Chapter 121: The Huiyuan

Chapter 121: The Huiyuan

Inside the Forbidden City, in the Hall of Prudence, an atmosphere of solemnity prevailed.

The Yuanhua Emperor disliked incense and noisy sounds. Whenever he reviewed memorials, the palace servants dared not even make footsteps.

Only the clepsydra at the end of the long table emitted a steady sound at regular intervals.

Above the clepsydra, the pointer on the connected golden disk turned. When it pointed to the hour of Si (9-11 AM), the silent emperor suddenly spoke.

"To achieve the Three Yuan has existed since ancient times, but achieving the Six Firsts is unprecedented."

The grand eunuch, Wen Xing, knew that the Yuanhua Emperor was referring to the announcement of the Huiyuan Examination results. He bowed and smiled, "The results will be posted at the hour of Si. Right now, the hearts of all scholars across the empire are at the gate of the examination compound. I wonder who this year's Huiyuan will be. Surely, they will be a future pillar of Your Majesty's government."

Earlier, the chief examiner had presented the top ten candidates' papers to the Yuanhua Emperor. The emperor did not remove the anonymity but determined the rankings based on the content of the papers.

Thus, the Yuanhua Emperor did not know in advance who the Huiyuan was.

Wen Xing understood that the emperor's earlier remark referred to Mr. Wen's disciple, Du Yunse.

"To achieve the Three Yuan" meant that a scholar secured the first place in the provincial, metropolitan, and palace examinations, earning the titles of Jieyuan, Huiyuan, and Zhuangyuan, collectively known as the "Three Yuan."

Although this achievement was extremely difficult, there had been one or two individuals in previous dynasties who had accomplished it.

What the Yuanhua Emperor referred to as "achieving the Six Firsts" included the county, prefectural, and academy exams. The entire journey of the imperial examination consisted of six major tests. If a scholar secured the first place in all six examinations, they could be called "achieving the Six Firsts." From ancient times to the present, no one had ever achieved this feat.

After all, even the most learned individuals might falter once or twice. To maintain the first place from the beginning to the end of every examination was incredibly challenging!

Du Yunse had already secured the first place in the county, prefectural, and academy exams, earning the "Little Three Yuan." Last year, he also secured the Jieyuan of Liaozhou in the provincial examination. He was only two steps away from achieving "the Six Firsts."

These were the most important and difficult steps.

Although the Yuanhua Emperor was optimistic about Du Yunse, he did not intend to grant this unprecedented honor directly. He wanted to see if Du Yunse had the ability to achieve six consecutive top ranks on his own.

Therefore, the emperor was somewhat curious about who the Huiyuan of this metropolitan examination would be.

Was the paper he deemed a masterpiece, flawless, written by Du Yunse, or was there another gifted scholar?

Regardless of the possibility, the emperor remained unperturbed. The Yuanhua Emperor was merely curious.

Wen Xing understood the emperor's thoughts and bowed with a smile, "The Board of Rites will immediately send another copy of the results to Your Majesty. You will know the outcome shortly."

...

At the examination compound, the area in front of the results board was a sea of people. Everyone was pushing and shoving, eager to see the names they were hoping for as soon as possible.

Bai Quan quickly disappeared into the crowd after going down. Qiu Huanian knew it would take some time for him to return after seeing the rankings, so he stood by the window, observing the people below to ease his tension.

He believed that Du Yunse would definitely be among the three hundred successful candidates and that Du Yunse would rank high. However, he was not entirely confident that Du Yunse could secure the first place.

After all, this was a national-level examination, gathering all the scholars from the Yu Dynasty who believed they had the ability to pass the imperial examination.

Although Qiu Huanian kept telling himself in his heart that as long as Du Yunse's name was on the list, it would be enough, and it wasn't necessary to compete for the first place, the title of the Huiyuan sounded so appealing. Missing it would be a pity.

His competitive streak and collector's mentality were both ignited.

Du Yunse silently stood up and stood beside Qiu Huanian, accompanying him as they looked down together.

The metropolitan examination results captivated the attention of everyone in the capital. Among the people looking at the results were scholars who had taken the examination, attendants of various scholars, and representatives from other households interested in the examination.

The crowd at the front had already seen their rankings, and many who made the list couldn't hold back their tears, shouting out loud to release their pent-up emotions.

Qiu Huanian, with sharp eyes, noticed several newly selected scholars under thirty who had just celebrated their names on the list, only to be immediately escorted away by lavishly dressed attendants waiting nearby.

"Is this the practice of snatching a son-in-law at the announcement?" Qiu Huanian asked with great interest.

Those scholars were pulled away without a word, some even fought over by several families' attendants, making it a truly bustling scene.

The three hundred scholars on the apricot list could all become imperial scholars after the Palace Examination, just a step away from official positions. Securing one directly is far more advantageous than nurturing a scholar from scratch.

Of course, those who dare to snatch a son-in-law under the apricot list must have considerable strength, either fabulously wealthy or high-ranking officials or nobles themselves.

It doesn't matter if the caught young scholar is already married; as long as enticing offers are made, there are always those who can't resist the temptation to abandon their spouse and divorce.

Qiu Huanian remarked, "Look at that person, although one shouldn't judge by appearance, despite being short and stout, there are actually three families competing to have him marry their daughters or sons. Scholars are truly valuable."

"Good thing I didn't send you down, otherwise those snatching a son-in-law under the list would have fought to the death."

Du Yunse's eyes twinkled with a hint of a smile, "I already have Brother Hua, so I won't join this commotion."

After watching from the window for a while, Xing Mi spotted Bai Quan with sharp eyes.

"Look, Township Lord! Bai Quan is back."

Qiu Huanian looked in the direction he pointed and indeed saw Bai Quan struggling to push through the crowd towards the teahouse.

"He must have checked the rankings."

Qiu Huanian's heart raced, trying to judge the result from Bai Quan's expression, but the distance was too far to discern.

"Let's go down." Qiu Huanian couldn't wait and immediately pulled Du Yunse downstairs.

Outside the teahouse, the clamor was deafening, even though it was a street away from the list posting area, it was still packed with people.

The servants they brought surrounded Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse, as soon as they regained their footing, Bai Quan had run back to them.

He was slightly disheveled from the throng, sweating on his forehead, but his eyes sparkled with excitement and joy, a break from his typically composed manner, indicating he had seen good news.

"What's the news?" Qiu Huanian asked eagerly.

Bai Quan wiped his sweat, quickly straightened his clothes, and said loudly, "Congratulations, Master and Township Lord, Master is this year's top imperial scholar, first on the apricot list!"

Suddenly, like a thunderclap, everyone around who heard Bai Quan's words looked over, the surrounding noise amplified severalfold, chattering deafeningly.

"Top scholar? The top scholar is here?"

"I heard it, at the teahouse entrance, right at the teahouse entrance!"

"Did anyone see who it is? Did I place my bet on the right person?!"

"It doesn't seem to be the candidates from the south, nor Jie Tanguang from Jinzhou, who is it?!"

"Step aside, step aside, let me catch a glimpse of the top scholar for good fortune!"

...

As Bai Quan's voice fell, Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian were instantly encircled, fortunately they had brought many people this time, otherwise they might have been overwhelmed.

Qiu Huanian excitedly grabbed Du Yunse's sleeve, his refined and handsome face flushed with excitement, "Yun Se, you're the top scholar! You've truly done it, absolutely remarkable!"

A hint of a smile flashed across Du Yunse's face, but he didn’t let his joy show for becoming the Number One Scholar in the provincial examination. His eyes were focused on Qiu Huanian, and he asked him first.

"Is Brother Hua satisfied?"

"Yes, yes!" The surrounding noise was too loud, and Qiu Huanian, afraid that Du Yunse wouldn't hear him, nodded vigorously twice.

Du Yunse then laughed heartily as well.

Brother Hua's happiness meant the world to him.

Having already achieved two top honors in a row, he was determined to secure the final one, the title of Number One Scholar, for his husband.

...

On the top floor of the restaurant opposite the teahouse, the entire floor was cleared of any unrelated people. Disguised but clearly skilled guards stood in various places, protecting the royal figure in the central private room.

The servants sent to check the results had returned, bringing news of the top ten candidates on the apricot list.

The Third Prince, Prince Jin Jia Honghan, frowned. "The Number One Scholar in the provincial examination isn't Tanguang, but that Du Yunse?"

Jie Tanguang, seated below, immediately stood up to apologize.

Jia Honghan's expression shifted, and he revealed a smile. "Cousin, no need to worry. I was merely surprised."

"...And it just had to be someone from the Crown Prince's side."

He had a brilliant and highly talented cousin from his mother's family, yet the Crown Prince's side had someone who could overshadow him—and it was someone personally recommended by the Emperor. How could he accept that?

Jia Honghan clenched his fists, his emotions churned.

Jie Tanguang indeed stood out at a young age, but his great reputation in the capital was also bolstered by the efforts of his maternal family.

Originally, he aimed to achieve "three consecutive top honors" to attract more scholars to his side, but he fell short at the second stage.

Although Jie Tanguang ranked second on the list of successful candidates, which was already quite remarkable, without the title of the top scorer in the provincial exam, he felt something was missing.

Jie Tanguang observed Jia Honghan's reaction and, lowering his eyelids, said with a gentle smile, "Du Yunse is an esteemed student of Mr. Wen Huiyang, known as a prodigy since childhood. He has studied under Mr. Wen for nearly ten years and is exceptionally talented. It’s no surprise he topped the provincial exam."

Jia Honghan snorted, suppressing his irritation, "It’s only one rank behind. The top scorer in the Palace Examination is still up for grabs, and that is the most important and eye-catching."

"Although Wen Huiyang is talented, he is just a scholarly type. A top scorer who served as a fifth-rank court academician for ten years before resigning to travel. His students may excel in writing essays, but not necessarily in strategy."

"Cousin, as a member of the Jie family, your vision and strategic insight are far beyond that of Du Yunse, a son of a farming family. You must not underestimate yourself. The outcome is still uncertain."

Jie Tanguang sighed inwardly and, with a smile, cupped his hands in gratitude, "Tanguang is grateful for Your Highness’s support."

The results of the provincial exam were not as expected, and Jia Honghan did not wish to stay longer, as there were many other troubles outside.

He stood up, waving his sleeve, "In that case, cousin, prepare well for the Palace Examination in ten days. I will take my leave now."

Jie Tanguang bowed and saw Jia Honghan off until all his entourage had left. Then he went to the window, looked down at the crowd gathered to check the results, and let out a long sigh.

As a member of the Jie family, the nephew of the palace's Consort Ying, and the cousin of the Third Prince, some positions were inherently fixed and beyond his choice.

He may have lost in the provincial exam, but he would not give up competing for the title of top scorer in the Palace Examination.

...

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse struggled to make their way out of the examination hall area and returned home, where they were soon inundated with countless invitations and gifts.

Although the top scorer in the provincial exam was not yet the top scorer in the Palace Examination, it was certain to be in the top tier of the second rank, indicating a promising future. Who wouldn't want to make connections in advance?

After discussing with Qiu Huanian, Du Yunse decided to accept the appropriate gifts, record them, and decline all invitations, citing the need to focus on preparing for the Palace Examination in ten days.

Once the Palace Examination was over and everything was settled, they would throw a lavish banquet at their residence, inviting relatives, friends, and those who had sent gifts and invitations.