Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 880 Conflict (1)

Chapter 880: Chapter 880 Conflict (1)

At this time, more and more citizens gathered at the palace gate. Those without relatives taking the imperial examination didn’t care who would pass or fail. They were there merely to secure a prime spot to wait for the sight of the new Champion Scholar, Second Top Scholar, and Top Third Scholar parading on horseback through the streets, witnessing their moment of boundless glory.

There were men and women, young and old among the crowd. Some parents brought their children along just to partake in the joyous atmosphere, hoping to inspire them to strive higher and dream of bringing honor to their family one day.

A few young girls and newlywed women stood aside, looking at the grand and tall palace gates while laughing and chatting, "Who knows what the Champion Scholar and Second Top Scholar who will parade on the streets look like this time. The one three years ago was quite unattractive."

"So what if he was unattractive, didn’t he still become an official, make a fortune, and marry a Mistress of Official Family? That’s really something, isn’t it!"

"Exactly, who cares what he looks like, as long as we get to enjoy the lively spectacle. The best would be if we could witness the same excitement as last time again today. That would truly be entertaining!"

"Hee hee, dream on, that kind of excitement doesn’t happen every time!"

"..."

Mo Yan stood to the side of these chattering people, also growing interested in the "spectacle" they mentioned. After listening for a while, she learned it bore resemblance to a story similar to that of Qin Xianglian and Chen Shimei, even the ending had some parallels.

It was said that in the previous session, there was a Top Third Scholar from Jiangnan, an ordinary-looking young man with considerable literary talent. After completing the spring examinations, he composed many exquisite poems. Of course, none lamenting the peace and prosperity of the country concerned with the people’s sufferings, but mostly expressing sentimental and wistful emotions, which touched the hearts of many women secluded in their chambers.

What followed was one scandalous event after another. The Young Scholar in Third Rank from Jiangnan, coming from a common background, passed the exams as Top Third Scholar and caught the eye of a Minister. He ended up marrying the Minister’s only legitimate daughter.

Unknown to many, the Scholar already had a wife and child back home. After marrying the Mistress of Official Family, he abandoned his wife and child and sneakily brought his parents to Jing City. To prevent his wife from growing suspicious and tracking him down, he lied, saying he had caught a cold on the way to the exams, and claimed his parents had left under the pretense of visiting a married daughter.

However, the Scholar’s wife was a shrewd woman who knew her husband all too well. From the moment her in-laws were taken away, she suspected her husband was up to no good. Accompanied by her brothers, she followed them all the way to Jing City, revealing her husband’s scheme.

What ensued was a fierce battle for the husband between the original wife and the Mistress of Official Family. The Mistress had power and influence, unwilling to give up the prize she had acquired. The original wife held a marriage contract and had not breached any of the traditional grounds for divorce, her position unshakable, steadfastly refusing to back down.

The deceitful Scholar, caught between two wives, was harassed to the point of losing his wits. Negative publicity led to errors in his official duties, earning him a severe reprimand from Duke Shangguan. In his depression, he went to a tavern to drown his sorrows in alcohol. Ultimately, he drank too much and fell into a river on his way home, never to rise again.

As a result, the Mistress of Official Family shed a few tears at his wake then returned to her parents’ home with a generous dowry. Not long after, she married a Widower of equal social status, who had lost his wife and had no children, and now she was happily mother to a two-year-old son.

Yet what surprised everyone the most was the original wife of the Scholar. After the Scholar’s death, which left the elderly in-laws unable to bear the grief, she managed his funeral, ensuring a dignified and honorable burial.

Just when everyone thought the woman would stay with her in-laws to observe widowhood for her deceased husband, she married, as fast as lightning, a Fourth Rank General who had been delayed in marriage because of long years on the frontier. She became the exalted General’s Wife, stunning countless onlookers.