Shao Ming felt that the crowd should have dispersed before he set off to the examination hall to check the results.
Because of the large number of people, Butler Li and Shao Ming missed it entirely.
"Master, Madam, the young master has won! He's ranked first! First place! First place!"
Butler Li's composed demeanor vanished; he became extremely excited and ran all the way into the mansion.
"You won?"
Mu Yi'an heard it; Shao Ming had passed.
"They all passed. The eldest young master came in first place, and the son-in-law of the He family ranked lower, but he was still on the list. The cousin and the other cousin did not pass."
Although Butler Li was pleased, he did not forget his position and kept the achievements of the other family members in mind as well.
"Okay, my son, you've worked hard."
Those who didn't pass can keep trying, and those who did pass, though the road ahead is long, they still need to work hard.
"Butler Li, are the red envelopes all ready? Wait, the messenger will be here soon with good news. Open the main gate."
Mu Yi'an was happy; she, as a mother, had seen Shao Ming's hard work.
Since I formally began my education at the age of four, for the past ten years or so, I have been getting up at cockcrow and never putting down my books. I have truly made a lot of sacrifices.
Shao Ming has a talent for studying, but without his ten years of unwavering effort, he wouldn't have achieved what he has today.
Before long, the sound of gongs and drums could be heard, and the messengers had arrived to announce the good news.
The four constables came together; it's unclear whether they were going the same way or what.
Mu Yi'an had already prepared some celebratory money, so a couple more wouldn't hurt; she was just happy today.
After receiving the congratulatory money, the yamen runner showered the Jiang residence with compliments before leaving to deliver the good news to the next family.
When Shao Ming and his group arrived at the examination hall, the crowd had already mostly dispersed.
Shao Ming, Shao Ning, and Mu Lin stood in front of the list, looking at the list on the wall.
The name Jiang Shaoming is listed first, with its font and size being very prominent.
On either side of the three characters "Jiang Shaoming" is an introduction to his place of origin.
"Shao Ming, congratulations!"
"Brother Shao Ming, congratulations!"
Mu Lin and Jiang Shaoning read the entire book from beginning to end but did not see their names, knowing that they had failed to be selected.
"Don't be discouraged, study hard and prepare for the next autumn examination."
Shao Ming wouldn't offer unrealistic words of encouragement; when it comes to studying for the imperial examinations, no one can help you except yourself.
"We know we won't be discouraged; compared to most people, we are already lucky."
Shao Ning felt lucky; over the years, her second uncle and aunt's family had taken good care of her.
They knew that the money their parents gave them was far from enough to cover their current expenses, both for studying and living.
“Shao Ming, we studied together and took the imperial examinations together. We know very well how much our aunt and uncle took care of us.”
As Shao Ning said, we are already luckier than many people.
Some people spend their entire lives taking the imperial examinations, but ultimately fail.
"We're so young, and we have such great conditions, there's really no need to worry about us."
Mu Lin is usually not very talkative, but he understands things very well.
Shao Ming smiled and said nothing more. The three brothers went home together.
Mu Yi'an has already given the order to prepare a lot of delicious food tonight to celebrate for Shao Ming.
Although Shao Ning and Mu Lin failed the exam, she would not let Shao Ming suffer because of so-called face or for the sake of others.
After years of hard work and studying, how can we not celebrate such excellent results?
In the evening, Jiang Shuyun returned from the academy. A bonfire was lit in the courtyard, and a whole marinated sheep was delivered from the estate, which the kitchen staff had already started roasting.
Gu Zheng, Shao Yun, and Shao Rong wandered around the campfire, excitedly watching the whole sheep sizzling with oil, wishing they could cut off a piece of meat themselves.
Chu Yue also took out her own zither and played a celebratory tune for her older brother.
"Father, Mother, I will continue to work hard."
"There's no need to rush. You're still young. You can slow down and enjoy life."
Mu Yi'an actually wanted Shao Ming to take it easy before participating in the imperial examination, fearing that he would be too tired.
However, Jiang Shuyun and Shao Ming disagreed, feeling that the imperial examinations were never easy.
It's better to go all the way to the top of the mountain.
Once we reach the summit, we can have a proper rest.
Mu Yi'an didn't know much about the officialdom and imperial examinations of this dynasty, so he didn't give any unsolicited advice.
That night, the family sang and danced to celebrate Shao Ming's success on the list.
The next day, everyone overslept.
The results are in, and next up is the Deer Banquet.
Similarly, Mu Yi'an had a tailor come to Shao Ming's home to take his measurements and make him a well-fitting long gown.
At the Lu Mingyan banquet, Shao Ming was the youngest, but since he was also the top student, no one wanted to make things difficult for him.
Besides, there are adults around.
After Lu Mingyan, Jiang Shuyun led Shao Ming and his brothers back to pay respects to their ancestors.
Before the weather gets cold in the north, Jiang Shuyun will accompany Shao Ming to the capital to prepare for next year's imperial examination.
Jiang's parents were truly overjoyed; Shao Ming had passed the imperial examination and was ranked first.
Jiang's father led the children to kowtow to their ancestors, letting them know that their family had produced a promising descendant.
As for Jiangjia Village, we will go back there. After all, our ancestral graves are still there.
Third Grandfather has stepped down, and Jiang Qin has taken over as the head of the Jiang clan.
This year, Jiang Mianshu's eldest son also passed the county-level examination and became a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination).
Third Grandfather cried, tears of joy.
He never imagined that he would live to see his grandson pass the imperial examination and become a scholar. He could finally face his ancestors with a clear conscience.
In recent years, Jiang Shuyun has returned less often, and the clansmen have come to realize that they can no longer act like elders in front of her, nor can they use their kinship as a basis for their arguments.
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