Chapter 799: Banquet of Grace and Honor
At this moment, Sun Shan had no idea that he was the last one chosen by the emperor himself.
After leaving Minister He’s study, he returned to Xianren Garden.
Ever since the results of the imperial examination came out, I moved to Xianren Garden and never moved out.
Sun Shan thought about it and decided to live in Xianren Garden as it was quiet enough.
Wait until the He family "drives" him away before leaving.
Gui Ge'er saw Sun Shan from a distance, and hurried to greet him, serving him attentively.
Gui Ge'er said happily: "Brother Shan, you looked so impressive walking on the street today. Many people were chasing after you."
Sun Shan raised his head proudly and said proudly, "That's right! A promising boy like me will surely be liked by many people."
Sun Dingnan's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "Ashan, you are right. Many people like you and throw things to you."
Sun Dali said cheerfully: "My life is worth it, I can see Ashan parade in the streets, haha, Beijing is different from Sunjia Village, it's so lively here."
Sun Dali was glad to accompany Sun Shan to the capital and see things he had never seen in the first half of his life.
Haha, when he returns to Sunjia Village, he will have enough money to brag about it.
Oh, I hope that the boy at home can be as successful as him when he grows up, and can go to the capital to broaden his horizons and no longer be a country bumpkin.
Gui Ge'er said regretfully, "It's a pity that grandma, uncle, aunt, and sister-in-law Yun are not in the capital. It would be great if they were here. If they could see Brother Shan's demeanor in person, they would definitely be very happy."
Sun Shan also regretted that the Huang family members were not in the capital and could not see him looking handsome in his jinshi robe.
Then he smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. When I put on my official uniform, they will be happier when they see me."
Gui Ge'er, Sun Dingnan and Sun Dali's eyes were shining brightly.
What did Ah Shan say just now? He said he would wait until he put on his official uniform.
Oh, then don’t they have relatives who are officials?
Being an official, that means being a big official.
An existence that I would never dare to imagine in my lifetime.
Their Sunjia Village really produced a man who became an official.
Sun Dali said excitedly: "Ashan, when will you become an official? Where will you become an official? I want to follow you."
Sun Dingnan and Gui Ge'er looked at each other and said, "Good boy, Sun Dali, how dare you say such a thing?"
An illiterate country bumpkin actually wanted to follow Sun Shan to become an official?
No, absolutely not.
If anyone wants to follow, it should be the two of them, and it will never be Sun Dali's turn!
Sun Dingnan also asked anxiously: "Ashan, are you going to be an official? I will follow you. Wherever you go, I will go. I will stay by your side and take care of your daily life. With my care, you can be at ease as an official and leave the housework to me."
When Gui Ge'er heard that Sun Dingnan was taking his job, he was furious!
They immediately surrounded Sun Shan and said hastily, "Brother Shan, you have always been served by me, so I should follow you to be an official. Wherever you go, I will go. Uncle Min told me to keep an eye on you at all times, otherwise he will be worried."
Sun Shan: ...
He shouldn't have said anything about wearing an official uniform.
Although his chance of becoming an official is 99%, he will not be settled until he becomes an official.
At this moment, we should keep a low profile in our work and life.
Sun Shan coughed a few times, looked around, and whispered, "I am 90% sure about becoming an official, but I can't say anything until it's confirmed. I just let it slip, so don't tell anyone. Otherwise, someone will hear it and say I'm frivolous."
After a pause, Sun Shan said seriously, "You must keep your mouth shut. Do you understand?"
Sun Dingnan, Sun Dali, and Gui Ge'er immediately covered their mouths with their hands and shook their heads, indicating that they heard nothing and would not say anything more.
Sun Shan waved his hand and said with satisfaction: "Okay, let's not talk about being an official, and let's not talk about you following me for now. But don't worry, we are a family, we worship the same ancestors, and we all come from Sunjia Village. Work hard, and I won't treat you unfairly."
Gui Ge'er, Sun Dali, and Sun Dingnan's eyes immediately lit up and they nodded repeatedly: "We will definitely work hard. If you tell us to go east, we will go east, and if you tell us to go west, we will go west. We won't say anything."
The next morning, Sun Shan rubbed the eye booger. It was a big one, and it seemed that he had heat in his eyes.
I ate fried pork ribs with fermented bean curd yesterday. I felt so hot that I started to get eye mucus from the corners of my eyes.
After Sun Shan washed up and had breakfast, he was ready to go out again.
There are four banquets in the imperial examination: Luming, Qionglin, Yingyang and Huiwu.
Sun Shan was on his way to the Ministry of Rites to attend the Qionglin Banquet.
The so-called Qionglin Banquet is also known as the Xiwen Banquet or the Enrong Banquet.
There is another memorable line in the Huangmei Opera "The Female Prince Consort": "I have also been to the Qionglin Banquet, and I have also ridden a horse in front of the Imperial Street."
It’s a pity that the Imperial Street is only for the top scholar, role model, and third place scholar, while supporting scholars like Sun Shan can only attend the Qionglin Banquet.
The guests of the Enrong Banquet include newly-appointed Jinshi candidates, examiners and stewards of the current palace examination, etc.
Although the banquet was given by the emperor, the emperor himself would not attend, but would appoint a minister to host the banquet.
Wen Tianxiang described the lively scene of the Qionglin Banquet in his poem "A Respectful and Harmonious Poem for the Imperial Banquet of Qionglin":
In compliance with the imperial edict, I took up the official post and returned to the throne to behold the emperor’s face.
The clouds appear as five-colored flags and canopies, and in the dew there stand thousands of officials wearing various pendants and rings.
The banquet was held on the occasion of the Cowherd and Girl Festival, and the light of the phoenix emblem was reflected on the wall.
The poem presented here describes the humble and elegant deeds of an honest official, and the song still carries the spirit of the past.
There will be singing and dancing at the banquet, and the band performing is the court band, which can be said to be equivalent to a state banquet.
The thing that scholars most desire in their life is to attend the Qionglin Banquet. As long as they have the opportunity to attend it, their value will immediately soar a hundred times.
When Sun Shan arrived at the Ministry of Rites, many people had already arrived.
Say hello to someone you know when you see them, and say hello even if you don’t know them.
Their class is very different. There are 501 classmates. Haha, they all have to get along well with each other.
Maybe a word from your classmate can save your life.
When Peng Damu saw Sun Shan, he said happily, "Brother Pingshan, you are here."
Now that they have signed their names, the relationship between Sun Shan and Peng Damu has further sublimated.
Sun Shan said with a smile: "Have you been here for a long time?"
Peng Damu shook his head and said, "Just a moment."
The two of them lowered their heads and said a few words, then separated.
When Chen Jin saw Sun Shan, he pulled him aside and asked, "Junior Brother Sun, you're here. Haha, it was so lively yesterday. Hahaha."
This person obviously knew that Sun Shan was chased around ten blocks by his true fans yesterday.
Sun Shan was thick-skinned and said nonchalantly, "Brother, there's nothing I can do. I am just that popular."
Then he got a roll of the eyes from Chen Jin.
As they chatted, they talked about their eldest cousin.
Sun Shan asked, "Brother, are you planning to take the exam for the Imperial Academy?"
Chen Jin nodded, then sighed and said, "That's the plan, but the chances are slim. I'm ranked too low, so I'm afraid I won't be able to pass."
Chen Jin's score was said to be in the top two, but it was still quite far behind. It would be a bit difficult for him to compete for more than ten or twenty "intern" places.
What could Sun Shan say but to encourage him: "Brother, keep trying. I believe in you."