The second courtyard.
Everyone except the long banquet attendees sat upright in the courtyard, their eyes fixed on the study with a mixture of tension and excitement. As the wooden door slowly opened, Xu Mo, dressed in a blue robe and wearing a scholar's hat, stood tall and elegant.
Unlike the scholarly air of the blue robe, the scholar's robe and hat added a touch of nobility, truly making him a humble and unparalleled top scholar.
From Jiang Sheng to Wen Zhiyun, from Fang Heng to Zheng Ruqian, everyone's eyes were red.
Only they themselves know how much hardship and difficulty they have endured to get to where they are today.
Those hardships that were once considered enormous now seem like nothing more than a gentle breeze. Sometimes, when you think about it, without those hardships, they wouldn't be who they are today.
Truly determined people dare to grow in the mud, climb through hardship, and move forward against the storm. Every fall becomes a source of strength to rise again, and every pain becomes a courageous perseverance.
Life is never defeated; it blooms eternally.
Xu Mo didn't expect that when he walked out, he would be met with complete silence.
His younger siblings, his aunts and uncles, all looked over with tears in their eyes, their expressions a mixture of emotion, relief, admiration, and regret.
How come... one person is missing?
From the moment he passed the imperial examination until now, doubts have been constantly troubling Xu Mo. He is determined to meet the Fifth Prince when he is officially appointed to a high position, so that he can see for himself whether the prince is indeed his fifth brother.
"Let's go, we're about to enter the palace." Xu Mo snapped out of his reverie, breaking the silence of the courtyard.
The boys and girls who were just sniffing immediately became mischievous, clamoring for their elder brother to bring out some good stuff from the capital.
Some wanted to try the imperial kitchen pastries, some were curious about what the emperor looked like, and others wanted to dig up a gold brick.
It wasn't that they didn't want to make jokes before, but the imperial petition and the palace examination were too serious. Now that they could finally relax, they couldn't wait to go in and see for themselves what the capital city was really like.
Xu Mo was at a loss for words when a steady knock came from outside.
Jiang San let out a shout and got up to go over, where a tall figure came in.
"Father!" Jiang Sheng rushed over immediately. "Why are you here?"
Jiang Jizu readily agreed and took out two packets of pastries from his pocket. He watched her open them before smiling and saying, "Of course, they're here to congratulate the top scholar."
The imperial court avoids favoring established families and promotes promising new talents.
Jiang Sheng is both the younger sister of a rising star and the legitimate daughter of a prominent family. To avoid suspicion, the Jiang family did not offer any special congratulations and even reduced the frequency of their visits to their daughter.
But today is the day of his investiture, so Jiang Jizu has to come, both out of courtesy and reason.
"Thank you, General." Xu Mo bowed respectfully, showing the respect due to a junior.
Jiang Jizu waved his hand, his gaze returning to Jiang Sheng's bulging cheeks. "After the Jinshi are conferred their titles, they will parade through Fengjing City. I have prepared a private room at Youran Residence, which is the best spot to watch the parade."
Even if I can't go to the palace to see my elder brother receive his title, watching the parade would be just as good.
Jiang Sheng was overjoyed. She swallowed the pastries in a few bites, then stood on tiptoe and hopped around, saying, "Father is the best! Father is so thoughtful."
Without further ado, let's set off immediately.
However, they were stopped again when they reached the door.
This time, it was a weary official from the post station, carrying a bamboo basket on his shoulder. He had barely stood still when he asked, "Who is Xu Mo? Is Xu Mo here?"
"Sir, my name is Xu Mo." The person in question stepped forward, dressed in the robes of a scholar who had passed the imperial examination.
The official staff member was taken aback, then his tone softened, “Here are your letter and goods, delivered by express courier, taking several horses to their deaths. If it weren’t for the generous reward, no one would have taken this job.”
He rambled on, pulling out an envelope along with the bamboo basket on his shoulder.
Ordinary people could simply have their letters delivered by traveling merchants, but official post stations were more complicated, requiring the recipient to personally affix their fingerprint.
After Xu Mo finished dealing with the matter, he picked up the bamboo basket and got into the carriage.
Several curious little heads gathered around, chattering and asking, "Big brother, look, who gave you this letter?"
Thousands of miles away, who else could it be?
The only ones left are old friends from Anshui County.
Xu Mo lowered her eyelashes, her slender fingers unwrapping the envelope and taking out a small calligraphy scroll.
The letter was written more than half a month ago. The writer had just learned that he had topped the list of candidates in the imperial examination and was afraid that it would be too late to send the letter after he had won the title of Zhuangyuan, so he sent someone to bring it in advance.
"Riding a swift horse in the spring breeze, one can see all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day."
“Brother Xu, you will surely be able to take what I cannot take, do what I cannot do, and go where I cannot go. You are outstanding and dazzling, the moon among ten thousand stars, and the purest among men.”
"If the people are protected by you in the future, may you never forget your original intention and be a clear sky over the vast land."
"I offer this luminous pearl to illuminate the faint light, and ascend to Fufeng."
The clean and tidy little box was taken out, and the younger siblings watched the whole process, but no one overstepped their bounds and made a move.
They watched as Xu Mo reached out his hand, and as the clasp was gently lifted, a faint light entered their eyes, and the warm, smooth beads were captivating.
So this is the legendary luminous pearl.
It's unknown how much money the Wang family spent to find it, or how many twists and turns they went through to deliver it.
That sickly yet insightful boy, what he could never obtain in his entire life, was finally realized by his friend.
Xu Mo silently fastened the clasp and solemnly handed it to Fang Heng for safekeeping.
The carriage arrived at the gate of the imperial city. The students who had been taking the imperial examination under the cover of night dew had all changed into their azure scholar robes. They went from waiting to entering one after another, and from being humble and apprehensive to being confident and composed.
They talked to each other, or went alone, or entered in groups, or bowed in reverence, or looked around.
When they saw the top scholar Xu Mo, some people's eyes lit up and they rushed over to befriend and chat with him.
Some scoffed and turned to follow the runner-up.
The intricate web of power dynamics in officialdom was already beginning to emerge at this moment.
Xu Mo remained calm, recalling what Jiang Jizu had mentioned: of the three top scholars this time, the champion and runner-up were both rising stars, while only the third-place scholar, Fang Yuan, came from a prestigious family and was tricked by the imperial family, losing both money and face.
It is evident that the emperor deeply resented the control exerted by powerful families and could not tolerate the formation of cliques and the pursuit of personal gain.
He bowed in response to the students' gestures of goodwill, but politely declined their offer to accompany him. He waited for Qi Huai'an Jun to arrive before bidding farewell to his family and entering the imperial city.
Sun Xiaosheng, the runner-up in the imperial examination, has already entered, followed by more than a dozen students who are trying to curry favor with him.
The top scholar was rather solitary, accompanied only by two friends.
As for the third-place scholar, will the young master of the Fang family, who suffered a major setback, appear at the award ceremony?
Filled with doubt, the group entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony and found Fang Yuan already dressed in a deep blue scholar's robe, standing steadily at the head of the hall.
He remained calm and composed, showing no anger or embarrassment, nor even the slightest frustration.
It's as if the previous events never happened, yet it also seems as if a solution has already been found.
Regardless of the reason, this young master of the Fang family is so cunning that it is terrifying.
"Brother Xu, you'd better be careful. There are always tricks up your sleeve," Qi Huai whispered, afraid that his good brother might suffer a loss.
Xu Mo chuckled, reassuring her with his eyes, and went to the head of the table alone.
The so-called merit determines position. The first rank undoubtedly stands at the forefront, the second rank is in the middle, and the third rank is next.
The top three scholars—the first, second, and third—were listed side by side.
Xu Mo had just stopped when the calm Fang Yuan turned around and revealed a warm smile.
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