"Gu is currently the Assistant Magistrate of the Capital Prefecture, a sixth - rank official."
Song Yihuan could detect a hint of elation from Gu Yunzheng's tone.
She remembered that all the top three scholars in the new imperial examination had to enter the Hanlin Academy to study and serve. Only after two years could they be promoted based on their political achievements.
When she met Gu Yunzheng in Lanfang Garden before, he was just a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. But in less than a month, he had been promoted from a compiler in the Hanlin Academy to a sixth - rank assistant magistrate. Wasn't this promotion a bit too fast?
What had happened?
Song Nanxin, listening nearby, was also looking shocked.
She glanced at the pavilion not far away and saw a familiar face in it. She smiled meaningfully and said to Gu Yunzheng,
"I didn't expect that my younger sister and Scholar Gu had such a connection. I've long heard of Scholar Gu's fame. Young Master Gu has been promoted from a compiler in the Hanlin Academy to an assistant magistrate in the prefectural yamen right after entering the court. He is really young and promising, with boundless prospects."
The Duke of Jiang held a high position and had been immersed in power tactics for many years. How could he not notice the subtle atmosphere between Gu Yunzheng and Song Yihuan? But since Song Yihuan flatly denied knowing the other person and Gu Yunzheng had found a way out, he didn't expose it.
"The old man was also greatly surprised when he learned about this today. Yesterday, His Majesty suddenly issued an imperial edict promoting all the top three scholars in the new imperial examination from the Hanlin Academy and assigning them to various departments. Such a promotion speed is unprecedented. It can be seen that this year's imperial examination candidates are really in the favor of the Emperor."
Among the people present, only Ji Lingchuan knew why Gu Yunzheng could be promoted so quickly.
It was nothing more than that Ji Zihuan had heard Gu Yunzheng's ambitious desire to be a first - rank official in Lanfang Garden and found it interesting.
He just didn't expect that the Empress Dowager would actually agree to Ji Zihuan's proposal, and the imperial edict of promotion was sent to Gu Yunzheng's hands the next day.
He originally thought that according to the Empress Dowager's temperament, this matter would take half a year to accomplish.
Although the imperial edict had just been issued and Gu Yunzheng hadn't had time to take office in the Capital Prefectural Yamen, here in the Duke of Jiang's Mansion today, he had transformed from the new top - three scholar or compiler in the Hanlin Academy into a sixth - rank assistant magistrate.
Seeing Gu Yunzheng looking at Song Yihuan intently, Ji Lingchuan felt a suffocating anger in his heart. He frowned and was about to say something when he heard Song Yihuan say,
"I really don't remember the matter of giving up the ink that Young Master Gu mentioned just now. Anyway, congratulations, Lord Gu."
Her tone was extremely cold and heartless.
After saying that, she took a step forward and pulled on Song Nanxin's sleeve.
Song Nanxin understood her meaning and said to Gu Yunzheng, "We are here to congratulate the old lady of the Duke of Jiang on her birthday today. We won't disturb Lord Gu's elegant pastime of composing poems. See you if we're fated."
After saying that, the two sisters walked forward one after another.
Ji Lingchuan was a step late. When Gu Yunzheng looked up, he coldly gave a warning look and then turned around to follow.
Ji Lingchuan walked behind Song Yihuan and Song Nanxin. His figure was straight and noble, his shoulders broad and powerful. To anyone, they looked like a family.
Gu Yunzheng watched their retreating backs and gritted his teeth tightly. His eyes were filled with obsession for the graceful figure in front.
When Gu Yunzheng returned to the pavilion, the scholars who had been composing poems with him just now surrounded him excitedly and said,
"Who was that girl just now? Lord Gu actually knows her?"
Just as beautiful women love talented scholars, scholars are also eager for beautiful women. The Duke of Jiang's Mansion held a banquet today, inviting guests widely. Wasn't it also a good opportunity to look for a good marriage?
And Song Yihuan's appearance had brightened the eyes of these scholars, and they immediately had the intention of making friends. But no one had expected that Gu Yunzheng would speak first and actually know the girl.
They might not recognize Song Yihuan, but they were very familiar with Ji Lingchuan. The girl who could follow Ji Lingchuan must be a young lady from a noble family!
They were too far away just now to hear the conversation between Gu Yunzheng and the others, but they had also seen Gu Yunzheng being rebuffed. This just showed that they also had a chance.
Gu Yunzheng saw through their intentions and said straightforwardly,
"She is the fourth young lady of the Marquis of DING'AN's Mansion. We have a connection because of the ink. I fell in love with her at first sight and intend to go to the marquis's mansion to propose marriage."
Everyone was immediately in an uproar.
"So it's the fourth young lady of the marquis's mansion. Lord Gu really has good taste."
At this time, a sneer came from the side:
"A girl born of a concubine. Is she really worth Lord Gu's trouble? Lord Gu's taste is really not so good."
A sarcastic voice sounded from the side.
"What did you say?"
Gu Yunzheng's face immediately changed, and he looked at the person who had spoken.
The person looked about twenty - five or twenty - six years old, with an ordinary appearance. He had failed to pass the Metropolitan Examination in this imperial examination and was only a provincial graduate.
But Gu Yunzheng and the people present remembered that when he introduced himself before, he said that he was the third young master from the second branch of the Meng family in the capital, named Meng Zhao.
There was only one Meng family in the capital. The head of the Meng family was Meng Deqian, the vice - minister of the Ministry of Revenue. And the wife of the Marquis of DING'AN—Song Yihuan's stepmother—was from the Meng family.
Calculated, this person was actually the nephew of the wife of the Marquis of DING'AN and Song Yihuan's nominal cousin.
Since he was from the Meng family, he naturally knew more about the Marquis of DING'AN's Mansion than Gu Yunzheng, an outsider.
Everyone immediately believed what he said and began to ask him for details.
"Is what Brother Meng said just now true?"
"What's the story behind this Fourth Young Lady Song?"
"Yes, yes, tell us quickly!"
Seeing Gu Yunzheng's ugly face, Meng Zhao grinned and said,
"I guess Lord Gu doesn't know the origin of Fourth Young Lady Song. She was born of a maid. Guess what means that maid used to climb up to the marquis and stay in the marquis's mansion as a concubine?"
"That bitch seduced the Marquis of DING'AN in front of the seriously ill old lady and actually angered the old lady who had been kind to her to death."
"Fourth Young Lady Song?" Meng Zhao sneered. "Does she deserve to be called a young lady of the marquis's mansion?"
Gu Yunzheng stood there, and his blood seemed to have frozen, making his hands and feet ice - cold.
Song Yihuan and Gu Yunzheng had met in a bookstore. Actually, at first, Song Yihuan was really cold to Gu Yunzheng. It was Gu Yunzheng who saw the books she had copied as a copyist in the bookstore that he became interested in her and took the opportunity to make chance encounters with her.
When he expressed his feelings to her, she did tell him that she was just a concubine - born young lady in the marquis's mansion and was not favored, asking him to think it over before making a decision.
But he still gave her the jade pendant that represented the future mistress of the Gu family.
But she never said that there was such an inside story about her background.
Was it true?
Did her aunt really do such a heartless thing?