The place for receiving the title and the palace examination is the same, called the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which is divided into the main hall and the side hall, with a corridor connecting them.
The courtiers and students arrived through the main gate for the guests, while the Tian family and the prince's hosts entered through the side hall.
The same is true when the meeting breaks up.
Xu Mo thought he was walking very fast and hurried to the back door of the side hall, only to see the young man's disappearing back.
So thin, so slender, so familiar.
He became more and more excited and raised his feet to catch up. At the same time, he pulled down the small jade pendant in his arms in case of emergency.
If the fifth prince is having a long banquet, there is no need to say more.
If the fifth prince is not having a long banquet and foreign ministers rashly ask to see the prince, there must be an explanation.
For example, I picked up a jade pendant and wanted to return it.
Xu Mo suppressed his emotions and chased him to the corner in a few steps. Just as he was about to ask for permission, he heard the young man stop his steps and say in a very familiar voice, "Thank you, Fourth Emperor Brother, for listening to my two words to stop me and not donating money on the spot." Silver taels."
"It's easy." The fourth prince who had been waiting for a long time responded, "Thanks to my fifth brother for being clever and stopping me. If I really donated the money, it would be the wedding dress for the eldest brother."
Use your own money to accumulate credit for others.
Even my brothers couldn't stand this anger.
Only then did Xu Mo realize that the fifth prince was panting just now and was not pretending, but that he had gone to stop the fourth prince. In this way, he had an alliance to fight against and would not be criticized for being the only one.
Human beings have a herd mentality. No matter whether it is good or bad, if you stand out and stand out, you will inevitably have a few comments.
"It's just that if you don't donate now, you will have to donate at the Spring Festival Banquet." The fourth prince was quite unhappy. "The Fang family pretends to be good people, and they also want to hold everyone hostage. I don't know what they are doing."
Trying to please the Tian family, trying to stab the enemy in the back, trying to kill two birds with one stone.
If the fifth prince hadn't blocked the fourth prince and proposed a spring feast, and the Jiang family and the Dou family could not bear the pressure but also donated money, the Fang family would have been the biggest winner.
Not only can the heavenly family be happy, but also the stigma of buying flowers with money can be washed away, and the glorious image of caring about the country and the people can be carried on his back.
Xu Mo had already thought of an answer for the fifth prince in his heart, but unexpectedly he avoided the question, turned to look sideways, and yelled, "Who!"
Eavesdropping on the prince's speech is a third-degree crime.
Even if you don’t mean to, just ask for a meeting.
Xu Mo saw a guard approaching from the corner of his eye, and immediately held the jade pendant in his hand to accuse, "Wei Chen is a new Hanlin editor. He picked up the fifth prince's ornaments and dropped them outside the main hall, so he chased them and returned them. I had no intention of offending your two highnesses."
Fortunately, I was prepared.
The guard doubtfully took away the jade pendant and presented it to the two highnesses.
In terms of texture, the jade ornaments are quite ordinary, not like the ornaments that the royal family would choose.
But for a small Hanlin writer and editor to follow him and eavesdrop is tantamount to courting death.
The fourth prince was full of suspicion, "Brother, do you really own this thing?"
At this time, the fifth prince's answer was crucial.
If the answer is yes, it proves that Xu Mo sincerely returns the favor, which in turn will thank Xu Mo.
If the answer is no, Xu Mo will change from helping to eavesdropping, and it will take some effort to find a clean crime.
In the silence, the fifth prince finally said, "Yes."
The fourth prince breathed a sigh of relief, nodded and said, "Then thank this bachelor, otherwise the emperor's brother's things would have been lost."
Xu Mo was also so excited that he burst into tears. The answer in his heart was affirmed, and his lost relatives were back with him.
They turned out to be not far apart.
They had crossed paths so many times.
In Xu Mo's estimation, since Chang Yan recognized the jade pendant, he would definitely send the fourth prince away to meet him alone and reminisce about old times. Even if that didn't work, he would have to ask about the status of his brother and sister at home.
However, as soon as the fifth prince recognized it, he said indifferently, "But I didn't intend to get this jade pendant before I threw it away, so why bother bringing it to the Imperial Academy? Since you picked it up, it's yours."
Xu Mo's whole body suddenly became cold and he felt chilly.
The fourth prince next to him laughed, "This jade pendant is completely turbid and mixed with cotton wool. The quality is indeed ordinary. It's a bit embarrassing for the fifth emperor to wear it. I'll just throw it away if I find it disgusting."
In a few words, they decided the ownership of the jade pendant of average quality.
Just like the originally festive night, the young man left a few big words and left.
Could it be that they, brother and sister, are really a burden to His Highness the Fifth Prince, an inconspicuous jade pendant that can be thrown away at will?
Xu Mo's heart was in a state of turmoil, bitterness and numbness came over him at the same time, but the fourth prince was here, so he couldn't even utter a question.
He could only raise his head slowly, wanting to explore the familiar face, wanting to know if his brother was okay.
What came into view was a waterfall of black hair and back - he didn't even show his face.
The fourth prince showed some kindness, "This trip has wasted the time of the Hanlin bachelor. After being awarded the title, you have to parade. You are the number one scholar, so don't waste your glorious time."
Xu Mo said nothing, but there was still some hope in his heart.
Until the fifth prince, who was facing away, opened his mouth again, "Then brother four princes, let's go back first."
"Okay, let's go back and discuss how much money should be donated at the flower viewing banquet." The two brothers were level and drifted away.
Xu Mo clenched his fists, looking at the familiar thin back, and then at the jade pendant on the ground, he felt an unspeakable bitterness in his heart.
He left lonely and returned to the Jinshi team preparing for the parade.
Qi Huai and An Jun were looking left and right, and finally saw the No. 1 Scholar. They hurriedly squeezed forward and asked in a low voice, "Where are you, Brother Xu? I have been looking for you for a long time."
"That's right, Brother Xu, if you don't show up, you'll have to be the second best and take the lead, and you'll miss out on the limelight." An Jun smacked his tongue, "Hurry, hurry, the parade is about to start."
This is the most glorious moment for hundreds of students, and it is also a grand spectacle that occurs once every three years.
The Jinshi, headed by the number one scholar, rode on tall horses and wore red silk flowers on their shoulders, and shuttled through the bluestone avenues of Fengjing to soothe the loneliness of the cold window for ten years.
The people in Fengjing love this kind of excitement the most. Those who have money reserve private rooms in teahouses, while those who have no money squat on the roadside and enjoy it.
The braver girls would take this opportunity to embroider a purse handkerchief, aim it at the young man they like, and throw it at them with all their strength.
Jinshi will also compete with each other based on the purses and handkerchiefs they receive, as well as their youthful appearance, popularity, etc.
Xu Mo was the number one scholar, he was born tall and tall, and he was pure and clean. Although he did not have the evil appearance that brought disaster to the country and the people, he was still considered to be the best among the young men.
Originally, the second and third overall picks could be called pretty, but when he compared them in front of them, they immediately became more ordinary.
"Oh my gosh, this year's top pick is so good-looking, with red lips, white teeth, clean and elegant."
"The number one scholar at the age of sixteen is rare even in ancient and modern times."
"Sixteen years old...she's ready to get married."
The usually shy ladies of the family and Xiaojiabiyu had a rare opportunity to be bold. They bit their lower lips one by one and quietly threw various embroidered handkerchiefs at them.
Nine out of ten targets were Xu Mo, and within a short time his arms were filled with the scent of powder.
Jiang Sheng, who had been waiting at Youranju for a long time, had eaten and drank enough. When he was almost unable to move, he suddenly heard a call, "Big brother is here."
She immediately jumped up from the couch and rushed to the window.
I saw a long procession of white horses approaching slowly. Except for the guards with swords on both sides, the straight-eyed young man at the front was who could he not be her eldest brother?
