That evening, there was a Luming Banquet.
The governor and several Hanlin scholars were all present. The banquet was filled with toasts, singing and dancing. The newly-minted scholars came forward to toast according to custom. Governor Deng Tianyou sat at the head table, while the prefect sat beside him, introducing the names of the newly-minted scholars one by one.
The provincial examination was marked by the Hanlin Academy, and the governor did not need to intervene. He only looked over the examination papers when the final ranking was determined.
There weren't many names that could leave an impression on him.
However, he did not favor anyone because of this, and was kind to every candidate who came up to him to toast. In particular, when he heard that someone had persisted in studying despite hardship and had finally passed the imperial examination, he would sincerely praise them and persuade them not to give up and to continue serving the country in the future.
The governor is still young, humble and well-mannered, which has earned him a lot of favor from the newly-appointed scholars.
I heard that this governor was also a poor scholar in his past, and he understood the difficulties of these literati best. Some of the more sentimental ones were even overwhelmed with emotions and shed tears on the spot.
After the last candidate finished his toast, Deng Tianyou turned his head and asked the prefect, "Are these the only ones?"
The prefect guessed what he was referring to and replied, "Your Excellency the Governor, there is another top scorer, Qin Zhao, who is ill in bed today and cannot be present."
"Bedside sick?" A Hanlin scholar retorted in discontent. "What illness could be so serious that he wouldn't even attend the Luming Banquet? Perhaps after becoming Li Yuan, he's become arrogant and conceited, and doesn't take Lord Deng seriously?"
"Li Hanlin, please don't say such angry words." Deng Tianyou remained calm and asked, "What's wrong with Jieyuan? Has the doctor examined him?"
"I've already sent someone to his home, and it's an old ailment," the prefect said. "Your Excellency the Governor may not know, but this top scholar is known in the city as a sickly person, constantly bedridden. I heard he fell ill again the day after the provincial examination."
"This body..." Deng Tianyou sighed with emotion.
He was deeply impressed by this top scholar.
The first place winner was always chosen by him after consultation with the other Hanlin scholars. There were usually several candidates, as everyone had their own opinion of who should take first place. After a shortlist of candidates was drawn up, the final ranking was determined after considering various factors.
But this time, there was no suspense about the winner.
After everyone got the test paper, they ranked it first without hesitation.
This kind of thing is extremely rare in the imperial examination, and it would be difficult for Deng Tianyou to forget it.
He had wanted to take advantage of this Lu Ming Banquet to see the true face of the top scorer, but he didn't expect that the other party would be absent due to illness, which was a pity.
Deng Tianyou felt emotional, but he didn't take it too seriously.
He was moved because after reading the essay written by the top scorer in the provincial examination, he really admired the other party's talent, but after all, he was just a stranger he had never met before, so he couldn't say that he cared about him.
Deng Tianyou didn't say anything else. The Hanlin scholars only said a few words like "he doesn't know the rules" and "he lost the opportunity to be recognized by the governor in vain", and then they didn't say anything more.
Halfway through the banquet, after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the prefect said, "The Governor is a great lover of poetry. The invitation to the Luming Feast has already informed all the successful candidates to bring their poems. Would you mind presenting them now?"
Deng Tianyou nodded: "Show it up."
Writing poems at the Lu Ming Banquet has been a long-standing tradition, and Deng Tianyou was a person who loved to recite poems and compose essays, so this part was indispensable at every banquet, no matter how big or small.
The prefect waved his hand and asked the guard to bring a tray with several notes neatly placed on it.
Each piece of paper contains a poem.
Deng Tianyou asked, "What does Master Yue mean?"
The prefect smiled and said, "Your Excellency, these are all poems written by the newly elected candidates. I have come up with a new idea. Each of you will pick your favorite poem, and then I will ask you to write a poem on the spot. The winner will be rewarded by me."
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