Chaoli shook his head without any hesitation and rejected Gu Hanzhang's proposal.
"No need, I am not the only one who can do this kind of icing on the cake."
Regardless of whether Gu Hanzhang said this deliberately or he really thought it was a good idea, Chaoli had no intention of congratulating Lu Xiuyuan in person.
It's not that I'm not happy for him, but at this moment, if Chao leaves, it will only make Lu Xiuyuan feel even more uneasy.
So, it’s better not to go.
Of course, congratulatory gifts must be prepared. After all, there will be a banquet hosted by the Ministry of Etiquette tonight, and the examiners and the sixty candidates who have won the tribute will be invited to attend. What's more, it is Lu Xiuyuan's birthday, so it can be given privately.
At the banquet in the evening, there should be many dignitaries giving some gifts to express their feelings, which also means they are optimistic about Huiyuan, and more importantly, to build relationships.
There will be no women at such a banquet. As we all know, the emperor will decide whether to take first place, second place, or third overall, and the emperor will make the final decision about marriage, so whether or not to bring a female dependent is a matter of course.
Gradually, only men were left to participate, so Gu Hanzhang will also go tonight.
Gu Hanzhang nodded, "It's okay if you don't go. Now that you know the result, it's enough."
"Yes, I will ask Pei Yu to go and talk to Ling Xin right away. She can just go and congratulate Brother Lu. Let's go back first. It just so happens that I have something to do with Pei Yu to avoid any delay." Chao Li said.
After hearing what Chaoli said, Gu Hanzhang naturally had no need to refuse.
When the carriage of the two people was leaving, they happened to meet Lu Xiuyuan's eyes and looked over.
Seeing the carriage leaving, Lu Xiuyuan couldn't help but look stern.
If he read it correctly, the carriage just now belonged to the Zhenbei Hou Mansion. In the past, Chaoli would ride in this unidentified carriage when he returned to the Chao Mansion.
It turned out that Chaoli came to see the results, but did not come to congratulate him. Instead, he left after learning the results.
Thinking about this, Lu Xiuyuan couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Yaya, I understand what you mean. Everything will be fine and I will let it go. From now on, you will only be the Crown Princess.
"Brother Lu!"
A surprised voice sounded in front of him, and Lu Xiuyuan raised his eyes.
There was a carriage parked next to where Chaoli's carriage had just left. At this moment, the curtain of the other carriage was lifted, revealing that the person speaking inside was Song Lingxin.
Lu Xiuyuan understood that Song Lingxin should be waiting for her, and after a slight hesitation, he walked over.
"Is Miss Song also here to see the results?"
In fact, Lu Xiuyuan knew the purpose of Song Lingxin's coming, but he couldn't explain it clearly.
Song Lingxin's smile faded slightly, "Brother Lu, I came to see if you were a high school tribute scholar. I didn't expect you to be a Huiyuan scholar. I'm happy for you."
"Thank you, Miss Song." Lu Xiuyuan nodded slightly.
Seeing him answer so coldly, Song Lingxin felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured on her heart. It was already a little hot, but her heart felt cold.
If there weren't too many people around, Song Lingxin would have wanted to say something to him, but unfortunately the time and place were not right at the moment.
"Congratulations to Brother Song. Now that I know your good news, I will go back and you will be busy later. Officials from the Ministry of Etiquette will come to announce the good news. I believe your mother is also happy for you. By the way, I wish you a happy birthday.
"Song Lingxin smiled.
After speaking, she handed a small brocade box in her hand to Lu Xiuyuan.
This brocade box had been in her hands for a long time, and she was even sweating slightly. After all, when the list was released just now, she was afraid that Lu Xiu was far away from the list.
Song Lingxin didn't know much about Lu Xiuyuan's literary talent, so she could only pray to God for blessing so that Lu Xiuyuan could get a good ranking.
Fortunately, he did not disappoint her.
As for this birthday gift, she didn't know if Lu Xiuyuan would accept it.
Lu Xiuyuan hesitated, but the number of people around him had gradually begun to look over. He was worried that being recognized would affect Song Lingxin's reputation, so he had to take it with both hands.
"Thank you, Miss Song."
Just take it and send it back tomorrow. Your heart has been received and that's enough.
Seeing Lu Xiuyuan accepting the gift, Song Lingxin didn't think too much. She was very happy at the moment, with smiles in her eyes.
"I'm leaving first."
Lu Xiuyuan nodded in agreement and watched Song Lingxin's carriage slowly leave.
Chaoli and Gu Hanzhang had just returned to Tingyu Pavilion when Qing Yi brought a letter over.
"Whose greeting card?" Chaoli asked.
Qing Yi sighed, "This is a letter from the second young lady. I want to ask to see the young lady. If the young lady agrees to see her, she will come to my door tomorrow."
"My second sister has only been married for a few days. Is there any other woman around my brother-in-law? Why would she ask to see me for nothing?" Chaoli smiled, "But since it is the second sister's request, naturally I, the older sister, cannot If you should refuse, there is no harm in meeting me. Qingyi, please reply to the letter and agree that Chaozhen will come to see me tomorrow."
Originally, she had no intention of taking action against Chaozhen. After all, she had already reaped the consequences, and she would definitely not feel comfortable in the days to come.
Well, life would be worse than death, which would make her a hater faster than killing her with a knife.
Qing Yi obviously understood what Chao Li meant, and she nodded.
"Yes, miss."
When Qing Yi took the order and went down, only Chao Li and Gu Hanzhang were left in the room.
"Your Majesty, you can have some rest. There will be a banquet in the evening. Don't be greedy. You may feel uncomfortable if you drink too much." Chao Li said.
Gu Hanzhang's drinking capacity was very good, so she didn't need to worry. However, she still mentioned it uneasily, worrying that Gu Hanzhang would be inconvenienced if he drank too much.
Faced with Chaoli's worries, Gu Hanzhang naturally felt at ease.
"Madam, there is no need to worry about me. I will ask Qin Feng to go with me. He will be waiting for me outside." Gu Hanzhang sat down slowly and poured himself a cup of tea. "Or is Madam worried about something else?"
"What else are you worried about?" Chaoli raised his eyebrows.
Seeing that Chaoli's expression didn't look fake, Gu Hanzhang raised the corners of his lips.
"The banquets prepared by the Ministry of Etiquette are all attended by men. There are always some ridiculous things in men's banquets. Maybe you have never heard anyone mention them. These are easy to talk about in casual conversations, and" Gu Hanzhang hesitated.
Chaoli didn't like it when someone was talking to her, so she couldn't help but glare at him in the middle of the sentence.
"Your Majesty, if you have something to say, just say it directly. There is no need to mince words here." Chaoli snorted coldly.
Seeing her so delicate and pretty, Gu Hanzhang felt a little distraught.
It's always hard to control yourself when facing someone you like. Fortunately, Gu Hanzhang still endured it with his strong perseverance. He exhaled heavily.
I really want to have the person in front of me completely, and I also want to be happy and beautiful with her for the rest of my life.
Gu Hanzhang recovered his mind and smiled helplessly.
"Madam is really at ease with me. At a men's banquet, the people talking about women are women, and there are women around them. There are even people who are messing around during the banquet. Do you understand what I say, ma'am?"