Chapter 226 Betting in the Examination Room
The scholars seemed convinced, and one of them said, "Okay, what do you want to bet on? Tell us."
Qian Zhenniang smiled faintly. "I'll make a bet... If any of you can get 60 points on this test, I'll let you go. Otherwise, you must stay here for a day and a night. No matter what happens, you can't leave. Of course, meals will be provided during this time. You can also use the restroom normally."
When these words were spoken, not only the students of Bailu Academy were stunned, but also the other people who came to take the exam were stunned.
Only the spunky little girl just now burst out laughing.
Zhou Houfang immediately understood that the content of today's test would be very difficult!
But those students felt as if they had suffered a great humiliation.
"That's ridiculous. We are all scholars. The lowest rank in Bailu Academy is a scholar. How can we be stumped by questions posed by a bunch of illiterate idiots like you?"
"Brother Huang, there's no need to argue with them. Let's just do the questions casually and get out of this damn place!"
"That's right, if we can't get 60 points, it only means that the test-setter's level is too low."
"Yes, what if you deliberately come up with some difficult questions to embarrass the candidates from Jinzhou Prefecture?"
The little girl stood up and said, "You're afraid of the city lord asking difficult questions, but I'm not. I'll compete with you! If my score is higher than yours, you'll have to do as that sister says and stay here for a day and a night."
"Okay! Little girl, don't say we bullied you when the time comes!"
The little girl smiled, showing her fangs, with a glint of triumph in her eyes, "I just hope that some people won't refuse to pay when they lose!"
Soon, Zhou Houfang came up with the second piece of information.
The scholars were naive and were still wondering why they were kept here for a day and a night after losing.
However, Zhou Houfang had already guessed Secretary Qian's intention.
This is in front of the government office, with people coming and going. Students from Bailu Academy failed to pass the exam with a score of 60 and were trapped here. The next day, their reputations will be known throughout Jinzhou Prefecture!
I'm afraid that people in Jinzhou Prefecture will question the level of Bailu Academy in the future.
Especially losing to a little girl again.
This Secretary Qian looks kind, but he is actually full of evil intentions.
Zhou Houfang actually felt inexplicably relieved.
But I also became more nervous about the exam content.
Sure enough, the moment Zhou Houfang got it, her breath took a breath, and then she heard a student next to her scream.
Soon someone shouted "Silence" to maintain discipline in the examination room.
Zhou Houfang quickly glanced through the test paper, then panicked and could only utter two words.
Tricky!
This question is too tricky!
Zhou Houfang believed that her Zhou family was also a family of scholars, and her family also hired a famous teacher from Jinzhou Prefecture to teach her since childhood. When it comes to talent and literature, she, Zhou Houfang, has some reputation among the noble ladies in the entire Jinzhou Prefecture.
Moreover, she was more interested in mathematics than in poetry and classics, and therefore she prided herself on being quite proficient in mathematics.
However, she was confused when she got the first question.
——There are twelve books in a wooden box, two of which are unique copies. If you draw two books from the box, what is the chance of drawing a unique copy?
——Beside an official road, there is a requirement to plant a cypress tree every four pine trees on the left side, and a requirement to plant a cypress tree every six pine trees on the right side. In the end, a total of thirty-three trees are planted on both sides. How many cypress trees can be planted at most?
——Please write the appropriate numbers in the following numbers to form a pattern. Twelve, four, eight, six, seven,?
——Three years later, Wang Da is two years less than three times Zhang San’s age. Five years later, Wang Da is five years more than twice Zhang San’s age. Ten years later, how old will Wang Da be?
Seeing these questions, even Zhou Houfang, who had crammed for the exam, just wanted to sigh.
"Oh my God, please kill me—"
Zhou Houfang turned his head and found that a student from the Bailu Academy next door shouted like this.
It seems she is not the only one who finds this difficult.
"Silence!" an examiner shouted quickly, "If you shout again, your score will be invalid!"
Zhou Houfang was sweating profusely while working.
The students of Bailu Academy were all as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood. They no longer whispered about the pencils they used, nor did they discuss the presence of women in the examination room, nor did they laugh at the girl next door who wrote in chicken claw handwriting.
They were all furious, holding their pens and writing furiously, their foreheads covered in sweat.
In broad daylight, they actually felt colder than winter!
What a weird question!
How could someone come up with such a tricky question?
It was not until this moment that the fifty or sixty students realized where the confident and calm smile on the face of the female examiner came from.
At this anxious moment, the little girl who also participated in the bet kept her head down, completely ignoring the disturbances in the outside world and concentrating on the test paper.
Someone nearby took a look and was stunned.
This little girl... is actually doing the questions!
She took a piece of scratch paper with strange symbols written on it, and seemed to be muttering to herself. After a while, she turned the test paper over.
That sound... was like a heavy drum hitting everyone's heart!
Those who are conceited about their talents put all their hopes on the final policy essay, but unfortunately the policy essay only has two major questions.
The first is to discuss in detail Qianzhou’s five-year development plan based on Qianzhou’s topography and customs.
The second is to explain the principles of the earth dragon turning over and the heavenly dog eclipsing the sun.
Someone dropped his pen in a panic.
Some people simply tore up the test paper, shouting, "This question setter has ulterior motives. How dare he talk nonsense about the laws of the Earth Dragon turning over and the Heavenly Dog eclipsing the Sun! The ancients said, 'It is said that Heaven created the people, but they were unable to govern them, so they established a monarch to rule them. When the monarch is virtuous, plants, trees, and insects all find their proper place. When the monarch is not virtuous, he is banished to the heavens and earth, and disasters and anomalies occur, indicating that he cannot govern. This shows that the Earth Dragon turning over is the emperor's fault, which has led to his loss of support and the people suffering with him. How dare Xu Zhenying insult Your Majesty!"
Perhaps the noise was too loud, disturbing the little girl's work. She looked up from her test paper unhappily and said angrily, "Brother, if you don't know how to do it, could you please shut up? I hate people who don't read, are shallow and ignorant, and like to shout!"
"You little girl..."
"Shut up!" The little girl yelled, scaring all the scholars in Bailu Academy.
What a fierce little girl!
Look at her posture and demeanor, and then look at the test paper filled with notes. Could this damn girl really have done all of them?
How is that possible?!
The students of Bailu Academy were stimulated and flipped through their papers, trying to find questions that they could answer.
Who knew the person who set the question had such sinister intentions!
It is clear that during the imperial examination, students only need to write one policy essay, but this exam paper has two policy essay questions, which together only add up to 40 points.
In other words, they must get full marks on their policy essays and also have to get the first 60 points of math questions right.
For God's sake, kill him.
However, many students at Bailu Academy were deeply shocked when they received the test paper. Unlike the students who had previously made a fuss and accused the test setter of being tricky, they immediately saw that the questions were brilliant and extremely relevant to life and daily affairs.
I heard that the land distribution work in Lan County is going on in full swing. It involves many land distribution issues, such as calculating the per capita land area under different distribution methods, and calculating the depth of the water diversion channel. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this question is quite profound.
Smart people have already figured out why Xu Zhenying insisted on bringing them from the land reclamation area to take this test.
She wanted these students to have a deeper understanding of her governing philosophy.
Among this group of people, Huang Weiguang and Liao Chaoyun were the only two who started writing furiously as soon as they got the test papers. The more they wrote, the more they felt that Xu Zhenying was different from ordinary bandits.
At least this bandit has a very high cultural literacy.
This paper reveals that their governing philosophy was diametrically opposed to that of the Great Zhou Dynasty. A thorough examination reveals that Xu Zhenying prioritized livelihoods over the monarch, and repeatedly mentioned revitalizing the commercial economy and increasing the wealth of the people.
The idea that all men are created equal seems to run through from beginning to end.
This is a completely new political concept.
At this moment, Huang Weiguang even saw through this test paper the big hand behind the scenes stirring up the situation in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Just when everyone was preoccupied, the little girl stood up first and walked towards the examiner with a relaxed look on her face.
Everyone stared at her in astonishment.
Is that all?
All done?
Has she finished all those tricky math problems?
Song Luo respectfully presented the test paper to Qian Zhenniang, then bravely looked up at the person behind the curtain!
The legendary Qian Zhenniang!
As a woman, she became one of the youngest people in power in Jinzhou Prefecture!
He looked so kind and amiable.
The key is that she is very beautiful!
Song Luo's eyes were wide open——
Qian Zhenniang noticed a strong gaze, then looked up at the woman. Seeing her staring at her blankly, Qian Zhenniang raised an eyebrow and said, "I've collected the test papers. I'll mark them now. Please wait for a moment."
"Okay, thank you Secretary Qian!"
Somehow, Song Luo, who had been able to remain calm and curse at thousands of soldiers just now, now blushed after just saying one sentence to Qian Zhenniang.
She tried to look calm and walked to the side and sat down.
In fact, I was so happy!
Oh my God, she actually saw Qian Zhenniang. This time she would go back and show off to her classmates.
Qian Zhenniang, the figure behind all policy implementers, is now right before our eyes—
That's the person she admires.
With Song Luo handing in his paper early, the ten examiners and examiners were already rubbing their hands in anticipation of grading.
Soon, Zhou Houfang also stood up and handed in his paper.
She seemed to be still a little confused. After thinking over and over again, she couldn't answer the questions no matter how hard she tried, so she had no choice but to hand in the paper.
Fortunately, she had prepared for this exam before. She asked her maid to get a set of tutorials for all the courses in Lan County, and she stayed up late to read them.
Even so, she still found the questions difficult.
People began to hand in their papers one after another, but among them were not students from Bailu Academy.
The students became anxious and made eye contact with Huang Weiguang, the student with the best grades, to inquire about the situation.
Huang Weiguang, however, was completely absorbed in the questions, with no time for distraction. A sharp-eyed student took a look at Huang Weiguang's test paper and discovered that he was not as confident as usual. He was working very slowly, even when the deadline was almost up, and he was still working on the first few math problems!
When the students saw the look on their faces, they knew it was all over.
It's over.
This time it's really over.
I'm afraid none of them can score above 60 points.
At this moment, they suddenly understood why the female examiner proposed the bet.
If you lose, you have to stay where you are for a day and a night!
After all the candidates left, only the students from Bailu Academy were still sitting here. Tomorrow, the entire Jinzhou Prefecture would probably know that they had failed miserably in this exam!
The common people of Jinzhou Prefecture will question the level of Bailu Academy, and even the principal and teachers will lose face!
My God, what a vicious mind!
No, there is still a glimmer of hope. That damn girl just watched it being done, and she may not be able to do it right.
They just couldn't believe that the math problems were so tricky and vicious. Even for people like them who had studied "Mathematics" and "Arithmetic Classics" seriously under the teacher, they still found it very difficult to do them.
If this group of scholars and candidates find it difficult, then there are probably few people in the entire Zhou Dynasty who can do it!
right.
They don't need to panic. Maybe the other party is pretending to make them lose their composure.
And Song Luo is waiting for his own results.
She raised her chin slightly, sat condescendingly, and looked down at the group of scholars with different expressions below.
Humph, I told you to look down on us women. Now you know how powerful we are.
The scholars were like thorns in the side.
Time slowly slipped away in the midst of anxiety.
No one knew how they determined the time. There were no hourglasses or sundials on the scene, but somehow, after they looked at the scribbles on the disc next to them, Qian Zhenniang knocked on the table and said clearly, "Time is up, candidates, please stop writing."
At that moment, all the scholars raised their brows and lowered their eyes, as if all their strength had been drained away, and collapsed in their seats.
Qian Zhenniang smiled slightly, with a hint of mockery in her eyes, but she didn't say anything. She only said to the person beside her: "Prepare to post the answers to the test paper."
Zhou Houfang did not leave.
Because before the exam, Qian Zhenniang said that someone would be sent to post the answers at the entrance of the government office immediately after the exam, so that students could check their answers immediately.
In addition, the final scored test papers will be distributed to the candidates so that they can confirm their scores themselves.
Zhou Houfang had to express his admiration for this move.
She had just finished her exam and was waiting at the gate of the government office before she left.
Outside the government office, other students taking the exam did not leave either. They all waited quietly for the soldiers to post the answers.
“Here I come!”
Someone shouted soon.
Everyone gathered around in an instant, followed by a burst of sighs and groans of frustration.
"I got the first question wrong!"
"Oh, I shouldn't have hesitated. This hesitation was a mistake!"
"Oh my god, why did I get so many mistakes? Why is the answer to question three six and not eight?"
Zhou Houfang was hiding in the crowd and was also very excited.
This was the first time in her life that she had taken a serious exam, not to mention that she had come without her mother's knowledge.
She felt as if she had broken free from some kind of restraint and had a strange sense of freedom.
She was very curious whether the students would have the same mentality as her when looking at the list.
What's more, she is still checking the answers, not looking at the results, but her heart is already beating fast.
"Brother Lu, congratulations! You got all the math questions right!" A burst of congratulations came from the crowd. "You are worthy of being a candidate from Lan County. Lan County has been doing the most comprehensive education work the earliest and most solidly. With Brother Lu's results, I'm afraid you have a good chance of being admitted—"
The young man named Lu Shiwen, who was surrounded by people, declined with a cheerful expression, "Everyone, the final results haven't come out yet. There are still 40 points left for the essay questions. The outcome is still uncertain, so don't rush to congratulate us."
"Wow, if you can get all the math questions right, the essay questions will be no problem!"
"No, no, no, there are so many talented people in Jinzhou Prefecture. I... who am I——"
"Brother Lu is too modest. To me, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the people of Lan County! The City Lord's comprehensive education begins in Lan County, and we, the people of Lan County, have studied for several months longer than others, giving us a head start. Who knows how long it will take the City Lord to attack other prefectures? If we take a position here first, we'll be able to advance faster in the future."
"Yes, yes, that's right. Fortunately, my family has followed the city lord to develop in Lan County. If we still take the exam in the original place, I'm afraid there will be many people who will miss it."
"I heard that there are at least over a thousand candidates taking the exams in the two examination halls in Lan County and Ye County combined!"
His companions gasped.
Even those in Jinzhou Prefecture who were actively preparing for the exam came over to hear the news.
Even though they are now on the territory of Jinzhou Prefecture, they are far less well-informed than the people of Lan County.
It’s because the people of Lan County took the lead and had their own people in every key position.
We have our own people here, so the information must be first-hand.
"So, it doesn't matter how many people there are in Jinzhou Prefecture. The questions are the same in all three exam rooms. We have to compete with over a thousand people."
"Oh my god, isn't this... isn't this harder than the previous imperial examination?"
The man said mysteriously, "It's hard to say. Nowadays, many people can read. If you pick anyone up from the streets of Lan County, they'll know how to read. As long as they can read, they can read. Not to mention those arithmetic operations and math problems, which test your mental agility. Everyone in Jinzhou Prefecture has a chance now. As long as you're willing and work hard, there are plenty of opportunities for advancement!"
"That's exactly the point! Our city lord loves hard work and hates flatterers and sly people the most. People like us who are honest, who only know how to work hard and don't know how to curry favor with superiors or flatter others, have finally made it!"
"That's right. Back in Lan County, there was a clerk who ate for free a few times at the wonton stall in front of the county government office. After being seen, he lost his job because of a few dozen coins. He regretted it so much! As long as we get in and do our job well, the city lord will definitely see our contribution!"
Everyone nodded frequently.
Zhou Houfang listened attentively, seeming to be lost in thought.
Who would have thought that the people under this traitor were actually even more honest than the officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
If we continue with their management style, then the total amount of charcoal and ice tributes that Daddy's subordinates pay every year would be enough to confiscate his family's wealth and exterminate his clan, wouldn't it?
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