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In order to hold the old lady's birthday banquet, the Linhuai Marquis Mansion invited the most popular opera troupe in the capital, set up a stage in the garden, and performed several popular operas recently.
Everyone present was watching with great interest and cheers could be heard from time to time. Only Zhu Ping'an found the performance on the stage boring. How could someone who had experienced Hollywood blockbusters and domestic films and TV series have any feelings for these operas that he could not understand
The song “Washing Silk” brought today’s birthday banquet to a climax.
The third master of the Marquis's Mansion had prepared three baskets of money early on. After listening to the opera, the old lady happily said "reward". The second master of the Marquis's Mansion then ordered the servants to scatter the money in the baskets onto the stage.
There was a crackling sound, and it sounded like money was raining on the stage.
When the old lady saw it, she was very pleased, smiling brightly and was extremely happy.
"No wonder the lanterns burst and condensed again yesterday. It turns out they were supposed to happen today. Thank you, old birthday star." The Huadan who sang in the opera troupe bowed and thanked the old lady of the marquis's mansion.
Zhu Ping'an was the youngest at the table. Since no one came to serve him, Zhu Ping'an took over the job of pouring tea and wine for the people at the table. For a moment, the atmosphere at the table was very harmonious.
This table was full of poor relatives of the Marquis' Mansion. Zhu Ping'an was sitting at this table and had the potential to be a foodie. Seeing that Zhu Ping'an had such a good appetite, as if he had never eaten delicious food, these people thought that Zhu Ping'an was also a poor relative of the Marquis' Mansion like them. They did not avoid Zhu Ping'an and sat at the same table to talk about the Marquis' Mansion's secrets in a low voice. Because in recent years, the Marquis' Mansion was only concerned with climbing up the social ladder and looked down on these poor relatives. When they talked about the Marquis' Mansion's secrets, there was also some personal emotion in it.
Then, Zhu Pingan felt that what they said was much more interesting than the operas on the stage. There were stories about the Linhuai Marquis having an affair with a maid, the second master having an affair with a nun in a nunnery, and sometimes he would drag the pretty servants in the mansion to his room to vent his anger. There were stories about the first and second masters working together to plot against the third master's business. They were all very detailed and emotional.
When the birthday banquet at the Marquis' Mansion was getting better and better, there was a commotion outside, and then like dominoes, the commotion slowly spread from outside the Marquis' Mansion to inside the Mansion, and then to the birthday banquet.
"The results of the Imperial Examination have been announced."
The news of the announcement of the results of the imperial examination spread throughout the birthday party in an instant. Everyone's family, relatives, and neighbors had someone who was related to them and was likely to take the imperial examination, so everyone was very excited when they heard the news.
"It seems that the results of this imperial examination were announced a few days earlier than usual."
"This Xu Laosan is really well-informed. He said the results would be announced today and it really was announced today." A rich man sitting at Fatty Zhou's table sighed.
The announcement of the results of the imperial examination was similar to that of the provincial examination. Both were first announced by express horses, that is, by a special person going to the inn or home to announce the good news. Only after all the announcements were made would the list be posted in front of the Shuntian Examination Hall in the southeast of the capital.
Those who passed the provincial examination were called "juren", and those who passed the metropolitan examination were called "gongshi". The first place was called "huiyuan", and the "gong" in "gongshi" means "tribute". After passing the examination, you can take part in the palace examination, which is held by the emperor in person and is regarded as a "talent selection ceremony". The palace examination does not eliminate candidates. All the gongshi can pass the palace examination and rank among the top three, but the ranking will change slightly.
Once you pass the imperial examination, it means that you will rise to the top. If you are good enough, you will pass the examination and become the first, second, or third place, and you will be appointed as a prime minister in the future.
This time, the examination was to admit 400 candidates, the full quota. There was no shortage of candidates, and the number of candidates was quite large. The messengers who came to announce the good news rode out of the Shuntian Imperial Examination Hall one after another.
After the news of the announcement of the results of the imperial examination came, everyone at the birthday banquet looked out and each sent their servants out to inquire about the news. The old lady of Linhuai Marquis's Mansion and others did the same. Fatty Zhou from the Marquis's Mansion also participated in the imperial examination.
“Da da da!”
Suddenly, there was a burst of brisk horse hoofbeats sounds coming from the distant street. Each sound seemed to be stepping on everyone's hearts, so clear and touching.
boom!
Everyone at the birthday banquet at the Marquis' Mansion suddenly became excited. The sound of horse hooves was so crisp, it meant that the person bringing the good news had arrived at Gonghou Street.
People couldn't wait to send several servants out to get the news. The servants ran out and came back panting soon, reporting that the son of the Chengguo family was riding a horse passing by, and he was not the one who came to announce the good news of the imperial examination. Everyone was a little disappointed when they heard this. Really, why did the son of the Chengguo family ride a horse at this time? He really didn't know how to choose the time.
But soon, everyone became excited again because there was another burst of hurried horse hoof sounds coming from outside.
"Good news from the imperial examination. Congratulations to Mr. Li Yiyi from Bao'an County, Guangzhou Prefecture, for being ranked 396th in the imperial examination..."
The loud and clear voice of the messenger came from outside, and it could be heard from far away.
The good news about the imperial examination was announced in order of ranking from the back to the front, and now he is ranked 396th.
Upon hearing this, Fatty Zhou suddenly became excited, stretching his fat face to look outside, as if the next person would be the one to bring him the good news.
"Haha, Fatty Zhou, why are you so excited? Just don't worry about it."
"That's right. With your level, why bother about the things in your heart? There are no doors or windows. When God closes a door for you, he will also use it to clamp your brain. Forget about passing the imperial examination. Just follow us to the Beijing camp to find a position. We can take care of each other in the Beijing camp."
"That's right. If you can win, I'll show everyone how to eat a plate."
The second-generation rich kids ridiculed the fat guy in every possible way. One of them even picked up a plate and made a bet with his teeth bared that if the fat guy won, he would perform a show of eating the plate.
It had been a while since the last time the sound of horse hooves announcing good news passed by the street in front of the Linhuai Marquis's mansion, because the 400 people who passed the examination were scattered all over the capital, so they didn't necessarily have to pass by this street. However, everyone in the mansion knew exactly where the good news was going, because the servants who went out to inquire about it brought the news back to the birthday banquet one after another.
So far, the number of successful candidates in the imperial examination has reached 188th.
"Hehe, it's already over 100, Fatty Zhou, just give up. If you were ranked over 300, if the examiner was blind, you might still have a chance, but for this 100-plus, forget it."
The second generation rich kids lost no opportunity to laugh at the fat man.
"Hmph, it's still early, why rush?" Fatty Zhou snorted. He still had great hope that he would make the list, and his bright little eyes looked outside.
"Forget it, you're not going to give up until you get to the Yellow River. If you can do it, I'll eat the shit on the spot."
"Me too"
The second-generation rich guys enjoyed attacking the fat man and teasing each other about the fat man. They didn't believe that Fatty Zhou could win at all.
Li Shu heard the sound of the good news while chatting with her sisters. She frowned slightly, then called the maid Baozi to her ear and whispered to her to ask her to find Wang Xiaoer and send more people to stop the people who reported the good news to Zhu Ping'an in advance, and stuff more red envelopes into them, and told them not to mention their surnames and names when they report the good news to the Marquis' Mansion, but just say that the young master of the mansion has passed the imperial examination. Just say it, don't mention the name, and the reward will be doubled.
Watching the little maid Baozi running out happily, Li Shu slightly curled the corners of her lips.
Haha, happiness shared with others is worse than happiness alone (to be continued)
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