☆, Chapter 158: The Results Are Out!
"return!"
Duke Wei said in a low voice, "The events of that year were very strange. However, the Eighth Prince presented too much irrefutable evidence, and he himself was seriously injured and almost died. Therefore, the late emperor convicted the Li family. The late emperor was furious at the time, and no one dared to utter a word of dissent, because those who did were beheaded."
Twenty years have passed, and even if this matter was a miscarriage of justice, no one mentions it anymore. If Miss Zhou is a descendant of the Li family, then all she's asking for is a retrial of that case. What can a young girl like her do? As for Jiang Wuyu, he is indeed outstanding, but if he truly had such great abilities, he would have overthrown the imperial court back then, instead of leaving without a word.
"Your Excellency is absolutely right. I have served by your side for many years and have seen countless people. Although that Miss Zhou has a bit of a temper and is prone to arguing, she is a very kind person. Moreover, she has been staying in our Duke's mansion these past few days, studying the cause of the illness day and night, and she is very competent as a doctor," the steward said. "But it's better to be safe than sorry, Your Excellency. I should still have someone keep a close eye on things."
“The young girl has a strange temper. If she knew how wary our Wei family is of her, she might just quit. Ah Chun, you and I both know the answer to this. The young girl is a sensible person. The current emperor is a wise ruler. She knows whether she wants the case to be reopened or whether it's a rebellion.”
"Since our Wei family needs her help, we should cover for her. If she really has rebellious intentions, we can take action then. Although the country is peaceful after the Emperor ascended the throne, the court is still monitoring people everywhere. If she wanted to rebel, she would definitely need troops, but the court has not detected anything unusual, which means she is fine, or not very bad. Let's wait and see. If she wants the case to be retried, we will help if we can."
In late October, Zhou Mujiao finally left the palace.
It was already late autumn, and the capital was cold and desolate. Fallen leaves were falling rustling along the roadside. When the autumn wind blew, the leaves swirled up and fell down, getting further apart from each other, giving people a desolate feeling.
Zhou Mujiao's heart, however, was burning with passion.
Because the results have been released.
The messenger was Du Zhusheng, Liang Shanzhang, and two officials from Taohua County. The three of them took the fastest route and arrived in four days.
Liang Shanzhang held Zhao Yunjing's hand, too excited to speak. The two officials then offered their congratulations with smiles: "Congratulations, Young Master Zhao, on winning first place in the Yuzhou Prefecture competition!"
This is really big news.
Zhou Mujiao handed the two a silver note: "You two have worked hard. Go upstairs and rest. Tomorrow morning I will have someone take you around the capital and buy some new and interesting things to take back with you."
The Yue Dong Lou restaurant was packed with customers, and the two officials did not hide their good news from the crowd, so everyone knew that Zhao Yun Jing had won the top spot in the competition, and it was "again".
The innkeeper quickly announced, "Congratulations to Young Master Zhao for winning the top spot again! With four consecutive top honors, Young Master Zhao is truly the number one person in our Great Liang, practically a literary star descended to earth! How honored we at Yue Dong Lou are to host such a distinguished guest as Young Master Zhao!"
"Wow, four consecutive top honors! If he wins the top spot in the spring imperial examination, wouldn't that be five consecutive top honors?"
"If you are chosen as the top scholar in the imperial examination, that's like winning six consecutive top honors! It's like the reincarnation of the God of Literature!"
Many of the students from the Imperial College who came to Yue Dong Lou for dinner today felt somewhat uncomfortable upon hearing these words.
Students who could enter the Imperial Academy all came from wealthy families, many of whom had fathers who were marquises. As descendants of marquises, they were the center of attention from birth, pampered and spoiled wherever they went, showered with compliments and flattery.
But most of them knew that the compliments they received were because of their parents, not because of their own abilities.
The man before them, Zhao Yunjing, came from a poor family, yet he won four top honors in a row. People praised him entirely because of his own abilities.
If he were to become the top scholar in the imperial examination one day, his background and the prestige of the Zhao family would be no problem at all; they could be changed at will. Moreover, he would receive great favor from the emperor because he would be the first person in history to achieve this. Not to mention that before this, the name 'Zhao Yunjing' had frequently appeared on the lips of his elders, who spoke of him with great admiration.
It is conceivable that once Zhao Yunjing enters officialdom, he will surely rise to prominence, starting from a higher point than them. Moreover, as long as he does not make any fundamental mistakes and maintains his current intelligence, he will trample these students of the Imperial Academy under his feet for decades to come.
The innkeeper happily announced that all drinks were free today, and even had two free dishes served to each table. Zhou Mujiao then added to the bill, saying she would pay for everything.
The students exchanged glances, silently finished their drinks, and got up to leave.
“These are all students from the Imperial Academy,” Zhou Mujiao said, stroking her chin. “It looks like your future at the Imperial Academy won’t be peaceful.”
Zhao Yunjing smiled and said, "I'll just study my books. What can they do to me? Headmaster, Xiao Ran and the others are on the list too, right?"
Speaking of this, Headmaster Liang was very proud: "They've all passed! All twenty of them have passed! Chen Liangjin is second on the list, Hu Peiran is third, and the rest are all within the top fifty. They're all very outstanding! Our Peach Blossom County has produced twenty scholars this year. Even when my uncle was still alive, we didn't have such an achievement! Yun Jing, it's all thanks to you for always giving them extra help..."
Liang Shanzhang kept rambling on, saying that Chen Liangjin and the others had settled their families and would be heading to the capital together in the next few days. Since they were unfamiliar with the place, they would inevitably have to trouble Zhao Yunjing. He asked Zhao Yunjing to continue to help them, saying that although they were all aiming for the top scholar title, when facing outsiders, they were like brothers from the same place, and should help and support each other.
Zhao Yunjing readily agreed.
That evening, Zhou Mujiao hosted a banquet at Yue Dong Lou and Hao Yun Lou, where anyone could go in for a drink and a meal. Yue Dong Lou and Hao Yun Lou, which were located across the street from each other and used to be competitors, were now working together to celebrate the same person, making it seem like they were in sync and creating a lively atmosphere throughout the street.
At the end of the street, a figure in black slowly emerged, followed by five or six men in tight-fitting clothes, and beside him were two young men and women who resembled him.
"It's been several years since I've been to Zhuque Street. Eighteen, your palace isn't far from here. Is this street always this lively?"
“No, that’s not true.” Princess Jinling interjected, “It only became lively in the last two or three years. It seems that after Haoyunlou opened and Yuedonglou changed owners, these two restaurants started making a fuss from time to time. In addition, the food and drinks at both restaurants are quite good and each has its own merits, so they have attracted more and more customers.”
The Eighteenth Prince chimed in: "Yue Dong Lou's interior is decorated in a more scholarly style, making it suitable for students and scholars. Some civil officials in the court also like to eat and relax there. Hao Yun Lou, on the other hand, has a grander interior, attracting a more diverse clientele. Overall, these two restaurants are evenly matched."
"Father, I've inquired, and the owner of Good Fortune Restaurant is Zhou Mujiao. She owns Good Fortune Restaurant, yet she lives in Yue Dong Restaurant. Isn't that strange, Father? Could she be plotting something bad?"
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