Chiu Chiu flicked a bubble and said, "Go, go find Qi Gaoming!"
Little Bubble obediently flew into the examination hall as Chirp Chirp instructed and found Qi Gaoming's room.
Qi Gaoming was scratching his head, racking his brains for ideas on how to write the exam paper.
He never saw himself being targeted by a bubble.
The little bubble suddenly burst on Qi Gaoming's head.
Countless tiny bubbles splashed onto Qi Gaoming's body.
Qi Gaoming started scratching his entire body, feeling itchy.
Strange, why does it suddenly start to itch?
Suddenly, a loud fart came from under Qi Gaoming's buttocks.
The fart smelled so strong that the examinee next to him covered his nose.
Qi Gaoming clutched his stomach and said, "Examiner, I need to use the restroom, I can't hold it in any longer!"
The examiner impatiently came over to open the door for Qi Gaoming, and as soon as he reached the door, he was hit by a strong stench of excrement.
The examiner ran to the side and gagged in disgust.
Qi Gaoming: "Examiner, please hurry! Otherwise I'm really going to poop my pants."
The examiner forced himself to open the door for Qi Gaoming despite the unpleasant smell.
Qi Gaoming covered his buttocks and ran out like the wind, then immediately relieved himself in the outhouse.
Outside, Chiu Chiu was laughing happily. She patted the pheasant's head.
"Xiaofeng, you can't say what we did wasn't cheating, right? After all, those two siblings have hurt us a lot before. I'm just a true gentleman who always seeks revenge, right?"
The pheasant nodded.
Chirp looked at the pheasant and said happily, "Okay, let's go!"
The pheasant followed Chirp happily.
After finally getting through the imperial examinations, the candidates felt as if they had shed a layer of skin.
Next, we just wait for the results to be released.
The Qi brothers were confident.
However, after hearing their sister's true feelings at the dinner table, the two of them felt discouraged again.
Xu Ruyun kept piling food into the eldest and second eldest son's rice bowls.
"You two have been working the hardest these days, so eat more!"
Qi Junlin: "Thank you, Mother! We're quite confident this time."
Qi Junxian: "Yes, Grand Tutor Chen has taught us for so long, we will not let him down."
What's the use of having ability? No matter how capable you are, you can't stop others from cheating. I wonder if you two know a candidate named Xie Ju'an.
Hearing what Qiuqiu said stirred up many memories in the two older brothers.
They not only knew Xie Ju'an, but also had a considerable relationship with him.
On their way to the exam venue, Qi Junlin and his companion encountered Xie Ju'an, whose luggage had been stolen.
Xie Ju'an came from a poor family, but he was hardworking and learned, and he was just waiting to show his talent in the imperial examination.
However, his luggage was stolen, and Xie Ju'an could no longer afford to prepare provisions and other necessities.
Qi Junlin and his companion felt sorry for the man, so they generously gave Xie Ju'an a considerable amount of silver.
Xie Ju'an was moved to tears, saying that if he ever passed the imperial examination, he would never forget to repay their kindness.
But what does their exam have to do with Xie Ju'an?
They had no choice but to listen intently to their sister's inner grumbling.
In terms of ability and talent, Xie Ju'an is undoubtedly number one. However, Li Cai had already bribed the examiners and made connections with higher-ups.
Just when they thought Xie Ju'an's article was the best, they had Li Cai copy an exact copy.
Then they replaced Xie Ju'an's article with another nonsensical piece. That's how Li Cai got first place.
So that's how it is.
But how did they manage to bribe their way through layers of connections and keep such serious favoritism and corruption completely secret?
On the day the results were announced, the area outside was packed with people.
Qi Junlin and Qi Junxian arrived early, but they were dumbfounded when they saw the list.
The expectation was that both of them would at least be in the top three, but they both failed to make the list.
As Qiuqiu predicted, the number one on the list was Li Cai, the son of the richest man; the second was the son of the Minister of Rites; and the third was surprisingly Qi Gaoming!
Upon hearing this news, Chiu Chiu was furious.
What?! My two older brothers weren't even in the top three, and now they've failed the exam altogether! And that Qi Gaoming, who is he? He managed to get third place! I clearly made him have diarrhea; he should be lucky not to be third from last, let alone third from the top.
[It's absolutely fake, fake!]
When Qiuqiu's eldest and second eldest brothers saw that they had failed the exam, they felt too ashamed to face anyone.
Grand Tutor Chen had been diligently teaching them day and night, and he had even prepared a celebratory banquet for them today, just waiting for their return. He never expected them to perform so poorly on the exam.
Chiu Chiu noticed her two older brothers' sadness, so she opened her arms for a hug.
Qi Junlin picked up Qiuqiu.
Chirping sounds kept echoing in my heart.
Brother, you absolutely can't give up! Are you just going to stand by and watch them engage in such favoritism and corruption?
Qi Junlin sighed.
Even if he knew the truth, what could he do?
How could a failed scholar like him, without any evidence or proof, possibly resist the most prestigious family in the capital?
【I have an idea! I'll find the Third Prince and the Crown Prince! They'll definitely have a solution.】
[Furthermore, elder brothers, you must protect Xie Ju'an well; his life is in danger! At this point, the cheater will definitely want to get rid of him as quickly as possible.]
The Qi brothers shuddered when they heard this.
Xie Ju'an was sighing nearby. He looked extremely disappointed.
He was about to turn and leave.
Qi Junlin called out to Xie Ju'an: "Brother Ju'an!"
Xie Ju'an looked at his two benefactors and lowered his head in shame.
"Gentlemen, I'm so sorry! We agreed that I would thank you properly after I graduated from high school. But now..."
Before Xie Ju'an could finish speaking, his voice was already trembling with sobs.
That feeling is understandable.
In ancient times, education was the only way for impoverished families to change their fate.
The ultimate goal of studying is to pass the imperial examinations and obtain an official position.
Xie Ju'an's dream shattered at that moment.
Unlike other pampered young masters who, even after failing the exam, returned home with no worries about food or clothing, he was not.
When he returned to the countryside, he not only had to face the ridicule of his neighbors, but also the disappointment of his family. This burden weighed heavily on him, making it hard for him to breathe.
Thinking of this, Xie Ju'an finally couldn't hold back and suddenly burst into tears.
Qi Junlin patted Xie Ju'an on the shoulder and said, "It's alright. We both failed the exam too, didn't we? Come on! We'll treat you to some drinks, a few drinks will cheer us up!"
[Good job, brother! You must keep Xie Ju'an with you! It's best to stay with him at all times. In the original destiny, Xie Ju'an's death was scheduled for these next two days.]
Qi Junxian tugged at Xie Ju'an's sleeve and said, "Brother, let's go together! It's fate that we met. We're both failures in the imperial examinations, so let's not laugh at each other. Let's drink until we drop!"
Xie Ju'an wiped away his tears and said, "I'm sorry, you must have found this amusing! Thank you for your kindness. But I must take my leave now! Until we meet again! I, Xie Ju'an, will repay your kindness when I have the chance!"
This pedantic scholar, he's stubborn even though he's broke. At a time like this, what use is face, what use is pride? Sigh! He probably doesn't realize his predicament. Let me help him.
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