Chapter 58058 First Place in the College Examination
Du Qingtang certainly knew that Qi Heming would not die so easily.
She also knew that since last year's county examination, Qi Heming had been sending people to secretly monitor her every move.
But so what?
Qi He knew clearly about the hatred between her and Qi Ping, but he still sent Qi Ping to Baoding Prefecture, obviously leaving Qi Ping's life to her to decide.
He asked Qi Ping to snatch Yuan Sheng's letter of accusation in order to conceal the secret of Du Qingtang's identity.
Later, knowing that Du Qingtang had approached Mu Tingyu, he allowed Mu Tingyu to massacre the Duke of Changguo's Mansion and kill hundreds of people from the Qi family.
Even the person named "Qi Heming" died under Mu Tingyu's sword, just to wipe out the grudges of the previous life.
From the above, it can be seen that Qi Heming is trying his best to please Du Qingtang.
Qi Heming is a calm madman, a psychopath who will do anything to achieve his goals.
But he also knew that if he angered Du Qingtang, she would only become crazier than him.
Therefore, Qi Heming did not dare to act rashly unless it was absolutely necessary. Even if he wanted to please Du Qingtang, he only dared to send someone to deliver some gifts in an attempt to arouse Du Qingtang's sympathy.
Since they have reached a delicate balance between them, why should Du Qingtang be timid? Just do whatever you want.
Du Qingtang dropped the brocade box to the ground, then placed the letter on the fire and watched the flames lick the paper, turning it into ashes bit by bit.
He sent it not earlier or later, but just on the eve of the college entrance examination, deliberately trying to disturb her mind and make her fail the examination. His intention is despicable!
It’s a pity that he miscalculated.
If it was before the county exam, she might have been slightly affected.
But now, he was destined to be disappointed.
Du Qingtang dealt with the ashes on the table, and the servant came and knocked on the door again.
"Mr. Du, my young master asks you to move to the dining room."
Du Qingtang washed his hands, wiped them slowly with a towel, and went to the dining room with the servant.
Dinner has been placed on the table. Considering the entrance exam the day after tomorrow, it is light.
Cao Xingcan followed the noble family's principle of not talking while eating or sleeping, and only asked Du Qingtang after they finished eating: "I heard from Shitou that someone gave you a gift?"
The other three people at the table also looked at Du Qingtang curiously.
Du Qingtang looked normal: "Yes, I gave him a pair of embroidered shoes."
Cao Xingcan and the other three: “…”
Classmate Fang couldn't help laughing and said, "Maybe it was someone's prank, trying to scare classmate Du and make him fail the college entrance examination."
Classmates Zhao and Qian also think so.
Only Cao Xingcan smiled and said, "How are you going to deal with this?"
Du Qingtang said calmly, "Since it's just a prank, just throw it into the stove and burn it."
Cao Xingcan wiped his hands with the wet towel handed to him by the servant and said, "Shi Tou, go with Master Du later and help her deal with the embroidered shoes."
The servant Shitou responded respectfully, and when Du Qingtang stood up to leave the table, he bowed to his master and trotted after him.
Du Qingtang handed the brocade box containing the embroidered shoes to Shitou: "Please."
Shitou Lian said he was not worthy of it and left with the brocade box.
Du Qingtang closed the door, took out Liu Tongsheng's question book, and sat under the lamp to look through it.
I have already done the above college entrance examination simulation questions, and now I look at them again to review what I have learned and learn new things.
At the end of the hour of Hai, Du Qingtang closed the notebook, washed up and went to rest.
Lying on the bed, Du Qingtang thought of the letter.
Write it off?
The dog looks ugly, but it is actually quite beautiful when you think about it.
When Qi Heming changed his skin, she would peel off his skin.
Du Qingtang wanted to see how many skins he had prepared for himself.
However, the most important thing at the moment is the college entrance examination the day after tomorrow. She must pass the examination and become a scholar.
......
Perhaps it was because there was a greasy feeling between the lines of the letter. Even after thinking about it for a moment, Du Qingtang still felt a little nauseous and couldn't sleep.
Du Qingtang got out of bed, took out the test poetry book, and decided to do a few questions to relieve the nausea.
I did this until almost midnight when I stopped writing.
Du Qingtang blinked his dry eyes, did a set of eye exercises and then went to sleep.
The next day, five people including Du Qingtang gathered in the study, asking and answering each other's questions. Except for eating, they spent almost all their time in the study.
At the quarter hour of Xu, Cao Xingcan called a halt: "We have to get up at the hour of Yin, so go to bed early tonight."
Everyone stopped writing, packed up their books and pens, and went back to their respective residences.
Before leaving, Cao Xingcan said, "Zhang Xuezheng, who is in charge of this academy examination, has a rather tricky style of questions, especially the arithmetic questions. You must be mentally prepared."
"Thank you, classmate Cao, for telling me."
Du Qingtang nodded slightly, went back to the room and looked through the book of wrong answers. He didn't look at other books or other test papers, and quickly washed up and went to bed.
-
On the ninth day of August, the academy examination began.
Du Qingtang got up at 3:30 am, dressed, washed up, and checked whether the examination supplies and dry food in the examination basket were ready.
The servant knocked on the door and said, "Mr. Du, breakfast is ready. Please go to the dining room."
Du Qingtang came to the dining room and distributed the white porcelain bottle in his hand to Cao Xingcan and the other three.
The porcelain vase felt warm and cool to the touch. Cao Xingcan stroked the smooth outer wall. "What is this?"
Du Qingtang sat down gracefully and explained, "It's summer now, and mosquitoes are rampant in the examination hall. My sister prepared mosquito repellent for me, and I've also prepared some for you."
Classmate Fang slapped his forehead and said, "Look at my memory. If classmate Du hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten about this."
Classmates Zhao and Qian bowed to Du Qingtang to express their gratitude.
"With this mosquito repellent, I can answer the questions with peace of mind."
Cao Xingcan opened it and sniffed it; it smelled of herbs. "Is your sister studying medicine?"
Du Qingtang was slightly startled, then frankly admitted, "I've only been studying medicine for a short time, and now I'm an apprentice at Huimin Medical Clinic."
Cao Xingcan raised his eyebrows slightly. The woman studied medicine. The people around Du Qingtang were always so eccentric.
After dinner, everyone took a short rest and then at the hour of Mao, they boarded two carriages and drove towards the Imperial Examination Hall in the night.
When we arrived, many candidates were already waiting outside, and all we could see were wearing white linen robes.
Some candidates were confident and spoke eloquently, while others were confused and uneasy.
Du Qingtang observed everyone's reactions, stood quietly aside, and silently recited the "Imperial Edicts".
Cao Xingcan glanced at Du Qingtang, feeling calmer than ever before.
If it were in the past, he would have been worried and unable to sleep all night, worried that Du Qingtang would take the first place again, and afraid that his grandfather would be disappointed in him.
By now, he had already accepted the fact that Du Qingtang was far more powerful than he had imagined. Instead of treating her as an imaginary enemy and targeting her every day, it would be better to focus on improving himself.
The outcome is determined by fate.
Even if he becomes an abandoned child, it is his fate and he cannot blame anyone.
Not long after, the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall burst open, and the academician appeared with examiners, examiners and others, and stood in front of the Dragon Gate of the Imperial Examination Hall.
The candidates spontaneously formed lines, with fifty people in each line, waiting for the provincial education commissioner to call their names.
A special person will hold the list in hand, which records the candidates' names, places of origin and other information in detail, and call out the names aloud.
"Du Qingtang, from Taoyuan Village, Qingyuan County, Baoding Prefecture, fourteen years old..."
"Cao Xingcan, Qingyuan County, Baoding Prefecture..."
Not only the candidates are called out, but the students who act as guarantors for the candidates also have to participate in the roll call.
If an impostor is found, he will be thrown into prison immediately, reported to Zhili through the prefect, and then the governor will decide and take further action.
After the roll call, the next step is the body search.
During the body search, candidates need to raise their arms high and then the search officer will conduct a detailed inspection.
The inspector in charge of Du Qingtang first checked the examination basket, broke open the steamed buns to make sure there was no note, then opened the porcelain bottle containing mosquito repellent, poured the liquid into a bowl beside it, and carefully inspected the inside of the porcelain bottle.
After checking the examination basket, the next step is a body search.
Du Qingtang raised his arms and calmly allowed the inspector to check him from head to toe.
During this time, the prosecutor noticed the jade pendant around her neck, picked it up with two fingers, made sure there was no note hidden in it, and then put it back.
"No problem, next."
Du Qingtang felt the subtle changes in his body, but did not show any expression on his face. He took the examination basket and walked into Examination Room B. He found the 38th room according to the examination instructions.
After taking a seat, place the pen, ink, paper and inkstone according to custom, grind the ink in advance, and wait for the exam to officially begin.
At noon, the Imperial Examination Hall fired a signal cannon. Zhang Xuezheng personally sealed the door and blocked all entrances and exits. Then he sat in the lobby and began to write the test questions.
The academy examination consists of two sessions. The first session is the main examination, which mainly tests eight-legged essays, examination poems, arithmetic questions, and dictation of "The Sacred Edict".
After Zhang Xuezheng wrote the test questions, someone specially assigned them to copy them onto a piece of paper two feet high and one foot wide, and then posted it on a wooden sign.
With another cannon shot, the college entrance examination officially began.
The patrol soldiers held up wooden signs and walked back and forth in the examination room so that the candidates could see the test questions clearly.
Du Qingtang wrote down the test questions on a piece of scratch paper, and after roughly understanding the difficulty of the questions and having a general idea, he began to answer the questions.
“The Master said to Yan Yuan: ‘If it is used, it will be put to use; if it is not used, it will be hidden. Only you and I have such qualities!’”[1]
This sentence comes from the "Shu Er" chapter of "The Analects of Confucius". If you are appointed, you should realize your ambitions; if you are not appointed, you should retire. The discussion can be expanded from the perspectives of taking office and retiring, entering the world and leaving the world.
Du Qingtang picked up his pen and dipped it in ink: "The sage's actions and hiding places are appropriate only when he waits for capable people to show them..." [2]
From the introduction to the conclusion, a 600-word eight-part essay was completed in one go.
After answering the eight-legged essay, the next step is to answer the test poem.
From the provincial examination to now, Du Qingtang has practiced at least 800 examination poems, and his progress is remarkable. He no longer feels helpless or troubled by the examination poems as before.
"I will reach the pinnacle."
This line comes from Du Fu's "Viewing the Mountain", and I wrote a five-character, six-rhyme poem based on it.
Du Qingtang pondered for a moment and wrote on the straw paper "Fu De Hui Dang Ling Jueding, De Ling Zi Wu Yan Liu Yun".
After the test poem, it was time to copy the "Imperial Edict" from memory.
The county and prefectural examinations also tested the dictation of "The Sacred Edicts". Du Qingtang would take it out and recite it twice every once in a while. It was no different from the Four Books and Five Classics, and he had already memorized it by heart.
However, to avoid typos and omissions, she still wrote it down on rough paper first.
After finishing reciting the 138 words, Du Qingtang rubbed his sore wrist.
It was already noon, but she still planned to finish the last arithmetic problem in one go and then eat.
Compared with the first three questions, the arithmetic questions are obviously more difficult, which is very consistent with Cao Xingcan’s evaluation of Zhang Xuezheng - tricky!
In just a few dozen words, there are three traps. Careless candidates may not even find the first trap, and then make mistakes at every step, and fail the question completely.
Du Qingtang sighed inwardly that the academician was indeed a shrewd and calculating person. He marked the traps in the test paper and was about to solve the problem when there was a sudden loud noise in the examination room.
Many candidates were frightened and cried out in frustration.
The source of the sound was just diagonally opposite Du Qingtang, and he could see it by looking up.
A candidate was caught cheating by a patrolman. The patrolman dragged him out of the dormitory and accidentally knocked over the wooden board that served as a stool, causing the loud noise.
The examiner quickly stepped forward and, with a grim expression, pronounced the examinee's death sentence: "Examinee Cheng Ren, from Chengjia Village, Tai'an County, Baoding Prefecture, is suspected of cheating in this college entrance examination. He is hereby expelled and imprisoned!"
Cheng Ren struggled hard, crying and defending himself: "My Lord, I did not cheat!"
The patrolman held up the note in his hand and said, "Sir, this was found in Cheng Ren's mouth."
The examiner shouted coldly: "Take him away!"
The patrolman covered Cheng Ren's mouth and forcibly dragged him out of the examination room.
Du Qingtang lowered his eyes and continued answering.
A quarter of an hour later, Du Qingtang figured out the answer, pulled the small bell beside him, asked the patrolman for a bowl of water, and ate three steamed buns with the water.
After eating and drinking, Du Qingtang sprinkled some mosquito repellent on his body.
There were many mosquitoes in the dormitory, and she had a physique that attracted mosquitoes. She was bitten by more than ten mosquito bites while answering the questions. It was so itchy that she didn't scratch it because of her amazing willpower. Otherwise, she might not have even memorized the "Imperial Edict" by now.
After resting for a quarter of an hour, Du Qingtang began to polish the eight-part essay, deleting and revising it to make the writing more concise and refined. Then he went back and read it through to make sure there were no problems, and then copied it into the test paper in neat regular script.
The same process was followed for the test poems and dictation. As for the arithmetic questions, Du Qingtang did not look at the previous answers, but recalculated them and got the same answers before copying them onto the test paper.
After doing all this, it was already three quarters past three in the afternoon.
Du Qingtang pulled the small bell at hand, and the examiner came to seal the test paper and put it into a special box.
"Leave immediately and do not make any noise."
Du Qingtang bowed, picked up his exam basket and left the examination room.
When passing by the inn where Cao Xingcan was, he was still working on his answer at his desk, writing furiously. Du Qingtang glanced at him, then looked away and walked away quietly.
When fifty candidates had submitted their papers, Zhang Xuezheng personally opened the gate and let the candidates leave the Imperial Examination Hall.
The carriage from Cao's mansion had been waiting outside early in the morning, and among the five people traveling together, only Du Qingtang handed in his paper.
Shitou came forward with a smile and said, "Mr. Du, there's some cold tea in the car. Please go in and have a rest."
Du Qingtang nodded, handed the examination basket to Shi Tou, and stepped onto the carriage.
There was not only herbal tea in the carriage, but also an ice basin filled with ice cubes, emitting a hint of cool air.
Du Qingtang sat close to the ice basin and drank a cup of cold tea. The sticky feeling on his body disappeared for the most part.
Cao Xingcan was the second one to come out. After getting on the carriage, he never mentioned how the exam was going and drank tea with a calm expression.
Du Qingtang glanced at him, but did not show the same reaction as in the previous palace examination.
Not long after, the remaining three people handed in their papers one after another. At Cao Xingcan's command, the carriage headed back home.
......
After the candidates hand in their papers, the examiners will immediately start marking the papers in full swing.
To prevent cheating, the examiners were usually the principal or assistant of an academy located more than 500 miles away.
The next afternoon, the Imperial Examination Hall announced the results.
The number of candidates admitted in the main examination is twice the number of scholars finally admitted. Only the seat numbers are written, not the names of the candidates, so it is called a "draft".
Cao Xingcan stared quietly at the number one player, "B Field No. 38," for a long moment. After a moment, he stepped out of the crowd and bowed to Du Qingtang, "Congratulations."
Du Qingtang had already read the draft. She was the first, Cao Xingcan the second. She bowed in return, "Congratulations."
Cao Xingcan raised his chin, revealing a long-lost arrogance: "If I weren't the same age as you, I would definitely be able to win three prizes in a row, and six prizes would be a possibility."
"Classmate Du!"
Du Qingtang raised his hand to signal his classmate Zhao, who was calling from afar, and said leisurely, "You can postpone taking the provincial examination for three years."
Cao Xingcan: “…”
A three-year postponement is impossible.
He comes of age this year and will be twenty-six in six years. If everything goes well, he will have to wait until he is twenty-seven to enter the court, which is a little late compared to the children of the Cao family.
Du Qingtang just said it casually. Although Cao Xingcan was quite Buddhist, he was not willing to wait for three years for the illusory title of Sanyuan.
As they were talking, Zhao, Fang and Qian came over after looking at the list.
"Congratulations to classmate Du! Congratulations to classmate Cao!"
Du Qingtang saw that they all had happy expressions on their faces, and he already knew the result: "Congratulations to you all."
The five of them rode back home in a horse-drawn carriage, each reading and doing homework, and went to bed on time at midnight.
The next day, the second round of the college entrance examination - the re-examination began.
The content of the re-examination is the same as that of the main examination, including eight-legged essays, examination poems and arithmetic questions, except that there is one less dictation question.
Du Qingtang still wrote his answers on a rough piece of paper first, and then copied them onto the test paper after revising and polishing them.
Compared to the main test, the retest is simpler.
At the beginning of the afternoon, Du Qingtang pulled the small bell at his hand, and the examiner came forward to seal the test paper and put it into a special box.
Du Qingtang left the Imperial Examination Hall and ate iced fruit and drank cold tea in the carriage. After waiting for half an hour, Cao Xingcan and the other three handed in their papers one after another, and the group returned home.
The results of the two examinations will be announced in three days.
During this period, the candidates traveled around together and had a great time.
Du Qingtang likes quietness and politely declines Fang's invitation to a literary gathering. He stays at Cao's house reading, painting and practicing calligraphy.
Cao Xingcan accompanied him throughout the whole process, and their relationship became closer.
-
Qingyuan County.
On August 13th, Meng Qingyan, the legitimate daughter of County Magistrate Meng, held a poetry gathering in a small garden on the outskirts of the city.
Although women of all social status could participate, few women from poor families could read and write, and almost all those present were daughters of officials and wealthy merchants.
There is a banquet with winding streams and flowing wine cups in the garden. Young girls are dressed up beautifully, reciting poems and composing couplets, and laughing constantly.
Only at the end of the banquet, the four girls of the Du family sat upright, exuding an air of tension and awkwardness, which made them stand out from the rest of the people at the table.
Before entering the garden, they were full of confidence and felt that they would be able to show off their literary talent at the poetry meeting.
Until they saw the pavilions, terraces, corridors, winding bridges, flowing water, rockery and flowers in the garden, they felt like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden. As they were dazzled, inferiority and helplessness surged over them like a tide.
Afterwards, she was severely hit by the officials and rich ladies who were dressed in red and green, wore heavy makeup, and spoke in a lot of nonsense.
With so many outstanding women who are well-read, can they really stand out and impress Miss Meng?
"If I had known this, I wouldn't have come."
"The poetry reading has already started. I can't leave even if I want to."
The girls looked at each other secretly and sighed softly.
Just at this moment, the wine glass flowed down the river and stopped in front of Du Qingmei.
Dozens of gazes came from all directions, like thorns in the back, making Du Qingmei feel uneasy. She stared at the wine glass, not knowing how to react.
Seeing her keeping her head down and silent, the wealthy young lady beside her smiled and said, "Sister, it's your turn to write a poem."
Before coming, Du Qingmei specifically learned about the Qushui Liushang banquet. Whoever the wine glass stops in front of has to compose a poem.
In order to shine at the poetry meeting, they also specially learned how to write poetry from Du Qingtang.
Is she really going to write poetry?
If she doesn't do well, will she be laughed at?
The wealthy young lady keenly sensed Du Qingmei's uneasiness, and seeing that she was dressed in ordinary clothes, a glint of understanding flashed in her eyes, and she said considerately: "If you are not good at writing poetry, just drink a glass by yourself."
Du Qingmei swallowed her saliva and said, "I, I can write poetry."
After saying that, he took a deep breath, bravely faced the gazes from all directions, and composed a poem aloud.
The clear voice echoed in the room, and there was silence so deep that you could hear a pin drop.
Du Qingmei pursed her lips, her eyes flickered, and she clenched her fists, trying hard not to show her weakness in front of others.
However, the next moment, warm applause broke out in the audience.
"What a wonderful poem!"
"Sister, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time at a poetry gathering?"
Words of praise, filled with kindness, rushed towards Du Qingmei.
She was stunned, thinking it was an illusion.
Until the rich lady beside him said angrily: "So you can write poetry, and write it so well."
Du Qingmei blushed instantly and explained hurriedly: "It's our first time here, sisters. We are a little nervous."
"I see." The wealthy young lady took Du Qingmei's hand and gently shook it. "Don't be nervous. Everyone is very kind. Just call each other sisters here."
Du Qingmei nodded in agreement and turned to look at her three sisters. There were smiles in all four of their eyes.
Amidst the elegant ladies, the women in linen clothes gradually relaxed, enjoying the scented tea and cakes while chatting in low voices.
"Fifth sister, they were all praising you just now."
“So as long as you have good literary talent, you will be admired wherever you go.”
“That’s right!”
Afterwards, Du Qinglan, Du Qingzhu and Du Qingju were also fortunate enough to compose poems on the spot, which received unanimous praise from all the women.
The girls' faces flushed with excitement, they were happier than winning a lantern or earning ten taels of silver a day.
As the poetry reading was coming to an end, Meng Qingyan took the initiative to step forward and talk to them.
Meng Qingyan was just coming of age, with a pretty face and dimples that appeared faintly when she smiled. "I see you four look a little unfamiliar. Is this your first time at a poetry gathering?"
The girls nodded in unison.
"Your poems are truly excellent. I suppose you've read the Four Books and Five Classics?"
The girls nodded again, and Du Qingmei said, "So far, I've only read The Analects and The Great Learning, and only half of The Doctrine of the Mean."
Meng Qingyan was overjoyed. Although all the people present were good at reciting poems and composing couplets, and were proficient in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy and painting, only a few of them had read the Four Books and Five Classics.
She just thought that the poems of these four people were fresh, bright, graceful and delicate, and she liked them in her heart, so she came forward to talk to them, but she didn't expect to get an unexpected surprise.
"I've also been reading The Doctrine of the Mean recently. How did you solve the difficult problems you encountered while reading? My father is busy with official duties, and my brother is studying at the Imperial College in Xiajing. It's difficult to quench one's thirst with distant water. I have a lot of problems that I can't solve."
Speaking of this, Du Qingzhu said proudly: "My younger brother is studying at Qingyuan Academy. If we have any questions, we can just look for her."
"That's great." Meng Qingyan was full of envy. She chatted with them for a few more words, and before leaving, she asked with a smile, "Where is your home? If I have the chance in the future, can I come visit you?"
Du Qingmei gave her address.
Meng Qingyan remembered it in her heart, and suddenly clapped her hands: "Look at my memory. I have been talking for so long, but I still don't know your names."
The four girls gave their names one by one.
Meng Qingyan's dimples were light. "Your names are so beautiful. When your father gave you these names, he must have hoped that you would become people as noble and elegant as the plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum."
Du Qingmei's eyes flickered slightly, and she shook her head: "No, it's a name my younger brother gave us."
Meng Qingyan was stunned when she heard this.
The name given to my younger brother shows that he had another name before.
She remembered that the woman in charge of laundry at home had said that some families favored boys over girls and would name their daughters Zhaodi, Daya, and so on.
Meng Qingyan's thoughts were wandering, but she kept smiling. She said a few more words before leaving and continuing to talk with other women.
The other women also admired the literary talent of the four girls from the Du family. They did not mind that they were wearing linen clothes. They smiled and shook hands with them, and even made an appointment to meet next time.
Two hours passed in a flash, and the poetry reading came to an end.
Before leaving, Meng Qingyan also prepared gifts for the women - a book of poetry and a box of rouge.
"This rouge smells really good. I've never used rouge before."
"The book is a good one, too. Have you noticed? It's full of poems written by women."
"Miss Meng is very approachable and doesn't act like a county magistrate's legitimate daughter at all. She's actually read the Four Books and Five Classics and even said she wants to visit our home. This is like a dream!"
"After a while, let's try to bring it up with Miss Meng. Many hands make light work. If we all unite, maybe we can help more women learn to read, or even have books to read."
The girls walked briskly, dreaming of a bright future, their smiles brighter than the sun in the sky.
-
August 15th is the day when the college entrance examination results are announced, and it is also the Mid-Autumn Festival when families reunite.
Last night, Du Qingtang was so engrossed in reading that he went to bed a little late. He was having a sweet dream when he was suddenly awakened by a rapid knock on the door.
Du Qingtang opened the door sleepily, and Cao Xingcan was standing outside the door, neatly dressed, with his hands behind his back.
Seeing Du Qingtang looking like he had just woken up, Cao Xingcan couldn't believe it: "On such an important day as the results announcement, you can actually sleep?"
Du Qingtang turned and walked in, taking a sip of the cold water in the cup: "Can staying up all night change the results of the college entrance examination?"
Cao Xingcan choked and said, "Hurry up, the results won't wait."
Du Qingtang responded vaguely, quickly washed and dressed, went to the front courtyard to meet up with Cao Xingcan and the other three, and ran all the way to the Imperial Examination Hall.
The crowd outside the Imperial Examination Hall was bustling and noisy.
The candidates were eagerly waiting, some were full of confidence and discussed the college entrance examination questions with others, while others gave up and stood with their hands folded, looking numb.
At the crack of dawn, the gates of the Imperial Examination Hall opened, and two rows of yamen runners accompanied the officials in charge of announcing the results as they filed out, with the examinees making way for them.
Unlike the announcement of the results after the main examination, this time the sealed results will be opened and the names of the candidates will be announced. The number of candidates is only half of the number of candidates admitted in the main examination, that is, fifty.
These fifty people are called "students" and will be qualified to study in the provincial and county schools. The first one among them will be called the top student in the academy.
Students, commonly known as scholars, were considered to be separated from the common people to a certain extent. They enjoyed privileges such as exemption from taxes and corvee labor, exemption from paying public grain, and not having to kneel when meeting officials.
The official in charge of announcing the results posted a red envelope with the names of the admitted candidates on the notice wall, said a few words of encouragement, and left.
The yamen runners lit firecrackers, and the candidates rushed to the red table to the sound of lively firecrackers.
"I passed! I became a scholar!"
"I failed the exam for the third time. I've been working hard for the past year, but why am I still failing?"
The candidates whose names were on the list were so happy that they danced and cried.
The candidates who unfortunately failed the exam beat their chests and cried bitterly.
There was a white-haired old man who couldn't accept that he failed the exam again. He vomited blood on the spot and fell down.
His family members turned pale with fear and carried him to a nearby clinic.
Everyone watching this scene sighed.
There were more than 20 candidates from Qingyuan Academy present, some of them were on the list and some were not.
After laughing and crying, they all looked at the top of the list at the same time, and then showed an expression of "as expected".
"Very good, it's classmate Du again."
"I'd be surprised if she didn't win first place one day."
After saying that, they all congratulated Du Qingtang.
Cao Xingcan stared at the red case, then suddenly turned his head and said angrily, "Du Qingtang, why don't you postpone the provincial examination for three years?"
Du Qingtang sneered: "If you had eaten two more peanuts, you wouldn't be so drunk."
Cao Xingcan stared blankly: "What did you say?"
Du Qingtang turned and left: "Never say good things twice."
Cao Xingcan chased after him and said, "Du Qingtang, stop right there!"
Zhao, Fang and Qian were at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and they also chased after him.
......
In the evening, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the alley in the Du family courtyard.
Before getting off the carriage, Du Qingtang asked, "How are you planning to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?"
Cao Xingcan was reading a book, without even looking up: "Of course I live alone, drinking wine, watching the moon, and sleeping in the open air."
Du Qingtang paused and said, "Awen should be at my house right now. Do you want to come with us?"
Cao Xingcan raised his head from the book and met Du Qingtang's black and white eyes, which did not contain a trace of joking.
"As you wish." He agreed as if possessed by a ghost and got off the carriage first.
Fu Wen can do it, there is no reason why he can't.
Du Qingtang knocked on the gate and it was Fu Ci who came to open it.
"Qingtang, you're back!" Fu Ci's face was originally full of smiles, but when he saw Cao Xingcan behind him, his smile froze, "Why are you here?"
Cao Xingcan raised his chin: "Du Qingtang invited me so kindly, so I came."
Du Qingtang: “…”
Fu Ci's face turned red with anger and he glared at Cao Xingcan angrily.
As they were going back and forth, the girls who were busy in the kitchen came out after hearing the noise.
"Yeah, Tang Ge'er is back."
"Who is this?"
Du Qingtang introduced him to them: "Cao Xingcan."
"It turned out to be Master Cao."
"Tang'er, how did you do in the college entrance examination?"
Du Qingtang said in a calm voice: "First place in the case."
"Three times first place, that's the Little Three Prizes, right?"
Du Qingtang nodded: "Not bad."
Du Qingzhu screamed, rushed to the youngest and hugged her: "Ah ...
The other three girls also wanted to pounce on him, but because there were guests at home, they could only suppress their joy and stand aside with a smile on their faces, their mouths stretched to their ears.
Fu Ci moved closer to Cao Xingcan and asked, "What about you? You're not going to be the perpetual runner-up again, are you?"
Cao Xingcan ignored her and just watched the scene of the sister and brother hugging each other with a gloomy look.
Fu Ci followed his gaze and touched his chin: "You seem surprised?"
Cao Xingcan hummed softly: "I didn't expect Du Qingtang and her family to get along like this."
Fu Ci was confused: "What mode?"
Cao Xingcan didn't say anything, but just looked quietly at Du Qingtang with gentle features and the four young girls who were smiling so hard that their teeth were showing.
He suddenly realized the reason for Du Qingtang's fleeting murderous intent when they confronted each other at the archery field that day and she found out that he had investigated her without authorization.
Because of this simple warmth.
If he is lucky enough to have it, he will do his best to protect it.
......
The sun sets and night falls.
The five sisters and two guests sat in the yard to enjoy the moon. The table was filled with moon cakes, fruit wine sent by Du Qinghua, and the best-selling snacks from Du Ji Snacks.
Du Qingmei placed a plate of vegetarian food in front of Fu Ci: "Awen is in mourning and cannot eat meat. I prepared this especially for you."
Fu Ci, who was drooling over the fried skewers, said: "......"
Du Qingtang smiled and coughed lightly to suppress his laughter: "It's the Mid-Autumn Festival, with a full moon overhead and delicious food in front of us, why not write a poem?"
"I'll go first!"
Du Qingzhu raised his head and drank the fruit wine, wiped his mouth, and improvised a poem, which won applause from the whole audience.
Everyone admired the moon, recited poems, tasted delicious food and wine, talked and laughed, and had a great time.
Until the moon sets in the west, sleepiness comes over me. I simply take advantage of my drunkenness, use the sky as a blanket and the ground as a bed, and fall into a sound sleep on the mat.
Cao Xingcan looked at the four sisters sleeping in each other's arms, Du Qingtang lying on her back with her hands clasped in front of her stomach, and Fu Ci lying on her back with her legs spread out. He smiled silently, drank the wine in the glass, and fell asleep alone.
This Mid-Autumn Festival is truly beautiful!
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