I relied on a system to prolong my life in ancient times.

Chapter 267 Parading Through the Streets

The group strolled around for a while longer, lit some lanterns, ate some snacks, and then went home.

Xiao Siyue happily hung up her lantern, but unexpectedly, it was scratched and destroyed by Xiao Juzi in just two days. Xiao Siyue was so angry that she wanted to hang Xiao Juzi up and beat her.

In the end, none of the plans were implemented. Little Orange's adorable, coquettish manner made it impossible for anyone to do anything about it.

As the weather gradually warms up, the snow outside has completely melted.

Before they knew it, the day of the provincial examination arrived. Under the tension of the Xiao family, the provincial examination finally came to an end, and Xiao Sizhe lived up to expectations and won the top spot. Next, they waited for the palace examination in April, in which the Emperor Zhou would personally set the questions.

Because of Xiao Qinian, the Xiao family learned the news as soon as the palace examination was over, and Xiao Sizhe was the third-ranked scholar in this palace examination.

There is a tradition of parading the top three candidates after each imperial examination. The Xiao family had been waiting in a private room on the third floor of Songyue Study for a long time. This was the most bustling area in the capital, and the location was excellent. From the private room, one could clearly see the street below.

Xiao Siyue leaned on the windowsill and looked down; the streets were already packed with people.

Before long, Xiao Siyue heard the sound of gongs and drums.

"Grandpa, Grandma, Uncles and Aunts, you've arrived, you're here."

"Are they here?" Everyone crowded around the bed to look down.

A group of people were walking from a distance. At the front was a person holding a gong and beating a drum, and behind them were three people sitting on each of three tall horses.

Xiao Siyue looked closely and realized that the person at the front should be the top scholar, but he looked quite old, about the same age as Xiao Qinian.

The runner-up is probably not much older than Xiao Sizhe, just looks quite different.

Xiao Siyuan only glanced at the two of them for a moment before turning his gaze to Xiao Sizhe. At just twenty-three years old, Xiao Sizhe was in the prime of his life, and his handsome face and gentle demeanor drew everyone's attention to him.

Xiao Siyue had already heard the whispers among the people below, especially those young ladies from noble families who brought their maids. In the Great Zhou Dynasty, restrictions on women were not so strict, so even young ladies from noble families would come out.

Moreover, today is the day when the top three scholars parade through the streets, and each family hopes to find a promising young talent to be their daughter's husband.

Of the three today, Xiao Sizhe was the most popular. Xiao Siyue, who was peering out the window, saw women throwing sachets and handkerchiefs at him.

Xiao Siyue found it very amusing, and when Xiao Sizhe's horse passed under the window, she threw one of her sachets down.

"Second brother, catch it."

Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Sizhe looked up and saw a sachet. He immediately reached out and caught it, and then saw his younger sister smiling at him.

Xiao Sizhe returned a gentle smile, instantly captivating the girls around him.

"Wow, Second Brother is so charming, Second Aunt, look!" Xiao Siyue quickly pulled Second Aunt Xiao closer to her.

Aunt Xiao was overjoyed to see her son looking so spirited. He had finally achieved his dream, and she was happy for him.

Seeing so many beautiful and outstanding young women throwing sachets at her son, she couldn't help but think that her son was now in high school and it might be time for him to get married. She envied her sister-in-law.

Aunt Xiao's mind immediately wandered, wondering what kind of wife she should find for her son.

While Aunt Xiao's thoughts were wandering, Xiao Sizhe and the others had already gone far away.

Xiao Siyue also left the window and sat down in a chair.

"Dad, I've heard before that the third-place winner of each year is always the most handsome among the top three. Is that true?" Xiao Siyue asked curiously. Although it was the same this year, she thought it might just be a coincidence.

"Haha, it's true. It's become an unwritten rule. Your second brother could have easily been the top scholar, but among the top three, he was the most handsome, so His Majesty chose him as the third-ranked scholar," Xiao Qinian said with a smile.

"So it really is true," Xiao Siyue thought to herself. The others also looked quite surprised. So the imperial examination also considered appearance.

"My second brother is now a highly desirable son-in-law for many families in the capital!" Xiao Siyue exclaimed.

"That's for sure. I reckon it won't be long before someone comes to our house asking about your second brother." It's always the same. Once the imperial examinations are over, every family wants to find a talented and promising son-in-law for their daughter. Some people even try to snatch a son-in-law right after the results are announced.

"Second son's wife, you should give Sizhe a good look later, but don't agree too easily. You should ask around and find out more before making a decision."

Upon hearing Xiao Qinian's words, Old Lady Xiao immediately had an idea. Her grandson was indeed quite old; other children his age were already running around.

"Yes, Mother will definitely take a good look this afternoon and find a good wife for Sizhe." Aunt Xiao was overjoyed when she heard this and immediately agreed.

"Grandma, Second Aunt, the choice of Second Sister-in-law must be one that Second Brother likes." Xiao Siyue immediately interjected. She had to remind him that if the choice wasn't someone Second Brother liked, wouldn't the two of them become a resentful couple in the future?

"Yes, Yue'er is right. Sizhe has to make the decision about who his wife is."

Their family didn't want to rise in rank through their brother-in-law's connections, so when choosing a granddaughter-in-law, their first consideration was naturally character, and that she should get along well with their grandson.

"That's for sure, Mother. Don't worry, I'll definitely ask Sizhe's opinion first," said Aunt Xiao. Although her son looks gentle, he is extremely opinionated, otherwise he wouldn't be twenty-three and still unmarried.

If she dares to choose a wife for her son on her own initiative, he might refuse to marry her and become estranged from her in the future.

The group mainly came out to see Xiao Sizhe. Now that they had seen him and had nothing else to do, they decided to go back. They were going to celebrate tonight.

When Xiao Siyue was leaving, she ran into Zhou Qingran. The last time they came to the study together, Xiao Siyue told Zhou Qingran and Xi Ningzhi that she was the owner of Songyue Study.

Despite her boisterous and lively personality, Zhou Qingran is a voracious reader. In the past, she always struggled to get a private room, but after the last time, Xiao Siyue told her to let the manager know in advance if she wanted to come, and the manager would reserve one for her.

Zhou Qingran has been coming here whenever she has free time lately.

"Siyue, are you going back?" Zhou Qingran asked Xiao Siyue after bowing to the elders of the Xiao family.

"Yes, Qingran, we're planning to go back now. Are you going to read again?" Xiao Siyue admired Zhou Qingran quite a bit.

"Well, isn't it because you have too many books here? I haven't finished reading them yet."