Song Ruier couldn't sleep all night, tossing and turning, and woke up with dark circles under her eyes in the morning.
The Song family also stayed up all night, immersed in joy and excitement.
Once Song Ruier got a good position, she arranged for all the men in her family to be placed in it, even an old man like Song Fusheng wanted to become an official.
"I never imagined that I, Song Fusheng, who have spent my whole life farming, working from dawn till dusk like an ox pulling a millstone in the fields, would one day become an official in the capital."
Song Fusheng puffed on his pipe, exhaling large plumes of smoke, his face filled with satisfaction.
He thought to himself, "Luckily, my wife died two years ago. Once I become an official, I can marry a new bride again."
Song Guangtian, Song Guangdi, and their sons—all the men in the Song family—looked at their wives with disdain in their eyes.
If I had known I would have such good fortune today, I wouldn't have rushed to get married so early. If they had become officials, these uneducated country wives would not have looked like the matriarch of the household at all.
Sigh, I guess I'll just have to accept my bad luck and feed them some porridge and vegetables.
Song Dujuan lay in bed, her eyes open until dawn.
She wasn't as optimistic as the other members of the Song family thought.
Because she discovered that Song Ruier seemed to have a hidden worry that had been accompanying him all along.
She decided that if Song Ruier really succeeded, she would use his success as a stepping stone to help her in life.
If he isn't as useful as she imagined, she can read and write anyway, and she'll work hard to create a good future for herself.
Just imagining the Song family surrounding Song Ruier like a bunch of zombies waiting to drink her blood and gnaw on her flesh terrified her, even though she herself had played a part in it.
If that day ever comes, she should still find a way to get rid of the Song family.
The results of the imperial examination were posted on the palace walls.
The list, with its red background and black text, is quite eye-catching.
The list above includes the top three scholars (状元, 榜眼, 探花), the second-ranked scholars (进士), and the third-ranked scholars (同进士).
Within each rank, there is a ranking system that determines the importance of the official position.
The spring examination and the palace examination, held once every three years, are very important for many students and their families. The place was packed with people, so crowded that it was noisy and chaotic.
Qiao Lian'er stood in front of the list, looking at that name, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Song Ruier arrived surrounded by a group of students, and along the way he received much praise and anticipation.
But his heart was filled with fear and unease, as if he were hanging on the edge of a cliff, ready to shatter at any moment.
"Excuse me, everyone, we are test takers and we've come to check the results."
A young man from a prominent family stood on tiptoe, pushing his way through the crowd as he spoke.
Hearing that the examinees had arrived, people jostled and made way for them.
In reality, this group mainly consisted of scholars who had passed the county-level imperial examinations and those who had passed the provincial-level examinations; only two of them actually passed the spring imperial examinations.
They instinctively looked for the name Pang You.
There was no one in the top rank, and no one in the second rank either.
"Strange, how come I can't find it?"
A young nobleman looked at Song Ruier with some disbelief and raised his finger.
"Where is she? Last place in the top three, how could she—" He didn't finish his sentence, but seeing Song Ruier's expression, his eyes once again held judgment and doubt.
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