang's mother would take care of her every day and make her lie flat to sleep, and she would also put several pillows under her waist. Although it was not very useful, it could at least allow her to sleep peacefully for two hours. If the child was well-behaved, it was not impossible for her to sleep until dawn.
Jiang's mother couldn't imagine how she managed to get herself off the soft pillow and turn over.
She didn't have time to think about it. She just put one hand on Jiang Wanning's shoulder and gently massaged her back with the other hand. She asked, "Wanwan, why are you lying on your side? Are you feeling uncomfortable? Can I call a doctor to take a look at you?"
No matter how many times Jiang's mother asked, Jiang Wanning never answered.
In the end, Jiang's mother forcefully turned her over and stood up, intending to pull her back onto the soft pillow. However, as soon as she saw Jiang Wanning crying silently, she was so frightened that she forgot all actions.
After an unknown amount of time, Mother Jiang slowly sat back down.
She did not force Jiang Wanning to do anything, but just asked her to lie down slowly, and stuffed a pillow under her waist. She watched her pinching her waist, then pressed her hands back and massaged it slowly to relieve the soreness and pain in her waist.
Mother Jiang asked softly, "Wanwan, why are you crying? Where are you feeling wronged? Can you tell me?"
“…” Jiang Wanning suddenly closed her eyes, letting another line of tears slide down from the corners of her eyes.
After a while, she said while crying: "...If I had known, I would not have asked him to go." No one knew how long she cried. Her eyes were obviously red and swollen, but the emphasis of her words was not up or down, no different from usual. No wonder Jiang's mother didn't hear her tears.
Mother Jiang wiped her tears with a distressed look on her face. She understood what she meant in an instant, but she didn't know how to respond to her words.
As for Lu Shang leaving home to take the exam, there were actually too many frustrations and irreconcilable contradictions.
Judging from his future prospects, there was nothing wrong with him going to Beijing to take the imperial examination. Even when he proposed to give up the exam, it was Jiang Wanning who first opposed it. All the subsequent dissuasion and preparation were done by her herself.
But from an emotional point of view, scientific research can be done at any time, why must it be done when his wife is giving birth?
Jiang Wanning was in a period of sensitive and changeable emotions. Perhaps she said this just to complain for a moment, but no one could tell how long this complaint would last, and whether it would eventually turn into grievance and resentment.
After all, it's a matter between the young couple, so whatever she says is right.
As the mother-in-law, if Jiang's mother agreed, it would inevitably be seen as provocative.
But she couldn't help but feel distressed when she saw Jiang Wanning crying. She opened her mouth several times but didn't know how to comfort her. She could only abruptly redirect her attention: "Let's not talk about him anymore...Wanwan, did you sleep well last night? Did the child bother you?"
Jiang Wanning sobbed twice and shook her head slowly: "She slept well, and the baby didn't make a fuss. She's very well behaved, always."
"Then how come—" Mother Jiang was a little confused. Looking at her red and swollen eyes, she didn't know whether she should continue asking.
Logically speaking, so many days have passed and the child has not caused his mother any distress, so Jiang Wanning shouldn't have such big emotional fluctuations. Judging from her appearance, she had been crying for at least an hour and endured the grievance alone.
Jiang Wanning closed her mouth, and thinking of what happened this morning, she closed her eyes in embarrassment.
——Mother Jiang guessed correctly. That was what happened that caused her to suddenly break down emotionally and even blame Lu Shang for leaving.
Jiang Wanning woke up early this morning. She looked at the sky outside the window and knew it would take half an hour before her mother came to help her get up.
But she was so thirsty and uncomfortable, and the baby in her belly had been pressing on her all night. She was anxious to go to the toilet, so she wanted to push herself up from the bed.
Who would have thought that after struggling for so long, she only managed to throw herself off the soft pillow. The moment her body landed heavily on the bed, the cramps in her lower body made her scream out in pain, her nails instantly dug into her flesh, and her hair stuck to her face in a mess.
Her body was already stiff after not moving for the entire night, and after this ordeal, she was unable to move at all.
Just as Jiang Wanning was lying on the bed gasping for breath, she heard Jiang's mother's inquiring voice coming from the door. She didn't want her mother to see her in this state, so she refused, saying that she had not slept enough.
But as she heard her mother's footsteps gradually fading away, her tears began to fall uncontrollably.
Later, she straightened her body little by little, carefully combed the loose hair on her temples, and waited for her sweat-soaked clothes to dry halfway. She cried several times during the process, but did not make any sound and did not bring anyone in.
It was in this unbearable situation that Jiang Wanning suddenly thought of——
It would be better if Lu Shang hadn't left.
If Lu Shang were still at home, he would definitely stay with her all night, coax her to sleep, and massage her sore back and limbs. She wouldn't have to worry about waking up numb all over, or being unable to get up from the bed...
Jiang's mother also suggested sleeping with Jiang Wanning, but she was not young after all, and had suffered a lot in the past few years, so her spirit was not as good as before. If she really agreed, she was afraid that she would also have trouble sleeping all night long.
So Jiang Wanning could only refuse and try to get through the last half month by herself.
But if you don’t experience this, you really don’t know that just twenty or thirty days can be as unbearable as twenty or thirty years.
Seeing that she had been silent for a long time, Jiang's mother considerately did not continue to ask. She touched Jiang Wanning's clothes and felt that they were a little wet. She whispered something to her and went to the cabinet next to her to find new underwear.
She didn't have much strength, so it was a little difficult for her to help Jiang Wanning up by herself.
But Jiang's mother said nothing. She just took care of her. After she changed into new inner clothes and put on her outer clothes, she folded the bedding neatly and took her to sit at the table.
Just to finish all this, another half hour passed.
Jiang Wanning didn't have to work hard, but Mother Jiang was out of breath for a long time.
But she still had to take care of it: "Did your mother call the doctor in for you?"
This time, Jiang Wanning finally did not refuse.
As Jiang's mother's footsteps came in and out, the doctors who had been guarding the door all came into the room. The doctor who took Jiang Wanning's pulse was named Tian. He was in his forties or fifties and was best at treating women. After taking her pulse, he stroked his short beard and said, "Madam's pregnancy is stable, but her mood swings are a bit too much."
"In my opinion, the madam will give birth in half a month at the latest, almost by the end of this month. If the child is in a hurry, it is not impossible for her to give birth a few days earlier."
Jiang Wanning and her mother didn't feel bad about what the doctor said.
Jiang Wanning has been pregnant for more than nine months. Although there is a folk saying that a pregnancy lasts ten months, after nine and a half months, it is considered full-term, and it doesn't matter if it's a few days earlier or later.
Anyway, no matter how late it is, it is impossible to wait for Lu Shang to come back. Jiang Wanning thought that it would be better to give birth early so that she can get rid of this heavy body.
Doctor Tian then prescribed two more obstetric medicines, which were harmless to the body but could make future childbirth more convenient. They should be taken twice every ten days, which was the right time to take them.
After thanking him, Jiang Mu called the maid at the door in and took the prescription to get the herbs and boil them.
The mansion has recruited four or five new maids, all of whom are from good families. Unlike other wealthy families, they do not buy their indentures. They work in the mansion like long-term or short-term workers for a few months, mainly to take care of Jiang Wanning.
After giving instructions to the maid, Jiang's mother sent several doctors out, and did not forget to tell the people at the door to prepare a light breakfast quickly so that the lady could eat something to fill her stomach.
She had been busy with all kinds of things all morning, and finally when she had finished most of them, she returned to the room and sat face to face with Jiang Wanning, with a look of fatigue on her face.
Jiang Wanning's fingertips trembled slightly, and she suddenly called out, "Mother..."
"What's wrong?" Jiang's mother quickly perked up, thinking that she had something to do.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Wanning shook her head and whispered, "I'm sorry... I made you worry again."
Jiang's mother suddenly smiled and tapped the back of her hand. "Silly Wanwan, what are you talking about? You're pregnant and you need someone to take care of you. If even I can't take care of you, then what's the point of me staying with you?"
Jiang Wanning still shook her head: "No, I was angry with you this morning and made you worry for a long time. I will definitely not do that next time. Mom, come back tomorrow and just come in directly."
"Silly Wanwan, pregnant women are always sensitive. It's normal for you to be unhappy. Don't think too much. As long as you are fine, nothing else matters."
Mother Jiang counseled him carefully for a few words, and then used the example of her own pregnancy: "You don't know, when I was pregnant with your eldest brother, it was a torment. I couldn't bear to see your father out of my sight. At that time, I was the only one who suffered, and the whole family couldn't hope to survive..."
Taking advantage of Jiang Wanning's guilt, Jiang's mother coaxed her to eat an extra egg. After breakfast, she went out for a walk again. She didn't go back to her room to rest until the sun got bigger and a little warmer.
In the afternoon, Grandma Lu also came over.
During this period, the two women in the family have been taking care of Jiang Wanning. Mother Jiang usually takes care of her in the morning and half of the afternoon. After the lunch break at noon, Grandma Lu comes to take over.
At first, Jiang Wanning refused to use anyone, but as time went on, she found that she could not do anything alone, so she had no choice but to agree and asked the two elders to look after her.
In the evening, Doctor Tian came to take my pulse again, and the obstetric medicine prepared in the morning was also ready. It was a small bowl of dark medicine, but fortunately it had no taste and was not too bad.
But when she went to sleep at night, Jiang's mother helped her lie down as usual, but she showed no intention of leaving. Jiang Wanning was a little surprised: "Mother, what's going on..."
Mother Jiang went to the cupboard and brought out new bedding, placing it beside Jiang Wanning. She said nonchalantly, "Of course I'll sleep with you."
"No..." Jiang Wanning was stunned. "Didn't we agree before that I could do it myself?"
"The past is the past, and the present is the present. What we said before doesn't count anymore. Okay, I know what you're thinking, but there's only the last half month left. Don't overthink it. Just spend this half month well, and everything will be fine."
"I'm not afraid of being woken up at night, I'm just afraid of not being able to see you. If anything happens to you, just move inside. I'll stay here with you and keep you safe."
Seeing that she had made up her mind, Jiang Wanning opened her mouth and finally did not refuse.
It must be said that sleeping with someone by your side at night is different from sleeping alone. For example, Jiang Wanning was woken up three or four times by the lady that night. Twice was to give her some water, and the remaining two times were to ask her to turn around, and finally lie back down.
It was a bit tiring, but by the next morning, Jiang Wanning no longer felt numb and sore all over her body, and she felt much better.
Mother Jiang said cheerfully, "If I had known you couldn't sleep well at night, I would have come here earlier! Don't bother talking about whether it's a bother or not. I already can't sleep well at night, and I wake up three or two times a day. I used to think it was bad, but now it seems that waking up these few times was the right thing to do!"
Jiang Wanning couldn't help but smile and swallowed back the thanks that was on the tip of her tongue.
…
Let’s get back to the capital.
Lu Shang, Feng He and Pang Liang were studying hard, but they did not stay in their bedrooms every day. Every two days they would go out and spend half a day in restaurants or teahouses where many scholars were. They did not participate in the scholars' debates or poetry, but just sat by and listened to their new experiences, so as to avoid being completely oblivious to what was happening outside.
The person who has been discussed the most among the scholars recently is undoubtedly Lu Shang, the dark horse who suddenly emerged.
The top three in this spring's imperial examination were Lu Shang, Zhang Jianning and Bai Xiangchen.
Zhang Jianning is from the capital. Although he is not from an official family, he studied in the most famous academy in the capital. He is very knowledgeable and always ranks first in the academy's major and minor examinations. He ranked first in both the college examination and the provincial examination last year, and there is a strong chance that he will win the top three prizes.
Bai Xiangchen comes from a scholarly family in the south of the Yangtze River. His family has been officials for generations and is quite famous among students in the south. He is also a key figure in winning the championship this year.
Even if the two of them did not get the first place, there were still candidates from all over the country waiting for them. Only Lu Shang was not famous in the previous provincial examinations. Even those who came from the same place as him had never heard of him.
It was only when more people came to ask that he finally encountered two people who had ranked right before him in the provincial examination: "If it's Lu Shang from Songxi County, I have some impression of him... I ranked 98th in the provincial examination, and I remember the person ahead of me was called Lu Shang."
"Then Lu Shang is ranked 97th!"
"If it's the same person, then it's probably correct..."
"Wow!" As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was in an uproar.
Who would have thought that the top scorer in the imperial examination was an unknown person? Even if he had ranked slightly higher in the provincial examination, people would not have been so surprised.
There are more than ninety names. If it were during the regular imperial examination period, one would have failed the exam if he was not careful. Who would believe that a person who almost failed the exam could surpass scholars from all over the country and become the champion in one fell swoop!
This news caused a great uproar among the scholars. When it spread widely, some people even suspected: "Could it be that this Lu Shang has some connection with the examiner?"
Later, the imperial court came out to refute the rumor, saying only that the emperor himself had personally drawn up the rankings for this year's examination, which prevented the rumor from spreading any further.
After all, if the examiner favors someone, it means he is abusing his power and disrupting the examination room. But if the emperor favors someone, no matter whether this person is really talented or not, the emperor will not make a mistake and will praise him!
Lu Shang and the others heard the entire story with their own ears and were caught off guard by this development. Fortunately, all the rumors died down in the end, so they didn't pay much attention to it.
They were a little surprised that the emperor had a hand in the rankings. After returning home, Feng He pondered for a long time: "So, Brother Lu must have been chosen by the emperor himself. Could it be that the emperor also had a hand in my ranking? Otherwise, how could I be so high up..."
Lu Shang, who was passing by, shook his head helplessly upon hearing this, and said, "Forget about how the rankings in the examination were determined. There are only eight days left until the palace examination. Are you ready?"
Feng He shuddered all over and jumped up suddenly.
He didn't even have time to refute. He turned and ran to his room, shouting as he ran, "I only read half of the book yesterday. I'm going to finish it now!"
Feng He read slowly. The further he read, the more he felt that there was still a lot he had not read. In the last three or five days, he completely stopped leaving the house. Even his three meals a day became just one. He would read by lamplight until very late every day.
However, Lu Shang still maintained his previous habit and went out to sit every two days.
And the wind direction outside changed again——
"Do you know the current Left Prime Minister, Lord Duan?"
"I know, what's wrong?"
"You don't know this yet! Just two days ago, Master Duan announced that he wanted to take Lu Shang, Lu Huiyuan, as his disciple. He searched for his previous residence, but couldn't find him. He asked around, hoping to find him so he could bring him to his residence for a chat!"
The people at the same table were all hearing this for the first time, and they couldn't help but say sourly, "The treatment of the top champion is just different from ours. He's the Left Prime Minister of the current dynasty. If a student of the Left Prime Minister becomes one, he'll definitely have a prosperous career in the future!"
The group of people started another discussion, but they didn't know that the protagonist they were discussing had been listening to them for more than half an hour. He raised his eyebrows several times, but always calmed down.
Lu Shang originally just wanted to hear about the latest happenings in the capital, but after half a month, he basically only heard about his own affairs. In the end, he had to learn the news related to him from outsiders.
He drank the strong tea on the table and calculated the time. There were only three days left before the palace examination. He had no intention of going out during these last three days, including making friends with Lord Duan, the Left Prime Minister, whom they had just talked about.
Three days later, the palace examination began.
When it was still dark, the palace gates were opened wide to welcome the tribute scholars in.
Before all the tribute scholars entered the Golden Throne Hall, they were instructed on etiquette, and then went to the back of the hall in turn to bathe, change clothes, and put on uniform new clothes.
This is to avoid offending important people and also to eliminate the possibility of cheating.
Of course, there may not be one person who dares to cheat in the Golden Palace in decades.
Lu Shang was the first in line since entering the palace, and was also the first to finish bathing and changing clothes. However, he was not allowed to move around after finishing. He had to go to the side hall next door and wait for everyone to finish, and then they could enter the palace together.
It was also in the side hall that he met the second and third place winners of the imperial examination.
While he was busy at home, he had already met other students in private countless times. When they arrived at the palace, they felt reserved and subconsciously went to talk to people they knew.
In the end, it was Lu Shang who was standing alone, with no one around him, leaving a vacuum. However, he was completely unaware of it, standing with his hands behind his back, not showing any embarrassment at all.
As the last person finished bathing and changing clothes, the palace servants waiting at the door filed in. The eunuch in charge pinched his shrill voice and ordered everyone to stand in order and then leave together.
Lu Shang was still in the lead. As he raised his foot, several people following him also started to move. Following the eunuch who led the way, they went to the hall that would determine the fate of half their lives.
Just after they walked out of the prepared hall, they saw a group of people coming out from behind the screen of the side hall where they had been waiting to talk. The one leading them was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe. It was none other than the current emperor!
Emperor Showa looked expressionlessly at the now empty side hall. After a long moment, he asked, "Was that the man I selected as the champion?"
The chief eunuch following behind him bowed his head and replied, "It is Lu Shang, Lu Huiyuan!"
Who could have imagined that the king of a country would not attend the court meeting, but instead come early to the side hall prepared by the new candidates, hiding in the dark and spying on everyone's actions.
Emperor Showa snorted lightly and let out an ambiguous laugh.
Just when the chief eunuch thought that His Majesty was dissatisfied with Lu Huiyuan, he heard Emperor Zhaohe mutter, "I have always felt that only loyal ministers can truly serve me..."
At the first quarter of the morning, all the candidates sat on the floor in the Golden Palace.
In front of them, the written examination papers had already been placed in advance. There were two rows of imperial guards guarding both sides of the Golden Throne Hall, and countless eunuchs were walking in between. Further in front was the chief invigilator of the palace examination, Lord Duan, the left prime minister.
Although Lu Shang was aware of Lord Duan's kindness in recruiting him, he had asked his followers to look for him several times but to no avail. Now he could only pretend to be completely unaware to avoid being considered ungrateful by the other party and creating a grudge in advance.
With the ringing of a bell outside the hall, the written test officially began.
The written examination of the palace examination will last for a whole day. The questions on the test paper are no longer divided into poetry or questions about classics. All types of questions are mixed together, and the questions are numerous and dense.
Lu Shang habitually went through all the questions, and everything was just as he expected. The proportion of arithmetic questions increased greatly, and several policy questions involved business matters, accounting for a full half.
He calmed down a little, turned the test paper back to the last night, and started to answer.
For a moment, the entire hall was silent, and even the examiners slowed down their footsteps unconsciously.
Just as everyone was concentrating on answering the questions, no one noticed that several examiners had stopped. They all looked at Emperor Showa who appeared from the side, raised their hands to salute, but were stopped by the other party. They had to stay there and could not make any other moves for the time being.
Emperor Showa started his inspection from the last person.
The scholar who was answering the questions felt a darkness above his head and subconsciously looked up. He thought it was the invigilator, but when he looked up he saw someone in bright yellow, and his brain immediately froze.
Emperor Showa did not stay in front of him for long and soon went to the front row.
There were many people like that scholar. Some of them were concentrating on answering and didn't even notice someone coming to their side. Some of them had seen Emperor and Empress Showa, and their minds were confused. Even if they lowered their heads, they had no idea how to answer. They could only make up something with a sad face.
Before he knew it, Emperor Showa had walked to the front rows.
Especially when he was in the top three in the imperial examination, the time he stayed there became longer and longer.
Emperor Showa looked at the answer sheet of the third place examinee, without seeing whether he was satisfied or not, and quickly went to the person in front. However, after he read Zhang Jianning's conclusion about the sea route, he frowned slightly, with a bit of displeasure on his face, and then walked behind the last person.
It is no secret that the emperor may be present in person during the palace examination.
Lu Shang also thought that the emperor might come to inspect the place himself. When he was halfway through answering, he heard a faint inhalation behind him, and guessed that it was the emperor who came.
He had prepared himself mentally early on, but when someone actually stood behind him, he couldn't help but pause his pen and sweat broke out on his hands.
Lu Shang did not turn around or shift his gaze. He just exhaled slowly, moved the test paper slightly upwards, and after making sure that the people behind him could see it clearly, he immediately began to answer the next question.
The Showa Emperor behind him raised his eyebrows and simply lowered his head to look at it openly.
He stayed with Lu Shang the longest, and after the normal inspection, his expression was the most relaxed and satisfied.
Others did not dare to look directly at the emperor's face, but the left prime minister could rely on his position and responsibilities to glance at Emperor Showa from time to time, and naturally saw his satisfaction with Lu Shang.
Zuo Xiang felt a little depressed and looked at Lu Shang a few more times without realizing it.
Fortunately, not long after, Emperor Showa left from behind him, and left the hall quietly, just like when he came. However, I am afraid that the hundreds of people in the hall all knew that the emperor had been there.
After the written test on the first day, all the candidates were released from the palace. At the same time tomorrow, they would have to go through the same preparation process again before finally appearing in person before the emperor for examination.
After Lu Shang followed the crowd out of the palace, he soon heard a voice of relief beside him, as if he had survived a disaster: "I just realized that the emperor has actually come to the examination hall! Fortunately, I didn't look up, otherwise, if I had seen the emperor's holy face, I would have been so scared that my mind would be blank and I would have no idea how to answer!"
"I knew the Emperor was coming, but I didn't dare look up until he walked to the front. Then I quickly glanced at his background. His Majesty is indeed majestic. Even just his background makes me feel intimidated..."
Of course, there were also those who had truly failed the test. As soon as they left the palace, they wiped away their tears and said, "I don't remember anything after I saw the Emperor. I got all the answers wrong afterwards... Ugh!"
No matter what others do, it has nothing to do with Lu Shang.
Before entering the palace, he had agreed with Feng He and Pang Liang that they would go home after the written exam and discuss anything after returning home.
It was getting dark when the written test ended today. After returning home, they didn't have much to talk about. They just talked about the business questions on the test paper. This time, the other two people learned their lesson and ignored the shortcomings, discussing only the advantages.
However, after hearing their answers, Lu Shang still shook his head: "When officials engage in business, there are bound to be hidden dangers. This is an indisputable fact. Isn't it an oversight for you to avoid talking about it?"
The other two were stunned. Feng He held his head and said, "Then I got the answer wrong again!"
But before Lu Shang could comfort him, he straightened up and waved his hand, "Forget it, forget it. It's wrong, so what? Anyway, at worst I'm a top-three Jinshi. I'm satisfied to have made it this far."
Pang Liang also nodded: "I am satisfied too!"
Lu Shang was speechless and took back his words of comfort.
After a quick wash, they returned to their rooms and had a good night's sleep to get enough rest so they could prepare for the final palace examination.
The next day, before dawn, all the tribute scholars entered the palace again.
With yesterday's experience, everyone was no longer as nervous as before, but some people, having failed the exam yesterday, were in low spirits today and had no hope for the upcoming personal questioning by the emperor.
This is because the emperor's personal questions are based on their answers in the written test. Not all of the hundreds of candidates can be asked questions. Only those who have won the emperor's favor in the written test can be asked a few questions. For those who are not asked questions, the court officials will review their test papers and finally determine their ranking.
The same process was repeated, and everyone was led to the Golden Throne Hall again.
All the candidates waited for a moment, and then they heard a voice from above: "Your Majesty has arrived——"
Everyone knelt and bowed in unison. Even after the emperor called them to attention, they followed the eunuch's previous instructions, lowered their heads slightly, and did not dare to look up.
The eunuch placed yesterday's test papers on the table. Emperor Showa flipped through them and picked up the last paper.
Unfortunately, he only looked at it for less than a moment before putting it on his left hand side. The eunuch standing by understood and passed it to the courtiers waiting at the steps.
The same action continued for about thirteen or fourteen times. Emperor Showa picked up another test paper. This time, he finally looked at it for a moment longer and asked again: "Is Feng Lesheng in Lilin Town available?"
"The students are here!" A man stood up from the back of the team. He probably didn't expect that his name would be called, and he staggered when he stepped out of the line. Before he could steady himself, he fell to his knees with a thud, waiting tremblingly for the emperor's questions.
Emperor Showa asked, "I see that you have a deep understanding of natural disasters. What should we do if a disaster strikes the capital?"
Feng Lesheng didn't dare to keep the emperor waiting for long, so he started speaking immediately. Except for the first few sentences where he stuttered a bit, he spoke more and more fluently as he talked about things he was familiar with.
After he finished answering, Emperor Showa's expression eased slightly: "Good!"
This time, he put the answer sheet on the right side. The test paper here was directly handed to an adult sitting on the right side of the steps. Judging from his clothes, he should be the right prime minister of the current dynasty.
Of the two or three hundred scrolls, only a few could actually receive the emperor's inquiries, and some people took a little longer to answer, which naturally took up the time of those who came behind to answer.
In the blink of an eye, it was noon. The eunuch stepped forward to remind the emperor that it was time for lunch, but Emperor Showa waved him away, saying that he would talk after the palace examination was over.
Lu Shang's feet were numb from standing there, but he didn't dare to move at all.
Just as he was thinking about how to move without leaving a trace, he heard the emperor call another person and ask, "I see you mentioned the convenience of the trade route in the Western Regions. Could you elaborate on it?"
Lu Shang also became alert and couldn't help but listen attentively.
After this person, Emperor Showa asked more and more questions, but he usually did not ask people to finish answering. He would stop when people had listened almost to the question, and the answers would be left or right.
To the left means that the emperor was not satisfied and reluctantly gave it a third place.
Those to the right are what the emperor thinks are good, at least second class.
In the blink of an eye, only the last three answer sheets remained on the dragon case.
Emperor Showa paused for a moment, then picked up the third-place answer sheet. Before reading it, he asked, "Bai Xiangchen...is he from the Jiangnan Bai family?"
Bai Xiangchen immediately stepped out of the group, knelt, and replied, "Your Majesty, that's right."
Emperor Showa nodded slightly and continued to watch his answers, asking a few questions from time to time, but not asking strategic questions like before.
When it came to the second to last person, the question and answer situation was the same as the previous one.
Seeing Lu Shang, Lu Shang held his breath and listened carefully. After his name was called, he immediately stepped out, first paid his respects to the emperor, and then waited for an answer.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Showa did not ask any questions this time. Instead, he read his test paper from beginning to end. Finally, he asked, "I learned yesterday that you are a good businessman from Songxi County. You have received my grace and can continue to do business in the court."
"Today I only ask, if you enter the court, will you continue your business?"
Before Lu Shang could think about it, Yi Xin replied, "My business is the result of my painstaking efforts. In terms of dedication, it is no less than that of studying for ten years. Since I have received the Emperor's grace, I should be grateful for it and continue to run my business with all my heart."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of laughter from the stairs. Emperor Showa opened his imperial pen, said "good", and then wrote the word "first" directly on his test paper.
After Lu Shang, the entire palace examination was over.
Emperor Showa left the venue, and within half an hour, the final results of the palace examination were delivered.
The Left Prime Minister took the imperial edict with both hands, unfolded it and saw the first few names, but he was not surprised at all. He handed the imperial edict to the eunuch who delivered it and nodded slightly. The next step was the public list.
"In the 11th year of the Showa era, the rankings for the Imperial Examination were as follows—"
"Ranked 188th among the top three, Li Shu from the Li Family Temple in Touzhou County."
The ranking of the palace examination was read from the last to the first. After the 188th place in the third class was read out, the 50th place in the second class were followed. Pang Liang and Feng He were both among them. Pang Liang ranked 42nd and Feng He ranked 38th. In addition, there was Zhang Jianning, who ranked second in the joint examination and only ranked 13th in the second class in the palace examination.
After everyone in Class 2 finished reading, Lu Shang still hadn't heard his name.
When it comes to the palace examination, there is no such thing as failing. If you are not in the second or third class, there is no doubt that you will be among the top three.
"Third place in the first class, Bai Xiangchen from Nanling County!"
Bai Xiangchen took a half step forward and knelt down: "Student, thank you for your grace!"
"Second place in the first class, Lian Xing from Kaoshan Village, Yuanling County!"
But a tall and strong man stood up in the middle. Lu Shang had some impression of him. He was the one who proposed to open a trade route to the Western Regions.
Lian Xing also stepped out to receive the imperial edict and express his gratitude.
Only the last one remains: "First place in the first class——"
Lu Shang unconsciously lowered his eyes and listened quietly to the eunuch read out the last name: "Lu Shang from Songxi County!" His clenched hands at his sides loosened unconsciously, and his back was already wet.
He gathered himself, took a step to the side, and like the two before him, he lifted his clothes and knelt on the ground: "Student, I bow to thank the Holy Spirit for His Grace!"
This time, it was the Left Prime Minister who personally handed him the imperial edict with the ranking written on it. When handing it over, he also said, "Congratulations, top scholar!"
At the same time, at the Lu family mansion.
The master bedroom was surrounded by people, from Grandma Lu to Father and Mother Jiang, all gathered at the door. From time to time, a noise could be heard from the room, and maids and old women were coming in and out, changing several basins of hot water.
After breakfast this morning, Jiang Wanning suddenly felt something was wrong with her body. After calling all the doctors in the mansion, she could no longer stand.
Jiang's mother immediately asked, "Is she about to give birth?"
Doctor Tian and the others came over, took one look and said, "Madam is about to give birth!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Lu Mansion became noisy. All the midwives living in the guest rooms were called over, and the maids and servants in the mansion were responsible for helping Jiang Wanning back to her room.
Not long after she lay back on the bed, she started moving completely.
Jiang's mother and others were asked to leave the room, and several doctors were waiting outside. Only the midwife and the maids were left in the room. After the shout of "pull harder", all that was left was Jiang Wanning's intermittent moans and suppressed cries.
After an unknown amount of time, I suddenly heard a baby crying in the house.
The next moment, the door was pushed open, and the midwife came out holding the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, saying joyfully, "Congratulations, old lady, congratulations, old lady, it's a little girl!"
Suddenly, several people at the door surrounded him.
Grandma Lu and Jiang's mother stood at the front. They didn't dare to touch the newborn baby. Their eyes were always glued to her and they were reluctant to look away. Jiang's father was squeezed to the back and could only stand on tiptoe to see.
Before they could get a good look at the young lady, they heard hurried footsteps outside the courtyard. The gatehouse servant brought in the messenger, who shouted as soon as he entered the courtyard: "Master, you've won! Master, you've won! Master, you've won the first place!"
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