Three days later, for the imperial examination, my mother had booked a private room in a street-facing restaurant early, bringing my father and me to watch the spectacle.
The champion's parade happened only once every three years, and the streets were naturally bustling. Restaurants facing the street were several times more expensive than usual. Soon, Sui Sui also arrived. This little girl had loved to join in the fun since childhood; wherever there were crowds, she would be there.
The Emperor and Empress indulged her. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth; she was born immersed in wealth and power.
Although I felt my elder brother had a high chance of becoming the champion, I couldn't help but feel anxious as the moment arrived. As for An Yishi, he was quite open-minded and didn't mind becoming a Tong Jinshi, so we weren't worried about him. In any case, these three hundred people would all become Tong Jinshi at least.
Sui Sui was eating pastries. Halfway through, seeing me pacing back and forth in the private room, she couldn't help but say, "Nannan Jie, don't worry. Brother Wang will definitely be in the top three."
"How do you know?"
"Brother Wang took the top spot! In any year, the top scholar in the imperial examination wouldn't fall out of the top three during the palace examination. At worst, he'd be the third ranked scholar. In any case, he'll definitely be among those parading today."
"Third ranked scholar?" I panicked. "How could that be? I bet two thousand taels of silver that my elder brother would be the champion."
Sui Sui: "...I really did overestimate your sibling affection."
After waiting for a long time, the sound of gongs and drums finally arrived.
The parade began. Sui Sui and I vied to stick our heads out of the window. The windows of the neighboring and opposite rooms were already full of heads, and the streets on both sides were packed with people.
The sound of gongs and drums grew louder as it approached. I finally saw three figures riding horses.
My brother and I had known each other for many years. Although I couldn't see his face clearly, I could tell from his build that the person in the front was my brother.
I gave Sui Sui a whistle and then asked Axiu, "What are the odds for betting on the top scholar?"
"Miss, many people bet on Young Master, so the odds are only one to three."
"That's still a lot. How much did you bet?"
Axiu giggled, "Eighty taels."
"Not bad, not bad. You'll have your dowry when you get married in the future."
"This is all thanks to Young Master," we high-fived in the air, our pride evident.
Father and Mother must have also bet on my elder brother, but at this moment, money no longer caught their attention. My mother said proudly, "I never would have imagined that I, Qing Ya, a rough person who only knows how to wield weapons, would give birth to a champion with a son who only knows how to calculate."
My father clasped his hands together and prayed piously, "May the ancestors bless us, may the ancestors manifest themselves. The ancestral grave of the Wang family must be emitting auspicious smoke."
My mother was puzzled. "Father, do you even remember who your ancestors were and where their graves are buried?"
My father, who had been sold by his own father to cover gambling debts since he was a child, froze. After a long while, he wiped his face. "Forget it, let's not bring up the ancestors."
My mother snorted. "This has nothing to do with your ancestors anyway. If you ask me, Zihuan's achievements today are all thanks to the Empress. If she hadn't let Zihuan enter the palace as a companion reader, how could he have been so outstanding? No, I must have Zihuan kowtow to the Empress later to thank her profusely."
Sui Sui: ...
My elder brother looked almost exactly like me. However, the same face, on me, had an abundance of heroic spirit but lacked refinement. But on my elder brother, it appeared just right. Furthermore, since the second and third ranked scholars were both over forty, it made my brother's appearance even more striking.
The spring breeze favors the swift horse; who wouldn't love a young and handsome champion?
By the time the parade reached our building, many flowers, purses, and handkerchiefs had already been thrown at my brother.
My mother beamed, her eyes crinkling with joy. Now she didn't have to worry about finding a daughter-in-law either.