Girl Dayi
The cool autumn wind dyed the treetops a golden color. Bai Miaoke stood at the door of the Bai Mansion and adjusted her brother's hair. Even though her brother was dressed in simple cloth, he could not hide his elegant and graceful figure.
Bai Miaoke teased, "Brother, you dress so simply, aren't you afraid of being noticed by the princess?"
The storybooks she read were filled with touching love stories about princesses and noble ladies who fell in love with the number one scholar at first sight and from then on they only envied each other for love.
Bai Yongsi had long been accustomed to his younger sister's wild imagination, and he looked at her helplessly until the sound of a horse-drawn carriage came from afar.
Three carriages stopped at the gate of Bai Mansion.
Several students who were also dressed neatly but simply got off the bus and bowed to Bai Yongsi.
These were the students who originally lived in Bai’s Academy. Several of them were on the list and had the honor of participating in the palace examination.
Bai Miaoke arranged several carriages to pick them up, and then went to the palace with her brother.
Most of the students had never seen Bai Miaoke. Scholars believed in not looking at things that were inappropriate, so even if they were curious, no one would look at the girl directly.
Bai Miaoke looked around at the students present and thought to herself that although they were all dressed in similar scholarly attire, her brother was the most outstanding.
Bai Yongsi introduced: "This is my younger sister. She was the one who came up with all those ideas before."
Several students bowed and expressed their gratitude.
Bai Miaoke smiled and waved her hand: "You don't have to be polite, it's not easy to be a scholar, I just hope that you can serve the people wholeheartedly after you enter the court as officials."
"The girl is righteous." The students replied.
Bai Yongsi was a little confused about what his sister said. He originally thought that his sister sponsored poor students in order to gain a good reputation for the Bai family or to pave the way for her own connections in the officialdom in the future.
He didn't expect that he was narrow-minded. He was very happy that his sister had such vision and ambition. He looked at the little girl greeting the students with satisfaction.
This joy suddenly changed after seeing the slightly red cheeks of some students.
He cleared his throat, diverting the students' attention from his sister, and said, "It's almost time, it's time to set off."
Everyone got on the car and headed towards the towering palace in the center of the capital.
When they reached the palace gate, carriages were not allowed to pass. Students had to get off the carriages and enter the palace under the guidance of the eunuchs. They had to be searched at the first palace gate to prevent people with bad intentions from sneaking in and harming His Majesty.
Then, according to the order agreed in advance, they lined up outside the hall and waited for His Majesty to summon them to see them.
As the top of the list, Bai Yongsi was the first to be called into the inner hall by the eunuch.
The palace examination was held in the same place where the morning court was held. The emperor sat on the dragon throne, with two young eunuchs standing beside him. There were also two historians on both sides of the hall ready to record the emperor's questions and the candidates' answers at any time.
Looking down, there were several officials standing there, headed by Prime Minister Lu Yu and Grand Tutor Ma Hongzhe. If the emperor was unsure, he could also listen to the opinions of his ministers.
Bai Yongsi bowed politely when he entered the hall. After His Majesty said no need for formalities, he stood upright in the middle of the hall and allowed His Majesty and the officials to look at him.
Although it is not a formal rule, who doesn't like to see a person with a good appearance? The same is true for the emperor. In the palace examination, appearance and figure are also part of his majesty's assessment.
Everyone can look forward to this top spot for a long time.
The essays he wrote in the imperial examination were widely circulated among officials. Seeing them today, I can see that he is indeed a man of talent.
Lu Yu had seen this talented scholar in the examination room, but he was concentrating on writing at that time. Today was the first time he saw his face.
When meeting the pair of eyes that looked like Bai Miaoke's, Lu Yu was stunned for a moment. Apart from the other facial features, the pair of slightly upturned phoenix eyes were exactly the same. The only difference might be the small mole at the end of Bai Miaoke's eye, which made her more feminine, while the eyes of this young man made him more romantic.
Bai Yongsi stood still and said, "Student Bai Yongsi greets His Majesty and all the gentlemen."
Next, the emperor only needed to select a few questions from the many topics prepared in advance by the Hanlin Academy. Lu Yu did not listen carefully. He stared at those eyes in a daze. The uncertainty in his heart was confirmed by 90% after hearing his surname.
No wonder she went to watch the results announcement that day, it turned out she wasn’t there to join in the fun, nor was she there to see herself…
While Lu Yu was still thinking, the emperor was already praising Bai Yongsi with satisfaction.
The next students entered the venue one after another, and the palace examination took half a day to end.
Next, the emperor decided the ranking and the officials from the Ministry of Rites registered it.
Most of the students this time are from common families, and they have come here because of their talents. The emperor is in a good mood. He is pleased with the fresh blood that will be injected into the court, and is happy that these talents will be used by him today.
He asked, "Who do you think will be the top scholar?"
The Minister of Revenue was the first to step out and said, "I think Li Yuan is worthy of being the top scholar in terms of both talent and status."
Everyone knows that Li Yuan is the eldest son of Marquis Yong'an. He ranked among the top in this imperial examination, but he is not qualified to be the top scorer.
Sure enough, the emperor frowned slightly, then raised his eyes and gave Lu Yu a look.
Lu Yu sighed helplessly in his heart, but his face still showed no emotion. He bowed and stepped out of the line and said, "I think that Bai Yongsi is knowledgeable and cares about the people. This boy is capable of taking on great responsibilities and should be the top scorer this time."
The emperor nodded with satisfaction. He did not discuss with Lu Yu in private about who to choose, but he was able to choose what he wanted in his heart. He was worthy of being the prime minister chosen by himself.
The emperor immediately made the decision: "What you two dear ministers said makes sense. I think Bai Yongsi is better in terms of age and experience." This means that Bai Yongsi is older than Li Yuan, which is a blatant excuse.
The courtiers representing the noble families below were getting impatient and looked at the steady Taifu one after another. However, he did not even glance at them. Instead, he was the first to bow and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
The other officials reacted and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
It was not so difficult to determine the rankings for the rest, as they were basically the same as their rankings in the imperial examinations. The emperor did not make things too drastic, and some children from aristocratic families still ranked high, and at least they could get a leisurely job as an official in Beijing.
As for the three people that King Kang had forced in, they were randomly assigned to the Hanlin Academy to do some idle jobs. Lu Yu had already arranged for his men to find a reason to make them take the blame and demote them. It would be best to send them back to where they came from.
It was almost noon when today's palace examination came to a successful conclusion. After receiving their rankings and official positions, the students could return home.
The top three candidates in the palace examination are called the top three, and they are required to ride horses in a parade around the capital to be admired by the people and to inspire poor students all over the world.
Bai Yongsi, the top scholar, was the first to walk behind the young eunuch who led the way. He rode on a tall horse with an upright posture and handsome eyes and eyebrows, attracting many girls and young ladies to throw handkerchiefs and flowers to him.
Bai Miaoke was also sitting on the second floor of Lanyue Tower, watching her brother riding towards her on horseback. She smiled and threw out a gardenia, and with some skill and strength, the flower landed steadily next to Bai Yongsi's hand holding the reins. He picked up the flower and put it on the tip of his nose with a smile, then looked up at his sister's brilliant smile and also smiled brightly.
I don’t know how many young girls and wives were stunned by this.
Bai Miaoke shook her head secretly. It seemed that now that Lu Yu was here, there would be another popular person in the capital.
As my brother's figure gradually disappeared from my sight and walked away.
The scene of Lu Yu being paraded through the streets as the top scholar suddenly emerged in Bai Miaoke's mind. It was even more exciting than today.
She was just a little girl who had just come of age at that time. She was also sitting in the same position in the Lanyue Tower, looking at the handsome and high-spirited top scholar below, and she also had some dreams of a young girl in love.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but smile. After realizing what she was doing, she thought in annoyance, why did she think of him again? Beauty really misleads people!
She shook her hair, drove the man out of her mind, got up and went home to tell her father the good news.
…
Unaware of the situation, Lu Yu sneezed in the imperial study. The emperor asked with concern, "Are you okay, my dear? Please take care of yourself."
After the palace examination in the morning, Lu Yu was invited by the emperor to have dinner with him. The emperor was in a good mood and they talked about many things in the past.
The two of them recalled the days when they studied with Grand Tutor Ma Hongzhe. Grand Tutor was a serious person and was very strict even to His Majesty, who was the Crown Prince at the time.
Even though they now had different political views and it had been a long time since they had sat down and had a calm chat with the tutor, they both had to admit that he was indeed a good teacher.
Seeing the emperor cheerful, which was rare, his tone when talking about the tutor was filled with helplessness towards the old-fashioned elders.
Lu Yu hesitated for a moment.
In the end, he did not tell His Majesty what he had found out, that the Grand Tutor was very likely involved in the Northwest War and Yu's rebellion. He really couldn't bring himself to speak today, and he couldn't bear to ruin the Emperor's good mood, so he thought it would not be too late to talk about it another day.
While the two were chatting happily, the Bai family also sat in the yard to celebrate.
Mr. Bai knew that his eldest son was smart and studious, but he never expected that he would become the top scorer in the imperial examination. Mr. Bai was overjoyed when he heard the news.
The family sat in the yard and enjoyed the moon while eating.
Bai Miaoke raised her glass and said, "Brother, I toast to you. You are so awesome!"
Mr. Bai also echoed: "My son has a promising future. Since he has chosen to be an official, he must be a good official."
Bai Yongsi nodded. He was appointed as the third-rank minister of the Ministry of Works. The emperor did not say much, but now most of the people in the Ministry of Works were trained by the Grand Tutor. The emperor must have had a deep meaning in arranging him here.
Mr. Bai thought differently. He said, "The emperor arranged you to work in the Ministry of Works, a place where money is spent like water. I'm afraid he is hinting at us. How about you donate a hundred taels of gold to the national treasury when you take office to show your kindness."
"Isn't a hundred taels of gold a bit too little?" Bai Miaoke added.
Bai Yongsi looked at the father and daughter who were ready to spend money and said helplessly: "Your Majesty probably didn't assign me to the Ministry of Works for the Bai family's money, so you two don't have to worry about it."
"No matter how much money we have, we can't let those termites get away with it."
The two nodded in agreement and said jokingly, "Minister Bai is right."
The three of them finished the meal chatting and laughing.
Afterwards, Mr. Bai took Bai Yongsi to the Bai family ancestral hall alone, and he knelt in front of his mother's tablet in the hall.
Bai Yongsi respectfully burned incense and kowtowed, saying, "Mother, I am an unfilial son, but I still cannot let go of my ambitions. I am willing to serve as an official in the court, and I will go to the underworld to make amends to you in the future."
Upon hearing his son's words, Mr. Bai's eyes reddened slightly. He always supported his children in pursuing their own ambitions, but his wife, their mother, had told him before she died that she did not want any member of the Bai family to serve as officials in the court.
Mr. Bai always remembered his wife's words. No matter how his business expanded over the years, he never involved the royal family and the court, and just lived a peaceful and wealthy businessman.
Although his son Bai Yongsi was devoted to reading books of sages, he never mentioned taking part in the imperial examinations over the years.
Until a flood last year, tens of millions of people living near the capital were displaced, and the relief grain allocated by the court was withheld at every level. Even the generous help of the Bai family was just a drop in the bucket. Countless people lost their homes and even their lives as a result.
Since then, Bai Yongsi has been determined to serve as an official in the court. Mr. Bai did not stop him, as he understood his eldest son's inner struggles and ambitions, and he believed that his beloved wife would understand if she were still alive.
The night was long, and a straight figure knelt in the Bai family ancestral hall all night long.
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