The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror
Chapter 43 - 39: Brocade Clothing

Chapter 43: Chapter 39: Brocade Clothing

The flurry of compliments naturally attracted more and more curious onlookers.

Some examinees from other counties, who were unaware of Xu Qing being the top scorer in the county examination, learned of it through the grapevine.

Little Sanyuan, ah!

Though the rankings for the courtyard examination haven’t been announced yet.

The Great Grandmaster had already personally decreed it.

So amidst the congratulations, Xu Qing formally received his title of emergence—Xu Sanyuan.

Being the top scorer of the South Zhili regional examination is simply known as the Top Scorer, but Xu Qing is directly dubbed Sanyuan, which sounds much more impressive.

Nicknames, naturally, tend to be exaggerated.

Though in the end, little Sanyuan is still just a Scholar, with no essential difference in political status compared to other Scholar scholars.

Besides, Xu Sanyuan has also received the great praise from the Great Grandmaster, who said, "In future days, he shall be a gentleman of the whole world."

As long as the Great Grandmaster remains the Academic Administrator of South Zhili, the title of Xu Qing will be valuable.

There’s no helping it, a piece of calligraphy from an important figure, as long as they are still in office and hold power, is like the return of a Saintly Writer. If they sell it to you for one hundred taels of Silver, you must be grateful and beholden to them. For minor characters like Historian Li, possessing a piece of calligraphy from an Academic Administrator, such high-ranking officials, sometimes serves as a lifeline.

However, should Academician Zhou fall from power, the calligraphy becomes a death notice, necessitating the destruction of all traces overnight.

Xu Qing proceeded towards the Li Mansion with a crowd surrounding him.

The group moved with grand enthusiasm.

Naturally, their pace was slow.

Mi San knew how to handle things well.

Being the current salt trade leader of Qingshui County’s fish market, he even specifically asked Xu Qing to name him Mi Qiang, implying Xu Qing’s hopes for him to grow and strengthen.

Upon hearing of Xu Qing becoming little Sanyuan, he hurriedly sent someone to the Li Mansion with the good news.

And he brought over his earnings from the past ten days ahead of time.

Just so Historian Li and Aunt Zhou wouldn’t find themselves short of wedding money when needed.

It had only been a month since the last distribution of wedding money at the Li Mansion.

...

...

The little Sanyuan from Zhili city attending the regional examination will likely become a scholar. Not to mention that the regional examination has a complete set of anti-cheating systems, but in actual practice, there’s also a system of retrieving missing examination papers.

This is essentially giving regional examination chief invigilators an opportunity for discretion.

Since many chief invigilators are coming temporarily from other regions, but the same-level invigilators are often officials from the same province, when everyone grades the papers together, there is naturally some communication...

Therefore, in reality, local scholars with significant reputations tend to have a higher chance of passing the regional examination because their fame and literary styles are likely recognized by the invigilators.

Of course, there are those unlucky ones who end up misrecognized. For instance, Su Dongpo’s examination essays were mistaken by Ouyang Xiu for Zeng Gong’s work, and Ouyang Xiu, to avoid any appearance of bias, deliberately lowered his ranking.

There are even more unlucky talented individuals who never manage to pass for the rest of their lives.

However, these cases are similar to Feng Xifeng’s previous situation, where they are arrogant due to their talents and insist on confronting the invigilators, writing unorthodox articles.

The officialdom, after all, values a strict hierarchy of obedience.

The maverick types, despite their reputations, present themselves unreceptively in the regional examination, and most invigilators are likely unwilling to accept them.

This is because the fate of the candidates is mostly tied to their mentors, and if a candidate makes a grave mistake, their mentor will also face the repercussions.

The officialdom is full of people inclined to prefer benefit over harm and naturally do not favor students of this sort.

Now as a member of the officialdom, Historian Li naturally understands the value of this little Sanyuan and couldn’t help but exclaim: "The top scorer, little Sanyuan, this truly brings honor to our ancestors."

Zhou Family gave him a look: "The young master Xu belongs to the Xu Family, what does he have to do with your Li family ancestors? Don’t stick gold on your face."

Historian Li retorted unusually firmly: "I am indeed an old servant of the Xu Family."

Zhou Family: "..."

With the toughest demeanor, he uttered the softest words.

Truly.

When it was time to be tough, just couldn’t see you being this tough, always showing off in these areas.

Aunt Zhou muttered to herself in her belly.

Then, she enthusiastically entertained the bearer of good news, and by the way instructed people to tidy up the front courtyard, preparing to welcome Xu Sanyuan’s arrival. She even looked around the open space in front of the door, saying: "Originally, the old master Gu didn’t erect a Scholar archway in this mansion, but he did leave room for Qing ge’er."

Historian Li: "He’s not even a Scholar, isn’t it inappropriate to set up an archway?"

Aunt Zhou: "Xiao Sanyuan is even rarer than a Scholar."

"Wouldn’t that have a bad influence?"

Aunt Zhou stepped on Historian Li’s foot, "Old man, you’re muddled. Once the archway is erected, even if Qing ge’er goes off to be an official elsewhere, his roots are here, and no one dares to look down on us."

"You’re the one with the scheming mind, anyway, Qing ge’er would certainly not forget this old servant." Historian Li murmured.

Aunt Zhou: "You’re really quite the drama queen, have you recently taken a fancy to some actor at the theater?"

Historian Li hurriedly waved his hands and shook his head, "You... how can you... sully one’s innocence out of nowhere..."

Initially, Aunt Zhou had said it offhandedly, but seeing Historian Li’s expression, she couldn’t help but grow suspicious. Thinking back over the recent days, Historian Li seemed to ask for more pocket money.

He was usually treated to meals by other merchants, so there couldn’t be so many social debts to spend money on.

"Really?" Aunt Zhou said suspiciously.

But with Xu Sanyuan’s welcoming ceremony getting busy, who could care about these things.

Aunt Zhou was quickly called away by someone.

Historian Li let out a sigh of relief, whispering: "I’m just listening to a play, what is there to fear."

In his youth, as Xu father’s attendant, he was indeed taken to the red-light districts, but at that time he could only look on. Alas, it’s a pity he can’t witness the junior master’s grandeur today.

Xu father was essentially a second-generation rich, his past glory was incomparable to the splendor Xu Qing achieved on his own.

...

...

A group of fellow examinees surrounded Xu Sanyuan on his way home.

On the road, Yan Shan finally managed to fight his way back to Xu Sanyuan’s side with all his might. He saw that the others were only busy flattering and didn’t realize they had crumpled and skewed Xu Sanyuan’s gown and hat.

These crude and ill-mannered lot, only knew how to kiss up.

Yan Shan, after all, was a member of a fallen scholar family, who paid the utmost attention to one’s appearance.

How could you meet people with disarrayed clothes?

On the road, he adjusted Xu Sanyuan’s hat and pulled the wrinkled back of his garment numerous times, not being able to stop himself from lamenting:

"Brother Xu truly focuses solely on the Saintly Books, content with poverty and dedicated to the Dao. He couldn’t even find a single piece of brocade clothing for the imperial exam, a role model for our generation!"

Some examinees on the side snorted in disdain upon hearing this. After all, the other’s uncle was an Archivist, and the mansion he lived in was not small at all, much better off than your fallen Yan family.

Xu Qing having no brocade clothing is probably a show, establishing a persona?

Some examinees further hypothesized.

A group of people accompanied Xu Sanyuan to the front door of Li Mansion, and before someone came out to greet him, there were examinees who scrambled to get in front of Yan Shan, loudly proclaiming: "Young Master Sanyuan is home!"

Other examinees, unwilling to be outdone, shook their heads and wagged their tails: "On the roads, one as precious as jade. A young master without equal in this world."

Anyway, forcefully adding to the scene, as long as it makes Young Master Sanyuan remember him, that’s enough.

When meeting in high-end occasions in the future, at least greeting will not end with the other party not recognizing you.

Thinking further, if the other party does not recognize you, and you go out claiming to be a fellow examinee of Xu Sanyuan, there won’t be any convincing power either.

Following this, there was a clanging of gongs and a pounding of drums, quite the lively scene.

Even Xu Qing, who usually had self-control, felt himself getting swayed by the insincere flattery like a bamboo falling into the clutches of an evil sect, unable to resist being carried away.

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