The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

Letters were sent to the Cui family for several days in a row, but Xiaoyuer never responded. Eventually, they stopped sending them, and it was unclear whether they had come to their senses or what.

Time flew by and it was April, finally time for the palace examination.

The palace examination was the final stage of the ancient imperial examination system. It was the highest-level civil service selection examination personally presided over by the emperor, and the emperor himself was responsible for assessing and selecting talent.

However, the specific ceremony and procedures were handled by civil officials. Grand Secretaries and ministers of various ministries served as examiners, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial were responsible for guiding the process, eunuchs conveyed the exam questions, and censors were responsible for supervising the examination.

As a Privy Councilor, Zhang Ping'an was not involved in the regular selection of officials or cultural and educational ceremonies, and therefore was not present.

I took the day off today and stayed home.

But he knew that his son's result in the palace examination today would not be bad; at the very least, he would be a second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination).

If you give it your all, you might just be chosen as the top scholar, second-place winner, or third-place winner.

In a sense, this is the confidence and security he gives to his son.

Therefore, Zhang Ping'an was not in a hurry for the palace examination compared to the provincial examination.

Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi were not in a hurry either. For them, whether it was a second-class Jinshi or a third-class Jinshi, as long as it was a Jinshi, it would be a great honor for their ancestors and their graves would be blessed. It was a very satisfactory result.

The family waited anxiously at home for the person who would bring good news to their door.

"Why isn't it here yet? The wedding money is all ready," Xu muttered.

In fact, it wasn't just about the wedding money; she and Zhang Lao Er had even discussed and come to an almost perfect agreement on the menu for the banquet.

"Let's wait a bit. I think it's about time. The roll call at Donghua Gate should be over by now," Zhang Ping'an said with a smile after looking up at the sky.

Sure enough, not long after the words were spoken, the gatekeeper came running in, excitedly announcing the good news: "Master, Madam, Master, the young master's ranking is out! He's the third-ranked scholar! He's been chosen as the third-ranked scholar! He'll be parading through the streets on horseback soon! This is a momentous occasion that will bring glory to the family!"

Seeing the gatekeeper's excited and incoherent expression, Zhang Ping'an smiled. He was indeed not disappointed.

Because Zhang Lao Er was mentally prepared, he didn't faint this time, so the medicine and doctor he had prepared in advance were unnecessary.

To make up for the disappointment of last time, Zhang Lao Er was the first to get up. "Come on, take me outside. This time I have to see the people bringing good news come over and see how glorious it is for my grandson to ride through the streets on horseback!"

"Old man, wait for me, let's go together," Xu Shi hurriedly followed.

Zhang Ping'an lagged behind, shook his head and smiled as he watched this scene, then followed them out.

This time, there were even more people outside the gate to offer their congratulations than during the last imperial examination. It would be no exaggeration to say that the alley was packed with people. Everyone knew that they would not fail the palace examination, so they all gathered outside the Zhang residence in advance to pick up the lucky money and share in the good fortune.

Such good things don't happen every day.

People in the crowd would occasionally talk about the saying, "Like father, like son; two scholars from one family have passed the imperial examinations."

Many people are even considering consulting feng shui masters to see if they chose the wrong location for their ancestral graves. "How come other people's children are so successful? It must mean the ancestral graves are buried in a place with good feng shui!"

Zhang Lao Er listened but smiled without saying a word, also feeling that his family's ancestral graves were properly buried.

As the first batch of announcements arrived, the crowd erupted in excitement, showering everyone with congratulatory and auspicious words.

Baskets of coins and candies were continuously thrown out, eliciting joyful laughter and screams from the children.

Many people praise the government for its generosity in handling affairs!

Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi loved hearing this kind of talk. They laughed so hard their eyes almost disappeared, and kept repeating, "Good, good, good!"

Knowing that the third-ranked scholar would be riding his horse through the streets and passing by their house later, the lively scene lingered for a long time.

This moment of bringing glory to one's ancestors is something everyone should be happy about. Zhang Ping'an didn't care about the cost of the celebratory money, nor did he disappoint the people who had gathered in front of the door for the excitement. When the sound of the gongs of the imperial procession approached, the celebratory money was simply scattered out in copper coins mixed with loose silver.

This sparked another wave of excitement as people collected lucky money.

Finally, a voice came from the alley entrance: "Hey everyone, make way, make way! The imperial court's procession on horseback is coming! Make way!"

Watching his grandson, with palace guards clearing the way on both sides, his hair adorned with flowers, riding a horse and smiling as he returned the congratulations from those on either side, Zhang Lao Er's eyes suddenly filled with tears, and his chest swelled with emotion.

This is his grandson!

This life has been worth it!!!

Xu was the same, proudly repeating to those around her, "See that? That's my grandson. The most handsome and spirited one is my grandson. He's been smart since he was little. I knew he was destined to be a third-place scholar back then!"

Surrounded by familiar neighbors, how could they not recognize Xiaoyuer? However, at this moment, they still echoed Xu Shi's words in a very supportive manner, only regretting that it wasn't their own child who had achieved success today.

"What a magnificent sight!" someone in the crowd exclaimed, filled with envy.

“Who says otherwise? They’re living the high life!” someone chimed in.

At that moment, Xiaoyuer also spotted his family in the crowd.

The procession of horses through the streets was a collective honor celebration bestowed by the emperor upon the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). The entire process was guided and supervised by the Ministry of Rites of the court, with strict regulations on the route, pace, and ceremony. The procession had to complete the parade through the main streets of the city within the predetermined time to maximize the display of imperial grace and the glory of the imperial examinations to all the people of the capital.

Individuals are not allowed to leave the procession or dismount without permission, as this is not only against etiquette but may also be seen as a disrespect for the solemnity of the celebration and the imperial favor.

Therefore, even if Xiaoyuer sees his family, he cannot dismount and greet them.

All I could do was wave vigorously to let them know I had seen them.

Zhang Ping'an waved in response, his eyes filled with pride and satisfaction at his son's performance.

"Old woman, do you see? Our grandson is waving at us!" Zhang Lao Er clutched his chest, trembling with excitement.

While waving her handkerchief in response to her grandson, Madam Xu said impatiently, "I saw it, I saw it! My eyesight is excellent! Our Emperor is truly discerning; he immediately chose our grandson to be the third-ranked scholar! Thinking about this makes my heart pound. My grandson is amazing; I never dreamed of this!"