Chapter 216 Doing Bad Things
The scene that unfolded at the entrance of the government office quickly spread among the newly appointed scholars.
"This Xu Jieyuan seems rather difficult to get along with."
"Such a lack of respect for one's own clansmen is exceptionally difficult to get along with."
"In my opinion, it's not that Xu Jieyuan is difficult to get along with, but rather that there's some unseen conflict between him and Xu Juren that leads him to publicly embarrass Xu Juren."
"What you said makes some sense! But never mind, it's none of our business anyway, so let's not talk about other people's affairs. It wouldn't be good if Xu Jieyuan and the others heard us."
"..."
Those who pass the imperial examinations are usually intelligent. It's fine to discuss it privately, but nobody wants it to reach the ears of the two people involved, otherwise they might offend them and it would be awkward to run into them again.
There was a small garden where the Deer Cry Banquet was held. Before the officials, led by Prefect Tan, arrived, Xu Jinnian and his group found a corner to sit down.
Fang Qingzhou and Ye Yunhua didn't mention the matter at the door, and chatted casually with Xu Jinnian about the imperial examination in February.
"The competition for the spring imperial examination is even greater than that for the provincial examination. I have no confidence at all in participating in the spring imperial examination next year."
Ye Yunhua's tone was somewhat helpless, as he wanted to hear his two friends' advice: "It's fine if I don't pass, I can try again in three years. I'm just afraid that my ranking will be low and I'll become a junior scholar."
Even if one is a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) and a concubine, it is not as good as being a Jinshi from two different examinations, and it is difficult for such a person to achieve great things in officialdom.
Fang Qingzhou understood Ye Yunhua's thoughts: "I'm also hesitating."
Since it concerned the future of his two friends, Xu Jinnian gave a conservative suggestion: "Return to Qingzhou in a couple of days. Whether or not to participate in next year's imperial examination, you can consult the teacher for his opinion."
Ye Yunhua thought so too, and with a sigh of relief asked Xu Jinnian, "You will definitely participate, so you will have to leave at the end of the year."
Xu Jinnian nodded: "I plan to depart at the end of October, by land."
Qingzhou is two thousand miles away from the capital. Whether by water or land, it would take at least twenty days to travel day and night, weather permitting.
If the weather is uncooperative and there is rain or snow, it may take up to two months to arrive.
Even after arriving in the capital, things weren't easy; it would take some time to adapt to the climate and environment.
Otherwise, if they experience any issues with adapting to the new environment, they won't even be able to take the exam.
Therefore, students from far away often set off before the New Year, arrive in the capital before the end of the year to find a place to stay, and concentrate on preparing for the exam for two months before taking the exam.
Upon hearing that Xu Jinnian was going to travel by land, Fang Qingzhou immediately understood the reason: "Are you taking your younger brother and sister-in-law with you?"
Xu Jinnian smiled slightly, her eyes filled with tenderness: "Mm."
Fang Qingzhou and Ye Yunhua exchanged a glance and shook their heads, unsurprised.
Mingyu and her younger brother and sister-in-law have such a good relationship that they wish they could be together all the time.
It must have been tough on this loving couple to be separated for several months.
While the three were chatting, other scholars arrived one after another, and they came up in twos and threes to greet them, expressing their desire to become friends.
Xu Jinnian had no objections to anyone except Xu Huaining, so naturally he wouldn't treat these candidates, who might become his connections in the future, coldly.
For a moment, everyone was chatting and laughing, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
Not far away, Xu Huaining stood in the shadows, watching Xu Jinnian being fawned over by everyone, a deep resentment flashing in his eyes.
Thinking of the cold reception he received at the door, he hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not go forward.
Before long, Prefect Tan and a host of officials, both high and low, arrived, bringing the atmosphere in the small garden to its peak.
The government office specially invited the chef from Ruyi Restaurant to cook the meal, and the aroma of food wafting in the air whetted everyone's appetite.
There were as many as three kinds of fine wines on the table, which the candidates could choose according to their drinking capacity. In addition, there was a small wooden box in front of each person’s seat, which contained the reward money.
Xu Jinnian was the top scholar in the provincial examination and received a reward of one hundred taels of silver, while the other candidates received fifty taels.
Fifty taels may not seem like much, but for those impoverished students who relied on their entire families for support, it was a huge sum of money they had never seen before, enough to cover all the expenses of participating in the provincial examination.
The students were so moved that they burst into tears on the spot, toasting Magistrate Tan and other officials cup after cup to express their endless gratitude.
That's exactly the effect that Magistrate Tan and his associates wanted: to spend a small amount of money to establish a good relationship, in case it comes in handy in the future.
Anyway, the money comes from the government's public account, not from their own.
The banquet lasted for a full two hours, during which the scholars had to show off their talents. Xu Jinnian's poem received widespread praise and became the most dazzling one of the evening.
As the banquet drew to a close, half of the scholars were so drunk they were unconscious, and their servants had to take them back to their lodgings.
Some of them retained their senses and could walk with difficulty with the help of others.
Xu Jinnian also pretended to be unable to hold his liquor. After bidding farewell to Prefect Tan and the others, he was helped into a carriage by Li Tian and returned to the villa with Fang Qingzhou and Ye Yunhua.
Sheng An didn't sleep; she stayed in her room waiting.
Hearing the noise at the door, she immediately came out to greet them.
Seeing Li Tian and another guard helping the man in, and smelling the strong smell of alcohol in the air, Sheng An's face flashed with suspicion, but she still stepped forward to take over from Li Tian: "There is hangover soup in the kitchen, go and get a bowl."
Li Tian responded and hurried off.
Sheng An and another guard helped Xu Jinnian, who was completely unable to walk, to lie down on the bed.
Seeing that his eyes were closed and he was unconscious, Sheng An asked the guards to fetch a basin of water and took off Xu Jinnian's shoes and the blue shirt that was stained with the smell of alcohol himself.
As she undressed, she muttered to herself, "How could someone with such a high alcohol tolerance drink like this? Just how much did they drink?"
Given Xu Jinnian's height and weight, it took Sheng An a great deal of effort to strip him of his clothes, leaving her forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat.
Li Tian and his companion brought over some hangover soup and hot water, and after putting it down, they left as instructed by Sheng An.
Sheng An picked up the hangover soup, sat down at the head of the bed, placed the man's head on her lap, and then pinched his mouth to pour it in.
It was just inconvenient for one person to operate, and after trying for a long time, he still couldn't pour the hangover soup in, which made Sheng An sweat profusely.
Finally, having no other choice, she could only endure the unpleasant taste of the hangover soup and prepare to feed it to the man spoonful by spoonful, when she saw the man's long eyelashes tremble twice.
Sheng An thought she was seeing things, but upon closer inspection, she noticed the man's lips were upturned. She immediately became furious, put down the hangover soup, and pinched his ear: "Stop pretending! You've given yourself away!"
Xu Jinnian opened his eyes, smiling at the annoyed woman, his eyes clear and no longer showing any signs of drunkenness.
Sheng An punched him in the chest a few more times, annoyed: "Get up now, you're so heavy."
Xu Jinnian sat up and, before his wife could scold him, deftly picked up the hangover soup and drank it all in one gulp.
After finishing his drink, he said innocently, "I am indeed drunk."
Sheng An ignored him, took out clean clothes from the closet, and threw them over his face: "Go take a shower, you smell terrible with alcohol."
Xu Jinnian didn't go to take a shower. Instead, he dressed and took Sheng An's hand, leading her outside: "The night is dark and windy, perfect for doing bad things. An'an, come with me to put on a sack."
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