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

The results will be released on September 28th.

Before dawn that day, a large crowd had already gathered in front of the screen wall outside the examination hall. The light from lanterns and torches blended together in the morning mist, illuminating faces filled with tension, anticipation, and apprehension. There were even more people than when the results of the provincial examination were announced—scholars from all over the province, their families, servants, and onlookers, crammed half the street into a dense mass.

When Lu Qingyan and his two companions arrived, the area in front of the screen wall was already packed with people. They stood on the outer perimeter, watching from a distance.

Zhang Zhiqing's face was pale, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes. Zhou Wenyuan pursed his lips, his eyes fixed on the blank screen wall. Lu Qingyan stood quietly, but his heart was also somewhat turbulent—the provincial examination was much more difficult than the prefectural examination, and he wasn't sure if he could pass.

At the exact hour of Chen (7-9 AM), the drum sounded three times.

The crowd fell silent instantly. All eyes were fixed on the gate of the examination hall.

The gate opened. Two bailiffs came out carrying a roll of red paper, which they unfurled in front of everyone. The red paper was very long, hanging from the top of the screen wall all the way to the ground. It was densely covered with names.

The crowd surged forward.

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

"My son! Where is my son!"

Cries, cheers, and sighs erupted all around.

Lu Qingyan and his two companions were pushed forward by the crowd, struggling to move forward. Zhang Zhiqing, being taller, could see the top of the notice even when standing on tiptoe. Zhou Wenyuan, however, was sweating profusely with anxiety but couldn't see anything at all.

"Brother Zhang, did you see that?" Zhou Wenyuan's voice trembled.

"Not yet..." Zhang Zhiqing squinted as he looked down at the names one by one.

Lu Qingyan also looked up. Red paper with black characters, starting from first place. First place… not him. Second place… not him either. Third place…

His heart sank little by little.

"Brother Lu!" Zhou Wenyuan suddenly grabbed his arm, his voice excited, "You've won! Seventh place!"

Lu Qingyan was taken aback and looked in the direction Zhou Wenyuan was pointing. The seventh line clearly read: Lu Qingyan, Yongning County, Yongning Prefecture.

"Seventh..." he murmured repeatedly.

"Seventh place! Runner-up!" Zhou Wenyuan's eyes reddened. "Brother Lu, you won!"

Zhang Zhiqing turned around, his face filled with unbelievable joy: "Qingyan, congratulations!"

Lu Qingyan stared at those three words for a long time. Finally, a weight was lifted from her heart.

"Brother Zhang, what about you?" he asked.

Zhang Zhiqing looked at the list again and started searching from the beginning. After searching for a long time, he finally saw his name at number forty-seven.

"I got it..." He let out a long sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping. "I got it..."

"Congratulations, Brother Zhang!" Zhou Wenyuan was even happier than they were.

"Brother Zhou, hurry and find yours," Lu Qingyan said.

Zhou Wenyuan looked at the list again, this time even more nervous. He looked from back to front—a habit many candidates had, fearing their ranking would be low. After looking through most of it, he couldn't find it. His face gradually paled.

"Don't rush, take your time searching," Zhang Zhiqing comforted her.

Lu Qingyan helped with the search. Starting from the middle, they looked down name by name. When they reached around number 120, his eyes lit up: "Brother Zhou, here it is!"

125th: Zhou Wenyuan, Yongning County, Yongning Prefecture.

Zhou Wenyuan stared blankly for a long time, then suddenly squatted down, covered his face, and started crying.

This old scholar, who had taken the imperial examination four times, finally passed.

The three were jostled about by the crowd, but they all smiled. Lu Qingyan helped Zhou Wenyuan up: "Brother Zhou, we won!"

"I passed... I passed..." Zhou Wenyuan cried and laughed at the same time, "My father... my father can rest in peace now..."

At this point, the yamen runners began calling out names, inviting the successful candidates to come forward and register. They started with the first name.

"First place: Li Maocai from Jiangzhou Prefecture—"

A scholar in his thirties stepped forward, his face calm, but his hands were trembling.

"Second place: Wang Wenju from Luzhou Prefecture—"

……

"Seventh place, Lu Qingyan from Yongning Prefecture—"

Lu Qingyan composed herself and stepped forward. Reaching the list, she glanced at her own name again. Written in vermilion ink, it was a striking, bright red.

My hands were shaking a little when I registered. The three characters "Lu Qingyan" that I wrote were a bit more illegible than usual.

After registration, the yamen runner handed over a piece of paper: "Scholar Lu, this is your 'good news.' You can send it home to share the good news. On the first day of the tenth month, go to the examination hall to pick up the invitation to the 'Deer Cry Banquet.'"

"Thank you, sir."

Lu Qingyan received the victory report; it was red paper with gold lettering and an official seal. He carefully folded it and put it in his pocket.

Zhang Zhiqing and Zhou Wenyuan also finished registering. The three of them squeezed out of the crowd and walked to the side of the street.

The sun was shining brightly, so bright it was blinding. The street was still bustling with noise; some people were laughing hysterically, some were pounding their chests in frustration, and some were standing there dumbfounded.

"We...we really won?" Zhang Zhiqing was still somewhat dazed.

"We've won," Lu Qingyan said. "Let's go back and report."

On their way back to their lodgings, the three walked briskly. Zhou Wenyuan kept touching the report of victory in his arms every few steps, as if afraid of losing it. Zhang Zhiqing became more talkative, saying he wanted to write a letter home, saying how happy his father would be.

Lu Qingyan walked quietly, but his mind was in turmoil. A Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination)... this meant he was qualified to become an official. Although he still had to take the provincial and palace examinations, even if he failed, he could still be selected as an official—a county magistrate, an instructor, or a registrar; he would at least have a position.

The family's situation can be completely changed.

Back in the courtyard, Aunt Li, having already heard the news, greeted them with a smile: "The three scholars are back! Congratulations!"

"I'm happy for you, Aunt Li," Lu Qingyan said with a smile.

"Come inside quickly, I've boiled water and brewed some good tea!"

The three sat in the courtyard, and Aunt Li brought over tea and snacks. Zhou Wenyuan held the teacup, his hands still trembling: "I...I have to write home. My mother...my mother has waited all these years..."

"Write," Zhang Zhiqing said. "I have to write too. My dad will be overjoyed."

Lu Qingyan took a sip of tea, then got up and went inside. He also needed to write letters—to his family, to his uncle, and to Mr. Zhang.

Spread out the paper, grind the ink. The brush tip touches the paper, the writing more forceful than usual:

"To my dearest parents: The results of the provincial examination were released on the 28th of September, and I achieved seventh place, second best. The good news will arrive soon. I am well, so please do not worry. After the Deer Cry Banquet on the first day of the tenth month, I will set off to return home..."

I paused here. What should I write next? The arduous three years of study at the prefectural school? The agony of the examinations? The tension when the results were released?

In the end, he only wrote: "I will inform my son in detail when he returns home."

I wrote another letter to my uncle and another to Mr. Zhang. I sealed them and asked Aunt Li to deliver them to the post station tomorrow.

After doing all that, he returned to the courtyard. Zhang Zhiqing and Zhou Wenyuan were still talking, their faces beaming.

"Qingyan," Zhang Zhiqing said, "when do you plan to go home after the Deer Cry Banquet?"

"I'll be leaving on the second day of October," Lu Qingyan said. "My family is waiting for my news."

"I want to go back too," Zhou Wenyuan said. "My mother must be getting impatient."

"Then let's go together," Zhang Zhiqing said, "so we can look out for each other on the way."

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

"Excuse me, does Scholar Lu Qingyan reside here?" the butler asked, bowing.

"Yes, that's me." Lu Qingyan stood up.

The butler handed over the gift box: "I am the butler of the Lin family. My master, Lin Guangbiao, congratulates Scholar Lu on passing the imperial examination. This is just a small token of my respect."

Lu Qingyan accepted the gift box; it was quite heavy. Inside were two bolts of fine silk, a set of writing implements, and a red envelope.

"Mr. Lin, you're too kind."

"The master said that if Scholar Lu has time, he can come to the Yuelai Inn for a chat tomorrow."

"must."

After seeing off the Lin family steward, several more groups of people arrived—bookshop owners came to offer their congratulations, classmates from the academy came to share the good news, and strangers came to present their visiting cards. Lu Qingyan received them all and noted their names.

As evening approached, things finally quieted down.

The three sat in the courtyard, watching the sunset. The day's hustle and bustle gradually subsided, but their hearts remained full.

"Qingyan," Zhang Zhiqing suddenly said, "the imperial examination will be held next February."

"Um."

"Time is tight," Zhou Wenyuan said. "We need to start preparing right after the Deer Cry Banquet."

Lu Qingyan nodded. Becoming a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination) is just the beginning; the provincial and palace examinations are the real gateways to success.

But at this moment, he just wanted to enjoy the moment.

He passed the imperial examination. He had taken another big step forward on this path.

That night, he lay in bed, the report of victory tucked into his arms. The paper was thin, but it felt heavy.

The moonlight outside the window was beautiful. He remembered the ecstatic and desperate faces outside the examination hall, the moment his name appeared on the list, and Zhou Wenyuan squatting on the ground crying.

Some people succeeded in the imperial examination system, while others failed. He was one of the lucky ones.

But behind this good fortune lies every word, every page of the book, and every lamp lit up late into the night over these three years.

He closed his eyes.