“Alright. I’m also waiting for my cousin in Taizhou. I’ll go to the Prince’s Mansion tomorrow, and then I should be able to go back in ten days.” Gu Xin nodded, and then said to the three Madam Ying, “If you ladies are interested, you can go now. It’s more fun to travel with a group. If you have children, you can take them on a journey beforehand. You can’t stay in one place all the time; you need to go out and broaden your horizons.”
“My cousin, who is my uncle’s son, went out on his own with a group of people when he was twelve years old. This time he went on a study tour alone, without even bringing any companions.” Gu Xin then mentioned Gu En.
"I have long heard of the reputation of the Fourth Young Master Gu. It is said that many people bet on him to be the top scholar in this year's imperial examination, but even more bet on him to be the third-ranked scholar," said Lord Liu.
"Huh? Why is he the third-ranked scholar? If he had only been named the third-ranked scholar, my father would have punished him," Gu Xin said in surprise.
"Your Highness, you may not know this, but the title of Tan Hua Lang (third-ranked scholar) is something most people can only dream of. Sometimes, the Tan Hua Lang's abilities are no less than those of the Bang Yan (second-ranked scholar), but because of his good looks, after the Zhuang Yuan (first-ranked scholar) is determined, the Emperor has always chosen the better-looking one to be the Tan Hua Lang. They've all made it into the top rank, so they're all quite good," Lord Liu explained to Gu Xin.
Gu Xin suddenly realized that Huo Junhao was indeed better looking than Qian Liangduo in the year her father took the exam. Of course, it wasn't that Qian Liangduo wasn't good-looking; he was good-looking too, otherwise Princess Jinghe wouldn't have taken a liking to him. Qian Liangduo just looked a bit honest and wasn't as dazzling or attractive as Huo Junhao.
"Then my cousin will definitely be the top scholar. My dad was also very handsome, but he was more learned than Brother Qian and Huo Junhao, so he became the top scholar. My cousin is the same; he's definitely more learned than the other two. I believe in him. So, before the market closes in August, I'm going to place my bet and bet on my brother becoming the top scholar!" Gu Xin said confidently.
Given Gu Shouxin's educational methods towards Gu En, it would be a real shame if Gu En failed to become the top scholar in the imperial examination and failed to live up to Gu Shouxin's dedication in imparting all his knowledge.
"Of course! It was personally handed over by Lord Gu. Young Master Gu will surely win first place!" Lord Liu raised his wine cup and said sincerely.
Gu Xin clinked glasses with him.
Gu En is only a few months younger than Gu Xin, and they are the same age. However, Gu Xin has always treated Gu En like an older sister, as if Gu En were a few years younger than her. They don't seem to be peers at all.
Hearing Lord Liu say this now, I am naturally very happy.
After finishing her drink, Gu Xin refilled her glass and clinked glasses with everyone.
Gu Xin enjoyed the dinner very much.
In the end, everyone was chatting together, and Gu Xin was such a good talker that the atmosphere was very harmonious.
It was almost 11 PM when Lord Liu and his wife, General Ying and his wife finally left.
Several of the Ying wives also planned to go home and ask their families if they wanted to travel to Kunzhou with Mrs. Liu and her mother-in-law. Like the Peng family, the Ying family had many male members, so they could also go further west.
After seeing the people off, Gu Xin went back to her room with Zheng Qiu.
Today is May 18th. The moon is still quite round, and the sky is full of stars, which makes people feel relaxed and happy.
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