Poor but talented scholar

Chapter 98 First Grade Student

The crisp sound of the gong instantly shattered the entire street.

"It's here, the announcement gong is ringing."

Lu Shouye suddenly jumped up from his chair, almost knocking over the teacup in his haste.

He rushed to the window and stuck his head out.

Hearing the increasingly loud and frequent drumbeats approaching from afar, an old man's face flushed red. He turned to Lu Chuan and shouted repeatedly, "Chuan'er, listen! The messengers are coming to announce good news, heading this way!"

Lu Chuan remained seated at the table, but only he knew that his heart skipped a beat when he heard the gong.

"Knock knock knock! Clang—!"

The messenger horse carrying the good news stopped in front of the inn.

"Good news! The Education Commissioner of Yingnan Prefecture has been transferred to Qingyang County. Congratulations..."

The locals on the long street surrounded the gate in layers.

The messenger, sweating profusely, unfurled the gilded celebratory announcement and, in a hoarse, raspy voice, began to announce it in turn, from back to front:

"Congratulations to Master Liu Dacheng of Qingyang County for ranking 30th in the re-examination and being admitted as a student of the Imperial Academy."

"Congratulations to Mr. Zhao Ziyu of Yingchuan County for ranking twenty-fifth in the re-examination and being listed as a student."

"Congratulations to Mr. Sun Boyong of Anyang County for ranking twentieth in the re-examination and being listed as a student."

Each time a name was called, cheers erupted from the crowd, followed by the crackling of firecrackers.

Upstairs in the guest room, Lu Shouye's ears were perked up, as the rankings in the newspaper went up one by one: tenth, eighth, fifth...

But he still didn't hear the name Lu Chuan, and Lu Shouye was so anxious that he stomped his feet.

Just then, the messenger on the tall horse pulled the red silk in his hand to its maximum extent and shouted with all his might:

"Good news! Congratulations to Mr. Lu of Luchuan, Qingyang County, for winning second place in the re-examination. The Provincial Education Commissioner has personally inscribed: First-Class Subsidized Student."

Second place, first-class student.

The moment Lu Shouye heard it clearly, he was first jolted violently, followed by a surge of wild joy that shot straight to the top of his head.

He slapped the windowsill, tears welling up uncontrollably. He turned around and hugged Lu Chuan's shoulders, shouting incoherently, "Second place! Chuan'er! Second place! We've moved up two places from the main event! We've got the government's money and grain!"

Lu Chuan also exhaled the stale air that had been trapped in his chest.

The huge weight that had been hanging over my heart for days finally lifted off my feet.

"Father, hurry, give the congratulatory gift to Brother Baozi, don't keep him waiting down there." Lu Chuan pulled Lu Shouye's hand away and reminded him with a smile.

"Yes, yes, give us a reward, give us a reward."

Lu Shouye slapped his forehead, as if waking from a dream.

He took out the several wedding envelopes that he had prepared long ago from his pocket.

Lu Shouye rushed out of the gate, stuffed the red envelope into the messenger's hand, and said repeatedly, "Thank you so much, officer. Please take this and have some tea."

The messenger, upon weighing the congratulatory envelope, beamed with joy. He turned his horse around and shouted to the crowd, "Congratulations to Master Lu of Qingyang County! He has been granted the title of First-Class Scholar, a promising future indeed!"

At this moment, the happiest person in the entire inn was none other than the innkeeper.

"Light the fire! Light the fire for me! Throw money around!"

The shopkeeper was so happy that he personally snatched the tinder and stuck it directly onto the firecracker fuse.

"Boom!"

The sound of firecrackers exploded instantly.

The shopkeeper picked up the prepared money laundering solution and scattered it down the street:

"Let's eat the celebratory money! Our inn has produced a student who ranked second in the first class of the Imperial Academy, an eleven-year-old Imperial Academy student! Hahahaha!"

The shopkeeper then said to the waiter, "Quickly, bring out my finest red silk."

The innkeeper personally brought over a tall ladder and climbed it to the most conspicuous center of the inn's main entrance.

He tore open the red silk, shook his hands, and hung the news of victory below the inn's golden signboard.

"Light the fire, set off the cannon."

The deafening sound of firecrackers exploded instantly.

The crowds on the long street, the students who had failed the exam, and the shopkeepers from nearby shops were all gathered around the red silk, marveling at the words "Lu Chuan, the scholar from Qingyang County" written on it.

"Wow... How old is Lu Chuan this year? I heard he's only eleven?" An old scholar in a long robe stroked his beard, his eyes full of envy.

"An eleven-year-old first-class student, this is not just extraordinary, it's like the God of Literature descending to earth. He ranked fourth in the main examination and directly jumped to second place in the re-examination."

"Tsk tsk, at eleven years old he's already receiving government stipends and exempting his family from corvée labor. Just watch, in a few years, this young Master Lu will probably pass the provincial examination with his eyes closed and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination). He truly has a bright future!"

Listening to these compliments and comments, a relaxed smile appeared on Lu Chuan's lips.

The firecrackers in front of the inn were still popping and crackling. The innkeeper was all smiles, his back teeth showing, as if he had been hit by a spell.

He turned his head and saw Lu Shouye grinning foolishly at the door. He quickly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Young Master Lu, Brother Lu, today is a day of great joy!"

As he spoke, the shopkeeper, with great shrewdness, instructed his assistant to bring out three baskets of various candies and loose copper coins that had been prepared beforehand from behind the counter.

He practically pulled and invited Lu Chuan and his son Lu Shouye to the entrance of the inn.

"Come, come, everyone, look this way!" the innkeeper shouted to the crowd. "Today, our Qingyouju Inn is honored with a special occasion!"

"The eleven-year-old scholar, who ranked second in the first class of the imperial examination, is personally scattering auspicious gifts. Everyone, come and share in the joy and pray that your children will pass their studies."

Lu Shouye looked at the full candy and laughed until tears almost came to his eyes. He then turned to look at Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan smiled and nodded to his father, and the two of them grabbed the handful and scattered it down the street.

"Time for wedding candy!"

"Thank you for your generous reward, Master Linsheng."

The street erupted in excitement as people scrambled for candy and children weaved through the crowd.

The innkeeper stood on the high steps, hands on his hips, spitting as he began to boast wildly to those around him: "See that? The feng shui of my inn was checked by a master."

"It faces the literary vein of the manor. Otherwise, why would Mr. Lu be the only one living here out of thousands of candidates in the entire manor? To tell you the truth, a few nights ago, I saw literary energy soaring into the sky from Mr. Lu's room and transforming into a Qilin."

"What's this called? This is called the God of Literature descending to earth. From now on, if any of your children have exams, hurry up and book a room here, or it'll be gone."

The surrounding people were stunned. Although they knew he was just bragging, no one could refute him. Instead, they all chimed in with their agreement.

The revelry lasted until almost noon before gradually subsiding.

As the smoke from the long street dissipated, Lu Chuan went back inside and changed into dry clothes.

The rankings for the second round of testing have been determined; the next step is to follow the official procedures.

Newly appointed scholars were required to attend classes at the prefectural school and receive the official robes and hats bestowed upon them by the imperial court.