"I won, I won, I really won." Fu Changfeng muttered to himself. After saying that, he thought of the names of two friends. He continued to look and finally saw them.
"Brother Fu, did you see that? We're both stuck here, unable to move." Zeng and Xie, the scholars, were also panting heavily. They hadn't seen anything, but their clothes were askew from being squeezed so much that they had to quickly straighten them.
"We've won! We've all won! Brother Zeng, Brother Xie, let's hurry home!" Fu Changfeng didn't even have time to speak before pulling the two of them away.
"Hey, gentlemen, you've all passed?" At this moment, an elderly man who looked like a butler walked towards them with a smile.
"Yes, old man, are you also showing the list to your young master?" They were also excited at the moment, and casually said this before leaving.
"No, I came to ask if any of you are unmarried?" Fu Changfeng exchanged a glance and recalled the gossip he had heard a few days ago. It was a long-standing custom among officials in the capital to find a husband after the imperial examination results were announced. They were being targeted.
"We already have a child, hehe, sir. Our wives are waiting for us to come back and tell them the good news, so we'll be going now." The three of them didn't dare to linger and ran off in one direction.
Xichun and Sister Cao were at home, waiting for them to bring good news. They had already prepared all the things to give to the messengers, showing how confident they were this time.
"Sister Xichun, I saw it! Brother-in-law passed! He passed! But when I came out, I didn't see any of the young masters, so I had to run back first." Taozi was really like an eel, the fastest to slip through when looking at the list. So as soon as the officials posted the list, he found Fu Changfeng's name at the top. Seeing that he couldn't find Fu Changfeng who was squeezed into the crowd, he could only come back first to report the good news.
"Really? That's wonderful! Let's get everything ready right away." Xichun instructed Xiaoyue to carry the things to the front yard, waiting for the messenger to arrive.
After parting ways with the two, Xie Juren returned to the inn to wait. He was very excited and, seeing that there were other people waiting for news in the inn, he simply sat down in the lobby as well.
"My lady, I ranked 116th, and Brother Zeng ranked 173rd. We both passed!" Fu Changfeng returned to the courtyard and saw Xichun already busy at work. He quickly told her the results.
"Okay, Taozi already told us. Let's just wait for the messenger to arrive."
Sure enough, after waiting for about half an hour, the messenger finally arrived. Xichun and Sister Cao presented the gifts they had prepared. After the messenger left, the neighbors in the surrounding area learned that two scholars had been selected from this courtyard, and they all came to share the good news.
"Congratulations! I never expected that two scholars would come from my courtyard. After you go back, I will bring my children back to stay for a while and absorb some of their literary influence." The landlord, having learned of their situation, rushed over to offer his congratulations and even said that the rent could be waived by half.
"Thank you, Uncle Chen. Congratulations! Come on, everyone, have some candy." Xi Chun distributed the candy to the children who had come to watch. After receiving the candy, the children were also led by their elders to say a few auspicious words.
Even after everyone had left, their excitement hadn't subsided; years of hard work had finally come to fruition.
"It still feels a bit unreal. Even now, I still can't quite believe I won." Fu Changfeng and Xichun were talking in the room.
"Weren't you very confident before, saying you were sure you'd pass the exam? Why are you so insecure now that you've passed?" Xi Chun teased him, seeing his anxious and uncertain demeanor.
"This is different. No matter how well I planned before, my heart was pounding when I saw the results today. The feeling that whether I win or not is all on that piece of paper is really hard to describe."
"Alright, alright, go read some books to calm your nerves. There's still the palace examination coming up, so you can't slack off."
"Yes, I'll go read a book now. You've worked hard these past few days, my wife. You should go and rest early too. We got up before dawn this morning, you must be tired now." Fu Changfeng watched Xichun busy with things, his heart filled with joy.
The palace examination was held not long after the palace examination. Those who passed the provincial examination had to take it again, while those who failed began to return home.
Before dawn, Xichun and Fu Changfeng got up and barely ate a bowl of clear soup noodles before setting off. This time they were going to the palace, which was still some distance from the examination hall. Fortunately, there wasn't much traffic. Taozi and Zhunian were in charge of driving the carriage to take them there.
It was already dark when we returned. Fortunately, the palace examination only required one essay, and we couldn't rest in the palace, so it was much easier.
"I saw the Emperor today, but the eunuchs were taught the rules not to stare at him, so I could only glance at him. The Emperor was wearing a bright yellow robe, and his majestic voice rang out. We students below all unconsciously tightened our hands."
Fu Changfeng recounted the trip to the palace to Xichun and Taozi. It was indeed an opportunity for the royal family to select talents, and there was no room for jokes. Upon hearing the description, the group held their breath, as if they were actually in the palace.
"When will the results be announced? I heard that the top scholar will be paraded through the streets on horseback. Sister Cao and I have agreed to go and see this grand occasion on that day."
"It should be the day after tomorrow, so don't worry. Brother Zeng and I have already booked a private room for you. The view will be better from the second floor." Fu Changfeng naturally didn't let them worry about this matter; the two of them simply instructed the servant to take care of it.
"That's wonderful! We must admire your talents. I wonder what kind of demeanor the top scholar and the third-ranked scholar possess?"
"I observed her today, and she certainly deserves this title." Knowing that Xichun simply loves beauty, he naturally wanted to take a good look at her.
"The one who understands me is Changfeng."
The day for the results to be announced arrived quickly. This time, the results weren't posted at the examination hall, but all the successful candidates had to go to the palace. Normally, the palace examination didn't eliminate people; it just reordered the top few candidates.
When Xichun and Sister Cao arrived at the private room, they found it already crowded with people. Some people hadn't booked a room on the second floor in advance and had to watch from the main hall on the first floor.
"Here they come, here they come, the top scholar is here!" With a sweet cry, Xichun and Sister Cao both looked ahead and saw the top scholar riding a tall horse and the spirited third-place scholar. Their clothes were the most eye-catching.
"Wow, the third-ranked scholar is so handsome! I wonder if he's married yet. Quick, bring me the flowers, I want to present them to him!" The screams of the girls in the next private room reached their ears, and the two girls also saw the handsome face of the third-ranked scholar.
"No wonder all these girls are so eager to date a young man like that. If I were a few years younger and still unmarried, I'm afraid I would be just as excited as they are." Sister Cao chuckled as she sipped her tea, waiting for her husband to appear.
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