Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 417 Don't Laugh at the Flower Seeker's Name, Third Spring Breeze Arrives First Beside the Young Man

Meanwhile, the second young lady, Yingchun, sat sullenly in the Zhuijin Tower, feeling both shy and happy. Soon after, Tanchun and Xichun came to tease her, followed by Xiangyun and Baoqin.

The chattering of the girls only made Yingchun seem even more shy.

After a while, Xiuju returned happily and recounted all thirty-two betrothal gifts in one go, causing the girls to gasp in amazement. When she turned to tell Yingchun about it, she couldn't help but become more mischievous.

After a round of laughter and banter, seeing that her second sister was too embarrassed to speak, Tan Chun arranged for the others to take their leave. Unexpectedly, Bao Qin said with a smile, "I came here firstly to congratulate my second sister, and secondly to say goodbye."

Seeing that everyone was looking at her in surprise, Baoqin smiled and said, "My brother just sent a message saying that he will pick me up and take me home first thing tomorrow morning."

Baoqin was originally destined to marry Baochai. When Xue Ke received the news, he knew that a princess would soon come to propose marriage, so it was naturally inappropriate for Baoqin to stay in the Grand View Garden any longer.

Her brother, Xue Ke, had taken over the imperial merchant position from the eldest son's family and started acquiring property and businesses. He had bought a three-courtyard house in the capital. Baoqin was moving back there, waiting to get married along with Baochai the day afterward.

Tan Chun, Xi Chun, and especially Xiang Yun all showed signs of reluctance. Xiang Yun lamented, "If you all leave, I'm afraid we won't even have enough members to start a poetry club in the future."

Baoqin smiled and said, "What's so difficult about that? The atmosphere in the capital is rather reserved, but in Jiangnan, it's common for young ladies to gather at other families to form societies. Once Xiangyun gets married, she can come to visit us often. And if we invite Third Sister and Fourth Sister along, wouldn't it still be the same group of people?"

Xichun clapped her hands in approval, but Xiangyun looked listless. Because Baoqin had only been informed at the last minute, the sisters didn't have time to prepare, so they decided to pool their money that afternoon to send Baoqin off.

With the matter settled, Tan Chun and the others went to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to inform Daiyu. Zhuijin Tower was finally quiet, and it was then that Yingchun asked Xiuju, "Where is Hongyu?"

Xiuju covered her mouth and laughed, "Hongyu went to Rongqing Hall to look for amber. She said that the wedding date can be set today. Hongyu will return after she finds out the definite news."

Yingchun hesitated for a long time, feeling a mix of shyness and joy, and didn't know what to say.

A moment later, Hongyu hurried up the steps, and Xiuju, hearing the commotion, rushed to greet her. The two maids huddled together, whispering to each other, and then laughed and joked towards Yingchun.

The second young lady, unable to save face, blushed and scolded, "Whispering and gossiping, what are you saying about me behind my back?"

Hongyu, smiling, approached and curtsied, saying, "Congratulations, Miss! Lady Hou and the First Madam have decided that the wedding will take place on the eighth day of the sixth month."

Yingchun let out a soft moan and collapsed onto the bed, too ashamed to get up.

Just as she was overwhelmed with emotion, she heard the tinkling of jade pendants downstairs, and then Madam Xing said, "Has Second Girl fallen asleep?"

Xiuju and Hongyu rushed to greet her, and Yingchun, who was bedridden, had no choice but to quickly tidy up her makeup.

After a short while, Madam Xing led Miao'er and Tiao'er inside. The two maids were both meek and obedient, each carrying a small bundle on their arm.

Yingchun and the others immediately understood its meaning.

After inviting Madam Xing to sit down, Madam Xing smiled and teased Yingchun. Afterwards, she said, "According to custom, a young lady in the manor must have four maids to accompany her when she gets married. Now you only have two maids, Hongyu and Xiuju, so I will take the liberty of giving Miao'er and Tiao'er to you."

As she spoke, she beckoned, and Miao'er and Tiao'er came over and kowtowed to Yingchun.

After the kowtow was completed, Madam Xing pretended to be reluctant to part with them and said, "These two maids are the ones I'm used to working with. They are the most clever and considerate. From now on, you can just use them as you please. If they disobey, don't worry about my feelings, just punish them severely." As she spoke, she took out two deities from her sleeve and handed them to the second young lady, saying, "These are their contracts of indenture. Keep them safe."

Yingchun looked grateful and thanked her profusely before Madam Xing got up and left with a smile.

After Madam Xing left, Hongyu took Miao'er and Tiao'er to settle them down, while Xiuju frowned and looked for the second young lady, saying, "Miss, these two little vixens are very cunning, we must be careful."

Yingchun nodded with a straight face, saying nothing. The second young lady wasn't stupid; Miao'er and Tiao'er were always flirting with Chen Siyuan, never hiding it from anyone. How could she not know what those two little hussies were thinking?
Now that Yingchun is still with the Jia family, and Madam Xing has adopted her, the second young lady naturally can't say much. She'll be married off soon, and then Yingchun will be the mistress of the Chen family. If Miao'er and Tiao'er are obedient, fine; but if they harbor any ill intentions, Yingchun has plenty of ways to deal with them.

Seeing Yingchun like this, Xiuju was naturally disappointed. She thought to herself that she would wait until the next day to find out the two little hooves' shortcomings and then let the young lady deal with them properly!

By the afternoon of that day, all the sisters in the Grand View Garden had indeed contributed twenty taels of silver to set up several tables for a farewell feast for Baoqin, some reluctant to part and others joyful.

Baoqin handled the situation well, and since she was drinking fruit wine, she was only slightly tipsy by the time the banquet ended. On the other hand, Xiangyun drank her wine until her cup was empty, and no one invited her to drink anymore; she drank one cup after another without stopping, and she was already drunk and passed out before the banquet ended.

But as night fell, Xiangyun struggled to get up again, quickly washed her face, and went to the small courtyard to the northeast to find Baoqin and sleep side by side. Naturally, their parting was filled with sadness, and Xiangyun couldn't help but say, "How wonderful it would be if we never grew up?"

Baoqin poked Xiangyun's forehead and said, "Silly girl, no one can stay young forever, or they'd become monsters."

Xiangyun nestled in Baoqin's arms, pouting silently, cherishing the time she spent in the Grand View Garden even more.

The next morning, Xue Ke indeed drove to pick up Baoqin. Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, Xiangyun, and Daiyu accompanied her to the ceremonial gate, bid her a reluctant farewell, and watched Baoqin get into the carriage before returning home.

Xiangyun was supposed to be sad for a few days, but who knew that in less than half an hour, the girl came with several bamboo poles and asked Tanchun and Xichun to go fishing at Aojingxi Pavilion. In the afternoon, she unexpectedly caught a koi carp that was nearly a foot long. Tanchun and Xichun insisted on releasing it, but Xiangyun refused and kept arranging to light a charcoal fire and grill the koi carp to eat.

Unexpectedly, amidst the commotion, the calico cat from Sister Feng's room suddenly darted out, snatched the koi fish, and ran off. Xiangyun was furious and chased it halfway around the garden, sometimes through flower bushes, sometimes up trees, until she was panting heavily before finally stopping. Then she laughed so hard she almost fell over, which made Tanchun and Xichun feel quite puzzled, but they didn't say anything more about it.

............................................................

That morning, Chen Siyuan received a message from the Prince's residence, saying that Prince Yanping had already made arrangements with Princess Rongchang and would be visiting the Xue family's old residence to propose marriage in the next couple of days.

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed. Considering that it would be inappropriate for him to go to the Xue family's old residence after the marriage proposal, he tidied himself up and prepared to visit Aunt Xue and Sister Bao.

Just as he was about to leave, a servant from his master's household delivered a letter. The letter was written by his master's wife, and it mentioned the events of the previous day, saying that the wedding date had been set for the eighth day of the sixth month.

Grandmother Jia had originally planned to discuss the wedding in late June, presumably because she thought Jia Zheng would have returned by then, making it a double celebration. However, it was only after Madam Shi argued forcefully and Madam Xing chimed in that the wedding date was finally set for the eighth day of the sixth month.

After reading the letter, Chen Siyuan felt much more at ease. After pondering for a while, he drove straight to the Xue family's old residence in the outer city.

As the hour of Si approached, the carriage arrived in front of the Xue family's old residence. Before Chen Siyuan could even bend down to get out of the carriage, a Xue family doorman greeted him with a beaming smile.

Although the Xue family was one of the four great families of Jinling, their power and titles were not as great as the other three families, but their arrogance was something that their servants, both inside and outside the household, had completely learned.

Previously, Chen Siyuan was just a scholar with some talent, and he was arranged to marry Baochai without much thought. Although the servants inside and outside the Xue family were respectful and polite, they were full of scrutiny in their hearts.

This time was different. Chen Siyuan was on the list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations and was only seventeen years old, with a bright future ahead of him! This time, the Xue family and others were naturally very enthusiastic about his visit.

Before the servant Qingyu could move it, the doorman eagerly moved the footstool over, helped Chen Siyuan out of the carriage, and poured out his congratulatory words as if they were free.

The saying, "Looking up, all you see are buttocks; looking down, all you see are smiling faces," perfectly captures the coldness and warmth of human relationships.

Having lived two lives, Chen Siyuan naturally wouldn't bother arguing with such a servant who was arrogant at first but obsequious later. He laughed and said a few words, casually tipped the servant two silver coins, and then followed the steward toward the ceremonial gate.

The old woman at the second gate received the news and immediately informed the family inside. At that moment, Aunt Xue, Madam Cao, and Baochai were doing needlework in the hall. Upon hearing that Chen Siyuan had come to visit, both mother and daughter were overjoyed, but Madam Cao, being a widow, could not meet him.

Now, Baochai was overjoyed, her heart fluttering with delight, but then she lowered her head in embarrassment. That day, upon hearing that Chen Siyuan had made it onto the list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations, Baochai was filled with fantasies, and so much so that she had been having erotic dreams for several nights in a daze.

In my dream, my hair was disheveled, my eyes were languidly open, my lips met yours gently, my jade-like fingers lightly parted; I laughed hastily, beads of sweat glistened on my face, our love was intertwined, a scene beyond the power of words to describe.

Fearing that Chen Siyuan would become complacent, she sent a servant to deliver a message to him early the next morning. Her heart was stirred by the stirrings of love, and she wrote a poem of longing.

Afterwards, Baochai hid her undergarments for two days, fearing that Ying'er and Aunt Xue would find out. She hurriedly borrowed Buddhist scriptures from Cao Shi and studied them for several days before she could calm down.

Now, upon hearing that Chen Siyuan had come to visit, she was naturally too shy to contain herself. However, Cao Shi was a widow and not good at entertaining guests; and Aunt Xue was an elder, so after considering all the options, only Baochai was left to greet her.

Seeing Baochai's flushed face, Cao couldn't help but tease her, "Mother-in-law, look! When did our family get a female Guan Yu?"

Baochai playfully complained, and with Aunt Xue urging her with mixed feelings, Baochai finally moved her lotus-like steps toward the ceremonial gate to greet them.

A short while later, they arrived at the gate of the ceremonial hall and saw Chen Siyuan walking in. Their eyes met, one almond-shaped eye meeting the other's dark eyes. One was like a peach blossom in the rain, the other like a pine tree in the snow. Their eyes were filled with affection.

Ying'er glanced at this person, then at that person. After a while, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh, saying, "Master Yuan, Miss, it's not appropriate to have your fortune told here."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily, cupped his hands and said, "It's been a long time. How have you been, Sister Bao?"

Baochai bowed slightly and said softly, "Everything is fine. Brother Yuan, please come with me. Mother is still waiting in the hall."

As soon as they finished speaking, the two walked along the covered corridor. The maid Ying'er, being quite tactful, quietly lagged behind a few steps, leaving the pair of lovers ahead to reminisce.

As he walked, Chen Siyuan couldn't stay still; his eyes kept glancing sideways and scanning around.

Baochai felt flustered by the gaze and couldn't help but scold, "Where are you looking?"

Chen Siyuan said in a low, amused tone, "I think your waistline seems to have really gotten a bit thinner."

Baochai was extremely embarrassed. She glared at Chen Siyuan resentfully, then hurriedly took two steps forward, fanning her cheeks with both hands to cool them down, while her face was beaming with an unstoppable smile.

After a short while, the two entered the main room. Chen Siyuan quickly made eye contact with Aunt Xue and then greeted her respectfully.

Aunt Xue readily agreed, inviting Chen Siyuan to sit down. While urging the maid to serve fragrant tea, she also summoned the wet nurse.

A short while later, fragrant tea was served, and the wet nurse brought Bao Yan over. Bao Yan was a little over six months old, and his features were already vaguely discernible. Chen Siyuan was shocked after just one glance. He saw that Bao Yan's face shape and nose bridge were exactly like his own.

It's fortunate that Bao Yan is still young, otherwise people would have noticed something was amiss.

With Baochai standing nearby, Chen Siyuan was inwardly turbulent, but outwardly remained calm. He stood up, examined Baochai closely, and praised her appearance. He then took a gold lock from his sleeve and handed it to her, saying it was just a toy for Baochai to play with.

Aunt Xue was greatly relieved and then dismissed the wet nurse, who took her daughter and left. After briefly inquiring about Chen Siyuan's examination, she gave him some earnest advice. Seeing Baochai constantly glancing at Chen Siyuan, Aunt Xue felt awkward for a moment, but finally stood up and said, "Since Brother Yuan is here, let him have lunch here. I'm tired now, Cao Shi, help me to the back for a short rest. My child, you and Brother Yuan talk for a while."

Baochai stood up and agreed, watching Aunt Xue and Madam Cao leave with Chen Siyuan. Then, she turned stern and stepped forward, raising her little fist to punch them: "Serves you right for teasing me!" Chen Siyuan chuckled and grabbed her soft hand, saying, "Heaven and earth bear witness, those poems were written by my sister herself. I only glanced at them. How did it become my fault?"

Baochai glanced sideways and saw maids moving around in the courtyard. She quickly pulled Chen Siyuan toward the study in the east wing. Once inside, seeing that the windowsill was blocked by flowers and trees, Chen Siyuan immediately pulled Baochai into his arms.

In an instant, their bodies pressed together and their breaths touched, and Baochai, who had been baring her teeth and brandishing her claws, immediately became limp.

Chen Siyuan gently stroked her back and whispered, "Did you miss me, little sister?"

"Mmm," Bao-jie replied in a voice barely audible.

Chen Siyuan then said, "Sister, please wait a little longer. I have already asked for a matchmaker, and they will come to your door soon."

Baochai felt a pang of embarrassment and scolded playfully, "Who's in such a hurry to get married? I'm thinking of staying a little longer to keep Mother company." After a pause, she couldn't help but ask, "Did you invite Lady Hou again this time?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and kept everyone in suspense, saying, "There's no rush to tell you, sister, just wait and see."

The young couple, separated for so long, had endless tenderness and affection to share. When their feelings were at their peak, they couldn't help but embrace and kiss, making love to each other.

After a long while, Baochai finally couldn't bear it any longer. She stubbornly turned her head away and pulled the large hand that was causing trouble out of her clothes. Then she said breathlessly, "You, you mustn't do this. There are still people outside."

Chen Siyuan had no choice but to give up, letting out another long, aggrieved sigh. Baochai was initially puzzled, but after glancing down his waist, she immediately covered her mouth and burst into laughter.

Fearing that Chen Siyuan would cause trouble again, Baochai quickly sat up straight, tidying her clothes while keeping a straight face and saying, "You sit properly and let's talk for a while."

Chen Siyuan reluctantly agreed and sat down unsteadily.

After some thought, Baochai realized that she had become increasingly distant from Aunt Xue lately. Firstly, Aunt Xue seemed to be avoiding her, and whenever they tried to have a private conversation, Aunt Xue would change the subject. Secondly, Aunt Xue's heart was mostly with Bao Yan, which even made Baochai, with her sensitive nature, a little jealous.

Comparing the two, Bao Yan's background becomes self-evident.

However, since such a shameful matter was not something to be discussed with others, Sister Bao only talked to Chen Siyuan about the sisters in the Grand View Garden and the upcoming imperial examination.

Aside from the fact that it involved Daiyu, Chen Siyuan said a few serious words with a solemn expression, but the rest of his words were full of jokes and banter. He also took advantage of Baochai's embarrassment and anger to make a very flirtatious scene.

The two were laughing and joking around when the sun was already high in the sky. Ying'er knocked on the door and came in to tell them that it was getting late. Only then did they realize with a start that it was getting late.

After a while, the banquet was set out. Aunt Xue and Madam Cao came from behind, and the group ate together. Baochai then stopped talking to Chen Siyuan in private.

After finishing his meal and drinking a cup of tea, Chen Siyuan, seeing that it was getting late, got up to take his leave.

Baochai got up to see him off, her eyes filled with longing and reluctance as she looked on, but I won't go into details.

After seeing Chen Siyuan off, Aunt Xue and Madam Cao sought out Baochai to inquire whether the two had any private plans. Baochai blushed and stammered for a long time before finally revealing that Chen Siyuan had already found a matchmaker and would be visiting soon.

Madam Cao offered her congratulations with a smile, but Aunt Xue already knew about it and immediately joined in, teasing Baochai as well.

The matchmaker always waited until after the imperial examination to visit, but the next day, just past midnight, the mother and daughter were talking in the hall when a servant rushed in and said, "Madam, Miss, Princess Rongchang's carriage has arrived at the door. She says she has some good news to tell you!"

Princess Rongchang?

The mother and daughter were overjoyed, and because of her noble status, they quickly sought out Madam Cao to welcome her out of the ceremonial gate. Princess Rongchang was over forty years old, with a plump and serene appearance. Upon meeting her, she chatted warmly with Aunt Xue. After entering the ceremonial gate, she glanced at Baochai and nodded repeatedly.

After having a cup of tea inside, Princess Rongchang explained her purpose, which made Baochai blush and quickly leave.

After about the time it takes to eat a meal, Princess Rongchang took her leave. Baochai, suppressing her embarrassment, went to the front. Upon seeing her, Caoshi said, "Congratulations to my sister-in-law! The princess just asked for your birth certificate, so we expect good news soon."

Baochai was overjoyed and went to the west wing to embroider her wedding dress. We won't go into details for now.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was the 21st day.

Early that morning, Chen Siyuan headed to the imperial city. After a group of tribute students had gathered, officials from the Ministry of Rites led him into the imperial city.

Nearly three hundred people waited outside the Fengxian Hall beforehand. Once all the civil and military officials had gathered, they proceeded into the hall together. Upon entering, officials from the Court of State Ceremonial arranged the people into their proper places.

Suddenly, a senior eunuch announced, and Chen Siyuan quickly lowered his head, glancing up slightly. He then saw a figure in a red imperial robe walking gracefully towards him and taking his seat on the throne.

With a crack of the whip, all the civil and military officials and the candidates bowed and kowtowed five times. After that, the Emperor issued an edict: the topic of the palace examination for this year is "The essentials of river and canal management, the storage of classics, the methods of selection, and the benefits of salt and iron."

Not only Chen Siyuan, but all the candidates breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

The current emperor is diligent and ambitious, and his desire for reform is clear to all! Those from humble backgrounds are naturally eager to use the reforms as a stepping stone to advancement and to make their mark in the future; but those with families and livelihoods naturally oppose the reforms. If they follow the emperor's wishes, they will be disobeying their elders; if they go against the emperor's wishes... a mere Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) will probably never be able to enter the court.

This kind of topic is better. I carefully wrote a policy essay that did not offend the emperor or my elders, which is beneficial to both sides.

After the officials from the Ministry of Rites distributed the examination questions, all the candidates kowtowed once more before returning to their places and beginning to answer the questions.

As Chen Siyuan ground ink and pondered his strategy, he didn't notice that Prince Yanping quietly approached the imperial desk and gestured towards him, causing the emperor to turn his gaze towards him.

After glancing around a few times, the Emperor chuckled and said something in a low voice. Prince Yanping scratched his head lazily, turned to Chen Siyuan and pouted before retreating.

The Fengxian Hall has inspectors and examiners, so the emperor and civil and military officials do not need to accompany them.

After Chen Siyuan finished grinding the ink, he had already made up his mind. He immediately picked up his brush and wrote down "A Request for a Practical Open Source Strategy" on the draft.

Chen Siyuan was unfamiliar with river engineering, and he dared not delve into the classical texts that involved different schools of thought. Instead, he focused on leveraging his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses, concentrating his efforts on personnel management and the salt and iron industries.

Its opening statement that the key to employing people is to eliminate the superficial and seek the real is nothing new. However, it put a lot of effort into the subsequent discussion on eliminating abuses and increasing revenue.

He wrote over two thousand words in one go, and after making some revisions, Chen Siyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At noon, the Imperial Household Department delivered the meal. Chen Siyuan glanced at it and immediately lost his appetite. The meal consisted of only two steamed buns and a bowl of soup, the same kind of food Chen Siyuan had eaten when he was a beggar.

However, seeing that everyone around him was pinching their noses and swallowing, Chen Siyuan couldn't be different, so he swallowed it whole as well and then carefully copied it down.

Around 3 PM, candidates began to hand in their papers. Chen Siyuan, however, lingered for another half an hour before submitting his. He then followed the crowd to the East Corner Gate, thus leaving the imperial city.

The palace examination papers were reviewed overnight, and the results would be announced the next day, with the list posted early the day after. Chen Siyuan was decisive and easygoing, thinking that he had already answered all the questions, and now it was just a matter of whether the emperor would keep his promise. He immediately found his own carriage and left the capital, heading straight for the You sisters' residence.

Enough of this digression. The next day, after the court assembly, the Emperor, as usual, ordered the examination papers to be read aloud. Last night, the sealed examination papers were sent to the examiners in the East Pavilion to be divided into first, second, and third grades.

Those who need to read the papers now are naturally of the highest rank.

After each scroll was read, the Emperor would inquire about the author's place of origin and age, sometimes remaining noncommittal, sometimes nodding in approval. When he finished reading the first-class scrolls and did not see Chen Siyuan's name, the Emperor became somewhat displeased.

The Emperor has seen the examination papers of the provincial examination. Chen Siyuan has a solid foundation, clever answers to questions, and practical skills. How can he be compared to ordinary pedantic scholars? Why is it that he is not among the first-class papers in the palace examination?
Seeing the Emperor's displeasure, Grand Secretary Lü, who was in charge of the palace examination, quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the first-class papers have been read. I wonder if Your Majesty has made a decision?"

The Emperor pondered for a moment and said, "No rush. Minister Lü, I've heard that the youngest person on this year's imperial examination list is no more than seventeen?"

Grand Secretary Lü, sensing the unspoken meaning, quickly replied, "Your Majesty, Chen Siyuan, a candidate from Shuntian Prefecture, is only sixteen years old, and will only turn seventeen in May. Um... Your Majesty, would you like to hear Chen Siyuan's policy essay?"

The Emperor smiled and said, "Talented people are rare, so let's listen to their stories."

As soon as Grand Secretary Lü arrived, an examiner quickly found Chen Siyuan's policy essay in the second-class section and recited it in a melodious and rhythmic manner.

At first, the Emperor frowned slightly, but upon hearing the rest, he was overjoyed! He thought to himself, no wonder Chen Siyuan was ranked second. The key to selecting people is nothing new. I'm afraid the examiner cheated and only read half of it before ranking this paper second.

He thought to himself, "Chen Siyuan is a young talent, but he's still a bit too old. If it were someone more mature, they would definitely put their later works at the top, thus securing a first-class ranking." Then he smiled to himself, thinking, "That's exactly why I was chosen. If it were someone so mature for their age, they'd be too slick. After a few years, they might get used to petty scheming and become no different from those mediocre officials. Where would their sharpness be?"
After reading the policy essay, the Emperor praised it repeatedly and then asked, "What does Chen Siyuan look like?"

Grand Secretary Lü knew perfectly well that His Majesty wanted to select the third-ranked scholar. He hurriedly said, "This young man is handsome and outstanding, truly a first-rate person."

The Emperor was overjoyed and said, "In that case, I will appoint this young man as the third-ranked scholar in this imperial examination. As for the remaining top two scholars, I am not knowledgeable enough, so Grand Secretary Lü and the other examiners can decide for themselves."

All the officials responded in unison. After respectfully seeing off the emperor, Grand Secretary Lü and several examiners discussed the matter and listed the top two scholars. They then spent another half a day busy listing the second and third-ranked scholars.

The following day was the grand ceremony of announcing the results of the imperial examinations.

Chen Siyuan and the other 275 students from the undergraduate program lined up in front of the Hall of Literary Glory, along with civil and military officials.

Shortly after, three whips were cracked, the emperor ascended his throne, and the proclamation official, holding a golden list, unfurled it and announced: "First place in the first rank, Zhao Zhen!"

One person in the crowd stepped forward, took three steps, and knelt down.

"Jiang Qiyuan, second place in the top division!"

Then another person strode forward and knelt beside the top scholar.

At this moment, Chen Siyuan's heart was pounding, his eyes fixed on the announcer. Then he heard the announcer announce loudly, "Chen Siyuan, third place in the first class!"

Chen Siyuan suddenly felt a surge of heat rush to the top of his head! Forcibly suppressing his restless emotions, he took a deep breath and stepped forward from the crowd, standing to the right of the top scholar.

An official reminded them, and the three said in unison, "Your subjects Chen Siyuan (Zhao Zhen and Jiang Qiyuan) respectfully thank Your Majesty for your grace!"

As Chen Siyuan rose, he saw the Emperor smiling and stroking his beard, looking at him. Chen Siyuan showed gratitude; the unspoken understanding between ruler and subject was clear.
(End of this chapter)