Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

As the sun began to set, Vice-Prefect Chen finally rose to announce the end of the provincial examination. The students rose to hand in their papers and left. Jia Cong thanked them profusely once more before returning to the Rong Mansion with Li Rong and several servants.

That very evening, he prepared two gift lists. One hundred taels of silver would suffice for Chen Qianshi's expenses. The martial arts examination emphasized skill and courage over strategy, and with Feng Tang's word, he was certain that Feng Tang would put his name first.

As for Feng Tang, Jia Cong gritted his teeth and took out five hundred taels of silver to give to Li Rong, instructing him to purchase a Han jade Zhaowen belt, a landscape painting by a famous artist, a Western-style small self-ringing vessel, and a Tianhuang seal. Once everything was prepared, he would personally deliver it to the Feng residence.

These days he's been busy with the martial arts examinations, so Baoyu and the others haven't dared to bother him. They only sent some small items over by their servants, saying...

They were hoping for good luck, wishing Jia Cong success in the imperial examinations, and so on.

On the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, Jia Cong had just finished washing up and was planning to first see Daiyu and Baochai, and then go and spend some time with Qin Keqing, when unexpectedly, the servant from the side gate came running up.

"Third Master, Third Master, congratulations on passing the imperial examination!"

Jia Cong was overjoyed. He hadn't expected the results of the military examination to be released today; he had thought it would take about ten days. He immediately had Jin Ping give the servant a string of coins.

"Excellent! Go quickly and inform Master and Madam that I will personally go and invite the Ancestor!"

The servant, beaming with delight, replied "Yes!" and ran off towards the inner courtyard of the Rongguo Mansion, shouting all the way, "Third Master has passed the martial arts examination!" This attracted the attention of the old women and maids in the mansion, who all peeked out, creating a lively commotion.

Jia Cong straightened his clothes and, without delay, strode towards Grandmother Jia's courtyard.

As soon as they entered the hanging flower gate, they saw Yuanyang lifting the curtain to come out. Upon seeing Jia Cong, her face was already beaming with smiles.

"Third Master, you've finally arrived! The Old Ancestor was just talking about you!"

Before Jia Cong could speak, they heard Grandmother Jia's hearty laughter, "Quickly, let my good grandson in!"

Jia Cong lifted the curtain and entered the main room. He saw Grandmother Jia sitting on the couch, with Lady Wang, Wang Xifeng, and others accompanying her. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Grandson greets Grandmother."

Grandmother Jia grabbed his hand, scrutinizing him intently from head to toe. Seeing his spirited expression, which didn't seem feigned, she asked anxiously:

"The servants outside were shouting that you passed the imperial examination? Is it true?"

"Your Majesty, it's probably true." Jia Cong's tone was respectful, but his eyes couldn't hide his joy.

"The results of the martial arts examination were announced today, and my grandson was fortunate enough to pass."

As soon as she finished speaking, the room erupted in cheers. Wang Xifeng was the first to rise, smiling as she curtsied.

"Congratulations, Ancestor! Congratulations, Brother Cong! I knew you were destined for success with your skills! Our family has gained another promising member!"

Madam Wang had no choice but to nod with a smile, "It's truly a blessing from our ancestors; Cong-ge'er has certainly not let his hard work these past few days go to waste."

Just then, Jia She and Madam Xing arrived. Although Jia She usually didn't pay much attention to Jia Cong, his face lit up with pride. Madam Xing, unlike her usual cold demeanor, smiled obsequiously at Grandmother Jia.

"The old lady is blessed, and Cong'er is promising; he will surely become an official in the future."

Grandmother Jia didn't particularly like Jia She and his wife, but she patted Jia Cong's hand happily.

"Good, good, truly a fine descendant of our ancestors! Finally, we have someone in our household who has entered officialdom through merit, far better than those who only know how to eat, drink, and enjoy life!"

As they were talking, Jia Zheng hurried over, followed by Baoyu. Jia Zheng, who was usually very strict, now showed a hint of approval on his face: "Cong-ge, tell me in detail, what place did you get? Is there any news of an official appointment?"

Jia Cong bowed and replied, "Uncle, I was only focused on bringing good news and didn't ask about the rankings in detail. I suppose the servant who brought the news didn't know the details either."

Baoyu stepped forward and took Jia Cong's arm, his face full of joy and mischief.

"Good brother! From now on you'll be an official, so you'll have to take good care of me!"

Just then, another servant came running in, carrying a copy of a red notice, and shouted loudly,

"Third Master, the copy of the announcement from the Ministry of War has arrived! You've passed the martial arts examination, ranking third in the first class!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was overjoyed. Grandmother Jia quickly instructed Yuanyang to take the copy, unfold it, and read the following clearly:

"Jia Cong, the third-ranked candidate in the provincial military examination, is the son of Jia She, a hereditary first-class general of the Rongguo Mansion. He is skilled in archery and horsemanship, possesses outstanding martial arts skills, and his essays are fluent and logical. He is proposed to be appointed as the commander of the Left Thousand-Household Garrison of the Capital Garrison under the Rear Army Command, and will be granted the hereditary title of Sixth-Rank Yunqiwei."

"Third place in the first-class category!" Grandmother Jia read these words, her eyes narrowing into slits with laughter.

"What an incredible blessing!"

Jia Zheng stroked his beard and pondered, "Logically speaking, those who rank in the top three of the military examination should have a good background. However, their hereditary titles and official appointments are more generous than those of ordinary successful candidates. I suppose they are benefiting from the Emperor's favor."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Since Consort Yuan had just been promoted to Imperial Noble Consort and was enjoying the Emperor's favor, the Ministry of War naturally took this into consideration when drafting the list, and thus gave Jia Cong this extra favor.

Jia Cong knew perfectly well that his third-place ranking in the first class was not entirely due to luck. He had now reached the third level of martial arts, and his skills in horse archery, foot archery, and stone-picking were all among the best. The examiners had seen this and could not find fault with him.

As for the internal examination strategy, although he was not proficient, the military examination emphasized skills and bravery over strategy, and with the answers given to him by Vice Commissioner Chen, he would have no problem getting a good grade.

Wang Xifeng, being the most shrewd, laughed heartily and leaned forward.

"Brother Cong's passing the imperial examination is a great honor for our family! In my opinion, we should hold a celebratory banquet to entertain our relatives and friends, so that everyone can know the glory of our Rong family's scions!"

Grandmother Jia, who always enjoyed lively gatherings, nodded happily.

"What Feng girl says is true. Give the order to hold a banquet in three days to celebrate!"

In an instant, the entire Rongguo Mansion was filled with jubilation. The maids and servants were busy decorating with lanterns and streamers, while the servants bustled about, spreading the good news. The kitchen was already bustling with activity, preparing for the wedding banquet.

After the news spread, relatives and friends came to offer their congratulations in an endless stream. First, Jia Zhen and his son Jia Rong from Ningguo Mansion arrived, followed by the Shi family, Lady Wang's family, and other long-time friends and relatives. The area in front of the mansion was bustling with activity.

Three days later, officials from the Ministry of War arrived with official documents, official robes, and seals. Grandmother Jia hurriedly ordered the main gate to be opened to welcome them, and Jia She and Jia Zheng led the men of the clan to stand below the steps to wait.

Before long, two Ministry of War officials dressed in blue robes slowly entered. The one in the lead carried a wooden box, while a servant behind him carried official robes and documents. They looked solemn.

After taking their seats in the main hall, the leading official unfolded the imperial edict and loudly proclaimed it, praising Jia Cong for his outstanding archery and horsemanship and his ability to shoulder heavy responsibilities. He was officially appointed as the commander of the Left Thousand-Household Garrison of the Capital Garrison under the Rear Army Command, and granted the hereditary title of Sixth-Rank Yunqiwei.

After the decree was read aloud, the official document, the gilded official seal, and the embroidered official robes were handed over one by one. Jia Cong knelt down to receive the decree and express his gratitude. From this moment on, he was a true official of the imperial court.

Grandmother Jia looked at the official seals and robes on the table and couldn't stop smiling. She ordered Wang Xifeng to prepare generous gifts to thank the officials. The two officials also knew that the Jia family was enjoying the emperor's favor. After repeatedly declining, they accepted the gifts and drank tea for a while before getting up to take their leave.