Chapter 120: Wang Qiluo's Marriage
Most top scholars would stay in the Imperial City for their official appointments, and being directly dispatched to a local region usually meant either a lack of importance or great expectations.
The position of Yangzhou prefect was a highly coveted local post, showcasing the emperor's high regard for the new top scholar.
As Liu Shuhui rode a tall horse, dressed in the red robe of a top scholar, parading gloriously through the streets, chaos erupted in another part of the Imperial City.
"You only got a *tong jinshi*?"
In the second household of the Li family residence.
Lu Hanyi, who had just given birth not long ago, sat stunned on the bed as she listened to the news brought by Li Wenxun.
She felt like a stone, frozen in place.
Tong jinshi, *tong jinshi*...
Li Wenxun! He hadn't passed the imperial examination as a top scholar!
And he only achieved the lowest rank of *jinshi*!
Impossible, impossible, absolutely impossible!
Li Wenxun, playing with his son, said, "At my age, passing the imperial examination on the first attempt is already a great achievement."
Li Wenxun wasn't as open about it.
He had wanted to push forward, to rank within the top three and strive for the top position, but he lacked the necessary support.
The top scholar truly earned his place through talent, but what about the second and third ranks? Which of them wasn't backed by a powerful family?
The second-place *bangyan* was from the family of the Left Censor-in-Chief, whose head of the family was the former Tai Fu of the Crown Prince, acquainted with numerous renowned scholars and officials, and boasting many outstanding family members in the court.
The third-place *tanhua* was from another province, also from a prominent clan, well-known in the region, producing *jinshi* every year in the imperial examinations.
As for him, he was just the second son of a minor official of the sixth rank, with his family only rising to prominence in his father's generation. There were no deep roots, and most resources were given to his elder brother. Without the support of his wife's family, passing the examination on his own merit was already an extraordinary feat!
"Don't touch my son!" Lu Hanyi, after a series of shocks, snapped back to her senses.
She grabbed her son from Li Wenxun, glaring at him with wide, angry eyes.
"What are you doing again?" Li Wenxun's eyes darkened with displeasure.
"You're a liar! You were supposed to be the top scholar! How could you only get a *tong jinshi*!" Lu Hanyi's mind was filled with rage as she grabbed the pillows and quilts from the bed and threw them at Li Wenxun.
"The rankings were personally decided by the emperor during the palace examination, how could I influence that!" Li Wenxun was bewildered.
"I don't care, you're a liar! You deceived me, ruined me, and destroyed my life!" Lu Hanyi screamed, losing her voice.
She had been reborn into this life, seizing the opportunity to change her fate, wasn't it to become the wife of a top scholar?
How did it... end up like this!
Where had things gone wrong!
Why hadn't Li Wenxun become a top scholar in this life!
Li Wenxun found her roaring accusations absurd, "How have I deceived you, ruined you, and destroyed your life! Did I ever promise you that I would definitely become a top scholar, and that's why you married me?"
From the beginning, it had always been Lu Hanyi who kept talking about the top scholar, he had never made such a boast.
Even on the day she gave birth, when she pressured him, he only admitted under duress that he would strive to become a top scholar.
How had it become his promise to her that he would pass the examination and then she would marry him?
Li Wenxun's words caused Lu Hanyi to stop, and as he looked at her shocked, bewildered, regretful face, a long-accumulated anger surged into his heart.
She regretted?
Ha!
"The wives of other men help manage household affairs and take care of everything, but what have you done? All you ever do is nag me to become a top scholar and earn you the title of a top scholar's wife. If you want me to be one, why haven't you used your connections to seek some support!"
"Your elder sister married into a marquis's family and has a wide network, but you never bother to maintain those connections. Your parents love you dearly, but you've never asked them for help to support me. All you ever do is nag me, what else can you do!"
"You don't even respect my parents, get along with my siblings, and you frequently run to your own family to complain about me. How dare you ask me to earn you the title of a top scholar's wife!"
Lu Hanyi's eyes turned red instantly at this barrage of accusations, "Get out! Get out!"
"Hah, as if I'm eager to be here!" Li Wenxun swung his sleeves and left.
Lu Hanyi, both angry and upset, hugged her child and returned to her parents' home.
Upon hearing that Lu Hanyi had returned to her parents' home again, Lu Lingyun thought,
Logically, she should go and check on her.
After all, this was what Lu Hanyi had been eagerly anticipating, hoping that Li Wenxun would become a top scholar and make her a top scholar's wife.
But who would have thought that her hopes and expectations had come to nothing.
Li Wenxun hadn't even ranked within the top three this time, only achieving the lowest rank of *tong jinshi*. This must have shocked and devastated Lu Hanyi!
She was probably at home, unable to comprehend it, crying her eyes out!
Unfortunately, Lu Lingyun didn't have the time to go.
On the day Liu Shuhui received his official appointment, he went with great fanfare to the Wang family to propose marriage.
Now, Lu Lingyun is busy helping Wang Qiluo with the wedding preparations.
Liu Shuhui is from another province, and his family couldn't make it here in time. The Wang family provided a private residence as their wedding house, and Liu Shuhui received many rewards from the emperor, all of which were given as betrothal gifts to the Wang family.
Although altogether there weren't ten trays of betrothal gifts, which was far from the scale of Lu Lingyun's own wedding, it was still a gesture of goodwill.
Many of the new scholars from the same batch were recruited as sons-in-law by prominent families in the capital, and some couldn't even afford a single tray of betrothal gifts, with the bride's family providing everything for the wedding.
Liu Shuhui was already considered to be very sincere.
The betrothal gifts amounted to only ten trays, but the Wang family prepared a total of sixty-eight trays of dowry for their daughter. Lu Lingyun added two trays of solid and substantial dowry items for Wang Qiluo, making the total dowry seventy trays.
When the time comes, these dowries will accompany Wang Qiluo to Jiangnan.
"Lingyun, this is too much! And too valuable!" Madam Jiang said in surprise as she watched the two boxes of additional dowry that Lu Lingyun had brought in.
There were five pieces of Shu brocade, twenty pieces of high-quality silk, two boxes full of gold, silver, pearl, and jade hair ornaments, as well as various jade and wood carvings, hand-held ornaments, and other precious items.
Every single item was of the finest quality.
Lu Lingyun had prepared two whole boxes of additional dowry for Wang Qiluo.
"Last year when I got married, you, my godmother, gave me many precious items from your own collection," Lu Lingyun said with a smile.
Hearing this, Madam Jiang's eyes turned red.
The dowry she had given Lu Lingyun the previous year were her best items, but they couldn't compare to these!
Seeing Madam Jiang's expression, Lu Lingyun stepped forward and took her hand. "I've always seen Qiluo as my own sister. For my own sister's wedding, it has to be grand and splendid."
Hearing this, Madam Jiang's eyes turned even redder.