With the provincial examination concluded, Pan Wei was barred from holding official positions for three generations, meaning that the Pan family would likely never be able to regain its former glory.
Pan Wei never expected that this young crown prince would have such a temperament and methods.
However, Gu Ziyi was the crown prince, and he held real power. No matter how much Pan Wei was dissatisfied, he had no choice but to return to the capital in disgrace once he had been caught red-handed.
He has harmed the Pan family and lost face. He may not be able to keep his status as a student of the Grand Tutor, and he may even be in danger of losing his own life.
This has nothing to do with the Shen family.
The Shen family bid farewell to Gu Ziyi and leisurely went home.
The news of Shen Laosan's first place in the examination reached Xinghua Village even faster than the others.
At that time, Old Lady Shen was washing clothes by the river. When she heard this, she was so happy that her face almost lit up with a smile.
She knew it; her sons were all exceptionally talented!
The others who were washing clothes with her were quick-witted and all congratulated Old Lady Shen.
Old Mrs. Shen thought to herself, "He got first place in the main exam, which means he's the most outstanding among tens of thousands of people. His strength is evident."
In the worst-case scenario, even if I don't do well in the retest, I should at least be last, right?
In addition, Lili accompanied Shen Laosan this time. Old Mrs. Shen had a wild idea: maybe even if Shen Laosan himself didn't make it, with Lili's good luck, he would just make it to the last place!
Old Mrs. Shen became more and more excited as she thought about it.
Is the ancestral grave of the Shen family about to emit auspicious smoke?
Of course, Old Mrs. Shen was still rational; this was just the first test, and the final result would depend on the second test after some time.
It's okay if the final result isn't satisfactory.
Therefore, although Old Mrs. Shen was very happy and had great expectations, she calmly and seriously said to the person next to her, "This is just the beginning. Let's wait for the final result before we talk about it."
Old Mrs. Wu, who was standing next to her, joked, "Oh, Sister-in-law Shen, I'm not trying to be mean, but your third son is ranked first in the main exam. What kind of accident must have happened for him to fail the second round?"
Another chimed in, "Yes, yes, in my opinion, it won't be long before our Xinghua Village really has another scholar!"
They may not understand much else, but even though they are old, they are not senile. They understand what it means to be number one among tens of thousands of people.
Old Mrs. Shen said helplessly, "No matter what the outcome, Sanlang should just do his best."
Seeing her like this, the old women nearby wisely kept quiet.
Old Mrs. Shen quickened her pace; her husband was still in the fields, and she didn't know if he knew about the good news yet.
She needs to hurry back and tell her family about this good news.
After washing the last piece of clothing, Old Lady Shen carried the wooden basin and hurried home.
Halfway there, they saw Chen, who should have been cooking in the kitchen, come running over in a flash, her face beaming with joy.
Old Mrs. Shen said, "What, you found out too?"
Madam Chen nodded hurriedly: "Mother, Third Brother is back. Lili told me herself!"
Old Mrs. Shen was overjoyed: "You're back?"
"Not only that, my eldest brother is back too!"
"Oh, really!"
It would be a lie for Old Mrs. Shen not to worry when her eldest son hasn't come home for several months.
Two pieces of good news came at once, and Old Mrs. Shen was so happy that she practically ran home.
The courtyard was indeed bustling with activity, with several little heads huddled together, fiddling with something in the yard.
The three brothers were already chatting and laughing, their arms around each other's shoulders. Old Man Shen was also smiling, apparently having returned before Old Woman Shen.
Lili called out, "Grandma."
Old Mrs. Shen responded, and the eldest son quickly said, "Mother!"
"My dear brother!"
The mother and son had not seen each other for a long time. Old Mrs. Shen said nothing, but looked him up and down with tears in her eyes.
After discovering that Boss Shen seemed unchanged except for getting much darker, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Good, good, it's good to be back."
"Mother, let me tell you about what happened on the way."
Old Master Shen vividly recounted the ups and downs he had encountered along the way, and he found it particularly interesting when he talked about how the people of Xixiang County angrily denounced the First Prince for being heartless.
The younger children listened intently, while the women alternated between fear and excitement.
Finally, Old Man Shen said earnestly, "Eldest son, you've done a good deed thanks to Young Master Gu. If Young Master Gu needs any help with anything like this in the future, or if he encounters any difficulties, our family will lend a hand."
Those who knew Gu Ziyi's true identity: "..."
The day His Highness the Crown Prince needs their help will probably be the day the world turns upside down.
After discussing that, the two brothers, Shen Lao Da and Shen Lao Er, then asked Shen Lao San about the provincial examination with great interest.
"Third brother, I heard you came out on top in the exam!"
The eldest Shen said, "I know that. I saw it at the entrance of the examination hall. There was a big red list, and my third brother's name was at the very top!"
The Shen family listened with great interest, as if they were there at the entrance of the examination hall, witnessing the red list with their own eyes.
When talking about Pan Wei, who tried to interfere, he was filled with righteous indignation again.
Seeing that Old Lady Shen's lips opened and closed repeatedly without uttering a word, Lili knew that she was hesitating about her father's re-examination.
The helpful Lili spoke up for Old Lady Shen: "Father, what do you think of the re-examination?"
Shen Laosan smiled. He knew that everyone was thinking about his retest, so he reassured them: "Don't worry, I think I should be able to do it."
The Shen family was overjoyed. Look, look, look! Their Shen family is really going to produce a scholar!
Old Mrs. Shen was so moved that she shed tears, while Old Mr. Shen smiled and nodded repeatedly.
The eldest and second eldest Shen brothers were also happy for their younger brother, because his success in passing the imperial examination was equivalent to their own success!
We're all family, all surnamed Chen, and share the same honor!
The two sisters-in-law, Liu and Chen, thought the same way. Although it wasn't their husbands who became scholars, it was the same as their younger brother-in-law becoming a scholar!
The Shen family has produced a scholar, which is a great source of pride!
The two even started teasing Yang, calling her a scholar's wife.
Then she hugged Lili and told her to encourage her father, saying that if Shen Laosan encouraged her, he might pass the provincial examination at the end of next year!
The family chatted happily until dark, having a wonderful time.
After dinner, Shen Jiahao took the group to the square next to his house to play. He even made his younger brothers practice horse stance, saying that they should exercise together to protect Lili.
As for Lili, she leisurely squatted to the side, eating and watching while holding a bowl of steamed egg custard, and occasionally cheering on her older brothers.
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