"Good news from the imperial examination. Congratulations to Zhu Ping'an of Anqing Prefecture for winning the first place in the imperial examination!"
When Xu Laosan was reading the good news at the Duke of Wei's mansion, the curious people around him stretched their necks to come over to read the good news. Although some had guessed that the top scorer in this imperial examination might not be Fatty Zhou but someone else, after seeing the facts written in black and red on the good news, they could not help but read it out loud in surprise.
Zhu Ping'an!
If the words of Fatty Zhou, who looked constipated and as if he had lost his parents, “Fifth brother-in-law, you have good news”, were like a loud drumbeat, making people just doubt;
At this moment, looking at the good news and reading aloud this sentence "Good news from the imperial examination, congratulations to Zhu Ping'an of Anqing prefecture for winning the first place in the imperial examination", it is like a thunderclap exploding in people's hearts, and the news that Zhu Ping'an is the first place in the imperial examination is an ironclad fact.
The champion of the imperial examination is Zhu Ping'an!
The news was so sudden that people couldn't accept it.
Even if the first place winner was Fatty Zhou, people could still accept it, but when the first place winner was Zhu Ping'an, people couldn't accept it for a while.
Who is Zhu Ping'an
He is the fifth brother-in-law of the Linhuai Marquis's mansion who is about to break off his engagement. He is a country bumpkin, a gigolo, mediocre and incompetent, he... ... There are no less than fifty disgusting versions of his story in the Linhuai Marquis's mansion. If even one of these fifty versions happened to him, he would not be able to bear the shame and hang himself!
But the fact is, the first place in this imperial examination fell to this person.
I sat up in shock from my dying illness and asked, "Who is more handsome, me or Xu Gong?" People's mood at this moment was almost the same as when they heard this sentence, stunned and unable to recover for a long time.
People were stunned and turned their eyes once again to the young man whom they had just despised.
The boy has a very ordinary appearance. It is not an exaggeration to describe him as mediocre. He even looks a bit honest.
Too ordinary! Throw him into a crowd. Just like a drop of water falling into the sea, inconspicuous. He doesn't have the feeling of a talented scholar at all, not to mention the elegance and grace that a champion should have. Many people present here have more potential than him. For example, Xu Lao San from the Duke of Wei's mansion is definitely several blocks ahead of him.
Compared to people's surprise, the bigger reaction came from those who had direct interests in this meeting.
For example, the real protagonist of this banquet was the old lady of Linhuai Marquis Mansion who was celebrating her 60th birthday. She was full of energy just now. She was trembling with excitement and shouting "big reward", standing and directing the steward to set off firecrackers, as if she was ten years younger. But now her eyes went dark and she almost fainted on the spot. Fortunately, the close maid Zijuan next to her supported the old lady in time and pinched her knuckles, so she didn't faint. But the whole person seemed to have overdrawn all her energy and fell softly on the seat. Her face was gloomy.
For example, at another table, when Lord Linhuai Li Tingzhu heard people reading aloud the words on the good news, the wine glass that he had been holding with trembling excitement just now seemed to be burned red. The wine glass in his hand fell to the ground with a snap, as if it was burned.
However, not everyone was so stunned and surprised. For example, some people were cheering.
"Win, win... win, my uncle won... Miss. Miss, my uncle won~~~ first place, the champion~~~"
When Baozi's maid Hua'er heard the news that Zhu Ping'an had passed the imperial examination, she jumped and danced excitedly while hugging Li Shu's arm. Baozi's face flushed with excitement. Her excitement could not be described in words. It seemed that every cell in her body was beating with joy. She could not help but hug her mistress's arm and jumped and danced.
Li Shu let her little maid hold her arm and play happily, and her watery eyes looked at the boy holding the teacup lovingly. The corners of her mouth were slightly curved.
See? That’s my, Li Shu’s husband!
It seemed as if a sweet and cool breeze passed through Li Shu's heart!
The cheers of the little maidservant woke up the young ladies in the marquis's mansion who were around.
The young ladies who had originally walked out of the house excitedly with flushed faces now seemed to have suffered a huge blow. Although they had smiles on their faces, their smiles were full of forced meaning.
Especially the Fifth Miss of the Marquis' Mansion, who was so amorous, her heart was beating fast, her mind was flying, and she looked down on Li Shu when Xu Penghui came to the Duke of Wei's Mansion just now, now her face turned terribly pale, and the handkerchief in her hand was clenched into a ball.
Only at this moment did she finally understand why her fifth sister was so calm and relaxed while sipping tea when Xu Penghui ranked 38th just now!
At this moment, she finally understood how envious and jealous she thought her fifth sister was when Xu Penghui ranked 38th. How ridiculous it was for her to want to see her fifth sister being envious and jealous! The husband she had not yet decided on was only ranked 38th, while the husband her fifth sister had decided on was the first place winner!
The Sixth Miss of the Marquisate had a pale face and looked at the bumpkin Fifth Brother-in-law who was the focus of everyone's attention in the crowd:
The country bumpkin fifth brother-in-law looks ordinary, as mediocre as a drop of water falling into the ocean. He looks simple and honest, but on this honest face, there is a pair of black and bright eyes, which are always energetic and seem to be able to see through everything.
The country bumpkin fifth brother-in-law had a faint smile on his face at this moment. He bowed his hands and smiled to everyone, neither humble nor overbearing, neither arrogant nor proud. He was as calm as when he first entered the Marquis' Mansion and was ridiculed by himself. The words of that day seemed to still be in his ears: A good-looking child like you, with a nice voice, pure and unworldly, beautiful and intelligent, as graceful as catkins in the wind and curious. To be honest, a country bumpkin like me can beat ten of them.
What made Miss Six of the Marquis's Mansion realize the most was that her country bumpkin brother-in-law was only fourteen or fifteen years old this year. Oh, yes, he was the same age as her sister and herself, but only fourteen years old. Thinking of this, Miss Six of the Marquis's Mansion shuddered. Her brother-in-law won the first prize at the age of fourteen! He was more than four years younger than Xu Penghui! A fourteen-year-old champion, just thinking about it made her feel terrified!
The Sixth Miss of the Marquis' Mansion turned her gaze from her country bumpkin brother-in-law to her Fifth Sister Li Shu, who was smiling at the moment.
Finally, the Sixth Miss of the Marquis' Mansion finally understood why her Fifth Sister, who was so beautiful, would be betrothed to such a country bumpkin Fifth Brother-in-law, and finally understood why her Fifth Sister was so dismissive when she heard everyone in the Marquis' Mansion slandering her country bumpkin Fifth Brother-in-law.
That’s right, disdain, Fifth Sister is disdainful!
There were many people who thought and viewed the birthday banquet in the Marquis' Mansion like the Sixth Miss, but there were exceptions. For example, Mr. Zheng, who had been posing since early morning and blocked the door of Zhu Ping'an's guest room for a long time, and tried to persuade Zhu Ping'an to stay quietly in the corner and not lose face for the Marquis' Mansion and Li Shu, was not like that.
After hearing people reading out the words "Good news from the imperial examination, congratulations to Anqing Prefecture's Zhu Ping'an for winning the first place in the imperial examination", Master Zheng seemed to be greatly shocked. He walked through the crowd, muttering "It must be a mistake, it must be a mistake..." and came to the side of Xu Laosan in the Duke of Wei's mansion, and took the good news from the imperial examination in his hand.
I must have made a mistake. That country bumpkin is not as good as me at writing poems, and I am still teaching him eight-part essays...
Mr. Zheng could not believe that Zhu Ping'an, who was not as good as him in poetry, eight-legged essay and everything else, could have won the first place.
Then, he read the good news about the examination over and over again with perseverance, but the three words "Zhu Ping'an" on the report could not be clearer, like a slap in the face, landing heavily on his face.
Don't talk, I want to be quiet. (To be continued.)
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