Chapter 257 Progress (Second Update)
Xiao Liulang also had a feeling of being in another world, of something unreal.
Having visited the palace so many times, this was the first time I had ever come out through the main gate of the Meridian Gate, a gate that was only opened for the master of the palace. However, the top three scholars—the first, second, and third place winners—were also entitled to walk through it once.
I thought they wouldn't care.
The moment I actually stepped out, I felt different.
However, he wasn't as agitated as Feng Lin; he remained relatively calm.
He said to Feng Lin, "There are plenty of opportunities to serve the court."
Feng Lin whispered, "But I don't want to go back to the county town to find an official position. I want to stay in the Hanlin Academy. I really envy you for being able to enter the Hanlin Academy directly."
The title of Zhuangyuan (状元) is not the highest rank for scholars; the Hanlin Academy (翰林) is.
There is a saying that no one who has passed the imperial examination can enter the Hanlin Academy, and no one who has passed the Hanlin Academy can enter the Grand Secretariat. The Hanlin Academy has been known as the place for future prime ministers since ancient times. Whether it was Grand Tutor Zhuang, Chief Minister Yuan, or even the old Chancellor, they all came from the Hanlin Academy.
Entering the Hanlin Academy doesn't guarantee success, but if you don't, there's basically no hope for a career as a civil official.
Xiao Liulang said, "The second and third-class Jinshi will take the imperial examination next month. As long as they pass the examination and become Shujishi, they can stay in the capital. After three years, they will graduate from the Hanlin Academy. Those with excellent results can also enter the Hanlin Academy."
Feng Lin could only hope for that.
After watching her husband leave, Gu Jiao didn't immediately go to find Liu Yisheng, because she didn't know where Liu Yisheng lived and could only wait for Liu Yisheng to come to her.
But she didn't go back to the clinic.
She went to Qingfeng Tower.
Qingfeng Tower suffered heavy losses this time. Many people bet on Prince An and Yuan Yu, but not many bet on Xiao Liulang!
Gu Jiao's five thousand taels suddenly turned into twenty-five thousand taels. This was only because more than a dozen people took risks and made speculative money later on; otherwise, the odds would have been even higher.
Furthermore, those who bet on Zhuang Yuexi and Gu Jinyu to win the hairpin flower also lost everything, leaving them with nothing but their underwear.
The highest odds are for Gu Jiao. On the lonely hairpin flower list, only two people have placed bets on her: Zhuang Mengdie and Prince An.
Prince An made a fortune, but he was not happy at all.
Zhuang Mengdie couldn't be happy either. If she had known that this girl could win the hairpin flower, she wouldn't have bet a single copper coin. She would have bet her entire fortune!
Gu Jiao was overjoyed. Qingfeng Tower gave her cash, and she happily went home with a sack full of the gleaming silver!
Bishui Hutong also received the good news that Xiao Liulang had become the top scholar in the imperial examination, and people came to congratulate him so many that they almost broke down the threshold.
"Oh dear, Brother Huo, how did you two raise your child? How come Liu Lang is so amazing? My son, getting him to study is harder than killing him!" Old Zhao thought of his youngest son who only knew how to fool around all day, and thought that he had wasted his life having such a son.
"Don't say that, Yang-ge'er is doing very well." The old chief priest comforted Grandpa Zhao, forgetting to apologize to the late emperor in his heart—he and the Empress Dowager were not husband and wife, but had a pure relationship of ruler and subject!
The old lady was in a good mood today, so she deliberately let the neighbors win less money while playing cards.
Madam Yao was overjoyed. She personally cooked some pastries. She rarely cooked after becoming pregnant, but she was so excited today that even Granny Fang couldn't stop her.
Granny Fang had no choice but to go and assist her.
Yao made peach shortbread, which the children didn't really like, but she noticed that Xiao Liulang liked it quite a bit.
While kneading the dough, she said, "At first, I thought he was good to Jiaojiao and hardworking, but I never expected him to become the top scholar in the imperial examination. Now Jiaojiao is the wife of a top scholar!"
"Isn't that right?" Granny Fang said with a smile as she added a handful of firewood to the stove.
To be honest, Granny Fang didn't think much of the young master at first. Like Lord Gu, she felt that the young master was not good enough for the young lady. Although the young lady grew up in the countryside, she was still of the Marquis's bloodline.
What does the son-in-law have? He has no family background and is a cripple.
Although it is said that all other professions are inferior except for studying, there is also a saying that a scholar is useless. She was always worried that this son-in-law would end up achieving nothing, and that the young lady would suffer grievances if she followed him.
Fortunately, although she was unhappy, she never showed it on her face, otherwise she would have offended the top scholar's son-in-law, and her life would have been awkward.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Jingkong arrived home first. When they saw the silver she brought back in a sack, everyone was speechless.
Xiao Liulang wasn't brought back until it got dark.
It wasn't Feng Lin, nor Lin Chengye, but Ning Zhiyuan, who had just been tricked by Xiao Liulang today.
Today is a joyous day for all the successful candidates in the imperial examinations, and they should all have a few drinks. Xiao Liulang is the newly appointed top scholar, so he is especially entitled to his share of wine.
Xiao Liulang had never drunk alcohol before, and his alcohol tolerance was extremely low. However, the few cups of wine at the lunch banquet were not enough to make him drunk. The problem was that after the banquet, some of them went to other places in twos and threes.
There are certain things that are a bit difficult to talk about.
Xiao Liulang didn't want to stay there and insisted on going home. Everyone was unhappy and made him drink three cups as punishment before they would let him go. This guy really dared to drink. He drank until he passed out.
Ning Zhiyuan was a married man and disliked such occasions, so he suggested sending the newly appointed top scholar back home.
"Going left, right? Is that the alley?" Ning Zhiyuan asked Xiao Liulang from inside the carriage.
Xiao Liulang was so drunk that he ignored everyone.
Ning Zhiyuan shook his head and told the driver to go forward. Perhaps he was walking too fast, because he almost bumped into someone when they reached the alley entrance.
There were two women, one wearing a Taoist robe and the other wearing purple.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" the driver hurriedly apologized.
Ning Zhiyuan also lifted the carriage curtain, got out of the car, and bowed to the two ladies to apologize: "Are you two ladies alright? I'm sorry, I was in such a hurry that I bumped into you."
Ning Zhiyuan was still wearing the official robes of a third-ranked scholar.
The girl in purple recognized him at a glance and whispered with a smile in the Taoist nun's ear, "Sister, it's that Black Scholar!"
Ning Zhiyuan: Am I dark-skinned?!
Then his face darkened even more.
The Taoist nun gave the girl in purple a warning look, and the girl stuck out her tongue.
The nun withdrew her gaze and gave Ning Zhiyuan a slight bow: "It's alright, farewell."
After saying that, he took his sister's hand and left.
As the two passed the carriage, a sudden gust of night wind blew open the carriage curtain, revealing a young man leaning against the carriage wall, resting with his eyes closed.
The moonlight flowed and fell on his crimson brocade scholar's robe, reflecting a faint glow. His eyes were closed, his features were exquisite as jade, and he had a slight intoxication in his eyes, making him breathtakingly handsome.
The Taoist nun grew up in a Taoist temple and believed she had severed all worldly desires and emotions, but at this moment she had to admit that this young man was truly captivating.
Of course, she was just looking; she hadn't forgotten that the boy was already taken.
She doesn't covet other people's things.
Once the two had walked a distance, the girl in purple suddenly came to her senses, touching her burning cheeks and saying, "Sister, sister! Did you see that just now? The one in the carriage is the newly appointed top scholar! My goodness! He's too..."
Too what?
The girl in purple suddenly couldn't find the words to describe it. Her heart was pounding. She had already thought he was handsome enough from a distance during the day, but seeing him up close just now, she realized that he was more than just handsome; he was absolutely mesmerizing!
She excitedly shook the Taoist nun's hand, calling out, "Sister, sister!"
"You have no chance," the Taoist nun said, pouring cold water on the situation.
The girl in purple was heartbroken: "Waaah~"
The two got into their own carriages, and Ning Zhiyuan helped the drunk Xiao Liulang down from the carriage.
What none of them noticed was that there was a horse-drawn carriage parked at the other end of the alley.
The Crown Princess sat in the carriage.
She was just passing by when she accidentally saw the top scholar of the imperial examination alight from his carriage to apologize to a daughter of the Yuan family and a Taoist nun.
She knew who the top three scholars were, but she hadn't watched the top scholar's parade, so she didn't recognize Ning Zhiyuan. She only recognized him by his official robes.
There was really nothing interesting about a plain-looking third-place scholar, and she was about to leave when Ning Zhiyuan helped a young man down from the carriage.
That was... the newly crowned champion, and also... him.
A youthful, innocent face involuntarily flashed through the Crown Princess's mind. The thirteen or fourteen-year-old Marquis was just a boy who had just shed his childishness. He was very lovable, but not in the way that was romantic.
The boy in front of him had a face almost identical to his own, yet he seemed completely different. He was taller, his features had matured, he had the air of a young man, but also the strength of a man, and he was beginning to exude masculine charm.
Knock knock knock!
Ning Zhiyuan knocked on the gate of a house.
With a creak, the door opened.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Excuse me, is this Xiao Liulang's house?" Ning Zhiyuan asked.
"Oh my, isn't this Liu Lang?" Aunt Liu recognized Xiao Liu Lang and rushed out, running a few houses ahead, exclaiming, "Jiao Jiao! Liu Lang is back!"
Then, the Crown Princess saw a girl in green emerge from a courtyard, quickly approach Ning Zhiyuan and Xiao Liulang, and take Xiao Liulang from Ning Zhiyuan's hands.
Xiao Liulang was quite drunk. The moment the woman's hand wrapped around his waist, he opened his eyes warily.
“It’s me,” Gu Jiao said.
"Jiaojiao?"
"Yes, I'm here."
"Hmm..." Xiao Liulang gave up resisting and was helped back to the courtyard by Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao must have thanked Ning Zhiyuan, but the Crown Princess didn't notice. Her gaze was fixed on Gu Jiao's arm that was wrapped around Xiao Liulang's waist.
She suddenly felt a little irritable.
"Crown Princess?" a female official called out to her cautiously.
The Crown Princess then noticed that she had torn her handkerchief. She loosened her grip and smiled, "My stomach was a little upset just now. Let's go back to the palace."
The female official hurriedly said, "This servant will quickly fetch the imperial physician for you."
"Yes." The Crown Princess nodded.
She took one last look at the two people supporting each other in the night.
He is not Aheng, no.
Ah Heng will never fall in love with another woman, nor will he let another woman get close to him, never.
Gu Jiao helped the person into the courtyard.
Xiao Liulang was so drunk that he naturally couldn't sleep in the same room as Xiao Jingkong. If something happened during the night, Xiao Jingkong would be frightened and wouldn't be able to take care of him.
Gu Jiao helped Xiao Liulang to her room.
She helped Xiao Liulang lie down on her bed, and took off his official hat. It was no longer cold at the end of April, but the heavy scholar's robe felt heavy and stuffy on his body.
Xiao Liulang was sweating.
Gu Jiao went to fetch some water, intending to wipe him down.
As soon as I sat down, I heard him mumble, "Jiaojiao, I'm hot..."
He usually speaks in a cool and aloof tone, but now that he's drunk, he suddenly has a captivating and magnetic quality.
To be honest, when he first arrived here, his voice hadn't gone through puberty yet. It didn't sound bad, but it wasn't exactly pleasant either.
Gradually, his voice matured, but Gu Jiao, who was with him every day, didn't notice the change.
Gu Jiao was startled by that shout just now, and her ears went numb!
Gu Jiao put down the basin of water and went to unbutton his clothes. As soon as she unbuttoned his collar, she revealed his slender neck, and the delicate Adam's apple on his neck moved slightly.
It looks tempting.
Gu Jiao: "..."
With her strong willpower, Gu Jiao unbuttoned his clothes and removed his heavy official robes. Then, Gu Jiao began to wipe his face.
He had been drinking, and his cheeks were slightly flushed. His lips were moist, glistening with the glow of the wine.
Perhaps he was woken up by being wiped, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat hazy and incredibly alluring.
Gu Jiao: I didn't drool, no, no, no.
Xiao Liulang, slightly drunk, asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Gu Jiao said honestly, "You're beautiful."
He chuckled softly: "What's so interesting about it?"
"You're handsome from head to toe." His eyebrows are handsome, his eyes are handsome, his nose is handsome... Gu Jiao glanced at his rosy lips and silently added in her mind, "His lips are handsome too, the most handsome of all."
He lay on the bed looking at her, a dreamy and alluring look in his eyes that he would never normally show. He curled his lips into a smile: "Just looking?"
"Huh?" Gu Jiao was taken aback.
The next second, he raised his long, slender arm, his jade-like hand holding the back of Gu Jiao's head with just the right amount of force, pulling her down towards him.
Don't ask, the answer is they kissed, it's confirmed.
Where is the groundhog screaming?
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
