The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 021 Top Spot Part 1
Tang Yun wore rich and brocade clothes, his head downcast. His mouth opened and closed again, embarrassed and unable to speak.
Seeing this, Madam Tang sighed: "How useless!" She ordered the maid Haitang to bring someone over. This was a boy of fourteen or fifteen years old, also wearing brocade clothes. But his behavior was timid and his expression was uneasy. From time to time, he cautiously glanced at Madam Tang from the corner of his eye. Just a look from Madam Tang and he was so frightened that he almost sat down on the ground.
Madam Tang said: "Shen'er, this is the son of your uncle's concubine and your second elder cousin."
Then, Tang Shen finally understood why Tang Yun was so crazy for no reason three months ago and smashed up his courtyard.
Every family had their troubles. Madam Tang was a well-known virtuous lady in Gusu City. She was knowledgeable and courteous, Jiangnan's famous beauty when she was young. Unfortunately, her family had declined. Although she was from a scholarly family, underneath the dazzling surface they had difficulty making ends meet. But Madam Tang was fortunate. After marrying into the Tang family, she gave birth to a son and a daughter for the Tang family. Her husband also managed to live up to expectations and passed the imperial examination to become a juren.
Madam Tang managed the household well, and the several shops belonging to the family were well maintained. However, she was only one person, and this time it was her family that caused the trouble. Tang Yun was secretly instigated by the concubine's son and misunderstood Tang Shen, which led to Tang Yun's angry attack on Tang Shen's property three months ago.
Tang Shen knew that Tang juren had a son from a concubine who was the same age as himself. He looked simple and honest, and was even a little plumpee than him, but no one could have imagined that he would be the one causing trouble behind the scenes.
This concubine's son must have been taught a lesson by Madam Tang before he came here. He shrank into himself and did not dare to speak.
Madam Tang spoke again and Tang Yun finally gritted his teeth and apologized to Tang Shen: "I was ignorant and was provoked by others, so I misunderstood you. Tang… Cousin, we are originally blood related, could you forgive me."
Tang Shen smiled and said, "I forgave you three months ago. Eldest Aunt had already sent someone to compensate me for the things you broke."
Tang Shen acted generously, but Tang Yun felt bad.
He never expected that Tang Shen's lame idea would actually make the Tang Family Zhenbao Pavilion a lot of money. During this period, Tang Shen also started a strange logistics business. No one was optimistic about this thing at first, even Madam Tang felt unsure, so she just suggested Tang Shen to give it a try, as they wouldn't lose much money after all. Unexpectedly, this logistics thing was actually a success!
Everyone Tang juren was surprised. During mealtime, he once said: “That half brother of mine has a dumb head. He only knows how to study and doesn't know how to change and adapt. I wonder how he gave birth to a son who is completely different from him."
Tang Shen came up with the idea of soap, and Tang Yun knew clearly how much money the Tang family made; Tang Shen started a logistics business, and maybe he didn't make much profit, but his name was very resounding in Gusu City, and even Madam Tang felt that this logistics business may have other potential, and the future was unpredictable.
What was even more amazing was that Tang Shen’s teacher was actually Liang Bowen!
Tang Yun took a serious look at his younger cousin for the first time. He looked quite handsome, but no matter how he looked at him, he could not tell that he was as amazing a person as his mother said.
Was this Tang Shen really that amazing?
Madam Tang said: "Shen'er, your elder cousin had been spoiled by me since he was a child. I will watch over him from now on and not let him do such stupid things again."
Tang Shen: "Eldest Aunt's words are too serious."
Tang Yun didn't live with him, so what did he care about Tang Yun?
Madam Tang asked after Tang Shen's county exam two days ago, and ordered the maid to hand over some food supplements: "That exam is too harmful to the body. Your elder cousin took the county exam and the prefecture exam last year, and he fell seriously ill after the exam."
Aunt Yao accepted the food supplements.
Tang Huang said: "Since it was someone else who caused the trouble," when he heard this, the concubine's son trembled, and the little girl continued: "Then Eldest Aunt, Tang Yun... hai, the bet between elder cousin and my brother... Does it still count?”
Madam Tang was stunned, and then she remembered this matter.
Tang Yun was also stunned, a little unhappy: "Of course it counts. How could I, Tang Yun, be that kind of petty person who doesn't mean what he says! But who said I will lose? The county exam results haven't come out yet, how do you know Tang Shen will definitely be able to pass? If you want me to call him big brother, he must first pass the exam and become a tongsheng!"
Madam Tang sighed and took her simple-minded son home.
After they left, Tang Shen looked at his sister and saw Tang Huang hug his arm with a smile and said: "Brother, aren't I very smart. Look at that Tang Yun, he doesn't even act like he is here to apologize. He is clearly unwillingly pushed over by Eldest Aunt! I want to see what he looks like when he calls you big brother three days later!"
Tang Shen: "So you deliberately provoked him?"
Tang Huang let go of his arm: "I didn't."
“You little girl, you're quite the schemer."
Tang Huang ran away quickly: "I'm not, Tang Shen is talking nonsense!"
Tang Shen laughed.
Although she had a tough attitude, in fact, the one who was most worried in the entire Tang family was Tang Huang.
There were three exams for the tongshi, and results would be released seven days after each exam. Every morning, Tang Huang would get up early and go to the temple with Aunt Yao. The little girl knelt on the mat and kept chanting, "Bless my brother to pass the exam." The day before the results were released, even Tang Shen became nervous.
Accountant Lin: "Little boss would be afraid too? I remember when I was waiting for the results to be released every year, I was so nervous that I couldn't sleep or even close my eyes. But the little boss is not like me. You are very smart and you will definitely pass the county exam."
Tang Shen: "You don't understand."
Accountant Lin: "Don't understand?"
Tang Shen let out a long sigh.
Not only was he worried about whether he would pass the exam, he was also worried that he would not be among the top ten!
The day for the results came, and early in the morning, Tang Huang dragged Tang Shen to the gate of the school. It was still dark, but many people had already gathered in front of Ziyang Academy. There were young adolescents like Tang Shen, and there were also octogenarians with gray hair. All the scholars stretched their necks and looked nervously and expectantly at the gate of the academy.
As soon as mao shi (5-7 am (in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in former times) arrived, the door of the government school slowly opened, and two government workers and an academician official walked out. The government workers walked through the crowd holding the red list, and the two of them posted the red list on the wall together. A large red paper scroll unfolded in front of everyone, rapid breathing could be heard, and cries of joy and pain came one after another.
Tang Huang grabbed Yao San's arm and was so anxious that she forgot to breathe.
Tang Shen was not much better than her. He craned his neck and carefully looked from the last place to the eleventh place.
"I don't see my name!"
Tang Shen was immediately relieved, and then became a little worried again. He looked up the list again, and when he saw his name, he froze in place.
Tang Huang turned to look at him in astonishment: "Brother?!"
Yao San: "Little boss?!"
Tang Shen looked at the first name on the red list in dumbfoundment and asked, "Am I Tang Shen from Gusu City?"
At the same time, a servant boy quickly ran to the west of Gusu City and knocked anxiously on the door. Tang Yun was sleeping when he was awakened by the banging on the door. He said angrily: "Come in!" The servant boy ran in stumbling, because he ran in a hurry and was panting, unable to say a word.
"Young Master, Young Master..."
Tang Yun said impatiently: "If you have anything to say, just say it. If you disturbed my sweet dreams for no reason, you will not be allowed to eat today."
The servant boy cried out in his heart and finally came to his senses: "Young Master, then Tang Shen is on the list!"
Tang Yun was startled. After a while, he murmured to himself: "He was so confident, it is natural that he would definitely pass. The county exam is not difficult. Just like my mother said, I fell into his trap. If he wins, I have to call him big brother. But if he doesn’t win, I won’t get anything. Forget it, after all, it was me who was wrong, and I was provoked. My mother is right, one learns from every experience, and I, Tang Yun, am not a sore loser, it doesn’t matter if I call him big brother!”
The servant boy said again: "Young Master, he is not only on the list, he is at the top of the list, the an shou!"
Tang Yun raised his head suddenly, thinking he heard wrongly: "What did you say?"
"Tang Shen from Gusu City is the an shou in this year's county exam!"
Tang Yun: "..."
Go to hell Tang Shen! ! !
Towards Tang Shen passing the county exam, Tang Yun could still be calm and admit his mistake. But Tang Shen was actually the an shou, and Tang Yun felt awful all over. After wallowing in pain d r a day, he came to Tang Shen's house obediently.
Tang Yun said awkwardly: "I, Tang Yun, keep my word. Tang Shen, I call you big brother. I was wrong before."
Tang Shen: "Did you call me big brother?"
Tang Yun: "..."
"Big brother!"
Tang Shen smiled: "Young Master Tang, please walk slowly."
Tang Yun was so ashamed and angry that he ran home crying.
As the sun set, Tang Shen came to Liang Manor after sending off classmates and friends who came to congratulate him. As soon as he came to the door, the steward said: "Congratulations Tang an shou."
After entering the study, Liang Song glanced at him and said, "Tang an shou has arrived?"
Tang Shen was originally very gleeful. He got first place in the exam, who would not be full of glee. But when he saw Liang Song's expression and heard his tone, Tang Shen suddenly felt something was wrong. He walked over obediently and said, "Sir, I just came in and didn't say a word. I just came to tell you the good news. I passed the county examination and I can now be regarded as having made some achievements."
Liang Song put a piece of paper on the desk and said, "’I don't believe it’?"
Tang Shen was stunned, and soon he remembered: "Sir, you read the essay I wrote?"
"Did I read it, come and see for yourself."
Only then did Tang Shen realize that the pieces of paper on Liang Song's desk were the copies of his two eight-legged essays and one test poem.
"Sir, I got two first ranks and one second rank. I got first rank in both essays."
"In ‘the marriage of Wu’, your writing is quite conservative. Among the students taking the county examination in Gusu City and Wu County, no one had written well enough to be eye-catching. It is normal to give you this first rank." Liang Song said, "And this first essay ‘when a nation or clan is about to flourish, there are sure to be happy omens’… Hmmph, Tang Shen, do you know what mistake you made!"
Tang Shen was confused. He was clearly here to announce the good news to his teacher, but he actually scolded him? He even got first place in the exam!
"This student doesn't know."
"When a nation or clan is about to flourish, there are sure to be happy omens. This sentence comes from "The Doctrine of the Mean". "The Doctrine of the Mean" was written by Confucius, but now you actually say, ‘I don't believe it’?"
Tang Shen suddenly understood. Liang Song was calling out on the arrogance of uttering "I don't believe it" to "The Doctrine of the Mean".
Tang Shen explained: "Sir, I don't mean that I really don't believe it. Please read on. I have demonstrated the relationship between auspicious signs and the rise and fall of a country. I have demonstrated why I sometimes believe it and why sometimes I don't believe it."
Liang Song: "Yes, you wrote it, but so what? For this county examination, the examiner is Jia Liangsheng, the magistrate of Wu County. He is a young scholar, and he gave you a first-rank rating. He has been strongly recommending you in academic and political circles these days, saying this essay is a stunning work. However, this is because he is young, quick in thought, and eclectic. If he were a pedantic county magistrate, after just seeing this "I don't believe it" he won’t even finish reading the rest of it, and you would be punished for disrespecting the sage’s words. Not only won’t you not pass the county examination, you could even forget about taking the imperial examination from now on!”
These words were nothing short of thunder, and Tang Shen was stunned.
There was a long silence in the study.