When Xu Huaiqian publicly announced he was the one who had married into the family, the noble young men in the tavern rooms upstairs were completely deflated!
Their servants had already returned from checking the posted list. Knowing that this year's Zhuangyuan wasn't Shen Wennian but Xu Huaiqian, Chen Liejiu's husband who had married into his family, they wilted like eggplants hit by frost.
They had thought that with Shen Wennian, the scion of a powerful family, in the running, Xu Huaiqian would at best be the Bangyan or Tanhua. They never expected him to become the Zhuangyuan!
If Xu Huaiqian was Zhuangyuan, didn't that prove that Chen Liejiu's decision to give up his own title for him was correct?
After all, Jinshi were common, but Zhuangyuan were rare—only one every three years. Could a Zhuangyuan's future prospects be poor?
What was even more infuriating was that Xu Huaiqian was so incredibly handsome. Forget Chen Liejiu; even they felt their hearts stir upon seeing such a scholarly and handsome young man.
If their future husband were this handsome and ambitious, what would giving up a little personal benefit matter?
Sacrificing a small interest for greater future prospects wasn't a sacrifice; it was an investment.
Of course, it also required that the husband they invested in remained faithful. After all, the world was full of men who, after achieving fame and glory, abandoned their wives and children.
Men were the most untrustworthy things in the world. Sweet talk, honeyed words, and treacherous intentions—trusting a man's words was worse than trusting a dog.
Just as they were worrying that such a handsome and talented husband like Xu Huaiqian might eventually treat Chen Liejiu poorly, Xu Huaiqian once again refreshed their perspective.
He actually publicly admitted he was the one who had married into the family!
One must know that men cared about face. They might marry into a family, but they would never broadcast it, let alone do so as openly as Xu Huaiqian.
On the very day he became Zhuangyuan, he announced to the world that he was the husband who married in!
One must understand that becoming Zhuangyuan didn't make one invincible. Upon entering the court, he would still face its storms and strife.
In a court filled with civil and military officials, there were few, if any, who had married into their wives' families, or even those who lived off their wives' wealth. For him to enter the court openly with the status of a husband who married in would undoubtedly stir up immense controversy and criticism.
Yet he faced it all without fear. It was laughable that they had been wondering if Xu Huaiqian would abandon his humble spouse after achieving success.
If a husband who went to such lengths for his spouse still ended up abandoning them, then they should suspect that Chen Liejiu must have done something to wrong Xu Huaiqian!
Regardless of the complex thoughts of the noble young men in the tavern rooms, the common young women and men below, upon learning that Xu Huaiqian was married, hesitated with the sachets they had intended to throw at him.
People nowadays, especially women and men, valued propriety. They could boldly express admiration to an unmarried man, but they absolutely wouldn't dare do so to a married man, especially right in front of his husband's watchful eyes.
"Look!"
"Master Shen is the Tanhua!"
Fortunately, just as they were hesitating, someone shouted. All the unmarried young women and men turned their attention to Shen Wennian.
Then—
"Master Shen!"
"Tanhua Shen!"
"Tanhua Lang!"
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Instantly, all kinds of exquisitely embroidered sachets were thrown at Shen Wennian, thoroughly pelting him as he sat leisurely on his horse, watching the drama between Xu Huaiqian and Chen Liejiu.
He caught a particularly hard sachet that was heading for his face, squeezed it, and his expression changed instantly. Throwing sachets was fine, but who was throwing silver inside?!
If that hit his face and left a scar, what then? He was, after all, the Tanhua who had surpassed Xu Huaiqian!
Xu Huaiqian, who had been waiting for sachets from people other than his wife, saw them all flying towards Shen Wennian behind him. His head was filled with question marks.
Huh? Was a Zhuangyuan like him not popular anymore? Even though he was married, weren't sachets just a way to welcome the new Jinshi, without any other meaning?!
That was before. After his public display of affection, except for the shameless, who would dare throw a sachet at him right in front of his husband?
If they couldn't throw them at the Zhuangyuan, there was always the Tanhua!
Shen Wennian, depressed while holding a sachet containing money, saw Xu Huaiqian looking back at his face. Instantly, his depression vanished. He raised an eyebrow and smiled at him.
Smug little man!
Xu Huaiqian, who hadn't received any sachets, turned his head back, grumbling internally. Hope you get pelted enough by all those sachets!
Sure enough, as soon as Xu Huaiqian turned around, the young women, seeing that the Tanhua Shen's looks were not inferior to Zhuangyuan Xu's, and that he had caught a sachet thrown at him, became even more excited.
"Tanhua Shen caught a sachet!"
"Quick, throw more! Throw more!"
"Maybe he'll catch them!"
Shen Wennian, in a sorry state as he dodged sachets that occasionally contained silver, looked enviously at Xu Huaiqian ahead, who sat straight and upright like a pine tree, completely unaffected.
An earthenware pot making a noise like thunder! Idiom: a mediocre person making a big show
How the Zhuangyuan and Tanhua fared was unknown to others, but Chen Liejiu, standing far away and seeing that no one threw sachets at his little husband, was completely happy.
Being Zhuangyuan was great! This way, he didn't have to worry about his little husband getting hurt by flying sachets!
Not only was he happy, but the families of the other Jinshi were also happy.
First were the Song family, who never imagined Meng Fangxun would become the Bangyan. When they saw his result, they were utterly dumbfounded.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!"
"Aunt Song! Bangyan! Bangyan!"
"Sister Weilan! Master Meng is Bangyan! Master Meng is actually Bangyan!"
"Mm!" Song Weilan hadn't expected her fiancé to be so outstanding—not only maintaining his rank but exceeding it to become Bangyan. She was so excited she couldn't speak!
Even Madame Song's lips trembled as she kept sighing to Song Weilan: "Your and your father's judgement was truly excellent!"
Next were the Sheng family. When Duan Youyan, ranked seventh in the Second Class, surpassed Sheng Yuxuan, who was eighth, the fifth branch was overjoyed, praising Duan Youyan: "Excellent! Excellent! Duan Youyan is truly remarkable!"
Seventh in the Second Class—hey, the clan hadn't produced a talent ranked this high in a long time! Even during previous exam sessions focused on poetry, few achieved seventh place!
Unlike the fifth branch's delight, the main branch of the Sheng family lost all their arrogance. Sheng Yuxuan's eighth-place rank in the Second Class would have been enough for the clan to treat him like a treasure in the past.
But the problem was that Duan Youyan appeared out of nowhere this year and firmly suppressed him by beating him by one rank.
A loss was a loss. They had to accept the bet's outcome!
Now, no matter how unwilling, they had to surrender most of the resources they had obtained!
While the main and fifth branches of the Sheng family fought fiercely, only Sheng Yunjin, stroking his belly and looking down at the proud, parading figures on horseback, happily said to the baby inside: "Look, my good baby! Your Uncle Xu, Uncle Meng, your father, Uncle Zhang, and Uncle Pei have all become Jinshi! They are all so amazing!"
The child in his belly seemed to sense this, moving right where his hand rested, delighting Sheng Yunjin. "Is my good baby also happy for your uncles and daddy?"
"Then I must tell your daddy and uncles all about it later!" He didn't know what his unborn child actually thought, but Sheng Yunjin automatically interpreted this movement as congratulations for them.
No one failed the Palace Exams. Whether they performed better or worse than in the Metropolitan Exams, from today onward, they were all officials of the Jin Dynasty. Everyone present—the Jinshi, their families, and ordinary onlookers—was cheering for them.
In this atmosphere, Xu Huaiqian was so infected/affected that he forgot his annoyance about not receiving sachets. After all, his wife had thrown so many; it was as if his wife had thrown them on behalf of everyone.
In short, he was just happy!
After leading the Jinshi to see the imperial roster with their ranks, offering incense to the sage, and having their names carved on stone tablets placed in the Confucius Temple, the grand Announcement Ceremony officially concluded.
Later, the court would organize a ceremonial procession with gongs and drums to escort the new Jinshi either to their residences or back to their hometowns in glory. Wherever they went, people would spread the news—it was the height of honor.
Due to his health, Xu Huaiqian couldn't return to his hometown in glory despite being Zhuangyuan. Duan Youyan couldn't return either because Sheng Yunjin was nearing childbirth. But Meng Fangxun, Pei Wangshu, and Zhang Bingwen were all going back.
The procession for three Jinshi from the top ten of the Second Class returning home was immensely grand.
The Chief Administrator of Changnan, learning that not only had last year's Juren from Changnan passed the Metropolitan Exams, but they also produced a Zhuangyuan, a Bangyan, and three Jinshi in the top ten of the Second Class, was so overjoyed he nearly held a massive feast across Changnan.
"This is truly the first Zhuangyuan from our Changnan since the founding of the Jin Dynasty!"
"This is truly: 'Changnan unknown for forty years; in one morning, the Zhuangyuan is known throughout the world!'"
"Excellent! Excellent! What a Xu Huaiqian! What a Zhuangyuan! Rewards! Rewards! Rewards!"
The Chief Administrator, thinking that after today, the whole world would know Changnan produced so many talented individuals in the seventh year of Changsheng, was ecstatic.
With a wave of his hand, he bestowed Zhuangyuan tablets, Bangyan tablets, and Jinshi tablets upon the families of all First and Second Class Jinshi.
These Jinshi tablets could be erected at the village entrance. As long as the tablet remained intact, all passersby could see them. What is '' leaving a name in history? This was it!
His bestowing of Jinshi tablets prompted the prefectures and counties below to learn about Xu Huaiqian and the others achieving the top ranks.
"He's Zhuangyuan again?! Zhuangyuan is excellent! Proves my judgement was good!"
Gu Fengchao felt it hadn't been long since he heard Xu Huaiqian became Jieyuan, and now he was Zhuangyuan. He was immensely pleased. For him, Xu Huaiqian was a talent he had once recognized, and this talent hadn't failed him, becoming Zhuangyuan. What was this called?! This was called foresight!
Xu Huaiqian's success achieved his own glory and also confirmed Gu Fengchao's foresight. His becoming Zhuangyuan made Gu Fengchao happier than if he had become Zhuangyuan himself!
Therefore, he also waved his hand grandly: "Reward! Reward each with a Jinshi plaque!"
The Chief Administrator bestowed tablets for outside the village; his plaques could be placed in ancestral halls, passed down through generations, bringing honor to the ancestors!
With both the Chief Administrator and the Prefect bestowing rewards, the county magistrates below couldn't be idle.
"I knew it! I knew it! Anyone who could become Jieyuan last year was bound to become Zhuangyuan!"
"Zhang Bingwen too! Ninth in the Second Class! Both are from my county! One Zhuangyuan, one Jinshi, plus my achievements these years... I should be promoted soon!"
In Mishan County, Magistrate Wu, upon learning that Xu Huaiqian from his county became Zhuangyuan and Zhang Bingwen became ninth in the Second Class, was so thrilled he set off firecrackers in the county for a full day and night. He personally wrote eulogies for Xu Huaiqian and Zhang Bingwen and sent the tablets, plaques, and eulogies to their respective villages.
He also decided to urgently gather workers to build a 'Zhuangyuan Tower' in Xinghua Village for Xu Huaiqian!
This announcement made everyone in Xinghua Village and Taoli Village aware that Xu Huaiqian was Zhuangyuan and Zhang Bingwen was a Jinshi!
"What?!"
"Master Xu is Zhuangyuan?!"
"The Administration, the Prefecture, and the County have all sent commendations?!"
"What?!"
"The County is also funding a Zhuangyuan Tower for Zhuangyuan Xu?!"
"He's made it! Master Xu has really made it!"
The villagers of Xinghua Village, upon hearing the news, were so excited their faces flushed red!
Zhuangyuan!
Only one every three years!
Nearby villages and counties hadn't even heard of a Jieyuan, let alone a Zhuangyuan! Only their village produced both a Jieyuan and a Zhuangyuan, one after another, continuously! Which village had more honor than theirs?