Chapter 131 It’s You It’s You
Three days later, it was a foggy morning. The whole of Kyoto was filled with wispy mist, so that if you went out without a lantern, you couldn't see people more than ten steps away.
The whole world was like this palace examination, vague and unclear. Among the people, Su Qun was still far ahead in the rankings, but there were different voices among the aristocracy.
Lanterns had to be lit outside the palace gate to prevent the tribute students standing in the square in the early morning from losing their way.
Su Fengzhang was also standing in the crowd, with He Tang and Bai Yu standing to his left and right. Bai Yu couldn't help but mutter, "Brother Su, there was heavy fog on the day the palace exam results were announced. Do you think this is a good or bad omen?"
Su Fengzhang raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "Everyone present today will be a Jinshi, so this is naturally a good omen."
Bai Yu seemed relieved upon hearing this. He Tang couldn't help but jokingly said, "Brother Bai, why are you so worried? We're all ranked high, so unless something unexpected happens, we won't be in the same Jinshi class. What are you worried about?"
Bai Yu quickly covered his mouth and said, "That's what I'm afraid of. Don't even mention those three words."
If during the joint examination, everyone was afraid of failing, then during the palace examination, everyone was afraid of failing to pass the imperial examination.
After all, the palace examination is divided into three categories. The first category has only three people, namely the top scorer, the second scorer, and the third scorer. These three people are "Jinshi Jidi" and stand out from the crowd; the number of people in the second category only accounts for one-third of the admitted people, and this part is "Jinshi origin"; and the rest are in the third category. The number of people in the third category accounts for two-thirds of the admitted people, and can only be regarded as "Jinshi origin".
Although there is only one character difference, in fact, the status of a Jinshi is very different from that of a Jinshi. A Jinshi is like a wife, which shows the discrimination of scholars against Jinshi. This group of people are almost disqualified from entering the cabinet.
Because of this, many scholars would rather fail the exam this time and wait until the next time to continue, rather than get the title of Tong Jinshi. In fact, being a Tong Jinshi would limit their future development.
In the early morning, the red sun slowly rose from the east. The sunlight dispelled the diffuse white fog, and the sky and the earth gradually became transparent, so that Su Fengzhang could clearly see the nervous expressions of the people around him.
The tribute students present once again entered the palace gate under the guidance of the eunuchs. The difference this time was that they went through the main gate, and this would be the only time in their lives that the tribute students would enter and exit through the main gate.
Inside the Qinzheng Hall, the emperor was already sitting on the high seat, and officials were also seated on both sides.
The emperor remained silent, just looking down at these tribute students, calling out their names again, and then the most important ceremony began.
Some of the already nervous tribute students were now trembling all over, not knowing whether they were excited or frightened. When they kowtowed, the force was so strong that one could even hear the banging sound.
In comparison, Su Fengzhang and the other two standing at the front seemed particularly outstanding. Although they were also excited, they were much calmer than the tribute students behind them, and stood out from the crowd.
The emperor gazed at them, paying particular attention to the three people in front. Seeing that they had quite a bit of dignity, especially their ability to remain calm in the face of danger, he was also satisfied. Then he smiled slightly and said, "Stand up."
The tribute students were still standing in the order of the examination. The emperor laughed and said, "In this palace examination, I have seen many outstanding talents, both talented and beautiful, which makes me feel very relieved. It's a pity that there is only one top scorer. I don't know what to do."
After saying this, the emperor suddenly turned his head and asked, "Prince, do you have anything to say?"
After learning that the emperor had passed over Su Juan and chosen Su Fengzhang, the prince felt that this was a warning from the emperor. He felt very uneasy these days and his face looked not very good.
Suddenly being named, the Crown Prince had no choice but to step forward. Seeing the Fourth Prince's half-smile, he felt even more resentful. He could only say, "I, your son, still beg your majesty to choose me."
The emperor nodded and asked, "Does the Fourth Prince have anything to say?"
The Fourth Prince was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, "Your Highness is also waiting for your father to choose you as the top scholar."
The emperor smiled and said, "You all used to talk a lot, but now you've become like gourds with their mouths sawed off."
This made the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince's faces change drastically. They kept saying they dared not. However, the Emperor, as if it was a casual remark, turned around and asked, "Prince Rong, do you have a favorite tribute student?"
Prince Rong, who had been standing there with his eyes narrowed, came out upon hearing this. He did not have the same attitude as the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince, who were facing a formidable enemy. Instead, he said with a smile, "Whatever Your Majesty likes, naturally I like as well."
The emperor cleared his throat and said with a smile, "I have examined the essays of the tribute students and found that each has its own strengths. Among them, Su Fengzhang of Qingzhou is the most to my liking and should be the top scorer."
Before he finished speaking, all the officials present immediately bowed and shouted, "Your Majesty is wise."
He looked so hurried, as if he was afraid that the emperor would catch someone and ask them questions again.
Unlike the officials, the tribute students in the audience had puzzled expressions. You know, before this, almost everyone assumed that Su Juan would be the top scorer. After all, the prince's preference for him was obvious.
Who would have thought that after the palace examination, the result would change drastically, and Su Fengzhang actually became the number one!
For a time, the emperor and the prince were at odds. This group of people had strange thoughts, such as whether Su Fengzhang was a member of the Xu family and had received the support of the Fourth Prince, or whether some other strange thoughts had entered their minds, causing their expressions to stiffen.
The one with the most interesting expression was Su Juan. His originally calm demeanor also showed a hint of turmoil. He subconsciously grabbed his sleeves to prevent himself from completely losing his composure.
The emperor didn't give them a chance to catch their breath and continued, "Su Fengzhang is the top scorer, Su Qu is the second, and Meng Ting is the third. The top scorers in this palace examination are all young talents. Our Great Zhou is truly full of talented people."
Although the emperor was a stickler for appearance, the difficulty of the imperial examination was there, and the top scorers in previous years were certainly not this young. In this year's class, Su Fengzhang was only nineteen, Su Qu was twenty-four, and Meng Ting was only twenty-three. In comparison, they were indeed young.
Furthermore, these three people are all extremely talented and good-looking, and they are a sight to behold wherever they go.
Prince Rong also smiled and said, "Your Majesty has good vision. Not only are the three in the first class outstanding, but they are also young and can serve as pillars of our Great Zhou for decades."
The emperor laughed heartily and personally selected the first place winners before letting Eunuch Li read out their names. The fourth place winner was also a familiar figure, the calligraphy master who had competed with Bai Yu and won by a large margin.
This man was nearly fifty years old and had some white hair on his head. After hearing the ranking, he was extremely excited and his face was flushed.
The names of the candidates need to be called out during the announcement of the list. Although he is already old, this person stood out with full energy and called out the names from beginning to end without pausing. This energy was astonishing to watch.
It's a pity that Chuanlu will not get any of the glory this year. When he stands on top of the top three, his appearance and demeanor are crushed into mud, which makes the demeanor of the other three stand out even more.
After their names were called out, eunuchs would naturally lead the many Jinshi candidates to the side hall next door, where they would change into the crowns and robes prepared by the court. The crowns and robes of Jinshi candidates were very particular, from the crown, robes, clothes, belts, to shoes, everything was exquisite, and there were even special forbidden steps.
The crown and attire of an ordinary Jinshi is a dark blue silk robe with a green silk edge, wide sleeves but not too tight, and a leather belt decorated with black horns. However, the crown and attire of the top scholar is different. His is bright red, and he even has a court crown.
When he arrived at the side hall, Su Fengzhang realized that not only the crown and clothes, but also the inner clothes were prepared, even court boots and felt socks were available, and there were eunuchs to help him put on and dress.
Su Fengzhang usually wears the most ordinary blue shirt, and the base material of the clothes is very ordinary. Now that he is dressed in the clothes, his whole temperament is even more enhanced, and he looks even more elegant and outstanding.
Su Qi originally thought that Su Fengzhang was born in an ordinary family and might not be able to bear the crown and costume. But now he knew that he was worrying too much. Su Fengzhang could not only bear it, but he was a perfect match for it.
Not only Su Qian, but everyone else couldn't help but look at Su Fengzhang who had just won the top spot in the imperial examination. He was wearing a bright red official robe, which made his face look like a jade crown and his eyebrows and eyes look like paintings, which reminded people of countless poems praising gentlemen.
Thinking of the emperor's preferences, those who were dissatisfied at the back couldn't help but think that it was no wonder that this person was chosen as the top scholar.
They couldn't help but peek at the second and third place winners' faces, only to find they looked normal. Third place winner Meng Ting even praised them with a laugh, "Brother Su, you should have dressed like this a long time ago. You've wasted your good looks before."
Su Fengzhang smiled and bowed, "It's the same for you all. You are all shining today."
The more this happened, the more uncomfortable Su Qu felt, as if his heart was being gnawed by termites. Poor him, he still had to put on a congratulatory expression on his face.
Fortunately, even the top three did not have much time to talk in the house. After they were dressed, a group of people had to thank the emperor for his grace and walked out of the palace to parade through the streets. I believe that by now the streets are already full of people watching the fun.
After all, it is a grand event that only happens once every three years. The value of this top scorer is much higher than that of the top scorer in the college entrance examination in previous lives. This day is also the most lively day in the capital.
Early in the morning, the people of the capital rushed to the front gate, hoping to get a good spot to watch the parade of the top scholar up close.
Many families even booked restaurants on both sides of the street just to have a clear view. You should know that these private rooms are not something you can book just because you have money.
There are even families who are waiting for this day to pick a son-in-law from the list. Of course, before choosing a son-in-law, these families will find out everything about these tribute students to avoid making any jokes.
The main road for the parade had been cleared, and the people on both sides could only stand beside the road. However, this obviously did not affect their enthusiasm, and they were all looking forward to it.
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