Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 659: The Colorful City Sings

Shenjing, Hanzheng Street.

When Jia Cong was bragging about his position in the Imperial Street, the girl suddenly threw a scented handkerchief to him, which caused the onlookers to laugh and cheer, adding a touch of charm and excitement to the procession.

Zhang Wenxu on the side held on to the saddle tightly, not daring to let go even a little. He saw Jia Cong wiping his sweat with the handkerchief, and then stuffing it into his arms. He felt helpless and smiled bitterly.

Today, the purpose of praising officials in the Imperial Street is to show off the glory of the first-class Jinshi. However, there are three Jinshi in the first class, and he is the one who ranks first in the world. However, all the glory and romance seem to go to him, Jia Cong.

Is it true that being proud of one's good looks really gives one such an advantage? Isn't the main focus of the imperial examination one's literary talent?
Although Jia Cong was the champion, I, Zhang Wenxu, am no less talented than him, otherwise how could I have won the first prize in the world...

Chen Qirui, the other top scholar, wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve and said with a smile, "Weiyuan Bo is so elegant and generous. He even has a beautiful lady as a gift of an embroidered handkerchief. I really envy him. Haha."

Jia Cong smiled slightly and said, "Brother Chen, you are kidding. You and I are from the same class and year. There is no need to address each other by our official titles. Just call each other by our names."

Chen Qirui smiled and said, "Then I won't be polite. When this matter is over, I will definitely host you. I hope you will indulge me in having a drink or two.

The reputation of Lord Bo’s poems has spread all over the world. I can recite every one of them by heart. This time, he has won the honor of being the first in the imperial examination. His literary talent and beauty are well-deserved. He is truly admired by everyone..."

Not to mention that the top scholar Chen Qirui was very good at dancing. Although he was also holding the saddle with trepidation, he was still chatting enthusiastically with Jia Cong.

In the group of Jinshi scholars at the back, Cai Xiaoyu saw the girl talking and greeting Jia Cong and throwing a handkerchief at him. His round face wrinkled and he subconsciously raised his hands to cover his face.

I don't know whether he was ashamed or worried about being seen by the girl.

But in her heart she could not help but scream: How shameful! It is inappropriate for a rich lady to go out and wander around without permission. She even tried to flirt with Yu Zhang and threw a handkerchief at him in the street. She is so shameless and lawless.

It's all my fault. I went to the 16th floor and she saw through it. She threatened to tell my father about it and only let me tell her what I saw and heard on the 16th floor before she would give up.

I was also confused, and told her about the kabuki on the 16th floor, all of whom were talented and beautiful, playing drums and passing flowers, drinking and reciting poems, and being free and unfettered, and they were all outstanding women. She actually felt envious after hearing that...

She ran out to watch the fun and actually did this to Yu Zhang. She was so bold and presumptuous. Did I corrupt Third Sister?

Yu Zhang has always been better than me in every aspect, except for one thing: he has a caring sister, and I guess I have one too...

But he couldn't afford to lose even this one, otherwise he would suffer a huge loss. Cai Xiaoyu shuddered when he thought of a possibility.

He instantly became certain in his heart that he must not let Jia Cong know that the girl who threw the handkerchief to him was his third sister, otherwise he would be laughed at by this kid for the rest of his life!

Cai Xiaoyu was thinking about this and that when he suddenly heard someone shouting in a delicate voice, "It's a hot summer day and the streets are deserted. Please wipe your sweat, Mr. No. 2."

He couldn't help but feel aggrieved and angry. What a ridiculous third sister! She had already tormented him once, but she was still playing with him to no end!
But he immediately realized something was wrong. As soon as the delicate voice sounded, it was followed by a second sound, and a third sound...

It was like her third sister had thrown a brick to attract jade, lighting firecrackers, and the whole place exploded with excitement. The streets were lined with the sounds of silver bells, and the ears were filled with the sweet cries of "Please wipe your sweat, my second place winner."

The high-rise platforms of restaurants, teahouses, and tile theaters, as well as the crowds on both sides of the street, all seemed to be infected by something, and women would occasionally throw handkerchiefs.

Cai Xiaoyu was stunned for a moment, having long forgotten about his third sister's trouble. He only saw the colorful embroidered handkerchiefs flying in the air, which was a spectacular sight. He could not help but open his mouth in shock.

……

Those colorful embroidered handkerchiefs were all thrown in one direction, towards Jia Cong, who was right in the middle of the three people in the first class.

Although the embroidered handkerchiefs were light, many of them were tied into knots and thrown out like the girl just now, hitting Jia Cong one after another.

Jia Cong subconsciously reached out his hand and caught a few of them. This action attracted many surprised and excited people to cry out: "The second place student took my handkerchief, he took it!"

As a result, more handkerchiefs and embroidered handkerchiefs were thrown into the air, and the crowd shouted and laughed like bells. The atmosphere of praising officials in the Imperial Street seemed to be heightened.

Jia Cong looked a little embarrassed. Although he had a gentle smile on his face, he didn't dare to take the handkerchief again, fearing that it would encourage the enemy and he didn't know what he would throw next time...

Some of the handkerchiefs flying in the air hit Jia Cong, while others lost their momentum when thrown halfway in the air and slowly floated down.

Many of them fell in front of the horses of the three men in the group. Jia Cong felt the horse under him was a little restless, as if it was startled by a flying handkerchief. He hurriedly tightened the reins slightly and stroked the horse's neck gently with his palm, and the horse calmed down.

Suddenly, a scream of "ouch" was heard beside me. I saw the top scholar Zhang Wenxu fell off his horse in a panic, but his hands were still tightly holding on to the saddle bridge, and he was dragged on the ground by the horse.

It turned out that a handkerchief had just fallen on the head of Zhang Wenxu's mount. The horse was frightened and jumped up instantly, throwing Zhang Wenxu off the horse.

Fortunately, the imperial guard who was leading the horse reacted quickly, hurriedly reined in the horse, and helped the number one scholar who had fallen to the ground. Because the situation was handled in time, Zhang Wenxu was not injured, but the number one scholar's hat was knocked to the ground.

Zhang Wenxu felt a little ashamed. It was really embarrassing that a top scholar fell off his horse while parading in the streets, but who could he blame?

But he helplessly discovered that his fall from the top spot did not seem to cause any commotion, as if everyone subconsciously ignored him and their attention was drawn to other things.

There were constant cheers and applause from both sides of the street, and the atmosphere of praising the officials on the imperial street continued to rise, as if he was just an outsider...

At this time, colorful silks were still flying in the air, and the second place winner's cute shouts of wiping his sweat were still heard one after another. Cai Xiaoyu in the team recovered from his shock and looked at Jia Cong with envy and jealousy.

In the carriage not far away, the girl who threw the handkerchief saw the huge commotion caused by her momentary impulse, and she was so happy that she covered her mouth and laughed.

……

At this time, someone from the roadside theater came out to respond. On the second-floor stage, a musician suddenly plucked the strings, and the singing girl began to sing in a clear and affectionate voice:
"Six generations of luxury, spring has gone, and there is no news. I look at it in vain, the beautiful mountains and rivers are no longer what they used to be."

"A pair of swallows in front of Wang Xie's hall, I once saw them at the entrance of Wuyi Lane."

"Listen to the deep night, loneliness hits the lonely city, the spring tide is rushing..."

"The song of the jade tree ends, the autumn dew is cold, the rouge well is broken, the cold crickets are crying."

"Until now, there are only Jiang Shanqing and Qin Huaibi..."

The tune was sometimes clear and high-pitched, sometimes graceful and low-pitched, attracting cheers from passers-by and people on the roadside. The string musicians became more excited, and the singing girls sang more devotedly.

The tune they sang was the one Jia Cong had composed in Jinling back then, the song "Man Jiang Hong" that made him famous in the south of the Yangtze River. However, the tune was composed by Du Qingniang, the owner of Jinling Qingyin Pavilion.

This song "Man Jiang Hong" was sung continuously in Jinling in the past. In recent years, it has spread to the capital and has become a common piece of music in the Wazi Chuguan.

As the moving tune continued to resound, the atmosphere of the entire Hanzheng Street seemed to be ignited in an instant.

The singing girls and entertainers in the roadside brothels who were watching the parade, some who were familiar with the tune, all sang along with the singing girls in the theaters. The elegant singing suddenly became more and more melodious!
The people watching on both sides of the street cheered from time to time. Jia Cong smiled as warm as the sun and saluted the musicians and singers who were leading the singing. The singing seemed to harmonize with each other and became more and more unbridled and joyful.

The three hundred candidates who were traveling with him were all shocked and moved by the scene. Some were intoxicated, some were proud of it, and some looked at Jia Cong with more envy and jealousy...

Cai Xiaoyu's eyes lit up when he saw this. He looked at Jia Cong riding on the horse in front of him with envy in his eyes. He wished he could go up and pull him off the horse so that he could ride on top of it and enjoy the glory.

At this moment, he felt strange. He didn't expect that his third sister had such ability. Could it be that she was doing this just to support Yu Zhang? She could make such a big fuss with just a handkerchief.

I'm her biological brother, and I've never seen her treat me this way...

……

At the window on the second floor of Yashiju, Miss Xia saw Jia Cong in such a glorious state. Her pretty face flushed, her heart was filled with joy, and she was trembling all over.

He thought that only those who could win such honor and glory could be considered as real men, but he was the only such person in the world, and most of the others were like Baoyu...

Although she was intoxicated with joy and could hardly control herself, she was also somewhat unhappy in her heart.

Although Congge is in a good position, those women are also very coquettish. They either throw handkerchiefs or sing little songs. They all want to show off in front of Congge...

……

In the carriage not far away, the girl who threw the handkerchief leaned against the window, supporting her pretty face with one arm, watching the excitement outside with interest, and smiling knowingly from time to time.

The maid next to her said, "Young lady, when the Jinshi scholars parade through the streets to show off their positions, shouldn't the most glorious one be the number one scholar in the world? Why is it that the most glorious one is the runner-up?"

The girl said: "You don't understand, there are so many things going on here. Bangyanlang is the first place in the imperial examination, but unfortunately he has a high official title and there are many taboos.

For some reason, the second place on the list didn't even get the first place.

The third place on the list was also a talented person, but he got into a lawsuit and ruined his reputation. Otherwise, it would be hard to say who the top scholar would be.

A scholar's talent and reputation cannot be determined by a single gold medal. It is built up over time and cannot be achieved overnight. Even if you are the first on the gold medal list, it does not mean you are truly the best in the world. "

……

At this time, even though Zhang Wenxu, the top scholar, didn't like riding horses, he had already climbed onto the saddle with the support of the imperial guards to avoid attracting more attention. Chen Qirui, the third scholar, was in a good mood. He shook his head on the horse and chanted Jia Cong's "Man Jiang Hong", seeming to be quite intoxicated.

He laughed heartily and praised: "Good poem, profound and elegant, with a clear and graceful tone. It is said that Master Bo's poems are famous all over the world, but I have never seen them before.

Today’s scene, with colorful silks flying and songs all over the streets, is an eye-opener. I know that the reputation is well-deserved. I admire it the most…”

Zhang Wenxu felt more and more depressed after hearing what Chen Qirui said. He felt dizzy and bitter. He just wanted this damned imperial street bragging to end quickly. It was really too embarrassing...

However, things did not go as Zhang Wenxu imagined, because the people who followed and presided over the Imperial Street to praise the officials were two fifth-rank officials from the Ministry of Rites.

They were responsible for the etiquette and guidance of the Imperial Street Kwaguan. They saw that the Kwaguan was so enthusiastic and the officials and the people were enjoying themselves in a peaceful and festive atmosphere.

The common people admired the prosperity of the imperial examination system and even came up with all kinds of ways to do it, with colorful silks flying, poems being sung, and people singing along. It can be said that this is a great story of praising officials during the imperial examination system.

The present emperor has bestowed upon him the royal grace to allow the top-ranking Jinshi of this imperial examination to be honored as an official in the imperial streets in order to demonstrate that the nobles and the common people are treated equally and that the imperial examination is fair and just, and that this is the true meaning of selecting talents through the imperial examination.

The people's enthusiastic response shows that the imperial examination system of our dynasty is respected by the people, the shadow of fraud is everywhere, and Your Majesty's virtue is so great that it commands respect from all quarters.

Such a matter of obvious political virtue should not be ended hastily. As officials of the Ministry of Rites, such foresight and vision are definitely not lacking.

Therefore, when they encountered anecdotes such as colorful silks flying and singing in the streets, the officials from the Ministry of Rites who were guiding the way would deliberately slow down their pace.

The entire procession of the official praise team naturally slowed down, and the people on the street watched and enjoyed themselves, and the excitement became more and more intense, and it lasted for a long time...

As for the entire Imperial Street praising the officials, the glorious second place winner, rather than the first place winner, was not a problem at all for the two officials from the Ministry of Rites.

There is no rule for praising officials in the Imperial Street. The top scholar must be the most glorious, and the other three in the first class are just praised based on their popularity and ability.

Moreover, Jia Cong was the most outstanding and successful, so the two officials from the Ministry of Rites were even more happy to see it happen.

Because Jia Cong has always had a good relationship with the Ministry of Rites, and he also has close connections with the Ministry of Rites.

When he took part in the Yongzhou Academy Examination that year, the chief examiner, the Minister of Rites Guo Youchang, had a keen eye for talent and selected him as the top scorer in the examination that year.

Guo Youchang was Jia Cong's tutor, and Jia Cong was his formal disciple. Such a relationship was considered very close in official circles.

In the eyes of the two senior officials from the Ministry of Rites, Jia Cong was equivalent to one of their own.

Don't say that he was successful at a young age and held a high position. He was someone who should be won over and be befriended in official circles.

Just to take into account the favor of the superiors in this yamen, they were happy to give Jia Cong more glory and respect. This is also the social etiquette of the officialdom...

……

As a result, it would have taken two meals' time to walk through Hanzheng Street, which would have taken only a cup of tea.

The scholars who participated in the parade were just following blindly, and no one would urge the officials of the Ministry of Rites to walk faster...

When the imperial street officials walked out of Hanzheng Street, the atmosphere of the whole street was almost at its peak, even more lively than during festivals.

It attracted more and more people from the capital, who came from all directions to admire the style of this year's successful candidates.

The people paid more attention to the second place winner, who was so dazzling that his handkerchiefs fluttered and everyone sang along.

The enthusiasm of the people of Shenjing along the way did not subside after leaving Hanzheng Street, but continued to rise, and the elegant and refined events shocked the whole city.

Originally, the trip to the Imperial Street to praise officials could be completed in more than half an hour, but in the end it took more than an hour for the team of Jinshi to reach the Ministry of Rites.

The third place winner Chen Qirui was in high spirits and chatted animatedly with Jia Cong along the way.

The top scholar Zhang Wenxu looked pale and absent-minded, and he seemed to be about to collapse...

……

Three hundred successful candidates entered the Ministry of Rites and were told that a banquet would be held in the lobby of the Ministry of Rites at noon the next day to celebrate the success of the successful candidates.

Grand Secretary Wang Shilun, Minister of Personnel Chen Mo, Minister of Rites Guo Youchang, and other officials involved in the Spring Examination will all be present.

After hearing this, all the Jinshi were delighted and excited.

The royal family has been giving banquets to successful Jinshi candidates since ancient times. The most famous banquet for successful Jinshi candidates was the Qionglin Banquet in the early Song Dynasty, named after the Qionglin Garden in the royal garden.

When the Great Zhou was founded, the Qionglin Banquet was renamed the Enrong Banquet, and the venue was changed to the lobby of the Ministry of Rites.

Although the Banquet of Grace and Honor was a royal banquet, the emperor would most likely not attend it. Instead, he would send a prince of the royal family or a senior official in the court to host it.

The host of this banquet is the current emperor's younger brother, Prince Kangshun, so it is quite a grand event.

But Jia Cong had other ideas in his mind when he thought of Prince Zhao, whose princess had passed away suddenly.

Hosting a banquet to honor Jinshi scholars is an honorable event, and the person in charge must accumulate reputation through it.

The previous banquets were hosted by Prince Zhao, but this time it was hosted by Prince Kangshun, who was always idle and away from the government.

The deep meaning is self-evident. After the Jinling Guards case, the emperor had doubts and suspicions in his heart. He became more cautious about the issue of the prince and did not want to send the wrong signal to the court officials...

……

When the official business was finished, all the scholars left the Ministry of Rites and returned to their residences.

Today they got up before dawn and entered the palace to participate in the entire ceremony of announcing the names of the successful candidates. Everyone stood there for an hour.

Afterwards he went out of the palace to boast about the officials on the Imperial Street. Except for three people in the first class who rode on fine horses, the other scholars had to walk on the soles of their feet. Everyone was exhausted.

At this time, only the third place winner Chen Qirui was still in high spirits. He greeted the other scholars warmly and said goodbye to them. He also told Jia Cong that they would have a drink together after the banquet.

When the three hundred Jinshi scholars filed out of the Ministry of Rites and dispersed to various places in the capital, the anecdote about the officials praising the officials on the Imperial Street today also spread quickly in the city...

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Not long after the palace's announcement of the imperial examinations was over, the East and West Palaces began to be flooded with guests.

These guests were either noble friends of the Jia family or old friends and relatives, as well as colleagues of Jia Zheng and Jia Cong in the government offices. In short, they were all closely connected with the officialdom.

They would come to congratulate him only after the ceremony of announcing the results of the imperial examinations was over, because they knew that Jia Cong was a top-class Jinshi and that the palace would definitely confer him a higher official position.

Only when they know the final result, will they control the scale of their words and consider the proximity of interests when they come to congratulate. This is common sense in the interactions between officials.

Today, all the senior officials above the fourth rank in the court participated in the ceremony of announcing the names of the successful candidates. After the class in Huangji Hall was over, the news that Jia Cong was appointed as a Hanlin scholar had already spread like wildfire.

At this time, everyone who came to the house knew the truth, and their words of congratulations became more warm and cordial.

Not to mention that a Hanlin scholar came from a family of military merit, even if a Hanlin scholar came from a family of civil officials, it would be a big deal.

Not to mention that this Hanlin scholar is only fifteen years old. He already holds a high official title and is very glorious. Now that he has made further progress, his future prospects are bound to be limitless.

Jia Zheng entertained guests on behalf of Jia Cong in Rong Xi Tang, and heard a lot of compliments. Everyone praised him for his keen eye for talent. He saw the excellence of Jia Cong when he was young, and treated him with kindness and leniency, which led to the glory of the Jia family today.

Jia Zheng was so overwhelmed by these flattering words that he felt as if he was walking on clouds and didn't know where he was...

The female guests who came with her went into the Rongqing Hall in the inner courtyard to congratulate Lady Jia. Their words were even more enthusiastic. They kept mentioning "first-class Jinshi" and "Hanlin family", which made Lady Jia very happy.

Many of these female relatives brought their daughters with them to congratulate Lady Jia, and their attitude was more friendly than that of others.

However, when these female guests entered Rongqing Hall, they saw an extremely strange scene.

Baoyu, the former Phoenix Prince of the Jia family, who was rumored to have been born with a jade in his mouth, was actually kneeling at the door of Rongqing Hall in front of the guests, looking quite embarrassed.

As for saluting guests like me, there is no great etiquette in this world, but I don’t know what the Jia family is doing on this happy day...

(End of this chapter)