Chapter 857 The Champion Scholar Is Already Married

Gu Dashu’s shout successfully drew everyone’s attention.

Whether others envy Gu Dashu is unclear, but his whole body exudes true contentment.

A scholar finally emerged after generations in the family, and right away, he was a world-renowned Champion Scholar, achieving a top score in all six exams. Gu Dashu felt like the ancestral graves were emitting smoke as thick as a thigh. He wished to announce to the world that Gu Jingzhe and he were from the same family.

He felt that even if the ants by the roadside didn’t know that the Gu Family produced a Champion Scholar, it was because he hadn’t advertised it well enough.

“Did the third brother truly become the Champion Scholar? Did you read the name clearly?”

Gu Dahuan, being jostled by the crowd and seeing the imperial list becoming increasingly distant, gave up looking at it and rushed over to Gu Dashu to confirm once more.

Gu Dashu, with hands on hips, said, “He is the Champion Scholar, no mistake about it. Could I possibly misread Gu Jingzhe’s name?”

A tone of excitement and elation permeated his voice.

Gu Dahuan smiled broadly, but as he laughed, his eyes turned red.

If only our father could know now, beneath the ground, how happy he would be about the third brother becoming the Champion Scholar. We should burn some paper for father so he can rejoice with the living.

Thinking this, Gu Dahuan said it out loud.

Gu Dashu’s expression slightly dullened at the mention of their old father by Gu Dahuan, and said, “What does this have to do with father? Back then, when mother let the third brother pursue studies and take the Imperial examination, father opposed it, constantly mocking mother about daydreaming; he said not to waste energy, as the Gu Family was not cut out for scholarship. If it weren’t for mother tightening the belts to let the third brother study, we wouldn’t even have a literate person in our family, let alone a Champion Scholar.”

Gu Dashu thought to himself that he needed to remind Gu Jingzhe: his opportunity to study and being named Champion Scholar was all thanks to their mother, and she should be the first to be thanked, not rushing to lament at father’s grave.

Gu Dahuan, hearing Gu Dashu’s words, scratched his head in embarrassment.

Seeing his older brother slightly embarrassed, Gu Dashu let the matter drop and said, “The third brother becoming the Champion Scholar is indeed a great joy for our Gu Family.”

Gu Dahuan said, “Right, right, the second brother is right.”

Gu Dashu called over a servant, instructing him to quickly return home to tell Tong Huaqiong that Gu Jingzhe had become the Champion Scholar.

They would return home soon thereafter.

As the brothers were talking, they heard the clatter of horse hooves.

Next, the crowd erupted with cheers.

“The Champion Scholar has arrived.”

“That’s the Champion Scholar? How come he looks even better than the Tanhua?”

Gu Dashu and Gu Dahuan looked over the crowd.

Their third brother, the freshly minted new Champion Scholar, dressed in red, wearing a red flower, rode on a tall horse coming their way.

His energetic and spirited appearance was reminiscent of the wedding day.

Gu Dahuan pointed at Gu Jingzhe and said to Gu Dashu, “Second brother, we should follow him. I’ve heard about bridegroom captures beneath the progress list. The third brother is now the Champion Scholar and looks so handsome, what if he’s taken by some family’s daughter? The third brother is already married.”

Gu Dashu’s eyes narrowed, and he said, “The elder brother is right, we cannot let the third brother be taken.”

Gu Dashu thought, the elder brother probably doesn’t know. The third brother’s charm is boundless; when sighted by Princess Ming Yue, she went to the Imperial College to block his way, causing a scene before the emperor.

Should another Miss Ming Yue or Princess Ming Yue fall for the third brother, wouldn’t that spoil things?

We must inform everyone that the third brother is already married.

“My goodness, truly handsome. I’ve seen so many Champion Scholars in Shengjing, and he’s by far the most handsome. I wonder which lady will choose him as a son-in-law.”

An elderly man in the crowd stroked his beard, pointing at Gu Jingzhe with praise.

The crowd collectively agreed with the commendation of Gu Jingzhe’s looks.

Gu Dashu shouted to the watching crowd, “The Gu Champion Scholar is already married, and they’re already expecting a child; no young lady has a chance.”

An older woman in the crowd looked him up and down, saying, “Young man, stop talking nonsense. The Gu Champion Scholar looks so young; how could he possibly be married? Are you deliberately spreading rumors to prevent others from taking the Gu Champion Scholar as a son-in-law, so you can benefit your own girl?”

The people nearby nodded in agreement and cast a sidelong glance at Gu Dashu.

They had seen such schemes many times before.

Gu Dashu stomped his foot, saying, “I’m not lying to you. I’m Gu Dashu. Gu Champion Scholar is my third brother, Gu Jingzhe, and Jufu Supermarket is run by my family. If you don’t believe it, go and ask around whether my third brother is already married. My sister-in-law is none other than the sister of Champion Scholar Lu Zhaoyang, Mr. Lu.”

The crowd gave Gu Dashu a once-over, and those in the know confirmed that Gu Dashu wasn’t lying; indeed, Gu Jingzhe was already married.

“What a pity. The Gu Champion Scholar is already on his way to becoming a father at such a young age,” someone said with a sense of loss.

“Why marry so early? After becoming a Champion Scholar, his status has soared, and the marriage partner will naturally be better than before he became Champion Scholar. I wonder if the Gu Champion Scholar regrets it. If I were the Champion Scholar, I’d sure regret it,” said a middle-aged scholar, shaking his fan, clearly a failed candidate expressing his envy.

Gu Dahuan, hearing this, wasn’t pleased and said, “My third brother isn’t that kind of person.”

“You regret? Look at yourself, seeing if you’re even worthy of being a Champion Scholar. Such a big face, at your age you probably don’t even know where the exam venue is, just ranting here. Gu Champion Scholar’s wife is a daughter of the very wealthy Lu Family, whose beauty and character you couldn’t marry in ten lifetimes. Whether he regrets it or not is none of your business. Instead of pointing fingers, it would be better for you to go home and read more books, aiming for next time to enter the spring exam as well.”

Gu Dashu and Gu Dahuan turned around upon hearing a familiar voice, spotting old acquaintance Aunt Tang pointing back at the down-and-out scholar.

Aunt Tang’s sharp tongue left the other party blushing and slinking away into the crowd.

“See the direction of the parade is towards your house; let’s follow along,” Aunt Tang suggested, pointing at the red-clad Gu Jingzhe.

So everyone followed along with the parade heading towards their home.

Surrounded, Gu Jingzhe had spotted Gu Dashu and Gu Dahuan beneath the imperial notice but was so tightly packed he couldn’t get a word to them, managing only a smile through the crowd.

Tong Huaqiong and others had already received news of Gu Jingzhe’s achievement as Champion Scholar.

Lu Zhaozhao, overcome with emotion, cried on the spot.

Tong Huaqiong’s mind momentarily buzzed; the old emperor was forthright enough not to be swayed by Gu Jingzhe’s looks and genuinely conferred him as Champion Scholar.

Gu Taohua arrived home early, directing the servants in preparation with Gu Baishuang, getting both firecrackers and Copper Coins ready.

The entire family stood at the door, waiting for Gu Jingzhe to return from the procession.

As soon as they stepped out, the neighbors, shop clerks, and families they had befriended since coming to Shengjing all rushed to offer congratulations upon hearing the news.

Tong Huaqiong accepted the congratulations with a beaming face.

Soon enough, Gu Jingzhe appeared on horseback.

The bright red scholar’s robe draped with red silk, adorned with a red flower in his hair, made Gu Jingzhe appear even more refined and distinguished.

It was hard for onlookers to tear their gaze from him.

As Gu Jingzhe appeared, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Tong Huaqiong wasn’t sure what it was like for Tong Dajiao to be a Tanhua’s mother in a former life, but, being the mother of a Champion Scholar now had her so exhilarated that she trembled from head to foot.

This was akin to the impressive scenes in modern times when a student from a poor mountain village achieved top science scores on the college entrance exams.