Top Scholar

Chapter 466 The Founding Member (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Zhu Zihe has been hiding in his room reading all day, claiming that he maintains composure in the face of important matters, but in reality, he is afraid to come out and face the outcome.

He sat cooped up in his room for half a day, his heart filled with mixed emotions, waves of feelings washing over him. He flipped through a book from beginning to end, but couldn't absorb a single word...

It wasn't until the announcement of his "tenth place in the imperial examination, and an audience with the Emperor in the Golden Palace" came from the front yard that Zhu Zihe casually tossed aside his books, bounced up, and rushed outside.

I was so excited that I couldn't keep my balance when I came out and almost tripped over the threshold...

"Watch out!" Zhu Zigong, the elder brother, reacted quickly and reached out to support him. The Zhu family was about to produce another Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), and they couldn't afford to let him fall again!

Zhu Zihe broke free from his grasp, rushed to Su Lu, and embraced him tightly. Tears streamed down his face as he choked back sobs, speaking incoherently.

"Brother... Godfather... Dear Ancestor! Thank you! You are my second parents, the greatest benefactor of the Zhu family. I will take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days... Waaah..."

Since Zhu Liu was exiled, the heavy burden of continuing the family's glory and maintaining its status has fallen entirely on his still rather thin shoulders.

Although Zhu Zigong's ranking in each exam was not bad, family members know best that his fourth brother's grades were more or less inflated.

But when it came to the provincial examination, the Zhu family was completely helpless. They weren't at that level yet, understand?

I just had to bite the bullet.

When it comes to real skills, we can only rely on him.

During those days, he was overwhelmed by pressure and even considered buying exam questions at the last minute... Fortunately, Su Lu gave him timely guidance and secretly shared his insights on becoming a top scholar, which helped him pull back from the brink and grit his teeth to survive the fatal moment when his Dao heart was shattered.

Finally, the clouds parted and the moon shone brightly! His ranking in the imperial examination was even higher than that of his uncle back then!

How could he not be overjoyed and burst into tears, completely losing his composure?
Looking back on all the experiences he had gone through, Zhu Zihe finally understood the wisdom of his Uncle Jiu and his father... If it weren't for his godfather's constant support and guidance, and his role model for him, he would have been crushed by the immense pressure long ago and would never have made it this far, or at least he would never have passed the imperial examination so quickly.

At this moment, all he wanted to do was hold Su Lu and cry his heart out; nothing else could release the emotions surging within him…

Su Lu patted Zhu Zihe on the back and gently advised, "Alright, alright, stop crying. So many people are watching, it's not dignified."

He was genuinely happy for Zhu Zihe. Over the past six months, Zihe had become haggard under immense pressure and spoke much less than usual... well, it wasn't because there were too many people around and he couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Now he has finally completed the family's mission, and he can say that he has repaid the kindness of the headmaster, Mr. Gangshan, and his senior brother.

My older brother is already in high school, what more could he want?

People, don't be too greedy. Do you really want to be the top scholar in the imperial examination? How could that be possible?

It took Zhu Zihe a while to calm down and stop asking his godfather for a hug.

In the courtyard, the official who had delivered the report was still holding the good news and waiting for his reward. Upon seeing this, he shouted the good news again.

Zhu Zihe wiped his eyes, waved his hand, and shouted, "Look at the reward! A generous reward awaits!"

His brother, Zhu Zijing, then presented a large plate of red reward silver. After the messenger received the reward, he said auspicious words and took his leave with satisfaction.

A rough estimate suggests that the Sichuan Guild Hall must have given out tens of thousands of taels of silver in rewards in just half a day!
But who cares? At this point, the more money they throw away, the happier they are!

Everyone was truly overjoyed! In this examination, a staggering twenty-one people from the entire province passed the imperial examinations, a feat that almost matched the previous two examinations!

The steward, beaming, approached the assembled scholars and asked, "Gentlemen, it's getting late. Shouldn't we begin the celebratory feast?"

The Chinese scholars waved their hands in unison, saying, "No rush, let's wait a bit longer. Our two top performers haven't received their good news yet!"

The two most outstanding among them were naturally Su Lu and Yang Shen.

The two exchanged a glance and both said humbly:

"It's hopeless. I didn't do well on one of the big questions. I'm doomed for this exam. I'll have to rely on the top scholar..."

"I have no chance either. I'll have to rely on you for a fix!"

Everyone chuckled inwardly; these two were frantically trying to accumulate good karma...

But these two guys didn't seem to be very good people. Everyone waited for a long time, and the person who came in second went to the Zhejiang Guild Hall, but no one came to tell them the good news.

Now the two of them stopped trying to build up their good karma; one's face turned so green it looked like it could drip water, and the other's face turned as white as if it had been powdered.

They stood side by side at the entrance of the guild hall, whispering:

"Brother Jieyuan."

"Ok?"

"At least one of us is going to become the clown."

"Or both are..."

"Pah, let's keep it to one!"

"Right."

"We've agreed that if that happens, you can't laugh at the other person, right?"

"Okay, you need to comfort him, treat him to a meal, drink with him, and give him money to spend..."

"It's a word."

~~
At this moment, the last team of messengers, accompanied by music and fanfare, arrived at Luomashi Street.

The pomp and circumstance of the top scorer in the imperial examination was worlds apart from the previous celebratory processions.

The junior clerk and the miscellaneous official in green robes who made the report were replaced by two officials from the Ministry of Rites dressed in blue robes.

The ceremonial band and musicians surrounding him were twice as many as usual, their drums and suonas blaring deafeningly, and various colorful flags were unfurled. The most eye-catching item was the victory banner, which was not only a whole size larger than others, but also gold. It gleamed brightly in the sun, almost blindingly so.

Wherever the procession went, the streets were deserted. The people followed excitedly, all eager to see for themselves what kind of person this newly appointed top scholar was.

Once the procession entered Mule and Horse Market Street, the scene became even more spectacular. Crowds surged, shoulder to shoulder, completely blocking the street. Shops on the street stopped doing business; owners and employees rushed out to join the excitement, hoping to share in the good fortune of the Duke of Huiyuan… Only one like him appears every three years, he's incredibly precious!
Amidst deafening music, the procession arrived at the entrance of the Henan Guild Hall, where everyone eagerly awaited their arrival.

Although they had been disappointed too many times, a glimmer of hope still rose within them, and they whispered:

"I'm coming!"

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the front of the line.

But after a short while, everyone deflated: "Let's go, let's go..."

"It's over again, it's completely unusable..."

He stood there frozen, his chubby face drained of all color, too pale to even muster the courage to ask a question.

Liu Ren, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it any longer and, steeling himself, shouted loudly to the group, "May I ask, gentlemen, where are you headed?"

The two officials turned around at the sound, and one of them announced loudly, "Sichuan Guild Hall!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his sallow complexion. He swayed precariously, then laughed weakly, "I must have woken up too fast this morning and had a nightmare... Yes, that must be it, someone slap me?!"

Although many people were eager to try, no one dared to go for it. Everyone knew that the person surnamed Jiao was the most vengeful.
The steward on the archway sighed and muttered, "I knew it, we'd have to come back up again after going down..."

"You're brilliant!" the waiter exclaimed, taking down the "Top Scholar in the Imperial Examination" plaque as he asked, "Should we ask the Sichuan Guild Hall about this one too?"

"Nonsense." The manager rolled his eyes.

~~
The Sichuan Guild Hall was not far away, and the procession bringing good news arrived at the gate in the blink of an eye.

The music stopped abruptly, and everyone looked at the official in charge of ceremonies from the Ministry of Rites, who then spoke in a deep, resonant voice:

"Good news!"

Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound. The doctor raised his voice, his tone booming like a bell, and announced the good news:

"Good news! Su Jieyuan from Sichuan, whose given name is unknown, has achieved the top rank in the provincial examination of the year Wuchen and has been invited to the Emperor's court in the Golden Palace!"

Then the officials and clerks around him shouted together:

"Congratulations on your outstanding achievement of passing the imperial examination with top honors in all three categories!"

"Congratulations on your success in the imperial examinations! May you achieve the highest honors in all three categories!" The common people joined in the shouting.

"Congratulations on your outstanding achievement and may you pass the imperial examination with flying colors!" This greeting echoed throughout the entire Mule and Horse Market Street.

Actually, everyone thinks that the top scholar in the imperial examination is already number one in the country...

Su Lu was standing at the entrance of the guild hall when he heard the good news. His mind went blank, and it felt as if his soul had been instantly pulled out of his body.

For a while afterward, the congratulatory voices that rose and fell around seemed to be separated by a thick layer of glass, becoming small and distant.

At this moment, a group of classmates rushed forward, lifted him high, and cheered as they tossed him into the air.

The repeated sensations of weightlessness made him feel as if his soul was floating on the clouds.

Is this... what it's like to be the top student in high school?
He only regained consciousness when his feet touched the ground again. He suddenly remembered his promise to Yang Shen, but when he looked around, the man was nowhere to be seen.

Just as he was still in a daze, the official from the Ministry of Rites who had just read the good news stepped forward with a smile, presenting another invitation with gold flowers in his hands, and said loudly with a laugh:

"Su Huiyuan, this is a congratulatory letter from our Minister and the two Vice Ministers—congratulations on your outstanding talent at such a young age! You have achieved the highest honors in two examinations, which is truly a cause for celebration! We hope that you will continue your efforts in the palace examination and strive to achieve the highest honors in all three examinations!"

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!" Su Lu quickly composed himself, respectfully accepting the invitation with both hands, and for a moment he didn't know what to do next.

He was completely devoid of his usual composure...

Fortunately, everyone understood his feelings, and no one laughed at him for losing his composure.

His elder brother, his fellow students, and the manager of the guild hall would naturally take care of the trivial matters of entertaining distinguished guests, giving tips, and socializing with guests, so he didn't need to worry about it at all.

The deafening sounds of firecrackers and drums filled the air, and Su Lu's chaotic mind gradually calmed down.

He finally remembered what he was supposed to do! He quickly pushed through the crowd that had gathered to offer his congratulations and ran home as fast as he could.

Su Man smiled and stopped the crowd that wanted to follow: "Don't follow them yet, give them some time."

Su Youcai was even more nervous than Zhu Zihe today. He didn't even dare to go to the guild hall and just waited at home.

Su Tai naturally stayed behind to keep his father company.

The father and son heard the good news outside, which was much louder than before, and were wondering if Yuan had been born.

Then the courtyard gate was pushed open with a bang, and Su Lu rushed in, panting as he shouted at the two people inside:

"Father! Second Brother, I passed!"

"What did you get?!" Su Youcai and Su Tai asked in unison.

Su Lu's throat tightened, his voice trembling as he spoke, each word distinct:

"I! Won! The! Qualification! Yuan!!"

P.S. Is this okay now? Waaah, please give me some monthly votes to cheer me up...

(End of this chapter)