Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 149

Chapter 149

 

Zhao Beidou was also stunned. When the first name on the list was announced and it was his own, he stood frozen, his mind blank.

 

He was first? How could he be first? He was actually first!

 

In that moment, his body and soul seemed to separate—one was extremely excited, while the other was extraordinarily calm. It was only when someone beside him reminded him, “Top Scholar, hurry up and go!” that Zhao Beidou finally began to step forward, following the palace attendants to change into the robe of the top scholar and wear the silk flower. “Congratulations, Top Scholar.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

He was tall like his older brother, naturally suited to wear clothes well. Although still a little thin, the robe fit him perfectly, enhancing his features and making him stand tall and proud, like a pine tree.

 

Behind him were the second and third scholars. The second scholar, named Lin Jingzhe, was in his thirties with a beard, and the third scholar, Bai Lingjun, was in his twenties and very handsome. Following them were the second-degree scholars and Lin Zijian, who ranked fifth.

 

Lin Zijian was even more excited than Zhao Beidou. He kept waving at him, holding back a basket full of words that he almost couldn’t contain anymore.

 

Next came the parade through the streets. They were to ride from the north street to the south street, taking a loop, passing through Zhangtai Road and Xifang, walking past the watchful eyes of the citizens of the capital. The feeling was indescribably exhilarating!

 

The ceremonial officer in front cracked his whip three times and loudly called, “Top Scholars have passed the examination!”

 

The group of scholars mounted their horses, ready to set out. Though they were scholars, they had all learned the Six Arts of a Gentleman. Zhao Beidou was quite skilled in archery and riding, and without needing any help, he mounted the horse smoothly.

 

The deep red horse with a loud snort was led by a servant as it slowly walked out of the palace gates.

 

Ahead was a vast sky and land. The new nobles of the Wu Dynasty walked out to the sound of cheers from the people.

 

—

 

“The Top Scholar this year is really young!”

 

“Yes, he looks only about sixteen or seventeen, I wonder if he has reached adulthood yet.”

 

“With this appearance, I wonder how many daughters in the city will dream of him today.”

 

Everyone laughed heartily and joked. At first, Zhao Beidou was a little shy, but as more compliments came, he gradually grew bolder. Standing up straight, he looked ahead, forcing his lips down to look composed.

 

After walking for half an hour and turning into Xifang, Zhao Beidou began to lose his composure. He perked his ears and scanned the crowd, wondering if his family could see him.

 

In Xifang, there were all kinds of restaurants, teahouses, and flower shops. Sachets and perfumed bags were thrown towards him and the third scholar behind him. They landed mostly on him, nearly piling up in front of him.

 

The people of the Wu Dynasty had a more relaxed attitude toward gender, and the women were even more cheerful than the men. While calling out “Top Scholar,” they also whistled, causing Zhao Beidou’s ears to turn red.

 

Just as they were about to pass his family’s restaurant, he finally heard his older sister and sister-in-law calling, “Beidou! Beidou!”

 

Zhao Beidou looked up and saw his older brother, sister-in-law, older sister, and second brother all leaning out of the window, waving at him. He raised his hand and waved back.

 

Lu Yao couldn’t hold back and tears welled up in his eyes.

 

Zhao Beidou anxiously shouted, “Sister-in-law, don’t cry, I’ve become the Top Scholar!”

 

“I know, it’s because I’m happy! Our Douzi is successful now!”

 

Zhao Beidou’s second brother, Zhao Beichuan, and the others also had red eyes. At this moment, the whole family felt relieved.

 

They couldn’t delay, as the rest of the group was waiting behind. Zhao Beidou quickly nudged his horse forward, and Lin Zijian saw the people in the window and waved back, “Sister-in-law! Brother Beichuan!”

 

“Ah! Zijian!” Lu Yao happily waved back. Zhao Beichuan then counted the number of horses and said, “Zijian is ranked fifth, two places higher than in the previous exam.”

 

Also overjoyed was Madam Lin, who was in a private room on the third floor with a few of her close friends.

 

When Madam Lin saw her son wave up at them, she hesitated to stick her head out, but it was Madam Deng who gently pushed her, saying, “Your son has done so well, why be afraid?”

 

Only then did Madam Lin smile and call her son’s name. When her son heard, his eyes lit up, and he waved back excitedly, “Mother!”

 

“Ah!” Madam Lin covered her mouth with her handkerchief, tears of joy streaming down her face.

 

Madam Gao lightly patted her back in comfort, “Now you’ve made it, even though your husband is unreliable, at least you have a son. It’s a pity that our two are not as promising; they’ve barely studied for a few years and can’t continue.”

 

Madam Xiao also sighed, “That’s true. Our eldest isn’t bad, barely managing a middle rank at the National Academy. But the second one, with his stubbornness, really gives us a headache.”

 

Every family has its own troubles. Madam Lin was content now, her son had passed the imperial examination, and once he had his own estate, she would never have to worry about others’ judgment again.

 

After the parade, the scholars couldn’t go home directly; they had to attend the Qionglin Banquet in the palace.

 

As the new Top Scholar, Zhao Beidou was the center of attention. At the Qionglin Banquet, he sat closest to the emperor and was even able to speak with the emperor a few times, making everyone envious.

 

Emperor Xingwu was a kind and gentle old man. He hadn’t always been like this; perhaps due to his age, he had gradually become more reserved.

 

Zhao Beidou had been specially chosen by the emperor to be the Top Scholar, and this choice was also linked to Liu Cheng’en.

 

A few days ago, they had been chatting in the study. Liu casually mentioned the exam questions, and the emperor had been so intrigued by Zhao Beidou’s essay that he had raised an eyebrow and said, “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would’ve thought this article was written by you.”

 

Liu Cheng’en laughed, “I’ve long lost my former sharpness.”

 

“Yes, as you grow older, you think more, unlike these young ones. What did you say that boy’s name was?”

 

“Zhao Beidou, the one from the Big Dipper.”(the big dipper in chinese is called Beidou 北斗）

 

“Hmm, he’s quite a good prospect.”

 

During the imperial exam, when the results of the top twenty candidates were reviewed, the emperor noticed that Zhao Beidou’s paper was missing. He ordered the ministers to find it. It turned out that due to the sharpness of his arguments, Zhao Beidou had been ranked over seventy.

 

The emperor shook the paper and read it carefully. After a long pause, he placed it at the top. The ministers exchanged glances, already guessing the emperor’s thoughts.

 

That being said, the dishes at the Qionglin Banquet were rather ordinary. The fish was too bland, with a faint fishy smell, and the braised meat was undercooked. Zhao Beidou ate a few bites and put down his chopsticks.

 

“Beidou, don’t you like this dish?” The emperor asked with the concern of an elder checking on a younger relative.

 

Zhao Beidou was startled and quickly stood up, kneeling as he responded, “Your Majesty, I’m not very hungry yet.”

 

“Sit down, no need to be so formal.”

 

Zhao Beidou’s heart raced, and he hurried back to his seat, picking up his chopsticks to continue eating.

 

“How many children do you have at home? Are your parents still alive?”

 

Zhao Beidou knelt down again and said, “My family has four siblings, and my parents passed away many years ago. It was my elder brother and sister-in-law who raised us.”

 

The Emperor waved his hand, and Zhao Beidou nervously sat back down.

 

Emperor Xingwu knew that this child admired him too much, and seeing him in this state, they couldn’t eat in peace. He simply said, “I shall take my leave. You all continue eating.”

 

Everyone stood up, knelt, and bowed, “Farewell, Your Majesty!”

 

Once the Emperor left, everyone relaxed, exchanging cups and chatting, building relationships that might be useful in the future when they all served in the same court.

 

The second place, Lin Jingzhe, was older and more composed. After offering Zhao Beidou a toast, he set his cup down and began chatting with some familiar friends.

 

The third place, Bai Lingjun, talked with him a lot, asking about his plans for the next three months. After the imperial exams, all the successful candidates had a three-month break to return home and share the good news. In June, they would return to the capital to start their official duties.

 

Zhao Beidou said, “I might need to go back to my hometown first.”

 

Bai Lingjun frowned, “I also have to go back home, but it’s so far away, and I have to travel by boat. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.”

 

His hometown was in Yuzhou, far from the capital.

 

While they were talking, Lin Zijian came over holding a wine cup and pot. “Come, Beidou, we haven’t drunk yet.”

 

Seeing his flushed cheeks, Zhao Beidou knew he had already had quite a bit to drink. “Drink less, don’t get drunk.”

 

“Don’t worry, the wine in the palace is weak, nothing like the liquor from your home. I could drink ten more pots and still wouldn’t get drunk.” He poured a cup for each of them.

 

“Here’s to our bright future!”

 

Zhao Beidou raised his cup and clinked it with him, “May we soar to great heights!”

 

—

 

After the imperial exams, the Zhao family quickly packed up, closed the tavern for a month, and headed back to their hometown to prepare for Xiaochun and Zhang Qiulan’s wedding. They would also host a banquet in Pingzhou for Zhao Beidou’s success as the top scholar!

 

Sitting in the carriage, Lu Yao still couldn’t believe that his little brother had actually become the top scholar. It felt like winning a huge lottery, and it left him dizzy.

 

“Beichuan, pinch me.”

 

“What for?”

 

“I keep feeling like I’m dreaming.”

 

Zhao Beichuan laughed and pushed his arm back, “You’ve pinched yourself several times on this journey already, still not awake?”

 

“But he’s the top scholar! Few people achieve this in all of history, it’s not an exaggeration to say our ancestors’ graves are smoking with pride.”

 

“Well, his sister-in-law is the one who deserves the credit. He had the foresight to send him to school to begin with.” Zhao Beichuan lightly squeezed his calves, as his legs had swollen a bit due to the pregnancy, making sitting in the carriage uncomfortable.

 

“Yes, you’re right. At least half of this success belongs to me.”

 

“Half of it belongs to you.”

 

“Hey, I wouldn’t take the whole credit,” he laughed at herself after saying it.

 

Zhao Beichuan couldn’t help but laugh too. “How are you planning the banquet?”

 

“I’m thinking of setting up a three-day continuous feast at the tavern, inviting everyone we know to come and make it lively.”

 

“Alright, leave Xiaochun’s side of things to me.”

 

The two children had already settled things before the new year, and the wedding house was ready. When they returned, it would be easy to move in. The rest was about organizing the wedding day, the guests, and with Zhang Yu’s help, it would all be easy to manage.

 

Although the wedding was rushed, Zhang Qiulan’s original plan was just a simple ceremony. He needed to hurry back to the capital to open his shop.

 

But Lu Yao couldn’t let him do that. It was the only wedding in this life; it should be done with grandeur.

 

His own marriage to Zhao Beichuan had been simple, and he regretted it now, but it was too late. He couldn’t have a second wedding. His younger brother and sister’s weddings had to be done properly.

 

On February 26th, they arrived back at Pingzhou in a rush.

 

As soon as they returned to the tavern, Lu Miao grabbed Lu Yao and asked eagerly, “Did our little Dou really become the top scholar?!”

 

Lu Yao was surprised, “The news spread this quickly?”

 

“I heard it from the customers yesterday afternoon. Is it true?”

 

“Yes, it’s true. Little Dou is the top scholar!”

 

“Oh my heavens!” Lu Miao was so excited he almost jumped up. “Where are they?”

 

“Beichuan took them home to drop off their luggage. They’ll be back soon.”

 

“I’ll go notify Second Brother and Fourth Brother to come over. We need to properly greet the new top scholar!”

 

IM CRYING I LOVE MY BABIES