Then came the scene that unfolded after the palace examination.
The boy and girl nimbly climbed onto the carriage, not forgetting to call out to the remaining three, "Hurry up and get on, we're going home soon."
Fang Heng was agile and appeared on the carriage shaft in the blink of an eye.
Wen Zhiyun followed closely behind, looking rather frail and needing her older brothers to lend a hand.
When Xu Mo arrived, although he didn't know what his younger siblings were up to, his natural trust made him not think too much about it and he boarded the carriage with a smile.
It was dusk, and the sky was already quite dark.
As Jiang Wu drove the carriage, he listened to the conversations of the family members inside and inexplicably felt that life was peaceful and serene.
"Jiuzhenfang should be closed. Let's go straight home and find Auntie." Jiang Sheng rested her chin on her hand. "I wonder if Auntie can come up with any new pastries in just one day."
“If we don’t study new ones, we can just rectify the old ones,” Zheng Ruqian agreed.
That makes sense. As soon as Jiang Sheng got home, she went straight to the kitchen and sure enough, she saw Zhang Xianglian and Master Kong cooking over a fire.
"Oh, Uncle is here too." She greeted him sweetly, "I feel so bad that Uncle cooks for us every day."
Master Kong snorted arrogantly, "Wherever Xianglian is, I am. She can only lend a hand because she's worried about you all."
Since their wedding, the couple has only stayed at the Kong residence for the first three days. The rest of the time they are either busy at Jiuzhenfang or cooking in the second courtyard.
If it weren't for the need to return to the Kong residence to rest, Master Kong would have had the illusion that it wasn't him who married Zhang Xianglian, but rather Zhang Xianglian who married him.
Unfortunately, the land deed for the small courtyard was in Zhang Xianglian's hands, so it was only natural for her to return to her own home. Master Kong could only reluctantly follow along, helping out as needed and doing his chores as required.
Occasionally, when Jiang Sheng tries to act cute with her aunt, he has to stand up for her without hesitation.
"What? You want to make pastries?" Master Kong asked loudly. "Is business at Jiuzhenfang not doing well?"
“No,” Jiang Sheng replied crisply. “I wanted to make some high-end pastries to sell to wealthy families in Fengjing, but time was tight and it was a bit difficult for you, Aunt.”
"Our eldest brother only has one chance to take the imperial examination. With him promoting it for us, it will be hard for our pastries not to sell."
Zhang Xianglian nodded slightly. Having looked after the shop for so long, she was no longer the timid and cowardly woman who only knew how to sew and wash.
The difficulty in doing business lies in reputation and fame. The former can be earned through hard work, but the latter requires the right timing, location, and people.
Xu Mo went all the way through the imperial examinations, reaching the palace examination. Whether he became a Jinshi or a Tongjinshi, he was someone who could attract the attention of Fengjing. If he was lucky enough to get the top rank, he would be a living advertisement.
Even without considering these reasons, just looking at Jiang Sheng's eager eyes, Zhang Xianglian couldn't bear to refuse, and nodded emphatically, "Okay."
That evening, the couple started getting busy.
They didn't rest until late at night.
The next day, before dawn, he rushed over again, pondering, researching, adjusting, testing, and overturning, until he made the most satisfactory pastry.
Once the children were awake, they all rushed over to try the tea, taste it, comment on it, and offer suggestions.
The entire courtyard was bustling with activity, with no time to pay attention to the outside world's troubles.
It was precisely because of this that they missed the uproar in Fengjing and the debate over who would ultimately win the top prize.
The events that occurred during the imperial examination were no secret, and it wasn't just the aristocratic families who were well-informed.
Underground banks even set up gambling games, betting on whether the winner of the top prize would be Xu Mo or Fang Yuan.
Or perhaps both of them are in the same position.
There is a very important premise here: Fang Yuan and Xu Mo were involved in the imperial examination cheating case that shocked the Dayu Dynasty last year. From Fengtian Prefecture to the Golden Palace, no one could tell the truth from the falsehood, and no one could find out who cheated.
In order to find the truth, the imperial family held a re-examination, and both of them passed the exam.
Xu Mo's achievement of becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination proved his worth, leading many to believe that the Fang family had committed cheating and bullied students from poor families.
Unexpectedly, Fang Yuan also passed the imperial examination. Although his ranking was neither high nor low, the imperial examination was very strict and there was no way to verify his ability. Being able to pass the examination proved his strength. Even if the God of Literature descended to earth, he might not be able to return as the top scholar.
At this point, the palace examination became the most crucial decision.
Xu Mo's excellence is beyond doubt. His approach of giving a good reward after a bad one is so impressive that even the most powerful officials and noble families would applaud him. His calligraphy and painting in the palace examination were copied and collected in the Wenchang Pavilion, and are known in history as the masterpiece of the Green Bamboo Gentleman.
Although Fang Yuan's ideas provoked resentment from many aristocratic families, they struck a chord with the imperial family and garnered support from the common people. Furthermore, his imperial pronouncements at the Golden Palace last year seemed to be firmly in his grasp.
Therefore, in addition to each player advancing one rank, the betting game also includes the option of "simultaneous ranking".
But the people of Fengjing are not stupid.
Last year, the two of them hadn't even made a scene in the imperial examinations, yet today they're both ranked first in the class. Isn't that a slap in the face to the emperor? Whose cheating are they covering up for?
If people are cheating on the imperial examinations, is there any place in the world that is fair?
When the people's hearts are broken, the nation is on the verge of collapse.
Even if two are equally outstanding, the imperial family can only choose one to be in the top rank, while the other is relegated to the second rank, filled with resentment and tears.
Therefore, everyone is increasingly looking forward to seeing whether Xu Mo or Fang Yuan will be chosen.
Choosing Fang Yuan means abandoning an outstanding young man and going against the imperial family's original intention of promoting new talents.
Choosing Xu Mo would mean offending the Fang family and abandoning the tax law on the wealthy that would appeal to the imperial family.
Upon closer examination, outstanding new talents emerge frequently, with a champion appearing every three years, thus diminishing Xu Mo's brilliance.
On the other hand, the Fang family members, backed by a prestigious family, bravely proposed collecting a tax on the wealthy and were even willing to take the lead in paying it. They seemed far more useful than the lone Huiyuan (a high-ranking scholar).
As long as the imperial family isn't foolish, choosing whichever option they choose seems to require no deliberation.
Therefore, Fang Yuan's option regarding underground banks is far more popular than Xu Mo's option.
"I heard that 80% of those who entered the bank chose the young master of the Fang family," the guard in front of the young man in black reported in a low voice. "20% chose the young master of the Xu family, and the First Prince also had someone place a bet of three thousand taels of silver, betting that the young master of the Fang family would be ranked first."
The young man in black nodded and took out five thousand taels of silver notes from his pocket. "Remember to place a bet for me."
This was all the wealth he had left.
"Your Highness!" The guard, who clearly knew the inside story, exclaimed, "No! The Empress has only left you this much money. What will happen if we lose it all?"
"Gone?" The boy in black chuckled. "Don't worry, it's not gone."
He took out cheap face powder from his sleeve and applied it to his cheeks like his sister did, before putting it back in his sleeve. "Father is still hesitating in the Hall of Supreme Harmony about which one to choose. As his son, I have to share his burdens."
The palace walls stand tall, and the road stretches endlessly.
He held the red ribbon in his palm and walked forward calmly.
A eunuch reported that the eldest prince had also rushed to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. His expression remained unchanged, only a knowing smile appeared on his lips.
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