Chapter 660 Rejecting the King of Qin's Invitation
The group returned to the mansion in high spirits.
Zhao Sidan had just gotten up. He yawned and came over, casually asking, "Mom, did I pass the exam?"
"You're really calm, kid." Lu Yingxue pinched his cheek. "You passed the exam, ranked first, the top scorer in this year's Huzhou provincial examination. How about it, are you happy?"
Zhao Sidan perked up immediately: "I actually became the top scorer, so am I just as amazing as my older cousin?"
When his cousin became the top scholar in the provincial examination, he instantly became famous throughout Huzhou. He always took his cousin as his role model and tried his best to follow in his footsteps. Unexpectedly, he actually caught up with him.
"Congratulations, Jing Si." Yu Zhan walked in from the backyard, his face calm. "Mother, what about me? Am I on the list?"
Seeing her son's calm but actually cautious expression, Lu Yingxue felt a pang of sadness. She stroked her son's head and said, "Our Xiaozhan is also very good; he came in second place."
Yu Zhan visibly breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that you made the list. You can participate in next year's provincial examination."
“Actually, the first place should have been Brother Yu,” Zhao Sidan said. “If I were sitting in the toilet, I would probably have failed. Brother Yu, on the other hand, came in second. I still have a lot to learn from Brother Yu.”
Yu Zhan hurriedly said, "Jing Si has always worked very hard, and you deserve to be ranked first..."
"You two don't need to be modest," Cheng Wanwan said with a laugh. "The first and second place winners are both very impressive. They are the pride of Dahe Town and the face of Dahe Academy. Don't just stand there at the door. Get ready to pack your bags. We should go back to Dahe Town."
Everyone was eager to go back and tell their families the good news, so they hurriedly went back to their rooms to pack their clothes and books.
Just as Cheng Wanwan was about to go into Zhao Sidan's room to help organize the trunks, she saw Granny Qi rushing in from the courtyard gate: "Gentleman, someone has brought a congratulatory gift."
At this time, the only people who can send congratulatory gifts are from Huzhou.
The prefect's wife, or a lowly wealthy man?
Cheng Wanwan walked into the side hall with suspicion and saw a familiar-looking man sitting in a chair. When he saw her come in, he quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Lady Sui. Our lord heard that Lady Sui's son became the top scholar in the Huzhou provincial examination, so he specially sent me to deliver a congratulatory gift. Please accept it, Lady Sui."
Cheng Wanwan's brows furrowed slightly.
She had only met the King of Qin once, yet he knew even her son's surname and given name. Clearly, he had investigated her on purpose.
She spoke calmly, "Your Majesty is too kind. Although passing the imperial examination is a joyous occasion, the Zhao family does not plan to hold a banquet, so this gift cannot be accepted. Please take it back."
"Lady Sui, this gift was prepared personally by our Prince. Please accept it." The attendant quickly unveiled the gift, revealing a set of seven pieces of gold and jade jewelry brought from the capital. It suits Lady Sui's temperament very well. Please do not disappoint the Prince's kindness.
Cheng Wanwan's face darkened.
Last time, when Lu Yingxue said that the Prince of Qin might have taken a liking to her, she took it as a joke.
But now, under the guise of giving a congratulatory gift, they are giving her jewelry that is only suitable for her age, which clearly indicates that they have ulterior motives.
Her voice was extremely calm: "I happen to have a set of the exact same jewelry. If I accept it, it will only be stored away. How can I let the King of Qin's goodwill remain hidden away? So, I can only appreciate his goodwill in my heart."
The attendant was somewhat frustrated. He had thought this task would be easy, but he hadn't expected to be unable to even deliver the gifts.
He sighed and said, "Our lord has arranged a celebratory banquet at the villa and has specially invited Lady Sui and Young Master Zhao to attend. We hope Lady Sui will do us the honor of attending."
He was certain that since Sui Gongren had refused the first time, she wouldn't refuse a second time.
Cheng Wanwan had no intention of wasting time and engaging in pretense with the King of Qin. She said regretfully, "We are preparing to return to Dahe Town. Our luggage and carriages are all ready. We can only regret that we cannot do justice to the King of Qin's kindness."
Lu Yingxue's voice rang out from not far away: "Sister Wanwan, hurry up, or we'll have to travel in the dark."
"I'm sorry, I need to hurry up and pack, otherwise it will really delay the trip." Cheng Wanwan said apologetically. "Please help me convey this message, and I hope the King of Qin can understand."
After she finished speaking, she took a step and left, not giving her attendant a chance to persuade her.
Granny Qi, standing to the side, smiled and said, "Would this gentleman like to have some tea before he leaves, or..."
The attendant sullenly closed the lid of the gift and left the courtyard with a dark expression.
Half a head peeked out from behind a pillar behind him. It was Lu Yingxue. She said with a pounding heart, "Sister Wanwan, this attendant seems very angry. Will the Prince of Qin be angry too? Oh dear, Sister Wanwan, it's one thing to refuse the Prince of Qin's congratulatory gift, but why refuse the invitation as well... The Prince of Qin's villa must be very different. I also want to go and see the world."
Cheng Wanwan looked at her speechlessly: "Then why don't you go in my place? If the King of Qin takes a liking to you, you might go from being Madam Yu to Princess Qin in an instant."
"I was just joking," Lu Yingxue pleaded. "If my husband, Lao Yu, finds out, he definitely won't let me off the hook. He seems so proper on the surface, but he's actually a huge jealous person. I hate him so much."
Cheng Wanwan: "..."
They might say they hate it, but they can't hide the smile on their lips. Is this the magic of love?
After packing their belongings, the group of more than twenty people left Huzhou by horse-drawn carriage. They came full of hope and returned with even greater ambition.
The journey was very smooth, and the carriage arrived at Dahe Town just as the sun was setting.
As soon as I arrived at the village entrance, the villagers surrounded me to congratulate me.
Because the messenger sent by the imperial court had come to the town early in the morning to announce the good news, they already knew that Dahe Academy had created a miracle.
"Si Dan is first, Yu Zhan is second... A total of eighteen people from Dahe Academy made the list, which once again proves that our Dahe Village has good feng shui."
"I inquired and found out that only twelve people from Nanfu Academy passed the Xiucai exam this year, far fewer than our Dahe Academy. Hahaha, from now on, Dahe Academy will be the best school in the surrounding area."
"Master Yu said that he would give scholarships to those of you who passed the imperial examination."
What is a scholarship?
"It is said that it was suggested by the mountain woman that she would reward outstanding students with some money, which could be used as travel expenses for taking the imperial examination in the provincial capital in the future."
"..."
The newly graduated scholars were surrounded and praised by the villagers upon their return, like the top two scholars being paraded through the streets. They sat in the carriage and experienced for the first time what it meant to be in the limelight and to feel triumphant.
This time, the academy examination made Dahe Academy famous.
In the past, with Cheng Zhao as a prominent figure, people would subconsciously think that it was because of Cheng Zhao's excellence that Dahe Academy was established.
But now, the fact that eighteen students from one school have passed the imperial examination to become scholars is enough to prove that the educational methods and philosophy of Dahe Academy are better than those of other academies.
The next morning, Dahe Academy held its first general meeting of all students and parents.
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