Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

"I won!"

Er Shun was extremely excited, leaning against the beam and panting heavily.

He squeezed his way back through the crowd, nearly falling several times.

Song Yu couldn't wait to ask, "What's Xuan-ge'er's ranking?"

"The..." Er Shun was still panting.

Cui Lingrong asked Caixia to pour tea for Ershun, "It's good that you passed. Have a cup of tea first, and then we can talk slowly."

A look of joy had already appeared on her face. The county examination was the first step; if her son could get off to a good start, he would have more confidence in the future imperial examinations.

Song Mingxuan knew he could pass; now, the more important thing was his ranking.

He appeared calm, but deep down he also had a competitive spirit. He didn't want to lose to Zhao Xu, who had done so well on the exam.

At this moment, Zhao Xu on the other side could not hear the conversation between Song Mingxuan and his group; he could only see Song Mingxuan and his group staring at a servant.

He clenched his fists nervously, while Madam Qian asked the servant, "What was Song Mingxuan's ranking?"

The servant said he came back as soon as he saw his master's name, "I was thinking of coming back to report the good news, so I didn't go to see anyone else."

Madam Qian sent her servant to check again, saying, "Xu-ge is already third; he's definitely not as good as Xu-ge'er."

When she said this, Madam Qian was already confident that Song Mingxuan was definitely not as good as her son.

The teahouse was bustling with noise. Madam Qian wasn't in a hurry to return home; she was waiting to see Song Mingxuan make a fool of himself.

As for Er Shun on the other side, he finally caught his breath and happily said, "Yes...yes, I'm the top scholar!"

The top scholar was number one, not only higher than Zhao Xu, but also number one, separated from Zhao Xu by one name, so the servant of the Rong Prince's mansion did not see Zhao Xu's name.

Upon hearing that he was the top scholar, Cui Lingrong's lips curled into a smile, Song Yu exclaimed in surprise, and Song Mingjin excitedly hugged her brother.

Only then did Song Mingxuan smile and bow to his mother, saying, "Mother, your son has not let you down."

"Yes, my son is doing very well." Cui Lingrong patted her son's shoulder. "You study hard and have put in a lot of effort over the years, but you must not be arrogant. You must continue to work hard."

The county examination was only the first step; one still had to pass the prefectural and provincial examinations to become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations).

Having the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examination at the county level) makes all the difference; land can be exempted from taxes, and there are many more conveniences.

Mother Qiu carried the prepared copper coins and had Er Shun and his servants distribute them to the onlookers.

When the people received the reward money, they readily uttered auspicious words.

Many students also noticed Song Mingxuan, who was ranked first in the exam. They believed that someone who could rank first must be an exceptional person.

When Cui Lingrong led the children downstairs, Qian Shi also came out. She was unaware that Song Mingxuan was the top official in the case.

"Look how happy Lady Song is. It seems Xuan-ge'er did very well on the exam?" Madam Qian continued proudly. "Xu-ge'er came in third. He didn't disappoint his father and me in our upbringing. I wonder if Xuan-ge'er made it into the top ten?"

Cui Lingrong looked at Qian Shi's smug expression, then at Zhao Xu beside her. She patted her son's shoulder, signaling them to get into the carriage first.

She then looked at the Qian family mother and son. "Xuan-ge'er is not bad. He is two places higher than Xu-ge'er. He has not disappointed my upbringing."

After saying that, Cui Lingrong got into the carriage.

Qian didn't react for a moment. She silently repeated it to herself several times before realizing that the two people who were ranked third and second were the top scorers.

"The top case? How could it be the top case?" Qian's eyes widened.

Zhao Xu was even more unconvinced, saying he wanted to see for himself, "Song Mingxuan couldn't possibly be better than me!"

He rushed to the list, pushed through the crowd, and was horrified to see Song Mingxuan's name at the top. He instantly flew into a rage, "How is this possible? Isn't he afraid I'll ruin his career?"

Zhao Xu gritted his teeth. His servant reminded him to keep an eye on things, but he shoved the servant aside and stormed off.

He confidently told people that he would definitely be better than Song Mingxuan, but in the end, Song Mingxuan not only passed the exam, but also topped the list.

Where does that leave him to save face?

Zhao Xu was unwilling to give up, but his mother pulled him back to the Rong Prince's Mansion.

Logically, Zhao Xu's ranking should have been enough to make the Rong Prince's mansion happy, but when Madam Qian and her son returned home, they both had dark faces. The Rong Prince's wife was very curious to see this.

Zhao Xu couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out, "What's there to be happy about? Song Mingxuan has already tested me. Those examiners really don't know what's good for them!"

He didn't think he was inferior to Song Mingxuan; it must be the examiner's fault.

"Song Mingxuan?" Princess Rong murmured these three words before realizing it was Cui's son. She looked up at Madam Qian and asked, "Is Cui's son really that capable?"

"Reporting to Mother, Song Mingxuan did indeed come out on top in this county examination." Madam Qian was also very unwilling. Her son lost to Song Mingxuan, and Madam Cui looked so smug that she was itching to bite him.

Princess Rong was not very happy either. Her daughter had married into the Jiangyuan Marquis's family, and she had hoped that her daughter would have a child of her own to inherit the Jiangyuan Marquis's mansion. But Song Mingxuan was too outstanding, so there was no reason to depose the eldest son and establish the younger one.

Inside the house, Wu, who arrived late, learned of Zhao Xu and Song Mingxuan's rankings. After a moment's thought, she said, "One county exam doesn't mean anything; we still have to see how they fare out in the later exams. If Xu-ge can outperform Xu-ge in the provincial exam, that would be the best."

She knew the Qian mother and son were petty and narrow-minded; if she didn't say this, she was afraid they would secretly sabotage her.

Princess Rong nodded. "Indeed, there's not much difference between first and third place. Xu-ge'er, you need to work harder and not let people laugh at our manor." She then called over a servant. "Since Song Mingxuan has come out on top, pick a few things from the storeroom and send them over. Tell Rong Jia to tone down his temper and be nicer to Song Shulan's two sons."

At least on the surface, it has to look good, so that no one can find fault with it.

When the people from the Rong Prince's Mansion arrived at the Jiangyuan Marquis's Mansion, they first met with Princess Rongjia, and then went to Qiushuangzhai.

Cui Lingrong was not surprised to see the congratulatory gifts sent by the Rong Prince's Mansion. Princess Rongjia was still under house arrest, and in order to salvage Princess Rongjia's reputation and the goodwill she had with Song Shulan, the Rong Prince's Mansion would only join in the celebration.

Cui Lingrong had the items registered and then sent someone to deliver them to Xuan Ge'er.

At Shou'an Hall, Old Mrs. Song was overjoyed, pulling Song Mingxuan along with her.

On the way, Song Shulan learned that his eldest son had passed the imperial examination with top honors. He was overjoyed and made the driver speed up the journey to Shou'an Hall.

When Cui Lingrong arrived, Old Madam Song and Song Shulan had already praised her several times. When Song Shulan looked at Cui Lingrong again, her expression softened considerably. "Lingrong, Xuan'er truly lives up to your expectations as a child. Not only did the teachers praise his good manners, but he also achieved the top score in the imperial examination. He has brought great honor to our Marquis's mansion!"

The title of Marquis Jiangyuan ends with Song Mingxuan's generation and can no longer be inherited. Song Mingxuan and Song Mingjin must earn their own titles and official positions through their own abilities.

Therefore, Song Shulan was very strict with his sons' studies, especially Song Mingxuan's, and was determined to help his sons revive the Marquis's mansion.

Now that Xuan-ge'er has topped the list, this is just the beginning.

Because of his affection for Cui Lingrong, when Song Shulan went to see her again, he was no longer angry as he had been a few days ago, and instead felt a bit more appreciative.

Especially when Cui Lingrong smiled, her graceful figure was captivating; she was extremely beautiful, and Song Shulan couldn't help but glance at her several times.

Even Old Madam Song found Cui Lingrong more agreeable, saying, "Yes, Cui is good at teaching."

Cui Lingrong smiled but didn't speak. The old lady and the Marquis were happy, which was good for Xuan-ge'er. She no longer hoped for a loving marriage, but Xuan-ge'er needed the support of the family to go further and achieve more.

After having dinner at Shou'an Hall, Song Shulan and Cui Lingrong walked together for a while.

He thought he could use this incident to reconcile with Cui Lingrong, and was just about to step into Qiushuangzhai when he heard Cui Lingrong suddenly speak.

"I've been worried about the results these past few days, and I'm quite exhausted. It's late, so please go somewhere else tonight, Lord Marquis." Cui Lingrong didn't look at Song Shulan's expression before leading Qiu Mama and the others into the garden.

Song Shulan's raised foot awkwardly stopped in mid-air, and it was only after Qingshan reminded her that she slowly retracted it.