Chapter 169 Xue Family Banquet

It was really strange. It was a sunny day on the day of the entrance ceremony. You know, it rained from late March until June and it was sunny for seven or eight days.

Such rare good weather happened to coincide with the entrance ceremony. Chen Heng was very surprised when he woke up. He cleaned up in the room, washed up and changed into the scholar's clothes. It was a blue spruce split robe with wide sleeves, and darker blue edges on the cuffs, collar, and corners.

Tie your hair and wear a crown. Yes, after becoming a scholar, you can wear a scholar's cap regardless of your age. The scholar's cap is low in front and high in the back, and there is a pair of soft belts hanging on the top of the back. If it is a windy day, the hairband will flutter, which is very cool.

Finally, after adjusting the blue belt, Chen Heng took Xinda downstairs to meet his family. Maybe it's because people are in high spirits when they are happy, or maybe it's because clothes make the man. Chen Heng's new outfit makes his already outstanding temperament even more extraordinary. The family couldn't help rubbing their eyes, and they couldn't believe that the handsome and bright child in front of them was their own mud monkey.

"Hahaha." Chen Gaishan started laughing again. Anyway, he had been laughing for the past two days, and Chen Heng was used to it.

Zhou knew that the child would go to the Imperial Examination Hall to have a banquet today, so she just made some food at home to fill Chen Heng's stomach and pushed him out.

After Chen Heng left for a while, the family hurriedly packed their things. It was a rare good day today, so how could they not participate in the child's good thing.

They quietly changed their clothes, took a portable small stool, and took a detour to the Imperial Examination Hall in the west of the city.

Prepared to give Chen Heng a little surprise.

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Chen Heng was still wandering around the street. The entrance ceremony started at Sishi, so it was still early. He was even less anxious. He looked around with his hands down and accepted the attention from the pedestrians around him.

Scholar's clothes are not to be worn casually. You can only wear them if you don't have the title of scholar. If the government finds out, you will definitely be punished. Passersby looked at the brand new clothes on Chen Heng and knew that he was a scholar who had just passed the exam this month. When he walked away, they all discussed whose child this kid was.

Although Chen Heng was thick-skinned, it was still a bit awkward to be looked at like this all the time, so he couldn't help but speed up his pace a little. When he arrived at the agreed location in the city, a servant jumped out of the Xue family carriage that had been parked there.

"Master Chen, please come in. Our master is waiting for you inside." The servant brought a wooden stool and couldn't stop talking, "Congratulations to Master Chen for winning the first place in the exam."

"Thank you, thank you." Chen Heng smiled and nodded, lifted his robe, and stepped up the steps. When he lifted the curtain and went in, he saw a smiling face that deserved a beating, shaking his head at him.

"Greetings, Mr. Leader." Xue Ke stopped fanning himself and said with a smile, "No wonder there is a poem that says: When you see a gentleman, how can you not be happy? Today, when I saw Chen Lang, I knew that it was true."

"Go, go, stop talking nonsense." Chen Heng scolded his friend with a smile, and pretended to turn around and get off the car, saying, "If you continue like this, I will get off the car."

"No, no, no, good brother." Xue Ke hurriedly grabbed him and said with a smile, "If you want to leave, take the gift with you."

"There is also a gift?" Chen Heng was overjoyed to hear this. He didn't need to refuse anything because of his friendship with Xue Ke. He sat down directly, "But is it the gift prepared by my uncle and aunt for me? Bring it here quickly, let me see what precious things it is."

When Xue Zhen had nothing to do, he liked to give Xue Ke's classmates some writing brushes, inkstones, and books, and was very popular with Chen Heng and others.

Xue Ke smiled elegantly. His appearance was outstanding, and his clothes were even more luxurious in the past. The same scholar's clothes look elegant on Chen Heng. But on him... ah.

I can only say: Why did you fall into such a plight, sir? I still have some dirty silver, you should use it to change your clothes. Oh, how can I dirty your hands and let me stuff it into your arms.

Chen Heng's addiction to writing stories came on, and he made up a few friends in his mind. Xue Ke didn't know anything about it. He stood up and leaned over to the seat opposite.

He pulled his sleeves and took out a brocade box from the drawer under the seat. When he handed it to Chen Heng, he said, "This is a gift my parents asked my sister to choose. See if you like it."

Before Chen Heng opened it, he was very sure, "Sister Xue's taste is naturally beyond reproach."

Xue Ke laughed when he heard that he was being naive after getting the advantage.

When he opened the box, there was indeed a white jade lumbar vertebra in it, woven and wrapped with a red rope. There was a knot on the top and tassels hanging on the bottom. There are three small green beads between the tassel and the jade pendant.

Chen Heng was not very knowledgeable and could not recognize this item. Just by looking at the crystal clear white jade and the fish leaping over the dragon gate carved on it, he knew that it was expensive.

"This is too expensive." Chen Heng was very surprised. He thought that there were only brushes and other things in the box.

Xue Ke laughed immediately and came up mysteriously. When he helped his friend take out the waist pendant, he explained to Chen Heng, "You don't know, my father is just a scholar."

"Ah?" Chen Heng was shocked. He didn't expect this to happen.

Xue Ke motioned his friend to get up first and put it on him himself. He continued, "That's right. I only knew about it when my mother told me last night."

He was very skilled in how to wear expensive things. He pressed two fingers lightly and the jade pendant was firmly hung. "So you know, compared with my reputation as a scholar, a jade pendant is nothing."

Xue Ke returned to his original position and let Chen Heng tidy up his clothes before nodding with satisfaction. Baoqin's vision is really impeccable. The style of Lanshan was originally a bit monotonous, but with such a piece of jade, it has the artistic conception of sky blue and white clouds.

Jade, originally symbolizes a gentleman. The person and the object are a perfect match. After Chen Heng sat down, Xue Ke laughed and said, "If my father makes me angry in the future, I will call him senior to make him angry."

In fact, Xue Zhen is only a scholar, and it is not entirely because of his lack of knowledge and bad luck in the exam. The main reason is that Xue's grandfather died early, and Xue Zhen followed the Xue family's eldest wife to go out to do business early.

Chen Heng smiled and said, "Then thank my uncle and aunt for their kindness."

Xue Ke looked him up and down, and said with regret, "What a pity, it would be nice if there was a fan."

Seeing that he was about to look in the drawer, Chen Heng hurriedly persuaded Xue Ke, "No, no! Good brother, please let me go. I have to worship this jade when I go back. Otherwise, it will be a pity if it is damaged."

He is a wild boar that cannot eat fine bran. In the future, when he takes this thing out, he must be careful when eating and walking. Chen Heng does not have a servant to follow him and take care of him every day.

The things have been sent out, and how to deal with them is other people's business. Xue Ke was not surprised, and turned the question to the Chen family's banquet.

This must be served, not only for the Chen family who are a little tight on money because of Chen Qing's marriage. The Xue family, the Qian family, and even the Jiang family who are boarding in Yangzhou must also serve. Although being a scholar is only the first step to becoming a great scholar in the imperial examination, if you really pass it, you will be very proud.

The county government cannot hit the buttocks of a student. When it comes to being a scholar, you cannot touch it at all. If you want to punish him, you have to ask the education official to come and remove his reputation first. Before that, at most you can just extend your palm and let the county magistrate pat it a few times.

If you are appreciated by the superiors, you can become a staff member and be taught and broaden your horizons. At worst, you can get a job in the county government, prefectural government, etc. The manager of Qiupu Street is now an old scholar. He lives a comfortable life.

If Chen Heng and others are more awesome, they will pass the examination of the tribute student among the scholars in the future. That will be even more amazing. They will go back and ask the local county annals and family tree to record their names.

The fun of it is not convenient to talk about it in detail at this time.

Chen Heng pondered for a while and asked about the Xue family's plan. He wanted to stagger the dates with his friends as much as possible, so that they could attend each other's banquets.

Xue Ke rolled his eyes when he heard this. "Forget about others, but among our friends, how can we start if you don't put the case first?"

"Hey." Chen Heng laughed cutely, and then he knew that they had this concern, so he picked an earlier date among the dates he had chosen.

Coincidentally, the carriage stopped. The two of them got off the horse stool while talking and laughing, and saw Jiang Yuanbai and Qian Dayou standing under the tree outside the Imperial Examination Hall in the distance.

The four met under the shade of the tree, and they were all dressed as scholars, and the atmosphere was very warm and lively. After chatting for a while, they saw that the time was almost right. Scholars ran by from time to time, and Chen Heng suggested going to the Imperial Examination Hall to meet Li Xuezheng first.

But as soon as he stepped out, Jiang Yuanbai grabbed his sleeve. Chen Heng was wondering, Jiang Yuanbai smiled mysteriously, "Wait a little longer, wait for about half a quarter of an hour, then we'll go over."

Although he was a little puzzled about the reason, Chen Heng had to continue chatting with everyone. When they were almost done talking, the four of them finally formed a group. Not far from the door, they saw the new scholars who had hurried over earlier, standing neatly around. It wasn't so exaggerated as lining up in two rows, everyone was standing in twos and threes, just a little dense, and they all looked at Chen Heng and others who were coming.

Chen Heng hadn't figured out the reason yet, and seeing that the first place in this case had arrived, all the scholars bowed and congratulated, "Meeting the Three Yuan Lord."

"Meeting the Three Yuan Lord." The friends following behind Chen Heng also followed suit. Among them, Jiang Yuanbai laughed the happiest, and I don't know if it was his idea.

Chen Heng suddenly realized, he said, why were the scholars in a hurry before, wishing they could grow wings and fly forward. Without hesitation, he bowed to everyone and returned the greeting deeply, also thanking: "Thank you, gentlemen."

Xiucai can also be called Xianggong. In fact, the more formal name is Xiao Xianggong. It means the reserve seedling of the prime minister and the chief assistant in the future. But who likes to add a small word in front?

The regulations established by the former Ming Dynasty when it was founded have been the same as the path of literary masters for hundreds of years. When there are more abnormal people, it becomes normal.

Everyone gathered together happily, regardless of whether they were really convinced in their hearts, they all gave Chen Heng enough face on the surface. After all, their subject had produced a Xiao Sanyuan who ranked first in the three examinations of the county, prefecture, and academy, and everyone was proud of it.

In the future, when discussing with others, if you say that you are a scholar in which subject that year, others may not agree. But if the scholars say that they have produced Xiao Sanyuan in this subject, hey, then they can show off.

After a simple reminiscence, everyone followed the top three and walked into the Gongyuan together according to the ranking of this academy examination. Li Xuezheng had been waiting for a long time and heard the noise outside.

At this time, Li Bian had the bearing of a great man. How could a Jinshi have any knowledge of a scholar? He just smiled and ignored the matter. After receiving the greetings in front of everyone, he began to comment on the scholars' test papers.

Starting with Chen Heng, he said some encouraging words. Everyone thanked him one by one, and after doing this, Li Bian could take the scholars out for a small parade.

They needed to go to Minglun Hall in the academy to pay homage to Confucius, which was normal. Compared with the rules of the previous Ming Dynasty, there was no difference, so there was no need to explain in detail.

Only along the way, the crowds of people coming from all over the city to watch are a lively scene worth talking about. On the narrow bridge leading to the academy, willows are planted along the river bank.

The sky is blue and the clouds are white, and the breeze is just right. The onlookers stood under the shade of the trees, watching the sixty new scholars, wearing uniform blue cedar robes, walking proudly in front of them.

Which girl would not be in love when seeing them, and which girl would not look at them twice?

As the saying goes, when the sleeves are as white as the sky, how many times can you be proud in life. The opposite sex is always the best catalyst. All the scholars raised their heads and chests, wishing that the wind would be stronger and blow the hairbands behind their heads into the blue sky.

Even a scholar is like this, if he really wants to pass the imperial examination and become a champion. You can imagine how lively it will be.

Among them, the Chen family is the most proud, because Chen Heng is the first one to walk. He is behind the chief examiner and the examiner in the room, which is really too conspicuous.

Hearing Chen Qingyue calling him brother in the crowd, Chen Heng turned his head in surprise, and then couldn't help but tremble. His whole family of relatives were all dancing and waving at him.

Ha, can't laugh, can't laugh. These are all his closest relatives, and it's such a solemn and serious occasion. Don't make a mistake and laugh.

Fortunately, Chen Heng had a good attitude. He finally held back his laughter and subconsciously stretched out his hand and waved to them. Immediately attracted more enthusiastic cheers from the Chen family, and they were also enjoying the feeling of being watched by others.

Oh, the first case, you don't follow the rules. But this is good, very good. The scholars were also very courageous. Seeing that the first case took the lead, they immediately followed Chen Heng and waved to the crowd on both sides.

There is no way, it's so cool, so high-profile.

Don't take the scholar, not the fame.

After worshipping Confucius in Minglun Hall, Li Bian took the scholars back to the Gongyuan Hall and started to have a banquet and drink. The situation of this banquet was similar to the Luming Banquet for Juren, but the standard was much lower.

During the banquet, the top three, headed by Chen Heng, had to sit with Li Bian and other examiners, and the rest of the students had their own tables.

The table of people ate for more than half an hour. Some people got drunk and unrestrained, while others drank less and kept to their duties. During the banquet, there was naturally no lack of poetry and couplets. Chen Heng was also invited to let the first case take the lead.

Chen Heng had already been in the limelight today. He was the first in the queue coming and going. He felt that there was no need to continue to steal the limelight with everyone. He stood up and said that he was not prepared. Please forgive me, and punish yourself with three cups of wine to show your sincerity.

Seeing this, many people secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Today, when everyone is proud, it is also great to have one less opponent to steal Li Bian's attention. They drank a cup together, thanked Chen Heng for his noble hand, and then took out their carefully thought out works last night.

The atmosphere reached a climax, and people came to the west after drinking in the east, one poem after another. If they came across a good poem, they would be cheered by the whole room. Li Bian was also very happy to see it. He once again experienced the joy of being an official. He sat there and did nothing, and there were a lot of people smiling at him and sang poems.

Prime Minister, is this how you spend every day?

After a long time, the banquet was over. Everyone left reluctantly, but they had to be reluctant. If they were lucky, only some of them would continue to enjoy the glory of passing the imperial examination in the future. I don’t know who has this luck and ability.

When Chen Heng returned home, he was naturally teased by his family. As a son, he didn’t care, as long as his family was happy. People who are honest and dutiful might as well enjoy themselves when they are happy, without looking back.

Because, maybe, they will be happier in the future? Holding it back for a long time will also hurt your body.

That night, the family gathered together to discuss who to invite to Chen Heng's banquet in half a month. After discussing it, they were a little dumbfounded. Their old Chen family knew too few people in Yangzhou, and they really couldn't find any relatives and friends.

Originally, they wanted to invite some villagers from Shanxi Village, but the journey was long. Instead of letting them go back and forth, it would be better to take time to go back and visit the ancestral temple to worship their ancestors. Chen Gaishan and Chen Qi were a little at a loss.

In the end, Chen Heng took the initiative to take the pen and paper and began to write down the list of invited guests.

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The next day, it rained as usual.

A special official ship arrived at the Yangzhou wharf from Jinling. This ship is larger and deeper than the one Jia Min took to Beijing, and it can be called a giant on the water. Now Shandong, Anhui and other places are also experiencing heavy rains, and refugees are fleeing in the country, which is very unstable. The water level on the rivers in various places is sometimes high and sometimes low, and official ships other than this shape are not enough to pass safely.

It came this time to take away the papers of the Yangzhou Academy Examination and transport them to the imperial court in the capital. Although it was also an official ship, its specifications were several levels higher than those of ordinary official ships.

However, its appearance aroused the desire of the people of Yangzhou to communicate with the outside world. People with connections used their connections and money to ask the officers and soldiers on the ship to take their letters and things out to their relatives far away in the capital.

Due to this long-lasting heavy rain, all the prefectures in Jiangnan became isolated cities. Not only did the number of merchants and travelers decrease, but even the people of Yangzhou themselves had less interest in going out.

But it was difficult to defy God's will, and everyone could do nothing about the Dragon King's behavior. They could only cover their heads with quilts and sleep for one day.

Although the rain was still falling, it could not stop the Chen family from having a banquet. In the afternoon of early July, the neighbors who came to help helped the Chen family set up a rain shelter on the street and led the guests in to take their seats.

The people invited included Wang Xianming, the masters of the academy and several classmates, as well as the Xue family, Qian family, Jiang family, etc. The Hu family were already related by marriage, so needless to say more. On the other hand, the Wang family, another owner of the newspaper shop, actually sent someone to deliver gifts.

Wang Siyi also has a banquet elsewhere today, so he can only come here to express his feelings. Chen Heng didn't care. The gap between their two families was too big and he couldn't blame him for coming or not. It was good to have this intention.

The Zhen family also had the same worries. Chen Heng had already asked Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Gu to pass invitations to Mrs. Feng and her daughter. But in the end, Feng came alone, in the name of helping neighbors.

There is no way, Zhen Yinglian will be sixteen soon. At this age, it is no longer a matter of avoiding suspicion or not. This is the age when college girls get married.

Before the Zhen family was destroyed, it was still a scholarly family. Mrs. Feng still hopes that her daughter can know more about etiquette, which is better than having her marry in the future ignorantly, knowing nothing, and causing trouble to others.

Uncle Lin, who was unable to travel, also asked Lin Jue to step in for him and pointed out a steward to accompany him. This was an unexpected surprise for Chen Heng, and he immediately asked Chen Qingyue to play with him. The men greeted the guests at the front, and the women received the distinguished guests at the back.

Among the female relatives here, Chen Heng, who has grown up, has no chance to see and thank her in person, so his mother and sister can do it for him. He only heard Xue Biao mention it once, and Aunt Xue and Sister Xue were both here. It was considered as an outpost for the Xue family's flowing banquet at the end of the month, and I came to invite the Chen family to come with them.

It's a happy event, it's about coming and going.

It was so lively until late at night that the guests braved the rain and left in the carriage arranged by the Hu family. The wedding of Hu Xiangheng and Chen Qing is scheduled for an auspicious day in early September. Their good days are not far away.

As soon as the Chen family's affairs were over, the Qian family's flowing banquet immediately followed. The format was similar, but the dishes were much more exquisite.

The most lively one is the Xue family. Only the size of their family can be called a banquet. When the Chen family held a banquet in early July, the Xue family's servants began to purchase delicacies from all over the world. So far, it has not stopped. I am really looking forward to what I can eat then.

It's just that their store's date is at the end of the month, so you have to wait eight or nine days to get it.

Looking forward to the stars, looking forward to the moon, and finally looking forward to the Xue family’s banquet. A few friends hurriedly had breakfast and were going to Xue's house to eat Haisai. When they were preparing for the exam, they often lived in the Xue family and were very familiar with the Xue family.

Almost when Chen Heng and Dayou arrived at Xue's house, people from the capital also received things shipped from Yangzhou.

Lin Daiyu and Jia Min, who were sitting in the room, felt much relieved after reading Lin Ruhai's letter. The content of the letter briefly talked about the situation in Yangzhou, and also mentioned some trivial matters at home.

Although she didn't mention her body at all, Lin Daiyu immediately noticed her father's writing, which was thick and powerful, penetrating the back of the paper. You know that this is not handwriting that can be written by someone who is seriously ill or recovering from a serious illness.

She turned her head and looked at Jia Min's expression. Seeing that she didn't look worried, she suddenly asked curiously: "Mom, you already knew this, right?"

Jia Min showed a strange expression. She had indeed known it for a long time, but it wasn't that she didn't mean to tell her daughter. But the source of her news was that Wei Yinghong entrusted his wife to convey it secretly to ease her heart.

Since it was hard to talk about this before, there is no need to talk about it now. After all, there are many secrets involved. Jia Min smiled and said: "Wait a little longer until we are done playing. When I can go back, my mother will take you back to Yangzhou immediately."

"Ah? We still have to wait." Lin Daiyu pursed her lips slightly. She really didn't expect that the originally scheduled one-month trip would be delayed again and again due to twists and turns. It's really upsetting that he even missed his elder brother's college examination.

But when he thinks about his father pretending to be sick, he must have his own considerations. Hey, what could it be? Lin Daiyu sighed in distress.

"It's coming, it's coming." Seeing this, Jia Min couldn't help but comfort her daughter. I am deeply afraid that after this experience, she will not want to come all the way to see her grandmother in the future.

There are many mistakes in the Jia family, but Jia's mother is very good to them and her mother. I was deeply afraid that their treatment would not go well, and I thought of them and made considerations for them all the time inside and outside.

The mother and daughter were talking when a servant suddenly came outside and said, "The Xue family is hosting a banquet. Please come over and meet all the cousins."

This was a matter for the girl's family. Jia Min was happy to send her daughter out to change her mood. She quickly ordered Xueyan and Zijuan to accompany Lin Daiyu out.

When Lin Daiyu arrived, Baochai had already gone out to greet her. In fact, Daiyu's mood has almost cleared up along the way. When he saw Sister Bao, he immediately congratulated her and said, "Sister Bao, did you know that your cousin has passed the examination to become a scholar?"

The two of them were opening the curtain and walking into the house. Baochai was shocked when she heard this. Xue Biao's naive appearance as a child vaguely appeared in his mind. She immediately smiled and said: "It's a great thing, Sister Lin, how did you know about it?"

Lin Daiyu smiled at her, winked, and said half-heartedly, "I just have a way to know." After saying that, she turned to look into the room and saw Sanchun and Shi Xiangyun sitting here. There was also Baoyu with bright eyebrows, who seemed to be sitting or standing, looking like he couldn't hold himself back. And Wang Xifeng, who had already come up to her, was about to pull her to a seat.

Seeing that everyone was there, Lin Daiyu suppressed her smile and saluted and greeted everyone. Only halfway through, Mrs. Wang couldn't help but pull her up and asked with a smile: "Seeing you so happy, it's not like you are in high school. Why, do you know this cousin of the Xue family too?"

Before Lin Daiyu had time to explain, Tanchun and Xiangyun had already made trouble and said: "My dear sister-in-law, she missed. I can't stand my good brother and he got hit."

Lin Daiyu, who was only eleven years old, had a thin skin and a slightly red complexion. As soon as he sat down, he pulled the chair out and said, "Sister Bao's house is really fun. Not only did two starlings fly over, there was also an extra parrot."

When she wanted to run away, Shi Xiangyun chased her. He followed the chair and swam towards Lin Daiyu, and kept asking: "Tell me, tell me. Who did you get in the exam?"

Lin Daiyu behaved like a good girl, she smiled and raised her hand to make a three. When Tanchun and Shi Xiangyun saw it, they immediately clapped their hands and congratulated, "Third place, that's really great." Recently, they often ran into Lin Daiyu, and sometimes they had fun reading together. Therefore, I gradually learned about the ways of the imperial examination.

Unexpectedly, Lin Daiyu shook her head. When the two saw each other, they asked for the people who were looking at them, "That's thirty? That's not bad."

"That's right, it's great if you can be selected as a scholar."

When Baoyu heard this, his originally gloomy mood was illuminated by a beam of light again.

Sister Lin still shook her head, and only then did Shi Xiangyun and Tan Chun realize that she was causing trouble again. He grabbed her from left to right and asked her where she got in the exam. Two fists were hard to beat with four hands. Lin Daiyu couldn't resist, and she begged for mercy with a smile. When the two stopped, Lin Daiyu coughed lightly and said, "It's Xiao Sanyuan."

Tan Chun and Shi Xiangyun were shocked and couldn't say a word. Although Jia Baoyu studied on weekdays, that was before entering the palace in Yuanchun. When Yuanchun leaves, no one in the family can control him. Before entering the hall this year, I still read the Book of Songs and other books endlessly. No wonder Jia Zheng criticized him and said: "I have learned some exquisite naughtiness."

At this time, Jia Baoyu blinked and saw that Sister Tanchun and Sister Xiangyun were silent. The other sisters were all confused, except Xue Baochai who looked thoughtful. I couldn't help but ask for everyone: "What is Xiao Sanyuan?"

Hey, Lin Daiyu sighed in her heart. My cousin is really worthless.

Brothers, there is no way. Xiangling is already fifteen or sixteen years old. Daiyu is only eleven years old. What will happen five years from now? Xiangling is twenty or twenty-one. No matter how much she likes Heng Zai, if she doesn't get married at this age, she can only hide in a nunnery.

Don't worry, the plot is all arranged. Please take it easy. Today it’s still 7,000 words. Asking for votes Asking for votes