Chapter 95

Chapter 95

The 38th year of Huayuan, April 21st.

In the capital, inside the imperial city.

The emperor had just recovered from a serious illness, and when he stood up, the imperial concubine had to help him sit up.

The emperor closed his eyes and said, "Today is the day for the election. Bring the test papers over to us."

The imperial concubine consoled him, looking worried, "You just took the medicine, why don't you take a rest for a while and see what happens tomorrow."

The emperor did not say anything, but his subordinates understood what he meant and quickly sent someone to get it.

When picking up the test papers, the emperor asked Prime Minister Li to come as well.

The original chief examiner was supposed to be Li Shoufu, but he was temporarily replaced by Chu Xueshi.

Although the emperor wanted to maintain a balance, he did not want to disappoint his old ministers.

Therefore, when Prime Minister Li arrived, the emperor had already finished flipping through the first test paper.

The emperor looked extremely happy and wanted to laugh, but he felt it would be bad to do so.

Seeing Prime Minister Li coming, he suppressed his smile and said, "Come and see, someone is scolding the person who set the question."

Questioner?

It was originally him, or rather the second half was proposed by him and other examiners.

Afterwards, Lord Chu became the chief examiner and prepared the questions for the Four Books on the spot.

Questions on the Four Books account for the largest proportion in all the imperial examinations.

So who are you scolding?

Prime Minister Li bowed first and was then given a seat.

After he looked at the test paper, he finally understood the emperor's expression.

As soon as the questions on the Four Books for the Imperial Examination were released, anyone with a discerning eye knew what was going on.

It's simply that the Emperor is ill, so this is a suitable opportunity for everyone to praise him.

Lord Chu is always like this.

Of course, it is an opportunity and also a trap.

If you are too flattering, not only will the examiner be displeased, but the emperor will also not be pleased.

How can I like it then?

It's nothing more than having real talent and some character.

Such a person will not be disliked, whether as a friend, a subordinate, or even as an opponent.

Unfortunately, few people can understand this truth.

So this year's exam questions have become more difficult.

It's a tricky and difficult one, and his personality is similar to Lord Chu's.

There's nothing I can do, it really reveals a person's character.

So the emperor wanted to laugh when he saw this. He felt that not only did Lord Chu suffer a loss, but he could also see that the other party had a solid foundation and was a good candidate to speak up for the people.

But after reading all the articles, I found that only the four books and three topics were interesting.

In the Five Classics, although the candidate's writing is elegant, pure, and correct, his ideas are also somewhat unexpected.

Other things don't stand out.

At least, not as sincere as the ones in his Four Books.

The Emperor and Prime Minister Li could tell at a glance whether the article expressed real emotion or was just a stiff answer.

If we only look at the Five Classics of this candidate, he is at most in the top three or top five.

But who can blame him for having such unconventional ideas and writing such interesting four books and three essays?

From this we can see that his real ability lies in the Four Books and Three Essays.

The Five Classics were deliberately written in a restrained manner, in order to give a calm and fair answer without error.

Little do people know that the vigor and vitality of young people is particularly valuable.

"How many people can't get beautiful words?"

"But it's rare to find someone with this kind of momentum."

"Is our imperial examination a little rigid?"

The emperor made a final comment: "Next time you test me, don't ask for rules, don't use neat parallelism, and don't be too cautious in your writing."

If you are too rigid, you won’t be able to write a satisfying article.

Li Shoufu was well-read and knew what the emperor meant. He immediately wrote it down, but said, "The number of examiners for the next provincial and metropolitan examinations will definitely have to be increased."

"It would be easier for them to mark the papers if there is a little formatting, but this would inevitably increase their workload."

Prime Minister Li said whatever he wanted to say, and the emperor nodded: "Increase, it can only increase."

"My treasury."

Every provincial and imperial examination involves considerable expense.

"Okay, Lord Chu is unusually generous and ranks this candidate first." The emperor half-lay down, took a breath, and finally said, "Let's do it this way."

"I am also curious about this student's age and origin."

The test paper sent to the emperor was also a copy, with the name blurred out.

If the emperor wants to demolish it directly, that’s fine too.

But for the sake of fairness, let's just forget it.

"Send it back. When the list of candidates for the examination comes out tomorrow, remember to report."

The emperor laughed for a while. He thought that other people’s test papers were not interesting, so he asked them to be sent back directly.

In the Imperial Examination Hall, everyone was busy except the officials who were copying the second list.

The other examiners were all bored.

Anything else?

That’s gone too.

But we have to wait until the results are announced tomorrow.

After that, wait for the palace to send back the copied test papers, open the sealed envelope and copy your name from the main list.

So, as long as the palace test papers come back.

They will soon know who will be on the main list of this year's imperial examination.

Especially the examiners of the Four Books.

They were really curious about the name of the top student.

Or in other words, the scholar is finished.

When the six of them were feeling uneasy, the guards finally returned the test papers intact without saying anything else. They just conveyed that the emperor praised them for their hard work and said that they would be given hard work pay.

The examiner led everyone in expressing their gratitude, and as soon as the guards left, they hurried to the copying room to open the sealed names.

Find the test papers of the corresponding students in this order, and then copy the situation of each student on the main list.

All in all a series of troubles.

It must be completed before tomorrow morning, and there can be no negligence.

This is a major event that has attracted national attention, and we cannot allow any problems to go wrong at the last minute.

Many officials did not sleep well for several days in a row. They corrected test papers with their eyes open and wrote comments with their eyes closed every day.

So tired.

The six examiners of the Four Books finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Not bad, not bad.

The emperor did not care and allowed the other party to take first place.

Wait a minute.

Really number one?!

This is great!

Lord Chu was not surprised. The emperor was really not stingy.

You officials who don’t understand the emperor are really overly suspicious.

"Copy it. We'll have a day off tomorrow."

Lord Chu's words made everyone stand up instantly.

Very good!

It’s holiday time!!!

These officials have been in the Imperial Examination Hall for more than ten days!

There are guards in the inner and outer courtyards, and we eat and live here. It's really driving me crazy!

To outsiders, this is an extremely glamorous job.

For them, it really makes them want to cry.

Especially the people in the Ministry of Rites.

Finally accomplished something big.

I really don’t want to do it next time!

That being said, everyone still worked diligently to complete all tasks.

The results are about to be announced.

They felt that they might be more excited than the other candidates taking the imperial examination.

This is indeed true.

Because most of the candidates are very nervous.

Ji Yuan is one of them.

He couldn't even tell why he was nervous.

But do you regret it?

No regrets either.

At worst, we can fight again in three years.

He didn't expect that he would actually use the escape route left for him by his instructors?

When he wrote to the teachers, he also expressed his hidden worries, saying that he would probably have to wait another three years to take the exam.

A few days after the letter was sent, it was the most important day, April 22nd.

On April 22, the weather was clear and cloudless.

Compared to the first day they went to take the exam, the temperature had risen a lot.

Just like before, the list has not been posted yet and countless people are waiting to get there.

There are also those who are waiting to pick a son-in-law from the list, and they just look at which family has a good-looking boy and want to act as a matchmaker.

Wu Ying also specifically instructed Wu Renhao: "You must keep an eye on Ji Yuan and don't let him get captured. His appearance and age make him the perfect candidate for a son-in-law."

Ji Yuan was helpless: "I might fail the exam."

Monk Bai and Old Man Gao were the first to say, "Impossible!"

Why not?

Ji Yuan guessed the questions correctly, so how could he fail?

They don't believe it.

They even have some confidence that they will make the list. Even if the ranking is not high, that's also a good thing.

As we all know, the imperial examination will not be divided into first, second and third place for the time being, but only into the main list and the secondary list.

The main list also needs to be ranked.

Listed in order from one to one hundred and seventy.

They are both about the same, how can Ji Yuan fail? How can Ji Yuan be ranked outside the 170th place?

Impossible.

Ji Yuan thought to himself, you don’t know what I have done. If you knew, you probably wouldn’t dare to go now.

But Ji Yuan thought that the imperial court had not sent anyone to arrest him up to now, so they probably didn't bother to make a fuss about it.

After all, there is no literary inquisition in this dynasty, so at most they are just unhappy with him.

The consequence of being unhappy with him is that you will fail the exam directly.

Oh, never mind, let’s go and take a look.

Arriving earlier than them were Dong Kang and his group from Dianzhou Prefecture, as well as other people from Jianmeng Prefecture.

Everyone is preparing for the exam in the capital, and everyone has their own residence, which is not as convenient as in the provincial capital.

Fortunately, there was a large open space in front of the Imperial Examination Hall, otherwise it would not be able to accommodate so many people.

The candidates from all over the country finally gathered together at this moment.

The three categories that everyone was divided into before will also stand here and wait for the list.

The content of the conversation was the same.

"There are nearly 4,000 candidates this year, why are there only 170 places available?"

"It's good enough. It's twenty points more than the last provincial examination."

"You're only twenty. Are the imperial examinations getting harder and harder?"

"Who says it's not true? But I heard that there is a kind of article that is very cheap, so I still have to learn it."

"I still don't want to learn it. It would be best if I could get on the regular list this time."

My friend, you are being too honest!

Although everyone thinks this way, they won’t say it out loud!

Candidates from the Imperial College were also there. They were basically all wearing Imperial College uniforms, which made them look different from others.

Dong Kang said sourly: "Hey, why do you have to wear the uniform of the Imperial College just to look at the list? It's so ostentatious."

As soon as the words fell, someone heard them unexpectedly. The other person looked up and said, "What's wrong? Is it not possible?"

"If you have the ability, come to the Imperial College too."

Nowadays, those who can enter the Imperial College either have someone in their family or are gifted. Although the latter are rare, they do exist.

As for the former, Ji Yuan and the others can forget about it.

Therefore, anyone who enters is a symbol of family background and power.

The bookstore previously made a ranking, and the top three were all students from the Imperial College.

One of them is called Song Liuqun, and many people say that he has a high chance of getting the first place in this year's imperial examination.

He is considered a popular candidate.

Monk Bai and Old Gao didn't change their expressions, thinking, probably not as good as Ji Yuan.

They have seen too many so-called geniuses who have embarrassed themselves in front of Ji Yuan.

I guess this is about the same.

The other party is twenty-seven this year, and Ji Yuan is only fifteen, so even if Ji Yuan failed to beat them, Ji Yuan is still better.

Ji Yuan just didn’t know what they were thinking, otherwise he would have definitely refuted it quickly.

Ji Yuan’s concerns are completely different from theirs.

He thought to himself that failing the exam was not the worst outcome.

Just wait and see.

In addition to Song Liuqun who founded the Imperial College, there were several others from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, as well as some from Fujian, all of which were places with a large number of people taking the imperial examinations.

They were also nervous and Ji Yuan couldn't understand what they were saying. Most of the time, they were discussing the current topic.

More and more people came to see the list, and soldiers came out to maintain order.

Miss Cheng, who used to like watching the fun, is now at home.

She was the only one at home with her five-year-old brother. Her brother's nurse asked, "My dear, you don't like crowds on weekdays. Why don't you go to see the list?"

Cheng Yishan said: "It's not interesting, let's wait until their test papers are out."

The maid followed and said, "The young lady had a lot of food last night and doesn't want to go out."

As they were talking, Cheng Yishan's mother came over. After hearing that her daughter had indigestion, she sat down beside her and gently rubbed her belly: "I told someone to cook hawthorn soup. How could you be so careless?"

Cheng Yisan is fourteen years old this year. She should be more dignified in other people's homes, but in her own family, she still behaves like a child.

Cheng Yishan said coquettishly: "If you don't drink the hawthorn soup, it will be a bit bitter."

Madam Cheng had no choice but to order her servants to make some soft cakes to help digestion, but without sugar.

Speaking of which, today Lord Cheng, the Langzhong of the Construction Department of the Ministry of Works, is still on official business. He is more concerned about the announcement of the results of the imperial examination.

Every year when the examination results were announced, many people in the court would try to make friends with the new successful candidates.

Lord Cheng was curious about what the results would be for the era that his cousin valued so much.

If Ji Yuan's grades are good, can I take this opportunity to recommend Teacher Cheng so that he can move to another place instead of staying in the county?

Many people in the court were also not interested in their official duties today.

Many officials' sons and nephews may be waiting for the results of the imperial examination. In this case, how can they not be worried?

However, there are also officials who have begun to accept congratulations.

Song Liuqun's father, Lord Cheng's boss, Lord Song, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, was one of them.

His son was known for his talent and was famous throughout the Imperial College.

Besides, she is only twenty-seven this year, which is the prime of her life.

Lord Song smiled and said, "Who knows how he will do in the exam? As long as he can make it to the list, it will be a great honor for our ancestors."

This is naturally a self-deprecating statement.

The teachers at the Imperial College said that his son's essay was very brilliant, and in their opinion, it would definitely not be outside the top three.

Maybe even first in the examination.

First in the imperial examination, Huiyuan.

Then his son won two prizes in a row.

In the last provincial examination, his son was the top scorer.

Lord Song took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

There were quite a few members of his family serving as officials in the court, and the most powerful one was a Grand Secretary in the Hanlin Academy, who was his uncle.

That person also values ​​his son. As long as they rank well this time, their team will really be able to rise.

Of course we have opponents.

The imperial concubine's nephew is also taking the exam this year. In the Imperial College exam, either he or her son will be first.

And that person is indeed from a truly noble family.

Mr. Song went through all the students who wrote good articles in his mind, and suddenly heard his colleague say, "Hey, there are articles like this in this collection. How come it is ranked in the top 50?"

Ranked over fifty?

Could that be some powerful person?

Although Lord Song was not very interested, he still went to take a look as he was waiting for the results to be announced.

What the official was holding in his hand was the "Collection of Articles" that Ji Yuan had bought, the one that cost fifteen taels of silver.

Most of the officials in the court came to power through the imperial examination, so they were naturally interested in the imperial examination articles. Now that the examination was over, the bookstore was selling these books at a low price of only five taels of silver per book, so the official took one with him.

I'm bored now, so I'll just flip through it.

The previous article is also good.

But when I turned to the fifty-odd articles, I found some differences in the Jianmeng Mansion era.

This book collects the provincial examination essays written by candidates, or more precisely, it collects essays from the Four Books.

The Five Classics are quite complex and each student’s exam questions may be different, so comparing the Four Books is the most appropriate and fair.

Not to mention the last two games, they were simply ignored.

"Look, this student's first answer is that young people are to be feared, his second answer is that it is better to hide than to see, and his third answer is that those who do not know think they are meat."

“Each article is more interesting than the last.”

Upon seeing this, Lord Song also leaned over to take a look.

Lord Cheng was no exception. When he saw the name on the article, he was a little surprised.

Isn't this the era?

After looking at his hometown, it was confirmed that this was his cousin's student.

Because the name of Ji Yuan is ranked over fifty, few people have the patience to read the entire book. Most people just read the first ten or twenty or so. There is no time to review, so who would read the articles later?

Now that the exam is over, some people actually read each article one by one.

"Well written! It is a hope for success and a warning for failure!"

The official who bought the book exclaimed that it was exquisite, and added: "The spirit flows freely, it is genuine, excellent, really excellent."

"Look at the next one."

Ji Yuan's provincial examination essay was taken out again before the announcement of the results of the metropolitan examination.

After reading three essays from the Four Books, Lord Cheng and Lord Song had completely different expressions.

Lord Song said: "This year's examination is really full of hidden talents."

The article seemed to be well-written and had the sharpness of a young man, but upon careful reading, it was extremely profound and detailed.

After Lord Song finished speaking, his expression looked grim.

He knew his son's abilities very well, and to be honest, the article was indeed good.

But compared to what I see in front of me, it seems like something is missing?

Lord Cheng took a look and thought, what is lacking is spirit.

When Mr. Cheng passed the imperial examination, he was the third place in the imperial examination. If the Cheng family had not been implicated, he would not still be holding the position of a fifth-rank doctor.

It can be seen that his articles are definitely not bad and his vision is also unique, so his boss Mr. Song often gives him articles and asks him to help look at them.

Mr. Song’s son’s writing is indeed good, but it lacks this spirit.

If Lord Song's son's opponent is Ji Yuan, he will probably be at a disadvantage.

All of a sudden, everyone in the Ministry of Works realized something and secretly collected the articles.

The heads of various departments in Tianqi State were all called Shangshu, and their left and right hands were called Zuo Shilang and You Shilang.

Below are the doctors from various departments.

Lord Song is the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, and there is only one Minister of Works above him.

And the Shangshu went to Wenyuan Pavilion today.

They simply stepped on a landmine over their only boss' head.

The official who bought the collection of articles hid the book under the crazy suggestion of Lord Cheng.

In modern times, this fifth-rank official would definitely shout on the Internet: "What is it like to have no tact in front of your superiors!"

Fortunately, Lord Song, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, was still preoccupied with the imperial examination list and had no time to pay attention to them.

"It's almost time."

Everyone looked up subconsciously, as if they were really about to arrive.

The list of candidates for the imperial examination is much more punctual than that for the provincial examination.

If they say the results will be announced at 9:00 pm, then they will be announced at 9:00 pm, without any delay.

At this time, more and more people were watching outside the Imperial Examination Hall.

Cheng Yisan, who had just said that she didn't want to go out, also came. Her good friend wanted to watch the fun and forcibly pulled her out of the house.

"There are so many families waiting to choose their young masters, don't you want to watch?"

Cheng Yisan nodded honestly.

Love to watch.

But after observing him several times, she found that the scholar was handsome, and nothing else was good.

As soon as the bell rang, the list was posted at the highest place.

“The list is out!”

"The results of the examination are out!"

"Everyone, don't crowd! Take your time and watch!"

And on the first position at the highest point, there was written a name that was familiar to everyone in Jianmeng Mansion.

era.

Everyone in Jianmeng Mansion had only one thought in their mind.

what to do.

It's not surprising at all.

If it's Ji Yuan, there's no problem at all.

Not to mention the White Monk and Gao Laosi, who are the most familiar to Ji Yuan.

Among the people who came out of Jianmeng Mansion, there are Zhang Xun, even Zhang Jieyuan, the top scorer in the last provincial examination, and Meng Huawei, the second place in last year's provincial examination.

There are also Jia Hao, Zhao Yuntian and others who looked down on Ji Yuan at the beginning.

Everyone has the same idea.

Era is first.

It is easy to be crushed by Ji Yuan.

The people who built Meng Mansion thought so, but others might not think so.

Students in the Imperial College and other places all had a question in their minds.

Who is Ji Yuan?

Wait?!

How old is Ji Yuan?!

fourteen? !

Not even fifteen yet?!

"genius."

“A true genius.”

"How is it possible? How could this happen?"

"Who the hell is Ji Yuan?!"

Everyone looked around, but didn't see anyone who was particularly young.

Cheng Yishan was shocked, and pulled her friend to point at Ji Yuan: "He, he is Ji Yuan!"

That handsome scholar who looks so good when he smiles!

It’s no wonder that Cheng Yisan and the others immediately looked at Ji Yuan.

There were indeed a lot of people surrounding him, and standing next to him was a burly man nearly two meters tall, like his bodyguard. That could be seen at a glance.

Ji Yuan seemed to have heard it and looked over subconsciously. Cheng Yisan didn't hide either, and the two of them looked at each other.

Cheng Yishan was quite excited: "What kind of writing did he do to get first place in the examination?"

"I must see it."

"Ji Yuan, what are you looking at? Let's go."

Walk?

Before Ji Yuan could react, he heard the merchants with gleaming eyes, the housekeeper, and the brave young girls coming over.

The little girls were fine, at most they threw handkerchiefs and flowers.

Merchants and housekeepers of wealthy families don't care about that.

The moment they saw Huiyuan's name, they immediately looked for him.

Seeing Huiyuan’s age, everyone became excited.

Huiyuan isn't even married yet!

Look at the appearance of this year’s champion again!

Rob!

Must grab!

She's not even fifteen yet, not even married yet, so there's nothing much to say!

Careful people even discovered that he had no father or mother.

What a son-in-law chosen by God!

If there is an only daughter in the family, the master himself will go out to rescue her.

If you can get a son-in-law like this, both your family and your daughter's life will be guaranteed!

Ji Yuan was so scared that he took a few steps back, and was hit on the chest by the flowers coming from the front. He immediately put his hands away and did not touch the little girl's things at all.

"Run, run quickly."

Wu Ying made a prompt decision: "Ren Hao, take Ji Yuan and run quickly. Liu Jun and I will accompany Monk Bai, and Gao Lao Si will continue to look at the list."

"So that they don't get caught too."

Why does it sound like catching monsters?

Ji Yuan even felt fortunate.

Fortunately, he had experience in "running away", and with Wu Renhao protecting him in front, he was able to escape from the crowd after a few steps.

But the voices around them were always there, and they were even following closely behind them.

"Little Huiyuan, don't run away. Let's get to know each other. My family is very wealthy. We have countless houses and shops in the capital, and our business is spread all over the country. I am an only daughter. If you become my son-in-law, all these will be yours."

"Ji Huiyuan, my family is also an only daughter, and my family also serves in the court. This is my family's name card."

"My daughter is extremely talented and beautiful, come and see her."

Those who are able to find the nerve to choose a good husband for their daughter will generally be quite nice to her.

Ji Yuan knew how much they loved their son, but he really couldn’t do it!

He never had this idea in his previous life, let alone in this life.

For Ji Yuan, if he cannot find a lover with whom he resonates with his soul, it would be better to be single for the rest of his life.

Even in ancient times, he was prepared to never get married.

In short!

No way!

Ji Yuan is a very fast runner, thanks to this year's training.

Ji Yuan looked at them for a long time, then said to Wu Renhao, "No, let's run separately. You are too big and you are easy to be targeted."

Wu Renhao only thought of himself as Ji Yuan's bodyguard. He felt a little sad after hearing this, so he could only say, "Then shall we meet at Shanqin Street?"

Ji Yuan nodded immediately.

The people chasing behind, seeing the tall guy leaving, thought they finally had a chance.

But after walking a few steps, where is Ji Yuan? !

Where are the Xiao Huiyuan people? !

Ji Yuan happened to hide in a snack shop.

I also heard someone talking inside, and I didn't expect it was him.

"This year's Huiyuan seems to be particularly popular."

"Young and handsome, everyone likes him." Cheng Yishan tasted a piece of dessert and shook her head slightly, "Why does it taste a bit bitter?"

"You are the only one who is picky. We don't find anything bitter in our food. Do you really not like anything bitter? You even say this hawthorn juice is bitter. Just now at your house, your mother laughed at you."

Although Ji Yuan recognized the voice, he had no intention of spying on the other party. Just as he was about to leave, the shop assistant came over and said, "Sir, what do you want to see?"

"Our shop is newly opened, and our dim sum is superb. Would you like to take some home?"

Cheng Yisan and her friends looked at it subconsciously and were so shocked that their hearts almost dropped.

Seeing that there were many people and that they were done watching the fun, they left early.

Who would have thought that the person at the center of the topic would suddenly appear in the dim sum shop?!

What about the conversation they just had?

Did everyone hear it?!

The two little girls were quite embarrassed, and Ji Yuan pretended not to hear anything, not knowing that his ears had turned red.

"No, I just happened to be passing by."

Just as he finished speaking, he heard someone outside say, "Where's Huiyuan? He was here just now. Did he go into a nearby store?"

"Look for them one by one and make sure to hand over the business card."

"There has never been such a young champion since the founding of Tianqi!"

Ji Yuan was really anxious now, and he stuffed some money into the waiter's pocket: "Hurry, take me to hide for a while, and I will definitely buy some snacks from your restaurant."

The guy was also dumbfounded.

He naturally heard the conversation outside.

This, this is the new champion? !

Really young and handsome!

No wonder those people wanted to make friends with him.

The waiter quickly bowed and took Ji Yuan to the back hall, looking around as he walked.

How lucky he was today that he actually met the new champion!

Everyone knows what level the first place in the imperial examination is!

If he performs better in the next palace examination.

Maybe he can become the top scholar?!

Ji Yuan was taken to the back hall, and someone even served him a pot of tea.

The tea in the dim sum shop is a bit special, it is made from hawthorn, which can clear the mouths of customers and help them digest food.

However, if the hawthorn is not cooked well, even with sugar, it will still have a slight bitterness, which is very subtle and difficult to detect.

When it was cooked for Master Fang before the Christian era, a special method was used to remove the bitterness and astringency of the hawthorn, leaving only the original freshness of the hawthorn.

Ji Yuan took a sip of tea and put it down. After thinking for a while, he said to the waiter, "If you want to remove the bitterness of hawthorn, you need to boil it first."

"Before cooking, you need to cut the skin of the hawthorn, which makes it easier to remove the bitterness and astringency."

"Put the cut hawthorns in water and boil for a quarter of an hour. When you take them out, immediately rinse them with ice water to keep the hawthorns' original firmness."

Ji Yuan spoke softly, and his voice could be heard inside and outside the room.

The guy was naturally overjoyed and thought that the new leader was thanking him for helping him hide.

Little did he know that Ji Yuan wanted to thank the little girl outside because it was she who gave him the Five Classics lecture notes last time in the bookstore.

Besides, what’s the point of not being able to endure hardship?

People are not born to suffer.

Just find a way to avoid suffering.

After Fangzi finished speaking, the people who came outside to "catch the son-in-law" finally left, and they did not find anyone.

Ji Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

How could I be so embarrassed after passing the imperial examination?

But only now did he have time to think.

Myself, is this the entrance examination? !

Will you even try first?!

If converted, it ranks first in the country.

How could he have such virtue?

Moreover, he knew how he wrote the article.

It is absolutely impossible that the examiners didn't notice it.

Ji Yuan is not so blindly confident.

I heard that the test paper will be sent to the emperor. Does that mean the emperor also agrees that he should be first?

Everyone in Jiyuan is a little stupid.

Did he achieve fame and success by suddenly letting himself go?

After all, the left and right instructors of the prefectural school felt that he could probably make it to the main list, but his ranking would not be too high, and in that case, in the palace examination, he would be ranked among the top three.

It wouldn't be possible that he would rank higher just because of his sudden release, right?

Marking the imperial examination papers is not a one-person job.

The fact that he was ranked first must be the result of everyone's nod.

In short, the level is fine.

Maybe it unexpectedly suits the examiner's taste?

Ji Yuan was full of doubts.

But he was naturally happy to be number one.

Anyone who is unhappy at this moment is just pretending.

From the age of eight to now fifteen.

The seven years of study were indeed arduous.

Day after day, without interruption, I finally achieved results by studying.

It is also appropriate to say that God will not let down those who work hard.

Ji Yuan returned to Shanqin Street from the dim sum shop, feeling indescribable along the way.

Passed the exam.

Will try that.

Next there is a palace examination.

If you say I'm excited, of course I am.

But it's not like I have no worries at all.

As soon as Ji Yuan returned to Shanqin Street, he saw Wu Ying's house was full of people.

Fortunately, they all knew each other, which made him feel relieved.

Ji Yuan walked over quickly and spoke first: "What about you? How did you do in the exam?"

Monk Bai and Old Man Gao's faces were filled with excitement and disbelief.

"This year's examination will still be divided into the main list and the secondary list. The main list is for Jinshi."

"Only 170 people will be selected for the imperial examination."

"I am ranked 35th on the main list, and Monk Bai is ranked 32nd." When Gao Laosi said this, it felt so unreal that he wanted to pinch himself.

But it's true.

It's true.

When he saw his name on the list, he couldn't hear anything.

You know, he took part in the provincial examinations three times before he passed and became a juren.

Who would have thought that he would pass the examination in one try.

Before I came here, the elders in my family said that I should just gain experience, and that at the age of 28, it was normal for him to pass the imperial examination.

But he passed the exam.

The name even comes to the forefront.

Although according to the situation that only thirty people were selected for the second place last year, his result after the palace examination would most likely be only third place.

But that's enough.

As I said, for them, being able to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi is a great honor to their ancestors!

It is something that many scholars would never be able to obtain in their entire lives.

Gao Laosi didn't react and tears started falling.

Many people who were trying to catch the son-in-law were scared and stopped in their tracks. It was only after he shouted that he had a wife that everyone confirmed the situation on the list and gave up.

Then they all looked at the white monk next to them.

Monk Bai is only 24 years old this year, but he is listed as unmarried.

Who would have thought that this person would actually take out a string of Buddhist beads from his sleeve and start chanting the Heart Sutra.

ah?

Buddhist beads and chanting Buddhist scriptures.

Are you a monk?!

Why are all the new Jinshi this year weirder than the other!

It wasn't Monk Bai's intention.

But he was also surprised by the result, and in order to avoid losing his composure, he subconsciously chanted scriptures to calm himself down.

Both of their attitudes showed how excited they were about passing the imperial examination.

The two of them can't say it yet, it's all because of Ji Yuan.

If it weren’t for Ji Yuan’s prediction of the topic, how could they have passed the exam?

Knowing the topic, you can figure out the article in advance.

Hence the result today.

The other candidates answered the questions on the spot, but they two had already prepared their essays long ago.

Do you think that studying with Ji Yuan only teaches you to be diligent? !

No!

Really not!

Following the era, the benefits are more than just a few!

But they will definitely keep this secret until they actually die.

Knowing that both of them passed the imperial examination, Ji Yuan was naturally happy for them: "That's great, as long as they passed."

Other people in Jianmeng Mansion also talked about their own achievements.

Zhang Jieyuan, who was awarded the title of Jieyuan in the 34th year of Huayuan, ranked 19th on the main list this year, which is a good result.

He took a year off before taking the exam again, probably waiting for this result.

In the 37th provincial examination, Meng Huawei, who ranked second in the examination, also performed very well and ranked twelfth in the main list.

There were also five people who ranked outside the top 60.

It seems that Jianmeng Mansion has reaped great rewards this year.

In this year's imperial examination, they had a total of nine Jinshi!

Even four of them were taking part in the imperial examination for the first time!

Having said that, just being the first in the imperial examination was enough to make the Jianmeng family proud.

The remaining candidates who failed the exam looked particularly envious.

My classmate passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi.

So are they still far away?

They really want to pass the exam.

I won’t talk about the era ones.

Even if they ranked last in the exam list, that's still good.

Jia Hao, Zhao Yuntian, and even Wang Zhuliang and others who followed along had complicated feelings.

The first two people were advised by their family that if they were confident they should study hard and get at least second place.

If you don't have the chance to rank in the top 30 or 40, don't even bother with a ranking and try again in three years.

Their choice is to wait three years.

I thought that someone like Ji Yuan who had no family would definitely not know these things, and might just take a random test and waste his talent.

Considering how hard he had been working before the exam, I thought it was likely that he would be on the main list.

Who would have thought.

He got first place directly.

If you rank first in the imperial examination, you will be first in the country.

Plus the top scorer in the provincial examination.

Ji Yuan has won two prizes in a row.

It's impossible not to be jealous.

The latter is Wang Zhuliang.

He had received the favor of Ji Yuan, and he knew that he was a true gentleman.

But it is difficult to hide the bitterness in my heart.

Especially since Ji Yuan knew about his wandering life after passing the imperial examination, he quietly distanced himself from him.

Even though he had not passed the imperial examination and was very poor, Ji Yuan was not opposed to being friends with him.

Comparing the two, Wang Zhuliang is embarrassed to come and watch Ji Yuan.

But seeing that everyone came over to congratulate them, I followed suit.

At Ji Yuan’s age, I hadn’t even passed the imperial examination to become a scholar.

When he saw Ji Yuan, the only thing he felt was inferiority.

Of course, he has low self-esteem, so it is probably impossible for him to give up the wealth and glory that would come after passing the imperial examination.

Everyone in the yard had different moods. When they looked at Ji Yuan, in addition to admiration, they also felt jealousy, envy, and other indescribable emotions.

Everyone knows.

Even though they were classmates before, their lives in the future will be very different.

But everyone still congratulated.

Because they know that the height of the era is not something they can compare to.

Your upper limit is just the other party's starting point.

Even Jia Hao, Zhao Yuntian and others said, "We have only had a few people who ranked first in the imperial examination since Jianmeng Mansion was founded. If you study hard, you may be able to get first place in the palace examination."

"Ji Yuan, if you become rich and powerful, please do not forget me."

"What a gifted man."

"Xieyuan plus Huiyuan, this is already two prizes in a row?!"

"If you take first place in the palace examination again, will you be the top scholar who has won three prizes in a row?!"

When everyone thought of this possibility, they became even more enthusiastic about Ji Yuan.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Everyone was normal just now.

How is this no different from the people outside? !

Fortunately, Wuying and his men stepped in and sent the man back on the grounds that Jiyuan still had to review.

Stop talking!

Those of you who failed the exam, aren't you planning to go home?

Those of you who have passed the imperial examination, won’t you continue to prepare for the exam? !

Next is the palace examination.

And the palace examination is only a few days away.

The results will be announced today, April 22nd.

The palace examination will be held on April 28th.

Why are you talking to Ji Yuan at such a tight time?

Let’s talk about it after the exam!

Ji Yuan was quite grateful to Wuying and the others.

Not only did he provide accommodation for the three of them, he even provided them with caretaking responsibilities.

Wu Ying said directly: "Don't thank me, do you think we don't want to build a good relationship with Hui Yuan?"

Wu Ying spoke with such confidence that it made people want to laugh.

Yes, they have such a good relationship, there is no need to say more.

When the yard quieted down, cheers suddenly broke out again.

Monk Bai, Gao Laosi, and Ji Yuan all passed the imperial examination and became Jinshi!

All of them passed!

What kind of luck is this!

No, it still depends on their solid knowledge!

All three of them tried to stay calm and returned to their rooms to write letters to their families and teachers.

Ji Yuan also wanted to tell the teachers this good news.

By the way, in the letter he sent out a few days ago, he was still saying that he might need to review for another three years.

Now, no need.

He passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi.

I'll try first.

Ji Yuan calmed down and his eyes became incredibly bright.

He really did not let his teachers down.

From their elementary teacher, Mr. Zhao, to the county school instructor Cheng, Dr. Luo, Mr. Fang, and Mr. Guo, they were taught.

There is also Dr. Yin from the provincial school and so on.

He finally passed the exam.

The word "era" was originally written very quickly, but now he forced himself to slow down.

It is both a letter writing and a way to calm down.

After writing a few letters, the era returned to normal.

This is just the beginning.

Besides, there is still the palace examination later.

The final palace examination cannot go wrong.

Ji Yuan felt at a loss when he thought about how his free-spirited essays had been read by the examiner, the graders, and even the emperor, and that he had even been chosen as the first.

He had a feeling that his palace examination would not go particularly smoothly.

Even if the emperor and the others didn't care, they would still ask a few more questions?

Once the examination results were announced, they would naturally spread throughout the capital.

In the imperial court office, the Ministry of Works, everyone seemed to be busy with official business, but in fact they were waiting for the results of the son of Lord Song, the Left Vice Minister of Works.

Although Mr. Song usually keeps a low profile, we know that he cares a lot about his son's grades.

Many people also said that Mr. Song would most likely be the first in this year's imperial examination.

So, what will be the result there?

If the results are good, life will be easier for them, their subordinates.

If you don’t get good grades, you’re doomed.

Just as I was thinking about it, my subordinates brought me the copied list.

"Congratulations, Master Song. Young Master Song got second place in the examination."

"There were 3,900 candidates in the examination, and Master Song ranked second, second in the country. It's really amazing."

How many?

second?

"Who is the first?" Lord Song was a little embarrassed, but still asked directly.

Could he be the imperial concubine’s nephew?

If it was that person, he could accept it.

The imperial concubine's nephew was also taught by a scholar from the Hanlin Academy, so it was normal for him to have good grades.

"The first one is called Ji Yuan."

The person who brought the good news looked at Lord Song's face and said directly, "He was born in Jianmeng Mansion."

Build Meng Mansion?

Is there a wealthy family with the surname Ji? !

As he was talking, Master Cheng came over and hesitated to speak: "Who is it? The era of building Meng Mansion?"

Everybody look over here.

The first place in this year's imperial examination is a relative of Mr. Cheng?!

That’s not surprising!

Lord Cheng himself is the third place in the imperial examination!

Mr. Cheng waved his hands quickly: "How could I know him? He is a student of my distant cousin."

Of course, Lord Cheng didn't say this for no reason.

He brought Instructor Cheng out now just to make room for him in the future.

Lord Cheng was extremely surprised.

There's hope for his cousin to get promoted!

No wonder Teacher Cheng always praised him, it turns out that he is actually a potential top scholar.

Lord Song had a complicated look on his face. He couldn't help but ask, "Whose family is he from? How could he be so amazing? He's only fifteen? He's really a genius."

Lord Cheng knew about this, and he slowly told what he could: "He is from a farming family. I heard that both his parents are gone. He was taught by a village teacher, then went to the county school, and then took the entrance exam for the prefectural school."

What origin!?

Farmer's son.

No parents yet.

Is this how you got here?!

Lord Song was not convinced, but other people in the Ministry of Works were quite shocked.

Even Lord Cheng himself found it unbelievable after he finished speaking.

Just don't mention it.

When I mentioned it, I realized that the first place in this year's imperial examination was so talented.

At this moment in the palace bedroom.

The emperor listened to the report from below and asked in surprise: "Not even fifteen years old?"

After saying that, he looked at Prime Minister Li and said, "This is not a child prodigy that I want. The one who picked him as the first was chosen by the examiners."

"When his paper was delivered, it even had its name on it."

I wanted to demolish it at that time, but gave up in the end.

Back then, a lot of trouble arose because of the child prodigy.

Now there is another one being raised in the Imperial College. I heard that he failed the imperial examination this year again. The emperor has already planned to raise that child prodigy for life.

But that child prodigy was fake.

The first place in the imperial examination before him is real.

Li Shoufu was also surprised. He looked at Ji Yuan's resume and said, "He had a hard life since childhood, but he is gifted with extraordinary talent. He is a true child prodigy."

The eunuch next to him said sweetly, "This is an auspicious sign. It is said that only in a peaceful and prosperous era can such a talent emerge. God has always thought that the emperor is wise, so he has made this talent."

The emperor smiled happily.

He thinks so too.

Prime Minister Li naturally would not refute. Even if Lord Xu, who had always disliked the child prodigy, came over, he would not refute at this moment.

Not to mention that Lord Xu knew about Ji Yuan itself. Besides, the Emperor was ill and the Crown Prince had not even returned from praying.

It's also good to have good news to make the emperor happy.

"Good, good, good." The emperor was extremely satisfied. "May God bless me and the Tianqi Kingdom."

"Come here, find his provincial examination essay. I want to take a good look at it."

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, Grand Secretary Chu, who had just come out of the Imperial Examination Hall, rushed over to report.

One is to show that the examination was successfully concluded, which is considered as seeking credit.

Second, congratulations to the emperor.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, for having a true child prodigy." Grand Scholar Chu said with a smile, "It must be Your Majesty's grace that allowed us to have such a talented person in this year's imperial examination."

Prime Minister Li was speechless.

The emperor laughed out loud after hearing this, and his illness became less severe.

That’s right!

Well said!

Although it is flattery, who doesn't like to hear nice words?

"When the palace examination comes, let me take a good look at him. If he is truly a talented person, I will definitely select him as the top scorer!"