PFC Chapter 44 Zhu Shuang and Zhu Fen Run Away from Home
Chapter 44 Zhu Shuang and Zhu Fen Run Away from Home
After saying this, Wang Yangsheng reacted extremely calmly and continued walking away.
Upon seeing this, Ma Xiulin felt a tightness in his chest. He lowered his head, and his previously upright posture unconsciously bent slightly.
He then said to those around him, "I won! I won!"
Others, however, reacted more enthusiastically.
"If you win, that's a good thing, it's actually quite normal; if you don't win, that's unbelievable."
With such extraordinary talent, he should surely rank among the top in the first county-level examination for the title of Xiucai (a lower-level scholar).
The many scholars who now live in this mansion all offered their congratulations, which made Ma Xiulin feel much better.
That's more like it.
This is the kind of treatment one should receive after making the list.
As Sun Yat-sen walked through the crowd, someone asked with curiosity, "Brother Sun, did you pass the exam?"
Sun Wen, holding his book, was in a posture almost identical to Wang Yangsheng's earlier. He nodded casually upon hearing this, seemingly not taking the matter to heart at all.
He asked himself a question first, and before anyone else could answer, he nodded to himself: "I passed. I think I'm in the top twenty. I didn't look at it closely, but as soon as I saw the name, I rushed back to review the book."
After saying this, Sun Yat-sen smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, and said to the many scholars around him, "You are all outstanding seniors in the imperial examination system, with titles of Xiucai and Juren. Please do not make fun of me today."
"The title of a mere county-level examination is not worth mentioning."
Sun Wen spoke again, but the scholars and officials around him did not think so.
"Haha, Brother Sun Wenxian, you are mistaken. After all, you are the top scholar in the county examination, which is enough to make my eight-legged essay style proud."
"Although it is a small step for a young teacher, it is a giant leap for the prosperity of education in the Central Plains."
"That's right, that's right. Young Brother Sun, do you understand the deeper meaning behind this? Otherwise, why would Brother Xiulin have announced it so widely just now? Could it be that he himself has also passed the county examination? That would be far too insignificant."
"Ha ha ha ha!!!"
"So that's the reason."
Sun Yat-sen then realized what was going on.
He hurriedly turned to look at Ma Xiulin, bowed again, and waved his hand, saying, "I never expected that Uncle would have such profound considerations. I am far inferior to him."
"hehe."
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiulin's expression became unpredictable.
If he were to say at this moment that what he had just been showing off was not his son Ma Wenxiang, but himself, he would probably become a laughing stock among the crowd.
It must be, it must be.
"Brother Wen."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Ma Wenxiang suddenly emerged from the inner room, and Sun Wen hurriedly greeted him.
Ma Wenxiang walked slowly over, but Ma Xiulin glared at him with gritted teeth, as if the person in front of him was not her son, but an enemy.
"You passed the county examination with top honors!"
Sun Yat-sen was beaming with joy.
Upon hearing this, Ma Wenxiang looked at him with a strange expression, as if to say, "Is there anything worth mentioning?" Then he waved his hand indifferently: "So what if I passed? It's just a minor matter of being the top scorer in the county examination, nothing to brag about."
Ma Wenxiang then looked around and spoke again, stabbing his father Ma Xiulin in the heart once more: "Today, within this mansion, there are no uncultured people coming and going; everywhere you look, there are learned scholars."
"Let alone being the top scorer in the county-level examination, even passing the county-level examination would be insignificant!"
bang bang bang! ! !
At that moment, Ma Xiulin's pupils contracted.
He clutched his chest, feeling excruciating pain, as if his heart was being torn apart.
The scariest thing is——
He looked around, as if Ma Wenxiang was right.
When did Ma Xiulin get into such a high-class literary circle?
The title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination) was merely the lowest level of qualification.
What gives Ma Xiulin the right to do this?
I inexplicably felt somewhat unworthy.
After leaving the group, Ma Wenxiang returned to the inner room and sat down for a while, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
However, it's not obvious.
Being ranked first in the county examination, though not worth mentioning, is still a good thing in the end.
If it's a good thing, then it's something to be happy about.
Ma Wenxiang picked up his brush, and at this moment his calligraphy had made some progress.
Although there are no famous teachers in this mansion now, there are quite a few scholars and graduates, and many of them are skilled in calligraphy and classical studies.
After all, anyone who could pass the imperial examination and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations) had at least a high level of competence in all aspects. Otherwise, even if someone could write a beautiful essay, their poor handwriting would still leave a bad impression on the examiners.
Whether it will make the list again is hard to say.
With a flourish, he began writing on the Xuan paper in front of him: "This morning I was delighted to receive the top honor in the county examination. I hope Your Majesty will continue your efforts and that you will receive the top honor in the prefectural examination and even the provincial examination in the future. That would be the best possible outcome."
And now!
Looking down from above, the general outline of the Qin family mansion is virtually identical to that of the main hall, the place where the princes were taught in the imperial palace.
……
Many princes have come to the main hall today, but it is understandable that Crown Prince Zhu Biao was too busy with state affairs to attend.
Ma Xiuying was still sitting in the same spot next to Ma Wenxiang as last time, with two little mushroom-headed boys beside her.
Inside the academy, the figures of a group of princes were clearly visible in front of Hanlin scholar Song Lian.
In addition to Zhu Di and Zhu Su, who were already present, there was also Zhu Zhen, who was ranked sixth. That was bad enough, but there was also Zhu Tan, who was ranked tenth and would become the future Prince of Lu.
Zhu Tan is the son of Consort Guo Ning. Consort Guo Ning and Ma Xiuying are like sisters. Although their friendship dates back to the past, they are still considered to be among the closest people in the palace.
When Consort Guo learned that her kind older sister Ma Xiuying had not only brought Xiao Anqing and Xiao Ningguo to the Great Hall, but had even come to supervise the princes' studies, she volunteered to bring her own children along as well.
She dared not aspire to the position of crown prince, only hoping that her child would grow up to be a pillar of society, and that when he was enfeoffed as a prince, he would not commit heinous crimes in his fiefdom, but would achieve something great.
"Mother, it seems that my second and third brothers haven't come."
Of the two little mushroom-headed boys, Xiao Anqing secretly glanced at Ma Xiuying's expressionless face and timidly spoke.
"Listen carefully to the teacher's lecture."
Ma Xiuying spoke casually, without mentioning Zhu Shuang and Zhu Gang.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Anqing immediately refocused his attention, his gaze piercing through the gap to look at the white-bearded old man, Song Lian, on the front stage.
……
At this moment, inside the rear courtyard, two figures, not very tall but still four or five feet tall, were secretly moving between the guards' patrol gaps and the eunuchs and palace maids.
Before long, the two seemed to have left the rear courtyard smoothly and had arrived at the front courtyard.
"Second brother, isn't this a bad idea? If Father, Mother, and Crown Prince catch us, our bottoms will be swollen again."
As Zhu Gang spoke, he felt a lingering fear and touched his calf. Recalling the scene of being reprimanded by Zhu Yuanzhang, he couldn't help but have the urge to go back.
"What are you afraid of?"
Zhu Shuang spoke.