Refusal

Duan Chen was initially surrounded by a crowd. He was anxious as he watched them fawn over Zhao Ruxi. However, seeing that Zhao Ruxi remained indifferent and Zhu Hehuai blocked them away, he breathed a sigh of relief and felt even more strongly that Zhao Ruxi was the one he wanted to marry.

A woman who respects herself and her status commands genuine respect and dares not disrespect others.

Duan Chen believed that even if Zhao Ruxi continued to serve as an official in the court, she would consciously maintain her distance from others, remain virtuous and upright, and her behavior would not be criticized. If he were fortunate enough to marry Zhao Zhiwei, he would certainly not restrict her and would let her do whatever she wanted.

Such a talented woman should not be confined to the inner quarters and become a tool for bearing children.

When the auspicious time arrives, the Qionglin Banquet officially begins.

Xiao Ge came out, said a few words, drank a cup of wine, and then left the table.

The heads of the three hospitals and six departments also came to make a brief appearance, said a few words of encouragement, and then left, leaving their deputies behind.

For those who passed the imperial examinations, the moment of passing was the highlight of their lives. However, once they entered officialdom, they were only minor officials of the eighth or Ninth Rank. To climb higher, they needed to work hard for more than ten or twenty years. In addition to having real talent and hard work, they also needed opportunities and luck. Many people wasted many years just getting to the position of county magistrate. Reaching the position of prefect or governor was already the pinnacle.

The Jinshi degree was awarded every three years, which was nothing unusual for high-ranking officials in the capital. These junior officials were not worth much effort to deal with; at most, they would spend some energy taking care of the three top-ranking Jinshi.

Therefore, the Qionglin Banquet was rather uneventful. After several rounds of drinks, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites set a topic for everyone to compose poems.

Composing a regulated poem might be difficult for modern people. But as long as you grasp the rules, are quick-witted, and use a few allusions, Zhao Ruxi feels it's not difficult at all.

Under the influence of Empress Shengyao, the Great Jin Dynasty did not place much emphasis on purely literary pursuits like poetry; the content of the imperial examinations was more focused on practical applications. Therefore, people did not spend much time composing poetry.

Although Zhao Ruxi's poem wasn't particularly outstanding, it was still above average. Because of her status as the top scholar in the imperial examination, coupled with her fame in calligraphy and painting, it received a round of applause.

Duan Chen's poem was the best, and he received a poem as a reward personally written by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites of Rites.

As soon as the Qionglin Banquet was announced to be over, Zhao Ruxi and Zhu Hehuai wanted to leave, but Ding Lianjin stopped them.

Zhao Ruxi had a pretty good impression of this bright-eyed and forthright third-place scholar.

She cupped her hands in greeting and asked with a smile, "Brother Ding, is there anything else?"

"Haha, it's nothing. We're all from the same year, and we're among the top ranks, so why don't we go to a teahouse for tea and dinner together?" Ding Lianjin a hearty laugh.

Zhao Ruxi was difficult to approach; Duan Chen appeared gentle, but actually had a strange aloofness towards people and was not easy to get close to. Therefore, among the top-ranking scholars, Ding Lianjin was the most popular.

The other top ten scholars discussed it and decided to have him extend an invitation to the gathering.

Ding Lianjin also felt that in order to make it in the officialdom, it would be necessary to maintain good relationships with his peers, especially the top two scholars, the Zhuangyuan and Bangyan, who were his colleagues who had entered the Hanlin Academy as probationary scholars together. It would be very important to build rapport with them.

So he didn't refuse and directly invited him.

Before Zhao Ruxi could speak, Zhu Hehuai said, "Zhiwei will have to postpone the gathering for today. You gentlemen will also be staying in the capital to await your official appointments, so you won't be leaving so soon. I'll treat you all to a meal at a restaurant when the time comes."

Zhao Ruxi nodded, indicating her agreement with her uncle's words.

They can have their gathering; she won't go. She'll just make up an excuse to avoid it.

Ding Lianjin was an upright gentleman. Hearing this, he didn't say much, but simply smiled and said, "In that case, let's meet again another day."

"Farewell." Zhao Ruxi raised her hand to bow to everyone and followed Zhu Hehuai outside.

"In that case, let's get together another day," Duan Chen said to everyone. Without waiting for a reply, he hurriedly followed Zhu Hehuai and Zhao Ruxi out.

"Let's go out too," Lu Shanchu, having his own thoughts, and followed behind.

Lu Shanchu's ranking dropped from fifth to sixth due to the change in his place in the imperial examination. However, both were second-class Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest level of the imperial examination), still within the top ten, so the difference wasn't significant.

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Ding Lianjin laughed and said, "Let's go, let's find a restaurant outside and have a drink."

The group then followed them out of the palace.

Duan Chen intended to become the top scholar in the imperial examination before expressing his feelings to Zhao Ruxi. However, the emperor unexpectedly appointed Zhao Ruxi as the top scholar, while he fell behind Zhao Ruxi and became the second-place scholar.

This made him somewhat embarrassed to ask Zhao Ruxi for help.

But having finally encountered a woman who rivals him in talent, beauty, and temperament, if he doesn't speak up, he might regret it for the rest of his life.

He mentally prepared himself the whole way, and as he walked out of East Glorious Gate and into the square outside, he realized that if he didn't speak now, he might never have another chance to talk to Zhao Ruxi.

He quickly jogged a few steps to catch up with the two people ahead and called out, "Miss Zhiwei."

Zhao Ruxi stopped and turned to look at him with a puzzled expression.

Zhu Hehuai stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "What brings you here, Young Master Duan?"

"I..." Duan Chen hesitated, but then he heard Ding Lianjin and the others laughing and talking behind him, which seemed to be getting closer. He gritted his teeth and said, "I've heard that the scenery at Guanlan Lake is extremely beautiful. I wonder if I could have the honor of inviting Miss Zhiwei to go boating on the lake with me?"

When he last sent his visiting card, Zhao Ruxi declined, saying that there were no men in her household and it would be inconvenient to receive him.

Now that he has invited her to go boating on the lake, if Zhao Ruxi is also interested in him, she will naturally agree. Even if she is afraid of gossip, she can go with Zhu Hehuai. But if Zhao Ruxi is not interested in him, she will refuse outright.

He spoke subtly, but he knew Zhao Ruxi would understand what he meant.

After saying this, he stared intently at Zhao Ruxi, anxiously awaiting her reply.

"I'm sorry, Young Master Duan, I cannot agree. I apologize." Zhao Ruxi refused directly, without even offering an excuse, giving Duan Chen no chance to harbor any illusions.

"Why... why?" Duan Chen was somewhat hurt by her resolute attitude.

He believed himself to be of exceptional talent and appearance. While his family background couldn't compare to the powerful families of the capital, it wasn't far behind. Why wouldn't Zhao Zhiwei give him a chance to demonstrate his character, talent, and personality?

Zhao Ruxi shook her head and smiled, "Because I don't want to, I'm unwilling, it's that simple."

With a slight nod, she said, "Farewell." She turned and left, her long hair drawing a beautiful arc in the air, leaving Duan Chen standing there, staring blankly at her retreating figure, motionless for a long time.