"Miss, great news! Great news!"
In the palace, Shui Ling and Shui Yun usually address each other as Princess, and only in private do they call each other Miss.
At this moment, Shui Ling had even forgotten about that, which shows how incredibly happy she was.
Jiayin suddenly stood up, stepped forward, and asked, "My older brother became the top scholar in the imperial examination?"
"Yes, yes!" Shui Ling nodded frantically, and after catching her breath, she said, "The Emperor immediately appointed the eldest young master as the top scholar! Everyone praised the eldest young master's essay!"
Jiayin jumped up, her face beaming with joy.
"My older brother is amazing! Hahaha, my older brother is the top scholar!"
The third princess was also delighted and said repeatedly, "I told you not to worry. Your eldest brother is so capable, how could he not become the top scholar!"
After saying that, she suppressed her blush and asked Shui Ling, "What about the others, like your sixth young master, and... other people?"
Shui Ling replied, "His Majesty only appointed the eldest son as the top scholar in court. The others will have to wait for His Majesty to review them carefully before ranking them."
The third princess was disappointed, but she couldn't say it out loud.
At this moment, the palace maids serving nearby stepped forward to offer their congratulations.
With a wave of his hand, Jiayin rewarded each person with two taels of silver, making everyone smile with delight.
For a time, the entire Zhilan Palace was bustling with activity, as if it were Chinese New Year.
As the sun began to set, the news spread quickly as the students left the palace.
The entire city was filled with curiosity and envy for the newly crowned top scholar.
Some people say, "It's better to have a good son than to have a fortune."
Others chimed in, "Yes, the Li family is truly blessed; their ancestors in heaven are protecting their descendants."
"Putting aside everything else, just take the high-yield corn and potatoes. So many people went to Quanzhou, how come no one noticed them, but the Li family did?"
"Now that the eldest grandson of the Li family has won the top scholar title, this is truly bringing glory to the family. From now on, he will rise rapidly in his career and achieve great things!"
Of course, where there are envious people, there are also jealous ones.
"Hmph, Li's son must have gotten the top scholar title by a lucky break! Everyone knows that the Emperor treats the Li family differently."
"The Li family's son's talent is comparable to others, or even slightly inferior. The Emperor will surely appoint him as the top scholar. That's the advantage of having connections in the court!"
Some reasonable people, upon hearing this, couldn't help but speak up in defense of the facts.
"That's not how it works. Young Master Li entered the palace examination with the second-highest score on the list. Besides, besides the Emperor reviewing the papers, there were so many important officials involved. Would they all show favoritism?"
"Besides, the Li family deserves the Emperor's favor. Not to mention how the high-yield grain saved countless people in Tianwu, which of the Li family's children and grandchildren isn't successful?"
"Now two have passed the palace examination, and even the eldest son of the Li family has won the title of top scholar. The other sons of the Li family also have proper jobs, either killing Japanese pirates or going on diplomatic missions to foreign countries."
"A family like this, loyal to the country and protecting its people, who wouldn't like them! Not to mention the emperor, even I feel proud."
"The eldest son of the Li family has become the top scholar in the imperial examination. I wonder if the Li family will hold a banquet? If they do, I will definitely prepare a generous gift and send it over to ask for a cup of celebratory wine and share in the joy."
It must be said that there are still many discerning people in the world.
While petty people are unavoidable, they can never become the dominant theme of the world.
By sunset, the entire city of Xindu was devoid of any sounds of jealousy; instead, it was filled with envy and respect for the Li family.
A banquet was held at the Earl's mansion that very evening.
Lord Hou, Li Lao Er, Li Lao San, and Li Lao Si who had traveled a long way back, along with Jia Ren, Jia Huan, and Li Ge'er, as well as the village chief, Liu Biao Tou, Uncle Zhao, and others who had come from the village, and Liu Zhiheng, Mr. Peng, and Lord Xing were all present, and everyone was beaming with joy.
Especially Lord Xing, who now has two more wrinkles around his eyes.
He had some hesitation when his wife insisted on marrying their daughter to Li Jiaren.
In retrospect, my wife was absolutely right.
In the past two years, their son-in-law has been filial to them as if they were his own parents, and he is also gentle and considerate towards their daughter. In this major exam, he even became the top scorer.
This is simply the highest honor for a scholar!
He was practically roasted alive by the envious stares of his colleagues all afternoon.
He unconsciously straightened his back and grinned from ear to ear; his face was still sore.
What a stroke of luck!
Li Lao Er's biological father hugged his son and cried bitterly.
The regret of not being able to study as a child and the hardships of supporting the family all rushed into my mind, but I was finally able to let go of them in the ecstasy of my son becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination.
“My son, you are my pride. You have been sensible and intelligent since you were little. I couldn’t sleep at night because I couldn’t send you to school. Fortunately, things have improved at home, and you went to the academy and had a teacher.”
"I was thinking that even if you couldn't pass the imperial examination to become a Juren, you could at least pass the Xiucai examination to fulfill my dream."
"I never imagined you'd be so successful. You've actually become the top scholar! I'm so happy, so incredibly happy!"
Jiaren's eyes reddened as he listened. He hugged his father, a rare occurrence for him, and choked out, "Dad, you are also my pride. Over the years, you have taken care of everything at home and outside, acting as both father and mother. You have worked so hard."
Li Lao Er could no longer hold back and burst into tears.
Jia Huan and Li Ge'er wiped away their tears, and Li Laosan also turned his head to wipe his eyes, one handful after another.
It was the Marquis and the others who quickly tried to comfort him.
"On such a joyous day, we should be happy."
"Yes, it's a pity Mr. Wen isn't here, otherwise he would probably be even happier."
Upon hearing Mr. Wen's name, Li Lao Er immediately wiped away his tears and replied, "Jiaren's success today is inseparable from Mr. Wen's guidance. We must wait for Mr. Wen to return before holding another banquet."
Li Laosi laughed and said, "Second Brother, don't worry, I've already sent someone to welcome Mr. Wen. If everything goes smoothly, he might be back tomorrow night."
"That's good, that's good." Li Lao Er nodded, and added, "Also, we must thank the teachers at the academy properly."
At this moment, Mr. Peng finally found a place to interject, replying, "Leave this task to me. The teachers at the academy have always coveted our family's treasures, and I remember them all."
"Just cater to their preferences; I'll make a list later."
Jiaren quickly expressed his gratitude, and Li Laosan chimed in, "Then we'll set up two tables in the cafeteria for a thank-you banquet, and Jiahuan will personally cook."
"Third brother, let's invite all the students in the academy together. Jiaren also needs to go back to the academy, so we can't let his classmates watch the fun without getting a share of the joy." Li Lao Er generously instructed, "I'll pay for it. You and Jia Huan can do the work of deciding on the menu."
"Alright, it's rare for Second Brother to be so generous, I'll definitely arrange the banquet properly." Li Laosan smiled憨厚ly and agreed, which made everyone laugh as well.
The banquet began in no time, and everyone toasted and laughed, almost lifting the roof off the house.
Wan'er, along with her maids and servants, busied herself preparing wine and dishes. Occasionally, when she had a moment to herself, she would stand under the eaves, gazing at the moon in the sky, her hands trembling with excitement.
She's actually the wife of the top scholar!
The power went out during the Lunar New Year holiday, and it wasn't back on by 7:30. I had to carry my laptop all over town looking for a place to update; it was truly indescribable. Sorry, everyone, it was a real emergency. Tomorrow's a new week, so I'll make up for the missed update first. Stay tuned!
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