kingnovel Chapter 887 The Enviable Sister Lin
Chapter 887 The Enviable Sister Lin
Riding a horse in a parade, entering the palace to meet the emperor, climbing the Dragon Gate, and receiving the emperor's order, each process is extremely glorious, allowing scholars to feel that the ten years of hard study are worth it.
After the parade, they entered the imperial palace, where the Emperor personally summoned the new top three scorers in the imperial examination to the front of the palace.
The newly-appointed Jinshi candidates needed to stand at the relief of a giant turtle and fish on the steps in front of the palace to welcome the emperor. The top scholar would naturally stand at the front, with the second and third place candidates standing on the left and right.
The position of the top scholar is exactly the head of the giant fish on the relief, which is also known as the "top scholar".
The newly crowned number one scholar Lu Cheng, who was only fifteen years old, was nearly 1.8 meters tall, with a slender figure, a handsome appearance, and a strong aura, which convinced all the newly crowned scholars.
Of course, the most embarrassing thing is the new third place winner.
Originally, the Tanhua Lang was the most handsome among all the successful candidates in the imperial examinations. Even if they could not take first place in literary talent, their looks were definitely the best.
But this year's Tanhua scholar felt somewhat embarrassed when he saw Lu Cheng standing not far in front of him. He even thought that it would be better for him to get the first place in the second class, so that people would not say that he did not deserve the title of Tanhua scholar.
Afterwards, His Majesty the Emperor arrived. All the civil and military officials, palace guards, and new scholars knelt on the ground to welcome him.
The emperor did not say much nonsense. He held a simple roll-call ceremony, encouraged everyone a few words, and then asked the eunuchs to lead the new scholars to attend the "Enronment Banquet".
The Enrong Banquet, also known as the "Qionglin Banquet" in the past, was renamed the "Wenxi Banquet" after Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, it was renamed the Enrong Banquet. But ordinary people still prefer to call it the Qionglin Banquet.
Just like what is sung in the Huangmei Opera "The Female Prince Consort": "I have also attended the Qionglin Banquet, and I have also ridden a horse on the Imperial Street..."
After a series of ceremonies, the new scholars were sent home.
As the new top scholar, the emperor would also reward them with some royal wine, gold and silver, and then they would be sent back home or to their respective residences in a grand manner.
As the new champion, Lu Cheng was directly appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, a sixth-rank official, according to convention. The second and third place winners were both appointed as editors in the Hanlin Academy, seventh-rank officials.
Although this official position does not seem to have a high starting point, it allows direct contact with the emperor, which is equivalent to stepping onto the fast lane of the Ming Dynasty officialdom.
As long as one can display his talents, make a name for himself and gain the emperor's appreciation, he can be promoted directly and quickly, or even promoted out of turn.
At the same time, the Jia Mansion on the other side was also extremely lively at this moment.
On the one hand, Lu Cheng, the newly crowned top scholar, was also the future son-in-law of the old lady of the Jia family's granddaughter, so everyone in the Jia family was naturally happy.
The old lady was so happy that she held a banquet in her house to celebrate for Daiyu.
At this time, people from the Xue family in Jinling also came to the Rongguo Mansion to pay their respects to their relatives. The celebration banquet and the welcoming banquet were held together, making the Rongguo Mansion even more lively.
The four great families of Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue loved to intermarry with each other. The old lady of the Jia family was the eldest daughter of the Shi family. Jia Zheng of the Rongguo Mansion married Lady Wang, and Jia Lian married Wang Xifeng, both of whom were members of the Wang family.
Aunt Xue from the Xue family is also a member of the Wang family.
This time, the Xue family came to the Jia Mansion to live with relatives, and also to rely on Wang Fu-ren's sister.
After the Xue family entered the Jia Mansion, they saw a celebration in the backyard. After asking, they found out that the new top scholar was actually the fiancé of the old lady's granddaughter and the future grandson-in-law of the Rongguo Mansion.
Aunt Xue, Xue Baochai and Xue Pan also hurried to congratulate the old lady and prepared to present her with a gift.
Seeing this, the old lady was also very happy: "If you want to give gifts, don't give them to an old woman like me, but to my granddaughter."
Aunt Xue was also all smiles: "The old lady is right, Miss Lin is so lucky, her father is a third place winner of the imperial examination, and her future husband is a top place winner of the imperial examination, it's incredible, it's really incredible."
Xue Baochai couldn't help but look at Lin Daiyu carefully, with undisguised envy in her eyes.
Lin Daiyu does not care about official career or economic situation, nor does she care whether Lu Cheng can pass the imperial examination and become the top scholar. As long as the two of them can love each other and stay together for life, that is more important than anything else.
Xue Baochai is different. She values official career and economy more. In fact, if she had not been born a girl, she would have taken the imperial examination, entered the official career, and risen to prominence.
Just like what Xue Baochai wrote in her poem: "The good wind takes advantage of my strength and sends me soaring to the blue sky."
Therefore, in Xue Baocha's eyes, Lu Cheng is the most perfect candidate for a husband. Unfortunately, that's Lin Daiyu's.
At this time, Xue Baochai felt that she was born at the wrong time.
The young ladies in the family didn't have any other thoughts, they all sincerely congratulated Daiyu. They were also wondering if they could eat the cakes and delicacies made by the champion in the future.
Facing the admiration and congratulations from everyone, although Lin Daiyu tried her best to hide her joy on her bright face, she just wanted to see her brother whom she hadn't seen for a long time as soon as possible and to be with him.
Lu Cheng passed the imperial examination and was sure to have a bright future. The wives of the Jia family also envied Daiyu and became more enthusiastic about her.
Wang Xifeng could not help but approach the old lady and asked in a low voice: "Grandfather, the wife of this number one scholar will surely be able to receive an imperial decree in the future, right?"
The old lady also laughed: "Now he is just a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, a sixth-rank official. When he is promoted to the fifth rank or above, he will naturally receive an imperial edict."
Wang Xifeng loves face and pomp the most, and has always envied the imperial decrees of the old lady and several principal wives. Unfortunately, although her husband Lian Erye donated a Tongzhi, it was only an honorary position, not enough to give her the full imperial decree of a wife.
Whenever there was a formal event in the Jia Mansion, or when they needed to go to the palace to meet the Concubine Dowager, the Queen, etc., only the ladies with imperial edicts were qualified to enter the palace.
Wang Xifeng had been coveting the imperial edict for a long time, but she could only sigh helplessly, looking at the eleven-year-old Lin Daiyu with envy, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart: "How can this little girl have such a good fate?"
On the other side, Li Wan looked at Lin Daiyu who was surrounded by people, and couldn't help but think of her dead husband Jia Zhu. If Jia Zhu were still alive, he should at least be able to pass the imperial examination...
At this moment, Wang Xifeng suddenly said, "Grandfather, when can we invite that number one scholar back to our mansion so that our Jia family children can get close to him and get some of his literary influence?"
The old lady nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "That makes sense."
If it was a few decades ago, when the Jia family was at its peak, with two dukes in one family, how glorious would it be? Even the top scholar might not be as glorious as the Jia family.
But now is different from the past. The Jia family is declining day by day, and the title is downgraded again and again. Most importantly, there are few people in the family who are in the officialdom. The most important person is Jia Zheng, a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Works.
As for the titles inherited by Jia Zhen and Jia She, the important officials in the court did not take them seriously at all.
To put it bluntly, the Jia family's greatest hope now is Jia Yuanchun, who was sent to the palace.
If Jia Yuanchun could be made a concubine, the Jia family would naturally be able to usher in a second spring.
However, if the Jia family could make friends with Lu Cheng, the new number one scholar and future close minister to the emperor, and Lin Ruhai, the son-in-law of the Jia family, it would be of great benefit to the Jia family in the future.
On the other side, Lu Cheng's house was also decorated with lights and was very lively.
In addition to Lu Cheng and Xiangling, there were only four servants in the house. Lu Cheng asked Xiangling to give each of them an extra half year's salary, so that they could prepare a table of wine and food to celebrate and share in the joy.
Next, Lu Cheng, together with the new second and third place winners and other Jinshi candidates, will choose a day to visit the chief examiner and the current prime minister to learn some basic officialdom rules from the prime minister.
After that, I will go to work in the Hanlin Academy.