Xu Rong's gaze swept over the gongs and drums, the red silk, and the idle men—
All of this costs money.
She understands very well.
She touched the purse on her skirt, which contained both gold and silver ingots, but she wasn't satisfied; it wasn't impressive enough. She curled her lips and called to Bai Fu, "Tell Hong Liu's father and brother to wait by the second gate and bring out a basket of copper coins."
Bai Fu was also excited and responded loudly, "Yes!"
She lifted her skirt, turned, and ran towards the door.
Xiao Xin snapped out of his daze and tried to stop him, but Xu Rong turned and smiled, "Second Young Master, it's just a small matter, why be so particular? I'm happy for you, and I'm happy for myself too!"
She and Xiao Xin shared both goals and interests. Guided by these two shared principles, Xiao Xin took a solid step towards the future, and she was happy to spend money to hear the good news.
Xiao Xin only heard the words "Why distinguish between us?" and didn't take the rest to heart, so he remained silent.
A basket of copper coins was quickly brought out. In reality, it might not be as valuable as Xu Rong's purse, but the sight of a full basket of gleaming copper coins was more pleasing than a thin silver ingot. After all, copper coins were the main currency in circulation at that time, and many families had saved them up, hiding them in jars under their beds, making them feel more at ease when they slept.
Hongliu's father and brother grinned and scattered copper coins one handful at a time. The idlers' eyes lit up and they swarmed forward, forgetting all about the gongs and drums. The two men holding the red ribbon were particularly dedicated, knowing to bring good luck. They grabbed the money with one hand while still holding the red ribbon with the other, not daring to drop it.
Even the gatekeeper couldn't stand still. He rushed out and squeezed into the group of idlers, wanting to share in the wealth. The idlers had already invested, but they refused to give way. They formed a circle in an orderly fashion, pushing the gatekeeper out. The gatekeeper stomped his feet, ready to curse, but a new wave of copper coins was thrown out. However, there wasn't enough time, and he hurriedly picked up a few leftovers on the outside.
Xu Rong watched the copper coin rain with a pleasant mood. At the end, she tugged at Xiao Xin's sleeve and said, "Let's go."
"Where are we going?" Xiao Xin asked, already catching up with her.
"Let's go check the rankings!"
"What are you still looking at—"
"I want to see."
Xu Rong got into the car next to the door, turned around in the car, and looked down at him with her eyes crinkled.
Xiao Xin: "..."
He looked at her for a moment, and finally smiled, pure, clean, and dazzling in the morning sun. Then he brushed aside his clothes, stepped onto the carriage shaft, and nimbly jumped onto the carriage.
When they arrived, the area outside the Wanping County government office was bustling with activity.
The students who came to see the list crowded together. Xu Rong lifted the carriage curtain and, relying on the height of the carriage, looked into the distance at the list posted on the wall. He understood why the red silk banner announcing the good news said "group list" - the list was indeed round, with fifty seat numbers arranged in two circles in a radial pattern. This was the so-called "small list".
The ranking of the small cases is not in any particular order. Generally speaking, the inner circle's results are better than the outer circle's. The only one with a clear ranking is the first place, whose seat number is raised one space. Even from this distance, its uniqueness can be seen.
Xu Rong admired it for a while.
Although she couldn't see what was written at all.
She pulled Xiao Xin again: "Second Young Master, let's go down and take a look."
Xiao Xin glanced at the crowd below and shook his head: "I'll go by myself."
Xu Rong insisted, "Let's go together, let me see too."
Xiao Xin was a little helpless. He was naturally happy, but he didn't know where Xu Rong got such enthusiasm from—it was almost to the point of being willful and unreasonable. He looked at her for a moment and then gave in: "Let's go."
Xu Rong excitedly went down first, not even bothering to take his veil.
Xiao Xin had no choice but to protect her in front, while Bai Fu and the coachman followed to block the way on both sides. They struggled to squeeze and push through the crowd. Not only were there students watching, but also illiterate people who insisted on squeezing in to join the fun. After about half an incense stick's time, they finally squeezed to the front of the list.
Looking closely at the two rows of seating numbers, Xiao Xin immediately spotted his own and stared at it intently.
Seeing it with your own eyes is a completely different experience.
His heart soared high, then slowly descended little by little.
He looked down at the girl he was holding in his arms. She was still a little squeezed, her head bumping against him several times, making her hair a little fluffy. But she didn't seem to notice, and was still looking up at the notice with great excitement, as if she had discovered something rare.
"Is it really that pretty?" he asked gently, his breath soft against her earlobe.
“It’s beautiful.” Xu Rong nodded, unaware of his gaze. She sighed, “Second Young Master, you don’t know, I’m a scholar too.”
If it weren't for the local customs, and if she weren't too lazy to defy fate, she might have been able to be classmates with Xiao Xin.
"..."
Xiao Xin thought of her handwriting and fell silent.
A moment later, he urged Xu Rong, "Go back, I still have three exams to take, it's nothing."
Xu Rong had seen enough, and agreed, turning around to squeeze out with him, asking as she did so, "Why are you still taking the test? You're first place, you don't have to participate in the others, right?"
The county examination actually consisted of four sessions, not just the first one, with slightly different content. Results were announced after each session, but the first one was the most important. If one could achieve a top score in the group stage, their chances of success were practically guaranteed. Therefore, idle men dared to report their good news early on. Those with higher rankings also had the privilege of not having to attend the later sessions.
After all four exams are completed, a final list will be issued, at which point the final rankings will be determined. The first-place winner will be the county's top scholar, also known as the first of the "Three Scholars" (小三元).
Xiao Xin replied to her, "I asked my teacher, and he said that no matter how I do in the first exam, it would be best to take all three remaining exams to toughen up my mind."
Xu Rong understood this principle. Performance in the exam room is very important. Xiao Xin started late, so he especially needed this kind of experience accumulation. In fact, most students need it too, but some people want to play it safe. If they did well in the previous exams, but failed the two extra exams, then they might as well give up.
She also understood that these four rounds were a pass/fail system. Only those who made it into the group in the first round could go to the second round, and only those who passed the second round could go to the third round... Each time, a supplementary list would be posted at the same time as the group's list. Students on the supplementary list could also take the exam. If a student on the group failed, they would be replaced by someone on the supplementary list. In short, the competition was extremely fierce.
She had inquired about all of this beforehand. Given such a competitive environment, Mr. Su still required Xiao Xin to attend every single match, which shows how strict he was, but at the same time, it also shows his trust in him.
Xu Rong had met Mr. Su and knew that he was not a rigid person. If Xiao Xin was not capable, he would not force him to take the lead.
During their casual conversation, they returned to the Marquis's residence. As they talked along the way, not only did Xiao Xin remain composed, but Xu Rong also calmed down. However, the wave of surprise in the Marquis's residence had only just begun and was rising higher and higher.
If Xiao Xin had only come in the middle, one could say he was lucky, but coming in first place is something that can't be explained by those two words alone.
Regardless of how the people already in the mansion reacted, even Lord Xiao stood there for a while after hearing the news in the evening, before calling Xiao Xin over.
Lord Xiao left early and didn't witness the idlers announcing the good news or Xu Rong scattering money. He only heard about it after returning home from the yamen.
Under the bright lights, Xiao Xin came before him.
Lord Xiao did not sit down, but stood with his hands behind his back, scrutinizing his son for a long time.
He suddenly realized that Xiao Xin had grown taller than him without him noticing.
He was no longer the listless, drooping boy. His shoulders and back were straight, like a green bamboo. Although he was still indifferent, as if covered in frost, he appeared even more upright and aloof.
Lord Xiao was almost taken aback.
When did it change?
I can't remember.
It's as if I see this son every day, yet it's also as if I've never really looked at him properly.
He had no shortage of offspring; he already had an eldest son to inherit the family business and a thoughtful and intelligent youngest son. The second son in the middle was not so important, especially since he had never been very likable before.
The father is the head of the family, but does that mean the father should turn around and fawn over his son?
But at this moment, Lord Xiao finally found a bit of long-lost fatherly love. He unconsciously softened his expression and asked Xiao Xin to sit down. He asked him about his studies. Lord Xiao was a military general, but in order to find a tutor for Xiao Yi, he had also seriously inquired about the imperial examinations. So, he could find something to ask.
When he asked the first question, Xiao Xin paused for a moment, then answered.
He asked again, and Xiao Xin answered again.
After asking the three questions, Lord Xiao was speechless.
He fell silent.
Xiao Xin's attitude wasn't bad, but it was still quite different from what I had imagined. If it were Xiao Lun, he would have been respectful yet friendly; if it were Xiao Yi, he would have come right up to him. Only Xiao Xin seemed to have an aura that kept strangers at bay, creating a protective circle around himself.
It's one thing for wealthy and powerful scions to look down on others, but it's quite unpleasant that even his own father is treated as an outsider and excluded from the circle.
If something is wrong, you can't say it. The closeness between father and son should come from the heart. Adding commands changes the whole flavor.
Lord Xiao now felt utterly bored.
And once he stopped speaking, Xiao Xin became even more silent.
I have no intention of using this opportunity to repair our relationship.
Lord Xiao glanced at him again, feeling choked up, and didn't want to say anything more. He waved his hand and sent him away.
**
Xiao Xin walked quickly back to the North Courtyard, entered the main hall, and stood for a while in front of the curtain leading to the bedroom.
The courtyard was quiet. He was going to perform again and again, and Xu Rong was afraid that the maids would disturb him, so she had been telling them to go back to their rooms early these days. She herself also went to bed early, but she left a light on for him in the main room outside.
The candlelight on the table flickered slightly, and there was a plate of melons and fruits and a plate of pastries beside it. He knew they were all for him. He lowered his head amidst the fragrance of the melons and fruits, and no one knew what he was thinking.
He himself didn't know.
My heart gradually calmed down.
The unspoken restlessness he had felt along the way dissipated, and he let out a soft sigh. He turned back and picked through the fruit platter, picked up a bright red and juicy watermelon, stuffed it into his mouth, and puffed out his cheeks as he went into the other side room.
The second match was the next day.
After the exam results were released, there was a third exam, and after that, the results were released again... until all four exams were over.
On June 25th, the long table was posted.
In the four rounds, Xiao Xin was not always in first place; in the fourth round, he even fell to the outer circle. However, in the final long list that determined the rankings, he returned to his original position from the first round.
Ranked first.
The first case in Wanping County.
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