In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!
Chapter 1247 - 1158: Proud in the Spring Breeze, the Horse Hooves Race Quickly

Chapter 1247: Chapter 1158: Proud in the Spring Breeze, the Horse Hooves Race Quickly

"Second class, seventh place, Li Wen Li, step forward to pay respects."

...

"Second class, eighth place, Zeng Gongliang, step forward to pay respects."

...

Afraid of having an "urgent" matter as happened during the last palace examination, Su Ke didn’t dare to drink a drop of water before leaving the house this morning. Combined with having been made to drink lots of wine yesterday, Su Ke’s voice started out smooth, but by the middle of the roll call, he felt a bit of dryness in his throat. After announcing all four hundred-plus Jinshi scholars, his throat felt like it was smoking.

And now, it was already noon.

Su Pan’er had long since slipped back unnoticed to the Imperial Harem’s Palace. There would be plenty of chances to see Ke’er tomorrow.

After the academic award ceremony concluded, His Majesty announced that tomorrow evening the Ministry of Rites would hold a banquet to honor all the newly qualified Jinshi scholars. Only then did he ascend his throne and return to the Palace.

The Imperial Edict was handed over to the Secretary of the Ministry of Rites, presented in a yellow folder, to be posted outside the palace gate for three days later in the evening before being taken down by the Ministry’s officials and stored in the archives.

And the newly qualified Jinshi scholars also left the Imperial Palace.

According to protocol, the top three in the first rank would leave through the middle of the front gate, while the rest of the newly qualified scholars would leave through the side gates, according to their civil or military official status.

Only the Emperor was allowed to step on the vermillion steps laid out above the front gate. Even the Empress could enter and exit there only on the day of her grand wedding. Thus, the front gate was never opened unless the Emperor himself was passing through. After the palace examination, the first rank scholars were allowed to exit through this gate, a privilege not even Imperial Relatives or Princes and Ministers could enjoy.

Once listed on the golden plaque, scholars were like "fish jumping over the dragon gate," stepping out from the dragon gate and becoming well-known aristocrats of the entire land!

This is how the saying "Dragon Gate" came to be.

Those newly qualified scholars walking on either side all looked at the three in the center with envy. But ultimately, their skills did not compare, and they could only look on with envy.

The top three scholars in the first rank truly felt their distinction from the others at this moment as they walked with heads held high and chests puffed out, slowly descending the stone steps.

Su Ke found it quite normal. Aside from Wang Gui, whose third place rose unexpectedly from sixth in the retest, the other two had genuine talent. His gaze fell on Feng Jiu, and as if sensing his stare, Feng Jiu turned back to look at him. Their eyes met in the air, and both were momentarily startled!

Su Ke smiled, nodding ever so slightly before shifting his gaze away.

But then he met the eyes of Li Wen Li walking on the side. Li Wen Li stared at Feng Jiu and the others with a dark gaze, not uttering a word.

"Let’s go."

Xue Qian passed by Su Ke’s side, pulling him along as he went.

Su Ke walked out of the palace without a word, only to find that the people who left before them were all gathered under the Golden List, pointing and discussing eagerly.

Although the newly qualified Jinshi scholars had seen the Ministry of Rites’ dispatch yesterday, the meaning of today’s Imperial Edict was clearly different. It was a joyous event celebrated throughout the ages, and they couldn’t help but feel thrilled.

And the once mentioned practice of "choosing a husband on the scholar’s list" referred to this very Imperial Edict.

At this time, with the end of the academic award ceremony, what followed was the moment that the newly qualified Jinshi scholars held in the highest regard and pride!

"Spring breeze triumphant, horse hooves swift, a day beholds the flowers of Chang’an."

This timeless verse perfectly encapsulates the splendor of the top scholar’s celebratory parade!

At this moment, Imperial Street was already packed with countless onlookers eager to catch a glimpse of the top scholar’s real appearance. The entire street was a sea of people; even though the officers tried their utmost to maintain order on the scene, it was still in vain.

Su Ke and the others were mounted on valuable steeds adorned with big red flowers, arranged in the order dictated by the Imperial Edict—top scholar Lu Da at the forefront, followed by third-place Wang Gui, then second-place Feng Jiu, and after them came Su Ke and Xue Qian.

Clang! —

As noon arrived, the muffled sound of the gong rang out. Three hundred members of the Imperial Guard, with broadswords slung at their waists, mounted horses equipped with identical saddles leading the way, followed by fifty drummers and musicians. Next in line were the four hundred plus newly qualified Jinshi scholars wearing big red flowers at their waists, mounted on horses also decked with big red flowers, led slowly forward by coachmen.

Once their procession began moving up Imperial Street, the lanes lined by the Imperial Guard erupted with cheers and the din of drums and gongs. People jostled forward desperately, even as the Imperial Guard brandished their long spears, unable to contain the crowd’s fervor.

As the clearing Imperial Guard passed by, followed by the drummers and musicians, the populace began to throw fruits, hairpins, sachets, and handkerchiefs at the new scholars, forcing them to dodge continuously.

Lu Da and the particularly handsome Feng Jiu at the front were the most popular, bombarded the most with hairpins and sachets.

This predicament caused Lu Da to laugh and cry at the same time.

The horse’s hooves gracefully lifted, as if lotuses bloomed with each step.

Su Ke tugged at the big red silk flower in front of him, as if he had fallen into a dream.

Xue Qian urged his horse forward, coming abreast with Su Ke, "Watch out, these people are too outrageous; someone even threw a bun at me. Do they think I’m a dog?" he said, a look of aggrieved innocent on his face as he picked up the bun and took a bite, chewing slowly.

Su Ke was instantly amused by him!

"Having a bun thrown to you to eat isn’t bad—what more could you want? Surely you don’t want to taste rotten eggs?" he said, unable to hold back a hearty laugh.

Xue Qian deeply agreed, nodding repeatedly, "Right, right! That’s the way it is, haha..." But as he laughed, his smile faded, and his mouth twisted slightly, "People like us are only fit to eat a couple of buns. Look, look! Those who are better-looking than you and me, those girls throw hairpins, handkerchiefs, sachets... all at them, it really breaks my heart. And you, you’ve had quite a few things thrown at you too!"

This was truly against one’s conscience!

Actually, Xue Qian was quite handsome himself!

But standing next to Feng Jiu, with his almost bewitching face, both Xue Qian and Su Ke were instantly relegated to merely receiving a thrashing! No wonder those young girls and young wives favored Feng Jiu more!

His words caused Feng Jiu, walking in front, to suddenly turn back, staring at Xue Qian with a chilling gaze.

He hated it the most when people brought up his looks! If possible, he’d rather have an ordinary face, but unfortunately... both he and his sister had inherited their late parents’ good looks, making any change impossible.

"Guys, hurry up!"

The three of them were dilly-dallying behind; the second-place winner Wang Gui looked back and immediately restored Xue Qian’s sense of balance.

Wang Gui was forty-five years old this year; he had taken the exams four consecutive times, and this was his fifth; finally, he had made it, ending up in second place. Fate has a way of playing jokes on people!

"Don’t just stand there gawking; let’s move on, or those young ladies and young wives might start to swarm us."

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