Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 223 The Wedding Night and the Day of Passing the Imperial Examination!
Inside the residence of the top scholar, the lights were dim.

"Mr. Jiang."

Qingwan watched Han Yugui's figure disappear outside the Jiang residence, then turned and gave Jiang Xingzhou a graceful bow.

A hint of worry lingered between her brows, and her voice was soft, as if she feared he might refuse her.

Jiang Xingzhou nodded slightly.

The manor is currently short-handed, so it's safe to have such a familiar and trusted old friend stay.

"Very well, Qingfei, you may stay at the Jiang residence."

He said in a calm tone, "From now on, I will need you to take good care of all the affairs of the manor."

"Yes, Master."

A smile appeared in Qingwan's eyes, and she curtsied again, her posture graceful and respectful.

In the stillness of the night, the candlelight flickers gently.

Jiang Xingzhou entered the bedroom and saw that Qingfei had carefully laid out a brand new mattress.

She went to the kitchen and warmed up a bowl of hangover soup, then carefully brought it to him.

"Master~"

Qingfei looked up, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of affection and timidity.

"Qingfei, you already possess the cultivation of a demon general, yet you remain a concubine in this manor. Do you feel wronged?"

Jiang Xingzhou took the hangover soup, took a sip, and found it to be just the right temperature, so he couldn't help but smile slightly.

"How could I possibly feel wronged, having the honor of serving my master?"

Qingfei quickly shook her head, her voice soft yet firm.

When she first gained sentience, she was nothing more than a frail plant spirit beside the Tiger and Bear Demon Cave on Wuling Mountain in Jiangyin County. It was only because of Jiang Xingzhou's enlightening words that she was able to survive to this day.

Before coming to the Jiang residence, Han Yugui had asked her about her wishes.

She nodded with a secret sense of delight.

In this world, who can surpass Jiang Xingzhou, the top scholar who achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations?

Even if she loses her primordial yin body in the future and can no longer cultivate on her own, being able to stay by his side and absorb his talent for cultivation... for her, that is already an immense blessing.

Three days later, firecrackers crackled and red paper fluttered outside the Zhuangyuan Mansion, creating a festive atmosphere.

Before dawn, Jiang Xingzhou, under Qingfei's meticulous care, changed into a bright red groom's robe—featuring nine phoenixes, four dragons, and twelve imperial symbols—and mounted a "Shining White" imperial horse. In a gilded imperial palanquin, with yamen runners leading the way, he led a wedding procession of over a hundred people, accompanied by music and fanfare, towards the nearby Duke Xue's mansion.

The Xue family had already prepared all the necessary betrothal gifts and betrothal gifts.

The imperial envoy, Zhao Jianzheng of the Imperial Observatory, Wei Shili, Minister of Rites, and the Duke of Qin served as the three matchmakers. The six betrothal ceremonies were: betrothal, asking the name, accepting auspicious omens, presenting betrothal gifts, setting the wedding date, and the wedding ceremony.

The ceremony was meticulous, and the mansion was filled with all kinds of dowry items, with red silk hanging from the beams, and joy filling the house.

The banquet was attended by a large number of guests, including over a hundred founding dukes and marquises, and Tang Xiujin, Jiang Xingzhou's mentor and Minister of War, personally officiated at the wedding.

Among the three provinces and six ministries, the ministers and principal officials all sent people to offer their congratulations.

Fellow scholars who passed the imperial examinations in the same year, including Liu Chun, Cao Jin, Song Chuwang, Zhang Heng, Han Yugui, and Gu Zhimian, attended the banquet. The grandeur of the event was rare even in Luoyang, the capital city.

Such a display of power would never have garnered such attention from the ministers of the Three Departments and Six Ministries if it were any other Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination).

However, no one in the Jiang family felt that he had overstepped his bounds—simply because Jiang Xingzhou was the only person in a thousand years of imperial examinations to achieve the highest honors in all six levels of the examinations, and his fame even surpassed that of the current Grand Secretary Chen Shaoqing, and he was recognized by scholars throughout the land as the number one person in a thousand years of imperial examinations.

She was further rewarded by Her Majesty the Empress.

It is common knowledge in both the court and among the people that he will surely hold an important position in the Great Zhou Dynasty in the future.

Privately, there was already much discussion, with everyone saying that within five or ten years, Jiang Xingzhou would surely be promoted to Minister and become a powerful figure in charge of a ministry.

Ten years from now, he will likely wield immense power.

Therefore, the ministers of the three provinces and six ministries did not act as superiors, but instead treated each other with the courtesy due to colleagues, showing humility and respect, and even conveying a sense of making friends in advance.

Inside the Duke Xue's mansion, lanterns and decorations were everywhere, and the place was bustling with noise and joy.

As dawn broke, Xue Lingqi was surrounded by a group of maids as she dressed and made up. Her ceremonial robes were magnificent, and she wore a bright red wedding gown that flowed like the sunset. On her phoenix crown, nine pheasants and four phoenixes adorned with pearls and jade swayed and shone brightly.

Wearing a heavy red veil, she sat upright on the embroidered couch in her boudoir. Before long, she felt bored and couldn't help but quietly lift her leg and mutter to herself, "How much longer do I have to wait?"

The maid Chun Tao quickly and gently comforted her, "Miss, don't worry. The groom's wedding procession has arrived at the gate. After the ceremony in the front hall, they will take you to the scholar's residence."

At this moment, Jiang Xingzhou had led his entourage to the Xue State Duke's mansion. Outside the mansion gate, a red silk path, nine feet long and nine inches wide, stretched out to welcome the newlyweds.

Xue Lingqi was finally carefully helped onto the imperial gilded carriage, and amidst the deafening sounds of gongs and drums and merriment, it made its way toward the Zhuangyuan Mansion.

The wedding procession returned to the scholar's residence; the auspicious hour had arrived. In the wedding hall, red candles burned brightly, and guests filled the room.

The master of ceremonies announced loudly, "First bow to Heaven and Earth—"

"Second worship high hall-"

"Husband and wife pay homage——"

The two bowed to each other according to etiquette, their solemnity barely concealing their affection.

After the ceremony, a maidservant served the nuptial wine.

The wine in the double-linked rhinoceros horn cups was clear and cool, subtly infused with the dew of mimosa flowers. The two raised their cups and drank together, then exchanged cups and finished their drinks in one gulp.

The No. 1 Scholar’s ​​Mansion.

The entire mansion was already brightly lit with red candles, surrounded by brocade, and adorned with exquisite red paper-cut window decorations on every window and door.

Qingfei and Chuntao led the maids and servants, moving about busily but with a light heart, making the festive atmosphere even more lively.

Inside the new house, red candles burned brightly, casting a warm, flickering light.

Jiang Xingzhou pushed open the door and entered, only to see Xue Lingqi sitting upright on the bed covered with brocade, a bright red veil over her head, as quiet as a fine-brush painting of a beautiful woman.

He stepped forward, gently lifted his fingertips, and slowly lifted the veil.

The red silk slipped down, revealing her breathtakingly beautiful face. In the candlelight, her eyes sparkled, a smile played on her lips, and she softly called out:
"Husband!"

Xue Lingqi's voice was gentle and sweet: "You've had a tough time all these years."

"Lingqi!"

Jiang Xingzhou responded gently, reaching out to hold her slender, jade-like hands. Her fingertips were soft and warm, and beneath her red makeup, their palms pressed together.

A warmth quietly seeped into their eyes as they looked at each other.

Inside the room, red candles burned brightly, and brocade hung low.

Jiang Xingzhou gazed at Xue Lingqi, who was now his bride, dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robes, and memories of the past suddenly flooded his mind.

Since he was ten years old in Jiangyin, his predecessor had lived in the Xue State Duke's Mansion, where he studied diligently in the Langhuan Pavilion for five years.

During those youthful years, it was this young lady from the Xue family who accompanied him, discussing the classics and exchanging ideas on literature and spiritual cultivation.

Although they were childhood sweethearts, they had long been in love.

Although we often argued over our opinions on articles, and even sulked for days, those bickering and fighting in our youth now feel warm when we think back on them.

He still vividly remembered the thrill he felt when he, a fifteen-year-old boy, first touched Xue Lingqi in the study of Langhuan Pavilion after his transmigration.

At that moment, her face was filled with panic, and the tips of her ears were flushed red.

This year, he went to Beijing to take the imperial examination. Although Xue Lingqi did not accompany him, she was always thinking of him.

Every three to five days, the Xue family steward would send clothes and money by fast horse, and every baggage reflected her careful instructions.

What more can a husband ask for when he has such a wife?
The red candles flickered gently, and the warm tent brought spring.

Xue Lingqi nestled obediently in Jiang Xingzhou's arms, tilting her beautiful face up, her eyes shimmering with tears, filled with shyness and infatuation.

She stared at her husband's cold and clear eyes, momentarily stunned.

Her Jiang Lang—

In just one year, he passed the Jiangyin County Examination, the Jiangzhou Prefecture Examination, the Jiangnan Circuit Examination, the Luoyang Metropolitan Examination, and the Great Zhou Palace Examination, overcoming all obstacles and reaching the pinnacle of literary achievement in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

During this time, he encountered countless powerful families and arrogant scholars, and went through countless open and covert attacks.

The powerful and wealthy of the Great Zhou Dynasty had always ostracized those from humble backgrounds, but he emerged like a bright moon breaking through the clouds, his radiance eclipsing all others. He ultimately became the only person in the entire history of the Great Zhou Dynasty to achieve the highest rank in the imperial examinations, becoming the undisputed champion. Countless young ladies from noble families, even princesses and royal princesses, envied her and Jiang Lang's destiny.

"Are you mesmerized again?"

Jiang Xingzhou chuckled softly, his fingertips gently tracing her cheek, before leaning down to kiss her slightly parted red lips.

Xue Lingqi instinctively tried to dodge, but he firmly supported the back of her neck with his palm, and she finally closed her eyes and leaned in to meet him, their lips entwined in tenderness.

Jiang Xingzhou had somehow managed to pull her wedding dress down to her waist, revealing her jade-like shoulders, which were bathed in the warm glow of the candlelight.

"Husband...husband, uh!"

Inside the red tent, spring was growing stronger, and the sound of breathing filled the air.

The bright moon hangs high outside the window, its gentle light spilling through the window frame and quietly settling on the bed.

The moonlight, like water, reflected her trembling eyelashes and the slight furrow in her brows as she made love on the bed, a night of endless tenderness.

On the third day after the wedding, the first rays of dawn shone.

Jiang Xingzhou took Xue Lingqi to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to perform the "ancestral worship ceremony".

The two men, following custom, burned incense and kowtowed, offering jade, silk, and black wine to the saints and ancestors of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The ceremony was solemn and elegant.

On the seventh day, Jiang Xingzhou prepared gifts and took his wife back to the Xue residence.

Duke Xue was overjoyed and opened the main gate to welcome them, hosting a special "Nine-Brew Banquet" in their honor. Fine wines and delicacies were served in turn, and the table was laden with exquisite dishes, the guests and hosts enjoying themselves until moonrise.

During these two weeks, the city of Luoyang was filled with women dressed in red.

Dozens of newly appointed scholars became the choice of wealthy families vying for their sons-in-law, some marrying the legitimate daughters of officials from the three provinces and six ministries, others marrying daughters of powerful and influential families, and the ten-mile-long street was filled with joy and laughter.

Even newly appointed Jinshi graduates, when assigned to local posts, start as county magistrates and, with a little opportunity, can be promoted to prefects or governors.

If one can find a hidden talent, one day he may be able to enter the central government and wield immense power.

Therefore, every unmarried scholar who passed the imperial examination was a coveted prize, attracting the attention of many prominent families.

In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed.

The grand spectacle of the imperial examinations gradually subsided, and Luoyang returned to its former order.

Only in teahouses and taverns can one still hear people talking about the good things that happened in this year's imperial examinations, and the scattered red silk on Zhuque Street still carries a bit of festive atmosphere.

Inside the Golden Palace, the morning court session was in session.

The jade steps rise high, displaying a myriad of magnificent sights.

Empress Wu Mingyue sat upright on the dragon throne, her crown tassels drooping, her gaze sweeping over the civil and military officials standing solemnly in the hall, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

The Grand Eunuch and the Imperial Lady-in-Waiting, Nangong Wan'er, stood on either side of the steps.

"Today's agenda: the Ministry of Personnel will select officials. How should the three hundred successful candidates in the imperial examinations be placed?"

Her clear voice echoed throughout the hall, "Minister of Personnel, please present the regulations."

The hall was utterly silent for a moment, with only the soft rustling of the armor plates of the imperial guards.

Minister of Personnel Li Qiao stepped forward quickly, bowed, and presented a memorial to the emperor with both hands. The memorial was then handed over to the emperor by an attendant: “Your Majesty, the preliminary regulations for the appointment of the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) have been drafted. I respectfully request Your Majesty’s review.”

The Empress unfolded the memorial, her gaze sweeping across the page.

The memorials generally followed the old practice: more than two hundred third-class Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) would be assigned to various prefectures and counties of the Great Zhou Dynasty to serve as county magistrates, county education officials, and other positions to gain experience. Their promotions and demotions would be determined after three years of performance evaluation.

About one hundred second-class Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) were assigned to various prefectures as prefects, educational administrators, and other positions. Among them, the most outstanding could be promoted to the ten prefectural governorships.

They were all following the same routine, with nothing new.

She closed the memorial from the Ministry of Personnel, looked up at Li Qiao, and spoke in a calm but unquestionable tone:

"I already know these things."

My question is, what arrangements should be made for the three men in the first rank?

Inside the Golden Palace, it was so quiet you could hear someone breathing.

Empress Wu Mingyue sat high on the dragon throne, her fingertips lightly tapping the imperial desk, her gaze sweeping over Li Qiao, the Minister of Personnel, with eyes as clear as autumn water.

"Your Majesty, according to the ancestral system, the top scholar in the first-class imperial examination will be appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, while the second and third scholars will be appointed as editors, all of whom will be of the seventh rank and the seventh rank respectively."

Li Qiao bowed, his voice steady, "Three years later, you can be promoted in turn to Attendant Reader and Attendant Lecturer, reaching the rank of fourth grade official. Your daily duties include accompanying the emperor in reading and discussing politics, explaining the classics, and participating in drafting imperial edicts and decrees."

He paused briefly and continued, "Or he could be transferred to the position of Grand Master of the Palace, a third-rank official, to assist the Crown Prince and become his right-hand man."

After ten years of such training, one can enter the Three Departments and Six Ministries, or even join the Cabinet, holding powerful positions such as Minister or Vice Minister…

"That's it?"

The Empress interrupted him calmly, her voice not loud, but it sent a chill down Li Qiao's spine.

If she were to simply follow this old practice, why would she bother to inquire about this matter?
three years?

ten years?

How could she possibly have the patience to wait for that one and only scholar in history to achieve the highest rank in the imperial examinations, slowly accumulate seniority, and rise to her side?

Inside the Golden Palace, the air suddenly froze.

All the civil and military officials held their breath and bowed their heads.

The Empress's seemingly casual "That's all?" carried a tremendous weight, sending chills down the spine of Li Qiao, the Minister of Personnel, and causing a cold sweat to instantly break out on his back.

How could he not know His Majesty's intentions?
However, this is not just about the arrangement of official positions, but also a game of power dynamics within the imperial court.

The Grand Zhou cabinet and its colleagues in the Three Departments and Six Ministries had long understood each other—they needed to buy time.

That one and only scholar in history to achieve the highest rank in the imperial examinations six times was too brilliant.

If he were to rise to the top in one fell swoop, it would inevitably disrupt the existing order.

All parties need time to mediate and weigh the options, and to create a number of positions that are of sufficient weight and acceptable to all parties.

This is by no means something that can be accomplished overnight; it requires a buffer and planning that takes years to develop.

But now it seems...

His Majesty is unwilling to wait even a moment longer than these mere three years!
Inside the Golden Palace, the Empress's voice was calm yet carried an undeniable majesty, clear and distinct to every courtier, like ice beads falling onto a jade plate.

"Let him stay at the Hanlin Academy for a few days to familiarize himself with the procedures."

Three days later, he was promoted to the rank of Fourth-Grade Attendant Reader!
He entered the palace to study for me.

Minister of Personnel Li Qiao felt a chill run down his spine, and despair filled his heart.

This is no longer a promotion that breaks with precedent; it's a complete violation of the "Ministry of Personnel Performance Evaluation Regulations" and the established rules for promotion in the Great Zhou Dynasty!

Logically, at this moment, the three prime ministers—the Chancellor, the Grand Chancellor, and the Minister of State Affairs—should step forward and lead the officials in remonstrating with His Majesty, urging him to rescind this appalling decree.

His gaze swept urgently toward the three provincial officials in purple robes and jade belts—the Grand Secretary Chen Shaoqing lowered his eyes and remained silent, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat Guo Zheng stared intently at his tablet, and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat Wei Min was even more like an old monk in deep meditation.

He then looked at the six ministers, whose eyes were all downcast, as if they had suddenly become very interested in the patterns on the court boots.

What alarmed him most was that even Pei Lie, the Imperial Censor known for his outspokenness, stood silently, as if he had not heard anything.

Behind him, all the officials of the Censorate fell silent, and not a single word of remonstrance could be heard in the hall.

For other successful candidates, if they could be promoted to the first rank within a year, that would be considered a rapid promotion, and they would be so excited and grateful that their ancestors' graves would be emitting auspicious smoke.

But Jiang Xingzhou!

Three days!

He jumped from a seventh-rank compiler to a fourth-rank academician, a promotion of one rank in a single day!
This is an appalling event in the national history of the Great Zhou Dynasty!
Faced with the eerie silence of the court and the undeniable gaze from the dragon throne, Li Qiao finally felt utterly alone and helpless.

His throat was dry, and he bowed with difficulty to accept the order: "Your subject... obeys the decree. Immediately draft a set of regulations and submit them to the three ministries for review and implementation."

Three days was just enough for the Ministry of Personnel to submit the regulations, complete the review process of the three provinces, and promote Jiang Xingzhou to Academician Reader, affixing the official seal.

The hall, filled with nobles and high-ranking officials, remained completely silent.

No one echoed or objected; only the Empress's decree, which overturned the ancestral system of the Great Zhou, weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

(End of this chapter)