Chapter 323 A bright moon shines in the sky, the chirping of insects among the grass enters my dreams. (Please vote for my next upcoming novel~)
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On the evening of the day the results were announced, Li Shiyue and Li Qiutian rode their horses and drove their carriages into the prefectural city.
Li Shiyue's first reason for coming to the prefectural city was naturally to see Li Wangming's results in the provincial examination.
If Li Wangming passes the imperial examination, then he must be taken back to Lijiatun to pay respects to his ancestors and his success in the examination must be recorded in the family genealogy.
Of course, a banquet must also be held for the neighbors to celebrate.
Furthermore, preparations for the imperial examinations in February of next year must begin immediately;
We need to see how to arrange things. How to send someone to escort Li Wangming to the capital to participate in the imperial examination.
Even if Li Wangming doesn't pass the exam, he still has to bring his mother and Shitou home.
As a result, just as Li Shiyue dismounted at the entrance of his paper shop, a person suddenly darted out from a dark corner.
This startled Li Shiyue, and in her haste, she drew her machete from her waist and used it to block the attack.
The man who suddenly appeared was also startled by the gleaming blade of Li Shiyue's sword under the moonlight.
"oops!"
As soon as Li Shiyue drew his sword, Li Qiutian and Li Shiliang, who was driving the carriage behind him, rushed over.
After exclaiming "Oh dear!", the man knelt down directly before Li Shiyue.
Looking at the man kneeling on the ground in front of her, Li Shiyue realized that she was actually not in danger.
After sheathing his sword, Li Shiyue smiled wryly and went to help the man up, explaining, "Hero, get up quickly."
It's my fault!
You suddenly jumped out of that shadow, and I wondered what was going on?
He only drew his sword in desperation.
"Come, get up quickly, come in and have some tea to calm your nerves."
The man's legs went weak, and he couldn't get up for a moment. Seeing this, Li Shiyue pulled him up with a little effort.
After drinking the warm tea, the man came to his senses and quickly pulled a letter from his chest.
"The customer who placed the order said that I must personally deliver this letter to Li Shiyue, Li Niangzi!"
Li Shiyue cupped her hands in greeting to the man and said that she was Li Shiyue. Then, Li Shiyue reached out to take the letter from the man's hand.
But then the man suddenly took the letter away and put it back inside his chest.
"Don't be anxious, Madam Li."
The guest said that only if Madam Li could match the couplet I gave her could the letter be delivered to her.
Not only was Li Shiyue curious, but Li Qiutian, Li Shiliang, the shopkeeper Qian, and the young shop assistant all looked at the burly man with curiosity.
The man was not intimidated by the gazes of the group; he immediately recited the first half of the couplet that his guest had told him.
A bright moon shines in the sky.
Upon hearing the burly man utter these words, Li Shiyue was taken aback for a moment before continuing, "The chirping of insects among the grass enters my dreams."
The burly man breathed a sigh of relief. "My wife has found the match. Here, this is a letter from the guest to my wife!"
Li Shiyue took the letter and saw the words "To be opened by Li Shiyue" on the envelope. "Indeed, it's a letter from Jiu Niang."
After the burly man stood up and bowed, he was about to turn and leave when Li Shiyue quickly gave Li Shiliang a wink. Li Shiliang then took out his money pouch and headed towards the burly man.
Li Shiyue had already torn open the envelope and was looking at the single sheet of paper inside.
"A bright moon shines in the sky, and the chirping of insects among the grass enters my dreams."
This couplet was composed by Li Shiyue on a large rock by the riverbank in Lijiatun that night, reflecting on the scene at the time.
Therefore, only she and Yan Jiuniang knew this.
The letter Yan Jiuniang sent was short; Li Shiyue finished reading it in just a few breaths.
However, the contents of the document were quite unexpected for Li Shiyue.
No, it should be said that although it was surprising, upon closer reflection it was also within expectations.
After reading the letter, Li Shiyue put it back in the envelope, took the letter to the table, picked up one corner of the envelope and brought it close to the lamp on the table.
"October? You..."
Li Shiyue turned her head and shook her head at Li Qiutian, without saying anything to explain.
Only when the envelope was burned down to just a corner did Li Shiyue let go, and the burning piece of paper fell to the ground.
Seeing that the piece of paper on the ground had burned down to just a stub, Li Shiyue even stretched out her foot and crushed it a few times to make sure it was all ashes before she withdrew her foot.
Before Li Shiyue could explain anything to Li Qiutian, Li Shiliang came running in excitedly from the doorway.
"October!
Your second uncle won!
He won!
Li Shiyue was not surprised; she smiled as the person behind Li Shiliang walked in from outside.
It was the spirited Li Wangming, his mother with a gratified look on her face, and Shi Tou following behind them.
It turns out that the day after the results are announced, which is tomorrow, is the Deer Banquet.
The Deer Cry Banquet was organized by the Governor-General of Andong and the examiners, mainly to celebrate the successful candidates in the imperial examinations.
At that time, Li Wangming will have to wear the official robes and hat issued by the government to attend the event.
Li's mother and Li Wangming took the newly acquired scholar's robes to a tailor shop and asked the tailor to take Li Wangming's measurements and make alterations to fit him better.
Wearing clothes that fit the body makes a person look more energetic.
Don't think that people at that time only valued a woman's appearance. In fact, if you wanted to become an official, you also had to be good-looking.
This is especially true for civil officials; otherwise, there wouldn't be jokes like "catching a son-in-law after the exam results are announced."
This is why when Li Shiyue and his group arrived at the paper shop, they only saw Manager Qian and the shop assistant, but not Li's mother, Li Wangming, or Shi Tou.
"Congratulations, Second Uncle!"
This is a very happy occasion for our family!
After Second Uncle attends the Deer Cry Banquet, we must hold a grand celebration back in the village!
Li Wangming, who had been so excited that he barely slept all night, finally drifted off to sleep around 4 a.m., accompanied by the sound of the night watchman's clapper in the street.
The next day, just after dawn, Li's mother got up and tiptoed to the kitchen, where she began to busy herself early in the morning.
This time, Zheng Meiniang did not come to the prefectural city with Li Shiyue. Instead, she stayed in Lijiatun to take care of Li Xiatian.
Therefore, Li's mother got up early and started busying herself.
When Li Shiyue and the others got up, several breakfast items were already laid out on the table.
After everyone had breakfast together, it was almost 7:00 AM.
Li Wangming let his mother smooth out the wrinkles on his clothes and straighten his hat before he and Li Shiyue walked out together.
Yes, Li Shiyue will also be attending the Deer Cry Banquet.
She attended as a sixth-rank military officer; of course, she wasn't there to eat at the banquet.
A military officer? His job is just to patrol and protect the area.
If I had to put it simply, he was just a "security guard".
Upon arriving at the destination, she saw Li Wangming and the other students standing together, lined up under the guidance of the master of ceremonies, waiting for the arrival of the Governor of Andong and the examiners.
She, however, had a "Xuan" character plaque hanging from her waist and a long knife, and went to stand in a corner to the side.
The banquet officially begins at noon!
Not only did the Governor of Andong and the chief examiners arrive, but the Prince of Zhenbei also came!
Everyone was naturally delighted by the arrival of the Prince of Zhenbei. After all, who wouldn't be happy to see the Lord of Andong at this banquet?
Who would dare not be pleased?
After Li Shiyue saw the Prince of Zhenbei take his seat, she heard the musicians playing the "Deer Cry" melody. However, she thought of the letter from Yan Jiuniang that she had personally burned the day before.
Under the guidance of the master of ceremonies, the students performed the "four bows" before taking their seats.
At noon, dishes and wine are served, and the Kui Xing dance is performed.
The Prince of Zhenbei, seated at the head of the table, had just finished a cup of wine. Two breaths later, as he reached for his chopsticks to pick up some food, he suddenly felt a sharp, tearing pain in his chest!
The pain came suddenly and was quite severe; he couldn't even hold his chopsticks, which fell directly into the dishes on the low table in front of him.
"Your Highness!"
The steward, who had been standing behind the Prince of Zhenbei, was so frightened by the Prince's behavior that his heart skipped a beat. He immediately shouted at the Prince, who was clutching his chest in his seat.
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