Refuse to trample on the pride of heaven

Chapter 388 Entering the Palace

There are many procedures to win the first place:

The newly crowned number one scholar had not even gotten warm enough to wear his scarlet official robe with flowers on his head when the Ministry of Rites' ceremonial guard had already sounded the gong to clear the way. The officials in the Imperial Street rolled their whips nine times on the bluestone slabs, and the cheers of the people who were watching the list almost overturned the gargoyles on the gatehouse.

Three days later, you have to go to the palace to express your gratitude, and the Supreme Being will give a banquet for the successful candidates.

At that time, the clusters of flowers blooming in the blazing fire were more dazzling than the green lamp that had been lit after ten years of studying.

Fortunately, the emperor here seemed to be anxious to see him, so Lu Wensheng didn't have to go back directly, which made him feel slightly relieved.

After all, he had no idea where he lived now. Once he left the palace, he would find an excuse to ask someone to send him back. This would be a temporary solution.

So after touring the streets, he followed the Jinwu Guards through the layers of palace gates. The gilded patterns on the vermilion lacquered pillars shone coldly in the twilight, and the copper bells on the eaves made sporadic sounds when knocked by the wind.

The palace lanterns on both sides behind Chengtian Gate have been lit up one after another. Tiny gold foils are floating in the warm yellow light, like a handful of scattered stars.

Passing the Nine Dragon Screen Wall, there are the white jade steps outside the Golden Palace. On the center of the steps is a carved five-clawed golden dragon. The rubies embedded in the dragon's eyes shine brightly in the dark. When Lu Wensheng climbed the stairs, he suddenly felt that the dragon's eyes seemed to be following him, and tiny ripples appeared on the glaze surface.

However, he also noticed the dullness beneath the gorgeous exterior. The gilded peonies on the vermilion lacquer columns had already peeled off a little, revealing the dark wood color underneath, but they were still barely repaired with gold powder by the palace servants, like a carefully concealed scar.

The hall was brightly lit with candles. Thirty-six bronze Vermillion Bird lamps illuminated the colorfully painted galaxy on the dome, making it sparkle. The bright yellow throne was located on a nine-step platform. The twelve strings of jade beads hanging from the crown obscured the emperor's face, and only the intricately embroidered cyan-gold robe with dragon pattern under his chin could be seen. The gold thread shone brightly in the candlelight.

"The new number one scholar Lu Wensheng, is here to see you—"

The eunuch's voice of greeting echoed in the hall. Lu Wensheng knelt on the ground according to the etiquette.

"New number one scholar, raise your head." The emperor's voice was hoarse with the smell of alcohol, and his eyes were half open and half closed behind his crown. When he glanced at Lu Wensheng, he looked like a street playboy, with a ruffian look in his eyes.

After Lu Wensheng entered the hall, he did not look around. When the emperor called him, he raised his head obediently. What he saw was three gold rings inlaid with rubies on the emperor's fingers. The fingertips were an unhealthy pink and white, and there were some rouge crumbs stuck in the nails. It was far from the impression of the emperor as a "dragon ruling the world". He looked more like a rich and idle man who was hollowed out by wine and sex.

Lu Wensheng suddenly remembered the cheers of the common people, the flowers and sachets thrown at him, and the gaudy furnishings in the hall, which were like a mirage made of gold powder, revealing a deliberately created prosperity everywhere.

He raised his head and saw the emperor in a black crown and robes leaning on a dragon-shaped imperial couch in front of a nine-dragon gold-lacquered screen. He looked to be in his thirties or forties, with a spot of rouge that had not been wiped off at the end of his eyebrows, and dark circles under his eyes. The twelve jade tassels on his crown emitted tiny spots of light as he moved, but they could not hide his pale, almost transparent face.

On that face that should have been majestic, the corners of the eyes were abnormally bright red, and there was even a little rouge that had not been wiped off the corners of the lips, as if he had just been awakened from the arms and legs of a gentle woman. Even the jade belt of the crown was hanging loosely on his knees.

"Stand up." The emperor spoke with a nasal tone, as if he was still drunk. "I heard that you talked about people's livelihood in the palace examination, which was quite original."

When he raised his hand, the gold-inlaid jade ring on his wrist flashed a dazzling light, and the skin exposed by his sleeves was a little loose. "Xiangsheng City can produce a talent like you, which is worthy of my cultivation."

Lu Wensheng was actually quite afraid that the other party would be interested in asking him questions - after all, he had no idea what was written!

Fortunately, the emperor in front of him was "consistent in his words and deeds", and the words he said were very consistent with his inappropriate image, but Lu Wensheng still didn't know how to answer.

The emperor propped his chin up on his hand, and the tassels of his crown swayed slightly with his movements. The candlelight in the hall shattered into gold foil between the jade strings of the tassels. The emperor leaned against the Panlong couch, his fingers hooked on the agate wine cup, and the wine created ripples in the cup.

"I have only heard that your essays are brilliant and brilliant. Now that I have taken a closer look, I did not expect that the new champion is so beautiful. His appearance is even more handsome than the people in the storybooks."

What a typical example of talking about appearance instead of talent.

Even though Lu Wensheng had never eaten pork, he had seen pigs run. Even if he had never read novels about imperial examinations, he knew that what he said was not only inappropriate, but also blatantly a hooligan.

So...he was being teased?

A sigh rolled through his throat, Lu Wensheng lowered his eyes and bowed, saying: "Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. I am humbled." What else could he do? He just had to get away with it.

The hall was silent for a while. It was obvious that the other officials in the hall were also startled. Some of them even had a dazed look in their eyes for a moment.

The official standing in the front row suddenly coughed and came out to smooth things over: "Your Majesty, the number one scholar is extremely talented and should be the first in the world to be talented and virtuous—"

"Hey, I was just saying it casually."

The emperor waved his hand, as if he didn't think he had said anything shocking.

He suddenly looked at Lu Wensheng, with a frivolous smile on his lips, "I heard that the number one scholar is still unmarried? I have several princesses in my palace——"

Officials on both sides were speechless: “…” I told you this was inappropriate, but you still took advantage of me.

"Your Majesty..." The man, who was obviously dressed as a civil servant, was obviously somewhat disapproving. However, as it was a happy day, he did not turn into a "machine gun" like usual and spoke in a very tactful way.

"The Qionglin Banquet has not yet begun. It would be inappropriate to talk about marriage at this time..."

Lu Wensheng's eyelids twitched, and he secretly complained in his heart: How can we urge marriage at the Qionglin Banquet?

However, he realized the power of the top scholar only later. Lu Wensheng felt as if he had become a hot commodity. Several vague and hot gazes were lingering on him, which were difficult to ignore.

Three days after the grand banquet in Qionglin Garden to praise officials in the Imperial Street, the new nobles changed into scarlet silk clothes and entered Qionglin Garden.

This banquet originated in the second year of Taiping Xingguo during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Song Dynasty, and was named after the jade-rue flowers in the garden that resembled a fairyland.

But he knew that as a gathering of intellectuals, writing poetry and articles was naturally indispensable. This was an elegant and refined thing. A poem should not be too pretentious, and it could still be written into a book. The Jinshi would definitely find ways to show themselves.

As the top scholar, he must be the focus of everyone's attention.

He had watched some popular science videos before and remembered that the top scholar was required to write something like "A Letter of Thanks for the Banquet at the Qionglin Temple".

Thinking of this, Lu Wensheng felt a headache and almost shouted in his heart: Destruction.

After leaving the palace, someone was sent back to Lu Wensheng, but Lu Wensheng's mind had already flown away - wouldn't it be difficult for him to write an article worthy of the top scholar? He was cultivating immortality, not culture.