The third princess held a half-bowl of rice in her hand, poking around in the dish with her chopsticks, but didn't eat a single bite. Her eyes were fixed on the doorway, and she kept sighing.
Shuiyun simply stood at the doorway, keeping a close eye on the movements inside the courtyard.
The head palace maid, unwilling to see her mistress go hungry, whispered, "Princess, the princess always keeps her word. She said she'd be back tonight, and she definitely won't be wrong. You should eat first; you need to be full to have the energy to stay up all night waiting for the princess."
The third princess threw down her rice bowl in exasperation, saying, "I know, but I just can't stop thinking about her. It's already dark, why hasn't she come back yet? Is something holding her up? I should have just left her here!"
Shuiyun, who was standing at the door, was also anxious. Apart from the New Year, she and Shuiling had never been away from their master for such a long time.
This time, the master secretly slipped out, and in order to keep it from others, she and Shui Ling were left behind.
In fact, they were even more anxious and furious than the Third Princess.
Just then, a cheer suddenly rang out in the courtyard, and then Shui Ling led Jia Yin to the door.
Jiayin waved to the group with a smile and asked, "A day apart feels like three autumns, and it's been six years since we last met. Did you miss me?"
"Waaah," Shuiyun hugged her mistress tightly, her eyes reddening, "Of course we miss her, Miss, you must take us with you next time you go out."
The third princess rushed forward, hugged Jiayin, and, whether happy or angry, jumped up and down, yelling, "So you finally know to come back! It's already dark, aren't you afraid of getting lost!"
Jiayin, struggling to breathe from being strangled, quickly surrendered, "I was wrong, I was wrong! I'll never run away again, please let me go!"
Everyone couldn't help but laugh and pulled her into the house.
Jiayin had already eaten at home, but seeing that the Third Princess hadn't eaten, she washed her hands and sat down at the table to eat a few more bites with her.
She didn't bring any baskets, so it was difficult to take out fruits and vegetables, but small items were relatively easy to handle.
Using her handbag as a cover, Jiayin took out two bottles of beef chili sauce from her storage space and said with a smile, "Here, try the chili sauce I made at home. My cow 'accidentally' died because of these two bottles of chili sauce."
The third princess picked up a piece of beef with her chopsticks. The beef was chewy, the chili was spicy, and it was mixed with sesame seeds, minced garlic, and other ingredients. It was fried until it was oily, salty, and fragrant, which immediately whetted her appetite. She then shoveled down several mouthfuls of rice.
"Mmm, delicious, it's so delicious!"
The head palace maid immediately replaced the mistress's rice with a fresh bowl.
Seeing that there were no outsiders, Jiayin invited Shuiling and Shuiyun to sit down and eat together.
Shui Ling and Shui Yun hesitated, but the Third Princess scooped up another spoonful of meat sauce and said, "We've eaten together so many times, why are you being so polite?"
After saying that, she called to the head palace maid, "Caiyun, you should eat with us too. There are so many dishes, how can I possibly finish them all by myself?"
Caiyun was so startled that she quickly waved her hands, refusing no matter what.
Shui Ling and Shui Yun sat down and started eating together.
After all, they used to eat with their master often back in Suijintan.
They were servants, but more so their masters' playmates and sisters.
Caiyun lagged behind, occasionally helping to serve rice and soup, and looked on with great envy...
Leaving aside the joy of the young ladies in the palace reuniting, the sealing and sending out of the sealed examination papers for the grand examination has become something that everyone in the new capital is looking forward to.
For the test takers and their families, those three days felt like an eternity.
Finally, the day came for the results to be posted, and the area in front of the examination hall was packed with people.
Li Laosi was held up by something, but Li Yong returned. He brought Zheng Yi and Zheng Liu, along with a few servants, and came early to reserve a spot, but they were still blocked outside by a huge crowd.
Li Yong rolled up his sleeves and led his servants straight in, knocking off countless hats and shoes, but they managed to get a spot at the very front.
Soon, constables came out to post notices, and some people even hoped to run around to deliver the good news and make a little money.
As a result, the area in front of the gate was so crowded that the constables were blocked.
Fortunately, they were experienced and shouted their pitches.
The list won't be posted unless everyone moves!
In an instant, a large empty space appeared in front of the wall of the examination hall.
The constables then stepped forward triumphantly, applied paste, and pasted up the notices in one go.
Li Yong immediately noticed that Jiaren's name was ranked second on the top list!
Zheng Yi was overjoyed. Zheng Liu and Li Yong put their hands together and tossed Zheng Yi into the air.
Zheng Yi leaped over the wall and dashed out, quickly jumping over the crowd and rushing to his carriage, shouting, "Young Master, you're second on the list! Second!"
Li Lao Er, Li Lao San, Jia Ren, Li Ge'er, Lu Zong, and Jia Xu all stood together, craning their necks to look around.
Upon hearing the good news, everyone was overjoyed.
"Second? Great, fantastic!" Li Lao Er patted his son's shoulder excitedly, his voice choked with emotion. He wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat.
The Li family held two noble titles, both bestowed by the emperor.
Although they genuinely found high-yield grains for Tianwu and solved the problem of food and clothing for the people, there were always people who would say that the Li family were sycophants and that their titles were obtained illegitimately.
Now things are much better; my son has earned his official title through his own abilities.
Let's see who dares to talk back now!
Li Laosan, Jia Huan, and Li Ge'er also gathered around and happily congratulated Jia Ren.
Jiaren was initially a little disappointed, after all, he had aimed for first place.
However, it must be said that hearing about his sister's accident during the exam still threw him off balance and affected his performance.
Getting second place is already quite good.
Moreover, he will have to take the palace examination later. When the examination is held under the emperor's nose, no one will dare to cheat. He might even be able to snatch the first place back!
Thinking this, he smiled and started chatting and laughing with everyone.
Soon, Li Yong, Zheng Liu, and the others saw the entire list and awkwardly squeezed out.
Li Yong held a shoe in his hand, his hair was disheveled, but he didn't care. He immediately said, "Li Ge'er is fifty-eighth on the second list! Young Master Lu is fifty-ninth on the second list! Young Master Jia is twenty-first on the third list!"
Li Ge'er jumped for joy, he was overjoyed.
From the moment he started taking the imperial examination for the title of Xiucai, his plan was to keep his brother company.
I was incredibly lucky; I actually managed to pass the exams just like my brother!
Lu Zong also had a big smile on his face. His family were all military men, good at fighting but not good at studying.
His current ranking on the list is a remarkable achievement, bringing honor to his ancestors.
Only Jia Xu looked unwell; it has to be said that he eventually fell ill, which ultimately delayed his exam.
Otherwise, given his level, he should at least be on the second list.
Jiaren and Lu Zong saw this and tried to persuade him.
"It's good enough if you can make the list. There's the palace examination right after. Take good care of your health and do your best on the exam."
"Yes, being on the list this time is just a pass; the ranking doesn't matter."
Jia Xu felt somewhat ashamed; his friends' attitude made him seem narrow-minded.
He quickly perked up and said, "Alright, let's fight again in the palace examination and sweep the top spot!"
"That's more like it! You're listless, that's not like you at all!" Lu Zong punched his friend.
I had something to do today, so the update is late. I'll try to be on time in the future!
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