For the past two weeks, the test-takers have been indulging in revenge entertainment. They can be seen everywhere, from brothels to the streets and alleys.
The time was neither long nor short. The day for the results to be released finally arrived, much to everyone's anticipation.
Li Qingyao and Gao Chuan tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, and coincidentally got up in the middle of the night to admire the moon.
I can't sleep, I just can't sleep.
The other candidates were mostly in the same state, with dark circles under their eyes. Some went to the inn in twos and threes to wait for good news, while few stayed at home to wait for the news.
Unless they have immense self-confidence. Li Qingyao and Gao Chuan were both taking the exam for the first time. Even if they felt they were in good form while answering the questions, exams are unpredictable, and they weren't that arrogant.
I washed and dressed early in the morning and went out looking smart and energetic.
Unlike the county and prefectural examinations, where candidates had to check the results themselves or through family members, the provincial examinations had officials who would announce the good news. If a candidate achieved the top rank, the announcement would be made with great fanfare, a tremendous honor.
"Sigh, I was so looking forward to it before, but now I'm so nervous and scared."
Gao Chuan pressed his hand to his chest, as if he felt his heart would jump out of his chest if he didn't keep it under control.
Li Qingyao yawned and agreed, "I've been thinking about this all night, feeling anxious and uncertain, sigh~"
When the results of the provincial examinations were released, which candidate could remain calm? At the very least, the circumstances of a poor scholar and a rich scholar were vastly different. Among these thousands of candidates, how many were not thinking of giving it their all to change their social standing?
The two walked to the hometown association hall, where many candidates, mostly from Ning'an Prefecture and Daze Prefecture, lived.
After entering, they greeted their fellow villagers and found a secluded corner to sit down. It wasn't that they didn't want to sit in a more spacious place, but rather that they had arrived late and all the good spots had already been taken.
But it doesn't matter, at least there are seats available.
I ordered a pot of tea and two bowls of porridge and started eating breakfast. After finishing the porridge in a few bites, I anxiously waited for the person who would bring the good news.
Their seats weren't near the door; they were rather far inside, their view obstructed, making it difficult to see outside. Suddenly, they heard a commotion near the door, and they eagerly craned their necks to look.
The conversation in the lobby suddenly stopped, and many people, like Li Qingyao and his group, craned their necks to look outside, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Needless to say, Li Qingyao's heart began to beat even faster.
Sure enough, the messenger came running in from outside.
Good news!
The candidates in the hall stood up in unison, their eyes fixed on the person announcing the good news.
"Good news from the provincial examination! Congratulations to Master Jiang Ming of Daze Prefecture for passing the supplementary examination..."
Not hearing their names called, the crowd was initially disappointed, but then overjoyed. Second-tier list! Not the main list!
If you make the supplementary list, you cannot participate in the metropolitan examination unless you give up your ranking in this provincial examination. Otherwise, you will never be able to obtain the title of Jinshi.
The fact that it wasn't on the official list meant that everyone still had a chance to be on it. While others were secretly delighted, a middle-aged man with thinning hair rushed out.
"I won! I won!"
His frenzy was beyond words; even "ecstatic" wouldn't do him justice. His face was flushed with excitement as he kept shouting, "I won! I won!"
Li Qingyao watched, worried that he might faint from excitement.
Everyone sighed with regret; the secondary rankings, which some people avoided like the plague, were something others eagerly anticipated.
Making it onto the supplementary list meant earning the title of "tribute student," which allowed one to become an instructor at the prefectural school. For a middle-aged scholar of this age, achieving this result was a way to give his family a sense of accomplishment.
The scholars around him congratulated him one after another. The wrinkles on Jiang Ming's face smoothed out, and his back seemed to straighten up a lot.
He took out the lucky money from his pocket and gave it to the messenger. He had prepared this lucky money since his first attempt at the provincial examination, and he would prepare it for each subsequent provincial examination, but he never had the chance to take it out. Now, his wish had finally come true.
The messenger accepted the money with a smile, said a few more auspicious words, and then quickly took his leave.
This job of delivering good news is incredibly popular. If he goes back to the yamen now and delivers a few more, he'll surely make a fortune today. He can also absorb some of the literary energy of the God of Literature, and who knows, maybe he'll even have a son with a talent for studying in the future!
Once the messenger left, the guild hall fell silent again. The scholars sitting at the entrance craned their necks, eagerly awaiting the next messenger.
Before long, another messenger came running from afar with good news.
"They're here! They're here!"
Someone shouted enthusiastically, and everyone was too preoccupied to think about anything else, focusing intently on the doorway.
The messenger, approaching from afar, quickly passed through the guild hall and headed towards another location in the eyes of the scholars at the gate.
"They're gone, they're gone!"
"It's not around here, it seems to be over on Daqian Street."
Who lives over there?
The crowd buzzed with discussion, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The number of successful candidates was limited; it was a one-person-one-slot system. To put it simply, everyone was sharing the same pot of porridge. Once those at the front had finished, those at the back would have nothing left.
"Good news!"
After an unknown amount of time, the messenger finally stepped into the guild hall again.
"Good news from the provincial examination! Congratulations to Master Zhang Tianliang of Pinggui Prefecture for passing the imperial examination with flying colors..."
"Ah! I won!"
As soon as the messenger announced the good news, a man rushed forward. He was also a middle-aged scholar.
He cheerfully stuffed the purse into the messenger's hand, and didn't forget to interact with the scholars around him.
"Thank you for bringing good news!"
Thank you all!
The disappointment on everyone's faces was almost impossible to hide; another spot was gone. They could only force a smile and offer their congratulations.
"Good news from the provincial examination! Congratulations to Lord Liu Jiang of Ning'an Prefecture for passing the supplementary examination..."
"Good news from the provincial examination! Congratulations to Lord Gao Chuan of Ning'an Prefecture for passing the imperial examination with flying colors!"
Before the first messenger had even left, two more came in with good news. The scholars in the hall hadn't even had time to process it all.
Upon suddenly hearing his own name called, Takakawa was stunned.
Li Qingyao quickly pulled him forward and took out two sets of lucky money from his pocket.
"Takagawa is here!"
"Thank you for bringing the good news." Li Qingyao gave a sum of money as a congratulatory gift, and Gao Chuan, realizing what was happening, quickly took out a sum of money from his pocket with trembling hands and handed it to the person who brought the good news.
He delivered one piece of good news and received two pieces of money in return. The person delivering the good news couldn't hide his joy and bid farewell with a happy smile.
Gao Chuan was still excited, his hands trembling, "Qingyao, I did it!"
The wait for the good news was truly agonizing. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he probably had no chance. After all, so many scholars had taken the exam, and he had long been mentally prepared for it.
I never imagined I would actually become a scholar!
After much thought, the only explanation could be the help Li Qingyao had given him over the past few months.
He had to admit that even though he was older than Li Qingyao, in terms of knowledge, the more accomplished one was, the better.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
