NOVEL WEB Chapter 191 Behind the Scenes
At the Joling Banquet, the newly advanced scholars are unquestionably the main characters.
Additionally, some of Chang'an's high-ranking officials and nobility also participate.
Even if we cannot marry these new scholars into our families, we can still draw them into our camp.
At previous banquets, even Your Majesty would make an appearance, to encourage the new class of scholars. However, in recent years, His Majesty seldom shows up, with this task now being undertaken by the Prince Regent.
This month's Prince Regent is King You, who first offered his congratulations to everyone, and then followed with words of encouragement and admonition. In the end, everyone raised their glasses to drink together, and King You left the stage, leaving the place to the new scholars.
Each class of newly advanced scholars, although coming from different regions, naturally develop a special camaraderie with one another.
It is common for scholars from the same class to help and support each other in the officialdom.
This banquet serves as an opportunity for them to get acquainted with one another.
Beside Li Nuo, a handsome young man picked up his wine cup and said with a smile, "I am Cui Jing, I toast to the top scholar."
Li Nuo remembered him; this man was the second-place finisher in the Imperial Examination. If not for Li Nuo, he would have been the top scholar of this class.
Li Nuo picked up his own cup, took a light sip, nodded in acknowledgment, and they recognized each other.
"My name is Wang Lin."
"Pei Qian."
"Zheng Hao…"
Following Cui Jing, several others came forward with their wine cups, each new scholar, by default adhering to their examination ranks, came forward one by one.
According to the tradition of the Imperial Examination, the top scholar is expected to drink to fullness at the Joling Banquet.
However, nobody dares to do this with the top scholar of this class.
For past top scholars, being named top scholar is a lifelong honor.
But for Li Nuo, such an accolade is not his most notable identity.
Being a prospective Prince Consort aside, as the son of the Minister of Justice, even high-ranking officials must treat him with caution.
These new scholars might be basking in unlimited glory for a few days.
But after tonight, they will face the harsh reality.
Being the top scholar of the Imperial Examination only leads to an Sixth Rank official position.
Those ranked after the top twenty in the advanced scholar list can only look forward to an eighth-rank, and after the top forty, a ninth-rank, which is the lowest official position in Daxia.
Most of them will not be able to cross the fifth-rank threshold in their entire lives.
And a fifth-rank official? The Ministry of Justice could arrest them at will.
After more than a decade of arduous study to finally excel in the Imperial Examination and then struggle for decades in the tumultuous officialdom, enduring countless hardships, their journey could end as no more than a restless spirit in the Heavenly Prison of the Ministry of Justice.
Having the opportunity to become scholars alongside the son of the Minister of Justice, of course, they wanted to make a good impression on him; if not for mutual support later on, at least hoping that in a time of trouble, he might spare their lives out of this faint bond...
Not far away, Zheng Zhi looked at that surrounded figure with a complex expression.
He hadn't expected the man to be the son of the Minister of Justice.
Thinking about how they had discussed Li Xuanjing right in front of him, he felt so embarrassed he wanted to crawl into a hole.
Although Zheng Zhi had little interaction with him, he seemed different from his father...
With that thought in mind, Zheng Zhi also picked up his cup and slowly walked over.
Among the new scholars, Li Nuo spotted Zheng Zhi. His ranking as the Sixth-Ranking Scholar was partly due to Zheng Zhi. While Li Nuo merely sipped when others toasted him, when it came to Zheng Zhi, he gave him a smile and drained his cup.
When the crowd had mostly dispersed, Zhou Yu came over and said, "I owe Brother Li a drink. If not for you, I definitely wouldn't have qualified as a scholar. I'll finish this cup, and Brother Li, please do as you wish..."
Zhou Yu's qualification for the advanced scholar list was somewhat unexpected for Li Nuo, considering his non-first place performance in the Horse Riding exam.
Unbelievably, aside from the Horse Riding, his performance in the other subjects had not lagged too far behind.
In fact, aside from the Book Department and Music Department, where he scored a B, Zhou Yu's other four subjects were all above-A.
He achieved an A in the Shooting Department, and amazingly, A+ in Horse Riding, Mathematics, and Ritual Department.
Given the significant weight of the Book Department, if his scores in these two subjects had been a little higher, he could easily have ranked within the top fifty.
Li Nuo said with a smile, "No need to thank me; you passed because of your own efforts."
In his heart, Zhou Yu knew that his success was not really due to himself.
Without Brother Li, he would not have studied Law in-depth, and if he had not answered all the Law questions correctly, the Book Department would not have granted him a B, and he could have failed the first subject of the Imperial Examination, just like Song Yu.
His A+ in Mathematics was also thanks to Brother Li, who had arranged for several Mathematics experts to help him intensively brush up on the subject.
As for the Ritual Department and Music Department, he owed it all to the Divine Fortune Teller.
Even now, he finds it incredible to think back on it.
He used to scoff at the idea of divination, but now he couldn't help but believe it.
The Divine Fortune Teller said he would become a Prime Minister in the future.
Starting with his scores, he can only begin from a ninth-rank official. His father was the top scholar in Horse Riding and started at Standard seventh-rank; now, he is only a Standard Fifth Rank doctor in the Ministry of Transport. Could he really rise to second-rank and become the Prime Minister of a country?
Zhou Yu didn't know what he was thinking; he had been staring blankly for quite a while.
Li Nuo, feeling somewhat bored in the hall, walked outside.
Tonight, there were many people in Furong Garden, but apart from the newly advanced scholars, other guests were not allowed to enter this hall; they either waited outside the hall or wandered around the garden.
Despite it being night, the entire Furong Garden was brightly lit.
A long table was placed at intervals along the path, laden with fruits, pastries, beverages, and wines for the guests to enjoy at will. Various entertainments such as dances and acrobatics were also available for viewing inside the buildings.
Li Nuo spotted Li Anning and Song Yiren at first glance.
They stood next to a long table, and Song Yiren was tasting every kind of pastry on the table.
Li Anning stood behind her, a helpless look in her eyes.
Catching sight of Li Nuo stepping out, Li Anning's beautiful eyes brightened slightly; she stealthily gestured to him from behind Song Yiren.
Li Nuo walked to a certain spot by the garden's lake, and Li Anning tiptoed over. Glancing back and seeing Song Yiren already looking around, she immediately took hold of Li Nuo's hand, jumped onto a small boat, and said, "Let's go on a boat ride on the lake..."
Many small boats were anchored on the lake, available for guests of the banquet to take a ride and appreciate the illuminated Furong Garden from the water, creating a unique scene.
In the middle of the small boat was a tiny cabin.
The two rowed to the center of the lake, and Li Anning bent down and crawled into the cabin, pulling Li Nuo in after her.
The cabin might have been small, but it was exquisitely decorated. The bright lights shone from the lake's surface through the cabin windows, casting a hazy, somewhat ambiguous glow inside.
There were a few more small boats scattered across the lake.
There wasn't much wind that night, yet the water beneath their boat rippled in circles.
Li Anning breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I finally shook her off."
The cabin fell into a brief silence. She looked at Li Nuo and said, "You still haven't answered that question I asked you last time!"
Li Nuo said, "Your Majesty has already decreed the marriage; do I still need to answer that?"
Li Anning snorted coldly and said, "Of course. If you don't want to marry me, I'll go to Father Emperor tomorrow and ask him to rescind his decree... Mm!"
Li Nuo didn't reply, but instead responded with action.
Li Anning's eyes widened, and after a brief moment of astonishment, a smile bloomed across her pretty face, and her eyes slowly closed.
Asking Father Emperor to rescind the decree was, of course, a lie to fool Nuo...
If Father Emperor could rescind decrees, he wouldn't have let her marry someone.
After a long moment, their lips parted.
Li Anning playfully pinched Li Nuo's waist and nestled into his embrace, saying, "You were confident in becoming the Sixth-Ranking Scholar, and you didn't tell me. You had me worried for so long..."
Li Nuo said, "You also didn't tell me that if I became the Sixth-Ranking Scholar, Your Majesty would surely arrange a marriage..."
Li Anning pursed her lips and said, "Then why did you do so well in the examination? You didn't leave any chance for anyone else."
After learning that Li Anning was to be married, Li Nuo found he was quite greedy.
Initially, he simply hoped to have a loved one to spend his life with; that alone would be very fortunate.
Later, his thoughts underwent a slight change.
If he could have two people who loved each other to spend a lifetime with, that would be truly fortunate.
He didn't want to lose his wife, nor did he want to miss out on Anning.
It was indeed a desire to have both the fish in the bowl and the one in the pot; he was truly a common man.
Li Nuo gently embraced her, smiling as he said, "Because I didn't want my wife to marry someone else, of course I had to give it my all."
This address of "wife" made Li Anning blush, her body becoming even softer.
Although he had called her wife countless times before, this time was different.
She wrapped her arms around Li Nuo's neck and closed her eyes once more.
Before their lips could meet again, the small boat suddenly jolted with a "bang" and began to rock violently.
Li Anning opened her eyes, thinking they had collided with another boat.
A pair of hands lifted the brocade curtain of the cabin, and Song Yiren stood on the outside, dissatisfied, saying, "Why didn't you invite me when you went for a boat ride?"
...
The banquet had not yet finished, but Li Nuo and the girls left Furong Garden.
The carriage first took Li Anning back to the Princess Mansion since just being granted the marriage, she obviously couldn't stay at the Li Family's home that night.
Wife should go back to the Song Residence, so Li Nuo and Song Yiren returned together.
Alone with Yiren, Li Nuo wasn't quite sure what to say.
Especially since she leaned against the carriage wall, scrutinizing him with a resentful gaze all the way.
That look, as if he were some faithless man who abandoned his wife for wealth and honor...
The carriage stopped in front of the Song Residence, and they alighted, each making their way to the gate. Suddenly, Song Yiren said, "I know who was behind the attempt to assassinate you last time..."
Li Nuo's steps faltered, and his gaze turned towards her.