jdhmnovel Chapter 378 No one will remember the second place
Chapter 378 No one will remember the second place
Chapter 378 No one will remember the second place
In competitive sports, no one remembers the runner-up.
In exams, nobody cares about the second place.
Jiang Xiaoqi didn't care; the tens of thousands of taels of silver notes in his hand were the real deal.
The teahouse was quite reputable and didn't refuse to pay, probably because they were making a good profit from other people's deals.
It is true that Liu Peng, the son of the Liu family, comes from the family of the Prime Minister Liu. This was confirmed by Jiang Changqing. He had met Liu Peng before, and he was indeed well-read.
Jiang Changqing's statement was not in favor of the Liu family; it was simply unfounded, and he couldn't claim that the Liu family obtained the top scholar title through connections or back channels.
The Liu family probably wanted to achieve the top rank in all three levels of the imperial examination, but they couldn't hope for the top rank in all six levels, since Liu Peng hadn't even been the top scholar in the provincial examination.
"Oh, what a pity~"
Since finishing his shift, Landlord Jiang had been sighing and complaining. It was supposed to be a happy occasion, but Landlord Jiang felt that his grandson was the most talented and outstanding, yet in the end, he was defeated by his family background.
Sigh~ I still have to work hard. Other people's grandfather is the prime minister, while my grandson's grandfather is just a junior official with an undetermined rank.
Although the observation period is about to end, I won't be able to advance beyond the seventh rank at most. The road ahead is long and arduous. How far can I go before I die?
Seeing his grandfather's state, Jiang Xiaoqi still went into the study to chat with the landlord.
Jiang Xiaoqi patted her grandfather on the back and comforted him, "It's okay, it's okay, it's not a big deal if you don't become the top scholar."
“Mingming, Mingming could have produced a top scholar, but alas, it’s all because of my grandfather’s incompetence.”
"What does this have to do with you? Throughout thousands of years, how many people have achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations? You can count them on one hand."
Grandfather, as long as we keep working hard, the Jiang family will have plenty of opportunities in the future, growing from a small seedling into a towering tree.
Landlord Jiang was actually somewhat regretful and unwilling to accept it. His grandson had been extremely intelligent since childhood and could have achieved legendary status.
However, after hearing what his beloved grandson said, he felt a little better. He patted Jiang Xiaoqi's head and said, "Mingfei, you're right. There's plenty of time. Take it slow."
Landlord Jiang quickly adjusted his mindset and began to make arrangements to celebrate for the tribute students. However, Jiang Changqing felt that it was better not to celebrate too much before the palace examination.
After consulting with everyone, they unanimously decided to celebrate together after the palace examination.
The Fourth Prince's Residence
The Fourth Prince's residence, which was half-built, finally had people from the inner court come to do some repairs. The muddy ground was paved with bricks and stones, and the artificial hills and flower beds began to be shaped.
Xiao Dezi was busy in the courtyard, his face covered in sweat.
Zhao Hongsheng waved, and Xiao Dezi put down the bucket of mud, dusted off the loose dirt on his body, and ran over.
"Master! What are your orders?"
Are the imperial guards still stationed outside the mansion?
"Um, I secretly peeked while they were throwing away the trash and weeds, and they're still there."
Xiao Dezi's face was covered in mud and water, making him look rather disheveled.
Zhao Hongsheng sighed and took out his handkerchief, handing it to Xiao Dezi.
"Wipe your face."
Xiao Dezi was a little flattered. He took the handkerchief but didn't wipe his sweat. He just carefully absorbed the sweat.
"It seems that Father Emperor has not truly lifted the ban on me at all. Since we returned from the flower viewing banquet, the imperial guards at the gate have not been removed."
Xiao Dezi was helpless. The palace servants in the mansion had been replaced with capable ones, and the renovations and construction had resumed. This was the signal that His Majesty was sending.
The master must not make a mistake at this time. He has been pretending to be honest for so long. If he loses his composure now, all his previous efforts will be in vain.
At that time, Minister Tong might not be so dedicated to working for the Fourth Prince. These days, Minister Tong has contacted many officials in the court, waiting for the right opportunity to bring up this matter with the Emperor again.
"Your Highness, please don't worry. I heard that Lord Tong has put in a lot of effort, and I estimate that it won't be long before you are completely free."
"You don't understand. At the flower-viewing banquet a few days ago... I was afraid that if I waited and waited, I would receive an imperial decree bestowing a marriage upon me."
The Fourth Prince Zhao Hongsheng was unusually clever for once, but Xiao Dezi didn't take it seriously.
"Your Highness, all the princes will eventually marry princesses. However, the princes' residences are being built one after another, all for the purpose of the princes' weddings."
The imperial decree for this marriage will be issued sooner or later.
Zhao Hongsheng understood what Xiao Dezi meant. He was just calculating the time; the results of the imperial examination should have been released by now, and he wanted to go and see them.
"Have the results of the imperial examination been released yet?"
Xiao Dezi's heart skipped a beat, and he replied, "Yes, the list of successful candidates was released yesterday, and the streets were quite lively."
What is the name of the first-place winner?
Xiao Dezi really knew, since the workers in the mansion could come and go as they pleased, but they had to be checked and their identities verified before entering and leaving.
"Um, I think his surname is Liu, and his name is Liu Peng."
"Surname Liu? You're from the Prime Minister's family?"
“That’s right,” Xiao Dezi replied respectfully.
Zhao Hongsheng frowned slightly, thinking to himself that the Prime Minister's power was immense. If Liu Peng were to win first place in the palace examination, the Liu family would likely become even more dominant in the court.
"How did the Jiang family members do on the exam?"
Xiao Dezi sighed. He figured His Highness probably just wanted to ask how the Jiang family members did on the exam, but he started by asking who the top scholar was.
"A total of twelve people from the Jiang family took the exam, but one of them was not surnamed Jiang; it seems his surname was Wang."
Therefore, there should be a total of eleven people from the Jiang family who took the exam, with only four failing and the rest making the list..."
"Oh? You're quite well-informed."
"Hehe, Master is too kind..."
How could he not be quick to understand? Xiao Dezi sighed helplessly.
Sigh~ (?o﹏o?)~ His little bit of savings left!
I knew my master would ask these two days. If I didn't know anything when he asked, wouldn't that be bad luck?
It must be admitted that Xiao Dezi's professional skills would be at the level of a senior assistant even in later generations, earning him at least several hundred thousand yuan a year.
The situation is quite dire now; not only has my monthly allowance been spent, but my personal savings are also almost gone.
If there's no income from tips and favors, then it'll be even harder to survive...
The Fourth Prince Zhao Hongsheng has lost a lot of weight in the past two years, and Xiao Dezi hasn't fared much better. The Fourth Prince has lost weight, but Xiao Dezi's wallet has shrunk.
The Fourth Prince didn't care where Xiao Dezi got his information, since Xiao Dezi was allowed to go out and, even if he couldn't remember the names on the list, he could still remember the number of people.
"What rank did she get?"
Although no name was mentioned, Xiao Dezi knew who this "he" was.
"Well...Young Master Jiang's ranking is quite good, only slightly behind Liu Peng, making him the runner-up in the provincial examination."