Although Cai You did not know the Emperor's true intentions, he could only agree to the request.
However, the thought of having to brace himself and return to the Cai residence, feigning filial piety and affection, gave him a headache.
***
To be recognized on the golden榜 (list of successful candidates) is likely the dream of every scholar.
Even Han Mo, a transmigrator, couldn't help but feel a bit excited at this moment.
The reasons he became the top scholar were, first, because he had already known the examination questions in advance, and second, because he happened to encounter this calligraphy and painting Emperor and also managed to catch the last train of the Three-Tier System.
Otherwise, with his limited knowledge, trying to cross the single-plank bridge with thousands of true talents and winning the top scholar would have been an impossible dream.
For any prominent family in the Great Song Dynasty, having their future son-in-law become the top scholar was an unparalleled honor.
Even the Zhe family, a military lineage, was no exception.
Upon hearing the news that Han Mo had become the top scholar, Zhe Kechun was so excited that he didn't know how to express himself.
It was known that the Zhe family had been military men since their ancestors.
Let alone finding a son-in-law who was a top scholar, they had never even had a son-in-law who was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the imperial examination).
However, it was not their fault. The Great Song Dynasty valued civil officials over military ones, and even scholars were generally disdainful of military officers.
Let alone marriage.
After all, for any newcomer to officialdom, the best way to quickly integrate into the upper echelons and build connections was to find a powerful father-in-law.
Don't talk about foolish notions like "climbing the dragon and attaching to the phoenix." A casual remark from those nobles could save someone ten years of hard work.
Being ten years ahead of one's peers could lead to the opportunity to become a Prime Minister.
The matters of officialdom were ultimately about the victor becoming king and the loser becoming a bandit. By the time you held the seal of the Prime Minister, who would dare say you had borrowed your father-in-law's influence?
Under such a climate, it was less about wealthy families snatching sons-in-law after the examination, and more about the scholars themselves choosing powerful fathers-in-law.
As for whether the wife was beautiful, that was not within their scope of consideration.
After all, when the lights were out, it was all the same.
It was good if the wife was beautiful, but if she wasn't, couldn't one take a concubine?
Moreover, this was the Great Song Dynasty, and it was perfectly normal for men to frequent brothels.
"You kid are indeed remarkable, I truly didn't misjudge you!"
Upon seeing Han Mo, Zhe Kechun immediately burst into laughter.
"You flatter me, Uncle-in-law. I was just lucky this time!"
Han Mo chuckled, his words polite but his face showing no hint of humility.
"The banquet has been prepared. You left abruptly last time, but you can't run away this time, can you? We happen to have two guests today, so let's have a good drink!"
"Everything is as Uncle-in-law arranges!"
As they spoke, the two walked into the main hall of the Zhe residence.
As soon as he entered, Han Mo saw two young men, around twenty years old, standing nervously in the main hall of the Zhe family.
"Let me introduce you. This is my future son-in-law, and the top scholar of this year's examination, Han Mo!"
"These two are also fellow officers from the army, Wu Jie and Wu Lin. Don't let their young age fool you, they are already Wu Gong Lang (a military title)!"
"Wu Jie, Wu Lin?"
Upon hearing the introduction, Han Mo was stunned.
Holy crap!
These were truly formidable figures!
The brothers Wu Jie and Wu Lin were future pillars of strength.
Two of the future seven princes of the Southern Song Dynasty were standing right before his eyes today.
This filled Han Mo with immense joy. If the occasion were more suitable, he would have tried to trick them into signing indentures.
"They earned their stripes with real swords and guns. These are true battle-hardened warriors, not rice-eating bugs who rely on the Emperor's handouts!"
Seeing Han Mo frozen in place, Zhe Kechun quickly added.
Although Wu Gong Lang was only a minor official of the seventh rank, it was a crucial step for young military officers in the Great Song Dynasty, especially those who did not come from military families.
To reach this stage in their twenties meant they had truly fought their way through battles with real swords and guns!
More importantly, once they took one more step, they would enter the Hengban (a category of military officials).
The so-called Hengban, to put it simply, was a dividing line drawn by the Emperor for low-ranking military officers.
According to the imperial system of official promotion, even without military achievements, as long as they had no major mistakes, civil officials were rotated every three years, and military officers every five years.
The so-called rotation here can also be simply understood as an upgrade.
Of course, each upgrade required a corresponding examination, but this examination was basically a mere formality.
To prevent low-ranking military officers from advancing to higher ranks just by coasting along, the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty specifically created this system.
Starting from You Wu Lang, any further promotion required a special imperial decree.
As for the thirteen ranks of Heng Xing Guan above that, it was even more so.
Not only did they need the Emperor's favor, but they also had to have military achievements.
"General Zhe, please don't tease us. We dare not call ourselves warriors before you!"
Seeing the atmosphere turn awkward, Wu Lin quickly said with a smile.
"Uncle-in-law jokes. I did not look down on them. I only see that both of them are valiant and extraordinary, yet their brows carry a slight hint of sorrow. I wonder if you two have encountered any difficulties?"
Interrupted by this, Han Mo also reacted. He cleared his throat and said, "This..."
At this point, Wu Jie was actually a bit embarrassed.
"It's not a big deal, really. It's just that they offended the imperial supervisor sent to the front lines. With the imperial court about to engage in a major battle, they were directly kicked back and ordered to escort documents..."
Zhe Kechun said this with a wry smile on his face.
Offending a supervisor could be a serious matter. If your backing was strong enough, it would be nothing.
But for common soldiers like them, it could be quite troublesome.
Just at this critical juncture, if you two are so capable of fighting, right?
They were directly kicked to the rear, so how could they earn merit?
"Please excuse our recklessness, Brother Han..."
Wu Lin also wore a helpless expression. What was the use of having great skill if they couldn't even get to the battlefield?
"My dear brothers, gold shines everywhere. Why must you two be so fixated on the northwest?"
Seeing their dejected faces, Han Mo was already laughing maniacally in his heart.
Heavenly fate! You finally did one good thing!