Chapter 137 The God of Misfortune Retreats! Retreats! Retreats!
August arrived, and the provincial examinations began.
The area in front of the examination hall was crowded with students, whose families were rushing to give them their final instructions. On the outermost edge of the crowd was a small team of twenty people, all wearing matching orange shirts.
These bright and warm colors instantly brighten one's mood.
With a serious face and holding a small megaphone, Headmaster Liang gave everyone his final speech before the exam: "Today is your day for the next imperial examination. Pay close attention! Skip the questions you don't know and finish answering all the ones you do know before you go back to them. Don't waste your time and energy on questions you can't solve!"
Headmaster Wang snatched the megaphone and said, "Old Liang and I will be outside with you for the next three days. Don't be cowardly. Among you are the top three on the leaderboard, and everyone else is in the top twenty. They are the ones who should be cowardly!"
The sound of the loudspeaker drowned out the buzzing of the others, and everyone turned to look at the source of the noise.
Tsk, so being ranked in the top 20 is something? Why do you have to show off like this!
As Lord Fang and the examiners from the Hanlin Academy were about to enter the venue, they heard the loudspeaker and looked over as well.
Just then, Liang Shanzhang's boastful words rang out: "...We'll take the top scholar! We'll take the second! We'll take the third! Everyone, advance! Advance! Advance! And may all bad luck retreat! Retreat! Retreat!"
Lord Fang chuckled, and the other examiners laughed as well: "Lord Fang, which academy is this? Everyone's in, in, in! Isn't that a bit presumptuous?"
"It's not that I'm being arrogant." Lord Fang composed himself. "Does everyone remember the student attack a few months ago? These were the students who were attacked."
"So, does that mean Zhao Yunjing, who has already achieved the highest score in all three categories, is among them?"
"That's right." Lord Fang was very proud. "In the last provincial examination, my third brother was the top scorer, and the third-ranked candidate was also his classmate from the same academy. Moreover, all twenty candidates from Peach Blossom County not only passed the exam but were all in the top thirty!"
"Third brother? Zhao Yunjing is your brother?"
Lord Fang spoke frankly: "My third brother and I hit it off immediately, and we became sworn brothers before his county examination!"
"Lord Fang truly has a discerning eye." One of the examiners said meaningfully, "If Zhao Yunjing also tops the list in this competition, then he will have achieved four consecutive top honors. I guess he wants to aim for the sixth top honor and become the first person in history to do so?"
Lord Fang laughed heartily: "There is such a goal, but whether it can be achieved depends on his own abilities. What scholar hasn't dreamed of becoming the top scholar, wearing a big red flower, and riding a tall horse through the streets?"
That's true.
The examiner who asked the question was surnamed Hu. Lord Hu was just a hair's breadth away from becoming the top scholar back then. I heard that he almost had to go back and retake the exam three years later.
This shows just how attractive the title of 'top scholar' is.
With just over an hour until the exam began, Lord Fang quickly ushered the examiners into the examination hall. After settling them in, he came out and saw Zhao Yunjing leading his small team toward them.
Dressed in uniform, with backpacks of the same color, they exuded confidence and walked with steady, composed steps. Compared to the anxious test-takers beside them, this group had already won in terms of sheer presence.
Half an hour later, the gate of the examination hall slowly closed, and the once bustling entrance suddenly became quiet. Most of the family members chose to leave, while a small number stood in place, seemingly wanting to stand with the people inside the examination hall.
Zhao Yunjing found his examination room, put his things away, and instead of reciting his lessons like the others, he closed his eyes to rest.
After a while, someone came to check if the candidates had brought anything into the examination room in violation of regulations. Half an hour later, a loud bell rang, and then the examination papers were distributed.
Zhao Yunjing did not rush to answer the questions. He first glanced at the questions, then closed his eyes and rested for a while before starting to answer them.
In previous years, candidates had to bring their own pots, pans, and firewood to cook. This year is different; everyone brought self-heating rice, self-heating noodles, etc., which are delicious, time-saving, and smokeless.
The exam room was already small, and the weather was still very hot in August. After a morning of exams, you were already very tired. On top of that, you were exposed to smoke and fire while preparing food, which could easily cause physical discomfort. Once you feel unwell, it will affect your performance in the following days.
Zhao Yunjing had been taking exams all morning when he smelled the aroma of rice coming from next door. He temporarily stopped writing and started preparing some food.
While Zhao Yunjing was taking a lunch break, Zhou Mujiao was not idle.
Taking advantage of this trip to send off students to the exam, Zhou Mujiao brought along people from both the Zhou and Zhao families, including Old Madam Li.
Grandma Li hadn't been out in the street for a long time. At first, she was always on edge, holding Zhou Mujiao and Jiang Wuyu's hands tightly. She would have difficulty breathing in crowded places. Once, Shiba ran ahead by himself and was blocked by the crowd. The old lady was so scared that she almost cried, muttering, "Don't run, don't run, it's dangerous, it's very dangerous!"
She recalled the circumstances of her daughter's disappearance years ago.
Back then, Li Luo ran into the crowd in the same way and then disappeared completely. From then on, she and her mother were separated forever, until they were separated by death.
When Grandma Li was not feeling well, everyone lost interest in sightseeing and returned to the inn. It wasn't until Grandma Li recovered and urged them to go out and play that Zhou Mujiao and Zhao Shi took the children to continue playing.
The house was noisy just a moment ago, but as soon as the children left, it felt empty. Old Mrs. Li felt a sense of emptiness and indescribable sadness.
Jiang Wuyu spoke beside her: "Mother, go to bed and rest for a while. I'll stay here and watch over you. Don't worry, Xiao Wu and the others are all smart kids, and we have people all over the city, so we won't get lost."
"Back then, Luo Luo's father was the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, and our Li family also had a group of guards. But Luo Luo just disappeared like that?" Old Mrs. Li said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Whenever I think of that day, I wish I could kill myself."
"Mother, Ajiao isn't Luoluo, and Xiao Wu isn't Luoluo's servant. They—"
“You’re right, Ajiao isn’t Luoluo, she’s Luoluo’s daughter, my granddaughter. She and Xiaowu are the only two relatives I have left in this world. But whenever I think that Luoluo might not have run away because of them, my heart aches…”
"Mother, you're overthinking it. Luo Luo isn't the delicate kind of girl; her intelligence is unmatched by others."
Jiang Wuyu did not tell the old lady in detail how Li Luo arrived in Taohua County and how she married Zhou Wenchu.
"I think the reason she didn't want to leave was not only because she was afraid of being implicated by the Li family, but also because she wanted to leave two children for the Li family. Back then, if Luo Luo had found an excuse to run back after getting married, she might have been arrested by the court. In that case, there would be no A Jiao and Xiao Wu."
Grandma Li understood the道理 (principles/reasoning), but she was still very sad.
"Twenty years have passed, Xiaoyu, and that matter is still unresolved, isn't it? Even if our Li family were to be wiped out, we still wouldn't be able to clear our names, would we?"
"Soon."
Jiang Wuyu said in a deep voice, "Mother, please wait a little longer, the truth will come out soon."
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