Chapter 243 Announcement of Results
As soon as the imperial examination results were posted, countless candidates and commoners gathered around to watch. Every now and then, some cheered and shouted, some wept bitterly, and some servants, upon seeing their young masters' names, excitedly ran off to report the news.
When Qi Yuxuan received the news, it was already time for the top three scholars to parade through the streets on horseback.
Just like in his previous life, Xie Tingzhou was chosen as the third-ranked scholar.
But the top scholar in this life is different. His name is Pei Yan, and he is also very young, only one year older than Xie Tingzhou.
It is said that the two were both exceptionally handsome, and the emperor was quite conflicted about who should be chosen as the third-ranked scholar. In the end, it was because Pei Yan's insights were more discerning and he was also a year older than Xie Tingzhou that the final ranking was decided.
"Both Scholar Pei and Scholar Xie are quite handsome, and it's said that Scholar Pei is unmarried. Princess, you didn't see it, but those wealthy merchants who were hoping to find a husband through the examination results were so shocked when they saw those two that their jaws dropped, as if they had never seen such handsome men before..."
Bi Sui, with her silver tongue, picked out many interesting stories from the announcement of the results and recounted them vividly.
Qi Yuxuan knew that she was trying to make her happy, so she laughed heartily to appease her.
Lanxin brought in the milk dumplings, glanced at her, and smiled as well:
"You speak as if you've seen it with your own eyes. I've never heard you praise Xie Tanhua's handsomeness when he lived in the Princess's mansion."
Before the imperial examination, Xie Tingzhou stayed at the Princess's residence for a few days to recover his health before leaving. The Princess and the Princess had a long talk all night and tacitly agreed to let him stay at the residence to recuperate for a few days. However, they kept the people in the residence from talking about it to outsiders.
After all, only the mother and daughter lived in the mansion, and it was not appropriate to take in a stranger without reason.
Fortunately, Xie Tingzhou lived up to expectations after the palace examination, ranking third among the top scholars, so that the princess didn't feel that the food rations she had provided over the past few days had been wasted.
Bi Sui took the bowl and presented it to Qi Yuxuan, as if showing off a treasure: "What's the use of others thinking I'm pretty? If the princess doesn't like me, it's all for nothing."
Qi Yuxuan had just picked up a soup spoon when she heard this and pretended to hit her: "Well, Bihui, now you're even making fun of me. I'll teach you a lesson for being so loose-lipped."
Bi Sui was so frightened that she hid behind Lan Xin, luckily avoiding twisting her waist.
After the master and servant had finished laughing and joking, Lanxin finally said with some difficulty:
"Princess, that lady is still kneeling outside the door, and Master Xiao has also arrived. Would you like to go and see her?"
The smile on Qi Yuxuan's face gradually disappeared.
Does Mother know?
She didn't want to spoil her mother's mood because of two spoilsports, so she kept telling the gatekeeper that if anyone from the Xiao family came, they should not disturb the princess.
Lanxin shook her head: "No, but judging from the time, His Highness will be back from Yuxiu Academy soon. I'm afraid we might run into each other..."
Bi Sui said, "Princess, you must not be soft-hearted. Who knows if they are just putting on an act to get their official positions back?"
She had personally witnessed how the Xiao family had treated Qi Yuxuan in the past, so she naturally didn't believe they would repent and change their ways. Now that they had come to the Princess's residence, they might be asking the Princess to put in a good word for them with the Emperor so that the Xiao family could be reinstated.
The Xiao family's masters each had their own flaws, and were all blind to the truth and lacking in understanding. Bi Sui didn't want to see Qi Yuxuan saddened by those so-called relatives anymore, so she spoke somewhat urgently.
"I know."
Qi Yuxuan patted Bihui's hand, "If they want to kneel, then kneel. I will talk to Mother about it myself when she comes back."
Half an hour later, the princess returned to her residence and, as expected, saw a middle-aged couple kneeling in the rain at the door.
The faces looked somewhat familiar. After thinking for a moment, she finally recalled the two faces from her memory, and her tone turned cold:
"You two wouldn't come to our esteemed place without a reason. What brings you here today?"
The dim twilight mixed with rain was heavy and oppressive, making it almost impossible to breathe.
The bluestone steps were already stained a wet, dark color by the rain. The two kneeling figures looked rather forlorn. They turned their heads in the direction of the sound and saw the aloof and noble princess in the sedan chair.
"This humble subject pays respects to Your Highness, the Eldest Princess—"
Xiao Su spoke first. The heavy rain had mostly dissipated his drunkenness, and he had become more sober from his initial daze, at least still remembering his manners.
His eyelids drooped, and his eyes, which were somewhat dazed from days of heavy drinking, were bloodshot, making him look like he had been deeply hurt.
Lin Hui didn't move, but just looked at the noble princess, the woman who was already the mother of her daughter, with a complicated expression.
"Your Highness, please have mercy and allow this humble subject to see Yu Xuan!"
The eldest princess's lips curled into a mocking smile.
"You two came here just for this?"
She had also heard a bit about the Xiao family's affairs. It was said that Xiao Yuyao was not Xiao Su's biological daughter, but rather the child of his mistress and another man. Xiao Su was tricked into raising another man's daughter for fifteen years, which instead turned his once happy and harmonious family into chaos and led to his wife and children being torn apart.
Fortunately, he had two decent sons who helped the government in Jiangnan solve a major case. When the news reached the capital, the emperor was overjoyed. At that time, the Lin family and a large number of officials involved in the case had been convicted and there was no one available, so the emperor granted the Xiao family permission to end their mourning period early and return to the capital.
However, upon hearing the news, she rushed to the palace. It wouldn't be so easy for the Xiao family to regain their official positions.
Xiao Su seemed to have just regained his senses, and looked up at the princess with a pleading expression.
In the past few days, the regret and anger after learning the truth almost overwhelmed him. He tried to numb himself by burying himself in wine, but upon regaining his senses, he had to face reality.
It was him, he was the one who personally tore apart what could have been a happy and harmonious family.
He was the culprit. If he hadn't fallen for Gu Linyan's trick, none of this would have happened. He would still be the devoted and diligent Minister Xiao, admired by everyone in the capital. He would have a wife, three sons, and a daughter, living a peaceful, warm, and orderly life. Even if there were arguments, they would still be a close-knit family...
But what did he do?
He personally gave away his own daughter, yet treated someone else's daughter like a precious treasure. Even after finding her, he treated her with all sorts of difficulties and disdain, believing that the fake daughter was the one who deserved the most beautiful thing in the world.
Xiao Su really wanted to open his mind back then and see what was inside, why he couldn't even notice those obvious clues, and only focused on pushing his child away.
And his wife...
He glanced at Lin Hui out of the corner of his eye, but as soon as he met her cold and resentful gaze, Xiao Su abruptly looked away, as if he had returned to more than twenty years ago, when he would panic at the mere glare from the young lady of the Lin family.
He dared not face Lin Hui, nor his sons at home. It wasn't until he stumbled out of the house after drinking that he stopped and looked up, only to find himself at the Princess's residence. His wife, whom he dared not face, was kneeling at the door, begging the guards to pass on her message and request an audience with Princess Chang Le.
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