Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

After the fourteen candidates who had bought fake exam questions were dragged away, the entire square fell silent.

Having just stepped into the gates of officialdom, they encountered such a horrifying scene, leaving many newly appointed scholars speechless with fear.

Even those who had considered wicked schemes but managed to hold their ground at the last minute and escape unscathed felt a lingering fear.

Of course, there are also those who are upright and have nothing to fear, remaining calm and unaffected in the slightest.

The grand ceremony of announcing the results of the imperial examinations was drawing to a close.

Qin Ji slightly raised his hand.

Everyone held their breath.

Just now, His Majesty raised his hand, and armored soldiers stepped forward and subdued those fourteen people.

Officials from the Court of State Ceremonial stepped forward again and announced loudly: "Three men of the first rank, bestowed with robes and flowers in their hair, shall parade through the streets!"

This is the old practice after the palace examination results are announced.

The master of ceremonies stepped forward and led Fang Yanqing, Fu Xingjian, and Pei Lian out of the main hall. He then took them to change into the official robes of the top three scholars (Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua) and adorned their hats with flowers.

Fu Xingjian and Pei Lian wore colorful flowers, but Fang Yanqing's were different; they were made of silver flower branches and decorated with kingfisher feathers.

Fang Yanqing reached out and touched the hairpin at the edge of his crown, thinking to himself: It must be worth a lot of money, but it's a pity that it's a gift from the emperor, so I can only display it at home and can't sell it...

Pei Lian was still lost in thought, absentmindedly letting others change his clothes.

Fu Xingjian was impeccable in demeanor, tall and handsome.

The three were led out of the Meridian Gate by officials from the Ministry of Rites, mounted the tall horses bestowed by the emperor, and rode through the streets with gongs and drums leading the way.

Many onlookers had already gathered on both sides of the main street to watch the spectacle.

The atmosphere instantly became lively as the three men, surrounded by an honor guard, emerged from the palace gate.

The sound of gongs and drums filled the air, and the people cheered.

"This year's top three scholars are all so young, each one handsome and distinguished. I wonder if they're married yet."

His companions laughed and retorted, "The threshold has probably been worn down by countless suitors already, how could it possibly be your turn?"

"Wow, the third-ranked scholar looks so young, he probably hasn't even come of age yet! When I was his age, I was probably still doing something else, and he's already achieved first-class honors. That's amazing!"

Pei Lian was in a daze when, for some reason, those words somehow got into his ears. He forced himself to straighten his back and slightly raised his chin.

Suddenly, a fragrant handkerchief flew over and landed on Pei Lian's lapel. Pei Lian looked up in surprise, and a fresh flower was thrown from somewhere and landed on his hair ornament.

Pei Lian was only fifteen years old and had never experienced anything like this before. He blushed and quickly looked at Fu Xingjian and Fang Yanqing.

Fu Xingjian was pelted with countless flowers, handkerchiefs, and sachets. Yet he remained unmoved, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his handsome face as stern as ever.

The more he acted this way, the more enthusiastic the girls became. Flowers and handkerchiefs were thrown at him, almost overwhelming him. Even his horse was not spared, its head adorned with colorful flowers.

Fang Yanqing was not to be outdone. With a smiling face, he accepted all the purses and handkerchiefs thrown at him, and even the fruits thrown at him. He would then put them in a cloth bag he had somehow gotten his hands on and hang it on his saddle. He would also bow to the girls who threw him the items from afar and thank each of them without wasting any breath.

One of the girls blushed with embarrassment at his action.

Some girls immediately changed their attitude, muttering "a philanderer" under their breath, and then turned their gaze to Fu Xingjian.

Fang Yanqing was not annoyed at all, and his smile remained unchanged.

With his pockets full of spoils, he turned around and saw Pei Lian looking at him, so he slowed down a bit, falling half a step behind, and rode alongside Pei Lian and Fu Xingjian. He smiled and said in a voice that only Pei and Fu could hear, "In the past, when the top-ranked scholar paraded through the streets, women would throw him sachets, handkerchiefs or flowers to express their affection and admiration."

"Brother Pei, Brother Fu, are you feeling uncomfortable?"

As Fang Yanqing said this, his eyes were mainly fixed on Pei Lian.

"Who's uncomfortable?" Pei Lian was competitive and proud, and she wouldn't lose in this kind of thing. Her ears turned red, and she tried to put on airs, imitating Fu Xingjian's mannerisms.

Fu Xingjian simply said with a calm expression, "I already have a wife."

There was no further explanation.

Upon hearing that he already had a wife, Fang Yanqing immediately said, "Since Brother Fu already has a wife, I suppose these things are not suitable for him."

He lowered his voice, patted the cloth bag hanging on his saddle, and said with a look of concern for Fu Xingjian, "If Brother Fu doesn't mind, I'm willing to help you enjoy it."

Fu Xingjian: "..."

After saying that, he turned to Pei Lian, who looked extremely uncomfortable, and said, "Brother Pei's is the same."

Pei Lian: "..."

Three people strolled through the streets, and one returned home laden with spoils.

After the parade, they were to go to the Ministry of Rites to attend the Qionglin Banquet.

The Qionglin Banquet is a banquet personally bestowed by His Majesty upon the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). Although His Majesty does not attend in person, he will be accompanied by high-ranking officials such as the Minister of Rites and the Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy.

After a grand banquet, with toasts and polite exchanges, everyone's faces were stiff with smiles by the end.

Fu Xingjian's behavior during the parade was ridiculed, with some saying he had broken the hearts of many young ladies in the capital.

Fang Yanqing was teased for being exceptionally talented and dashing.

Because of his young age, Pei Lian was often the subject of gossip.

With his teacher's earnest admonitions before him, Pei Lian was afraid that he would drink too much and lose control again, repeating the mistake of Pingxin Yashe. So, when he raised his glass to drink, he quietly poured the wine into his sleeve.

Pei Lian twitched her nose suspiciously after splashing so much alcohol on her sleeves.

Finally, the next time he raised his glass, he didn't spill the wine, but instead "drank it heartily".

It's sweet, with a very faint wine flavor that's almost undetectable, but the fruity aroma is delightful.

When he was a child, during festivals he would clamor for his teacher to raise a glass and drink with him, and this was the kind of drink his teacher would have brought him.

It's more of a fruit drink than an alcoholic beverage.

It's for fooling little kids!

Could the Ministry of Rites have deliberately prepared this for him?

He's a newly appointed third-place scholar, how can he be treated like a child?

Pei Lian glanced in the direction of the Minister of Rites with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

The Minister of Rites raised his glass to him in a friendly manner and smiled.

Pei Lian returned the toast with a cup of "wine," secretly biting her lip.

When the Qionglin Banquet ended, all the scholars were exhausted and prepared to return home.

However, an official from the Emperor's side arrived and stopped Fang Yanqing, Fu Xingjian, and Pei Lian, saying with a smile, "Please wait a moment, the three of you. His Majesty has prepared a small banquet in the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianzheng Hall. Please come and have a chat."

The fact that these three ranked first set them apart from the others.

The second and third-ranked scholars cast envious glances at them.

Fang Yanqing observes the nose with his eyes, and the nose with his heart.

Fu Xingjian didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Only Pei Lian's mind went blank for a moment.

I'm coming.

What was bound to happen has finally happened.

...

First update delivered, second update should be after 1 PM~

Today's goal achieved! Double update tomorrow, the activity continues!