Although Sister Chang did not take the imperial examination, she was better than the imperial examination and was one of the beneficiaries of this examination.
Song Xian is the top scholar today. After passing the palace examination in the future, he might even become the top scholar. But no matter how high he stands, he was once defeated by her sister Chang. This identity cannot be torn off no matter what.
The greater his fame, the greater Chang's sister's fame also rose with him.
In this way, Song Xian's hard work in taking the imperial examination was also a way to build fame for his sister Chang.
Although Sister Chang's reputation now surpasses his, who would complain about having too much reputation?
I never thought that the game of chess played that day would have such a strong impact.
Wu Chunbai was thinking jokingly as she walked through the hall with her maid towards the "Bamboo Courtyard" where she often met with Yao Xia and the others. Suddenly, she heard footsteps and noisy voices in front of her. A group of people in long gowns were surrounding a young scholar and walking towards them.
"...Congratulations, Brother Tan. You finally don't have to endure three more years of hot summers and cold winters!"
"Congratulations! But the one we should congratulate most is Mingxi!"
"That's right...Brother Song is very happy today!"
clear?
Mingli means to be distinct, and clear means obvious.
When Wu Chunbai heard this, he knew that this was Song Xianzhi's courtesy name and subconsciously looked forward.
There were more than ten people in the group, some were wearing scholar's clothes, some were dressed like students of the Imperial College. The young man who was surrounded by them had neat features, and although there was a look of joy between his brows, he did not seem to be complacent.
There were many people who were more excited than him. They talked as they walked, without paying attention to the road, and almost bumped into Wu Chunbai.
Song Xian saw the person coming from the front and raised his hand to stop his good friend and classmate behind him in time.
The people in front smiled and raised their hands to apologize to Wu Chunbai. They were in high spirits because of the good news, and they apologized with smiles.
Song Xian was a candidate from another place and had no house in the capital. Before this, he had been living in the Imperial Academy's dormitory. Today, when the results were announced, he and his classmates from the Xunmei Society came to the Tingyin Hall to wait for news.
He was introverted and didn't like to show off, so he didn't go to see the list in person. It was Tan Li and others who had been waiting at the place where the list was posted. As soon as they got the result, they ran to find Song Xian like a flash.
He ran too fast on the road. Tan Li, who was also on the list, was so excited that he didn't even realize that his purse was missing. When he was almost outside the listening hall, Tan Li realized that his waist was empty. After hesitating for a long time, he was persuaded by his good friend and said reluctantly - well, today is a great occasion, I might as well share my wealth with the people of the capital.
But the strength of his joy was bound to be limited, after all, he only had two copper coins in his pocket.
This good friend of Tan Li is already over 40 years old. Today, he finally passed the imperial examination. Although he is the oldest among the group of literati, he is also the most ecstatic. It is because he has personally experienced the pain of being oppressed by the gentry before, so he understands how difficult it is to obtain the status of a Jinshi.
Those candidates who had been waiting with them at the place where the results were announced but unfortunately failed, all left in a depressed mood and no one followed them. Firstly, they were ashamed, and secondly, they felt disappointed. They knew they could not share the joy of others with a normal heart, and they did not want to spoil the mood of others' celebration, so they decided to calm themselves down first.
Therefore, those candidates who failed the exam only asked Tan Li and the other two to congratulate Song Xian on their behalf.
At this moment, except for Song Xian and other three who passed the exam, most of the others were students of the Imperial Academy. Some of them had not yet achieved the title of Juren, or they had no intention of taking the imperial examination to enter officialdom. Therefore, those who passed the exam did not have to hide their joy for fear of those who failed.
Facing the overwhelming feeling of elation, Wu Chunbai bowed to them with a slight smile and said, "Congratulations to all of you on your success in the exam."
Tan Li and the others did not expect that the girl who they almost bumped into would congratulate them, so they all looked over.
The other person was wearing a sky-blue spring gown and a moon-white skirt. Her hair was neatly combed into two buns with a pair of orchid hairpins on them. She walked straight and gracefully, with a decent and relaxed smile on her pretty face.
Her clothes are simple yet not ordinary, and the maid behind her is also well-mannered. One can tell at first sight that she comes from a wealthy and scholarly family. And looking at her relaxed aura, she is definitely not an ordinary lady who stays at home all day.
Song Xian did not look directly at the other person until the woman's voice sounded again, mentioning him alone.
"I have heard of Song Huiyuan's great name for a long time. Today, he is the first on the list of apricots, and he has the potential to be the number one on the list of emperors." The voice said with a smile: "The palace examination is coming soon. I hope to see Song Huiyuan riding the number one horse and seeing all the flowers in Chang'an in the future."
Song Xian then looked up and met those extremely sincere eyes.
He couldn't help but be slightly stunned by her sincerity, as he had never met this girl before.
He quickly retracted his gaze and subconsciously raised his hand to thank him: "Thank you for your words."
Wu Chunbai nodded and saluted, then left with the maid with a smile.
"…She is the daughter of Wu Siqing of the Taichang Temple, and her grandfather is Mr. Wu! A famous talented woman, a girl from the Wu family!" A member of the Xunmei Society said in a low voice.
"I remember it too. I've seen her and Madam Chang coming in and out of this place together!"
The latter sentence caught Song Xian's attention even more.
A friend of Madam Chang?
He turned around and looked at the girl's back which was already walking away.
The elderly scholar stroked his beard and said meaningfully: "This little girl just came to congratulate Mingxi on his success in the imperial examination. Could it be that..."
Immediately, a student with sparkling eyes raised his hand and started to make a noise: "I know, the son-in-law is being picked from the list!"
"Yes, yes, Brother Song is the top of the list. Once you leave this music hall, there will be countless nobles with daughters waiting for you!"
"This girl from the Wu family is a first-rate talent. Speaking of which, she is quite similar to Brother Song..."
Song Xianwei frowned and stopped his classmates from talking any further: "Don't talk nonsense, it's just to tarnish the reputation of a girl."
Before he entered high school, he already had some prestige among his classmates, and the Xunmei Society he founded was known as the number one poetry society in the Imperial College. Therefore, his words have always carried weight, let alone at this time.
Those students and writers all smiled and stopped talking.
"No..." After thinking for a moment, Tan Li said, "In my opinion, it doesn't look like a son-in-law selection, but more like..."
What does it look like? Everyone looked at him.
"It can be seen that she really hopes that Brother Song will be the top scorer in the imperial examination..." Tan Li whispered, "Perhaps because the more glorious Brother Song becomes, the more glorious it will be for Madam Chang. After all, everyone knows that Brother Song was defeated by Madam Chang in this Listening Hall..."
Song Xian's expression froze: "..."
It sounds outrageous at first, but when you think about it carefully, it seems very reasonable.
This is reasonable, but also reveals a sense of immorality that seems to be true but is not.
The same feeling also appeared in the hearts of others.
After hearing this, why do you feel that Brother Song worked hard for the imperial examination, but at the same time he was also bringing honor to Madam Chang? You know, this is the honor that only parents can enjoy... In other words, Madam Chang enjoyed the treatment of being a parent! This conclusion made everyone silent for a moment.
What they thought in their hearts was not important. Some people wanted to take the opportunity to show their support, so they quickly questioned: "... Well, this girl from the Wu family, I thought she was sincerely congratulating Brother Song, but I didn't expect that she had such thoughts! From now on, we will never read her poems again!"
Tan Li smiled and said, "You can't say that. This is a win-win situation."
Everyone: “…”
This win-win approach is unheard of.
A scholar coughed and reminded Tan Li: "On such a happy day, don't talk about the past..."
Who would want to hear people mention the embarrassing defeat in the past during their glorious days? Tan Li smiled indifferently.
As far as he knew, Song Xian came here today not only to wait for the results of the Xingbang exam, but also to inquire about the news about Madam Chang, no, General Ning Yuan.
"It doesn't matter. This old story should be mentioned repeatedly today." There was no displeasure in Song Xian's tone, and it was obvious that he was not speaking sarcastically or mocking himself.
Everyone exchanged glances curiously, but only Tan Li smiled knowingly.
After walking a few more steps, Song Xian turned his head and looked at the stone table quietly placed under a ginkgo tree not far away.
He seemed to see again the scene when he played chess with Chang Suining here last year.
At this moment, he looked from the perspective of an outsider, and what he saw was his own arrogance, narrow-mindedness, prejudice, and the inferiority complex that he was unwilling to admit deep in his heart.
All these things made him feel conflicted and tense, and he became blinded by one thing and stuck in his own ways.
Looking back, he lost that day inevitably, and lost well.
This conclusion was not reached in a day or two. He had reviewed the game of chess with himself again and again, especially every time he heard news about her coming back to the capital.
As he reviewed the game again and again, he became more and more aware of the broad-mindedness and kindness of the person who had defeated him in the first place.
He gradually realized that the chess game that day could not even be called a game of chess, because of the huge disparity between the two sides. They should not have sat in the same place and played such a game of chess.
And as her news came back, it just confirmed what he felt during the chess game, that she was meant to be a roc soaring in the sky, she had feathers that could soar up to 90,000 miles, and before that, all she lacked was the wind to ride on.
In comparison, he, who initially thought he was superior to her and looked down on her with prejudice, was so arrogant that it was ridiculous.
But thinking back, she had never really targeted him, never got angry at his shallowness and rudeness. In that game of chess, she could have easily won him and humiliated him, but she didn't.
She is very roundabout, and there is a gentleness in her.
She even suggested playing two more games with him, best of three, and for a long time he believed that if there were two more games, she would let him win one to save his dignity.
But he had been frightened by the arrogance she displayed during the game. He was still a cautious person and suspected that she wanted to humiliate him again and again, so he did not dare to play against her again.
On the eve of the imperial examination, he restored the chess game again.
That time, he was distracted and thinking about many things, including her actions in the Confucius Temple. Then, he inexplicably felt the breath of another person between the black and white chess pieces.
The person who saved him when he was young also saved many people in the world.
Although they were a man and a woman, and one died in one life, they both gave him the same feeling - a strong and kind person does not and does not need to compete with the plants and flowers for spring. He stands in a high position, but not to dominate others, but to cherish and protect all things in the world.
At that moment, he was quietly looking at the chessboard under the moon, and suddenly he felt enlightened. In the silence, he felt the breath of heaven and earth surging, and his heart resonated. He finally saw the great spirit that can truly last forever throughout the ages.
Only by realizing how insignificant the prophet himself is can one see how vast the world is.
This loss was destined to happen to him.
After losing to the opponent that day, he should have kept his promise and called her teacher. It was not shameful at all to lose to her, and it was definitely not like he was fooled by her.
That day he felt embarrassed, but she said: "Only those who can help others solve their doubts can be teachers. If Mr. Song thinks that my words are helpful in solving their doubts, if you want to become my teacher in the future, it will not be too late. 】
He should worship.
She is a very good teacher.
The last question of this examination was about policy essays, and it was set by the always strict Tutor Chu himself.
The style of policy writing, apart from talent and learning, can also reflect a person's character. If his character is slightly shaken or deviated, his writing will go in the wrong direction.
If he were the self-important and twisted person he used to be, he might be in danger of failing the exam this time. Even if he was lucky enough to pass, he would not be able to get the first place.
Just like his previous poems and articles, he had intended to ask Master Qiao to give instructions and comments on them, but he never received a response. It can be imagined that the master looked down on him.
But this time, he was the first choice personally chosen by the Grand Tutor.
The difference here is so great that it can only be understood through sudden enlightenment.
He knew better than anyone where this sudden enlightenment came from.
He should be the one to thank her, not her taking advantage of him.
In addition, the great victory at the Bian River was an unexpected victory for everyone. With such a great victory and great achievement, her name will surely spread all over the world. From now on, who in the world will dare not know her?
Why would such a person need to borrow the name of Song Xian?
She won such a beautiful victory, and he still had another battle to fight.
They each have their own battlefield, and although he is insignificant, he must also give it his all.
One day, when they meet again, he will apologize first and then thank you.
…
In the evening, the newly-appointed Jinshi who made the list gathered in Dengtai Tower, drinking fine wine and composing poems of triumph, feeling extremely proud and high-spirited.
After three rounds of drinks, Meng Lie, who rarely shows up in person, invites the top winner to write a poem to be hung in the building. If the top winner is willing to honor him, he, Meng Lie, will be the host today.
Everyone surrounded Song Xian and asked him to write a poem - this was an honorable thing, and it could also save a lot of money on wine and food!
Song Xian had no choice but to compose a poem on the spot, which attracted countless praises.
These praises were not just out of flattery or because of the wine. In their eyes, Mr. Song, who had always been calm and introverted, actually had an outgoing and lofty ambition in this poem, like thousands of troops having been dispatched and rivers rushing.
Meng Lie was also amazed and impressed. Although he did not know how to compose poetry, he had good eyesight. Otherwise, why would his prince have chosen him to be the manager of the restaurant?
Meng Lie could tell from the reactions of the crowd that this was an excellent poem that would surely bring him a lot of business, so he immediately had it hung in the building.
"Wait a minute—"
When the two guys were climbing up to hang the rope, they suddenly heard Song Xian speaking beside the fence.
Meng Lie asked with a smile: "Song Huiyuan, is there anything wrong?"
Song Xian looked at the painting of a tiger walking in a forest, which was at the same height as the painting in the clerk's hand, and said sincerely, "Please hang my humble work a little lower. Thank you for your help."
…
The lights in Dengtai Tower are bright. As early as this morning, the city has ordered to temporarily lift the curfew, and the whole city is celebrating for seven days.
Lifting the curfew to celebrate the announcement of the results of the imperial examination was unprecedented in previous years, and seven out of ten candidates on the list were from humble backgrounds, which was also unprecedented.
This was the emperor's determination to make use of people from humble backgrounds, and this determination was finally implemented and bore fruit. This great congratulation was a move to show off the emperor's temporary victory in the struggle with the gentry.
In addition, Xu Zhengye is dead, and his head will soon be presented to the emperor. For the emperor, these days are double happiness and he should celebrate. First, it is to demonstrate his victory, and second, it is to give his people a sign that the country is gradually stabilizing, so as to calm the people's hearts that have been shaken recently.
As to whether everything is really as stable and prosperous as it seems on the surface, most people are unable to judge, just like the people of the capital who are cheering and celebrating at this moment. They have never had the ability to jump out of this brightly lit bustling place and look further away.
…
The next day, Song Xian and other Jinshi who had been educated in the Imperial College returned to the academy to thank their teacher and Qiao Jijiu.
Song Xian and others went to Qiao Jijiu's residence, drank tea and talked in the outer hall. Many students also came to join in the fun and share in the joy, making it quite lively for a while.
At noon, Qiao Jijiu prepared some light wine and fatty fish, and added the bacon and fruits brought by Song Xian and others, making a table of dishes, and the teachers and students sat together to drink.
After having her meal alone in her own courtyard, Qiao Yumian took advantage of the beautiful spring weather and went out for a walk with her maid. When they came to the lotus pond, she simply sat down on a rock by the pond to bask in the sun.
The afternoon spring sun was warm, and there seemed to be the scent of lotus leaves stretching in the spring water. With soft gauze covering her eyes, Qiao Yumian felt the increasingly brighter world and felt that she was reviving along with the world.
She thought of the news about Ningning she had heard yesterday and today, and felt very happy. She told the maid, "Xiao Qiu, go get some wine and some fruit, so we can celebrate together."
Congratulations to Ningning.
Xiaoqiu was very happy to see that her mood was getting brighter and brighter, so she smiled and agreed, gave her a few instructions, and went back to get the fruit wine.
After a moment, Qiao Yumian heard footsteps behind her.
She subconsciously turned her head slightly. It was very quiet around her. Her hearing was amplified. She could tell that this was not Xiao Qiu's footsteps. Instead, it sounded a bit like...
"Cui Liulang?" Qiao Yumian asked tentatively.
An update of 4,800 words, just to make up for yesterday’s leave. My waist is better today, but it still feels numb after sitting for a while. I’m recovering and will slowly get my strength back~ Good night!
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