Chapter 37: Number One Scholar, The Top-Ranked Number One Scholar

On this day, Old Madam Wen summoned Su Zhenyue to Chunhui Hall and told her, “The wedding date for you and He Ming has been set for the nineteenth of the third month.”

“The nineteenth of the third month?” Su Zhenyue’s eyelashes fluttered as she asked hesitantly, “Isn’t that a little late?”

In her heart, she still hoped for an earlier date. Although the crisis of the imperial marriage decree had been mostly resolved, she still felt a little uneasy without a proper wedding.

Old Madam Wen glanced at her. “You call this late?”

As it happened, Madam Zhou and Lu Furen of the second branch were also present.

Madam Zhou immediately smiled and said, “A Yue, the nineteenth of the third month is very early. As the old saying goes, ‘No weddings in the first month, no engagements in the twelfth.’ There’s simply no precedent for getting married in the first month. As for the second month, there’s the Spring Examination. It’s a matter of great importance, so how could we let He Ming be distracted at such a time? After the results are posted, there’s the Palace Examination. And after the Palace Examination, there are the Qionglin Banquet, the Teacher Appreciation Banquet, and the Fellow Graduates Banquet. With all that, he won’t be free for at least three to five days…”

—Madam Zhou’s elder brother from her maiden family was a Jinshi scholar, so she was quite experienced in this matter.

Lu Furen also teased with a smile, “That’s right. Perhaps our bride is just anxious, so she feels it’s late.”

Everyone present broke into laughter.

After the engagement was settled, everyone’s attitude toward Su Zhenyue had improved considerably.

Madam Zhou brought up the matter of adopting her as a goddaughter again and even had a maid bring over the almanac, preparing to pick a good day. “It must be before she marries.”

“Exactly, exactly,” Lu Furen chimed in. “We’ll add another portion to her dowry then.”

Amidst the lively chatter, Su Zhenyue said no more, merely lowering her head in a show of shyness.

The nineteenth of the third month it is, she thought. If not for the worry of another mishap, it wasn’t actually that late.

And so, the wedding date was set.

In the blink of an eye, the second month arrived.

With the Spring Examination approaching, Shen Ji became increasingly busy, sometimes disappearing for days on end.

Su Zhenyue knew that besides the classics, history, and philosophy, the imperial examinations also tested knowledge of current affairs and government policies. It was impossible for him to stay in the Jing An Marquis Estate all the time.

She couldn’t help him, so all she could do was not disturb him, not cause trouble, and not distract him.

Therefore, Su Zhenyue stayed in the West Wing Courtyard every day, rarely stepping out.

For a time, all was peaceful.

—— —— —— ——

Gu Yuanchen, the Heir Apparent of Jing An, was the last to learn of Su Zhenyue and Shen Ji’s marriage.

It was on this day that his father, Jing’an Hou, mentioned it offhandedly, “Next month, the estate will be holding a joyous event…”

Gu Yuanchen’s heart tightened, and a sudden sense of foreboding washed over him. “What joyous event?”

“Shen Ji and A Yue are getting married. Although he’s not one of our family, A Yue is my goddaughter, after all…”

“A Yue is marrying Shen Ji?!” Gu Yuanchen was stunned and cut his father off. “When did this happen? Why… why didn’t I know?”

Jing’an Hou frowned. “Didn’t I just tell you? Next month! Next month! Did you not hear a single word I said?”

Gu Yuanchen’s face was ashen, his mind in turmoil. He muttered, “How could this be…”

He had clearly seen A Yue arguing with Shen Ji on Laba Festival last year, and Shen Ji had stormed off in a rage.

Could it be that Shen Ji knew A Yue was using him, yet still wanted to marry her?

And A Yue… A Yue had repeatedly told him to stay out of her affairs and refused his help, yet she was going to carelessly throw her life away?

Gu Yuanchen’s expression was extremely grim, and his heart was a chaotic mix of emotions.

Seeing his expression, Jing’an Hou was displeased and chided him in a low voice, “What does their marriage have to do with you? Who are you putting on this act for? What? Are you thinking of having A Yue as your concubine? Let me tell you, don’t even think about it! Making the daughter of your father’s savior your concubine? Your father might as well stop being a man from now on!”

Gu Yuanchen pressed his lips together. “That was not my intention. I just don’t want her to compromise on her marriage.”

He had long known she would marry, and he had never thought of wronging her by making her a concubine. He just hoped she could find someone she truly loved, unlike him.

Jing’an Hou’s anger subsided slightly, but his expression remained sour. “So not marrying you is a compromise, is that it? Shen Ji was the one who actively sought this marriage. With his talent, he is certain to pass the examinations this year. His future will be one of soaring success, and he may not be inferior to you. How is that a compromise? Besides, A Yue herself agreed.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“I don’t care what you meant. This has nothing to do with you. You’re married, so just live your life properly. Don’t neglect your wife, and have a child soon. Your grandmother is still waiting to hold her great-grandchild,” Jing’an Hou said with some impatience.

This was what he disliked most about his son. A real man should be decisive, able to pick things up and let them go. Since they were fated not to be, was it so hard to just let go?

Gu Yuanchen didn’t know how he walked out of the study.

His personal attendant, Xiao Wu, was waiting outside. Seeing him emerge, he hurried over. “Heir Apparent.”

Gu Yuanchen’s face was devoid of expression. “Is Miss Su marrying Shen Ji?”

Xiao Wu’s steps faltered slightly. “The Heir Apparent has found out?”

“So, you knew too?” Gu Yuanchen gritted his teeth.

Xiao Wu hung his head. “This… this is known throughout the entire Marquis Estate.”

Gu Yuanchen gave a cold laugh. “Good, very good.”

So they had all hidden it from him alone?

Xiao Wu muttered under his breath, “I thought the Heir Apparent knew.”

On second thought, it wasn’t so strange that the Heir Apparent didn’t know. Since his marriage, especially after the Princess was brought back to the estate, he was rarely home. He often used the excuse of being busy with official duties to not return, and even when he did, he left early and returned late, spending most of his time in his study.

Moreover, almost everyone in the estate knew that the Heir Apparent and Miss Su had almost been engaged in the past, so naturally, no one would deliberately bring it up in front of him.

Xiao Wu peeked at his face and asked cautiously, “Then, what does the Heir Apparent plan to do?”

Gu Yuanchen was also taken aback. Right, what did he plan to do?

A Yue was determined to draw a clear line between them. Shen Ji, knowing full well he was being deceived and used, still wanted to marry A Yue. What could he do?

Tell everyone that there were no feelings between A Yue and Shen Ji?

But most marriages in this world were not based on feelings.

In the end, Gu Yuanchen did nothing. He simply sat numbly in the study of Shushixuan Residence for the entire night.

Though he was young and strong, he had left the window open, and the night was somewhat cold.

The next morning, Gu Yuanchen felt his nose was stuffy, his throat was dry, and his head was heavy. He had fallen ill.

For someone who rarely got sick to suddenly fall ill, and so severely, both Madam Zhou and Chang Le Princess were extremely worried.

Chang Le Princess was so heartbroken that she secretly shed tears. Not only did she summon an imperial physician to the estate for a consultation, but she also personally brewed his medicine and attended to him with meticulous care, earning praise from everyone.

Gu Yuanchen’s illness lingered for several days before he gradually recovered.

At the same time, the Metropolitan Examination was about to begin.

As in previous years, this year’s Metropolitan Examination was still presided over by the Ministry of Rites.

Su Zhenyue was a woman and had never participated in the imperial examinations. But she had heard that the conditions in the examination cells of the Tribute Hall were extremely harsh, the spaces cramped and the facilities crude.

It was said that the examination cells were built of brick and stone, making them cold and damp. They were walled on three sides, with no door at the front. Inside, there were only two wooden planks and an examination lantern.

During the examination, food and clothing had to be brought by the candidates themselves, and before entering, they would be searched by designated personnel to strictly prevent cheating.

Shen Ji’s examination basket, scroll bag, and other items were meticulously prepared, guaranteed to be flawless.

Old Madam Wen was also very attentive, ordering people to prepare cooked food for three days and a felt blanket without a lining for warmth.

Knowing she couldn’t be of much help, Su Zhenyue made warm elbow guards, knee guards, and a Hand Warmer. She didn’t see Shen Ji at this time, only having Doukou pass the items to Ping An for delivery.

On the first day of the examination, the second master of the Jing An Marquis Estate, Gu Nianzhang, personally accompanied Shen Ji to the Tribute Hall examination grounds.

The three sessions of the examination would last for a total of nine days.

It was unknown how arduous it was for those inside the examination grounds, but outside, everyone counted the days as they waited.

Finally, the evening of the seventeenth of the second month arrived.

The entrance to the Tribute Hall was a sea of people.

Ping An followed behind the third young master, Gu Yuanwei, constantly looking around.

Suddenly, spotting a familiar figure, Ping An immediately waved his arms and shouted, “Young Master, over here! Over here!”

Hearing the noise, Shen Ji saw them in the crowd and walked straight over.

The crowd was a surging tide.

It took a great deal of effort for them to squeeze their way out.

Ping An took the initiative to take the examination basket, asking with a mix of curiosity and concern, “Young Master, how are you feeling now?”

Shen Ji answered with only two words: “Tired, hungry.”

Ping An was taken aback, his heart aching for him.

The third young master, Gu Yuanwei, said, “Stop asking. Hurry and take your young master back to eat something, take a bath, and get a good night’s sleep. The exam is over, what’s the use of asking now?”

“Third Young Master is right.” Ping An found this reasonable and asked no more questions.

The group returned to the Jing An Marquis Estate by carriage.

Shen Ji didn’t say a word and saw no one. After returning to Qingfeng Courtyard, he ate, bathed, and fell straight into bed.

When he woke up the next day, it was already the hour of the dragon.

After a simple wash, he turned his head to see Ping An bringing in breakfast.

The meals at the Jing An Marquis Estate were sumptuous, with several staple foods alone: fluffy white steamed buns, steaming hot fresh meat buns, and thousand-layer pancakes fried to a golden brown…

After several consecutive days of eating cold food in the examination cell, Shen Ji now found every single dish delicious.

Ping An stood by, grinning. “Young Master, from last night to this morning, several people have sent their servants over to ask about you.”

“Oh? Ask about what?”

“To ask how you did on the exam.” Ping An smiled. “Young Master, you don’t know, but yesterday at the entrance of the Tribute Hall, I personally saw several people faint and get carried out…”

Shen Ji looked up and corrected him, “I know. I saw it.”

The imperial examinations had always tested not only knowledge and insight but also mental fortitude and physical stamina. Throughout history, countless scholars had failed the examinations due to health reasons.

“Huh, so Young Master saw it too,” Ping An said with an embarrassed smile.

Shen Ji quickly finished his breakfast and asked, “You just said several people came to ask about me?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Shen Ji then asked nonchalantly, “Who were they?”

“The Marquis, the Old Madam, the Second Master, and a few of the resident scholars from the front courtyard.”

Shen Ji nodded slightly, not surprised. He then asked, “Did Miss Su not send anyone over?”

“No.” Ping An shook his head, then thought for a moment and added, “Perhaps Miss Su was afraid of disturbing you.”

Shen Ji was noncommittal, only saying, “Well, I’m not disturbed now.”

Ping An blinked, and a light bulb went off in his head. “I get it.”

—— —— —— ——

Now that spring had arrived, the eldest young miss, Gu Yuanzhen, finally had her own small, separate courtyard and no longer had to live with her mother.

As soon as the courtyard was tidied up, she immediately rushed to the West Wing Courtyard to retrieve “Tang Yuan.”

Su Zhenyue had originally only been looking after it on her behalf. Unexpectedly, after raising it for four months, she was a little reluctant to part with it.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely treat it well.” Gu Yuanzhen held Tang Yuan in her arms and promised earnestly. “Besides, even though I’m taking it, if you miss it, you can still come to my place to see it.”

“That’s true.” Su Zhenyue nodded and had Doukou pack up all the kitten’s supplies to be taken away by Gu Yuanzhen.

Just as she saw the eldest young miss off, she turned to see the bustling Ping An.

“Miss Su!”

Su Zhenyue asked, “Ping An, how is your young master?”

—These past few days, although she couldn’t help, she had been silently praying for Shen Ji’s success.

Yesterday evening, upon learning of Shen Ji’s return, Su Zhenyue had wanted to visit but was afraid of disturbing him, so she had held back.

“He’s doing great, he’s free right now.” Ping An grinned, his tone exaggerated. “Miss Su, you didn’t see it, but my young master has lost a whole circle of weight. That examination cell in the Tribute Hall is no place for a person to stay. At the entrance, I saw several examinees being carried out…”

Although Su Zhenyue hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she could imagine it.

Out of both sentiment and reason, she ought to pay him a visit.

Thus, she composed herself. “I’ll go see him.”

Ping An grinned. “That would be wonderful.”

He had been waiting for her to say just that.

Su Zhenyue came to Qingfeng Courtyard once again.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Shen Ji standing by the celadon flowerpot containing the Hibiscus mutabilis cuttings, carefully studying something.

Seeing her enter, he smiled slightly and pointed. “You’ve come at just the right time. These cuttings have sprouted new buds.”

He looked nothing like someone who had just finished the Metropolitan Examination.

“They’ve sprouted?” Su Zhenyue was slightly surprised. She moved closer for a careful look and indeed saw tiny new buds emerging from the previously bare branches, tender and verdant.

Shen Ji pointed them out to her specifically. “They’ve taken root and survived. From now on, they just need more sun and less water. Once they’ve adapted, we can move them out and replant them.”

“That’s wonderful,” Su Zhenyue murmured, a thousand thoughts running through her mind.

She had planted these cuttings back in the tenth month of last year, when she first approached Shen Ji. It had been an act of desperation at the time, but she never expected them to actually survive.

Su Zhenyue looked at the cuttings, then raised her eyes to look at Shen Ji.

He did look a little thinner, but his eyes were clear and bright, his spirits high. He was nothing like the wretched figure who had “lost a whole circle of weight” that Ping An had described.

Noticing her gaze, Shen Ji’s brows twitched slightly. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking, Cousin must have had a very hard time these past few days, right?”

The young lady’s voice was light and soft, laced with concern. It almost instantly dispelled the fatigue from Shen Ji’s body.

Shen Ji chuckled, a hint of lazy casualness in his tone. “It was alright.”

In truth, from his perspective, this was just a small trouble one had to endure on the path to success. If he couldn’t even withstand this, how would he manage in the future?

But he very much enjoyed her concern.

His thoughts turned, and Shen Ji casually asked, “Why don’t you ask me how I did on the exam?”

“Ah?” Su Zhenyue was startled and blurted out, “There’s no need to ask. Cousin is greatly talented, I know that.”

Shen Ji chuckled, a smile rippling in his eyes. He said in a low voice, “Rest assured, my name will certainly be on the golden list this time.””

His voice wasn’t loud, as if he were stating a very ordinary fact, but the confidence in his bones was impossible to hide.

Su Zhenyue thought to herself, That’s a bit too modest. You won’t just have your name on the golden list, you’ll be the one who came in first in all three top examinations, the new Number One Scholar personally appointed by the emperor.

But she didn’t say this out loud, only nodding with great trust. “Mm, I believe you.”

—— —— —— ——

The day the results were posted was ten days after the end of the examination.

During this period, Ping An was exceptionally nervous, unable to even sleep well. He ran to Jinguang Temple twice.

Shen Ji himself, however, was leisurely, going out to the East Market every few days. If he was in the Marquis Estate, he would be tending to the Hibiscus mutabilis cuttings.

He even had the leisure and interest to transplant a few Hibiscus mutabilis trees into the courtyards of Chunhui Hall and Zhongmo Study.

The day the results were to be posted arrived.

Early in the morning, without even bothering to eat, Ping An, along with a few other young servants from the Jing An Marquis Estate, ran to the south wall of the Tribute Hall to wait for the list.

Old Madam Wen and Jing’an Hou also sent people to inquire about the news several times.

Before long, a messenger came to report: “Master Shen He Ming of Qingzhou, Shen Ji, has achieved the top rank of Top Metropolitan Graduate.”

When the news arrived, Old Madam Wen was overjoyed and immediately ordered that everyone in the entire estate be rewarded.

Although there was still the Palace Examination to come, it had always been the rule that all who participated in the Palace Examination would pass; they would only be ranked. Having become the Top Metropolitan Graduate, at least a Jinshi degree was secured.

Besides, for someone who could take the top spot among all the tribute scholars, how could he end up as just a Jinshi? It was even possible he could rank in the first tier.

Hearing the news, Su Zhenyue quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Very good. Up to this point, everything was the same as in her dream. Her actions had not affected Shen Ji’s future.

According to the dynasty’s regulations, the Palace Examination was held on the third day after the Metropolitan Examination results were posted: the first of the third month.

On this day, the emperor would personally question the tribute scholars in the golden throne hall to determine their rankings.

Old Madam Wen waited with anxious anticipation. Even though he wasn’t her biological grandson, even though he wasn’t a member of the Gu family, she sincerely hoped that Shen Ji could win the top prize in the Palace Examination.

Finally, the good news arrived.

Shen Ji had been personally appointed by the emperor as the Number One Scholar.