A Poor Man's Son-in-Law: He Picks Up the Daughter of a Duke's Mansion at the Start

The results were released nine days after the provincial examination.

Before dawn, a large crowd had already gathered in front of the screen wall outside the examination hall. Scholars, their families, servants, and onlookers formed a dense, dark mass. The light from lanterns and torches diffused in the morning mist, illuminating faces filled with tension, anticipation, and apprehension.

When Lu Qingyan and his two companions arrived, it was already impossible to squeeze into the area in front of the screen wall. They stood on the outer perimeter, watching from afar as the yamen runners made arrangements in front of the wall.

Du Wei's face was pale, and he gripped his sleeves tightly: "Why...why isn't it on yet?"

Zhang Zhiqing remained relatively calm, but his lips were pursed white. Lu Qingyan stood quietly, though his heart was also somewhat turbulent—after all, he had lived two lives, and this was the first time he had experienced the release of the imperial examination results.

At the exact hour of Chen (7-9 AM), three drumbeats sounded. Two yamen runners came out carrying a roll of red paper, which they unfurled in public and posted on the screen wall.

The crowd surged forward instantly.

"Get out of the way! I can't see!"

"Who got me?"

"My son! Where is my son?"

Cries, cheers, and sighs mingled together. Some pushed their way to the front, burst into laughter after seeing the names; others looked again and again, then retreated in despair; some fainted on the spot and were carried away by their families.

Lu Qingyan and the other two were pushed and shoved by the crowd, struggling to move forward. Du Wei was short and couldn't see anything even on tiptoe, and was sweating profusely with anxiety. Zhang Zhiqing could barely see a little and was squinting to see clearly.

"Brother Zhang, did you see that?" Du Wei's voice trembled.

"not yet……"

Lu Qingyan was taller and could see the top of the list. Red paper, black characters, densely packed names. The first place was empty—that was waiting for the prefect to personally fill in the name of the top scholar.

Suddenly, an even louder commotion erupted from the crowd. The prefect's carriage had arrived.

Prefect Zhou alighted from his sedan chair and walked to the notice board. A yamen runner presented him with a vermilion brush, which he took, dipped in ink, and wrote three characters at the top of the notice board.

They were too far away to see clearly. But someone with sharp eyes had already shouted, "Lu Qingyan! The top scholar is Lu Qingyan!"

The crowd erupted in uproar.

Who is Lu Qingyan?

"Never heard of it!"

"From Yongning County!"

Zhang Zhiqing suddenly turned to look at Lu Qingyan, her eyes filled with unbelievable surprise. Du Wei was stunned, as if he hadn't reacted yet.

Lu Qingyan himself was taken aback. Top of the list? He expected to pass, but he didn't expect to be number one.

"Brother Lu! You are the top scorer!" Zhang Zhiqing grabbed his arm, his voice excited.

Du Wei then realized what was happening, opened his mouth but couldn't say anything, his eyes reddened, whether from happiness for Lu Qingyan or worry for himself, it was hard to tell.

The crowd parted to make way. A constable shouted, "Where is Lu Qingyan, the scholar from Yongning County? Step forward and pay your respects!"

Lu Qingyan composed himself and stepped forward. Reaching the list, he saw the three large characters in vermilion ink—it was indeed his name. Below were the second, third… he looked down at each one.

I saw Zhang Zhiqing's name in the 27th place. Then I saw Zhou Wenyuan in the 51st place—he finally won.

Du Wei's name... wasn't there. Lu Qingyan looked carefully twice, and indeed, it wasn't there.

He turned around and saw Du Wei still standing there, his face ashen.

"Lu Qingyan?" came the amiable voice of Prefect Zhou.

Lu Qingyan quickly turned around and bowed: "Student Lu Qingyan greets Your Excellency."

"Good, good." Prefect Zhou looked him over. "I've read your essay; it's solid and insightful. You deserve to be the top scorer in the provincial examination."

"Thank you for your kind words, sir."

"Come to the prefectural school to report on the first day of the ninth month. The scholar's degree and the imperial stipend will be issued on time." Prefect Zhou encouraged him with a few words before getting into his carriage and leaving.

The yamen runners began calling out names, allowing the successful candidates to register. Lu Qingyan and Zhang Zhiqing stepped forward one after the other. When it was Zhou Wenyuan's turn, this veteran candidate, who had taken the exam three times, was so trembling that he could barely hold the pen. After writing his name, tears streamed down his face.

After registering, the three of them squeezed out of the crowd. Du Wei remained standing there, motionless.

"Brother Du..." Zhang Zhiqing stepped forward.

Du Wei looked up and forced a smile: "Congratulations, congratulations."

Her smile looked worse than a grimace.

Lu Qingyan patted his shoulder: "Let's go back first."

The atmosphere was somber on the way back to their lodgings. Zhang Zhiqing had passed the exam and should have been happy, but looking at Du Wei's expression, he couldn't smile either. Lu Qingyan was even more at a loss for words—comforting words would likely sound even more grating to those who had failed.

Upon arriving at their lodgings, Aunt Li, who had already heard the news, greeted them with a smile: "Congratulations, Young Master Lu and Young Master Zhang! You've passed the imperial examination and become scholars!"

Seeing Du Wei's expression, her smile froze, and she said nothing more.

Once inside, Du Wei sat blankly on the stool for a long time before finally saying, "My father... my father is still waiting for me to pass the imperial examination..."

Zhang Zhiqing poured him a glass of water and handed it to him: "Brother Du, you're still young, try again next time."

"Next time?" Du Wei smiled bitterly. "My father spent so much money to send me to school, hiring tutors, buying writing materials... If I don't pass this time, he won't let me take the exam again."

As he spoke, tears streamed down his face: "I know I'm a disappointment... I'm playful and don't study hard. But I really... really tried my best."

Lu Qingyan remained silent. He knew Du Wei was telling the truth—Du Wei was indeed not diligent enough, but he wasn't completely lazy either. The imperial examinations were inherently brutal, with only twenty or thirty out of a hundred candidates being selected; failing was the norm.

"Brother Du," he began, "the imperial examination is not the only path. You are worldly-wise, shrewd, and adaptable. Even without studying, you can still achieve great things."

"But my father..." Du Wei wiped away his tears, "He was counting on me to pass the imperial examinations and bring honor to the family."

Just then, there was a knock on the courtyard gate. Aunt Li opened the door, and a man who looked like a steward came in, followed by two servants.

"Young Master," the butler bowed to Du Wei, "Master heard the results were released and sent me to fetch you."

Du Wei's face paled even more: "My father knows?"

"Understood." The butler said expressionlessly, "The master said you must return immediately."

Du Wei stood up, his legs feeling a little weak. Lu Qingyan supported him: "Brother Du..."

"I'm leaving." Du Wei took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Brother Lu, Brother Zhang, I wish you both a bright future."

He packed his bags and followed the butler. His back was thin, and his steps were heavy.

After Du Wei left, the courtyard fell silent.

Aunt Li sighed, "Young Master Du is a pitiful man too."

Zhang Zhiqing remained silent for a long time before saying, "On the road to the imperial examinations, some are happy while others are sad."

Lu Qingyan didn't speak. He looked at the empty courtyard and recalled the moments he had spent with Du Wei these past few days—that boy who had a low threshold for laughter, loved to play, but was not a bad person at heart.

In the evening, Zhou Wenyuan arrived. He had changed into clean clothes, his hair was neatly combed, and his face shone with an unprecedented radiance.

"Brother Lu, Brother Zhang!" He bowed as he entered, "I am so grateful for your guidance today. I can't thank you enough."

"Brother Zhou, you're too kind," Zhang Zhiqing said. "It's because you've worked hard."

Zhou Wenyuan sat down, took a sip of water, and suddenly remembered something: "Where is Brother Du?"

"He failed the exam and his father took him back home."

Zhou Wenyuan's smile faded. After a moment of silence, he sighed, "Brother Du isn't a bad person. It's just that his heart isn't in his studies. Perhaps going back home to do business would suit him better."

All three fell silent. The imperial examination system changed destinies, but it also destroyed the hopes of many.

At night, Lu Qingyan sat alone in the courtyard. The moonlight was beautiful, casting a soft glow on the ground. He recalled the ecstatic faces, the desperate faces, and the numb faces when the results were announced.

A single red notice can determine one's fate.

He topped the list, a stroke of luck and a reward for his ability. But could he have succeeded without modern knowledge and ways of thinking? He didn't know.

Zhang Zhiqing came out and sat down next to him: "What are you thinking about?"

I miss Brother Du.

"We can't help Du Wei with this," Zhang Zhiqing said. "Everyone has their own path to walk."

"Um."

The two sat in silence for a while. Suddenly, Zhang Zhiqing said, "Qingyan, we'll be students at the prefectural school on the first day of the ninth month. We'll be scholars then. The road ahead is long."

"Yes, it's still long."

But at least, the first step was taken steadily.

Lu Qingyan looked up at the moon. The clear, cold moonlight shone on this city where some people were happy and some were sad.

Tomorrow, he will write home to tell his parents the good news. He will also tell his older brother that he will definitely come back when he gets married.