To achieve this day, he studied diligently day and night, even resorting to extreme measures like hanging his head from the rafters and pricking his thigh with an awl. No one knew how arduous his path to education had been.

Looking at the name that was ranked tenth, Song Ruier almost burst into tears.

The entire Song family is dead, leaving only him. He carries the belief that he must defeat the Qiao family and has come this far.

Although he had almost no feelings for the Song family, he could only rely on himself, and he felt a tragic sense of fighting against the Qiao family alone.

Song Ruier stared intently at the name. He was now called Pang You, but he knew that he was Song Ruier, Qiao Yunni's son, and Qiao Lian'er's younger brother.

A man who vowed to wipe out the entire Qiao family.

A person destined for a high position in the court.

"Brother Pang, congratulations! We are a year older than you, but we all failed to make the list. You, on the other hand, achieved a great result of tenth place."

Several students walked over, their eyes filled with envy as they looked at Song Ruier.

He passed the imperial examination at the age of fifteen. There were very few scholars in the entire capital who could achieve this, perhaps only a handful.

"I heard that Brother Pang was born in the countryside and didn't have the opportunity to study when he was young. He started his education very late, yet he has achieved such results. If he had received good academic guidance from a young age, he might be ranked in the top three now."

Song Ruier looked down on these people from the bottom of her heart.

They were either born into prestigious families or into wealthy merchant families.

When they were two or three years old, their family hired a tutor to guide them. They had such favorable conditions and such good resources, yet they couldn't even pass his exams. It was such a waste.

However, these people would be very useful to him in the future. Song Ruier put on a humble appearance and bowed to each of them.

"I am fortunate to have passed the imperial examination today, thanks to the care and support of my elder brothers, which has allowed me to focus on my studies without distractions. If I achieve great success in the future, I will never forget your kindness and will repay you all."

With Song Ruier's talent, she'll surely rise to the third rank in the future. These wealthy young men are well aware of this. It may seem like Song Ruier is trying to please them, but in reality, they need to win her over even more.

A young nobleman patted his chest and assured him, "Brother Pang, just tell us if you need anything. We may not be as talented as you, but we are well-off. With us here, we can guarantee you a life of comfort. We only hope that when you become successful in the future, you will remember our kindness."

"I see that with Brother Pang's abilities, he will surely surpass many others in the future. Brother Pang, just focus on your studies and don't worry about anything else. If you are lucky, you will pass the imperial examination again next year and you will have a place in the officialdom. Our family will also lend you a hand to help you advance even faster."

"Yes, as long as we pass the imperial examination, we can get a good position with our family connections. Then, Brother Pang and I can support each other in the officialdom, and no one will dare to mess with us."

Seeing everyone fawning over him, Song Ruier felt a surge of pride.

He was good at putting on a good show and had a knack for winning people over, so these rich young men didn't realize that they had unwittingly become his dogs.

What does it matter how noble one's birth is? They still follow his lead and are still at his beck and call.

He wanted to use the material support of these people to achieve a good score in the imperial examination, and then occupy a central position in this increasingly powerful group, cultivating his own community of interests.

In this way, he would have more energy to deal with the Qiao family.

Thinking of the bright future, Song Ruier's eyes suddenly became terrifyingly bright.

Like a wolf that has been gathering its strength for a long time, it is finally pouncing on its long-hated prey, tearing it apart, ripping it apart and drinking its blood.