Grant's Fall from Grace and Rise to Power Chapter 5

The wedding night, the time when your name is on the list of successful candidates.

The people say that there are two great fortunes in life, and one of them is to be named on the imperial examination list. The list of civil scholars was hung outside the left gate, and the list of military scholars was hung outside the right gate for the people to see. The announcement of the rankings was made by the emperor, written on yellow paper and posted on the city wall. The names of the top three were particularly conspicuous:

The first place winner was Miles Ling, from Henei County, Henan Province; the second place winner was Owen You, from Qiantang County, Zhejiang Province; the third place winner was Wang Zhizhong, from Jincheng County, Sichuan Province.

The common people gathered around the imperial edict, pointing and talking. Some people were already spreading rumors about the story of "the wanderer giving up the top spot", and the rumors were getting more and more outrageous. Ethan Ji looked at the golden list, shook his head and smiled.

There is a saying in the court: Only Jinshi can enter the Hanlin Academy, and only Hanlin can enter the cabinet.

After the list was announced, the first place was chosen as the top scholar and was appointed as the editor of the Hanlin Academy, and was promoted to the fifth rank. The second place was the second place, and the third place was the third place. They were appointed as editors of the Hanlin Academy, and were promoted to the fifth rank. The rest of the Jinshi who passed the imperial examination entered the Hanlin Academy as Shujishi. Shujishi people were promoted very quickly, not to mention editors.

Owen You was indeed very decisive. The editor and the editor were at the same level, so even if he was not the top scholar, he would not suffer any loss. He gave the emperor enough steps to save face and won the hearts of the people. If the top scholar Miles Ling was an idiot, he would think that Owen You was a good person.

A few days after the results were announced, the imperial city was filled with joy. The emperor set a date to hold a banquet for the newly-appointed scholars at the Qionglin Garden at the end of April. Since all the guests were scholars, he naturally invited the officials from the Ministry of Rites to attend.

The banquet started at 3:30 pm, and Liam Gui rushed to the Shangshu Mansion at 5:00 pm. Grant Ji had let everyone in, but Ethan Ji was still playing with hawthorn in the room. Liam Gui asked, "Master Ji, when are we leaving?"

"Liam Gui , look at how Xiaozha has changed." Ethan Ji didn't look up, but dipped his finger in some millet porridge and reached into the bird cage. He pecked at the bird's crooked beak. Liam Gui looked at the bird and said after a long pause: "It looks pretty energetic, but~~ it's a little less feathery."

Ethan Ji sighed, stood up, rubbed his hands on Liam Gui's pheasant patched robe, and walked to a painting of a lady. The lady in the painting held a feather fan, half covering her face. Ethan Ji picked up the folding fan, opened it, and made the same gesture as the woman in the painting, blinked, and smiled: "Does it look like it?" Liam Gui said in a trembling voice: "Like~~Like~~~"

It was not until 4:00 p.m. that Ethan Ji slowly set off.

At 2:00 pm, in Qiongyuan, the emperor had not yet arrived, but many new scholars were already waiting in the garden. Liam Gui breathed a sigh of relief, moved a bench and sat in the garden, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. Ethan Ji, wearing casual clothes and holding a folding fan, walked in swaying, and said with a smile: "If the emperor comes on time, he will not be the emperor."

Liam Gui was speechless and just kept bowing to him.

Ethan Ji walked around the garden for a few times. Most of the new scholars were playing word games, only two were playing chess, surrounded by a circle of people. From a distance, the two pretty little faces were the top and second place winners.

Miles Ling leaned forward slightly, frowning, holding a white piece between his index and middle fingers, refusing to drop it for a long time. Owen You supported his chin with the back of his hand, fiddling with the black piece box, with a faint smile on his face.

After hesitating for a long time, Miles Ling finally made his move, his eyebrows still knitted together. Owen You picked up a black piece and dropped it right above the white piece. Miles Ling thought for a while, a smile gradually appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he quickly took a white piece and said, "You lose." As soon as he finished speaking, Ethan Ji chuckled.

Everyone turned their attention to Ethan Ji. Owen You raised his head, his clear eyes sparkling. Miles Ling frowned and said, "What are you laughing at?" Ethan Ji said, "I'm happy for you, you won." Miles Ling snorted and made a move. Ethan Ji leaned over and said to Owen You, "I just don't understand why you deliberately gave up."

The voice was not loud, just loud enough for Miles Ling and Owen You to hear. Owen You laughed and said, "I don't know what you are talking about." Miles Ling's face was already angry, and he stood up suddenly: "Who are you, talking nonsense here?"

Ethan Ji bowed and said, "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ethan Ji, and my given name is Xian." Miles Ling was stunned at first, and then said disdainfully, "Ethan Ji is the Minister of Rites of the imperial court, how could he look like you?" Ethan Ji blinked and waved his fan a few times with small but quick movements: "Don't I look good?"

Owen You was still sitting in the chair, looking at Ethan Ji and smiling.

"The most handsome man in the court is Lord Ethan Ji. It's understandable that Ling Zhuangyuan doesn't believe it." A loud voice sounded, and before anyone could react, Ethan Ji had already jumped out: "Ethan Ji originally thought that he was too old and ugly to serve the emperor, but the emperor actually said such a thing today. Your Majesty~~Ethan Ji will follow you."

Only then did everyone kneel down and shout "Long live the emperor".

The emperor had a smile on his face, and a vein popped out on his forehead: "Stand up~Stand up."

Then the emperor took all the scholars to the banquet, leaving Ethan Ji standing alone. A gust of wind blew, and the fallen leaves fluttered. Ethan Ji wiped his eyes with his sleeves, walked two steps dejectedly, stopped, and continued to wipe his eyes. Liam Gui came over and whispered: "Master Ji, don't be sad."

Ethan Ji turned his head and used his hands to pry open his right eyelids: "It was windy just now and there's sand in my eyes. Blow it out for me." The corners of Liam Gui's mouth twitched, he took a breath and blew hard into his eyes.

After everyone took their seats, a famous chef was invited to play ancient music to accompany the banquet, and hundreds of famous dishes were served: Daokou roast chicken, fried fish fillet, stuffed roast duck, Jinxiu barley soup, braised fish lips in a pot, first-class tofu, Sanxian meatballs, etc. Most of the Jinshi were born in poverty, and after being hungry for an afternoon, they looked at the imperial meal in front of them with tears in their eyes.

After the emperor allowed the food to start, no one spoke, only chopsticks and bowls clattered, and several tables were filled with food. Only Owen You scooped some lotus leaf porridge and chewed it slowly. The emperor saw it and pointed at the food on the table with his chopsticks: "Why don't you eat something else, my dear?"

As soon as the emperor opened his mouth, everyone stopped.

Owen You still looked like he couldn't be crushed by the sky falling: "It's not too late to eat after everyone has finished eating." The emperor nodded and smiled: "I'm just asking, don't be so reserved, continue eating." Then he whispered to Ethan Ji beside him: "If Owen You performs well, promote him to be a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy." Ethan Ji said: "As you wish."

His eyes just happened to meet with Owen You who was standing opposite him, and he flirted with him. Owen You smiled and nodded, then buried his head in his soup and stopped looking at him. The emperor tapped the table with his knuckles: "Eat well!"