455 Can't Wait to Leave the Examination Room
Wang Shaoqi from Yingtian also took part in the provincial examination this time.
When Master Wang returned home, he went to the old master's yard. The old master had been making a fuss about leaving some time ago, and when Master Wang saw that his persuasion was ineffective, he remembered about Shaoqi's provincial examination.
The old man then stopped talking.
Originally, I considered going to Yong'an and returning to the capital with Ping'an, but I forgot about Shaoqi. If the three adults in the family leave, then Shaoqi's parents have to come back, even if they can't come back for nine days before the exam. They have to send him to the examination room on the first day and bring him back nine days later. This all requires the adults in the family.
"You watched him go in?"
"Well, I saw him go in, and he rested for a quarter of an hour before I came back. I wonder how the kids will do in the exam this time? If Ping An takes the exam seriously, he might even get the top spot. Shao Qi is still a lot worse than Ping An, but he should have a similar chance of passing the imperial examination. Fu An and Chen Xuan are both likely to pass. Ping An has taught these two kids very hard over the past three years, and they have good talent."
The old man nodded, "It's useless for us to worry here. We can only wait for their letter. If he passes the exam, Ping An will have to go to the capital. With his foundation, he can get a Jinshi degree without even thinking about the top three. This child is really talented in studying, but the others may not be so talented, including Shao Qi."
"Dad, how about I write him a letter and tell him to take the exam in three years. It would be a shame if he didn't rank well."
"Pfft, pfft, you'd better wait for him." The old man sighed heavily, "I'm almost 76 years old, too old, I've thought it through, I won't go to the capital anymore."
After thinking for a while, he sighed again: "That kid has a lot of energy. When he's around, I feel much younger. When he's gone, I feel like I'm old and buried up to my neck in the dirt."
"Pfft, pfft, dad, you're saying these things again. I'll write to Ping An later and see if he doesn't scold you. If you want to go to the capital, we can go. It's just right to take Shaoqi and the others with us. Shaoqi passed the imperial examination. He won't take the exam next year, but he has to take the imperial examination in three years, right?
Don't you want to attend Ping An's wedding? He will be nineteen next year, so why wait until he is twenty to get married? If he gets married earlier, we can teach his son a lesson. You are the great master."
The old man was finally coaxed into a good mood by Master Wang: "That's not impossible, right?"
…
Nine days later.
Ping'an finished all the test papers in the morning. He checked them carefully twice and made sure there were no mistakes. Then he started to clean up the pens and ink on the table and put the test papers aside.
It is almost noon and lunch will be distributed soon. The examination papers will be collected at 3:00 p.m. When 3:00 p.m. arrives, a bell will ring and then the runners will collect everyone's examination papers and the provincial examination will officially end.
During these nine days, he had had enough of the food here. Every day there were steamed buns and flatbreads. There was no porridge, and he would not eat it even if there was. The cold porridge would make him feel uncomfortable in his stomach.
Fortunately, there were pickles in the pancake. Regardless of whether it was hygienic or not, it at least tasted good.
The weather has been nice these days, not too cold. I have a fur coat in the morning and evening, and three thick layers of clothing are enough during the day.
Ping An had been using a folded coat as a pillow from the beginning to the end. Now that the exam was over and he would be home soon, he shook out the cleanly folded coat and put it on over his old, pickled-vegetable clothes.
In an instant, a handsome young man stood in the pigeon cage.
After a while, there was a "knock knock knock" sound coming from the small door, and the yamen runners began to distribute lunch.
He took two steamed buns and two eggs and put them in the examination basket. He would not eat them if he did not want to, so he would take them home first. He could not waste them.
After waiting for a quarter of an hour, he rang the bell.
A yamen runner came over quickly, Ping An stood up and said, "Sir, I want to hand in my paper."
The yamen runner stared at him for a while, pasted the cover of the paper in front of him, took the paper away, and after a while, came back and opened the "pigeon door".
The yamen runner led Ping'an out. On the way out, he passed in front of the top row of examiners. Ping'an put down the examination basket, bowed deeply to the examiners in the row, and then walked out.
He didn't say a word during the whole process, but that didn't stop many people from looking at him. It happened to be noon, so everyone was free.
Everyone was amazed that on the ninth day of the exam, there were still people who could look as clean as if they had just entered the examination room. Then they looked at their own clothes that looked like old pickles, and they felt indescribable feelings in their hearts.
If you go out at this time, you will either do well in the exam and finish all the questions you should do, or you will not be able to do it and simply give up.
Even if you did well in the exam, you shouldn't go out now. There is still an hour and a half left. It would be good to check more.
If you didn't do well in the exam, you still have to think more about it. You never know when you might figure it out, which would increase your chances of passing.
Ping An didn't care about these people's mental activities. After walking out of the examination room, he covered his eyes. The bright sunlight hurt his eyes.
Erqiang, Lin Feng, Xiao Wu and Tong Lin came running over.
"Master."
Ping An laughed, "You know me well. I really can't stay there for even a moment. No wonder Yuan Qing refused to take the exam this time and insisted on taking it three years later. The provincial exam is really not something a human should do."
"Ping'an, I see that you are in good spirits and your clothes are clean. You don't look like you have been taking the exam in prison for nine days. The eldest master and uncle are planning to come back to pick you up in an hour." Erqiang narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"Lin Feng can just accompany me back. The three of you stay here to pick up San Qiang and Zhou Heng. They are not as healthy as I am. The carriage will stay here. Lin Feng and I will not need it."
Erqiang nodded. Sanqiang was very worried. He was a real weak scholar. When he was asked to do morning exercises, he would just walk. But walking was just for exercise at best. What was the use of it?
Mr. Zhou thinks the same way. It’s better to be safe and sound.
Lin Feng took the exam basket from the young master and raised his lips: "Will the eldest master and the old master scold you later? You handed in the paper so early."
Ping An glanced at him. This time, Lin Feng had bet a full hundred taels on him for the first place, and the same was true for the other people.
Fang Wu and Hu Zi, who had just returned, also placed a bet. The two gave the silver they brought back to Yaogu to their mother, and borrowed the remaining amount from him.
"Lin Feng, don't worry. I will not let you lose the money you pledged this time. Next year, you will be twenty. Find someone you like and I will help you get married."
Lin Feng smiled with a red face, he liked this kind of day very much, it reminded him of the old abbot. He didn't know how the abbot was doing now. The young master promised to let him go back to see him in the next two days.
When he came back from Yingtian in July, the young master asked him to stay in Tianguang Temple for a few more days, but he was unwilling to do so. Erqiang and Wu Jun were both gone, and he only had a few people around him, so he had to stay by the young master's side.
It would only take him three days to ride back to Tianguang Temple on horseback. If he added a few days' stay there and back, he would be back in ten days at most and he could still make it in time to see the young master's ranking.
You can also get back the money you earned from the bet.
Ping An and his companion returned home, but Sun Sicheng and Wan Changsheng didn't believe it.
Sun Sicheng asked, "Are you stupid? Can't you check more often? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Ping An smiled and said, "Master, Dad, I won't talk to you anymore. I have to go to the toilet. Lin Feng, quickly prepare some hot water for me. I need to wash up right away."
Having said that, he disappeared like the wind.
"Brother Wan, don't worry, Ping An should have done very well in the exam."
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