chapter 69

Chapter 69: The Little Triad

The courtyard exams had just concluded the day before, and the results were not yet released.

The students' dormitory was on a brief hiatus for the next couple of days, granting students some time off to rest at home.

Shen He enjoyed a leisurely morning sleep.

By the time he woke, the day was already bright, with the sun having risen quite high, so much so that its rays no longer reached his window.

Lian Qiao entered and saw the inner room's curtains drawn back. Teasingly, she said, "Ah, the young master is awake? I thought you'd sleep until the sun was high in the sky before you'd consider waking up."

Lian Qiao playfully glanced outside and remarked, "It's almost that time. Perhaps, young master, were you awakened by hunger?"

Shen He tried to recall; he had gone to bed early the previous night, yet he woke up late today.

He had a vague feeling of having had a nightmare, as though he was held down by some spectral force.

Uncertainly, he stepped out of bed and inquired, "Did I wake up earlier this morning?"

Lian Qiao responded, "Indeed, His Highness the Crown Prince came by before heading to court, suggesting you have some breakfast before returning to sleep. But you insisted you were fine and urged him to leave quickly."

She chuckled, recalling the morning's events.

Shen He vaguely remembered... It did seem that something like that had happened.

Initially, he felt a momentary embarrassment for having overslept, but then he casually dressed. Lian Qiao approached to tie his hair back.

Halfway through, Lian Qiao suddenly remembered the high ponytail idea and asked, "Young master, the weather is turning cooler. How about I tie your hair in a high ponytail?"

Shen He, indifferent to such matters as long as he stayed cool, responded cheerfully, "Sure, why not?"

Skillfully working with Shen He's soft, jet-black hair, Lian Qiao quickly fashioned a high ponytail, giving him a carefree and spirited look.

With his stomach rumbling with hunger, Shen He headed out to find something to eat. By the time he had satisfied his appetite, Qi Zhuoyun had already returned from court to the Eastern Palace.

As he entered, Shen He was just setting down his chopsticks, telling Lian Qiao he was full.

Qi Zhuoyun inquired, "Did He He just get up?"

Shen He felt a warm blush on his cheeks. "I took an exam at the academy yesterday! It was so mentally draining that I overslept this morning!"

Qi Zhuoyun's eyebrows slightly lifted as he teased, "That sounds about right, considering how well-rested and well-fed you look. Last night, young Master Song asked me about your answers. Care to share so we can gauge your performance?"

Shen He: "..."

He felt a sudden bout of indigestion.

Clutching his stomach, he turned towards the door, "Brother, I ate too much. I need to walk it off. I'll discuss it with you when I return."

As Shen He got up to leave, Qi Zhuoyun swiftly followed, catching the back of his collar, "No worries, I'll accompany you."

Shen He: "There's no need, but thank you."

Shen He wandered around the eastern palace, pursing his lips. He made his way around the main hall to the back corridor and spotted a camellia tree, its leaves vibrant green and about as tall as he was. On impulse, he plucked a leaf as he walked past.

Through this entire detour, Qi Zhuoyun stayed by his side, maintaining a leisurely pace without pressing him for answers, perfectly mimicking the demeanor of someone accompanying another on a digestion walk.

Oh, the relentless determination of a doting parent!

Shen He thought resignedly, "It's just an estimate of my score. If my guardian finds out my result early, so be it. What's the worst that can happen? Not getting first place?"

After all the preparation he's had, missing out on first place shouldn't be that big a deal.

Once they returned, Shen He wasted no time in summarizing his answers for Qi Zhuoyun.

As he spoke, he tried to gauge Qi Zhuoyun's reaction, hoping to discern his potential grade.

After all, while academic essays don't have specific numerical scores like university entrance exams, they're still graded into various categories.

Shen He intently studied the prince's expression.

Despite his best efforts, he couldn't read anything from it.

Shen He resigned, "Okay, the mastery with which the main character hides his emotions is beyond my comprehension."

After Shen He finished, Qi Zhuoyun complimented, "You did well."

As he recounted his answers, Shen He mused, "Whatever rank I end up with, I hope you won't take it too hard if it's not first place."

Not every child can always be the first, right?

If someone takes the first spot, someone else must be second. Why shouldn't it be him?

As for the male lead's praise, he just chuckled dismissively, "Heh."

Qi Zhuoyun caught the expression on Shen He's face, clearly seeing through his little schemes.

Pinching Shen He's cheek, he said, "I'm not lying to you; your answers were genuinely impressive."

Hearing the words "quite impressive," Shen He grew even more skeptical.

Parents always view their children through rose-colored glasses.

All his relatives, his parents, uncles, and aunts, were no exception. Now, Qi Zhuoyun seemed no different.

Seeing Shen He's "go on, keep praising me" expression, Qi Zhuoyun felt a bit helpless, thinking, "Our little He is becoming so cheeky."

……

The results would be posted a few days after the academy examination.

When the list was revealed, the officials would send messengers to notify the scholars of the good news at their registered addresses.

Naturally, there was no need to inform Shen He within the Eastern Palace.

Even without the formal notification, gathering together to see the results was always a lively event.

The anxiety was only slightly less intense than awaiting university entrance exam scores.

Shen He, who had never experienced that kind of tension in earlier rounds, now felt the excitement as the crucial results approached.

He rushed out early in the morning, dragging along Liu Zheng and two others.

Liu Zheng and his companions had already earned their scholarly titles and would be taking the district exams next autumn. If they passed, they'd become recognized scholars.

It's known that Duke Shen was dedicated to scholarly pursuits, taking pride in being a learned man. Despite years of attempts, he had only achieved the recognized scholar rank.

Today, Shen He didn't ride in a carriage but instead led a horse by its reins. The horse, with its glossy black coat that shimmered like satin under the sunlight, was magnificent.

Shen He, with his high ponytail, looked proud as he rode. Upon hearing the commotion and seeing Liu Zheng and the others, he lifted his chin slightly, eyes sparkling, "Brothers! Don't I look dashing today? After today, I might very well be addressed as 'Scholar Shen'."

He looked utterly delighted.

Qi Yanbing leaned in, saying, "Congratulations, Master Shen. Didn't you mention earlier that the Crown Prince wants you to rank first? Will the prince be satisfied if you don't secure the third position?"

He then added, "This is a fine horse, Shen He. Lend it to me for a ride."

Shen He pulled on the reins decisively, "No! Get in the carriage. If we're late, we won't get a spot up front!"

With that, he spurred his horse onward, heading in the direction of the public notice board.

Liu Zheng and the others climbed into their carriage, and their driver followed behind Shen He.

The young man was eye-catching with his high ponytail, wearing a lake-green robe. He exuded less of a refined scholar's demeanor and more of a spirited youth's vibe. He was indeed in high spirits.

When they arrived, the public board was indeed surrounded by a crowd.

Some came to check their own names, others were servants sent on behalf of their masters, and still, others were ordinary folk just there for the spectacle. Remembering a few notable names would provide them with conversation fodder for days.

By the time Shen He and his party arrived, the officials had yet to post the results.

Leading his horse through the dense crowd would be like squeezing between layers of tightly packed flesh.

With no other option, Shen He sat tall in his saddle, craning his neck in anticipation.

Liu Zheng, torn between amusement and exasperation, called out, "Shen He, why don't you dismount for now? Once the officials arrive to post the results, then you can check."

Even as Liu Zheng's words hung in the air, officials from the magistrate's office approached from a distance, one of them holding a scroll of pale-yellow paper. Someone trailed behind, carrying a small wooden bucket containing the paste used for affixing notices.

The lead official shouted loudly, "Make way! Clear the path!"

The crowd noisily parted, creating an aisle for the officials to post the results.

The onlookers at the back, not daring to press forward, strained their necks and squinted, trying to read the names at the top of the board.

Once several sheets had been smoothly affixed,

The neatly penned rows of names, written with black ink, aligned perfectly from top to bottom.

The officers from the yamen stood guard on either side, allowing people to approach and look, while admonishing, "No pushing or shouting! Do not damage the postings!"

But who was listening to them?

Some young masters, eager to see their own results, rolled up their sleeves and pushed their way through, forcing the officers to step aside.

The officers, noting that despite the crowd it remained relatively calm, decided to retreat.

As they started to leave, they noticed a striking black horse in the background. Astride it was a young lord with rosy lips and bright teeth, straining his eyes from atop the horse, trying to discern the names on the posting.

Shen He, having decent eyesight, started by scanning the middle list, counting names from the top.

Hmm, he thought he'd rank somewhere near the top.

Even if he didn't clinch the top spot, a respectable ranking would be good too.

Who knows? Perhaps he might secure the second place, just as he had playfully predicted days ago.

After all, being second was a feat worth boasting about!

After scanning several names, some with three characters, he failed to spot his own.

He then checked the top of the list, noting the top three all had two-character names.

Just as he was about to see if he was among the top three, someone exclaimed, "Master Shen! Is that you, Master Shen!?"

The voice, unfamiliar and laden with excitement, sounded as if the caller had just bumped into a long-lost friend in a foreign land.

Bewildered, Shen He abandoned his efforts to read the postings and looked around for the person calling him.

The others in his carriage, hearing the shout, lifted the curtain and stepped out, curious about the commotion.

They saw the officers who had posted the results, who were visibly elated. One of them, upon confirming Shen He's identity, raised his voice even more: "Congratulations, Master Shen! You've topped the list! Master Shen has achieved first place in the academy exams! Not only are you now a distinguished scholar, but you've also earned the title of 'Top Trio'! It's a remarkable achievement. We came especially to offer our congratulations!"

Shen He: "..."

Who?

Which rank?

Top... what?

The leading bailiff thought he might not have heard correctly, and hustled over, bypassing the throng of people pressing against each other, drawing close to say, "Master Shen, have you not seen the honor roll? No need to check; we already sent word to the Duke's residence and the Eastern Palace this morning. Your distinguished robes were delivered to the Eastern Palace. Truly, Master Shen, you are a prodigy. I haven’t seen a junior tri-champion in many years. The last one was seven or eight years ago. Now I have the honor to witness one with my own eyes..."

He prattled on, while Shen He sat still on his horse, eyes wide in disbelief.

Wait, wait, he needed a moment.

To be recognized in the county hall, so in other words, even if he didn’t rank as the provincial top scholar, he was at least the top scholar of the city!?