Chapter 207 Chapter 207 The Grand Ceremony
Upon learning that she hadn't eaten yet, Fu Wenxiao felt soft-hearted and a little guilty.
He raised his hand and stroked her hair, saying, "If you encounter this kind of thing in the future, just eat first and don't wait for me."
He was more worried that she would be hungry than asking her to wait for him to eat.
"It's okay." Yu Li said while eating red bean cake, "You've had a hard time in the palace examination today, so it's only right that we wait for you."
The palace examination is the last step of the imperial examination. Even though Fu Wenxiao always acted as if he was taking it lightly, everyone was still nervous for him.
On such an important day, they all hope to wait for him to come back and have dinner together, so that he knows that they all support him and care about him.
Yu Li asked again: "By the way, have you eaten?"
"No." Fu Wenxiao shook his head. "I ate a little at noon."
The palace examination lasts for one day. The palace will provide lunch, but no one dares to eat to their heart's content in the palace. They just fill their stomachs a little and then continue the exam. When they hand in their papers and leave at dusk, they are all hungry.
Yu Li was surprised, "Old Emperor...your uncle didn't even give you a meal?"
Keeping the person here so late, at least give him something to eat. Isn't this emperor too stingy?
Fu Wenxiao laughed and said, "It doesn't matter. There are many inconveniences in the palace, and I really can't eat."
"That won't leave you hungry, will it?"
"Well... maybe my uncle is too old and forgetful, so he forgot to ask someone to arrange meals for me..."
Yu Li handed the last piece of red bean cake in his hand to his lips and said, "Xiao brother, you are so considerate."
Even after all this happened, he still made excuses for the old emperor. He is indeed a good man.
Those people bullied him, not because he did anything wrong, but because he was too good. Bad people like to bully good people, this is an eternal truth.
Fu Wenxiao lowered his eyes and smiled, then held her hand and interlocked their fingers.
The negative emotions in my heart drifted away like the wind on a spring night, leaving only the sweetness of red beans in my mouth and the fragrance of osmanthus on her body...
Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at Liuwen Lane.
Liuwen Lane was quiet. There was a lantern hanging at the entrance of the lane. Lanterns were also hung in front of the doors of the wealthy families on both sides of the lane, casting a faint glow.
The carriage drove into the Fu family's house, and Zhou was already waiting there.
Seeing them get off the car, Zhou came over and asked nervously, "Xiao brother, you're back? Are you okay?"
All the other tribute students have returned, but he has not been seen yet, and she is very worried.
Fu Wenxiao smiled at her and said softly, "Mother, I'm sorry to have worried you. It's nothing. The saint asked me to stay in the palace to talk."
Zhou was stunned and opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Finally, he said, "Glad you're back. Dinner is ready. Go wash up and come over to eat."
Fu Wenxiao returned to his room and changed out of his tribute scholar's clothes. After washing up, he sat down with his family to eat.
Zhou picked up a lot of dishes for him and said distressedly, "Xiao brother, eat more. You've worked hard today."
"It's not hard." Fu Wenxiao said with a smile, "The palace examination only takes one day, which is much better than the imperial examination."
Zhou thought to himself, the palace examination does last only one day, but which candidate would be like him and have to go to see the emperor after the examination?
Although she didn't know what he was thinking, Zhou couldn't calm down as long as she thought of what happened in the past. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of mood he was in when he went to the Yangxin Palace to meet the saint today?
The more I think about it, the worse it gets.
It was rare for Fu Wenxiao to be so cared for by his family. Even the two children obediently picked up food for him and encouraged him to eat more.
He took it with a smile. Fortunately, he now had a big appetite, otherwise he would not have been able to finish so much food in the past.
After dinner, they sat together drinking tea and chatting.
Fu Wenxiao briefly described the situation of today's palace examination, and said implicitly: "I think I should do well in the exam and get a good ranking."
"You will definitely rank well!" Zhou said confidently, "Xiao'er is so knowledgeable and his articles are always meaningful. Anyone with eyes will give you a good ranking."
She never doubted it.
No one knows better than her how talented this child is and how hard he works behind the scenes. Even though he is a genius, he still has to put in a lot of hard work.
The two children cooperated very well and applauded to support their grandma.
As they grow older, perhaps because they have become more sensible, or perhaps because their elders have given them an absolute sense of security, their personalities have gradually become lively and cheerful, and they are no longer as timid and quiet as they were when they were children.
Fu Wenxiao reached out and touched them one by one, looking at their tender and cute faces, a smile appeared on his face.
Seeing that it was getting late, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.
As soon as Yu Li finished washing and came out of the bathroom, Fu Wenxiao took a towel to wring her hair dry and did not let the maid serve her in the room.
The maids were already used to it. They would clean up the room, leave quietly and close the door.
The night wind blew in through the window, and the curtains in the room fluttered, bringing a little coolness.
Neither of them paid attention to the night breeze and sat there chatting. Yu Li told him what he had done today and about teaching Chu Shaoyu physical skills.
She held her chin in her hand and said, "I didn't expect him to be able to stick with it. It seems that he has a good character."
Fu Wenxiao stroked her hair gently and said, "His situation in the palace is not good. Several of his half-brothers are eyeing him covetously. He naturally can't continue like this. He has to give himself some bargaining chips."
No matter what King Rui found out about the attack that Chu Shaoyu encountered on his way back to Beijing last year, the matter was left unresolved and there was no follow-up.
The several illegitimate sons of Prince Rui's Mansion were all fine and had not received any punishment. This also made Chu Shaoyu understand that although his father valued him, the legitimate son, he also valued those illegitimate sons. They were all his sons and he would not abandon them.
But to Chu Shaoyu, those were not his brothers, but enemies who wanted to kill him.
Not only are they half-brothers, but they have not lived together since childhood. When he grew up and returned, he found that this home was not as good as he had imagined.
His grandmother, who had protected him unconditionally, was too old to protect him all the time, and his mother was just a weak woman who could not influence his father's thoughts.
Chu Shaoyu is just simple, not stupid.
He knew that in the eyes of the world, he was just a playboy who didn't even have a job and hadn't shown any talent. Apart from the title of the prince of Rui's mansion, he had nothing. His half-brothers probably felt the same way.
At least, he had to be able to save his life when he was in danger.
Yu Li looked up at him, "Were you like this before?"
Hearing him analyze Chu Shaoyu's situation so easily, she became curious whether he had been like this before.
His situation was much more dangerous than Chu Shaoyu's. Chu Shaoyu only had to face a few brothers in the palace who coveted his position as the crown prince, while he had to face the huge court and those princes.
Fu Wenxiao smiled and said, "Almost. But I am lucky. I have always had someone protecting me." Then he added, "My grandmother was the Empress Dowager. When the late emperor was in power, she was ill and could not show weakness to the court officials. At that time, she handled many political affairs for the late emperor..."
The Empress Dowager and the late Emperor were a young couple.
The concubines in the palace gave birth to children one after another, but the empress dowager remained childless until she was in her thirties, when she finally gave birth to Princess Yuan'an.
This is also the only legitimate daughter of the late emperor.
The Empress Dowager was a remarkable woman. She was intelligent, talented, and politically capable, and few men could match her.
The previous emperor died of illness and did not even have time to leave a will or decide on an heir to the throne. It was the empress dowager who suppressed the court officials, stabilized the situation, and selected the current saint to inherit the throne. She then became the regent empress dowager.
Back then, the Empress Dowager’s power in the court was unstoppable.
"I was twelve years old when my grandmother passed away." Fu Wenxiao's voice softened with a hint of nostalgia, "When she was alive, she taught me a lot..."
Rather than saying that he was taught by the emperor, it was actually the empress dowager who had the greatest influence on him.
The fact that the old emperor was able to adopt him into the palace was actually with the tacit approval of the empress dowager and was the result of bargaining among multiple parties.
However, there was the Empress Dowager in the palace, so even if he was adopted into the palace, it would actually be no different from being at home.
Because of the Empress Dowager, he was indeed more noble than those princes back then. Even the Crown Prince Yi De, who was praised by everyone at the time, had to be inferior to him.
What a beautiful scenery it is.
Yu Li listened silently, looked up at him, then brought a plate of cakes and asked, "Xiao brother, do you want to eat?"
Fu Wenxiao came back to his senses, "I'm not hungry, you eat."
Seeing how happily she was eating, he found it somewhat amusing. In her mind, no matter how big the problem was, she could get over it with just one meal. If she couldn't get over it, she could just eat two more meals.
fine.
Then he continued, "After my grandmother passed away, my mother took over her position and competed with the saint in the court. I am my mother's only son. No matter what her relationship with my uncle is, she will protect me."
Even though he has many enemies, few dare to attack him.
What those people said was quite right. He was indeed extremely powerful and arrogant in the past. He didn't even take the prince seriously. He beat and scolded people whenever he wanted.
When Yu Li heard that he had beaten the prince, he asked in surprise, "Did you really beat him? Who did you beat?"
Fu Wenxiao coughed lightly, a little embarrassed, "Except for the crown prince and a few younger ones, I've beaten all the others."
The old emperor had a total of nine princes. Except for the crown prince, the other eight or nine princes were never beaten by him. After all, they were still young at that time and did not have so many bad habits.
Yu Li said: "They must have done something bad."
Her logic was simple. He was not an unreasonable person. How could he hit someone casually? Those princes must have done something bad to make him angry.
As luck would have it, she didn't like those princes either, so she said, "Well done."
Fu Wenxiao laughed, and seeing that her hair was dry, he combed her hair, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her face.
"Ali is so nice." He sighed.
Others will only think that he is arrogant and domineering. Knowing what he has done in the past, they will be scared to death and think that he is so bold. Isn't he afraid that after the old emperor passes away, the new emperor will settle accounts with him?
Yu Li was not afraid of the imperial power, nor did he have much respect for the princes of the royal family.
In her eyes, those princes were also human beings, and they were people who held power and could easily decide other people's life and death with a single thought, which made her dislike them.
Those who are in high positions should control their words and actions and should not act based on personal preferences.
Just like genetic warriors, they possess powerful military force not for destruction but for protection. They must also control their power and not use it to bully the weak.
Yu Li thought so and said so.
In her opinion, Fu Wenxiao is an extremely calm and restrained person, and he rarely acts based on his own likes and dislikes.
The same is true for Princess Yuan'an. They are all very qualified leaders.
The couple chatted casually for a long time and only fell asleep late at night.
The next day, Mr. Wang came to visit.
Not only Mr. Wang, but also those new candidates came to inquire about what happened yesterday, fearing that something unexpected might happen in the palace examination.
No one can be at ease when it comes to their own future.
Fu Wenxiao tried to comfort them and found an excuse to reassure the scholars.
After seeing off the candidates, Mr. Wang asked quietly, "Brother Fu, did you go there yesterday?"
He had an expression that said "I understand". Ever since he knew Fu Wenxiao's identity, he had inquired a lot about the former prince of the Duke of Zhenguo from his uncle, Emperor Yao, and heard that he had a very good relationship with the saint.
Fu Wenxiao bowed to him and said, "I hope Brother Wang will forgive me and cover up for me."
Although this group of tribute scholars came here today with some tentative intentions, they did not look panicked, which showed that Mr. Wang had comforted them in advance.
As the second place in the imperial examination, Mr. Wang also had great prestige among these candidates.
Mr. Wang smiled and waved his hands to indicate that it was nothing.
The two discussed the content of yesterday's palace examination, and then Mr. Wang said goodbye and left.
After seeing Mr. Wang off, Fu Wenxiao went to the other side of the yard.
Today, Chu Shaoyu still came to the Fu family's house to practice physical skills.
Seeing Chu Shaoyu biting a piece of cork in his mouth, he couldn't help laughing and said to Yu Li: "This is a good idea. I should have let the sisters bite the cork at the beginning, so they wouldn't cry like that."
Yu Li: “I didn’t think much about it at the time.”
The countryside is a big place and no one will pay attention to you even if you shout at the top of your lungs; but in the city, the houses are densely packed and if you make some noise you will inevitably attract questions from your neighbors and patrolling officials.
When Chu Shaoyu finished his practice, he collapsed on the chair, exhausted.
Fu Wenxiao poured him a glass of water and asked, "Shao Yu, can you hold on?"
"Of course!" Chu Shaoyu panted, his face determined, "Cousin Fu, I will definitely stick to it." Then he asked, "Cousin Fu, I heard that you also practice physical training, right?"
"Yes." Fu Wenxiao nodded.
After Fu Wenxiao demonstrated the basic physical skills to him with ease, the look on Chu Shaoyu's face became more determined.
If Cousin Fu could persevere through such a painful thing, he would definitely be able to persevere too. When the time comes, he would be able to kill a thief with a single arrow using a bow and arrow, just like Cousin Fu.
When he thought about the attack on the way back to Beijing, and Fu Wenxiao killing the enemy with a bow and arrow, his heart was filled with excitement.
The young man admires strength and yearns for powerful military force, which is also the motivation for him to persevere.
**
On the third day after the palace examination, the examiners finally opened the papers and began to fill in the list.
The next day was the ceremony of announcing the names of the successful candidates.
Fu Wenxiao put on the imperial examination robes and went to the Meridian Gate with other candidates to attend the ceremony of announcing the results of the imperial examinations.
Ever since Fu Wenxiao left, Zhou has been a little restless.
She kept looking outside and asked, "Have the palace examination results been posted? What was Xiao'er's ranking?"
After the ceremony, an official would hang the golden list of the palace examination in the Dragon Shed on the other side of the palace gate, which is commonly known as the Dragon Gate. On this day, many people would go there to see the golden list.
Chu Shaoyu, who had rushed to the Fu family early in the morning to wait for news, also became nervous and said, "Aunt Zhou, it won't happen so soon. It's still early. I'm afraid the ceremony may not be over yet."
Having said that, he was also very nervous, and his feet were almost grinding the floor of the house.
Yu Li was not nervous. Seeing that they were not going to be able to do this, he said, "Mom, why don't we go to the restaurant? After the ceremony, don't we have to praise the officials in the Imperial Street?"
The Imperial Street Praise of Officials is the parade of newly-appointed Jinshi through the streets, which allows the common people in Beijing to catch a glimpse of the newly-appointed Jinshi's elegance.
Zhou and Chu Shaoyu couldn't sit still, so they decided to go out directly after hearing what was said.
The restaurant's private room was booked a few days in advance. It was located right on the road where the newly-appointed scholars passed by during the parade. It was quite expensive, and one wouldn't have dared to book it without some money.
When Yu Li and the others arrived there, they found that Mrs. Wang and her son had already arrived.
The two families agreed to watch the parade of the newly-appointed Jinshi together today.
Mrs. Wang was also a little nervous. She pulled Yu Li and said, "Mother Li, it should start in another hour. Let's wait a little longer."
Wang Rongxiu poured tea for the elders and corrected her: "Mom, there is still half an hour."
"I know, don't interrupt." Mrs. Wang scolded with a smile, "I'm just nervous."
Wang Rongxiu said seriously: "There's nothing to be nervous about. Dad and Uncle Fu are knowledgeable, so their ranking will definitely be high."
Mrs. Wang thought that the child was too serious and couldn't help but give him a blank look.
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