The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 251 Ascending to the Emperor's Hall at Dusk

When the last three names were called, Zeng Rui's voice suddenly rose:

"Third-ranked undergraduate student—Zhou Defu from Langzhong!"

Upon hearing the name, the people present exchanged bewildered glances and began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Zhou Defu?"

"Who?"

"Never heard of this name before?"

In a corner of the front row, an elderly man in his fifties, dressed in slightly worn black clothes and with a hunched back, suddenly looked up with a look of astonishment.

He looked left and right, took a step forward with one leg but immediately pulled it back, wanting to go forward but not daring to, as if he doubted that he had misheard.

"Old Zhou? Secretary Zhou?!"

Someone with sharp eyes recognized him and exclaimed in surprise.
"Isn't this Zhou Defu, the clerk from the prefectural government's workshop?!"

"Ah?! Is it true?"

"Good heavens! Someone really passed the civil service exam?! And even made it into the top three?!"

The crowd erupted in an uproar, their faces filled with astonishment and disbelief.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, some shocked, some disdainful, and some envious, Zhou Defu seemed to awaken from a dream.

He trembled slightly, took a deep breath, straightened his hunched back, and stepped forward with hurried small steps. He bowed deeply to Zeng Rui and the surrounding people, clasping his hands above his head.

In his nervousness, his movements became somewhat stiff, his lips trembled, and his old eyes were already a little moist.

Zeng Rui nodded slightly, turned his gaze to the next person, and spoke in a loud voice:

"Second-place undergraduate student—Chen An from Nanbu County!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a young man dressed in a faded, patched scholar's robe stepped forward.

His face was thin and gaunt, his hands calloused from years of hard work, but his eyes were bright and resolute. He was Chen An from Nanbu County.

With a satisfied smile on his face, he cupped his hands in greeting to all directions.

But a barely perceptible hint of surprise flickered deep within that smile. He had answered perfectly, yet he still wasn't the top scholar.
Could it be that those sons of scholars from families with a long tradition of learning have also come out to take the exam?

impossible.

Zeng Rui ignored him and raised her voice again, proclaiming loudly:
"The top-scoring undergraduate student—Wu Xi from Jianzhou!"

"Who?"

"Wu Xi? Never heard of him. Which family's talented scholar is he?"

Upon hearing his name called, Wu Xi, standing in the crowd, felt a buzzing in his mind, his mind going completely blank.

All the surrounding sounds faded away instantly, leaving only the pounding of my heart.

Top scorer? The best scholar in the imperial examination?
The day before yesterday, the general summoned me, and unexpectedly, I became the top scholar today?

A tremendous sense of unreality overwhelmed him instantly.

Almost instinctively, Wu Xi took a step amidst a chorus of envious and jealous exclamations, and walked somewhat unsteadily out of the crowd to the center of the open space in front of the steps.

The winter sun was a bit too bright, and he squinted instinctively. Then he bowed deeply to Zeng Rui and the cheering crowd, but his mind was still wandering in the clouds.

But that wasn't all. Zeng Rui's next words were like a thunderclap, causing an uproar throughout the room:

"The commander-in-chief has given the order—"

"Chen An, the second-place scholar, is both talented and learned, and shall take up his post as magistrate of Cangxi County immediately; Zhou Defu, the third-place scholar, is mature and capable, and shall take up his post as magistrate of Nanbu County immediately!"

"What?! The county magistrate?!"

"Even scholars and seasoned clerks can become county magistrates?!"

"Heavens above! The recruitment order has not lied to me; the best candidate truly deserves to be a county magistrate!"

No wonder everyone was so surprised. Although the county magistrate sounds like a mere seventh-rank official, he is actually also known as the Marquis of a Hundred Miles, the local official.

For many ordinary people, the highest-ranking official they will ever meet in their lifetime is the county magistrate.

Even Zeng Rui, a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, had waited for several years before finally getting a position as magistrate of Guangyuan County.

In fact, we have to thank Jiang Han for this. If he hadn't led his troops to kill the previous magistrate of Guangyuan County, no one in the court would have dared to take office.

Otherwise, Zeng Rui might wait until his hair turns gray before he could get this job opening.

A huge gasp of surprise and envy erupted from the crowd, almost overturning the ceremonial gate of the state government office.

Countless gazes converged, fixed intently on the seasoned official and the down-on-his-luck scholar, filled with awe.

But then people suddenly realized, what about the top scholar? What position should he hold?
Discussions arose, with some saying it was the county magistrate, and others, bolder as well, guessing it was the prefect.

Just then, Zeng Rui's voice rang out again, drowning out all the noise:
"quiet!"

"The top scholar, Wu Xi, is quick-witted and insightful, and has won the high praise of the commander-in-chief!"

"He is hereby promoted to the rank of Assistant Prefect of Jianzhou, a sixth-rank official, in charge of agricultural administration and water conservancy!"

The crowd fell silent instantly, everyone staring wide-eyed.

A sixth-rank prefectural magistrate?!
A newly appointed top scholar, who had just passed the imperial examinations and hadn't even had a chance to observe the administration, was directly appointed as a powerful sixth-rank prefectural official?!
Wu Xi had just recovered from his surprise when the sudden appointment left him stunned and speechless.

He had deduced from the previous late-night summons that he was likely to be sent to Jianzhou to deal with the Liang family.

He could only imagine that the clerk in the prefectural government was at most a seventh-rank prefectural judge, but he never expected that he would become the second-in-command, the prefectural assistant prefect.

Countless eyes were fixed on the young top scholar on the open ground—envy? jealousy? awe?

A mix of emotions filled the air, and no one could quite put their finger on it.

Outside the ceremonial gate, only Wu Xi's heavy breathing and the sound of the wind blowing through the red silk could be heard.

The shock brought by the release of Enke's results this time was one wave after another, completely subverting everyone's understanding.

After the roll call was finished, the real main event was just beginning.

The three newly appointed top scholars were invited into the back hall of the state government office, where Zeng Rui personally presided over the ceremony and dressed them in brand-new robes symbolizing their honor.

According to the regulations of the Ming court, Wu Xi wore a scarlet round-necked robe embroidered with egret embroidered patches, a black gauze hat, and a jade belt around his waist.

Chen An and Zhou Defu wore blue official robes embroidered with mandarin duck embroidered patches, and also wore black gauze hats and jade belts around their waists.

When the three reappeared outside the ceremonial gate, three tall horses adorned with red ribbons and colorful decorations were already waiting for them.

Under the intense gaze of the crowd, the three mounted their horses and led sixty-five students who had passed the imperial examinations in a grand procession.

Soldiers had already cleared the way, and the sound of gongs and drums filled the air.

"Praise the officials through the streets—!"

With a loud shout, the parade slowly started and headed towards the main street of the city.

Two rows of guards, their helmets gleaming and their spirits high, led the way, their long spears gleaming coldly in the sunlight, silently proclaiming the power of the new regime.

Following closely behind was a specially selected tall horse draped in red silk.

The one who immediately sat upright was none other than Wu Xi, the newly promoted top scholar.

He wore a large, bright red silk flower in his hair, and although he wore a brand-new official robe on the outside, he was still wearing his old scholar's robe underneath.

This was Zeng Rui's special instruction, to tuck his old scholar's robe inside so that everyone could see it.

This was not intended to humiliate Wu Xi, but rather to highlight the key point of this imperial examination: to recruit talent without being bound by convention.

The parade route was short, but it was full of profound meaning:
Starting from the prefectural government office, we walked through the most bustling main streets of Baoning Prefecture, and finally headed straight for the Prince Shou's Mansion.

Jiang Han had prepared a banquet at the Prince of Shou's residence, waiting for them.

The horses' hooves made a crisp sound as they trod on the bluestone slabs.

The streets were already packed with people who had come after hearing the news.

"Look! Isn't that Wu Xi, the top investigator?"

"I heard he used to be a poor scholar from Jianzhou, so poor that his family couldn't even afford to eat!"

"Really? A poor scholar can get first place in the exam and even ride a horse through the streets?"

"Of course it's true! Didn't you see his personal guards? I heard he was personally selected by the commander-in-chief as the top scholar!" "Tsk tsk, he's really capable to not even bother changing his old clothes. He can still get ahead even in tattered clothes."

"Look! The third-ranked scholar behind the top scholar, isn't that Zhou Defu, the old clerk from the prefectural government? I didn't expect him to pass the exam too!"

The sounds of discussion, exclamations of surprise, and envious voices mingled together.

Wu Xi, riding on his horse, felt the intense gazes coming from all directions and was extremely pleased with himself.

The spring breeze is so sweet, the horse's hooves are swift; the ancients were truly right!
If you could experience something like this once in your life, you wouldn't regret it even if you died.

The procession passed through the streets and alleys, eventually stopping in front of the gate of the Prince Shou's Mansion in the southwest of the city.

The Prince Shou's Mansion was first built in the fourth year of the Hongzhi reign and was completed in the ninth year of the Hongzhi reign after five years of construction.

To build this palace, Prince Shou, Zhu Youyi, forcibly demolished more than a thousand houses at the foot of Phoenix Mountain in the city and relocated dozens of county schools, temples, and government offices.

They even listened to the sorcerer's slander that "the golden tiger raising its head is bad for the master's family" and leveled Phoenix Mountain, which symbolized good fortune.

However, after such a waste of manpower and resources, Zhu Youzhi only stayed there for eight years before petitioning to be transferred to De'an Prefecture in Huguang.

After that, the Prince Shou's mansion was left completely vacant.

To ensure the successful conclusion of the first imperial examination, Jiang Han specially ordered the long-vacant Prince Shou's Mansion to be cleaned up and a banquet to be held there to receive the scholars.

Jiang Han hoped to send a political signal through this, announcing to the entire province of Sichuan his determination to change the world.

At this moment, the vermilion gates of the Prince Shou's mansion were wide open, and a brand-new red carpet stretched from the gate all the way to the foot of the main hall.

Although the pavilions and towers inside the mansion could not hide the traces of time, everything was clean and new. The pillars of the corridors had been renovated, the window paper had been newly pasted, and even the weeds in the courtyard had been cleared away, making it very solemn and festive.

The soldiers stood solemnly on both sides of the road, each with their heads held high and chests out, adding to their imposing presence.

The procession stopped in front of the Prince's Mansion gate.

Zeng Rui had been waiting there for some time. He said solemnly:

"The commander-in-chief is already waiting for you newly appointed talents in the main hall of the mansion. Please follow me."

The three dismounted and, led by Zeng Rui, stepped onto the red carpet, passed through a series of strict gates, and entered this grand mansion that once symbolized the majesty of the imperial family.

Inside the main hall of the Prince Shou's Mansion, the lights were on full display.

Although it was not as grand as it had been in the past, the banquet was still of extremely high standard, with delicacies and melodious music playing.

Jiang Han sat in the main seat, his expression warm and gentle.

Zeng Rui was accompanied by several military generals, while the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) sat on both sides.

During the meal, Jiang Han briefly encouraged everyone to be loyal to their duties and bring benefits to the community.

As the banquet drew to a close, after several rounds of drinks, everyone was still excited, their cheeks flushed.

Jiang Han did not linger, but said "You have all worked hard" before leaving the table surrounded by his guards.

Then, led by Feng Chengxuan, the group of scholars left the main hall.

Seeing this, the three newly crowned champions, Wu Xi, Chen An, and Zhou Defu, also prepared to take their leave.

I hadn't gone far from the main hall gate when I heard Zeng Rui's voice behind me:

"Three new VIPs, please wait a moment."

The three turned around at the sound and saw Zeng Rui walking quickly towards them, followed by several servants carrying vermilion trays.

"The commander-in-chief has bestowed a reward, and has ordered me to personally deliver it."

The three were somewhat surprised; today's event was already beyond the usual standards, so why were there still rewards?

Zeng Rui waved with a smile, and the servants behind him stepped forward one by one.

First was Zhou Defu, who ranked third in the imperial examination.

On the tray were several heavy ingots of official silver, gleaming with a lustrous sheen, and next to them was an exquisite sandalwood box.

Zeng Rui opened the box, inside was a fine Duan inkstone. A small "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character was engraved on one corner of the inkstone, and next to it was a small silver seal with the four characters "勤政惠民" (Qinzheng Huimin, meaning diligent governance and benefiting the people).

"Magistrate Zhou,"

Zeng Rui looked at the old official who was so excited that he didn't know what to do.

"The General knows that you have been cautious and diligent in your work for half your life."

"Keep the silver safe, for it is the foundation for settling down and building a career. The inkstone encourages you to serve the people with your pen, and the seal hopes you will always remember the four words 'diligent governance and benefiting the people.'"

"Do not fail the commander-in-chief's trust, be a good Marquis of Baili, and guard this region for him."

Zhou Defu accepted the gift with trembling hands, tears streaming down his face, and bowed deeply to the ground.
"This humble official... this humble official would give his life to repay even a fraction of the General's kindness!"

Next up is Chen An, the runner-up.

On the tray were several ingots of official silver, as well as several well-bound books.

Zeng Rui picked up the top book, which was none other than the "Suben Chunhua Ge Tie" (Suben Chunhua Ge Tie).

"Magistrate Chen,"

Zeng Rui looked at this young scholar from a poor family.
"The commander knows you love calligraphy. This is the Chunhua Pavilion Calligraphy Collection, which was found in Qingfan, Ningxia."

"Although it is just a rubbing, it contains masterpieces by calligraphers from before the Song Dynasty, such as Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi, Zhang Zhi, and Zhong Yao."

"It must have been Prince Qing who found them in Lanzhou."

Chen An accepted it solemnly, feeling a warm current in his heart.

He bowed deeply:
"I will certainly work diligently day and night to live up to the Commander's expectations!"

Finally, when it was the turn of the top scholar Wu Xi, the items on the tray were noticeably different.

Besides the silver, there was also a larger and thicker brocade box.

Zeng Rui personally opened the brocade box, inside which were neatly arranged several precious medicinal herbs. Next to it was a smaller medicine box containing several bottles of pills with red paper labels.

Even more surprisingly, among the attendants was an elderly man carrying a medicine chest and dressed in clean cloth.

Zeng Rui's gaze fell on Wu Xi, his voice low:

"The top scholar,"

He pointed to the medicinal herbs and the medicine box.
"When the commander heard that your mother was bedridden, he specially ordered me to transfer some of the best tonics and pills from the treasury, which may be able to alleviate her pain."

He paused, then pointed to the old man behind him:
"This is Dr. Zhang Jisheng, a famous doctor in the prefectural city."

"The commander-in-chief has specially ordered him to accompany you back to Jianzhou to treat and recuperate your mother, and to do his utmost."

Upon hearing this, Wu Xi froze completely.

He gazed at the fragrant, nourishing medicinal herbs in the brocade box, then at the old physician, and finally thought of his emaciated mother lying on her sickbed, groaning day and night.
An indescribable sorrow welled up in his heart, his eyes instantly turned red, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

Wu Xi knelt down heavily with a "thud" and kowtowed several times towards the main hall.

The bluestone floor tiles made a dull thud, and his forehead instantly turned blood red, but he was completely unaware of it.

"The General is so kind. Your student is deeply grateful."

His voice choked with emotion, and he could barely speak a complete sentence, his heart filled with gratitude.

Zeng Rui looked at the bloodstains on Wu Xi's forehead and her barely suppressed excitement, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Tsk tsk, when it comes to manipulating people's hearts, you have to look to the commander.

He stepped forward and helped the top scholar to his feet:

"Get up."

"Don't act like a daughter; it will only make you a laughingstock."

Seeing this, Chen An and Zhou Defu, who were behind him, also rushed forward and helped Wu Xi up.

Zeng Rui nodded:
"Pack your things carefully. Be on your way to Jianzhou to take up your post three days from now."

"The commander-in-chief has sent guards to accompany and protect him, and Prefect Li of Jianzhou has been waiting for a long time."

He stared into Wu Xi's bloodshot eyes and reminded her, word by word:
"Work hard, and don't forget what the commander-in-chief told you to do."

(End of this chapter)