After a series of provincial and imperial examinations, the top three ranks in this round of exams had finally emerged. Ma Junying lived up to expectations and claimed the title of First Scholar, bringing glory to the people of Zhuma Town.
Master Ma had arrived in the capital city from Zhuma Town with Ma Xiaonan even before the imperial examination. As soon as he heard that his son had topped the exams, he was overjoyed and immediately sent someone back home with the good news.
As the First Scholar, it was customary to host a banquet for relatives, friends, and classmates. According to Ma Bowen's wishes, they would have the banquet at Drunken Immortal Tower, the best restaurant in the capital city. Although it was a bit pricey, it was well worth it to celebrate his son's achievement and save face.
However, Ma Junying disagreed and insisted on having the event at Dong Tian—a choice whose reasons were perhaps known only to him.
