Inside the banquet hall, cups clinked merrily, but most people's eyes were fixed on the top three scholars of the imperial examination.
The most prominent one was Zhou Xiaohe, the number one scholar. His aunt was the Noble Consort Shu in the palace, deeply favored by the emperor. Although she had no sons, she had a princess, who was the emperor's favorite daughter.
Ji Ling, the second-place finisher, and Wen Heyu, the third-place finisher, both came from poor families.
However, since the top three scholars this year were relatively young, with the eldest, Zhou Xiaohe, being only twenty-five or twenty-six years old, this year's Qionglin Banquet was livelier than in previous years.
The noble ladies from the aristocratic families, eager to catch a glimpse of the three scholars, came to the banquet under the pretext of their fathers or brothers.
Needless to say, the court officials involved in the factional strife also came on behalf of their masters to win over the three scholars.
Beneath the surface of prosperity and festivity lurked undercurrents. It could be said that no one present at the banquet had a simple mind.
Shen Linyi looked around, observing everyone on the three floors of the venue. Not seeing the person she both longed to see and dared not see, she heaved a sigh of relief, yet felt a twinge of disappointment deep down.
Moments later, she led Liuyun to the third floor, the busiest and most crowded place.
Zhou Xiaohe and Ji Ling were being surrounded and forced to drink. Their faces and necks were already flushed.
Wen Heyu, on the other hand, was in a better situation. After all, Liu Jingxian was standing beside him. Everyone had heard rumors that the Liu family intended to form a marriage alliance with the Wen family. Therefore, they were more reserved when dealing with Wen Heyu.
However, Liu Jingxian had ulterior motives rather than simply showing off for Wen Heyu.
So, Liu Jingxian turned around and began to order Wen Heyu around, asking him to pour water or pick fruits, treating him like a servant.
"Mr. Wen, this tea seems a bit cold. Could you please pour me a cup?"
"The peel of this fruit is extremely sour. Please help me deal with it so that I can eat it."
At first, Wen Heyu patiently helped Liu Jingxian with these tasks. But after several times, his expression began to turn sour. "Miss Liu, your maid can do these things for you. I've been feeling a bit unwell these days, so I'm afraid I won't be able to do them well."
Although he was angry, he didn't dare to speak his mind directly to Liu Jingxian, fearing that she would leave in a huff.
Wen Heyu forced a smile and handed the fruit in his hand to the maid beside Liu Jingxian.
But Liu Jingxian raised her hand to stop him.
She pretended to be aggrieved, covering the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, and said softly, "At home, my father and mother get along like this. Father once said that if he were to marry me off, he would surely find me a husband like him so that I could live a comfortable life."
"However... Mr. Wen doesn't seem to be willing to do so. Then I'll have to find someone else."
After saying that, Liu Jingxian pretended to get up from her seat as if she was about to leave.
Wen Heyu immediately put aside his inner annoyance and quickly tried to appease her. "Miss Liu, I was being ignorant just now. Please sit down. I'll help you deal with this fruit right away."
After saying that, Wen Heyu gritted his teeth and picked up the fruit on the table, carefully peeling off the outer skin bit by bit.
The fruit was juicy and small. As soon as he tore open the skin, the juice trickled down his hand, gradually staining the cuffs of his moon-white robe pink, making him look extremely embarrassed.
Several times, Wen Heyu almost dropped the small fruit.
Because he wanted to show off his elegant demeanor, Wen Heyu had ordered a set of moon-white clothes. Worried that the fruit juice would stain his clothes, he dodged several times, making some comical movements that attracted the attention of those around him.
At first, they didn't understand what Liu Jingxian was up to. But after several times, these shrewd people understood her intention, and their eyes were filled with the desire to watch the show.
Liu Jingxian watched the show with a sneer hidden under her handkerchief.
Although the fruit was difficult to peel, there was a special tool to ensure that one's hands wouldn't get dirty. The tool was placed right beside Liu Jingxian, but she didn't bother to remind Wen Heyu.
It was obvious that she was making fun of Wen Heyu in front of everyone.
However, no one around thought there was anything wrong with it.
The imperial examination was held every three years, and there was a new third-place finisher every three years. In the capital city full of high-ranking officials and nobles, a third-place finisher from a poor family didn't deserve their attention.
Liu Jingxian's father, Minister Liu, although only a deputy minister of the Ministry of Works, was a powerful official. Moreover, there were rumors that Minister Liu would be promoted to the minister of the Ministry of Works after the New Year.
So no one would be so stupid as to offend Liu Jingxian for the sake of helping Wen Heyu.
After Wen Heyu had worked hard for a while, he presented the unevenly peeled fruit to Liu Jingxian like a treasure, expecting to be praised.
But Liu Jingxian just waved her handkerchief casually and said, "It's too dirty. I don't want to eat it anymore."
At that moment, Wen Heyu's anger welled up. The string in his mind snapped, and his reason was instantly engulfed by rage.
He shouted angrily, "Are you just playing with me?!"
"You were the one who said you wanted to eat the fruit just now, and now you're the one who wasted my effort. Miss Liu, in your eyes, am I such a cheap person?!"
Liu Jingxian sat there quietly. Facing Wen Heyu's impotent rage, she just blinked innocently.
After venting his anger, Wen Heyu's reason returned. He remembered that he couldn't afford to offend Liu Jingxian's father.
So he bit his tongue hard, his eyes turning red. He looked insulted but unyielding. "Miss Liu, I was too excited just now. Please forgive me. But I am, after all, the third-place finisher of this year's imperial examination and a disciple of the emperor. No matter what, Miss Liu should show me some respect for the emperor's sake."
Wen Heyu thought that his fearless attitude would surely win the praise of those around him, and that by invoking the emperor, Liu Jingxian would be intimidated.
But when he saw the looks in the eyes of those around him, he felt a sense of uneasiness.
The looks in their eyes were a mix of ridicule, impatience, and the desire to watch the show, but there was no trace of admiration.
What on earth was going on?!
Wen Heyu panicked and tried to recall what he had said wrong.
But as a man from a poor family, he didn't know that everyone present had received the emperor's grace. There were even many who were granted the honor of entering the palace to pay their respects to the emperor every year.
By invoking the emperor to show off in front of these people, Wen Heyu was only making a fool of himself.
Liu Jingxian curled her lips in disgust and said, "Mr. Wen, you don't seem to be suitable to be at the banquet in this state. Why don't you go downstairs and change your clothes first?"
Wen Heyu lowered his head and only then noticed that his cuffs and chest were stained with a lot of pink juice. Under the gazes of those around him, he felt too ashamed to raise his head. He could only hang his head in embarrassment and flee like a fugitive.