The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 305: Gold List
Chapter 305 Gold List
“Just now when I came back, I happened to meet Nanny Luo who was sending the second young lady back to the Qin Mansion. Nanny Luo told me… the second young lady met the second wife of the Earl of Shoushan on her way back home…”
“The second young lady pretended to be very angry. She wanted to marry Chun Xing from our mansion to the Minister of Revenue’s mansion as a concubine, but she stole the former queen’s belongings… and wanted to use them as her own dowry. She also said that she would go back to the mansion to check if there were any maids that our Bai Mansion had arranged for her to have any relatives with Chun Xing. If there were any, we would not dare to use them.”
Tong Ma Ma smiled after she finished speaking: “Second Miss is also worried that Chun Xing will do something embarrassing in the future, and others will blame it on the eldest Miss, so she is clearing it for the eldest Miss in advance. Second Miss is really thoughtful!”
Bai Qingyan smiled and said, “Chun Xing…can’t go to the Shangshu Mansion to be a concubine.”
Nanny Tong didn’t ask why Chun Xing couldn’t be a concubine. Since their eldest daughter said Chun Xing couldn’t do it, then Chun Xing definitely couldn’t do it.
For some reason, Nanny Tong thought of her mother who had protected Chun Xing in every possible way today. If Chun Xing’s mother knew that Chun Xing had no way to marry into the Shangshu Mansion and had lost her status as the princess’s personal maid, and no noble family would dare to employ Chun Xing’s family in the future, what would Chun Xing’s mother do to Chun Xing?
Today, Bai Qingyan said it once in front of the emperor, and again in front of the crown prince and the Minister of Revenue Chu Zhongxing. No matter what Chu Zhongxing and Li Mao wanted to do with Chun Xing, Chun Xing was now just a useless pawn.
If you really think about it, Chun Xing hasn’t done anything to let her down, but Bai Qingyan can’t put the safety of her entire family in danger. She lets Chun Xing go when she knows that Li Mao and Chu Zhongxing might use Chun Xing to harm the Bai family… or her.
Just like when grandfather spared Lu Tianzhuo out of a little mercy, but Lu Tianzhuo… wanted Xiaojiu’s life, wanted her life.
Therefore, only the absolutely strong and the saintly gentlemen are qualified to give compassion and kindness. She is still just a mayfly that is helpless in the current situation. She does not have so much compassion to share with others. If she has the heart, she should show more compassion to herself and her family.
Although Chun Xing’s crisis has been resolved, if Li Mao and Chu Zhongxing really want to attack her, she only crippled Chun Xing and did not hurt them seriously. Who knows what else is waiting for her?
Behind her are the orphans and mother of the Bai family. If they leave Dadu…if Li Mao and Chu Zhongxing cause trouble again, she will be out of control.
“Mammy, ask Uncle Ping to send a few more reliable people to the restaurants where the candidates stayed the most during the examination to ask if there are any candidates who are very talented and have great prestige among the candidates… but failed the examination.” Bai Qingyan turned to look at Mammy Tong and ordered slowly, “Have they ever complained that someone did not live up to his reputation?”
Every year in the Spring Examinations, there are candidates who think highly of themselves and are unwilling to accept the result. Every year in the Spring Examinations, there are people who commit favoritism and cheating, but no one is willing to be the first to speak out and bring things up. There have been a few people who have spoken out… but they either disappeared from this world in accidents or bowed down before the power of money and silver.
In recent years, noble families have repeatedly bribed the chief examiners in the imperial examinations, which has resulted in fewer and fewer children from poor families being able to succeed.
In previous years, bribery among noble families was rampant and no one had ever stopped it. This year it will be even worse. I’m afraid it will be even more difficult for the children from poor families this time to make a name for themselves.
Although Bai Qingyan has just started to prepare, it is a little late, but it is not too late.
If cheating is discovered in this imperial examination, the chief examiner, Hanlin scholar Wen Zhenkang… the position of Left Prime Minister will certainly be lost. Without Wen Zhenkang, who can give advice to the emperor, the position of Left Prime Minister will be like losing an arm.
Bai Qingyan’s eyes were as deep as water. Since Li Mao’s hand was so long and reached her side, she wanted Li Mao to experience the pain of a broken hand.
“Also, send people to secretly monitor the capital city… the nobles and officials whose descendants are taking the imperial examinations, to see which family purchased large amounts of red paper and firecrackers in advance to prepare for banquets.” Bai Qingyan thought for a moment and added, “Also, find out which family bought large amounts of rice to prepare porridge before the imperial examinations ended…”
In the past, noble families whose descendants could make it to the palace examination would prepare some reward money wrapped in red paper, firecrackers, and a banquet at home. After their descendants finished the examination, if they thought they could get a place in the first class, they would immediately send people to buy a large amount of rice. On the day of the announcement of the results, they would celebrate with money and give out porridge. If they were in the top few places in the second class… naturally they would also celebrate happily.
If you fall into the top three, it’s just a little gift of money as a token of your appreciation.
Because in recent years, bribery has become a common practice among noble families during the imperial examinations, and no one dares to step forward, and no one is willing to control it. Now the noble families are becoming more and more unscrupulous, and most of them will prepare all kinds of means of celebration before the announcement of the results, so as not to be caught off guard, or to be criticized for not being as lively and grand as others when they are at the top.
Therefore, by observing the purchasing trends of these noble families, we can roughly guess who will be in the top ten.
Madam Tong nodded: “I understand.”
The second day was the palace examination. After Second Madam Liu confessed that Jinxiu and Qin Lang left, she rushed into the small Buddhist hall of Fourth Madam Wang and worshiped Buddha with her.
At dinner time, when everyone gathered together to have dinner with the eldest princess, Third Madam Li told the eldest princess about this matter. Second Madam Liu only said that it was better to cram for peace of mind.
When she returned home at night, even Dong kowtowed to the gods and Buddhas, praying for their blessing so that Dong Changyuan and Qin Lang could win the first place.
Liu tossed and turned sleeplessly, and sent several groups of people to check the next day. It was not until Cui Bi, who was with Bai Jinxiu, replied that Liu felt relieved.
The palace examination was much more comfortable than the previous ones, after all, it was held in front of the emperor.
The emperor gave the test questions and sat on the high dragon throne, drinking tea from a teacup. He looked at the young talents sitting in the front of the hall and vaguely felt that he was getting old.
Perhaps because he suddenly felt unhappy, the emperor was too lazy to follow the usual routine and went down to take a walk and have a look. He waved his hand and asked the prince to do it for him.
Because Qin Lang was Bai Qingyan’s brother-in-law, the prince stayed beside Qin Lang for a while longer. He did not carefully look at what Qin Lang wrote, but felt that Qin Lang’s handwriting was very beautiful and clean.
After the palace examination, Liu sent someone to inquire about the situation. Qin Lang said that although he didn’t know what rank he would get yet, he felt that he had done his best. However, there were so many talented people in this palace examination, and what rank he would get depended entirely on fate.
Bai Qingyan felt that Qin Lang’s ranking would not be low.
Qin Lang was singled out by the present emperor as a role model for children of aristocratic families, so the examiner naturally had to give the present emperor face.
The gold list will be posted the next day or the day after tomorrow.
It’s the end of the month, please give me a monthly ticket…