Chapter 689 - 252: Xinglin Banquet
Chapter 689: Chapter 252: Xinglin Banquet
The day after the Imperial Roll Call was the Xinglin Banquet, also commonly known among the people as the Qionglin Banquet, Wenxi Banquet, Third Place Banquet, Enrong Banquet, or the Xinglin Spring Banquet.
On this day, the newly minted Advanced Scholars were required to submit a memorial of gratitude to the throne and formally thank their chief examiners. This schedule only existed because the current dynasty had suspended the elegant tradition of "inscribing names at the Wild Goose Pagoda." Otherwise, after the banquet, they would have had to leave their signatures at the Great Wild Goose Pagoda of Cien Temple as a memorial.
But first, back to the Xinglin Banquet. Early that morning, Zhao Jing and Xu Yanhe woke up bright and early.
This year, the Xu family had produced two Advanced Scholars from the Palace Examination. Furthermore, Zhao Jing had surpassed all others and was personally appointed as the Champion Scholar by Your Majesty, bringing immense glory to the household. Yesterday, as soon as the imperial list was posted, the estate welcomed an endless stream of guests. Anyone who could claim even the slightest connection to the Xu family arrived early. Those unqualified to enter the manor simply left their generous gifts with the porter. In just one short day, they amassed enough gifts to fill three storehouses.
Putting that aside, having finally resolved this major concern, Zhao Jing and Xu Yanhe woke up feeling completely refreshed. After quickly freshening up and seeing that it was about time, they prepared to head to the banquet together.
Chen Wanqing was now six months pregnant. Earlier on, the old madam had worried because her baby bump wasn’t showing much, going so far as to specifically invite an Imperial Physician to check her pulse. The results showed that both mother and child were perfectly healthy. She simply had a deeper pelvis and a tight abdomen, naturally causing her to carry small. Combined with her inherently slender figure, her pregnancy hadn’t been particularly noticeable at five months. Now at six months, however, the curve of her belly was quite prominent. From the side, she looked as if she were carrying a round jar, prompting the family to assign attendants to follow her closely whenever she moved about.
When Chen Wanqing wanted to see Zhao Jing off at the door, he didn’t refuse. The Imperial Physician had mentioned that appropriate walking would be beneficial for her upcoming delivery, so it was a good thing for her. As the young couple walked out, they discussed their subsequent arrangements.
Zhao Jing said, "I will return home in a few days to offer sacrifices to the ancestors, so you should stay in Capital City. When I come back, I’ll bring Mother and Xiang’er with me."
Chen Wanqing naturally nodded. "Shall I tidy up the three-courtyard estate that maternal grandmother gave us?"
Her maternal grandmother had also gifted them a four-courtyard estate, but it was a bit far from the Xu family. The three-courtyard one, however, was very close, which would make it convenient for the Xu family to visit after she gave birth. Chen Wanqing had already thought it through; she planned to move out before her delivery. Childbirth was a bloody affair, and many considered delivery rooms to be unlucky. She didn’t know if Capital City had specific taboos regarding this, but as a married granddaughter, staying at the Xu family’s home to give birth and complete her postpartum confinement felt inappropriate just thinking about it.
They currently had some money on hand and weren’t incapable of buying another residence. However, given that their closest relatives had already gifted them properties, buying a separate house to settle her mother-in-law and sister-in-law would make it seem like they were deliberately distancing themselves from her maternal family. As such, she could only leave it to Zhao Jing to gently persuade Mrs. Zhao, ensuring she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable living in a house provided by her in-laws.
The couple strolled unhurriedly to the front courtyard, where Xu Yanhe was already waiting. This time, he had placed twelfth in the Second Class. While it was true that several candidates ranked ahead of him had missed the exam, his achievement was undeniably backed by his own capability and luck. Because of this, Xu Shiniang had even praised him a few times yesterday, leaving Xu Yanhe feeling quite smug.
Brimming with energy, he saw the young couple approaching side by side and laughed. "Wanqing, you can head back now. I’ll take Jing to the banquet. Don’t worry, I’ll bring him back exactly the way I’m taking him out. I guarantee he won’t get so drunk that he can’t walk."
His promise sounded wonderful, but if he got drunk first, how could he possibly protect Zhao Jing?
As it turned out, that was exactly what happened. Yanhe was, after all, Mr. Xu’s grandson. Mr. Xu had received orders on the late Emperor’s deathbed to serve as one of the Assistant Ministers for the current Emperor. Over the years, he had worked diligently and tirelessly, never slacking for a single moment in his efforts to maintain the stability of imperial power. The Emperor also held Mr. Xu in extremely high regard, often referring to him as "Minister Xu" or "My Beloved Minister" both inside and outside the court.
These newly minted Advanced Scholars—who had just entered the court or hadn’t even managed to do so yet—naturally wanted to curry favor with the grandson of the powerful Mr. Xu. They hoped that Xu Yanhe would later put in a good word for them with the Cabinet. A single word from Xu Yanhe could potentially save them twenty years of detours.
Swamped by the crowd, Xu Yanhe downed cup after cup of wine. Barely able to fend for himself, he had no spare energy to look after Zhao Jing. When he was thoroughly drunk, Xu Yanhe vaguely heard someone call out for "Brother Meng" and "Brother Jintang." At first, he didn’t react. Then, as the alcohol surged to his head, he gave a violent shudder, and his drifting thoughts suddenly snapped back to reality.