Zhuangzi, Zhou Shuren and Zhulan sent the maid away, and the old couple planned to live a simple life for a few days. Zhulan was still interested in cooking, but she didn't make much progress in all these years. For the couple who were picky about food, they finally asked the cook to cook again.
Zhou Shuren spent three days very fulfillingly, watching the snow scenery, painting with his wife, and taking people hunting. As a result, Zhou Shuren wanted to retire even more.
Winter passed quickly and the New Year came before we knew it. Setting small goals each year has become a must for the Zhou family, and summarizing the gains and losses of the year has become a good habit.
After the New Year, Mingyun prepared for the spring examination, and more and more people in the capital came to bet on Mingyun.
The Zhou family was afraid of disturbing Mingyun and never mentioned anything outside that would put pressure on Mingyun.
Ran Wan's belly was already very big, and Li was more careful than when she was pregnant. "I noticed that you didn't look well these past two days. Are you worried about Mingyun?"
Ran Wan touched her belly and said, "I'm afraid my husband will be under a lot of pressure."
She was also aware of the gambling outside, and was afraid that her husband would put too much pressure on her, so she had not had a good rest in the past two days.
Zhulan said, "Mingyun knows what's going on. If you take care of yourself, he can relax and prepare for the exam."
Mingyun attaches great importance to Ran Wan. The couple pays attention to everything from the details. Mingyun knows all of Ran Wan's preferences. It takes a lot of effort to remember them, which shows the position of Ran Wan in Mingyun's heart.
Ran Wan's ears turned slightly red. Her husband had said the same thing in recent days, but she couldn't help herself from worrying.
Zhao changed the subject, "I heard that the Hanlin Academy's Shujishi will be assigned an official position."
Su Xuan had the most say, "Yes, just these few days."
Li looked at her mother and asked, "Mother, will my fourth brother stay in Beijing?"
Only the fourth room and his wife knew that Changzhi would stay in Beijing, and the other rooms were unaware. Today, Zhulan gave a definite answer, "Yes, Changzhi will stay in Beijing."
When Li heard this, she thought her father-in-law must have known the news. She would not ask any other questions and would know when the time came.
On the eve of the spring examination, the three-year assessment of the Hanlin Academy's Shujishi was completed and officials were assigned one by one. Chang Zhi stayed in the Hanlin Academy and was promoted from editor to historian, a sixth-rank official position.
It was surprising that both Chang Zhi and Liu Song stayed in the Hanlin Academy.
Then the Spring Examination began. The night before it began, Zhou Shuren tossed and turned, and Zhulan couldn't sleep either. "Are you worried about Mingyun?"
Zhou Shuren, "Yeah."
He thought he would be very calm, but it turned out that he overestimated himself. He was very worried about Mingyun. After all, the child was very young and it was inevitable that he would be under pressure.
Zhulan, "There's nothing we can do. We can only trust him. You have to have confidence in the children you teach."
Zhou Shuren pulled up the quilt and sighed, "I can only trust him."
Last year was a cold winter, and the spring examination was also exceptionally cold, comparable to the one Zhou Shuren had held. After the spring examination, many people fell ill. Mingyun also caught a cold and had to take several doses of medicine before he got better.
Now everyone is waiting for the announcement of the results. Mingyun stays at home with his wife, and often reads books to his unborn child.
Li didn't dare to ask her son how he did in the exam, but she didn't want to disturb the young couple, so she could only stay in the main courtyard.
Zhulan had heard enough of Li's sighs and groans, "If you continue to sigh, don't come tomorrow."
She was also very upset, and Li's annoyance made her even more upset.
Li, "Mother, I sent a servant to inquire about the gambling game, and many people bet on Mingyun. I'm really scared."
Zhulan understood what Li meant. If Mingyun passed the exam, everything would be fine. If he failed, rumors would spread and many words would be directed at Mingyun. "This is a hurdle that Mingyun has to overcome on his own. No matter what the result is, Mingyun will handle it well."
Mingyun needs to overcome this hurdle by himself. Halo is a double-edged sword. The more attention you get, the greater the backlash damage.
The results of the Spring Examination came out and the emperor was the first to know about it. He was also very concerned about Zhou Mingyun, but it turned out that Zhou Mingyun was not the first place.
The emperor has regrets but is not disappointed. Second place is already remarkable. There are many talented people in the South. Seven of the top ten are from the South, which shows how high the quality of southern students is this year.
The prince said, "Father, aren't you disappointed?"
Your Majesty, "I am not disappointed. On the contrary, I am interested in seeing Zhou Mingyun's reaction."
Results are not the most important thing; character and personality are what he values. Although he did not get the first place in the exam, he was eager to know the reaction of the ranking. Zhou Mingyun was very smart and knew clearly what the consequences of not getting the top three places would be.
The prince understood, "I am also looking forward to his performance there."
On the day of the announcement of the results, Mingyun did not go to see them. He had a hunch when he left the examination room. Sometimes the hunch was very accurate. Sure enough, the housekeeper brought back the news of the second place.
Mingyun saw that his brothers were looking at him forbearingly, and he chuckled, "Am I so fragile in your eyes?"
He clearly said that as long as I tried my best, everything would be fine. There would be disappointments, but he wouldn't care. He had tried his best with all his heart and had no regrets.
Ming Teng laughed, "Big brother is not fragile."
Mingrui looked at his elder brother carefully, and seeing that he really didn't care, he breathed a sigh of relief, "Brother, there is still a chance for the palace examination."
Mingyun felt that his brothers were still naive, so he looked at Mingteng and asked, "Do you also think there is still a chance for the palace examination?"
Ming Teng helps his uncle-in-law with his errands and has seen a lot of balance. Sometimes he would meet the emperor emeritus, who would give him guidance because he was from the Rong family. He would not only look at the present but also look at the overall situation when looking at a problem.
Ming Teng said sullenly, "Brother, being the second place winner like grandpa is not bad, and being the third place winner is even better."
Mingrui was stunned and looked at his second brother, "Second brother, why do you say that?"
Seeing that Ming Teng didn't want to explain, Ming Yun could only speak up himself, "Last year, the South was cleaned up, and the last No. 1 scholar was from the capital, so in order to appease the South or to achieve balance, this year's No. 1 scholar will be in the South."
After a pause, he continued, "If I win the first place in the exam this time, it is because I have relied on my own ability. The top spot is almost certain. Nan Fang can't say anything, because he is not as skilled as others."
Mingrui understood and continued, "Now that big brother didn't get the first place in the imperial examination, he won't become the top scholar in the palace examination. Even if he performed well, the emperor gave big brother a chance. But if he didn't get the first place this time, the chance is gone."
To put it bluntly, my brother didn't seize the opportunity, and this year's top scholar is bound to come from the south.
Mingyun smiled and said, "The first place is very impressive. You have also noticed the ranking. Seven of the top ten are from the South. The fact that he didn't win the first place this time shows that he is very capable. The possibility of him making mistakes in the palace examination is very small."
So he doesn't need the emperor's balance, and he has the real ability to pass the imperial examination.
Ming Teng understood what his elder brother meant, and he accepted his defeat sincerely, "It's just that, elder brother, you have received too much attention in the capital, and there will be slanderous remarks about you in the future."
Mingyun raised his eyebrows, "Is second place so bad? They didn't even get second place. Those who can say words that can hurt me so much either have ulterior motives or have bad hearts. It's not worth it for me to worry about these irrelevant people. If I have the time to care about these things, I might as well enrich myself."
How could he not be afraid of speech? He was never afraid. This was a rare lesson in his life. He kept in mind what his grandfather taught him and cherished every obstacle. They were the most precious wealth. After getting through them, he would not be afraid in the future.