Chapter 418 High School No. 1
The palace servant in the hall carefully collected the papers on the table, then bowed and handed them to Emperor Chengde.
The ten examination papers were quickly read through, and after Emperor Chengde had them marked, he had them passed on to the ministers for review...
"Look, it's out, the top scholar is parading in the streets..."
"Who is the number one scholar? Tell me who is the number one scholar?"
"I don't know. I don't know him."
"Isn't it Xiao Muheng?"
"Not him."
Boom!
It was the sound of someone fainting.
Before the autumn exam, all the major casinos and restaurants set up gambling games, and many people bet on Xiao Muheng to be the top scorer. But today, they were told that the top scorer was not Xiao Muheng.
Mother, his money.
The common people had no idea that Xiao Muheng fainted in the Imperial Examination Hall and thus lost his qualification to take the exam. Those who bet on him to become the top scorer lost even their pants.
"Who else could be the top scholar if not Xiao Muheng?"
As the question came out, the names of the top three candidates were also passed down.
"Qiao Yuanan? Who is that? I don't know him."
"Sounds familiar, doesn't it sound familiar to you?"
"That... that person in every major gambling house has a bet on him to be the top scorer, with a 10 to 1 odds."
"Oh my god, the man who placed the bet is also a ruthless person. All the gambling houses must be crying..."
I don’t know whether others were crying or not, but Huo Zhengpeng and his son were smiling so hard that their teeth were showing.
Are the Zhaocai and Jinbao gambling houses also losing money?
That was all money going from one pocket to the right pocket, not a big deal. There were dozens of gambling houses of all sizes in the capital, and they made a net profit of more than 100,000 taels.
Hahahaha, if they didn't have to keep a low profile, the two of them would have wanted to run to the city gate and laugh out loud.
In the private room, everyone crowded at the window, looking at Qiao Yuanan, who was sitting on a tall horse, wearing the top scholar's crown and clothes, and walking in the front, and they were so excited that they didn't know what to do.
"Second brother, second brother..." Qiao Jingru waved the handkerchief in her hand and shouted to Qiao Yuanan who was passing by Chunman Building.
When Qiao Yuanan heard the voice, he looked up at Chunman Building, smiled gently and waved in response.
With a fair and smooth face, handsome features and a soft light in his dark eyes, he immediately captured the hearts of countless girls.
Hmm? Second brother?
When the people who were preparing to pick a son-in-law from the list heard the call, they hurried towards Chunmanlou.
The owner of Chunmanlou did not expect that he would actually receive the family of the top scholar. After being surprised, he felt a strong sense of pride. Afterwards, he could raise the price of the food and drinks in his restaurant with this gimmick, making him a huge profit.
Among the three lists, the top scholar is undoubtedly the focus of everyone, and the third place scholar is mostly handsome men, so even if his literary talent is not as good as the first two, he still receives a lot of attention. In comparison, the second place scholar seems mediocre.
First of all, he did not have the same outstanding literary talent as the top scholar.
Second, he does not have the handsome appearance of the top scholar.
Everyone paraded through the streets, and the people praised the top two winners with great relish, but no one mentioned him.
This made the runner-up very indignant and angry.
Even when it came to choosing a son-in-law from the list, no one was bothered to ask about it.
If people knew the twisted thoughts in his mind at this moment, they would probably laugh at him: Uncle, please take a look in the mirror, which wealthy family wants you to capture a middle-aged uncle as their son-in-law?
If I were twenty years younger, even if I were average looking, I would still be popular with people.
But I can tell at first glance that you're a man with a wife who has been through hardships for him.
At the very least, if you have the handsome looks of one of the top three candidates in the imperial examination, you may still find that no one would be able to marry you.
A lot of people suddenly rushed into the private room where the Qiao family was. Some servants respectfully invited the two elders of the Qiao family to visit, and some officials came to talk to them in person.
The biggest regret in Mr. Qiao's life was that he failed to pass the imperial examination and enter the officialdom. Suddenly, he was surrounded and praised by important officials in the court, and he felt a little overwhelmed.
This is the first time I feel that raising my second son is worth it.
Unfortunately, among four sons, only he is able to read.
The eldest son gave up his official career in order to inherit the family business. There was nothing he could do about it. But the third and fourth sons were also sons. One was a playboy and lived in a brothel, while the other thought about joining the army all day long, which made him want to break his legs.
With his mediocre kung fu, who gave him the courage to fight?
"Master Qiao, congratulations, I wonder if your second son has gotten engaged?"
"Master Qiao, I am from the mansion of the Earl of Pingyang. My Earl invites Master Qiao to come over for a chat."
"Master Qiao..."
Mr. Qiao was proud, but he couldn't handle so many people caring about his son's marriage.
"Thank you all for your kindness. I am busy today and will visit you another day. Please forgive me."
Mr. Qiao bowed with an apologetic look on his face.
Having said that, he pulled his wife along and ran away with her head held high.
Are all the nobles in the capital so unreserved nowadays?
It’s almost time to kidnap the bride!
As soon as Mr. Qiao and Mrs. Qiao left, those people followed closely.
As soon as the two got on the carriage, they urged the coachman to return home quickly.
It's so scary.
"Then, shall we go back home as well?" Qiao Zeran blinked and asked.
Qiao Zhiyan protected his wife and children in a corner to avoid being jostled. Hearing this, he nodded without hesitation: "My second brother will go back directly after strolling around the streets. Let's go back and wait."
"Brother Qiao, Brother Qiao, my sixth sister and I will go back first. We will come to congratulate you another day." Lu Xiang thought for a moment and said.
The Qiao family was overjoyed. When they heard the news, there would surely be a lot of people coming to their house, and they probably wouldn't be able to handle it all. It would be better for them not to come and cause trouble at this time.
Qiao Zhiyan hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, then be careful on the road."
"Brother, are you coming back?" Lu Qiao asked.
Lu Chao said, "The Qiao family will definitely be very busy. As the son-in-law of the Qiao family, I naturally have to stay and help. You guys go back and tell grandma that I will be staying at the Qiao family for a few days."
His wife hasn't been brought home yet, so he can't relax at this time.
Although the Qiao family had tacitly agreed that Qiao Qiao would go back with him, Qiao Yuanan was going to take part in the palace examination, and everyone in the Qiao family was very nervous. Qiao Qiao had no time to pack her things. After all, when she left the Lu family, she moved all her dowry back to her parents' home. This time when she went back, she would definitely have to move everything out again, which would take more than a day or two, so she decided to wait until Qiao Yuanan's palace examination was over before moving.
But now Qiao Yuanan has become the top scorer in high school, and the Qiao family is busy again, so Qiao Qiao postponed her return to the Lu family.
Lu Chao's alarm bells were ringing, and he dared not leave even a step. He was really worried if he didn't bring Qiao Jingru back.
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