The Farm Girl's Charismatic Fortune-Chapter 317 - 313 San Yuan Ji Di

The day the Metropolitan Exams released their rankings, Ruo Shan entered the palace to participate in the Palace Examination.

Ruo Shan had never entered the palace before, but the Ruo brothers bore a striking resemblance to one another, and when the Emperor asked for his name and heard the extremely rare surname Ruo, he inquired, "What is your relation to Princess Wuyou?"

Ruo Shan clasped his hands in a salute and replied, "Your humble subject is the fifth uncle of Princess Wuyou."

The Emperor then laughed, "I knew you must be related to Princess Wuyou. The results of the Metropolitan Exams came out today. You came to the palace early in the morning and must not yet know that this time, Ruo Shui has obtained the first rank, while Ruo Jiang has secured the second. Each brother in your Ruo Family possesses exceptional talent and learning; truly the pillars of the state!"

This tone was as informal as casual conversation, and the Imperial Physicians listened in great astonishment.

When had the Emperor ever been so amiable and cheerful with someone?

"We have reviewed the articles of the two, and their literary grace is outstanding, their insights unique, and their learning profound! The officials grading the exams found it difficult to decide who should be the top scholar, so I made the final decision. Ruo Shui has indeed achieved the rare feat of ’Zhuangyuan’ for the third time, a talent not seen in many Imperial Examinations. Is it true that each brother in your Ruo Family excels in both literature and martial arts?"

The Emperor favored Ruo Shui’s incisive writing, which was why he designated Ruo Shui as first.

Upon learning that his two older brothers had obtained the first and second ranks, Ruo Shan felt joy in his heart, yet he humbly said, "Your humble subject’s elder brothers possess exceptional knowledge and excel in both literary and martial skills. I dare not compare with them; I merely have a rudimentary understanding of the Qi and Huang Technique and practice martial arts merely for the sake of keeping the body strong and healthy."

The Emperor nodded inwardly, unfazed by honor or disgrace, neither servile nor haughty; the Empress Dowager was right, these Ruo brothers were indeed commendable! ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

The Emperor refrained from further conversation and ordered the Imperial Physicians to begin the competition.

The Emperor enjoyed using competitions to select talents, which was why the dynasty held civil and military Imperial Examinations as well as competitions for physicians, craftsmen, and the like, all featuring Palace Examinations, a detail considered one of the Emperor’s pleasures amidst his myriad daily duties.

Although the Emperor had only exchanged a few words with Ruo Shan, it was enough to make the other doctors in the great hall envy him.

The Emperor had taken the initiative to chat about family matters with him, an exceedingly obvious sign of intimacy!

Everyone felt that Ruo Shan was bound to come in first in this competition.

Especially the two who had originally been first and second place felt their hearts grow cold.

Seeing that the Emperor favored him so, would the Imperial Medical Bureau’s physicians dare not give him a high ranking?

After all, when they started working together at the Imperial Medical Bureau, it was likely that he would rise faster than they.

Fang Boshan had also passed, although he ranked last, but at the end of the day, he was qualified for the Palace Examination, and this was still thanks to his family connection at the Imperial Medical Bureau, which allowed him to scrape through.

He looked at Ruo Shan in surprise, realizing how well the Emperor knew the Ruo Family.

His mother had looked down on Ruo Shan and hadn’t agreed to his younger sister being with him, but now, both the Ruo Family and Ruo Shan himself were on the rise. Surely, his mother would no longer obstruct them?

Recalling that Mrs. Zhuang and his mother had brought his younger sister with him to the Capital City and were staying with their family...

At the moment, the two were strenuously trying to make connections with the talented youths of the Capital’s noble families. He thought it might be better to consider Ruo Shan.

He decided to persuade his mother after leaving the palace!

No matter what everyone else thought, Ruo Shan, unfazed by honor or disgrace, began the competition.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Exams had also posted their rankings, and the long list of names was affixed to the outer wall of the Imperial Examination Court.

Ruo Shui and Ruo Jiang didn’t even need to squeeze in to find out their ranks, as people were already shouting them out loud!

Having achieved the top three ranks, Ruo Shui was very satisfied with his performance in the Imperial examination.

He looked at his second elder brother, "If it weren’t for us taking the exam together, you would have certainly achieved the top three ranks as well."

Ruo Jiang smiled, acknowledging that he indeed was not as exceptional as his younger brother. What set his younger brother apart was his boldness, his willingness to write about anything. His writing style was unrestrained, sometimes even sharply pointed, unlike his own, which was gentle. He preferred a tender style, like a spring rain that nourishes everything, unlike his younger brother’s essays, which startled and moved readers at first glance. "First or second doesn’t matter, we brothers taking the exam together is a way to not waste time, making the Ruo Family all the more indomitable."

The brothers had already delayed too much time. Life is short, a mere few decades, and the time for striving even less.

If he had taken the exam first, and his younger brother three years later, it would have been too much of a delay. Three years in which many things can be accomplished.

Furthermore, the very reason they could participate in this examination was that the Empress Dowager had specially arranged for the brothers. The Imperial Court was in need of capable people, how could they delay any longer?

After checking the rankings on the list and pleased with the results, the two happily returned home, as they still needed to prepare for the palace examination.

At sunset, the sky was ablaze with the brilliant hues of dusk.

Ruo Shan walked out of the grand hall, took a deep breath, and with a slight smile towards the evening glow, he hastened towards the palace gates.

It was a long distance from the grand hall to the palace gate, passing through one gate after another. Ruo Shan, eager to share the good news with his family, hastened his pace even more at the thought of the excitement at home and the success of his second and fourth brothers in becoming Imperial Scholars.

The young man, who trained in martial arts year-round, walked with exceptional speed, quickly leaving the Imperial Physicians and other examiners far behind, too fast for anyone to catch up.

But as he was walking too swiftly, he nearly collided with a young woman as he passed through a side gate.

The woman’s maid immediately stepped in front of her mistress, berating Ruo Shan, "How dare you be so reckless in the palace? Do you realize you almost ran into the Countess?"

Countess Zhaohua was startled too but soon regained her composure and said, "It’s alright, isn’t it? He didn’t hit me. What’s all the shouting for?"

Given the separation of the sexes, Ruo Shan did not dare to look directly at her. He lowered his gaze and apologized with clasped hands, "I apologize, I did not intend to barge into the Countess. Please forgive me."

"There’s no need for formality; this is a place for officials to come and go, not where I should be." She had gone to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and had taken a shortcut to avoid a long walk.

However, Zhaohua, taking a moment to observe Ruo Shan, was taken aback by his striking features!

Who was this man? Imperial Scholars haven’t been summoned to enter the palace yet, have they?

If he was a noble son from a distinguished family in the Capital City, she would have recognized such a handsome man.

Ruo Shan stepped aside, bowing slightly, "Thank you for your magnanimity, Countess."

Unable to help himself, Ruo Shan offered a piece of advice, "Today is the medical practitioners’ palace examination, and soon people will be exiting through this gate. I was in such a hurry to return home that I walked too fast."

Understanding his point, Zhaohua nodded slightly, "Thank you for the reminder, sir."

She knew he was cautioning her to avoid other men to prevent being bumped into.

Since people would be coming out of this gate, it would be improper for her to continue this way. Zhaohua did not enter and instead headed towards another gate.

Ruo Shan waited until she was at a distance before he left, this time not daring to walk as quickly as before.

After a while, Zhaohua looked back, catching a glimpse of the tall and slender figure disappearing into the distance. So, he had come today to participate in the medical competition as well? Was he a physician?

Zhaohua contemplated asking her maid to inquire about his name, but knowing her maid’s tendency to be indiscreet, anything she knew would soon become common knowledge throughout the household. Better to wait until she was out of the palace to find someone to ask who he was.