novelraw Chapter 190
Chapter 190
In less than a day, Cen Yuanzhou's name as the top scholar spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital. The common people flocked to the streets to catch a glimpse of the top scholar's handsome face.
Seeing that he was an elegant and handsome young man, even before the street parade ended, the threshold of the Cen family's small courtyard in Apricot Blossom Alley was nearly trampled flat. The visitors were all matchmakers coming to propose marriage and stewards from official households.
When had Apricot Blossom Alley ever been this lively? The neighbors all came out to watch the commotion, and upon asking around, they discovered that the young man from the Cen family next door had actually passed the imperial examination with top honors! And as the top scholar, no less!
For a time, some sighed and others felt regret. Previously, seeing this family of an orphaned son and widowed mother—with the son seemingly down on his luck, the mother sickly, and both hailing from out of town—people assumed his participation in the spring examinations was merely to make up the numbers.
Who knew he was hiding his true talents and would astound everyone with a single brilliant feat?
It probably wouldn't be long before this place was renamed Top Scholar Alley.
Meanwhile, the imperial court and the inner palace paid even more attention to the identity of the new top scholar—the direct cousin of Consort Zhao.
The position of Empress was already hanging in the balance. Now that Cen Yuanzhou had become a disciple of the Son of Heaven, the head of this special examination, and a role model for scholars across the world, unless he committed a grave mistake in the future, his path would be a meteoric rise with a worry-free official career.
For Consort Zhao and her son, who were already solely favored but had a distant relationship with her maternal Yun family, this was akin to adding wings to a tiger.
His Majesty's intentions were abundantly clear.
Among the officials in the front court, the one with the deepest sense of crisis was the Li family.
.......
In Qiyun Palace, Yun Wan patiently listened to Xiao Dezi recount the scene of Cen Yuanzhou's street parade:
Your Ladyship might not know, but Lord Cen is extraordinarily handsome. Along the way, who knows how many silk flowers and handkerchiefs he received from noble young ladies, all claiming they want to marry Lord Cen...
Xiao Dezi had a bit of a storyteller's talent in him; his description was vivid and animated, accompanied by lively gestures.
Yun Wan and Sui listened with great relish from the side.
When he stopped, Emperor Jingxuan waved his hand impatiently: Alright, that's enough. Since you have such a glib tongue, you might as well go to the Aviary another day, train a parrot, and bring it here to amuse Madam.
Hearing this, Xiao Dezi turned pale with fright, Your Majesty, please spare this servant. This servant has never been good with birds or dogs since childhood. If I go to the Aviary, I'm afraid I'll only end up getting pecked.
He wore a miserable expression on his face, his pale and plump features identical to his master's, looking highly comical and instantly making the others laugh.
Before Emperor Jingxuan could speak, Sui spoke up to refuse: You can't send Eunuch De to the Aviary. If he goes, there will be no one to escort me to the Hongwen Academy.
Emperor Jingxuan cast a sidelong glance at him: Aren't you quite bold? Daring to run from the Hongwen Academy to Wende Hall all by yourself?
He only found out later that right after he left Wende Hall, Sui had rushed over.
Sui knew he was in the wrong. He glanced at Yun Wan, decisively jumped off his stool, and ran to hug Emperor Jingxuan's leg: I don't care, Imperial Father cannot send him away. I want him to escort me.
Sui didn't necessarily need Xiao Dezi to escort him. It was just that having stayed in the palace for nearly a year, he clearly understood that for a palace servant, not being needed by their master was a terrible situation.
Palace servants only had value when they were needed.
Emperor Jingxuan was merely joking and waved his hand to let Xiao Dezi leave.
Looking down to meet the soft, tender smiling face, he reached out and pinched it, saying sternly: A true man does not act spoiled.
Oh.
Sui put away his smile, let go of his leg, turned around, and ran to find Yun Wan, leaving without any hesitation.
Mother. He leaned close to Yun Wan, standing on his tiptoes to peek at the rice paper on the table, and asked curiously, What are you writing?
He couldn't see the contents on the paper, and Yun Wan couldn't lift him up, so she handed the paper to Sui.
The congratulatory gifts to be sent to your uncle.
Emperor Jingxuan snatched the rice paper first. He glanced at the gift list written on it and couldn't help but say sourly: Madam is truly devoted to your cousin. Are you really that happy?
After reading it, he casually tossed it aside. The rice paper floated in the air, and Sui raised both hands to catch it.
After catching it, he stomped his feet on the spot in anger.
Imperial Father is too mean!
Yun Wan patted his head to comfort him, while not forgetting to say to Emperor Jingxuan: My cousin passed as the top scholar, and Your Majesty, with a keen eye for talent, has gained an able minister. With such double blessings, shouldn't this concubine be happy?
It's just that this concubine didn't expect my cousin to be the top scholar. I thought Your Majesty would avoid arousing suspicion, considering he is my cousin.
She knew clearly that ever since Sui's background was made public, her existence was no longer just that of a favored concubine in the eyes of the world.
Having an heir gave her more qualifications to climb higher, at least that was how it appeared to outsiders.
He is eloquent, speaks with substance, possesses genuine talent and learning, and performed the best. I am fair and just, so what is there to avoid?
Emperor Jingxuan looked calm and open: The contents of the palace examination are all recorded in the register. Whose answers were the best is clear at a glance. Only those with a guilty conscience need to avoid suspicion.
Of course, I am not saying that Madam has a guilty conscience, he quickly added.
If Cen Yuanzhou had been an empty-headed fool with an undeserved reputation, Emperor Jingxuan naturally wouldn't have appointed him as the top scholar. Setting aside any minor biases, he truly was the best performer in all aspects of the palace examination.
Since that was the case, what harm was there in building momentum for Madam? Among the several children, except for Sui, all the others had the support of their maternal families and had grown up in the imperial palace with fine clothes and rich food.
On the contrary, Sui was the smartest, the most worry-free, the most obedient, the most sensible, the most considerate, and the most like himself... He and his mother had suffered a lot in the Lu family.
Because of this, he always felt that he owed the mother and son and wanted to give them more compensation.
Madam need not worry, leave everything to me.
Suppressing a bellyful of emotions, he said firmly.
Yun Wan smiled sweetly: Thank you, Your Majesty.
She paused, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips, touching them lightly like a dragonfly skimming the water before immediately pulling away, all while not forgetting to reach out and cover Sui's eyes.
Sui, whose vision suddenly went black: ?
Although he couldn't see, Sui still obediently remained still.
Mother definitely had her reasons for covering his eyes.
Seeing this, the palace servants quietly withdrew.
His Adam's apple bobbing up and down, Emperor Jingxuan suppressed the urge to deepen the kiss and forcefully changed the subject: Since Madam cares so much about your cousin, how about I bestow a marriage upon him?
He kept calling him cousin, sounding very familiar.
Bestow a marriage? Yun Wan was startled.
Emperor Jingxuan: After all, cousin is no longer young. Being all alone, if he delays any longer, he will become an older leftover man, and that will only cause aunt to worry again.
Last year, Yun Wan passed her twenty-fourth birthday. Counting to this year, her cousin would be turning twenty-six.
In ordinary families that married early, a twenty-six-year-old could become a grandfather in just a few more years.
Yun Wan's brows relaxed slightly: It's not that it wouldn't work. Right now, what aunt is probably most concerned about is my cousin's marriage.
She and Sui were safe and well in the palace, and her cousin had passed as the top scholar and entered the court as an official. The only thing left was the major event of his marriage.
It's just that this matter still requires asking for my cousin's wishes. Your Majesty cannot blindly play matchmaker, lest both parties dislike each other but are forced into becoming a resentful couple because of us.
If that were the case, it would be better not to marry at all.
Emperor Jingxuan lightly pecked her hair whorl, Rest assured, Madam, I know what I'm doing.
Having heard everything, Sui suddenly had a realization: Was he going to have an aunt by marriage?