At the market in Kaoshan Town, Chen was obsessed with her second son, and at this moment, half of Qinhuai River was boiling under the Yingtian list.
"I come from a humble background, so it would be great if I could marry someone of higher status. But how about you wait until I get home and discuss this with my wife?"
At the bottom of the Yingtian list, a boy of about thirteen or fourteen raised the corners of his lips and said this with a look of joy.
After more than ten seconds of silence, there was a burst of laughter.
Amidst the laughter, the unexpected housekeeper Gongyang Hu became red-faced and a little annoyed. He came to seek a son-in-law on behalf of the family of a powerful official of the third rank. How could he have thought that the young scholar would be so excited that he would agree to it? But he did not expect this result.
"You, humph!"
Amid the laughter of the crowd, steward Gongyang Hu, with a red face, led more than a dozen servants away.
Looking at the butler Gongyang Hu who left in shame, Zhu Pingan narrowed his eyes slightly. It is better to wear small shoes than to lose his head. This is something that cannot be done to the son-in-law of Mr. Zhao Wenhua. Others do not know what kind of crazy things Zhao Wenhua will do in the future, but he knows it.
This guy's brain gets hot-headed, and it's shocking! I don't want to be implicated by him in the future.
However, it is said that this gentleman was very good at judging people. When Yan Song was just a university president, this gentleman saw that Yan Song would have unlimited achievements in the future, so he called out two words that are similar to the modern "godfather", "adoptive father". Sure enough, within a few years, Yan Song was promoted all the way to the first assistant of the cabinet, second only to the emperor. This gentleman's vision is evident.
Now this gentleman actually sent someone to ask him to be his son-in-law, which surprised Zhu Pingan. Could it be that this gentleman believed that he would be extraordinary in the future? But this was a bit far-fetched, as this gentleman only met him once at the examination hall. It was still a bit difficult; and he was only the last one in the examination. It was a bit hard to understand.
"You turned down such a good thing?! He's a third-rank official. With this father-in-law, he will be promoted three levels in the future!" The fat man kept chattering in Zhu Ping'an's ear, and then whispered, "I know you're not married. How old are you?"
“It is better to walk the road ahead by yourself. Asking for help is like swallowing a three-foot sword, and relying on others is like climbing to the ninth heaven.” Zhu Pingan smiled faintly.
Xia Luoming seemed to understand something when he heard this. He slightly distanced himself from Guo Ziyu and others around him, and looked at Zhu Pingan with more respect.
"To seek fame and reputation!"
Guo Ziyu said sourly, with a mixture of envy, jealousy and hatred, and a strong feeling of being underappreciated in his eyes. This kid is just at the bottom of the list, I am dozens of places higher than him, and I am much more handsome than him, why is he the one who wants to be the son-in-law and not me!
Guo Ziyu and others left this place of trouble with great reluctance.
On this day, everyone remembered a name under the Yingtian list, Zhu Ping'an. Although this name was at the bottom of the list, it was more dazzling than the top name because of the third-rank official's son-in-law.
In a restaurant not far away, the two examiners were also watching this scene.
"It seems that we have underestimated Zhao Wenhua!" Chief Examiner Wang said softly as he looked at the Yingtian list, then looked at Chief Examiner Zhang who was sitting opposite him.
"How can we underestimate a henchman who is valued by Yan Song? But I am a little surprised by his gaze." Chief Examiner Zhang nodded.
“Then…” Chief Examiner Wang hesitated to speak.
Chief Examiner Zhang stroked his beard and smiled confidently. "I have a clear conscience, and Minister Xu of the Ministry of Rites is in charge..."
After two rounds of catching sons-in-law under the Yingtian list, the crowd gradually dispersed, and Zhu Ping'an and Fatty looked through the list again. Especially when Fatty saw his name on the vice list, he touched his belly contentedly and boasted that his belly was full of poetry and books, and then pointed to the vice list and said that he would definitely transfer his name to the Gui list next year.
After working hard for a long morning, the fat man was satisfied when he saw his name on the secondary list. He shook his head and said he wanted to go back and have some sleep.
Zhu Pingan also wanted to go back to pack up and prepare to return home, so he followed the crowd back to the inn. When they arrived at the inn, Fatty went back to his room to catch up on his sleep, and Zhu Pingan went back to his room to pack up, preparing to choose a day to return home after things here were settled.
After the Luming Banquet, there will be nothing to do here, and I can go home. Luming Banquet is a banquet stipulated in the imperial examination system. It originated in the Tang Dynasty. On the day after the provincial examination results were announced, the newly-appointed candidates and officials in the inner and outer curtains were invited to a banquet, and songs from the "Luming" chapter in the "Book of Songs" were sung. It was called the "Luming Banquet".
While Zhu Ping'an was packing his things, the housekeeper Gongyang Hu from the Zhao Mansion was reporting to his master with red ears and exaggerated information about the matter of catching a son-in-law under the list.
"Sir, I think that boy is too ungrateful." Butler Gongyang Hu concluded after adding fuel to the fire.
Zhao Wenhua sat in a chair and listened to his housekeeper's report. He looked calm. He blew the hot tea in his hand and said lightly, "Being arrogant because of one's talent is a common problem among young talents."
Butler Gongyang Hu was somewhat surprised by his master's reaction. Normally, shouldn't the master teach that kid a lesson to let him know his place? Could it be that his description was too bland
"Sir, there is one thing I don't understand. This kid is just at the bottom of the list. Aren't you praising him too much?"
Butler Gongyang Hu shook his ram's beard, bent over and asked bravely.
Hearing this, Zhao Wenhua gently placed the teacup in his hand on the table, looked down at him, and asked, "Flattery? Do you know why I can be in this position now?"
Under Zhao Wenhua's gaze, Gongyang Hu, the butler, felt a little sweat on his back and replied hurriedly, "Of course, it is because of your foresight and hard work."
"Bullshit, that's with my eyes!" Zhao Wenhua sneered, "Back then, my adoptive father was just the chief priest of the Imperial College, but now... I don't believe that those who laughed at me for having an adoptive father can still laugh now."
"How can he compare with the Prime Minister? He is just at the bottom of the list." Butler Gongyang Hu had a deep grudge against Zhu Ping'an and would find every opportunity to put pressure on his master.
"That's why you can only be a housekeeper while I am a third-rank official!" Zhao Wenhua blew on the hot tea in the cup, took a sip, and said with a smug look on his face, "You only saw the bottom of the list, but I, the master, have already seen a rare young talent."
"At the bottom of the list, do you know what a thirteen-year-old juren means?" Zhao Wenhua put the teacup down with a little force, making a noise, which scared the housekeeper Gongyang Hu.
"..." Butler Gongyang Hu was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and his mind went blank.
"Let's not talk about the distant past, let's talk about the recent past. You must have heard of Prime Minister Yang who held great power for three dynasties. He passed the imperial examination at the age of thirteen! This kind of monster cannot be judged by common sense."
"Besides, what I am interested in is his policy of dealing with the Japanese pirates. The Japanese pirates along the coast have been getting more and more rampant in recent years. They will be a highlight in the book of merit in the future. I have been keeping an eye on him for many years..." (To be continued...)
ps: I am very sorry for the late update.
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