Chapter 156: Reporting the Wrong Joy
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Outside the gates of the Marquis Zhongyong Manor, firecrackers erupted with a deafening roar.
The commoners peeked out from their homes, curiosity brimming. “What grand celebration is this? Fireworks and firecrackers in broad daylight?”
“Our eldest young master has become the Top Scorer in the Provincial Exam!”
“Come share the joy! Our young master has taken first place!” a servant of the manor shouted jubilantly.
The air filled with congratulatory cheers as the crowd surged forward, clamoring for celebratory tokens.
Madam Pei beamed with pride, her face radiant. Turning to the servants, she instructed, “Quick, exchange some coins. Scatter them—generously scatter them.” She fished out a pouch, hesitated for a moment, and gritted her teeth. “Have the account room withdraw a hundred taels of silver.”
The head maid’s lips twitched, knowing the household accounts only held three hundred taels, mostly from selling ancestral property. But seeing Madam Pei’s triumphant demeanor, she immediately sent someone to convert a hundred taels into copper coins.
A basketful of coins was placed outside the manor gates, inviting the crowd to partake in the celebration.
“Blessings to Young Master Lu for a bright future! May he achieve the Triple Crown!”
“Young Master Lu is truly benevolent. Thank you, Young Master Lu!”
The news spread like wildfire.
The victory of the Marquis Zhongyong Manor’s eldest son created a citywide uproar. Even the street urchins ran across half the capital, shouting, “The eldest son of the Marquis Zhongyong Manor has become the Top Scorer! Hurry to claim your coins!”
Everywhere they went, beggars swarmed.
The Old Madam hurriedly handed a reward to the official tasked with announcing the results—a long-standing tradition. The official, feeling the weight of the red envelope, allowed a smile to surface.
“Blessed by the ancestors! My grandson is the Top Scorer!” The Old Madam’s tears of joy streamed down her face.
“Oh, how fortunate Jiao Jiao is! She brought this honor to the manor!”
Madam Pei’s brows lifted with satisfaction, her pride evident.
“It’s a good thing we drove Madam Xu out. Otherwise, how could the manor enjoy such blessings today?” The Old Madam affectionately held Madam Pei’s hand, their bond closer than ever.
Joy enveloped the entire manor.
“Where is Young Master Lu?” the official asked.
“He hasn’t returned yet…”
The official hesitated, mindful of his remaining duties. Raising his voice, he announced, “Congratulations to the esteemed manor of Marquis Zhongyong! Your Young Master Lu Yan Shu has claimed the top rank in the Provincial Exam!”
The jubilant noise came to an abrupt halt, as if the world itself had frozen. Everyone turned to the official, their expressions stricken with shock.
The Old Madam, dazed upon hearing Lu Yan Shu’s name, stumbled forward and grabbed the official’s hand. “What did you say? Who is the Top Scorer?”
An eerie silence descended over the manor.
The maids scattering coins at the gate stiffened, their faces ashen. The bright red of the firecrackers and the celebratory lanterns suddenly seemed mocking.
“Who did you say won the Provincial Exam? Say it again!” Madam Pei’s voice trembled as she questioned the official.
Seeing the grim faces, the official grew uneasy.
“Lu Yan Shu, Young Master Lu!”
Hurriedly, the official opened the official notice, revealing the name ‘Lu Yan Shu.’
“What is the name of the young master of this manor?” the official asked, sensing an impending disaster.
Realization struck like a lightning bolt. [Could it be…I reported to the wrong household? Heaven help me, this place was filled with firecrackers and fireworks. How could I have been mistaken?]
“Wrong! Everything is wrong!” The Old Madam let out a wail before fainting on the spot.
“Lu Yan Shu isn’t part of the Marquis’s lineage?” the official asked cautiously.
Deng Zhi arrived, drenched in sweat.
“Ah, there’s been a mistake. Lu Yan Shu was once the eldest son of this manor but was disowned. He now resides in another alley.” Even Deng Zhi hadn’t anticipated such a farcical blunder.
Madam Pei’s face turned ghastly pale, her body trembling uncontrollably. She clung to the official, her voice quivering. “Where is my Jing Huai? Where is my Jing Huai?”
Pulling his sleeve free, the official replied awkwardly, “Madam, we only report the top three. Young Master Lu Jing Huai is not among them.”
Embarrassment weighed heavy in the air. This was unprecedented—reporting joyous news to the wrong household, only to witness such a fiasco.
The official returned the red envelope to Madam Pei. “Madam, this is a misunderstanding. I didn’t enter on my own; you invited me in.”
Realizing the scale of the blunder, the official wished the ground would swallow him whole.
Deng Zhi, eyes twinkling with mischief, said, “Let’s hurry to Lu Yan Shu’s residence to deliver the news.” Glancing at the manor, she added with a smirk, “To be fair, you weren’t entirely wrong. Our young master was originally from this manor. It’s just unfortunate…some people didn’t cherish him and cast him out.”
Madam Pei’s face flushed crimson with rage.
“Hey! Why aren’t you scattering coins anymore?” a street urchin questioned, pointing to the basket.
Fuming, the maid retorted, “Scatter? Scatter what? Scram! Get lost, you little brats!”
“Blocking the gate like this, shaming the manor!”
Enraged, the street urchin spat back, “What, your young master couldn’t pass, so now it’s our fault? You kicked out the real Top Scorer! What a colossal fortune lost to this manor!” The urchin dashed off, taunting as he went.
The entire manor seethed in humiliation, their faces darkened with indignation.
Deng Zhi, maintaining her pleasant demeanor, called out, “Everyone, come to Lu Yan Shu’s residence to celebrate! Madam has prepared silver coins and cakes. Don’t miss it!” She glanced meaningfully back at the Marquis’s gates before leaving with the official and the gathered crowd.
The celebratory decorations now mocked the Marquis Zhongyong Manor. What had been an atmosphere of joy turned into one of excruciating humiliation.
Madam Pei couldn’t understand how things had gone so wrong. Hearing the name ‘Young Master Lu,’ she had assumed the best.
“Where is the Marquis?” Madam Pei asked nervously, her heart pounding with dread at the thought of the scandal spreading through the capital.
“The Marquis is on his way back…”
Meanwhile, at Lu Yan Shu’s residence, the official triple-checked the name before announcing the good news.
“Finally, it’s correct. What a ridiculous mix-up today…”
“Congratulations, Madam Xu! Your eldest son has claimed the title of Top Scorer in the Provincial Exam!”
The official felt the weight of the red envelope, surprised to find silver banknotes inside. Madam Xu’s generosity deepened his smile.
“Madam, your hardships have turned into blessings. A lifetime of fortune awaits you.”
Beggars queued outside to claim their share of coins and cakes, their gratitude effusive.
“Madam Xu is so generous! This fortune belongs to her family alone…the Marquis’s household missed their chance!”
Madam Xu wiped her tears. This honor was her son’s rightful reward, earned through his efforts.
The official hesitated before speaking. “To be honest, the confusion began with a little girl on the way here…”
“A little girl with twin pigtails, wearing a red dress with little bells. She pointed towards the Marquis Zhongyong Manor and claimed the Top Scorer was the eldest son there…”
He had heard of the Marquis disowning his legitimate heir but hadn’t known the name Lu Yan Shu.
Madam Xu’s expression shifted as the memory of Lu Chao Chao came to mind.
Ah yea, Chao Chao the master chef at cooking drama XD.
I honestly love this translation. I found another translation but it was so bad I couldn’t understand a thing. In the end, my head ached so much!