"The top scholar is Pei Ji, who is said to be the first in the imperial examination. But who is Pei Ji? Does anyone know him?"
"I don't know him, I've never seen him before..."
"I haven't seen him either. I only know that he's a candidate from Guangning, but I don't think I've ever seen him show up..."
"Ah? So mysterious..."
Most of them live in the capital, and they know the local candidates. Even if they don’t know them, they have heard of their names. However, they don’t know the candidates from other places very well, especially those who rarely show up after coming to the capital.
Su Li also looked at the more than one hundred Jinshi scholars. She only recognized Pei Mingheng, Lin Muyang, Zhao Xingwen, and Zhang Ruqing next to Zhao Xingwen among those walking in front. She did not recognize the others, and Pei Ji did not seem to be among them.
She couldn't help but wonder. Princess Rongfu hadn't asked for a marriage at this time, so what had delayed Pei Ji? Could it be the salt tax case? But he had said before that Pei Chuan would submit the results of the salt tax case after the palace examination. Could there be some unforeseen situation with the case?
"Second brother! Second brother! Here!"
As the Jinshi left the palace, his family and friends, as well as those who were chosen as husbands from the list, all rushed over excitedly. Pei Mingyue was even quicker. She stepped forward, grabbed Pei Mingheng and brought him over, fearing that her second brother would be taken away from the list, as her second brother had already been engaged.
"Mother." Pei Mingheng walked to the side of Ningyuan Hou's wife and said in a steady tone, "The son is out."
"Mingheng," Ningyuan Hou's wife smiled with relief, but her eyes were slightly red. She choked with sobs and said, "My son, you have worked hard..."
As she spoke, tears began to fall.
After ten years of hard study, he finally made it onto the list of top scorers. She saw all his hard work and was so proud of him...
Pei Mingheng's eyes reddened, but he smiled and said, "My son, it's not hard..."
"Oh, mother, why are you crying? My second brother passed the imperial examination and became the third place winner. We should be happy."
Pei Mingyue took a handkerchief to wipe her mother's tears. She actually wanted to cry too.
"Yes, yes, it's a happy thing, so I can't cry..." Ning Yuanhou's wife quickly took the handkerchief and wiped her tears, "I'm sorry to make you laugh, Madam Pei, hehe..."
Su Li smiled and said, "Madam is crying with joy, this is human nature."
Then he looked at Pei Mingheng and said, "Congratulations, Second Young Master, on passing the imperial examination."
"Thank you, Master Aunt," Pei Mingheng said after thanking her, "Master Uncle and Uncle are still in the palace. He asked me to tell Master Aunt that you don't have to wait for him here. He will go back after the matter is completed."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Second Young Master." Since she was with Pei Chuan, it must be because of the salt tax case.
After picking up Pei Mingheng, the wife of Ningyuan Hou and her entourage were also ready to go back. Pei Mingyue wanted to invite Su Li to her house to play, but Su Li declined. After all, Pei Mingheng had just won the third place in the imperial examination, and who knows what he would say if he returned home. She would not be so tactless as to follow him.
"Okay then," Pei Mingyue blinked her big round eyes and said, "Then I'll come find you at the horse parade tomorrow?"
After the palace examination, the top three Jinshi will ride horses in a parade on the next day. The second and third Jinshi will also parade together. The scene will be very lively and festive.
Su Li naturally agreed. After saying goodbye to the wife of Ningyuan Hou, she returned to where her carriage was parked, got on the carriage and went directly back to Jufu Inn.
When he arrived at the inn, he thought about it and decided to go to Haohan Academy again, pick up Pei Zhao and take him to Mingyue Restaurant for dinner, and tell him that his father had won the top spot in the imperial examination.
Pei Zhao was delighted and full of anticipation: "Mom, Dad is so amazing. I want to be the top scholar in the imperial examination too."
Su Li knew that he was just a little bookworm, so she patted his little head and said, "Okay, in the future, when you pass the imperial examination and become the top scholar, then mom will be the top scholar's mom."
"The wife of the top scholar? Hehehe! Mom, you are the wife of the top scholar now." Pei Zhao laughed.
Su Li chuckled: "Well, mother is now the top scholar."
As he spoke, he picked up a piece of braised lion's head for Pei Zhao and said, "Let's eat. The food is getting cold."
"oh……"
After dinner, Su Li booked a private room for tomorrow when she was paying the bill. She then took Pei Zhao shopping and bought him some cream cakes and some pastries.
Not knowing whether Pei Ji would come back tonight, after thinking about it, he simply bought some cakes and a small cream cake, and then sent Pei Zhao back to the academy.
It was past ten o'clock when Su Li returned to the inn from Haohan Academy. She thought Pei Ji had not come back yet, but as soon as she entered the inn, Pei Ji came out of his room.
She asked in surprise: "Pei Ji? When did you come back?"
"I just came back and you came back. Where have you been?"
When he came back and saw that the lights in her room were off, he thought she was asleep and didn't knock on her door.
Su Li said, "In the evening, I went to pick up Zhao'er for dinner and told him that you had won the top prize. He was very happy when he heard it. I took him for a walk and just sent him back to the academy."
Pei Ji curled his lips when he heard this: "I'll go see him again when I have time in a few days."
"Well," Su Li asked, "Second Master Pei said that you and Lord Pei had something to do in the palace, but what happened with the salt tax case?"
"Li Jun almost died." Pei Ji said lightly.
Su Li wasn't surprised at all: "Did Zhu Wei do it?"
In the original novel, Li Jun was almost killed by Zhu Wei, the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple. If Pei Ji had not been on guard against him, he would probably have succeeded.
"Well, when our people discovered something was wrong, Li Jun was on his last breath. My senior brother was afraid he wouldn't make it, so he immediately had him carried into the palace and reported the results of the salt tax investigation to the Emperor. He also asked Li Jun to be a witness. Afterwards, the Emperor ordered the imperial physician to treat Li Jun, and this actually saved his life..."
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