The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 534 Returning to Hometown with Honor
"My past filthiness is not worth boasting about, but my present unbridled thoughts are limitless. I am riding a horse at full speed in the spring breeze, and I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day."

At this moment, the three hundred newly-appointed scholars were in high spirits. They were all dressed in red and green, and came to the outside of the Ministry of Rites with a guard of honor with music and drums. They posted the golden list on the wall, and then accepted the attention of thousands of people. It was a glorious moment.

"The Third Master won the top prize, the Third Master won the top prize!" Mu Ye and Jin Bao shouted excitedly.

Shitou leisurely dug his ear holes and said, "Calm down, calm down. You two have been with the Third Master for almost a year now, why do you still act like you have never seen the world?"

"Hehe, Master Wei, I also want to be calm, but I can't. The Third Master has won the top spot in the imperial examination, and he will enter the cabinet and become a prime minister. Then we will also be third-rank officials." Jin Bao rubbed his hands and laughed.

Shitou uttered a sound and asked, "What do you mean?"

Jin Bao opened his eyes wide and said, "A third-rank official in front of the prime minister, haven't you heard of it, Master Wei? We are the trusted lackeys of the Third Master, so we are not only the third rank, but also the second rank. Master Wei, you are the chief lackey of the Third Master, so you must be the first rank!"

Shitou kicked Jinbao's fat buttocks and scolded him with a smile: "Get lost, you two are lackeys. Sanye and I are brothers, good brothers who have been through thick and thin together. You know nothing, what are you still standing there for? Get in the carriage!"

Jin Bao asked in bewilderment, "Where to?"

"Nonsense, go back home and report the good news!" Shitou scolded.

Jin Bao hurriedly jumped onto the carriage, and the three of them drove the carriage at lightning speed towards Xiaoshifang. They originally came to pick up Jia Huan, but now that Jia Huan had won the top spot, the government would naturally send saddled horses and send him back home with gongs and drums.

Shi Tou and the other two reported the good news back to the Jia family at lightning speed, and the whole house was immediately in an uproar. It was the number one scholar, the best in the country, and only one appeared every three years. The key point was that Jia Huan was the number one scholar who won six prizes in a row. This was the first time in the history of the imperial examination system. There has been no one like him before, and I believe it will be difficult to surpass him again. It was truly a great honor that he was blessed with.

"Hurry, hang up the lanterns!"

"Open the middle door, and get the firecrackers ready!"

"Bring out those two big boxes of reward money! Hurry, the happy errand will be here soon!"

The housekeeper Lin Zhixiao was in high spirits and ran around like the wind, like a general on the battlefield, directing his servants to set up the scene and prepare all the necessary items to welcome the new number one scholar of the Jia family back home with the most grand ceremony.

Grandmother Jia was also acting like a young woman, as if she had taken a pill of rejuvenation. She didn't need anyone's help and gathered all the women in the backyard, personally led the huge army of women, and went straight to the outside of the second gate to wait. The scene and the commotion were truly extraordinary.

As for Jia Huan, he followed the guard of honor to post the golden list outside the Ministry of Rites, and then returned to the Fengtian Hall to receive the title. According to the rules of the Jin Dynasty, the first place in the imperial examination was given the title of Hanlin Editor, a sixth-rank official, while the second and third place winners were given the title of Hanlin Editor, a sixth-rank official.

As the saying goes: Only Jinshi can enter the Hanlin Academy, and only Hanlin can enter the cabinet. Therefore, Hanlin poets have always been the most noble, and are the only way to enter the cabinet and become prime ministers. This means that Jia Huan's first step has stood at the highest starting point of his official career. The key is that he is only fourteen years old, a six-yuan talent, wow, it's amazing. If nothing unexpected happens, he has already reserved a seat in the cabinet.

Let's get back to the point. After Jia Huan thanked the emperor for the grace, he was immediately arranged to change into the top scholar's uniform, draped in red and green, and ride on a horse to parade through the streets to show off his official position. Along with him were runner-up Liu Tongsheng and third place Liu Yi. Other Jinshi candidates did not receive such treatment.

After parading around Chang'an Street, the guard of honor went straight to the Jia Mansion with music and dance, to see the new number one scholar back home.

"I'm coming!"

At this moment, Rongning Street was already packed with people watching the excitement. When the number one scholar's guard of honor arrived, the whole place was boiling, even more lively than the Lantern Festival. Seeing the handsome young man with red lips and white teeth, as gentle as jade, on horseback, the men were envious, the girls were shy, and the women showed their motherly eyes. If it were allowed to catch a son-in-law from the list, it is estimated that Student Jia would have been "killed" by now, and nothing would be left.

"The number one scholar has returned home. All outsiders, please keep quiet and stay out of the way!" The officer in charge of clearing the way shouted loudly to drive them away, and only then did he barely open a passage.

At Lin Zhixiao's command, there was a sudden burst of firecrackers. This time there were 500,000 firecrackers, which burned for a full quarter of an hour. The rising smoke enveloped the entire Xiaoshifang, as if a small nuclear bomb had been set off. The scraps of paper on the ground were like a thick red blanket.

Jia Huan rode his horse to the front of the mansion, dismounted, stepped on the fallen petals on the ground, and entered through the middle door. The servants cheered like stars surrounding the moon, and the sound of gongs and drums was deafening.

Jia Huan saw from afar Jia's mother, Wang Fu-ren and others, leading a group of beautiful girls, waiting on the straight road in front of Rong Xi Tang. He quickly quickened his pace, stepped forward, knelt down, and said politely, "Huan'er greets the old lady, Madam."

Grandmother Jia smiled so hard that her teeth were showing and her face was covered with wrinkles like blooming chrysanthemums. She helped Jia Huan up and said lovingly, "Huan, get up quickly and let everyone see our number one scholar."

Lady Xing, Lady Wang, Aunt Xue, Wang Xifeng, Mrs. You, Li Wan, Qin Keqing and the rest, all of them looked at Jia Huan, smiling, but no one knew what they were thinking.

Although Jia Huan is only fourteen years old this year, he is mature beyond his years and tall, over seven and a half meters tall, and looks like seventeen or eighteen years old. He has red lips, white teeth, sword-like eyebrows, and bright eyes. His figure is as straight as a pine tree, and he has an excellent temperament, like a beautiful jade. At this moment, he is dressed in red and green, and looks even more energetic and radiant.

"The man on the street is as beautiful as jade, and the young man is unparalleled in the world!" Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai thought of this sentence at the same time, and their faces suddenly felt a little hot.

Ping'er and Mandalin were even more so, their eyes were filled with joy and tenderness, and Ying'er, Zijuan, Xiangying, Xueyan, Qingwen and others all blushed secretly. Jia Huan met his brothers and sisters again, greeted them, and after a short rest, he went to the ancestral hall to pay homage to his ancestors.

Let's put aside all the red tape for now, and talk about the moment in the Ministry of Justice prison, Jia Lian, who had been imprisoned for more than two months, was finally released. Standing in the spring sunshine, he was a little at a loss, as if he was in another world, and he really couldn't believe that he was released.

"What are you standing there for? Let's go!" the jailer shouted.

Jia Lian came back to his senses and clasped his fists, saying, "I dare to ask, is my case settled?"

"You are lucky. Jia Huan, the illegitimate son of the Jia family, has passed the imperial examination and become the top scholar. The imperial concubine has also pleaded for you. The emperor has pardoned your crime and you can go home now." said the jailer.

Jia Lian was surprised and delighted, and asked hurriedly, "What about my father and Master Zhen?"

The jailer sneered, "Hey, don't push your luck. The emperor has already shown great mercy by forgiving you. Those two are the main culprits. Even if they are not exiled, they will be imprisoned for at least three to five years. It's your fault that the Jia family neither returned the stolen goods nor paid the ransom money. Stop talking nonsense and leave!"

Jia Lian had no choice but to leave the Ministry of Justice prison and walk home.

Jia Lian was originally a dissolute young man who usually traveled by carriage. In the past, he would never walk back home from the Ministry of Justice, but after spending a few months in prison, he had restrained his bad habits. In addition, he was penniless at the moment and had no money to call a carriage, so he walked for nearly an hour and finally returned to the Rongguo Mansion.

But seeing the firecracker debris all over the ground, the hustle and bustle of traffic in front of the door, and the endless flow of guests coming and going, he couldn't help but feel deeply moved. Although Jia Huan was not a kind boy, he did save the Jia family with his own efforts.

At this time, a servant finally recognized Jia Lian and hurried forward to ask, "But is it Second Master Lian? Oh my God, it's really Second Master Lian, Second Master Lian is back."

Lin Zhixiao was receiving guests who came to congratulate him. When he heard that Jia Lian had returned, his heart skipped a beat and he hurried out to greet him.

"When did Second Master Lian come out? Why didn't he ask someone to send a message back so that I could arrange a carriage to pick you up?" Lin Zhixiao said.

Jia Lian looked at Lin Zhixiao with a complicated expression and said, "No need. It's a good time to stretch your arms and legs and get some sun. I heard Huan Ge'er won the first place in the imperial examination?"

Lin Zhixiao smiled and said, "That's right. Today is a double celebration. Second Master Lian has also been released. Oh, and where are the first master and Master Zhen?"

Jia Lian shook his head and said, "Even if I release them, they are still in prison."

Lin Zhixiao breathed a sigh of relief for some reason, but asked curiously, "Why is this?"

"This is a long story. Let me greet the old lady and the lady first." Jia Lian sighed.

Jia Lian immediately went straight to the back house.

At this time, in Jia's grandmother's courtyard, Jia's grandmother was entertaining the female guests who came to visit. When she heard that Jia Lian had returned home, she was naturally very happy and hurriedly ordered him to be brought to the back to meet her.

"Oh, God have mercy on me!" When Lady Jia saw Jia Lian's face covered in dirt, her eyes turned red. After all, he was her grandson, how could she not feel sorry for him?

Mrs. Xing wiped away her nonexistent tears and said, "Thank goodness, Lian'er, you are finally released. What about your father and Brother Zhen?"

Mrs. Wang, Mrs. You, and Wang Xifeng were also crying.

Jia Lian sighed, "From what the jailer said, the reason I was able to be released this time was because Huan'er won the first place in the imperial examination, and the Empress Yuan took the opportunity to intercede for me, so the Emperor showed some mercy. The eldest master and elder brother Zhen are the main culprits, so they can't be released. I'm afraid they will have to stay in prison for three to five years."

As soon as these words were spoken, Mrs. Xing and Mrs. You burst into tears.

Grandmother Jia scolded, "Why are you crying? It's your own fault. You're lucky you didn't lose your head. It would be good to be imprisoned for three to five years to teach you a lesson. Don't you know what your husband is like? If you didn't persuade him at ordinary times, crying now will be useless."

Mrs. Xing and Mrs. You were scolded so much that they dared not say a word, especially Mrs. You. She knew that Jia Zhen had attacked her daughter-in-law, but she was intimidated by Jia Zhen's power and dared not intervene. She took a tacit attitude and could be considered an accomplice. Now that Jia Zhen was in trouble, she was indeed responsible.

Grandmother Jia said to Jia Lian, "Lian'er, go back and change your clothes. After paying respects to the ancestors, you can come out to meet the guests. It's just the right time to help Huan'er."

Jia Lian agreed and went downstairs to clean up in a depressed mood.

(End of this chapter)