As early as Wei Hanzhou became a young scholar last year, he was a hot candidate for the top prize. After he entered the capital, looking at his demeanor, appearance and knowledge, people felt that he might become the top prize.
Now, the news that Wei Hanzhou became the top scholar spread throughout the capital.
Some officials who had daughters who were about to get married were immediately attracted.
Wei Hanzhou is excellent in both knowledge, character and appearance. Although he was born in a poor family, he has no petty airs. If you don't know him, you would think he is the son of a noble family. Such a person will definitely go far in the officialdom.
Moreover, there are advantages to being born into a poor family.
Being alone and without anyone to rely on, I will have to get closer to Yue's family in the future.
Everyone's wishful thinking is very ingenious.
I will wait for the emperor to entertain the new top three scholars in a few days, and then I will mention this matter to Wei Hanzhou.
In Marquis Huai'en's mansion, some people were also moved.
Huai'enhou Mansion, study.
"The daughter has seen her father." A clear and pleasant voice sounded.
The girl was wearing a light blue coat with a white lining underneath and a moon-white sachet hanging from her body.
As you walk, you can smell the faint scent of gardenia, which is fresh, elegant and refreshing.
"An An is here, get up quickly." Huai Enhou said with a smile.
Liu Yunan bowed slightly to Marquis Huai En, smiled slightly, flicked his lips, and said, "Thank you, father."
"Sit down." Marquis Huai En motioned for his daughter to sit on a chair nearby.
Liu Xuanan walked towards the rosewood chair beside him in small steps and sat down slowly. His movements were as smooth as flowing clouds and water, and he made no sound at all. The butterfly-shaped gold and jade swing on his head only moved slightly.
Marquis Huai En looked at his daughter with a look of relief.
His daughter was truly his pride. She had been well-behaved and obedient since she was young, good at reading, embroidering, playing the piano, composing poetry, and painting. What was even more rare was that she was intelligent and had great ambitions.
The reason why their Huai'en Marquisate is able to maintain its position among the marquisates in the capital and avoid being suppressed is largely because of his daughter.
Although his daughter is not extremely pretty and not as beautiful as his eldest daughter who died young, her temperament is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Even if she enters the palace to become the queen, she is still worthy of it.
Thinking of his eldest daughter who died young, Marquis Huai En showed a trace of sadness in his eyes.
Although the eldest daughter became more and more vicious as she grew up and often tried to harm her younger sisters, she was his first daughter and was very cute when she was a child, so he often held her in his arms.
As a result, the daughter fell off a cliff and was eaten by wild beasts until nothing was left of her body.
She has always been delicate and I don't know how painful it was for her at that time.
When he thought of this, Marquis Huai En felt a pain in his heart.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Liu Yanan was quick to notice Marquis Huai'en's abnormality.
Huai Enhou came back to his senses, looked at his daughter in front of him, and said, "Hey, I just suddenly thought of your elder sister. She passed away almost two years ago."
Hearing this, Liu Lu'an's eyes flashed with an imperceptible gleam. He lowered his eyes slightly, picked up the handkerchief embroidered with orchids in his hand, wiped the corners of his eyes, and choked up and said, "Yes, every time I think of this, my daughter's heart is filled with sorrow."
We are all very sad. Big sister is such a good person, but she is just like this...ah."
Seeing his second daughter sad, Marquis Huai En thought of his eldest daughter's actions and said, "Oh, it's hard for you. She treated you like that, and you still remember her kindness."
The reason why Huai Enhou said this was because after Liu Tangxi left, her intention to sell Liu Luan was also exposed. However, since she died, no one mentioned this matter anymore.
"Dad, what are you talking about? I grew up with my sister and we have a deep bond. No matter how my sister treats me, I will never blame her. After all, even if our bones are broken, our tendons are still connected. We are all Dad's daughters and we are a family."
Huai Enhou's longing for his eldest daughter was much diluted by his obedient and sensible second daughter.
"By the way, what do you want to do with me today?"
Hearing this, Liu Luan picked up the handkerchief again and wiped the corners of his eyes. When he raised his head, his eyes were still red.
"I wonder if Dad has sent anyone to inquire about the new number one scholar?"
Upon hearing this, Marquis Huai En immediately perked up. From what his daughter said, it seemed like this was going to involve some important court affairs.
His daughter had always been very knowledgeable about the court and could often point out some problems to prevent him from making mistakes. Moreover, the Third Prince had a deep affection for his daughter and would often reveal some news to her.
"I've made some inquiries. I heard that the new top scholar Wei Hanzhou came from a poor family, and no one in his family had been an official for several generations." said Marquis Huai En.
Liu Luan asked, "Dad, what are your plans?"
Marquis Huai En looked at his daughter, pondered the recent developments outside, and said, "An An, are you talking about recruiting a son-in-law?"
Liu Luan nodded and said, "Father is right."
Marquis Huai En frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Although many people outside want to recruit him as a son-in-law, I heard that he has already married. Since he has already married, why should our family still have any ideas about him?"
In the eyes of Marquis Huai En, his daughters were all rich and powerful, so he didn't look down on such a scholar from a poor family. So what if he was the top scholar? The previous top scholar was now attached to the crown prince and served as his pawn, so he didn't have much of a future.
The Emperor is obviously already dissatisfied with the Crown Prince. Wouldn't it be foolish of him to try to get involved?
We don't know what the new number one scholar will be like yet, so it would be better to wait until the emperor's attitude becomes clearer before marrying our daughter to him.
Moreover, if a daughter marries such a man, it would be unfair for her to be the original wife, let alone a concubine or a second wife.
Marquis Huai En looked down upon Wei Hanzhou.
"Father, you don't know. I heard that his mother bought his wife from outside when his father was seriously ill. Some people also said that the girl was born in a brothel."
When Marquis Huai En heard such a thing for the first time, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"How could this happen? A newly crowned top scholar marries a prostitute?"
"That's right. My daughter was also shocked when she heard about it for the first time." Liu Luan said, "I heard that the new number one scholar is a smart man, so he must have made plans in his mind. He is now the number one scholar, and his wife is a prostitute. The difference in status is too great. Not to mention his family, even if the emperor heard about his situation, he would agree to divorce his wife, and she would not even be the original wife."
Huai Enhou gradually began to think about it and nodded.
However, after thinking for a while, he still felt that Wei Hanzhou was not worthy of his daughter. Even if she was his original wife, he was just a small top scholar now, and his future was unknown.
"However, I have never met him, so I don't know if he is like the last top scholar."
Liu Luanan smiled and said, "Father, you worry too much."
"Oh?" Knowing that his daughter had something to say, Marquis Huai En became interested.
"According to my daughter, the prince had privately met with Wei Hanzhou before the palace examination. The two talked for a long time in the wine shop, and the prince looked pretty good when he came out. But I heard from people around the prince that Wei Hanzhou did not promise the prince anything."
"What about the third prince?" Marquis Huai En asked nervously.
Liu Luan smiled and said, "The Third Prince has also had contact with him, and it is somewhat similar to the Crown Prince. My daughter hid behind the screen that day and heard his conversation with His Highness."
Huai Enhou's eyes lit up and he asked, "How?"
"He is indeed a smart man. His words are flawless. He neither rejected the Third Prince nor explicitly supported him. But his words made people feel comfortable. It doesn't seem like he was deliberately trying to be perfunctory or trying to please both sides."
Huai Enhou's eyes brightened a little.
Those who do not take sides are always smarter than those who do.
"I heard that he started studying at the age of ten, and passed the imperial examination at the age of sixteen. After just a few years, he passed the imperial examinations and won the first place in the imperial examinations. There is not a single person like him in the entire Dali Dynasty, or in all dynasties. What's more rare is that he is not only talented, but also has a strong character when dealing with people and things, and he is also tactful. It is really rare. The third prince said that even if such a person cannot be a friend, he can never be an enemy."
During the Dali Dynasty, a number one scholar appeared every three years. Although these scholars were indeed good at reading, they might not necessarily be granted the title of marquis or prime minister in the future. Therefore, the status of a number one scholar was not enough to attract the attention of Marquis Huai En.
But after listening to his daughter's words, he gradually took it seriously.
He originally thought that Wei Hanzhou was just an ordinary poor boy, but he never thought that this poor boy was different from the ordinary ones. If it was true as his daughter said, a man like Lada was indeed a good deal.
He just gave birth to a concubine's daughter and made her dependent, but in return he got a powerful official with a bright future.
Thinking of Wei Hanzhou's appearance, Huai Enhou murmured, "If he is really that good, then your sister is not too wronged."
No matter how good Wei Hanzhou was, Marquis Huai En had never thought of marrying his second daughter to him, because his second daughter would become the empress in the future.
"Indeed, although the number one scholar comes from a poor family, he is handsome and knowledgeable, which is enough for my sisters." Liu Luan said with a smile.
However, I felt a little bit dissatisfied.
Liu Xuan'an thought differently from Huai Enhou.
Wei Hanzhou knew at first sight that she had a promising future and would surely make great achievements in the turbulent court. As for her two sisters...ha, apart from their status, they really had no qualities that matched his.
However, this status is enough for her two younger sisters.
She could use them to win over court officials for the Third Prince.
As far as she knew, among the officials who wanted to marry Wei Hanzhou as their son-in-law, the lower-ranking ones wanted to marry their legitimate daughters, while the higher-ranking ones, such as the dukes and marquises, mostly had concubines' daughters. And their Huai'en Marquisate was considered to be of a higher status among them.
At that time, there were three emperors
With the help of a scholar, the top scholar must have a clear idea of which one to choose.
"Well, then I'll be your third sister."
Liu Luan smiled and said, "Well, the fourth sister has just come of age and is well-behaved and cute, so she should stay for a few more years. The third sister is smart and clever, and she is a perfect match for the number one scholar."
The father and daughter talked for a while, and then Liu Luan came out.
Back in her own courtyard, Qing He, the maid beside Liu Luan, couldn't help but ask, "Miss, why didn't you tell the Marquis what the Madam did to you just now?"
Liu Luan took out the evidence from his sleeve and handed it to Qinghe, saying, "Father thought of the eldest sister again today, and there was a lot of sadness in his eyes. If we mention it now, he may not punish mother. Father has already promised to marry the third sister to the new number one scholar. Mother has never liked the third sister, and there will definitely be disputes over marriage and dowry. When father is upset, we can tell him about this matter, and it will definitely be more effective."
Qing He took the evidence and said with a smile, "Miss, you are wise. I was just worrying too much."
The affairs of Wei Hanzhou's wife were no secret. Not only Liu Yanan could find out, but those who wanted to catch the son-in-law also found out quickly.
It's a pity that Liu Xuan'an was afraid that Marquis Huai'en would find out Liu Tangxi's whereabouts, so he asked the Third Prince to do something about it.
Therefore, everyone could only find out locally that Wei Hanzhou's wife was bought by Li from a human trafficker, and also found out that Liu Tangxi, who was previously rumored, was a brothel girl, but nothing else could be found.
The third prince did not investigate the matter of Wei Hanzhou's wife. It was Liu Xuanan who investigated it.
Therefore, Liu Xuanan didn't know that the person was her sister.
Two days later, a banquet was held in the palace.
Newly minted scholars, high-ranking officials, and their wives were all invited to the palace to attend the banquet.
This custom has existed since the Dali Dynasty. Every year after the palace examination, this banquet would be held. Originally, it was to celebrate the new Jinshi and to increase the relationship between the emperor, court officials and the new Jinshi.
But gradually, the party changed.
Everyone likes to choose a son-in-law from the list of newly-appointed Jinshi.
Later, the emperor simply complied with everyone's wishes. Not only did he invite officials, he also allowed them to bring their female relatives to the palace so that they could meet each other.
Some noble families looked down on the newly-appointed Jinshi, believing that their future might not be good, and they did not pay much attention to them in previous years. But this year, a young and handsome Wei Hanzhou appeared, and people were not as calm as in previous years.
Emperor You, who was slightly fat and had a pair of inverted triangular eyes, squinted his eyes and looked around, and said with a smile, "This year, there are more people coming to the Qing family than in previous years."
The Third Prince glanced in the direction of Wei Hanzhou and said, "Who can blame the newly crowned number one scholar chosen by our father for being so young and handsome, like an orchid or a jade tree? The ministers must want to recruit the number one scholar as their son-in-law."
After hearing what the third prince said, Wei Hanzhou stood up.
Emperor You glanced at Wei Hanzhou and nodded with satisfaction.
The Crown Prince was not to be outdone and said, "Father, you have a very good eye. During the palace examination that day, as soon as Wei Qing entered the palace, you could tell that he was well-educated and selected him to answer the questions."
Emperor You thought, isn't it because he has good vision? That day in the palace, he saw the outstanding-looking Wei Hanzhou at first sight and thought he was very powerful.
What the prince said today is quite good.
Desire
Nodding, the Third Prince smiled and said, "What do you mean, Crown Prince? Before the palace examination, Father had already read all the essays of the scholars, so he knew Wei Qing's ability. It was not like what the Crown Prince said, that he was chosen because of Wei Qing's appearance. Father clearly admired Wei Qing's knowledge, so he was the first one to respond."
Hearing this, Emperor You's face turned pale and he glared at the Crown Prince. He was almost led by the Crown Prince to leave. Then, he turned to the Third Prince and said, "You are right, Third Prince. I really admire the talent of Wei Qing."
Hearing this, the Crown Prince's face turned extremely ugly and he looked at the Third Prince unhappily.
The third prince quickly stood up and bowed to Emperor You first, and then bowed to the crown prince.
"Please forgive me, Your Highness. I was just afraid that everyone would misunderstand you, father, so I spoke without restraint and refuted you in a hurry."
The Crown Prince's face turned dark and he looked at the Third Prince fiercely, as if he wanted to cut him into pieces.
Emperor You turned around and looked at the prince's face. He suddenly felt unhappy and said, "It was the prince's fault in the first place. The third brother does not need to apologize. I think you are right."
The prince became even angrier, but since Emperor You was criticizing him, he had to stand up.
The Third Prince glanced at the Crown Prince and said with a smile, "Father, I think the Crown Prince was in high spirits today and drank a few extra glasses of wine, so he said something wrong. Please don't punish him."
Emperor You turned his head to look at the crown prince. Seeing the anger on the crown prince's face, not only did his anger not subside, but he became even angrier. He said, "Humph, as a crown prince, you don't pay attention to your words and deeds. You did something wrong, and your brother apologized to you, but you still don't repent and hold a grudge in your heart. It's simply outrageous!"
The prince clenched his fists and quickly lowered his head to hide the emotions in his eyes.
The third prince added, "Today is a happy occasion. Father, please don't get upset and get yourself in trouble. I'm sure the crown prince didn't mean it."
The prince's eyes flashed with coldness, and he was extremely angry, but he still said, "I know I was wrong, and I beg for your forgiveness, father."
"Okay, sit down." Emperor You said impatiently.
The ministers looked at what was happening above and had their own ideas in mind.
The Crown Prince is becoming more and more outrageous, and the Third Prince is becoming more and more outstanding.
Throughout the whole process, Wei Hanzhou was sandwiched between the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, not saying a word.
After dealing with the crown prince, the third prince looked at Wei Hanzhou, who was standing with his head down and not saying a word, and brought up the previous topic again.
"Father, Lord Wei is so outstanding, I wonder how many ministers would like to recruit him as their son-in-law."
When this matter was mentioned, Emperor You's face turned better. He looked at the number one scholar he had chosen and said with a smile, "Do you have any idea what kind of wife you want to marry?"
After hearing this, Wei Hanzhou finally responded, bowed to Emperor You, and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, and all the ministers for your kindness. I already have a wife, so there is no need to marry again."
"Huh? You already have a wife?" Emperor You looked confused.
Seeing that all the officials wanted to recruit him as their son-in-law, he thought that he had not married. Since he already had a wife, why did these people want to recruit him as their son-in-law? What were they thinking? Did they want to ruin his marriage?
The Third Prince smiled and explained, "Father, you don't know, but Wei Qing's father fell seriously ill two years ago, and mother listened to a liar and spent twenty taels of silver to marry him to a prostitute."
"Brothel girl?" Emperor You showed an unhappy look on his face.
"Isn't it?" The Third Prince looked at Wei Han.
Zhou, "This lady was married to Wei Qing by his mother. Wei Qing must be a filial man, so he just said that he didn't want to marry again, but a woman of this status really wronged Wei Qing."
The Third Prince thought that with Wei Hanzhou's intelligence and rationality, he would definitely not allow such a woman to be his wife, but he had just passed the imperial examination, and divorcing his wife immediately might make some people dissatisfied. For example, the previous number one scholar had encountered such a situation, and now his family is still in chaos.
He said what Wei Hanzhou was reluctant to say and gave him a way out. Then, Wei Hanzhou would not be in the same embarrassing situation as the previous number one scholar, and he would definitely be grateful to him afterwards.
The court officials sitting below who wanted to recruit Wei Hanzhou as their son-in-law also agreed with the Third Prince's words.
However, things went against their expectations. Wei Hanzhou did not step down the steps as the Third Prince said. Instead, he said, "Although my wife was indeed bought by my mother from a human trafficker, she was not born in a brothel. She was originally from a good family, but she was sold because of bad luck."
Liu Yanan was sitting downstairs drinking a glass of fruit wine. When she heard this, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. For some reason, she suddenly had a bad feeling.
"My wife is good at embroidery, and she helped me to support my family and pay for my studies. Moreover, I was away from home all year round to study, and my wife did the laundry, cooked meals, and took care of my parents. She has done a lot of good. Thank you, Your Majesty, the Third Prince, and all the ministers for your kindness. However, I have never thought of divorcing you."
The prince was angry just now, but when he heard this, he burst out laughing.
"Third brother, the top scholar doesn't want to divorce his wife, so don't think of ways to destroy the relationship between the couple and ruin their marriage."
The third prince frowned slightly and glanced at Wei Hanzhou, feeling a little displeased with his previous rebuttal.
The Third Prince was not the only one who was unhappy. The court officials sitting below could not help but speak out as well.
For example, Hou Huai En.
"Although this woman is filial to her parents-in-law and takes care of the family, she was bought from a human trafficker after all. With this status, how can she be worthy of the number one scholar?"
"Your Majesty is right. One should marry a virtuous woman. Are you reluctant to part with your wife because she is so beautiful?"
Hearing this, everyone laughed. Someone said, "That's right. I'm sure that lady is beautiful. However, the status of a woman bought like this is too low. It's already an honor to make her a concubine. If she's a wife, it's a bit too much."
Emperor You nodded, agreeing with the ministers' words. He turned to look at Wei Hanzhou who was standing below and said, "I think what you said makes sense. How can this woman be worthy of your wife? It is better to divorce her as soon as possible. If you really don't want to, then let her be your concubine."
Wei Hanzhou clenched his fists and his face turned blue.
Thinking of what Liu Tangxi said when he came, he closed his eyes.
A real man knows what he should do and what he shouldn't do.
With a thud, Wei Hanzhou fell to his knees.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration. However, my wife has done nothing wrong and has been very kind to me. I cannot divorce her."
Emperor You was not happy when Wei Hanzhou refuted him. He hated it the most in his life when someone refuted him. He originally liked Wei Hanzhou 90%, but now he only liked him 30%. He wanted to scold him immediately.
At this time, an old man sitting on one side stood up.
"The old minister is very
I admire the character of the No.1 Scholar. Although the No.1 Scholar did not take the initiative to marry the girl, it was her parents' wish after all. It is said that parents' orders are the matchmaker's words. If the No.1 Scholar agrees to divorce his wife now, it would be unfilial. The girl earns money to support the No.1 Scholar's studies and serves his parents-in-law at home. If the No.1 Scholar divorces her now that he has passed the exam, it would be unkind and unjust. Does the Emperor want to have an unfilial, unkind and unjust minister? "
This old man was none other than Emperor You's teacher, the prime minister of the current dynasty, a veteran of three dynasties, Prime Minister Zheng.
Emperor You was embarrassed by what he said. Since he became emperor, he has always followed his heart and no longer been constrained by others. If there is anyone he is wary of, it is his mentor Zheng Xiang.
Perhaps as he grew older, Prime Minister Zheng enjoyed growing flowers and playing with birds every day and rarely came to the court to refute him.
However, Emperor You was glad that the words of rebuke he had just made had not yet been spoken.
After saying this, Prime Minister Zheng looked at the court officials again and said, "If the number one scholar divorces his wife now, how is he any different from those who divorce their wives when they see their wife's family in decline? Do you really want such a son-in-law? Also, speaking of the girl's appearance... The number one scholar is so handsome, there is no girl he can't find. If he really only wants her beauty, why does he stick to this one?"
After Zheng Xiang said this, those who had not paid attention to Wei Hanzhou or had not spoken just now nodded one after another.
Seeing Wei Hanzhou act so unknowingly, Marquis Huai En snorted coldly.
Liu Yunling, who was sitting in the back, glanced at Liu Yunyi, who was sitting next to her, and said in a low voice, "Third sister, what a pity! People would rather marry a girl from a brothel than you. You are worse than a brothel girl."
Although Wei Hanzhou explained that his wife was not from a brothel, Liu Lingling deliberately made this comparison.
Liu Yunyi's face flushed with anger, her eyes full of anger, and she angrily shouted, "Fourth sister, what do you mean by this? When did my father and mother promise me to anyone?"
Hearing this, Marquis Huai'en and Yin, who were sitting in the front, looked over.
Yin looked at the two concubines who were not presentable, her eyes full of indifference, and turned away. If she had thought about managing the concubines before, she no longer had the mind to do so. Since her daughter died, she no longer cared about anything except revenge for her daughter.
Huai Enhou felt ashamed and scolded in a low voice, "What kind of person is it to yell so loudly?"
Yin coughed a few times, glanced at Marquis Huai'en, then turned to look at Wei Hanzhou who was kneeling upright and neither servile nor arrogant, and said, "Marquis, why do you have to do this? I think this No. 1 scholar is good. If he abandons his first wife today, there is no guarantee that he will not abandon the third lady in the future. If a woman can meet such a husband, it is really a blessing from her previous life."
Somehow, she suddenly thought of her daughter who had a miserable life and was overwhelmed with grief and coughed a few more times.