Chapter 65065 The First Place in the Imperial Examination
After returning from Mo Yun Bookstore, Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou wrote letters to their respective relatives to report their safety.
Du Qingtang not only wrote letters to Qinqishuhua, Meilanzhuju and Fu Ci, but also wrote a letter to Yao Xuan, in which he mentioned Yao Jingzhou's situation and indicated that everything was fine.
After sending the four letters, the two of them stayed indoors and concentrated on preparing for the exam.
At the same time, candidates from all over the country traveled across mountains and rivers and arrived in Xiajing one after another.
Some people, like Du Qingtang, study hard behind closed doors, while others gather together with friends and have a drink together.
During the banquet, someone mentioned Du Qingtang: "Do you know where Du Jieyuan is?"
Everyone present shook their heads, indicating that they did not know.
"I once shared a boat with scholars from Northern Zhili, but unfortunately, Du Jieyuan wasn't among them."
"After arriving in Beijing, I also asked around, but no one I knew had ever met Du Jieyuan."
A scholar from the south, unfamiliar with Du Qingtang, was quite puzzled when he heard this: "The world is so vast, and she's not the only one who has won the first place. Why are you all asking about this Du Jieyuan?"
The juren from Northern Zhili explained, "Du Jieyuan won the top three places in the imperial examination at the age of fourteen, and became the top scholar at seventeen. He was also the principal of Qingyuan Academy and the only disciple of the great scholar Yao Xuanyao."
"Du Jieyuan is a man of great learning and talent, and he has the guidance of the great scholar Yao. If he could discuss a few things with her, he would definitely benefit greatly, and it would be considered as indirectly receiving the guidance of the great scholar Yao."
The scholar from the south was dumbfounded, and it took him a long while to find his voice: "When Huang passed the examination at the age of 16, he was very proud of himself. But he never thought that there are always people better than you..."
He was deeply shocked and said in a dignified tone, "While Huang was becoming arrogant after achieving a little success, there were people who became top three in the imperial examination at the age of fourteen."
Just as the people around him were about to agree, a scholar stepped in, his face excited: "Everyone, I heard about Du Jieyuan!"
Everyone was excited: "Where is she?"
The man said, "I overheard a conversation between Du Jieyuan and his classmates. It turns out that Du Jieyuan and Yao Wenjing, the grandson of Yao Daru, live in the south of the city."
"Du Jieyuan's classmates? Don't they know where Du Jieyuan is?"
"Why are they keeping it a secret? Are they afraid of losing to us?"
"Now that we know where Du Jieyuan is, why not go find her today?"
The scholar who heard about Du Qingtang shook his head and said, "I've already been there. Yao's house is closed to visitors. Du Jieyuan is concentrating on preparing for the exam."
"Why would you close the door to visitors for no reason? I've prepared many questions for Du Jieyuan."
"Everyone, just relax. Unless she wants to be known as arrogant, she will definitely open the door to welcome us. Maybe she can even introduce us to Master Yao..."
The person who was speaking was imagining the happy life of being appreciated by the great scholar Yao and being accepted as his disciple, when a sneer came from the corner of the restaurant.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a wealthy young man dressed in a brocade robe.
"Instead of pinning your hopes on others, it's better to drink less, talk less, read more and think more. Du Jieyuan is neither your biological father nor your master, and he has no obligation to answer your questions and solve your problems."
There was a sudden silence at the table, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Contemptuous glances came from all directions, and the candidates were embarrassed and ashamed.
"Zhang suddenly remembered that there were still a few pages of the book he hadn't read, so he left first."
"Huang is also here. I'll take my leave now."
In just a few moments, everyone scattered like birds and beasts.
Cao Xingcan watched these people flee in panic and clicked his tongue in disdain.
He didn't expect that when he went out for a drink, he would hear people talking about Du Qingtang behind his back.
Hearing those words that sounded like a matter of course, Cao Xingcan couldn't help but sneer.
Du Qingtang's time is precious. She has countless books to read and countless exercises to do. There is no need to waste her energy on a group of shameless people.
He really thinks that everyone in the world is his parents and everyone should coax him and give in to him.
What a big face!
Across from Cao Xingcan, the handsome man raised his eyebrows with interest: "It seems that Yuan Zhong has a good relationship with this Du Jieyuan?"
Cao Xingcan has always been arrogant and looked down on others. This is the first time the man has seen him stand up for someone.
"We are classmates, but our relationship is just average."
Cao Xingcan drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, and the emotions that belonged only to Cao Xingcan, not to the Second Young Master Cao, were swallowed into his stomach along with the wine and disappeared without a trace.
He raised his chin, his expression arrogant: "I just can't stand certain people. Du Qingtang is just a farmer's son, not worthy of my attention."
The man didn't suspect anything and changed the subject: "Speaking of the imperial examination, Yuanzhong, how are you preparing?"
Cao Xingcan poured himself a drink and said nonchalantly, "That's it."
The man thought of the rumors about Cao Xingcan in the capital, that he was violent and unruly and unfit to handle important tasks, and his eyes became complicated for a moment.
"Just do your best. If you really can't do it, ask to be sent out. Grandfather is far away from Xiajing, but he can still take care of you in the local area."
Cao Xingcan smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, cousin."
Even if the other party didn't say it, he was still interested in becoming an official in the local area.
Since returning to Xiajing last year, Cao Xingxuan has regarded Cao Xingcan as a thorn in his side, and has been making small moves in private. The rumors about him in the capital were all the work of Cao Xingxuan.
Not only that, Cao Xingxuan's wife Zhou also made things difficult for his new wife.
Cao Xingcan could no longer bear it and wanted to retaliate, but was warned by his grandfather.
"Your eldest brother is the future head of the Cao family. You will still rely on him for your livelihood. Be patient and keep things calm for a while. Don't create trouble and make others laugh at you."
Cao Xingcan had no choice but to give up, feeling angry and powerless.
He planned to wait until after the palace examination, then take the initiative to request to be transferred to another place, take his wife away from Xiajing, and not get in their way.
It’s a pity that he broke the original agreement and was destined to no longer be a colleague with Du Qingtang.
-
Eight days passed in a flash, and the triennial imperial examination arrived as scheduled.
There were three examinations, one every three days, held on February 26th, March 1st and March 4th respectively.
Like the provincial examination, candidates must enter the venue on the previous day and exit on the next day.
On February 25th, Du Qingtang, wearing a white linen robe, and Yao Jingzhou went to the Imperial Examination Hall in the cold wind.
There was a carriage available in Yao's house, but the two of them chose to walk without any prior agreement.
It was a cold month in February, and Xiajing was located in the north, so the weather was freezing. In the Imperial Examination Hall, water froze into ice. Running all the way there was just the right way to warm up, so that I wouldn't be too cold when entering the Hall later.
A stick of incense later, Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou arrived at the Imperial Examination Hall.
There were crowds of people at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall, and the whole place looked white.
The candidates were lightly dressed and shivering in the cold wind, their teeth chattering and sneezing constantly.
In contrast, Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou had rosy complexions and looked relaxed and at ease, which made them seem a little out of place. This attracted the attention of the scholars around them, who kept staring at their clothes.
Yao Jingzhou rubbed his hands, his palms warm, and said with emotion, "I used to hear people say that a certain scholar froze to death in the Imperial Examination Hall. The year I decided to take the imperial examination, my grandfather hired a martial arts master for me to teach me martial arts to strengthen my body."
"Master Wu asked me to get up before dawn and practice horse stance. I was a little reluctant at first, but now I have to admit that my grandfather's decision was correct."
As for Du Qingtang, she has been training day after day for many years. After becoming Yao Xuan's apprentice, the martial arts master who once taught Yao Jingzhou martial arts also became her martial arts master.
After practicing martial arts for several years, I wouldn't say I'm very skilled, but I definitely have no problem protecting myself, and my physical fitness has been improved to an unprecedented level.
I just ran all the way here, and not only did I not feel cold, I was even sweating a little.
Du Qingtang slowed down his breathing and chatted with Yao Jingzhou in a disjointed manner. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a carriage made of rosewood slowly stop.
The wooden sign hanging next to the carriage swayed in the wind. Looking closely, the words "Cao Mansion" written in silver and iron strokes were faintly visible.
Shitou lifted the curtain and Cao Xingcan stepped onto a bench to get off the carriage.
Du Qingtang and Cao Xingcan looked at each other from a distance, and then looked away in just a moment. The former had an indifferent expression, and the latter had a lazy posture, as if they were just strangers who met each other unintentionally.
"Classmate Du, you're here! It was so hard for me to find you!"
Du Qingtang looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was her classmate Zhao who had taken the Tongsheng Examination and the Provincial Examination with her.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Zhao whispered, "Student Du, you might not know this, but many people have been asking us about you these days, either inviting you to a banquet or looking for you to answer questions, but we've been brushing them off."
Classmate Zhao paused and asked uncertainly, "They didn't bother you, did they?"
Du Qingtang had anticipated this.
The title of Jieyuan at the age of seventeen was enough to arouse those people's curiosity, not to mention that she was Yao Xuan's only disciple.
That's why she and Yao Jingzhou closed the door and refused to see anyone.
Du Qingtang's thoughts raced as he bowed and said, "Thank you, classmate Zhao. No one has come to visit me these days."
Actually, there was one, but he was turned away by the housekeeper, who said that Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou were closed to visitors, and no one disturbed him after that.
It is unknown whether no one came to visit or they were scared away by the wolfhound raised by the housekeeper.
The housekeeper was an old servant of the Yao family, who had previously lived in the countryside. Now, he had come to Xiajing for the young master to help him manage the mansion. The wolfhound that came with him was very ferocious and was an expert guard at the house.
Classmate Zhao finally felt relieved, curling his lips and muttering, "The Imperial Examination is coming soon, and everyone is busy studying and preparing for the exam. Who has time to care about other people's affairs? These people really have no sense at all, and are selfish..."
Before he could finish his words, the signal cannon sounded.
The gate of the Imperial Examination Hall burst open, and the chief examiner and his fellow examiners appeared.
The candidates stopped talking, endured the cold, strode forward with their heads held high, and spontaneously formed lines in groups of fifty.
There are two chief examiners, usually Grand Secretaries who have graduated from the Jinshi degree, and officials below the rank of Shangshu of the Six Ministries and above the rank of Deputy Chief Censor.
There were ten co-examiners, most of whom were officials from the Hanlin Academy.
Du Qingtang recognized at a glance that the chief examiner was Yan Tiande, the prefect of Baoding Prefecture in his early years, who had summoned her after the prefectural examination and talked with her about economic reforms.
After many years, he became a university scholar.
The other deputy examiner was the Minister of Personnel. Du Qingtang vaguely remembered that his surname was Zheng.
The examiner arrived and began to call the roll.
"Du Qingtang, from Taoyuan Village, Qingyuan County, Baoding Prefecture, eighteen years old..."
"Yao Jingzhou, Qingyuan County, Baoding Prefecture..."
As the three words "Du Qingtang" came out, countless eyes came from all directions, some were curious, and some were dissatisfied.
"So she is the top scholar in Northern Zhili. Today I finally see her true face."
"Everyone says she's from a farming family, but why do I feel like her demeanor is even inferior to that of a child from an official family?"
"A man of cultured knowledge is naturally elegant. He became a top scholar at the age of seventeen. I think he must have read a lot of books and a lot of knowledge, so his temperament is naturally outstanding."
"Aren't you praising her too highly? She's just a little younger and only got first place in the imperial examination, yet you're making it sound as if the thousands of other candidates present here are inferior to her."
"Yeah, she only became the top scholar at the age of seventeen. Please tone down that sour smell. I can smell it from here."
"you!"
"Ignore him. Some people, who don't even know Du Jieyuan, shamelessly prepared dozens of questions, hoping he could answer them. Then, after getting slapped down, they turned around and belittled Du Jieyuan. Tsk tsk tsk, their shamelessness isn't as thick as a city wall."
"Shut up!" The scholar who had spoken sourly was furious.
"quiet!"
The examiner scolded him, and the candidate's face became stiff and he remained silent.
On the other side, Mr. Wu and the other candidates who were on the same boat with Du Qingtang were dumbfounded.
"Isn't her name Yao Jingzhou?"
"Du Jieyuan probably lied about his name because he didn't want to cause any more trouble. Let's just pretend we don't know."
"That makes sense."
Du Qingtang lowered his eyes, his smile disappeared in an instant under the shadow of his eyelashes.
After the roll call, the next step is the body search.
The body search in the metropolitan examination was stricter than that in the provincial examination, but there was still no need to take off clothes. Unless the candidate was very suspicious, he would be taken to the next room for a more detailed inspection.
Du Qingtang raised his arms and calmly accepted the body search.
The inspector was not oblivious to what was happening outside. He had heard that a seventeen-year-old scholar had emerged from Northern Zhili last year, and even the second prince admired her very much.
Putting aside the question of whether this top scholar will join the Second Prince's camp after entering officialdom, he is destined to become a colleague in the future, so it is always right to be polite.
The inspector calmed down a bit, checked it from top to bottom, and then raised his hand to let it go: "No problem, next!"
Du Qingtang walked into the examination room and found his own room according to the exam instructions.
The cell was as usual, narrow and simple, with only two wooden boards above and below.
The upper wooden board serves as a table, and the lower one serves as a chair. At night, the two wooden boards are put together to serve as a bed.
In addition to the wooden board, there was also a charcoal basin and three candles in the cell.
The amount of charcoal in the charcoal basin is limited and must be used sparingly, but if the candidate is wealthy enough, he or she may ask the patrolman to purchase additional charcoal.
The same goes for candles.
There was still an hour before dark, so Du Qingtang simply closed his eyes and rested, relaxing his whole body and leaning against the wall of the cell, silently reciting the Four Books and Five Classics and recalling the test questions he had done before.
In the evening, when it was getting dark, the patrol soldiers brought dinner.
The white porridge is served with side dishes, one meat dish and one vegetable dish, and the portion is enough to fill an adult man up.
It seems that the official in charge of food for the Imperial Examination Hall this year was an honest official and did not withhold the silver allocated by the Ministry of Revenue.
In the second and third generations, dinner during the imperial examinations was all mixed-grain porridge with stir-fried vegetables. Not only was the portion small, it was also not very nutritious. Several candidates fainted from hunger.
But even so, the officials in charge of meals in the Imperial Examination Hall were safe and sound.
There's nothing we can do about it, since they have someone above them.
By the time Du Qingtang had filled his stomach, the sun had just set.
As night fell, the temperature in the Imperial Examination Hall dropped sharply, and the sound of sneezes could be heard all around.
Du Qingtang was not short of money, and although he was not afraid of the cold, he still obediently lit the charcoal brazier and placed it a little away from his feet.
Then he put two wooden boards together to make a bed, wrapped himself in the quilt and lay down, trying to sleep, and soon fell asleep.
I woke up once during the night and vaguely heard someone crying.
It goes without saying that the other person was crying because of the cold.
In addition, there is the sound of grinding teeth.
It wasn't a bad habit in the dream, but the teeth were chattering and chattering from the cold.
Du Qingtang pulled the quilt over his head and fell into a deep sleep.
......
At the hour of Mao the next day, the Imperial Examination Hall fired the first signal cannon.
When the candidates woke up from their sleep, the patrol soldiers brought them hot water for them to wash and drink, and then brought them breakfast - white porridge and meat buns.
Du Qingtang ate until he was about 80% full, and the patrolman distributed the examination supplies.
Du Qingtang finished grinding the ink when the second cannon sounded.
At noon, the examination officially began.
The chief examiner copied the test questions onto paper and then posted it on a wooden board.
The patrol soldiers held up wooden signs and walked back and forth in the examination room so that the candidates could see the content of the test questions clearly.
The first round of the imperial examination consisted of three questions on the meaning of the Four Books and four questions on the meaning of the classics.
Du Qingtang jotted down the seven questions on a piece of rough paper, and preliminarily judged that the difficulty of this examination was medium. He felt relieved, placed the test paper on the other side farthest from the inkstone, picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and began to answer.
The first question is about the Four Books.
“A man of noble character and integrity will not seek to live at the expense of his integrity, but will rather sacrifice his life to achieve his integrity.”[1]
This quote comes from the Wei Ling Gong chapter of the Analects of Confucius. A gentleman can only sacrifice his life for his ideals and justice, and cannot harm others just to keep himself alive. [2]
The 350-word essay on the Four Books is written in one go, arguing from two aspects: moral ideals and the value of life.
Du Qingtang put the rough paper with the answer to the first question aside, raised his hand and blew out a breath, rubbed his fingers that were frozen stiff, and continued answering.
The remaining two questions from the Four Books were both from the Doctrine of the Mean. Du Qingtang had done similar ones before, so he wrote quickly and finished answering them in less than an hour and a half.
Next is the question of the meaning of the sutra.
I was halfway through writing the first question on the meaning of the scriptures when the patrol soldier brought me lunch.
After eating a bowl of rice and two dishes, one meat and one vegetable, the feeling of fullness dispelled the coldness in his limbs. Du Qingtang took a short break and continued answering questions.
I didn't stop writing this answer until the evening.
As the sky gradually darkened, Du Qingtang lit a candle and hurriedly revised and polished the three essays from the Four Books before lying down to sleep.
While half asleep and half awake, a loud noise was heard in the examination room, startling countless candidates.
Du Qingtang vaguely heard the heavy footsteps of the patrol soldiers and wanted to find out what was going on. However, he was too tired from answering questions during the day. His eyelids struggled twice and he fell asleep again.
It was not until the next morning that we found out that a candidate in his sixties had frozen to death the previous night.
He died in his sleep. A patrolman was conducting a night patrol and found that he had stopped breathing, so he carried him out.
Even if people were frozen to death, the examination had to continue.
Du Qingtang spent the entire morning revising and polishing four passages of the sutra, not even having lunch, and copied the seven passages onto the answer sheet.
When the last stroke was put down, the sun was setting in the west and it was already the end of the afternoon.
Because of maintaining the same posture for a long time, my cervical and lumbar vertebrae were extremely sore, and there was a crackling sound when I moved. My feet were so numb that I lost all feeling.
Du Qingtang paused for a moment and pulled the small bell beside him.
The examiner came and sealed the answer sheet, put it in a special box, and ordered Du Qingtang not to make a sound and leave immediately.
Du Qingtang bowed and strode out of the examination room.
When they reached Longmen, Cao Xingcan came towards them.
Their eyes met, and a hint of emotion flashed quickly in Cao Xingcan's eyes. The two passed each other, one walked towards the rosewood carriage of Cao's mansion, and the other walked towards the carriage of Yao's mansion.
A charcoal brazier was burning in the carriage. After drinking half a cup of warming ginger tea, Yao Jingzhou handed in his paper.
The housekeeper called a doctor early in the morning. When the two returned to Yao's house, they asked the doctor to take their pulse. After making sure that they were all fine, he told the servant to send the doctor away.
"The food and hot water are ready. Would you like to eat first or take a shower and change clothes first?"
Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou said in unison: "Let's eat first."
Obviously, in order to catch up with the progress, they all chose not to eat lunch.
After eating and drinking, the two tacitly agreed not to talk about the exam. They took a comfortable bath, changed into clean clothes, and fell asleep.
......
On February 28, Du Qingtang entered the examination room again.
After one night, the exam officially began on the first day of March.
The second round consists of an essay, five judgments, one optional question from an imperial edict, a memorial, and two arithmetic questions, for a total of nine questions.
The arithmetic questions are quite difficult, with several traps hidden in just a few sentences. The other questions are within an acceptable range.
Du Qingtang answered the questions on the first day, revised and copied them on the second day, and handed in the paper at 3:15 pm.
The third round of the imperial examination tested five questions on classics, history and policy.
The exam starts on the fourth day of March, and candidates must enter the examination hall on the third day of March before.
At noon the next day, Du Qingtang wrote down the test questions in shorthand amid the sound of cannon fire.
Except for the policy essay, the other four questions were of moderate difficulty and Du Qingtang finished answering them quickly.
While I was struggling with the policy essay, there was another loud noise in the examination room.
One of the candidates caught a cold and had a high fever, so he slipped off the wooden board and fell to the ground, hitting his forehead on the wooden board that served as the table.
According to regulations, candidates who feel unwell and have severe symptoms will not be allowed to continue the exam.
The patrol soldiers stepped forward, carried the examinee away.
When passing by Du Qingtang's cell, I saw that his face was red with fever and his eyes were dull, but he was still struggling.
"I'm not sick!"
"Let me go!"
"I only have one question left to finish. Please let me stay and continue answering!"
However, the patrolman was like an emotionless transport machine, ignoring the candidate's pleas and forcibly taking him out of the examination room.
Du Qingtang felt that this person looked familiar, but he didn't think much about it. After the noise died down, he lowered his head and continued answering questions until he handed in his paper and walked out of the Imperial Examination Hall.
"Uncle Master, the candidate who was taken away today was the one who had an argument with someone on February 25th."
Du Qingtang turned sideways to avoid the candidate in front of him, and suddenly understood: "You mean..."
Yao Jingzhou nodded: "I prepared dozens of questions for you to answer."
Du Qingtang: "...What a pity, he was just a little bit away from completing the exam."
Yao Jingzhou spread his hands and said, "This person has bad intentions towards my uncle, so let's just consider it a small retribution."
He has always believed that justice will prevail.
This candidate is, Qi and the second prince are even more so.
Anyone who does evil will eventually suffer the consequences.
Yao Jingzhou knew that he was too weak to fight against the enemy who killed his father and mother.
The only thing he could do now was to lie low, work hard to become stronger, and then give those people a fatal blow.
As they were talking, the two of them came to the front of the carriage.
Yao Jingzhou raised his hand: "Uncle Master, please go first."
Du Qingtang stepped onto the carriage with his right foot and suddenly noticed a hidden gaze.
It was definitely not Qi Heming's sticky gaze like a water ghost, but rather a cautious and peeping gaze.
Du Qingtang looked in a certain direction intuitively, and a carriage was looming at the corner of the street.
Judging from the general outline and appearance, it should be the Xue family's carriage.
Du Qingtang: “…”
"Uncle Master?"
Yao Jingzhou saw Du Qingtang pause and asked in confusion.
Du Qingtang retracted his gaze: "Nothing, I just suddenly remembered something."
After saying that, she leaned over and entered the carriage.
The driver cracked his whip, and the carriage rumbled past the carriage with a wooden sign that read "Xue Mansion".
The wind lifted the carriage curtains, revealing a beautiful woman in gorgeous clothes and with a beautiful face inside the carriage.
The woman stared blankly at the direction where the Yao family's carriage was heading away, her eyes filled with obsession and admiration. She murmured, "Shanhu, I have never seen such a handsome man. He is as cold as frost, self-disciplined, and extremely talented."
Xue Yishu never thought that one day she would fall in love with someone at first sight.
That morning, she went out to visit a friend, and the moment she saw Du Qingtang in the south of the city, her heart was pounding.
A voice echoed in Xue Yishu's ears, full of temptation - I want to marry her!
The voice drove her to throw the handkerchief out of the carriage.
It’s a pity that Du Qingtang didn’t pay attention to it, otherwise they could have had this opportunity to interact.
The maid Shanhu smiled and said, "Yes, she has achieved such success before she even reached adulthood, and she is also a disciple of Master Yao. If you were to be with her, wouldn't it be a closer relationship?"
Yao Daru's only daughter was the eldest lady of the Qi family. Although she had passed away for many years, she was still a member of the Qi family.
My young lady is the niece of the second wife of the Qi family, so she can barely be considered a relative.
Xue Yishu's cheeks flushed, and she couldn't contain her joy: "Shanhu, why don't I go find my aunt right now and ask her to go to the Du family and settle this matter as soon as possible?"
She didn't think Du Qingtang would refuse.
Although the Xue family was not a prominent family, they were considered powerful in the capital. Although her parents died young, she had an aunt who loved her very much.
My aunt married into the Changguo Mansion, which had been glorious for a hundred years. The Duke of Changguo was a second-in-command in the government, and there were also a noble concubine and the second prince in the palace.
With Du Qingtang's identity, how could he refuse such a huge temptation?
Shanhu shook her head and said softly, "Miss, you are of noble status. How can a mere scholar be so high up as to marry you? Why not wait a little longer until the palace examination is over and everything is settled? Wouldn't it be a wonderful story for a young lady from an official family and a newly-minted scholar to have such a good relationship?"
Xue Yishu's heart was moved. She twisted her handkerchief and said shyly, "Then it's settled."
-
The third round of the imperial examination ended and the candidates had a brief break.
They took this opportunity to travel around, make friends, and leave their footprints in every corner of Xiajing.
Du Qingtang liked quietness, so he turned down everyone's invitation, including those from his classmates at Qingyuan Academy. He slept soundly for two days and then resumed his normal routine.
I exercise in the morning, and occasionally when I feel like it, I exchange a few moves with Yao Jingzhou. Then I wash up, eat, go to the study to read, practice calligraphy, and go to bed at 11:00 p.m.
In addition, Du Qingtang plays the ball throwing and picking game with the wolfhound named Wangcai every day.
In just a few days, Wangcai became familiar with Du Qingtang and wagged his tail wildly when he saw her.
Half a month passed like this.
During this period, the examiners worked day and night to mark the papers, and finally finished marking nearly 10,000 papers on March 20th.
After that, the sealed documents were opened, the records were transcribed, proofread, and the list was filled out, which took a full five days.
On March 28th, the results of the imperial examination were announced.
Because apricot blossoms bloomed when the results were announced, the red list of the imperial examination was also called the apricot list.
The number of candidates on the Xingbang exam is not fixed, usually ranging from three to four hundred. Nearly ten thousand candidates take part in the exam, and the admission rate is less than four percent.
These 4% of candidates were called Gongshi, and the first one among them was called Huiyuan.
In Daxia, the palace examination only ranked candidates and no one was dismissed.
This means that as long as you pass the examination to become a Gongshi, you will definitely become a Jinshi.
Once you become a Jinshi, you can officially serve as an official in the court, bring honor to your family and change your destiny.
Therefore, on March 28th, the candidates gathered outside the Imperial Examination Hall before dawn, looking forward to it.
Even the drizzle in the sky could not reduce their urgent mood.
Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou sat in a teahouse opposite the Imperial Examination Hall, waiting for the literate guard to finish reading the list and come back to tell them.
The uncle and nephew sat opposite each other, drinking tea and chatting, and time passed quickly.
I don't know how long it took, but I heard a burst of lively firecrackers.
Du Qingtang looked outside and saw that the apricot list had been posted.
Nearly ten thousand candidates huddled together, some laughing out loud, others covering their faces and crying.
Seeing this scene, Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou were unusually nervous, both holding their teacups tightly and remaining silent.
Soon, the guard stepped inside, smiled and bowed, saying, "Congratulations, gentlemen, for making it onto the list!"
Du Qingtang won first place, which is known as Huiyuan.
Yao Jingzhou came in third, which is also a very good result.
He stood up with joy, paced back and forth, clenched his right fist, and knocked the palm of his left hand. Suddenly, he turned and looked at Du Qingtang: "Uncle Master, let's go back quickly. I can't wait to write a letter to my grandfather to tell him the good news!"
Du Qingtang naturally agreed, and she also planned to write a letter to her family to announce the good news.
Two people walked out of the private room, and another person walked out of the private room on the left.
Du Qingtang looked up and saw a young man in a brocade robe, with an arrogant look that looked down on everyone.
It was Cao Xingcan.
Du Qingtang withdrew his gaze and went downstairs first.
Cao Xingcan was originally behind Du Qingtang, but he walked fast and caught up with him in a few steps.
As they passed each other, Cao Xingcan spoke in an inaudible voice: "Congratulations."
......
The candidates in front of the Xingbang exam had not yet dispersed. The place was filled with noise and the sounds of crying and laughing filled the air.
The rain stopped, and a ray of sunshine penetrated the clouds, falling on people and bringing a touch of warmth.
Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou rode in the same carriage and headed home.
Yao Jingzhou's heart was filled with unbearable excitement, his cheeks and neck flushed red. "The palace examination will be held in half a month, and the ceremony of announcing the results of the imperial examination will be held in five days. Then everything will be settled. You and I will officially become officials in the court, and we can return home in glory and honor."
Du Qingtang leaned against the carriage, and the slightly raised corners of her lips showed her good mood at the moment.
If nothing unexpected happens, she should be first in the palace examination.
Being the first person to get the top six in the imperial examination in decades is not only an achievement of Emperor Qingyuan, but also a glory that will accompany Du Qingtang throughout her life.
It can be considered as making up for a small part of the regrets in the previous life.
The carriage soon stopped at the door of Yao's house. Du Qingtang got off first and found that there was another carriage parked at the door.
As soon as she stopped, a man came out of the carriage next to her and looked at Yao Jingzhou with a warm smile: "Hezhou, congratulations on passing the imperial examination."
Looking at the man who looked about 60% similar to his father Qi Changqing, Yao Jingzhou's face suddenly darkened.
The man seemed oblivious, a gentle smile etched across his face. "Actually, my mother gave birth to twins. But because I was born weak, my grandfather was worried I wouldn't live long, so he sent me away."
"Now that I'm in good health, I've returned to Xiajing, but I never expected my parents to..."
The man sighed softly, seeming extremely sad. "In terms of seniority, you should call me Second Brother. Grandfather is old, and several years ago, our family was tragically wiped out, leaving us with no children. Since you have passed the imperial examination today, why don't you come back with me, recognize our ancestors, and join me in the joy of being his children."
Du Qingtang looked at Qi Hezhang who was pretending to be nice: "......"
Unlucky thing.
It’s not enough to disgust her, now he wants to disgust Yao Jingzhou.
She sat in on the whole thing and felt doubly disgusted.
Yao Jingzhou never imagined that this fake who appeared out of nowhere would shamelessly call his parents "Dad and Mom" and run up to him, saying something about returning to his roots.
ha!
What a great way to return to one’s roots!
It’s a pity that he is from the Yao family, not the Qi family.
There is a deep blood feud between him, Qi, and the second prince, and they are sworn enemies!
Du Qingtang turned his head. Veins bulged on Yao Jingzhou's forehead, and his cheeks and neck were a suppressed red. It was not joy, but extreme anger.
"Wangcai!"
Du Qingtang called out and Wangcai, who was playing ball in the yard, rushed out.
The wolfhound, half the height of a man, stood close to Du Qingtang. It tilted its head and said with a silly expression, "Ah?"
Du Qingtang's eyes were cold as he pointed at the smiling "Qi Hezhang" who was wearing a fake skin. "Go!"
Wangcai understood, growled, showing his sharp white teeth, and pounced on Qi Heming fiercely.
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