Back In Time For Imperial Examination Chapter 51

The four newly-crowned scholars came back from the Lu Ming Banquet in Shuntian Prefecture and immediately went to the Lu Ming Banquet in the county.

The county magistrate, county magistrate, county historian, and county magistrate presided over the ceremony in person. Only the four new candidates were invited, and the scholars who failed the exam were also invited to sit with them. Among the students with family backgrounds and achievements, there was only one commoner who was not allowed to wear a scholar's cap. Naturally, he was Ryan Cui who was specially brought by the county magistrate.

He was arranged to sit at a small table in the corridor, just to be a spectator eating and drinking. Musicians on both sides played "Deer Calling", and the county magistrate and the four new candidates sang "Deer Calling, Eating Wild Apples" in response to each other. The whole process was in accordance with ancient etiquette, with the host and the guest responding to the etiquette, and then composing poems after singing. By the time they had their meal, the food was almost cold.

Ryan Cui was very suspicious that Magistrate Qi himself had failed to pass the imperial examinations and so he held this small banquet to satisfy his craving.

The county magistrate ordered people to serve wine. After three rounds of wine, he said to the new candidates: "I didn't expect that among the four candidates, three are talented people who criticized the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. When the county heard about this, it felt very coincidental, so he invited the bookshop owner who had a keen eye for talent to the banquet. Why don't you write a poem for his bookshop to commemorate it?"