Lady of Fortune, Jiao Niang

Chapter 156

Ye Jiao scooped up Xu Bao and held him in her arms, rubbing the little fatty's chubby face, but showed no anger at all. Instead, she smiled with curved eyes at Qi Yun.

Second Young Master Qi knew he was in the wrong, put down the spiral black pigment and picked up a cloth instead. Feeling it was a bit rough, he changed to silk, dampened it with water, and carefully wiped away the two extra "eyebrows" he had accidentally drawn.

Seeing Ye Jiao smiling at him, Qi Yun couldn't help asking, "What is Jiao Niang smiling about?"

Ye Jiao raised her head, letting him work while saying, "This is the first time I've seen husband so flustered. It's quite amusing."

Upon hearing this, Xu Bao also looked up at his daddy. Though he didn't quite understand what flustered meant, if Ye Jiao said it was amusing, then it was amusing. The little fellow's chubby face also broke into a brilliant smile.

So Qi Yun found himself looking at two people with identical eyes smiling at him with curved brows.

If he had been flustered from surprise before, now his heart was entirely focused on his wife and child, beating even faster than usual.

Before marriage and children, Qi Yun hadn't understood this feeling.

Back then it was mostly getting by day to day, living each day as it came. He stayed in this world only to avoid causing his parents grief, actually hoping more for death as release.

But now, looking at his wife and his son who looked so much like her, Qi Yun's heart had long since melted completely.

So soft it made him forget that just moments ago Xu Bao had startled him into drawing an extra eyebrow for Ye Jiao.

His ears unconsciously reddened. Without a word, Qi Yun finished cleaning Ye Jiao's forehead and leaned down to kiss the woman's brow.

Xu Bao squirmed and reached out to tug at Qi Yun, "Daddy, me too!"

Qi Yun generously kissed the little fellow's forehead as well, then straightened up and picked up Xu Bao. Looking at Ye Jiao, he said, "People will probably come to offer congratulations soon. Come, let's wait in the front hall." Then he called to Tie Zi outside, "I'll write a letter shortly. Send someone to deliver it home with the good news."

Tie Zi knew that just now both he and Xu Bao had been startling and alarming, disturbing the Second Young Master. But Xu Bao was the master's biological son - even if Tie Zi wanted to be a son, he had no chance.

Now that Xu Bao could be held and coaxed, Tie Zi could only stand properly. Hearing the instruction, he nodded repeatedly, being particularly obedient, afraid of being affected by any anger.

Fortunately, Qi Yun had been appeased by Xu Bao and had no intention of taking anything out on Tie Zi.

Bouncing his chubby son in his arms, Qi Yun turned to look at Ye Jiao.

Ye Jiao had already finished her makeup and adjusted the pearl hairpin on her head. She smiled and stood up, reaching out to take Qi Yun's hand, their fingers interlocking.

But after Qi Yun and Ye Jiao arrived at the front hall, they welcomed congratulatory messengers and visiting guests to offer felicitations, yet never saw Qi Ming, nor the servants who had left with Third Master Qi.

At this time, Qi Ming, having just seen the results, was tightly protecting Liu Si, frowning slightly at the people surrounding him.

Seeing these people holding large red flowers in their hands, Qi Ming was tense all over, not daring to move.

He had come early this morning with Liu Si and several Qi family servants to see the results. Having been blocked outside and struggling to see the rankings after the metropolitan examination, Third Master Qi had arrived early this time and stood in the front row.

This time the names were much easier to find than last time. He had been selected for first tier, third place - a proper Third-Place Scholar. When Liu Si saw it, he was so excited his voice cracked, "Young Master, Third-Place Scholar, Third-Place Scholar!"

Rarely did Liu Si not stutter, but it was precisely these words that made Qi Ming the focus of many people's attention.

Most of those watching the results had participated in the palace examination. Knowing this young man had been selected as Third-Place Scholar naturally made them envious, but they would also offer proper congratulations.

However, quite a few people waiting to "catch sons-in-law beneath the examination board" had also targeted Qi Ming.

After the metropolitan examination, those catching sons-in-law might still include commoners, but after the palace examination ended, those waiting outside were mostly from official families.

To them, these 300 scholars weren't strangers, especially the three first-tier candidates whom some had already gotten wind of.

This year's First-Place Scholar came from the Xiao family - a hereditary great clan with a virtuous reputation, backed by aristocratic family power. The court was conservative, and selecting him as First-Place Scholar was also the emperor's choice for balance.

The Second-Place Scholar came from the Guo family - the natal family of Princess Huaning's mother, and also the son of General Guo. He was properly one of the emperor's own people, both literary and martial, quite outstanding.

But for many officials, these two were not to be trifled with.

The Xiao and Guo families were both great clans - who dared touch their descendants? Ordinary official families couldn't possibly form marriage connections with them, and wouldn't dare catch these two even with ten times the courage.

But the Third-Place Scholar was different.

Qi Ming came from an ordinary family background. Though the Qi family was quite wealthy in their hometown and Qi Yun had established his own position in the Capital, in the eyes of these Capital officials, having some money meant what? As long as no one in the family held office, they were just commoners, nothing important.

The people don't contend with officials - this had always been so.

And as Third-Place Scholar, Qi Ming was young, good-looking, and most remarkably had risen from ordinary commoner to Third-Place Scholar, certainly having gained the emperor's favor. His future prospects would likely be accompanied by great success - he was definitely exceptional talent.

Such a person with simple family background and good looks was hard not to target.

So when Qi Ming prepared to leave, he was blocked under a tree.

Qi Ming looked around and found that the servants he had brought were all being held back by people, and moreover the other side had twice as many people as his own. Looking at this, Qi Ming couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

This time it wasn't that he hadn't been prepared. Having learned from last time's experience, Qi Ming had already been very careful.

But the other side had too many people and was too brazen - no one could withstand this.

Qi Ming really hadn't expected people would actually openly kidnap sons-in-law home. He couldn't help wanting to find assistance, but when he looked over at those watching the results, they all showed envious faces, making Qi Ming unable to even call for help.

Qi Ming had to refocus his attention on the people in front of him. He patted Liu Si's shoulder to tell him not to be afraid, then cupped his hands toward them, "I am Qi Ming. May I ask who you gentlemen are?"

The middle-aged man in the lead smiled and slightly cupped his hands back. After sizing up Qi Ming, he said, "I am the steward of the current third-rank Privy Council Direct Scholar, acting on my master's orders to invite the young master to our residence for a discussion. Scholar Qi, please."

Qi Ming looked at him without speaking or taking a step, just standing there straight and unmoving.

He wasn't stupid. Looking at this formation, if he really went with them, he probably wouldn't be able to get out!

He didn't know what official position Privy Council Direct Scholar was, nor had he thought about forming marriage ties with this family. Qi Ming's thoughts were simple -

If he really got forced into marriage right now, Second Brother would probably break his legs!

No way, he had to run, had to run right now!

But Qi Ming was blocked on three sides with a tree behind him. Even if he was prepared to abandon all Third-Place Scholar dignity and run wildly, there was no escape route.

Liu Si saw through Qi Ming's thoughts, gritted his teeth, stepped forward to block Qi Ming, "Th-th-third Young Master, you, you go first, I, I, I'll protect you."

This one sentence warmed Qi Ming's heart, but left the steward somewhat puzzled.

In his view, having a third-rank official family take interest in such a small Third-Place Scholar was already an extraordinary good match. Who wouldn't be happy?

Though his young miss wasn't exactly beautiful, she was gentle and virtuous. If this Third-Place Scholar saw her, he would certainly be pleased. What was wrong with coming along for a trip?

Someone else would have rushed over to sign marriage papers long ago. How did it become so tragic with them, as if they knew it was about recruiting a son-in-law but looked like they were going to execution instead?

Little did he know, at this moment, in a tea shop on the second floor not far away, two people were staring intently at Qi Ming.

Earlier when the golden list was posted, it was the emperor who sealed it and handed it to the Grand Secretary to post. After Chu Chengyun completed the ceremony, he changed to casual clothes and came out with Commander Ye to observe.

Who knew they would witness such a scene.

Chu Chengyun squinted his eyes. Privy Council Direct Scholar - the one who had angered the Empress last time was him, and this time it was him again...

Commander Ye looked at his imperial master, then at Qi Ming being blocked over there, "Master, should I go help?"

Chu Chengyun shook his head, saying softly, "Not yet time."

Commander Ye couldn't help looking at Third Master Qi again, somewhat worried, "But I see Third Brother and his little book attendant don't look like they can escape on their own - they're quite delicate. What if they really get captured?"

Chu Chengyun frowned slightly but still shook his head.

Actually, these past few days he had wanted to find his worthy brother to congratulate him. Moreover, the policy proposals Qi Ming had written struck right at Chu Chengyun's heart, and the new emperor had a belly full of things he wanted to discuss with Qi Ming.

But Chu Chengyun had restrained himself, not even leaking a hint of information.

Because he knew that selecting Qi Ming as Third-Place Scholar was already quite risky. The palace examination had never been completely fair - the interests involved were deeply entangled and couldn't afford mistakes.

Chu Chengyun didn't like First-Place Scholar Xiao at all - he was just a mediocre talent with flowery writing but no substance. Similarly, he wasn't very optimistic about Second-Place Scholar Guo, but there weren't many who could be completely useful to him. Scholar Guo could still be used with some guidance.

The reason he selected those two was to balance the forces of old and new for court stability.

He truly favored Qi Ming, but circling Qi Ming as Third-Place Scholar was already putting him over the fire. Many people would target him, studying him carefully, and there would be no shortage of wooing and inducements. The current "catching sons-in-law beneath the boards" was probably one such item.

Chu Chengyun hadn't shown himself because times were different now. Too many people were watching Qi Ming. If anyone learned of his private relationship with Qi Ming, that gossip would be enough to drag Qi Ming into the abyss.

Moreover, Qi Ming already knew Chu Chengyun's identity. Keeping some distance was good - establishing proper monarch-minister relations would benefit both public and private matters and Qi Ming's official career.

It could be said that when Chu Chengyun selected him as Third-Place Scholar, he had already considered everything he could.

But no matter how much he calculated, Chu Chengyun hadn't calculated for this scene.

His worthy brother hadn't even taken office yet but was about to lose his integrity first.

Chu Chengyun didn't want his hard-won Third-Place Scholar to be inexplicably snatched away, but he also couldn't directly intervene.

Just then, Commander Ye made a sound of surprise, "Master, look, isn't that the Meng family carriage?"

Chu Chengyun looked over and indeed saw a carriage stopped on the road. Though it bore no markings, the dress of the surrounding maids and servants was clearly that of Meng family people.

Now that Prime Minister Meng held the highest position among ministers, Chu Chengyun also greatly respected Empress Meng. Recently, with Empress Meng's poor health, he often had Meng family people enter the palace to visit. He was naturally familiar with this attire.

Could it be the Meng family also wanted to catch a son-in-law?

Chu Chengyun stood up and walked to the window, saying softly, "Let's watch more."

For Qi Ming, he was already trapped with no retreat.

He could no longer care whether this Privy Council Direct Scholar could be provoked or not. He just wanted to escape quickly, even considering climbing the tree with Liu Si to resist to the end.

But just then, several people came and cleared a path. A woman servant walked over, looked at Qi Ming, then at the steward, and completely ignored everyone else, just smiling at Qi Ming, "May I ask if you are the Third-Place Scholar?"

Qi Ming hesitated, afraid this was also someone trying to snatch him. He didn't want to acknowledge it, but with people all around, he couldn't lie, so he could only nod, "Yes, this lady is...?"

The woman servant smiled, "My master has old ties with the Qi family. Hearing that Scholar Qi went out without bringing a carriage, she asked me to come ask if you need transportation."

Qi Ming's eyes lit up, "Take me home?"

The woman servant nodded, "Yes."

Qi Ming looked at the Privy Council Direct Scholar's steward and found that the previously arrogant steward had already lowered his head and stepped aside.

Actually, the steward was also puzzled - what relationship did Prime Minister Meng's family have with the Qi family? How had he never heard of this before?

Seeing this, Qi Ming quickly tugged Liu Si and whispered, "Let's go."

But Liu Si was somewhat worried, whispering, "Th-third Young Master, what if... this person also wants you to marry?"

Qi Ming had obviously thought of this, lowering his voice even more, "It doesn't matter, let's follow to the main road first. At worst we'll just run."

Liu Si immediately nodded, thinking that even though his Third Young Master had become Third-Place Scholar, he was being chased to run through the streets. This Capital was truly vast, with all kinds of strange happenings.

The Qi family servants also quickly followed, but none dared speak.

They were all servants who had signed death contracts after Qi Yun arrived in the Capital, naturally bound to protect their master. Though the other party was a high official not to be trifled with, strictly speaking it was still their failure to protect properly. They would certainly be punished upon return, so now they naturally stayed quiet.

But this woman servant didn't have Qi Ming board the carriage. Instead, she led him to the main road and smiled, "Scholar Qi, this old servant will see you this far. Please go as you wish." She then prepared to leave.

Only then did Qi Ming confirm the person had come to help him out of the situation. He quickly stepped forward, "Thank you, madam, for your help. Please tell me who rendered assistance so Qi Ming may thank them properly in the future."

The woman servant smiled, saying gently, "It's just a small matter, please don't trouble yourself about it, Scholar Qi. Please stay." She then walked toward a carriage and left slowly with it.

Qi Ming couldn't very well chase after her, so he watched the woman servant get into a carriage and gradually depart.

Chu Chengyun, sitting in the second-floor tea shop, slightly raised his eyebrows and tilted his head, "I remember, besides the Empress, the Meng family only has Fifth Miss Meng as a daughter?"

Commander Ye nodded, "Yes."

Chu Chengyun looked again at the obviously feminine carriage and said nothing, turning to leave.

Commander Ye caught up, his eyes on Chu Chengyun.

The current court situation was clear. The Meng family stood on Chu Chengyun's side, true, but exactly how much trust Chu Chengyun had in them remained to be seen.

That Privy Council Direct Scholar wanting to kidnap Third Master Qi would probably face misfortune soon. This was nothing - he wasn't the first to fall from this position.

But if the Meng family formed connections with Qi Ming, Chu Chengyun might overthink things.

But when Commander Ye looked over, he met Chu Chengyun's somewhat excited eyes.

The new emperor used his fan to cover his mouth, saying softly, "Come, back to the palace. I have matters to discuss with the Empress."

Commander Ye was stunned, only reacting when Chu Chengyun was going down the stairs, and quickly followed.

Qi Ming had no idea his sworn brother had come and gone. When he returned to the Qi family residence, he felt like he had escaped from heaven. He hurried to find Qi Yun but didn't tell his second brother about the "catching sons-in-law beneath the boards" incident.

Firstly, it wasn't glorious, and secondly, Qi Ming didn't want the servants who had accompanied him to be punished because of him.

But these matters couldn't escape Qi Yun's ears. However, Second Young Master Qi understood Qi Ming's thoughts and only scolded the servants who went out with a few words, docking half a month's wages, without saying much else.

Ye Jiao found this somewhat strange, "Didn't husband say the people don't contend with officials? They didn't clash with those people - wasn't that right?"

Qi Yun was flipping through gift lists, replying, "Not clashing was correct, but with so many people, not one returned to the residence to report - that shows they're stupid."

This small punishment was to make them remember. If they were this foolish next time, it would be better to sell them outright.

Qi Yun didn't say this explicitly but calmly set the gift list aside and reached out to pull Ye Jiao to sit beside him.

Little Ginseng was holding a loquat, peeling it to eat. Seeing this, she sat over and handed the peeled loquat to Qi Yun, "Husband, try this. It's very sweet and good for moistening lungs and stopping coughs."

Qi Yun leaned over to take a bite - his mouth filled with sweet fragrance.

He couldn't help but be surprised, "This tastes much better than ordinary loquats. Where did Jiao Niang get this?"

Ye Jiao smiled and leaned against him, putting the remaining half in her own mouth and replying somewhat unclearly, "Ying Xiu sent it. She's given me quite a few loquats from her orchard recently. I had people make Fritillaria-stewed loquat - it should be ready this evening."

Qi Yun nodded, pecked Ye Jiao's mouth, then kissed her eyes, his voice carrying emotion, "Every time Jiao Niang mentions food, your eyes look particularly beautiful."

Little Ginseng blinked, "How do they look beautiful?"

"Like they've gathered warm sunlight." This wasn't Qi Yun talking nonsense - he had noticed his wife was just more fond of eating and showed particular enthusiasm for anything delicious.

When it came to food and drink, Ye Jiao was always extremely enthusiastic, her expression completely different.

But Little Ginseng looked somewhat bewildered, reaching out with her pale fingertip to touch her eye corner, muttering, "Sunlight in my eyes? Would that still be human?"

Qi Yun was stunned, then hugged her and laughed.

Though Ye Jiao didn't know what Qi Yun was laughing about, laughter was often contagious. She unconsciously curved her lips, first laughing along, then reaching for another loquat to peel and eat.

After playing around for a while, Qi Yun asked seemingly casually, "Does she still come to chat with you often?"

Ye Jiao shook her head, "These days our family has been busy with constant guests. Ying Xiu also seems to have things to handle and rarely comes, though she keeps sending things - fruits and pastries, all very sweet."

Qi Yun smiled and put his arm around her waist, gently squeezing.

Ye Jiao felt ticklish and pushed him laughingly, her clear eyes looking at him questioningly, "What are you doing, husband?"

Qi Yun replied seriously, "I'm checking to see if Jiao Niang has gained weight."

Little Ginseng wasn't like ordinary women who restricted themselves, nor did she care about being fat or thin. Hearing this, she just looked down and pinched the flesh at her waist, then touched her stomach, "Doesn't seem like I've gained weight." Just after saying this, Ye Jiao looked at Qi Yun curiously, "Husband, why doesn't it tickle when I touch my own waist?"

Qi Yun pulled her close again, "Touching yourself is fine, it only tickles when others touch you."

Ye Jiao couldn't help but widen her eyes as if this were quite novel. She was always eager to learn how to be human properly, and hearing something new naturally aroused unstoppable curiosity. She directly put her hands on Qi Yun's body, touching here and there, muttering, "What about husband, is it the same?"

Qi Yun softly hummed in acknowledgment.

Little Ginseng then grabbed his hand and put it on herself, looking at him excitedly, "Try again?"

Qi Yun smiled. He loved his wife's spirit of exploration, so they researched together for an entire evening, the specific delights of which were not for outsiders to know.

After Qi Ming became Third-Place Scholar, the Qi family became quite sought-after in the Capital.

Though First and Second-Place Scholars ranked higher, the Xiao and Guo families were both great clans that ordinary people couldn't reach. The Qi family was different - merchant background, seemingly without backing. Now that they had produced a Third-Place Scholar, those wanting to build good relationships nearly trampled down the Qi family's threshold.

Qi Yun didn't turn anyone away - all visitors were guests to be properly hosted.

He accepted some gifts but not all. Except from familiar families, he didn't accept from others, returning expensive items, leaving no handle for anyone to grasp.

But Qi Yun never let Qi Ming come out to meet people, only having him prepare well for the palace audience to express gratitude.

This audience wasn't just kowtowing and being done with it. Before the emperor, there would be a session of questions and answers. The first tier naturally needn't be mentioned - they would basically all be singled out by the emperor for individual examination. The second and third tiers would have other assignments - whether staying in the Capital or being posted elsewhere depended entirely on individual ability.

According to precedent, the three first-tier candidates would immediately receive official positions - First-Place Scholar as sixth-rank Compiler, Second and Third-Place Scholars as seventh-rank Associate Compilers. But laws weren't fixed, there were always exceptions. If one displeased the emperor during questioning, even a First-Place Scholar could be cast aside.

Fortunately, Qi Ming was sensible. He didn't think that his sworn brother being emperor would benefit him much. On the contrary, knowing Chu Chengyun's closeness made Qi Ming understand Chu Chengyun's pickiness even better.

If he couldn't satisfy him, the first to deal with him would be his sworn brother!

Qi Ming studied behind closed doors, actually more focused than when preparing for the palace examination.

Qi Yun's letter was also delivered to the Qi family at this time.

This time Qi Yun hadn't used carrier pigeons but had written a proper letter with family correspondence attached, thinking that since it was announcing good news, it should be formal.

But this method was slower than usual, so Shi Tianrui, as magistrate, received the news first.

For a local official, having a Third-Place Scholar emerge from his jurisdiction was absolutely momentous - not only to be publicized but even flaunted.

Because for any local official, there was an annual evaluation.

Besides whether the people under their governance lived and worked in peace and whether the area was stable and prosperous, there was another important criterion - examining local education and moral transformation.

Government transforms through example, education transforms through effectiveness, people transform through customs.

Every local official paid special attention to local academies and private schools, hoping to produce several talents during examination years. This not only enriched official networks but could serve as political achievements, helping earn good evaluations for promotion.

Beyond this, for Shi Tianrui, the successful candidate was from the Qi family. Even just considering the gentleman's agreement with Qi Yun, he should make a big show of it.

"Prepare official robes. I'm going to the Qi family to announce the good news." Upon receiving the news, Shi Tianrui immediately stood up, no longer reading or drinking tea, hurrying to leave.

Zheng Shi beside him quickly ran to take the official robes from the rack and called a maid to help dress Shi Tianrui.

Shi Tianrui's face first showed contemplation, then relief, his voice low, "It seems the Qi family is indeed as we thought - they have reached the emperor's ears."

Otherwise, for ordinary people to achieve first-tier ranking would be unthinkable even in dreams.

Thinking back now, every previous step had been traceable.

While adjusting his belt, Zheng Shi said softly, "Are you going just like this, or bringing something else?"

Shi Tianrui's hand reaching for his official hat paused slightly, then as if remembering something, he called loudly toward the door, "Go, bring the bronze gong! And firecrackers, bring them all, deduct from this magistrate's monthly salary, make it lively!"

Hearing this, Zheng Shi's lips curved slightly, but she said nothing more.

Shi Tianrui looked down at her slightly, "My wife considers things thoroughly. Now my foolish sister still relies on the Qi family's care, and Third Master Qi has a bright future - such celebration is appropriate."

Zheng Shi's voice was gentle, "The livelier the better. This is joyous news - no amount of celebration is excessive."

Shi Tianrui smiled and nodded.

Zheng Shi then stood on her tiptoes to straighten his official hat and gave him tea to drink before sending him out, watching Shi Tianrui depart.

After Magistrate Shi left with his entourage beating gongs and drums, Zheng Shi quickly went to the study to prepare a letter to Ye Jiao, deepening their friendship.

Shi Tianrui's journey deliberately created quite a commotion, even taking a detour to publicize Third Master Qi's success as Third-Place Scholar more widely. Especially that large bronze gong - one strike shook the heavens, impossible to ignore.

Qi Zhao had originally been going to the estate but heard the gong sounds from afar and wanted to see what was happening. Before he could get close, someone called out, "Isn't this the Qi family's eldest son? Are you going to find the magistrate? You don't know yet? This is announcing good news for your family! Hurry home and tell them - your Third Brother passed, Third-Place Scholar! This truly is a literary star descended from heaven..."

Qi Zhao could no longer hear what the person said after that, his mind filled only with "passed, passed, Third Brother passed!"

Not caring about anything else, Qi Zhao turned and ran wildly home, his first action upon entering being to shout at the top of his lungs, "Someone come! Quick, someone come!"

He happened to encounter Fang Shi supporting Liu Shi as they prepared to go offer incense. With no news constantly from the Capital, Liu Shi was anxious but didn't want to rush for fear of disturbing Qi Ming's affairs, so she could only occasionally go out to burn incense for peace of mind.

Now seeing her eldest son shouting, Fang Shi was startled.

Liu Shi quickly had Nanny Liu steady Fang Shi, reaching out to protect Fang Shi's already protruding belly. Liu Shi's eyes glared at Qi Zhao, "What are you shouting about in broad daylight? Are you possessed?"

Only then did Qi Zhao see his mother and sister-in-law. Wiping sweat from his face, he ran over, panting while saying, "It's not me, it's Third Brother, Third Brother passed!"

Liu Shi was stunned and stepped back half a pace, "What are you saying? You're saying Third Brother is possessed? Where did you hear this!"

Qi Zhao wasn't articulate to begin with, and being overwhelmed with joy plus running such a long distance, he was now tongue-tied and speaking incoherently.

The more he acted this way, the more anxious Liu Shi became. Her usual composure was useless now. Qi Zhao kept smiling, making Liu Shi want to hit him.

Just then, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly came from outside.

Liu Shi couldn't help but look toward the main gate. Qi Zhao was joyfully chanting "passed, passed," and Liu Shi finally came to her senses with a vague guess.

She gripped her handkerchief tightly, turned back to Qi Zhao, "You support your wife properly." Then Liu Shi took Nanny Liu's hand and quickly walked up the steps.

When the main gates opened left and right, Liu Shi immediately saw Shi Tianrui standing outside with many people playing instruments around him.

Both ends of the street were packed with onlookers.

Everyone loved watching excitement, and now even the magistrate had come out - naturally this attracted many people to watch.

Seeing Liu Shi, Shi Tianrui's handsome face broke into a smile. He stepped forward, "Congratulations, Old Madam, felicitations, Old Madam! Your honored family's Third Young Master has achieved golden list success and is now Third-Place Scholar with unlimited prospects!"