Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 217: Times are full of joys and sorrows

The servant whom Jia Zheng had sent to look for Jia Cong had not returned yet, but the messenger from the Ministry of Rites who came with the good news arrived first.

At the gate of Rongguo Mansion, gongs and drums were beating and firecrackers were blasting!
Jia Zheng and the guests were already waiting in Rong Xi Hall. The messenger from the Ministry of Rites was led into the hall, and after announcing the achievements, he presented the good news from the Ministry of Rites.

The official seal of the Ministry of Rites was stamped on Jia Zheng's report, which read: "First place in the provincial examination for Chinese literature in the 13th year of Jia Zhao." Below it was Jia Cong's name, and the signature of the chief official Zheng Yan.

I couldn't help but smile and wished I could take his place.

Although being the first place in a state's provincial examination is not as glorious as passing the imperial examination, it is also a height that most scholars dream of throughout their lives, but is difficult to reach.

Moreover, Jia Cong's position as the top scorer in the provincial examination was different from ordinary ones. He had already won the first place in the Yongzhou examination and now had won two first place. This position of top scorer was even more precious and rare.

When the news reached the inner house, Daiyu, Tanchun and Xichun were all extremely happy. If the old lady and the mistress were not in Rongqing Hall, they would have probably lost themselves even more.

They all knew that Jia Cong studied hard and had a good chance of passing the provincial examination, but they never expected that he would get the top spot in the imperial examination as well.

Daiyu thought of her father who had passed the imperial examination and won the title of Tanhua, how glorious it was. However, he had never won the first place in the provincial examination. Her third brother had already won the second place, which was even more outstanding than her father had been.

A man should be responsible and do something in life. Someone like my third brother is probably the best.

Tanchun was used to seeing Baoyu reading every day, and her own brother Jia Huan was even more lazy about books. Her own brother Jia Zhu, although he went to school at a young age, died early due to overwork from studying.

In the eyes of other Jia family children, and perhaps in the eyes of most scholars, the third brother could walk the imperial examination path with so many difficulties and dangers so gloriously. He must be so outstanding that they couldn't help but feel excited.

Yingchun didn't really care about the title of Jieyuan, but she knew that her brother Cong had passed the examination for a scholar before, and now he had passed the examination for a juren, and maybe he could pass the examination for a jinshi in the future.

There are so many young men in the Jia family, most of them live a life of enjoyment. None of them can compare to her younger brother. Even though the old lady doesn't like him, she can't stop him from being so outstanding, and she feels very proud of him.

When Grandmother Jia heard the news, she was also stunned. Jia Zhu, whom she loved back then, was a very proud student who entered school at a very young age. Therefore, Grandmother Jia knew something about the affairs of scholars and juren.

Naturally, he knew the importance of the top scorer in the provincial examination, and he was speechless. Although he and this grandson had not been close since childhood, his ability and luck were truly extraordinary.

When Mrs. Wang heard that Jia Cong had achieved fame and honor in the imperial examination, she thought of her own Baoyu and couldn't help feeling a heavy sense of powerlessness in her heart.

She had always felt that Baoyu was born with a jade in his mouth and was extremely precious, so how could he be compared to Jia Cong, the son of a prostitute and a bastard.

However, as Jia Cong was given an official title, he made meritorious services in Jinling and posthumously conferred an imperial title on his biological mother, who is now also the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Although Mrs. Wang still thinks Baoyu is a perfect person, when comparing him with Jia Cong, she is worried and concerned about him and can no longer look down on him as condescendingly as before.

In addition to being the legitimate son, Baoyu also has the jade in the delivery room. If we say that he is more valuable than Jia Cong in other aspects, I'm afraid...

……

The shocking scene that happened when the results of the Imperial Examination were announced in the morning quickly spread.

In fact, this is not surprising. The students who participated in the Yongzhou Enke County Examination this time included all the sons of officials from various government offices in the capital, and everyone witnessed the strange event at the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall with their own eyes.

As the crowd at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall dispersed, these students flocked to various parts of the capital, and their stories were passed on orally and in writing.

The story about Jia Cong, the top scorer in this year's provincial examination, and his soul-stirring policy essay spread throughout the capital at an extremely fast speed.

The Rongguo Jia family is the top noble family of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with old friends, relatives, students and old acquaintances all over the capital. Although the Jia family's influence has declined in the past two years, its prestige has not diminished, and the network foundation in Yongzhou is still there.

In the past two years, Jia Cong has risen to prominence in the Jia family, which has already attracted attention. A few months ago, he caused such a big commotion in the Ningguo Ancestral Hall because his mother was posthumously conferred an imperial decree, which has become even more eye-catching. Now he has won the first place in the Yongzhou County Examination, and even the title of second place in the imperial examination. This has not happened in the Great Zhou for decades, which makes people feel that the Jia family has suddenly befallen a noble and outstanding person.

The occurrence of such a cultural and artistic miracle in the family of military honors made the rough-minded military honor families feel that the Jia family was lucky to have such an outstanding son, and they were just envious of the glory.

But for those who are meticulous and thoughtful, such as Shi Ding, Marquis of Zhongjing, or those from noble families who have produced children of civil officials in recent years, their thoughts on this matter are different.

As for pure civil servants like Guo Youchang and Zheng Yan, their feelings about this matter are even more profound.

In the eyes of these bigwigs, a first place in the provincial examination is not that great, but the title of second place in the imperial examination has some weight, and such a person will definitely be able to become a Jinshi in the future.

More importantly, the grand essay written by Jia Cong is an awakening and thought-provoking temptation for any literati, and the exquisite four-character verse in it is enough to make it a famous article.

There are only a few literati who have been able to establish their own words through the generations. This is a more remarkable literary achievement than just writing a few poems to express one's romantic ideas.

But this person is just a teenager now.

As soon as he entered the official career, with his knowledge of poetry and literature and his ability to make statements, it would not take many years for him to become a prominent figure among the civil servants.

What will the Rongguo Jia family be like by then? Those who are far-sighted may even think more far-reachingly than this...

So there are relatives and old friends, there are those who admire Wenhua, and there are those who want to warm up the cold stove and make good connections in advance.

Less than a day had passed since the results of the provincial examination were announced, but the Jia family of Rongguo Mansion began to show signs of popularity again.

……

At the south intersection of Ningrong Street, drums and music were playing, red curtains were fluttering, and a grand wedding procession was slowly approaching.

In the procession, there was a large sedan chair carried by eight people and decorated with red and colorful ribbons, which attracted a lot of attention. Next to the sedan chair was a girl in red with pretty eyes and delicate eyebrows. It seemed that she was the bride's maid.

When the wedding procession passed by the main gate of Rongguo Mansion, the maid couldn't help but look towards the gate.

The curtain of the bridal sedan was lifted up a little, barely perceptible. A pair of bright eyes, like water, looked at the plaque with black characters on a gold background, "Built by Imperial Order for the Rongguo Mansion", and tears seemed to glisten in her eyes.

The main gate of Rongguo Mansion was decorated with lights and colorful decorations, and the ground was covered with firecracker debris. The gatekeepers were holding gongs and drums in their hands. Many outsiders came in and out of the gate with gifts, and the atmosphere was quite lively.

It looks like it's not only the Ningguo Mansion that's holding a wedding, the Rongguo Mansion seems to be holding a wedding as well.

When the wedding procession reached the main gate of Ningguo Mansion, the official Lai Er had already brought his servants and old women to greet them at the door. The prepared drums and music sounded, and the main gate of Ningguo slowly opened. This was the etiquette for the eldest legitimate wife.

Lai Er looked at Jia Rong, who was dressed in wedding clothes, with a respectful and flattering expression, and helped him off the horse attentively.

But he couldn't help but sneer in his heart. With such a master's condition, he married a wife with such fanfare. Who could he deceive over time? The Ningguo Mansion's incense was extinct. Maybe he could only inherit the title through succession in the future.

At this time, a servant ran up to him with a panicked look on his face. It was not until the wedding procession entered Ningguo Mansion that he whispered in Lai Er's ear, "Second Master, something bad has happened. The eldest young master has been beaten!"

Lai Er was startled and asked, "Who is so bold? Are you all dead? Who beat you? Are you seriously injured?"

The servant replied tremblingly, "Master, you can't tell who hit you. You were knocked unconscious by someone from behind. Your body is covered with wounds and you have two broken ribs. The doctor said you need two months to recover."

Lai Er's face turned pale: "Let someone investigate, who did it!"

(End of this chapter)