The next day, Cheng Tingrui sent someone to deliver the cotton handkerchief.
Besides these two, there are ten other different colors.
There were twelve handkerchiefs in total, neatly folded and placed in the brocade box.
He Youyou was very impressed with the design.
She asked the servant who delivered the gift to take a message back to Cheng Tingrui, saying that the gift box design was very good and that more gift boxes could be made and sold in the store.
The results will be released soon.
After breakfast that day, He Youyou sat in the courtyard with Ali and chatted idly.
The spring sunshine in March is bright and warm.
Wearing a thin padded jacket is very comfortable.
A gentle breeze, not cold on the face, carries a pleasant, cool fragrance.
Ah Li sniffed: "Mother, what kind of fragrance are you wearing?"
He Youyou took a sachet from her waist: "It might be this, incense made of bamboo leaves, Minzhi gave it to me."
Ah Li took it, but couldn't help but let out a "Huh?"
"Mother, there are small characters embroidered on this sachet that say 'Liu's Sandalwood Shop'?"
He Youyou looked at the words and said, "It should be the name of an incense shop. Minzhi probably bought his incense from this shop."
Ahri's expression of shock did not fade upon hearing this.
"Mother, please wait for me a moment."
After saying that, he hurriedly ran to the backyard and back to his room.
After searching through everything, they ran back.
I have two more things in my hands.
An old piece of paper, its edges yellowed from years of disuse.
The other item was a rectangular copper bar.
He Youyou took the note from his hand; there were two lines of text written on it.
One line reads: "Liu's Sandalwood Shop".
The other line, however, contained only one name: Ah Ren.
"This is?"
Ah Li's eyes were filled with memories: "This is a note my mother left me before she passed away. When she was seriously ill, she told me that when I came of age, if I had the chance, I should go to Yangzhou and inquire about a man named Ah Ren at 'Liu's Sandalwood Shop.' When I met this man, I should give him this copper ingot."
He Youyou held the copper block and examined it carefully.
The bronze block was perfectly smooth, without any writing or patterns on it.
She asked in confusion, "What's so special about this copper block?"
Ah Li shook her head: "I don't know either. Since my mother asked me to do this, she must have her reasons. I will just do as she says. It's just that I am still young and haven't had the chance to travel far yet."
He Youyou looked at it for a long time but couldn't figure it out, so she returned the item to him.
"Since Master Cheng knows about this incense shop, I'll ask him to inquire. Maybe he can find out something."
"Okay, thank you, Mother."
The day of the results announcement finally arrived.
Early in the morning, He Youyou took Ali out to check the rankings.
Butler Qian also followed, wanting to see the young master's grades.
When they arrived at the place where the results were posted, they discovered something was wrong.
There were at least one or two thousand candidates who came to the capital to participate in the imperial examination. The place where the results were posted was packed with people, and it was impossible to squeeze in.
The two disembarked from the carriage at a distance and watched from the outside.
He Youyou asked in surprise, "How come there are so many people? There must be more than just one or two thousand, right?"
The steward smiled and said, "Madam, you may not know this, but among these people are not only candidates who have come to the capital for the imperial examinations, but also many wealthy families from the capital or rich merchants from other places."
"What are these people doing here?"
"Hehe... This list is full of successful candidates in the imperial examinations, with bright futures ahead. If I could catch one and take him home as my son-in-law, wouldn't that be incredibly prestigious?"
"Catching a son-in-law after the imperial examination?"
He Youyou couldn't help but glance at Ah Li beside her...
Such a fresh and tender little face...
If I make the list, won't I become easy prey for others?
Thinking about this immediately made me worried.
"Ah Li, why don't you not squeeze in to take a look? Let Lao Qian go in and check the rankings, and then let us know when he comes out."
"Yes, Mother."
However, looking at the sea of people, Lao Qian was also at a loss.
The goal is clear, but we can't overcome the obstacles.
Just as the group was getting worried, their savior arrived.
"long."
He Youyou turned her head and saw Zhao Changqing slowly walking towards her from not far away.
"Hanzhang? What brings you here too?"
Zhao Changqing walked up to her: "After all... I also want to show some concern..."
He Youyou didn't think much of it, but frowned and said, "There are too many people, we can't squeeze in, we're thinking about what to do."
"It's alright, I'll let Zuo Ming squeeze in to see the list. He's skilled in martial arts, so moving in and out among these people is as easy as taking candy from a baby."
Zuo Ming responded with a sound of agreement and then turned and left.
He Youyou casually remarked, "How come you, as a prince, can't even know your ranking beforehand?"
Zhao Changqing laughed: "You overestimate me. The imperial examination is a major event for the court. Every step is handled by specific people. Only a limited number of people have access to the exam papers, scores, and rankings. Even the emperor has to wait until the list is written before it is presented to him for his review. Before the results are released, all the results must be kept secret and cannot be leaked."
After a short while, Left Guard Zuo Ming returned from looking at the list.
He rushed to He Youyou, cupped his hands in congratulations, and said, "Congratulations, Madam! Your young master has come in third place!"
He Youyou and Ali exchanged a glance, both with joy in their eyes.
To achieve such results on one's first attempt at the imperial examination is truly remarkable.
Butler Qian also offered his congratulations: "Congratulations, Mistress! Congratulations, Young Master!"
"Great! Great!" He Youyou exclaimed three times. "Let's go home and celebrate!"
"May I have a drink of wedding wine?" Zhao Changqing asked with a smile.
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