Chapter 241: Palace Examination
Zhaodi kept looking outside from time to time, absent-minded.
Su Yaoguang waved her hand in front of her and said, “Mom, Wangshu just entered the palace gate, it’s still early. Don’t be so nervous.”
“I’m not nervous.” Zhaodi refused to admit it.
If it was before, she never hoped that Zhou Wangshu would pass any official position exam. At that time, everyone said Zhou Wangshu was not cut out for official positions, so the whole family thought it was good enough if he could recognize a few characters. Of course, it would be even better if he could learn arithmetic well, so he could help Su Yaoguang manage the business.
Until later, Zhou Wangshu surprised the whole family time and time again, and their expectations for him grew higher and higher. Now, he had become the Top Scholar of the Imperial Examination, with so many eyes on him, even the gambling house was taking bets on those scholars, and quite a few were betting on Zhou Wangshu. If he could become the Top Scholar, it would be a beautiful story. If he couldn’t…
If he couldn’t, it was fine too; he was still the son-in-law they were proud of. But if one could become a general, who would want to be just a soldier? Before the result came out, anything was possible.
“Mom, you’ve already wiped that area five times.” Su Yaoguang made Zhaodi stop, “Why don’t you go to the theater to watch a play today? There’s no business anyway.”
“Little aunt is too…” Jiang Jing said from the side, “Little aunt also looks absent-minded.”
Yingdi blushed, “I’m not hoping for my family’s one to get some Top Scholar or Second Scholar position. I’m just worried that he’s weak, and now he has to meet the ruler of the world. What if he’s too nervous, his body feels even worse, and it affects his performance in the Imperial Examination?”
“It won’t happen, none of it will. Don’t overthink it anymore.” Su Yaoguang said, “Here’s an idea: the shop closes early today, and we all go out to have fun.”
“I’m still waiting for someone to bring news. If the news comes and we’re not in the shop, that would be bad!” Zhaodi said.
“When the Top Three Scholars result comes out, the list will be posted, and the Top Three Scholars will parade through the streets. Mom, no need to send people to inquire about news; it will naturally reach our ears.”
“I’m not going out. I’m not going anywhere today; I’ll wait for news in the shop.”
“Alright then, the shop assistants will watch the shop, and Mom and the two aunts can rest and recuperate.” Su Yaoguang saw they had no mind for business and directly gave them a day off to do whatever they wanted.
“Yaoguang…” Cui Rong shook his fan and strode in. “Your Young Master Cui has come to the capital city. Surprised?”
When Su Yaoguang saw Cui Rong, her eyes were full of smiles: “What a surprise. Isn’t it delightful to have a friend come from afar?”
“I just arrived in the capital city and have no place to stay yet. Do you have any spare rooms at your house?”
“Of course. I’ll arrange it for you right away.” Su Yaoguang poured him a cup of water, “How did you find this place?”
“Your Peach Blossom Workshop is so famous. I heard people talking about it as soon as I entered the city, so I came right over.” Cui Rong said, then said to the attendants outside, “Don’t just stand there, hurry up and move the things. Move everything to the backyard. Oh, right, Yaoguang, I brought gifts for you, and also gifts for all the aunts.”
Zhaodi watched the Cui family’s caravan grandly enter the backyard, pulled Su Yaoguang to the corner, and said to her, “This Young Master Cui brought so many things. I think we’d need to buy a courtyard to fit them all. Entertain him well and ask if he plans to come here to discuss business or has other intentions. If he wants to stay in the capital city, he’ll have to move out!”
Their family wasn’t stingy, and it was fine for an outsider man to visit occasionally, but if he stayed long-term, it would be inconvenient.
Not to mention anything else, there were too many female relatives in this house.
Su Yaoguang personally settled Cui Rong and mentioned to him that she and Zhou Wangshu had held a wedding banquet.
Cui Rong was showing off the gifts he brought when he stopped upon hearing Su Yaoguang say this.
He looked at Su Yaoguang and said glumly, “Didn’t you say before that you two only had brother-and-sister feelings?”
“Before, I thought that was the case too. I always deceived myself with the reason that he was still young and I should take care of him as an older sister, but actually, my feelings for Wangshu are romantic feelings.”
Cui Rong lowered his gaze, looking listless.
Su Yaoguang nudged him: “Hey, don’t look like that. There are so many women in the world; I’ll introduce you to some good ones.”
“You know I like you, yet you’re so heartless to me.” Cui Rong sighed, “It seems I really have no value to you.”
“Who said that? You’re my friend, my business partner.” Su Yaoguang held out her palm, “Isn’t it time for the dividend? You brought it this time, right?”
Cui Rong felt even more stifled.
He rummaged in the box and took out a box. Opening it, he confirmed it was full of silver notes and stuffed it into Su Yaoguang’s hand: “Here, the dividend.”
“Thank you, Young Master Cui, Little Boss Cui.” Su Yaoguang took the box, “This time you’ve come to the capital city; do you plan to stay long or short?”
“I originally planned to stay long-term, but now that you don’t look favorably on me, why should I stay? I just arrived and am not in a hurry to leave. I’ll go back once I’m tired of playing!”
“Since you’re just stopping over temporarily, stay here comfortably. We’ll talk when you want to go back.” Su Yaoguang said, “But you have too many servants.”
“Don’t worry. The Cui family has a courtyard in the capital city, but it’s old and a bit dilapidated from disuse. I’ll have the shop assistants go back to tidy up the old house, and I’ll stay here to catch up with you all.”
Su Yaoguang told him to rest well and went out to take care of things first.
“I’ve been here so long, how come I haven’t seen your newly appointed husband?” Cui Rong said, “With his personality, shouldn’t he come show off in front of me?”
“He went to the Imperial Palace.” Su Yaoguang said.
“Castrated to enter the palace? He’s willing to do that?”
“Pah, what nonsense?” Su Yaoguang said irritably, “You’re so petty, seizing every chance to curse him. He went to the Imperial Palace for the palace exam of the Imperial Examination.”
Cui Rong was surprised.
This was something he hadn’t expected.
However, Zhou Wangshu had performed very well before, so it wasn’t strange for him to advance from the Imperial Examination to the palace exam.
“He was the Top Scholar in the Imperial Examination before, and now he’s very prominent in the capital city. Many people know his name.” Su Yaoguang said, “Back in the county town, everyone knew my name, and when Zhou Wangshu was mentioned, they said he was my little husband. Now it’s the opposite; he’s the prominent one, and everyone knows that the wife of the new Top Scholar of the Imperial Examination is the owner of Peach Blossom Workshop.”
Seeing Su Yaoguang so happily smug, Cui Rong’s heart completely died.
He knew he had no chance.
Zhou Wangshu had become the Top Scholar of the Imperial Examination; no matter what the palace exam result was, he had already surpassed him by a lot.
Su Yaoguang told Cui Rong to rest well inside. She vaguely heard some noise outside and hurried over to check; maybe the palace exam result for Zhou Wangshu had come out.
Although normally, the palace exam wouldn’t end this quickly.
“What’s going on? What are you arguing about?” Su Yaoguang rushed to the front hall.
“Yaoguang, Wangshu got the Top Scholar position.” Zhaodi said excitedly, “General Su happened to be in the Imperial Palace and immediately sent someone to bring us the news after getting the palace exam result.”
“Mom, the Top Three Scholars result hasn’t come out yet; it’s something everyone doesn’t know. We can’t announce it first. If we announce it early and it’s wrong, it’ll be awkward.”
“Right, right. Although General Su is in the Imperial Palace and can get firsthand information, who knows if there might be a change.” Zhaodi said, “Then we’ll wait for the Top Three Scholars to parade on horseback.”
Zhaodi got Zhou Wangshu’s Imperial Examination result first thing, but after the whole process, it was already half a shichen later when the Top Three Scholars paraded on horseback through the streets.
At this time, many people gathered on both sides of the street, all wanting to see the newly appointed Presented Scholars parading with flowers.
Su Yaoguang stood on the street side, watching the approaching crowd. Riding at the very front was the new Top Scholar, wearing the imperial Top Scholar robe, with a flower in his hair, on a tall horse, truly full of vigor and extraordinarily handsome. Already, women were throwing flower bundles and sachets at him, but he remained unmoved, ignoring them.
When he saw Su Yaoguang, his eyes lit up, and he waved to her.
“Madam, I didn’t fail the mission; I am the Top Scholar.” Zhou Wangshu waved to Su Yaoguang.
Pairs of eyes turned to Su Yaoguang.
Some envious, some jealous, some resentful…
Zhou Wangshu was young and already the Top Scholar, talented in appearance, with limitless future prospects.
Zhaodi pointed at Zhou Wangshu and said to the neighbors beside her, “That’s my son-in-law. Did you see him?”
“We saw. Congratulations, Boss Zhang.”
“You’re really something, with a keen eye for talent.”
“That’s my brother-in-law, and that one, my godson…” Zhaodi saw more and more familiar faces in the Presented Scholars team and grew more excited as she spoke.
However, when she saw another familiar face, the smile vanished from her face.
“Why is he here too?”
The “he” Zhaodi referred to could only be Xiao Yanci.
Xiao Yanci was parading as the Third Scholar.
Xiao Yanci also saw Zhaodi, her daughter, and the others. His expression was calm, as if he didn’t know them. When he saw something, he gave a slight smile toward the second floor.
Zhaodi was just wondering what Xiao Yanci was looking at when someone stopped beside her and said, “My news was timely, right?”
Zhaodi saw the person and hummed, “Not bad, thank you, General Su.”
“Your son-in-law is good.” Su Rende said, “Just now in the Imperial Palace, the Emperor praised him highly, clearly very appreciative. The Emperor wanted to grant him a marriage with a County Princess, but he refused. He said he is the Su family’s child groom; over these years, the Su family raised money to support his studies, and he and his wife are devoted and unwavering. He absolutely cannot divorce his wife for another; that would be no different from beasts. The Emperor was originally seven parts satisfied with him, but seeing his loyalty and righteousness, it rose to ten parts.”
“My son-in-law is truly perfect in every way.” Zhaodi said, “My daughter’s eyesight is the best.”
“There’s a banquet in the Imperial Palace today; as the Top Scholar’s family, you should be invited too. Prepare in advance!” Su Rende said, “This general has other matters; I’ll take my leave first.”
Zhaodi casually picked up a sugar cake from beside her, handed it to him, and said, “This is what I made this morning. If you can eat it, try it; if not, throw it away.”
Su Rende took it, and fragments suddenly appeared in his mind.
He took a bite, and the familiar taste rushed straight to the top of his head.
“Why did you put pepper in the sugar cake?”
How could this taste not rush straight to the top of his head?
“I like eating it this way. If you can’t eat it, don’t; I already said that. My cakes are only something our family is used to, because I’m used to making them this way, and they’re used to eating them this way.”
Su Rende held the sugar cake and nibbled at it bite by bite, head down.
Zhaodi turned back to look at him, saw his odd expression, didn’t take it to heart, and turned to go inside.
Her son-in-law had already gone far, and there was nothing else to see.
Chen Buyu said enviously from the side, “If I’d known there would be such glory, I should have worked harder back then; maybe I could have had some glory too.”
“You just didn’t participate in the palace exam. You did very well in the Imperial Examination, made it onto the Imperial Examination list, and next you’ll be a Presented Scholar too.” Su Yaoguang said.
“I’ve already written to my parents. Actually, I only made it onto the Imperial Examination list. When it comes to assigning official positions, those from the palace exam will be first. By the time it gets to me, forget capital city positions; I’ll have to go to an outside place to take up the post.” Chen Buyu said, “But though I can’t compare to Chushan and Wangshu, for my parents, this is already rising above the common folk. Think of me, the young owner of a dance hall, making gold every day at sunrise, and in the future, only getting a monthly salary of a few taels of silver.”
“Your family business will always be yours; no one can take it away. The family business was earned for you by your parents, but this official position is earned by your own ability. Elder Brother Chen, you’re already amazing.”
“Sister Yaoguang always says nice things. Right, Sister Yaoguang, you’re going to the Imperial Palace for the Palace Banquet, so you need to prepare some formal attire in advance.”
Su Yaoguang shook her head: “No need to be too formal. After all, we’re just ordinary people, and Wangshu doesn’t have a formal official position yet. If we act too flashy, it’ll cause trouble for Wangshu. Everyone knows we’re in the cosmetics shop business, so it’s fine to dress exquisitely, but our clothing and adornments can’t exceed the rules.”
“I’m suddenly glad I did ordinarily and won’t become a capital official.” Chen Buyu said, “I’m not quick-witted, and my wife is even more innocent and pure. If we stayed in the capital city with our personalities, we’d have no chance of getting ahead. Better to be a local official, do some real things for the people, and be far from the emperor with no one constraining us.”
“Most importantly, being far from the capital city means you can spend silver lavishly without being watched by the Censorate. In that sense, you’re indeed freer and more carefree.”
Su Rende nibbled the cake all the way, having eaten it along the entire path, but the images in his mind were always blurry.
“General, we found it—your old belongings have been found!” The butler ran out, excited.
