When he saw something particularly interesting, Emperor Yongzheng even slapped his thigh. After finishing the reading, his eyes shone with an astonishing light.
Good, good, he's given the top score!
— — — — — — — — — — —
In the cubicle where the examinees were placed, Qingyin stood in a place that seemed to be his own world. There was a clear gap around him where he stood, and the examinees next to him stood hesitantly in other places, occasionally looking at Qingyin with either joy or timidity.
His eyes held an indescribable look of amazement and envy.
The one with the highest ranking this time is most likely this young master Luo Qingzhang. He has always been number one in the previous exams, which they all know, and they admire young master Luo even more.
Not only is he incredibly handsome, but he's also incredibly talented. This overwhelming difference leaves them no room for jealousy, and they even feel a sense of admiration for this young master Luo.
Feeling that even getting close to this young master was an insult, the group of noble families and ordinary young men in the capital dared not approach Qingyin and could only watch from afar.
And they admired Qingyin? He simply thought that he had written too much for the exam today and hadn't even had lunch. When he got back, should he ask the servants to serve hot pot or barbecue? Qingyin frowned slightly, as if she were studying a century-old problem.
Qingyun Street was incredibly lively today. Both sides of the street had been thoroughly cleaned and replaced by some well-dressed young women and a group of people who had come to join the fun. The crowd was so large that even the restaurants on both sides were full of people.
The young ladies and wives of high-ranking officials and nobles, out of consideration for their reputation, had booked private rooms in the restaurant in advance and stood by the window, eagerly waiting.
Throughout history, the top-ranking scholars in the imperial examinations would ride horses through the streets. Although the second and third-ranked scholars did not have the right to ride horses, they would still follow behind the crowd in the parade. This also made it convenient for prominent families in the capital to choose a suitable husband for their daughters. If they had a good choice, it would be easier to propose marriage later.
Young girls in love were not particularly strict about going out to play during the Qing Dynasty, but they were not particularly lenient either. It was difficult for them to find a husband they liked, especially one with ability. The imperial examination procession could help them, as it at least guaranteed that the man had talent.
Most of the successful candidates in the imperial examinations were men in their forties who already had children, but there were also some intelligent young men who were not yet married. If these successful candidates were also good-looking, it would be even more of a bonus, which was also the expectation of young girls.
In previous years, there was a beautiful young man who was not yet married, and he was thrown off his horse by enthusiastic young ladies who threw flowers at him. This shows the girls' anticipation and joy at the possibility of him becoming their future partner.
A distant, loud sound of gongs and drums rang out, signaling the approaching procession.
Someone with a loud voice shouted, "They're here! They're here!"
The windows and doors of the restaurant opened in response, and even the girls below were clearly excited.
Luo Miaoqing stood by the window on the third floor, sticking out an excited little face.
"Mother! Mother, Second Brother, the person walking at the front must be Eldest Brother! Eldest Brother is coming!"
"Second brother, hurry up and give me the flowers I prepared! Oh, second brother, Luo Jiancang, hurry up!"
Luo Jiancang huffed and puffed as he carried a whole basket of flowers. "I don't know why you pulled all the flowers out of the garden. Couldn't you have given them to my older brother? The garden looks really ugly now..."
"Hmph, you wouldn't understand anyway." Luo Miaoqing pushed aside her second brother and pulled Lin's mother, who was smiling gently, forward.
On the second floor, a lively girl standing by the window heard a familiar voice coming from above. Lin Congyu was surprised, "This is Luo Jiancang and his family. I didn't expect to be so lucky to be sitting downstairs from them today."
Sitting on the other side, Qin Shaohuai raised his eyes. Luo Jiancang? Then Luo Miaoqing is here too. Thinking of that willful and spoiled little girl, he frowned slightly. Then he looked at the lively and spirited girl by the window, his eyes flickering. His engagement with Luo Miaoqing was a childhood betrothal. Luo Miaoqing hadn't bothered him during this time, so she must have given up on him.
Ignoring the slight discomfort in his heart, Qin Shaohuai thought for a moment. Anyway, he couldn't accept a willful woman like Luo Miaoqing. He might as well take some time this time to go up and discuss annulmenting the engagement. As for who he would marry if he couldn't marry Luo Miaoqing, he subconsciously glanced at the lively girl standing by the window.
Sitting at the other end, Gao Chenyi stroked his smooth fingers and smiled, "So Qin Shaohuai's fiancée is here too, right? She's here to see their eldest brother's top scholar title."
Hearing Gao Chenyi's words, Lin Congyu felt a little uncomfortable, but when she turned to look at Qin Shaohuai's frown, she felt relieved. During this time, she had also realized that Qin Shaohuai was not indifferent to her. On the contrary, Qin Shaohuai did not like Luo Miaoqing. So she and Qin Shaohuai definitely still had a chance. Maybe she transmigrated here just to be with Qin Shaohuai.
Ignoring the slight guilt in her heart, Lin Congyu smiled even sweeter at Qin Shaohuai, but she didn't forget to answer Gao Chenyi.
"Brother Jian Cang is really amazing, he actually became the top scholar in the imperial examination. I wonder if he looks a lot like Jian Cang?"
Lin Congyu had been busy finding people to open shops around her, so she hadn't really noticed the rumors about Qingyin. She had only heard that the top scholar this year was good-looking.
However, Lin Congyu didn't pay much attention to what she heard. The man beside her was already very handsome. Not to mention Qin Shaohuai, who looked exactly like her, even the male courtesan she had saved was extremely good-looking. She really couldn't imagine anyone more handsome than them.
Regardless of their thoughts, the distant clamor of gongs and drums drew closer. As the parade approached, the commotion among the crowd grew, seemingly even more frenzied than in previous years, arousing increasing curiosity.
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