Chapter 53 The New Top Scholar
The Apricot Grove Banquet was a coveted honor for newly appointed scholars.
Each banquet was held in the royal garden, Qionglin Garden.
It was mid-spring, and the garden was a riot of color, with peaches and plums vying for attention.
The banquet was divided into east and west sections, cleverly separated by several tall screens.
In the eastern district, the newly appointed scholars sat in order of their ranking, exchanging toasts and displaying their high spirits.
The western section was where the imperial concubines, female relatives of the imperial family, and eligible young ladies from the capital resided. Dressed in fine clothes, their voices sang sweetly, creating another beautiful scene.
As Consort Jin, Shui Xian held a noble position and naturally sat at the front of the concubines' table.
Today she wore a light blue silk skirt with a misty blue gauze shirt over it, which cinched at the waist in a soft curve, concealing her pregnancy while maintaining a graceful silhouette.
Beside him, the Tuoba noblewoman was dressed in a bright red, narrow-sleeved palace gown, with a silver ornament at her collar, engraved with the cloud pattern unique to the Tuoba tribe.
The two sat at a separate table. Although Narcissus was now the favored Consort Jin, few noble ladies wanted to approach her for a chat.
Even the noble ladies would occasionally glance at Narcissus's table with disdain.
They couldn't help but whisper to those they knew well beside them:
"Hmph, even a sparrow that flies to the top of a branch is still just a sparrow..."
"Indeed, a maidservant, a barbarian woman... it seems anyone can be seated here..."
"Shh, keep your voice down, that's Consort Jin now..."
These things, of course, did not reach the ears of Narcissus at the table, but they did reach the ears of Shuixiu.
Just then, Yinzhu from the Narcissus Sect passed the message to Shuixiu.
As soon as Yinzhu arrived, the noble ladies' whispers vanished instantly. They chatted about other interesting things as if nothing had happened.
Shui Xiu frowned and glanced at them, then stood up and headed towards Shui Xian.
There was a girl, a merchant, who was originally close to Shui Xiu. Seeing that Shui Xiu was about to go to Shui Xian's side, the girl hesitated and tugged at Shui Xiu's sleeve, whispering:
"Sister Xiu...over there..."
She gestured in the direction where the noble ladies were gathered, her face showing concern.
Shui Xiu turned to look at the noble ladies who were pointing and whispering about her. Her small face showed no timidity; instead, a bright smile appeared on her lips.
"Let them mutter to themselves! They look down on my sister, but I don't care about their pretentious attitude!"
As she spoke, she took the merchant's daughter's hand and said, "Come on, Ru'er, come with me. My sister is such a kind person!"
Shui Xiu pulled the somewhat shy merchant's daughter to Shui Xian and introduced her generously:
"Sister, hello Sister Tuoba, this is my new good friend, Lin Ru'er. Her father runs a silk shop. I have a tutor at home, and Ru'er often comes to listen to the lessons with me."
Seeing her younger sister being subtly ostracized by those noble ladies, yet still choosing to sit with them, Narcissus felt very gratified.
She neither reprimanded the noble ladies nor made any attempt to protect Shuixiu.
Narcissus knew that in this circle of powerful people, temporary protection could not change anything.
Shuixiu needs to become strong in order to truly establish itself.
She smiled and nodded to Lin Ruer: "Hello, Miss Lin, please have a seat."
Lin Ru'er was originally the daughter of a merchant, and she would never have had the honor of attending the banquet if it weren't for Shui Xiu's invitation.
Now, faced with Shui Xian's gentle smile and touched by Shui Xiu's generosity, Lin Ru'er immediately forgot about the group of noble ladies who were bullying her.
She and Shui Xiu sat down at the table where Shui Xian and Tuoba were sitting. As they chatted, they gradually relaxed and a shy smile appeared on their faces.
At this moment, melodious music and cheers came from the east area on the other side of the screen, clearly indicating that the newly appointed scholars were beginning to perform in turn.
The commotion instantly attracted the attention of the women in the western district, especially the young women of marriageable age, who all turned their heads to take a closer look.
Regardless of social status, which young girl doesn't dream of love?
Behind the screen are the most outstanding young talents of the Great Qi Dynasty, pillars of the nation with promising futures!
In an instant, the noble ladies craned their necks to look, their whispers grew louder, and the topic shifted to their evaluation of the talented men.
"Look! That's the newly appointed top scholar, Lian Chenxi!"
"He looks somewhat aloof and arrogant, but... he's quite handsome."
"So what if you come from a poor family? You've become a top scholar; your future is bright!"
At the table where Narcissus was sitting, Consort Tuoba listened to the excited chatter of the noble ladies and couldn't help but scoff softly. He picked up his wine cup and took a sip.
"I really don't understand these complicated things in the Great Qi. In the Tuoba tribe, if a man takes a fancy to a girl and thinks she's capable enough, he'll hunt some plump game and pile it outside the girl's tent, then sing to the moon all night long!"
"The louder the singing, the more sincere the intention! Unlike here, where we can only see each other's shadows through a screen and not even exchange a word, it's so boring!"
Shui Xiu and Lin Ru'er's eyes lit up as they listened, and they curiously leaned forward:
"Really? Sister Tuoba, are all the girls in your area this amazing? What if the girl doesn't like the singing man?"
Tuoba Guiren became interested and vividly recounted the passionate and straightforward love stories on the grasslands, which amazed Shui Xiu and Lin Ru'er, who laughed continuously.
The narcissus watched with a smile, occasionally sipping some soothing floral drinks.
Their lively table stood in stark contrast to the aloof and pretentious ladies not far away.
This commotion naturally caught the attention of Consort Wen, who was not far away.
She was sitting next to Consort Li, diligently peeling grapes for her with a gentle demeanor.
However, when her gaze swept over the laughter and chatter at Narcissus's table, a deep glint of calculation flashed in the depths of her eyes.
She subtly winked at her trusted maid standing behind her.
The palace maid nodded slightly and quietly disappeared into the crowd.
As if sensing something, Shui Xian looked in Yi Shuyao's direction.
Yi Shuyao immediately put on a gentle and graceful smile, raised her glass in the distance as if to pay tribute to the narcissus.
On the other side of the screen.
The newly appointed scholars are displaying their talents, some painting, others composing poems on the spot, all hoping to leave a deep impression on the emperor.
Lian Chenxi, however, seemed somewhat out of place.
Despite being the top scholar, he did not rush to show off like others, nor did he chat with any students from prestigious families. He simply sat silently in his seat, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and focused on painting on the spread-out Xuan paper.
He finished in no time.
His paintings were presented to the emperor by eunuchs.
When Emperor Zhaoheng unfolded it, he saw a painting titled "Spring Dawn in the Jade Forest," which had a profound artistic conception.
The painting depicts the Qionglin Garden in full bloom during spring, with lush flowers and trees, and the brushstrokes are delicate yet full of vitality.
In the upper right corner is a seven-character quatrain, with clear and powerful handwriting and a subtle and profound poetic meaning. It praises the spring scenery and also implies the self-encouragement of a poor student who has finally been able to realize his ambitions.
"What a beautiful painting! What a beautiful poem!"
Emperor Zhaoheng was overjoyed and praised him highly, saying, "He excels in both poetry and painting! No wonder he is the top scholar personally selected by me!"
He admired Lian Chenxi's talent and was even more pleased with his aloofness and pride in not currying favor with the powerful.
As an emperor, he was pleased to see his ministers as talented and independent, who did not form cliques.
However, the Apricot Blossom Banquet has another tradition... that is, to select the third-ranked scholar of the current imperial examination.
Although the title of Tan Hua Lang (探花郎) is not an official ranking, it represents recognition of the best-looking and most debonair among the newly appointed Jinshi (进士), and thus often attracts more attention.
Although Lian Chenxi possessed the talent of a top scholar, he dressed simply, and although his face was dignified, he appeared somewhat thin due to days of hard study. Compared to the group of well-dressed scions of noble families, he looked rather drab.
Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze lingered on the students of the Yi family and the Ruan family for a few more moments, secretly comparing them in his heart.
Lian Chenxi was completely unaware of the emperor's thoughts. He respectfully bowed and withdrew, returning to his seat.
Just as he sat down and was about to drink a cup of wine, a servant carrying a wine pot accidentally slipped, and the entire pot of wine spilled onto Lian Chenxi's clothes!
"Please forgive me, Your Excellency! This servant deserves to die!"
The servant was so frightened that he turned pale and kowtowed repeatedly to beg for forgiveness.
Lian Chenxi frowned as he looked at his clothes, which were now soaked through.
Although his clothes were simple, they were his best attire.
"It's alright, just be more careful next time," he said in a deep voice, not wanting to cause any more trouble.
"Thank you for your magnanimity, Scholar!" the attendant said gratefully, tears streaming down his face.
"This... I'm afraid I'll catch a cold wearing these wet clothes. Please come with me to the side room to change, and I'll go get some clean clothes to change into!"
Seeing the gazes directed at him, Lian Chenxi could only nod and say, "Thank you for your trouble."
The attendant led Lian Chenxi away from the noisy banquet area and toward a relatively secluded room deep within Qionglin Garden.
He pushed open the door and led Lian Chenxi inside. Sure enough, there was clean water and a clean cloth inside.
"Please wait a moment, Your Excellency, this servant will go and fetch the new clothes."
The servant bowed and withdrew, closing the door behind him.
Lian Chenxi took off his soaked outer shirt and wiped it with a cloth.
He waited for a while, but the servant did not return, and he felt that something was wrong.
Just as I was about to open the door to ask, I suddenly smelled an extremely sweet and exotic fragrance wafting in through the crack in the door.
He had just held his breath alertly when he felt a strong wave of dizziness hit him, and everything went black before his eyes, and he collapsed!
The door to the side room was pushed open silently, and the servant who had "mistakenly" entered with another robust eunuch.
The two men swiftly lifted the unconscious Lian Chenxi, evaded the patrolling guards, and quietly headed towards the private room arranged for the women to rest.
They seemed to have a purpose, and quietly arrived at Narcissus's room.
The room was quiet and deserted.
The women are all attending the banquet in front, and although the side room has been arranged for Shui Xian, she has not yet arrived.
The two placed the unconscious Lian Chenxi on the soft couch in the inner room, quickly stripped off his wet undergarment, and threw it haphazardly on the ground.
Having done all this, the two of them quickly disappeared outside the hall, just as they had come.
After an unknown amount of time, Lian Chenxi suddenly woke up!
He found himself lying on an unfamiliar, extremely soft brocade couch!
A faint, sweet fragrance, not his, filled the air.
To his even greater surprise, he saw a woman's palace dress hanging on the clothes rack beside the couch.
Judging from the material and style, it's clearly something for a palace concubine!
Looking around, the room was elegantly furnished, clearly a resting place for imperial concubines.
Where am I?!
Countless terrifying thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his undershirt.
He suddenly stood up, not even bothering to look for his wet clothes, and grabbed a coat that looked like a man's robe that someone had left behind. He then stumbled out of the room.
Lian Chenxi just wanted to escape this place of trouble as quickly as possible!
He fled in panic, his figure disappearing hastily into the depths of the flowers and trees in Qionglin Garden.
Just as his figure disappeared, Yi Shuyao's trusted palace maid slowly peeked out from behind a dense clump of peonies.
She watched Lian Chenxi's retreating figure, then glanced at the open door of the room, and a cold smile slowly crept onto the maid's lips.
It's done.
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