On the day of the palace examination, there was no suspense at all. Xie Shu was chosen as the first by Emperor Qing, and he was also the first person in history to win three first places in a row.
As it was natural, as one of the top three, Xie Shu was appointed as an editor and had to report to the Hanlin Academy. He was accompanied by the runner-up Kong Xiu and the third place Gao Yi.
The Hanlin Academy is not only a place for nurturing talents, but also a noble place for studying. Once you go to the Hanlin Academy, you usually have to stay there for a few years before you have the opportunity to be promoted. Of course, the specific position depends on your luck.
The autumn weather is crisp and the water is clear.
After the palace examination, other Jinshi had no worries and only waited for the Ministry of Personnel to examine them before assigning them positions. The banquet on the eve of the examination was also called the farewell banquet, because once the official document from the Ministry of Personnel came out, all the Jinshi of the same grade would have their own destinations.
This final banquet was held on a cruise ship in Qujiang.
Qujiang is located in the south of Chang'an, covering an area of 30 hectares. To the south are scenic spots such as Ziyun Tower and Furong Garden, while to the west are Xingyuan and Ci'en Temple.
When the weather was fine, the men and women would ride in carriages or on horses, or walk in the nearby gardens and attics.
I don't know if it's because they admire the style of the new Jinshi, but after learning that the new Jinshi would hold a banquet in Qujiang, many people from Chang'an went to Qujiang today. Looking around, the bank of Qujiang River was crowded with people and carriages. It was not an exaggeration to say that the streets were deserted.
This banquet was even more grand than any other in the past. There were not only famous actors and actresses performing music, but also prostitutes drinking and entertaining.
These famous actors and prostitutes were all affiliated with the Jiaofang. They were proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and were rarely seen by common people. But for the newly-appointed Jinshi, they only needed to inform the Jiaofang in advance and pay enough money.
In Chang'an, there was already a trend of valuing extravagance, and the new scholars had unlimited prospects. It seemed natural that long-term repression led to extravagance and indulgence.
But for most of the Jinshi who came from aristocratic families, the cost of banquets was not worth mentioning, but in the eyes of the poor, it was a heavy burden.
So at this farewell banquet, Xie Shu took the initiative to take over the responsibilities of recorder. Of course, as the top scorer of this imperial examination and the editor who was about to take office, no one had any objection.
The recorder's job is to host the banquet, including confirming the invitees and collecting membership fees.
However, Xie Shu only charged one string of money from each person to rent a boat, and assigned corresponding duties to several disciples from aristocratic families, some in charge of music, some in charge of wine, and some in charge of tea.
Without any funding, everyone rushed to take on the task.
The reason for this is actually very simple, because all the people he found are from top families, and without exception, they are unwilling to fall behind others and are not short of money. This is their chance to show off their family's wealth.
Hence the scene of today where people are looking for beauties to win, competing for cars and clothes, and betrothing wine and dishes.
However, Xie Shu did not expect that this Qujiang banquet would be so luxurious, grand and unprecedented.
Seeing that the table was full, Xie Shu stood up, made a brief speech to announce the start of the banquet, and then said nothing more.
But even so, he still attracted everyone's attention. After all, the title of this year's top scorer is already very famous, not to mention Xie Shu himself is attractive enough.
Kong Xiu looked at Xie Shu, his thoughts turning into a myriad of thoughts.
He didn't expect that today, Xie Shu was still wearing only a green coat and a plain white skirt, which made him look out of place among the crowd of gorgeous clothes. However, his posture was upright and his demeanor was outstanding, as pure and elegant as a solitary pine tree.
Of course, Xie Shu is not a lone pine tree, but more like a bright moon that illuminates the night. He is admired by the poor, favored by the rich, and even by the royal family...
Kong Xiu came back to his senses and said to Xie Shu in a low voice: "Brother Xie, you should know the inside story of today's banquet, right?"
Xie Shu observed the expression on his face and raised his eyebrows.
In fact, he was just thinking that even if the news of the Qujiang Banquet spread, it would not attract so many people from Chang'an.
Moreover, he noticed that several disciples from aristocratic families who had behaved in an absurd manner before were very well behaved today, even though they were accompanied by prostitutes from the music school, and there was nothing dissolute about them.
At this time, although Kong Xiu had deliberately kept a calm expression, he still couldn't hide his envy and said, "Brother Xie, do you know that there is a beautiful lady in Ziyun Tower who has been eyeing you for a long time?"
The Ziyun Tower that Kong Xiu mentioned is on the bank of Qujiang River. It must not be easy for someone to occupy this tower today.
Xie Shu held the teacup calmly.
A trace of complacency flashed across Kong Xiu's face: "Brother Xie, haven't you noticed yet? Today, not only the people of Chang'an came, but also the nobles of the capital. With Brother Xie's talent, appearance and character, he is already a perfect son-in-law in the eyes of many people. It's a pity..."
However, seeing that Xie Shu was not moved, Kong Xiu changed the subject and continued, "Of course, I know that Brother Xie already has a family in Jiangnan, so I shouldn't have mentioned this matter in front of Brother Xie. But Brother Xie married into the family before, so I guess he had no choice... Brother Xie is no longer the same as he was before, and it's normal for him to change his ways."
At this time, behind the tulle curtain of Ziyun Tower, a young man in gorgeous clothes and a beautiful hat stared at the scene of the cruise ship intently, with a bit of curiosity in his eyes and a red mole on the tip of his beautiful white nose. "Is this person Xie Shu? He looks different from what I thought."
An elderly, graceful man beside him looked at him lovingly and asked, "Does his appearance and demeanor please my son?"
The young man nodded subconsciously, then frowned and said, "Father, he is indeed famous, but didn't my third cousin say that he already has a wife..."
After he finished speaking, a young man in brocade clothes beside him smiled and said, "What is there to worry about? Is there anyone who doesn't want to marry my cousin?"
The elegant man also said in a doting tone: "Your cousin is right. Marrying my son is a blessing that cannot be obtained even if you pray for it. I don't know how many people in the world dream of it. What's more, he was a merchant who married into the family before and has no children. He will not let my son down. When the time comes, let him divorce his wife and marry again. What's wrong with that?"
Although the words were spoken in a very arrogant tone, none of the waiters around thought there was anything wrong with it, because everyone knew that the status of these three people was extremely noble.
The man was the elder brother of the current emperor, Shao Yu. Shao Yu was a twin and had no inheritance rights. He was granted the fief of Weihe, and was therefore named Princess Weihe. After he married the Duke of Weiguo, the boy he gave birth to was his only child, named Lu Jiao.
The third cousin next to him was none other than the third prince Shao Zhen.
Lu Jiao is sixteen years old this year. She has been pampered since childhood. Although she is not engaged, there are many people who want to marry her.
However, Shao Yu knew Lu Jiao's temperament, and marrying a woman from a rich family might not be a good thing for him. In addition, Shao Yu could not resist Shao Zhen's persuasion. After learning that His Majesty favored the poor and was wary of the noble families, he set his sights on the new Jinshi.
And who could be better and more suitable than Xie Shu?
It’s a pity that Xie Shu already had a wife in Jiangnan, but in Shao Yu’s opinion this was not a problem.
After all, someone who can become a Jinshi cannot be too young. Xie Shu is already very young. There are very few people of this age who have not started a family.
Xie Shu's parents had both passed away, and he was left alone and poor, which made Shao Yu even more satisfied. It was understandable that with Xie Shu's background, he could only rely on them.
As for whether Xie Shu himself agreed or not, neither Shao Yu nor Lu Jiao had ever considered it.
The sneer disappeared from Shao Zhen's lips. From the day Xie Shu arrived safely in the capital, Shao Zhen knew that Xie Shu had become a thorn in his side.
What Shao Zhen never expected was that Xie Shu could actually win the top three places in a row. All the examinees in this exam were convinced of him, and all his painstaking arrangements seemed so eclipsed.
Shao Zhen knew very well that Xie Shu was no longer someone he could easily touch, but he would not be at peace until his worry was cured. Moreover, if he wanted to compete for the position of crown prince, money was indispensable, and he was determined to get the Yu family's huge fortune.
There just happens to be an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
Faced with the olive branch extended by Shao Yu, if Xie Shu refused the marriage, he would offend a powerful royal relative; if he accepted, then he and the Yu family would have to break up completely. Of course, at this time, Shao Zhen had other ways to deal with it.
So no matter what choice Xie Shu makes, the outcome is in Shao Zhen's hands.
Today he gave Xie Shu this "huge wealth", let's see how he spends it!
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