Chapter 53 Chapter 53 They are all vindictive

On the ninth day of the second lunar month, it is still chilly in spring. The willow branches are just beginning to show a little green, swaying gently in the wind. Just waiting for a misty spring rain, one will feel the mood of "the wind is gentle and the willows are slanting".

In front of the Imperial Examination Hall, a large open space was fenced off with horses. The candidates lined up, holding their examination baskets. They had their identities verified one by one and were searched before entering the examination room.

The Lin couple were too famous and never sent their disciples to take exams.

The ones who came were Mrs. Jiang and Xiaoman. They were even more nervous than He Ping, but they had to pretend to be very relaxed, which made He Ping laugh.

Mrs. Jiang was worried. She kept reminding Xiaoman several times that this was food, this was emergency medicine, this was a hand warmer, and she should cover herself with a blanket at night.

He Ping listened patiently, nodding in response from time to time.

As the number of people queuing decreased, the officers began to urge the candidates who had not yet entered the venue.

"Go back." He Ping took the exam basket from the servant. "This time, I will definitely win the first place. Prepare the red envelope and wait for the reward for the person who brings the good news."

The imperial examination consists of three consecutive sessions, each lasting three days, for a total of nine days.

During this period, the candidates ate, drank, defecated, urinated and slept in a small room with only two wooden boards, one for a table and the other for a stool. When sleeping, the two boards were put together to form a bed, and taller candidates could not even stretch their legs.

It is a test of both mental and physical strength.

Nine days later, He Ping came out.

He knew where it was comfortable, so he followed Xiaoman to Mrs. Jiang's place, took a shower, ate, and then fell asleep. He slept for a whole day and night, got up in a daze, ate, and fell asleep again.

Xiaoman was amazed, "He even eats with his eyes closed, sleeping while eating, it's really unique."

Mrs. Jiang sighed, "No matter how fine the food we bring, it's no match for home-cooked meals. They don't eat well, they don't sleep well, and they have to rack their brains to write essays. The invigilator has nothing better to do than wander around and scare people. It's really not easy for the children."

Then he asked Xiaoman, "When will the results be announced?"

"He Ping said earlier that it would take at least twenty days, around the beginning of March."

"Then we need to get ready."

"What are you preparing for?"

"Gifts! Gifts for teachers, classmates, and even gifts for meeting the master. Nothing short of one is acceptable."

Xiaoman asked who his teacher was, "Besides the teachers at the academy, he only has Mr. Lin Ting as his teacher."

Mrs. Jiang explained, "The preceptor is the chief examiner of the imperial examination. All successful candidates in this subject are considered his disciples. It's an unwritten rule for successful candidates to pay their respects to the preceptor. This is done out of respect for the teacher and for a smoother career. If anyone doesn't go, they'll be ostracized."

"So that's how it is. Mother, you know a lot!" Xiaoman exclaimed.

Mrs. Jiang smiled. How could she not understand? She had spent so much effort to help Zhang Wen handle all these social relationships.

Xiaoman suddenly had a strange look on his face. "This year's chief examiner is Elder Chen. Doesn't that mean He Ping is his student? Elder Chen and Chen Ling'an are sworn enemies..."

To go or not to go?

"Of course I'll go! I'm not that eccentric." He Ping finally woke up that day and answered Xiaoman's question with a yawn, "You're just like a child, forming cliques. You can be friends with me but not with him. Tsk, this is an adult world, and there are adult rules."

Xiaoman rolled her eyes at him and said, "You should go to Linyuan."

He Ping: "You didn't get a satisfactory answer, so you got angry? I won't leave. I'm going to wait here with my godmother for the good news of my first place!"

Xiaoman finally calmed down: "It's not in vain that your mother loves you."

The day of the results announcement soon arrived.

Mrs. Jiang got up early in the morning. She was restless and couldn't sit or stand still. She sent people to the entrance of the alley to inquire whether the official who brought the good news had arrived.

It was almost past 9am, and there was still no movement at the entrance of the alley.

Fang's mother was worried: "Is it possible that he didn't win..."

"Pfft, pfft, pfft!" Madam Jiang spat three times at the ground, clasping her hands and bowing to all directions. "No taboos, great luck, may all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens bless my godson He Ping and help him get the top spot in this exam. It doesn't matter if he doesn't get the top spot, as long as he gets in."

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and a servant came running in, sweating profusely. "It's a win, it's a win, Master He has won first place! The official who brought the good news will be here soon."

"Amitabha." Mrs. Jiang put her palms together and was immediately overjoyed.

Then, a burst of resounding firecrackers and gongs and drums filled the air. After a pause, a resounding, long voice came from far away, "Good news—congratulations to Mr. He Ping of Xuanfu for having passed the imperial examination and placed first!"

As soon as the voice fell, several people repeated in unison: "Congratulations to Mr. He Ping of Xuanfu for getting first place in the imperial examination!"

"Call He Ping over quickly." Mrs. Jiang said anxiously.

"Godmother, I'm here." He Ping walked slowly towards them. He was wearing a casual Taoist robe and only a peach wood hairpin on his head. He was not wearing a crown.

Mrs. Jiang hurriedly pulled him towards the door, "Why don't you change into the new clothes I gave you?"

Xiaoman complained: "He just woke up and hasn't had time to wash up yet. I called him several times."

"Really..." Mrs. Jiang didn't know what to say. Mother Fang just looked at them and smiled.

At the gate, the reporter dismounted, held up the good news with both hands, and said with a smile, "Congratulations to Master He Ping for getting the top spot on the list."

He Ping grinned so widely that his teeth were visible and his eyes were invisible: "Congratulations!"

Mrs. Jiang handed over the red envelope she had prepared earlier. "Thank you for your hard work, sir. Excuse me, is the announcement of the results late?"

The registrar pinched the red envelope, his smile growing more sincere. "To answer Madam, Mr. He's address is Nancui Academy. I went to the academy first, but couldn't find him. I heard that Mr. He was at Madam Jiang's house, so I hurried over."

Mrs. Jiang didn't think much of it and asked Mother Fang to scatter candies and fruits at the door and bring two baskets of money, "so that everyone can share in the joy."

Mother Fang responded loudly and went to do it with her head held high - there was a champion in the family, even though he was a godson, but the good news was delivered to the lady. From then on, no one dared to look down on the lady or say anything crazy or inappropriate.

Xiaoman said to He Ping, "I guess you deliberately let them go to the academy first to announce the good news, so that everyone knows that mother is your godmother."

He Ping glanced at her lightly and said, "I just want one person to know."

"who?"

He Ping tapped her forehead lightly and said, "You're so stupid."

-

Zhang Bi walked on the street in a daze.

Unwilling to give up, he forced Aunt Yao to take five hundred taels of silver and asked for the teacher's consent to become an "auditor" in the academy.

He studied day and night for several months, not even missing a day during the New Year holidays. His teacher also said that his writing had improved a lot, and the number of admissions this year would increase significantly, so his chances of passing the exam were very high.

He was unwilling to report to the registrar to congratulate the Zhang family. His father was a convicted official, his grandmother was paralyzed, his aunt was not presentable, and there was no one at home to support him. It would be better for him to come to the academy.

It would also let those who looked down on him see that although the Zhang family had declined, he, Zhang Bi, was still a rare talent.

After waiting and waiting, what I got was the news that the top scorer in the list came from Mrs. Jiang's family!

Zhang Xiaoman’s adopted brother actually recognized his wife as his godmother and even got first place in the exam.

That was actually his stepmother.

All his classmates who took the imperial examination received good news, except him.

Not giving up, he ran to the bulletin board where the results were announced and looked for name after name, from front to back, from back to front, but he couldn't find his name.

No...

Zhang Bi's face was ashen, and he dragged his legs, which felt like they were filled with lead, step by step to his home.

Aunt Yao had been waiting for a long time, and when she saw him, she asked, "Did you win? What place did you get? Oh, I'm so anxious! Why don't you say something?"

"No!" Zhang Bi suddenly yelled, "Are you satisfied? Are you satisfied? Do you know who the godmother of the first place winner is? It's my wife!"

"When the good news was delivered to my wife, she threw money all over the street. She gave the red envelope to the reporter, which amounted to two hundred taels. All of this was originally mine, mine! My wife is my legitimate mother, my mother, and you have ruined it all!"

"I've told you so many times to respect your wife and observe the rules of hierarchy, but you just wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened. My wife is gone, and she's taken my luck with her."

Aunt Yao never expected that her son would actually blame all the faults on her. She was about to get angry, but when she saw her son's miserable and dejected look, she began to feel distressed.

"If you don't pass this time, there's always next time. It will be the same if you pass again in three years. You're already a Juren at such a young age, which is already better than most Tongsheng. Besides, Juren can also become an official. The teacher in my mother's hometown is also a Juren."

"Are you cursing me to fail the exams again and again and remain a juren for the rest of my life?" Zhang Bi looked at his mother deeply. His eyes were extremely complicated and contained a hint of disgust.

Aunt Yao's head buzzed.

Her son has changed. He is no longer the filial son who would feel guilty and kneel down to blame himself whenever she cried.

She stared blankly at her son's receding back, a wave of sadness sweeping through her heart.

Zhang Bi suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen his grandmother for a while, and perhaps she didn't know that he had passed the imperial examination.

Although she couldn't compare to a Jinshi, being a Juren could make her happy. Her father also took the exam several times before he passed the second-class Jinshi.

My grandmother should help me with some of the tuition.

There was a lock hanging outside the gate, and the yard was dark, not like anyone lived there.

Zhang Bili stood at the door for a long time, then turned and left.

It must be that my grandmother disliked my aunt and moved out with my fifth sister.

It was completely dark. A pitch-black crow stood on a branch, staring at the lifeless house and making two strange dry calls.

-

At the Northern Pacification Office, Chen Ling'an held up a long list and said with a half-smile, "About four hundred people, all going to pay a visit. Can the Chen family accommodate them?"

Wu Yong: "It can accommodate everyone. From the central hall to the outer courtyard rooms, if we remove the threshold grilles, we can set up fifty or sixty tables, with ten people at each table. That's more than enough."

Chen Ling'an scoffed, "With wine and food flowing, and flattery and fawning on each other, that scene must be quite lively."

Wu Yong heard the displeasure in his boss's words and asked tentatively, "How about we go and disrupt his plans?"

"No, not only will I not disrupt the situation, I will also help him have fun."

"Master, do you want us to get him some firecrackers and fireworks?"

Chen Ling'an thought about it carefully and said, "Okay, let's make something big and beautiful."

Wu Yong was stunned. He was just joking, so why did his superiors take it seriously?

It's such a waste to spend money to add icing on the cake for the Chen family. Could it be that because Miss Xiaoman has no time to take care of her these days, she has given up on herself?