Chapter 52 Test Question: Before she could finish speaking, Yao Ruyi was pulled into a strong embrace.
It's still that same bright red, yellow, and blue sign.
Having been criticized once before when Zhixingzhai opened, Geng Hao was much calmer and more composed when he saw it for the second time, although he still thought it was ugly.
Just as I was pondering this, Meng Boyuan's loud voice boomed in my ear again from the doorway.
Geng Hao frowned, took a step back in disgust, and looked at the large purple book he was holding, shouting:
"Fellow comrades! Fellow students! The imperial examinations are getting harder every year, and we can't even finish reading the classics and philosophical works! What to do? With 'Sanwu' in hand, you'll be the top scholar! Our book will first break through the barrier of the classics, with annotations all marked in red ink, so you can see clearly and understand! Second, it will help you master the secrets of policy essays! It will analyze Fan Xiang's 'Civil Affairs Commentary' word by word, and summarize all the golden sentences on people-oriented governance and reform! Third, it will help you overcome the hurdle of poetry and prose, where you always go off-key with five-character and eight-rhyme poems? 'Sanwu' will analyze the key points of the questions, allusions, and rhymes one by one, and also includes three hundred good poems and lyrics from the current dynasty (to be purchased separately), teaching you step by step how to write a perfect quatrain!"
"That's not all! There's more! If ten people buy together today, they can get a 20% discount, plus a free set of past exam papers, a bookmark handwritten by the top scholar, and Dr. Yao's 'Quick Guide to Small Regular Script Calligraphy'! Gifts are limited, first come, first served!"
"Morning study of classics to solve ten thousand problems, afternoon practice of policy essays to formulate national strategies, evening study of poetry to build magnificent works. May you have a bright future and achieve academic success with our companions—"
Geng Hao curled his lip and gave Meng Boyuan a haughty sidelong glance. He was about to leave, but his body betrayed him, and he waved his hand to tell Geng Niu to go and buy it.
He was talking so enthusiastically, he wanted to see just how capable he really was.
Having said that, he swaggered in, pulled out his membership card, and strolled into Zhixingzhai. As soon as he entered, he heard many students in the reading room reciting this book.
Some quick-handed people had already bought them and were now openly displaying them on the table for others to see. Someone flipped through a few pages and looked dazed, praising them repeatedly, and then turned around and ran out to buy them.
Is it really that good?
Geng Hao, who had been listening at the door, felt a pang of longing and was about to go to his private room to wait for his share of "three or five" when he suddenly heard a student sighing softly:
"The books are good, but the price is too high. This 'Sanwu' set costs three strings of cash, and even the collection of past exam questions costs eight hundred coins... How can a poor scholar like me, who is strapped for cash, afford to study? My father and brothers hold low-ranking official positions, and our family is already poor. Studying is not easy, and now such books have been published. Does this mean that only rich children can pass the exam? If we can't afford these books, are we destined to fail? What Miss Yao is doing has truly blocked our path!"
Upon hearing this, Geng Hao frowned.
Fortunately, there were some sensible people in the study, and someone immediately refuted him: "Brother Li, you are mistaken. How exquisitely Yao Xiaoniangzi's book was printed! She hired scholars to compile it, went to the woodblock printing workshop to make the mold, and spent money on paper, ink, and so on. Moreover, this book is so meticulously crafted, with so many questions collected over the years and so many annotations. How could it not be worth three strings of cash? In your book bag, which of the Four Books and Five Classics without annotations or comments would cost one or two strings of cash?"
Someone else saw right through him and chuckled, "Brother Li, you didn't take money from the Liu family's bookstore, did you? You're here today to ruin Miss Yao's plans, aren't you? Don't you find it funny that you're saying this? Last year, the Liu family hired four nameless old scholars to compile a book called 'Ce Lin,' which was so pretentious, and it still sold for two strings of cash! Now you're saying this at Zhixingzhai, your words are clearly intended to incite the sons of minor officials. Don't you feel guilty?"
These words were like a wake-up call; as soon as they were spoken, everyone's gaze towards the man surnamed Li changed.
The more moderate one advised, "Yes, Brother Li, your words are indeed biased."
Some even scoffed and bluntly said, "If reading one less book like this can make up for all the effort you've put in over the years, then you've wasted your time! You might as well stop reading it!"
"Putting everything else aside, in my opinion, even the Liu family's 'Ce Lin' is inferior to Miss Yao's 'Sanwu.' Although it's a whole string of cash more expensive, the authors of this book are Dr. Yao, Dr. Jiang, and Lord Lin Wen'an! They are all well-known figures! Dr. Yao was already a renowned Confucian scholar in his early years, Dr. Jiang is well-versed in various subjects, and most importantly, Lord Lin..."
The one who spoke was the first to buy the book; he had bought it because he heard it would come with a bookmark personally handwritten by Lin Wen'an. At that moment, he was carefully clutching the bookmark, inscribed with the words "Even if a fierce wind rises from the ground, I will ride it and traverse ten thousand miles," his face filled with admiration.
"A twelve-year-old scholar, a fifteen-year-old provincial graduate, and a seventeen-year-old third-place scholar—since Lord Lin, no one has ever become a younger Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination)! This kind of person personally compiles books to teach you how to take the imperial examinations, and he only sells them for three strings of cash. You're still complaining about this and that?"
The man surnamed Li, who was being attacked by the group, was still unconvinced and whispered, "Who knows if he actually made it up or not? He might have just taken the money and put up a name for himself."
The first student who bought the books, seeing his unreasonable behavior, angrily took all the books away and shouted, "One should not associate with stupid pigs! Farewell!"
The man walked away, still angry: "They really don't know how lucky they are. Only a student in Bianjing (Kaifeng) or the Imperial Academy would be so arrogant. If they were in Luoyang, Zhengzhou, or any other prefecture, a scholar who could write beautiful characters could fetch several strings of cash if even a single word or phrase of his could be leaked out!"
Many people looked at Li with disdain and got up to leave. A student covered in amulets that read "May you pass every exam" and "May Wenchang protect you" also came out with the crowd. He was rubbing a sandalwood talisman in his hand and muttering to his companion:
"Putting everything else aside, this book is much more auspicious than 'Celin'! I'd buy it just for that reason alone. 'Celin' has a blue cover, while this book has a purple cover, which perfectly reflects the wish to be adorned in purple robes in the future! And then there's the title. 'Three years to become a Jinshi, five years to become a Zhuangyuan', listen to that, listen to that! Who wouldn't be happy to hear that? Spending an extra string of cash for such good fortune is definitely worth it!"
His classmates couldn't help but laugh at him: "Others are striving for progress, and you're just offering them incense."
In just a few words, everyone left.
The man surnamed Li was exposed and isolated by everyone. His face flushed red and then turned pale. He sat alone awkwardly for a while before slinking away.
Geng Hao overheard everything at the door, snorted coldly, and spat at Li Xuezi's retreating figure.
Previously, when Madam Yao was about to open the Zhixingzhai, she distributed questionnaires widely and summoned many students to discuss in detail what kind of study guides they needed most. Therefore, everyone knew that she was going to engrave books and had some expectations in their hearts, and they all made suggestions.
That's how the news got out.
Liu's Bookstore has always been the only bookstore in the Imperial Academy. They didn't say anything when Yao Xiaoniangzi opened a general store and set up a reading room, but when they heard that she was also going to engrave books, they couldn't sit still.
Although they dared not act openly because of Lin Wen'an, a high-ranking official who was as close as family to the Yao family, they secretly printed a book called "Ce Lin" and used the words from Yao Xiaoniangzi's questionnaire as a gimmick, claiming that it was compiled by a famous teacher and could guide students.
Many students bought the books without understanding why, and were greatly disappointed after reading them, which also made them lose faith in Yao Xiaoniangzi's books that had not yet been published.
After all, if even a bookstore like the Liu family, which regularly prints and compiles books, can only produce such outdated books, what good things could a young woman like Yao Xiaoniangzi possibly make?
Geng Hao had also heard about this, and even went to the grocery store to buy a sausage, thinking he would see Yao Xiaoniang crying and sighing. But to his surprise, she acted as if nothing had happened, doing what she was doing without bothering him or saying a word about it.
It was as if they knew nothing about it.
At that time, Geng Hao thought more highly of her.
In the past, although he used to complain that Yao Xiaoniangzi was a merchant's daughter from a fallen family who only knew how to run a general store selling cheap trinkets and was somewhat vulgar and rude, he gradually stopped mentioning it.
A reading room, a long-handled mop, soap powder, all kinds of snacks—so many strange and wonderful ideas that no ordinary person could come up with.
For example, this... "Three years to become a Jinshi and five years to become a Zhuangyuan"—which publishing house wouldn't choose a more solemn name to show that its book is profound? But Yao Ruyi was different. She insisted on choosing a name that was as eye-catching as that garish signboard, a name that people would never forget once they heard it.
Moreover, Geng Hao has always been more tolerant of women, especially someone like Yao Xiaoniangzi, who comes from a poor background but doesn't wallow in self-pity and tries her best to make a living. He should take care of her business. When he encounters begging women on the street, even if he covers his nose because he thinks they are dirty, he will still take out his purse and give them money.
Even though Geng Niu said the woman was a habitual swindler who could almost afford a house in the outer city through begging, he still gave her money. He didn't know if the rumors were true or not, but the suffering people were right in front of him. Geng Hao was too lazy to worry about a few dozen coins, so he gave alms as soon as he saw them. As long as he felt comfortable, that was enough.
Anyway, he's not short of money.
There was no way around it; he was simply a rare find, a truly good person. Geng Hao nodded to himself with certainty, then went into his private room and plopped down in a seat.
Before long, Geng Niu and Geng Ma arrived carrying a large box of books, proudly piling everything in front of him, and said cheerfully, "Brother Hao, we bought a hardcover edition, which costs five strings of cash! These days, only we can afford hardcover editions, and they even gave us a lot of extra things. It's a great deal, look!"
Before Geng Hao could even turn the pages of the book, he spotted the pile of freebies and picked them up without any warning: "One Hundred True Questions from the Provincial and Prefectural Examinations from the First to the Eighth Year of the Baoyuan Era", "One Hundred Essential Poetry and Lyrics Exercises", "One Lesson and One Exercise on Policy Essays", and "Thirty Days to Prepare for the Imperial Examinations".
He choked on his breath, and after a long while, he asked Geng Niu with trembling hands, "...Are you trying to force me to my death?"
One hundred questions after another, when will he ever finish writing them?
Gengma scratched his head and chuckled, "That's all for the hardcover book. Hao-ge can take his time writing..."
Geng Hao rolled his eyes, touched the eight gold-embossed characters on the cover: "Three years to become a Jinshi, five years to become a Zhuangyuan"—it was truly a pipe dream, yet it inexplicably stirred a sense of hope within him. He then opened the large, thick purple book. The first page was the table of contents, and after reading only a line or two, he exclaimed with a touch of curiosity, "Huh?"
The table of contents features bold, dark text:
I. Analysis of the Scientific Expedition Syllabus and Core Knowledge Map
Part 1, Detailed Explanation of the Examination Structure
Curious, he turned to "Yi Jia" according to the page number shown in the table of contents.
What appeared before him was a strange picture.
The diagram, a tree-like image with words in individual boxes and connected by arrows, clearly marked the subjects and focuses of the three levels of examinations—the preliminary examination, the provincial examination, and the palace examination—from top to bottom. It also noted the key times and calculated the success rate of students from the Imperial Academy in each examination.
Upon closer inspection, Geng Hao's eyes, which had a lot of white showing, widened involuntarily.
He had never seen such a picture before. At first, he didn't understand it, but once he understood it, he felt as if his skull had been pried open, and he had an incredibly clear feeling.
With just one picture and without any superfluous words, the three major examinations of the imperial examination were explained clearly.
This thing... is something else.
Continue on.
Part One, Subject In-Depth Analysis
It's a picture, or maybe it's not a picture...
Geng Hao didn't know how to describe it.
It was a chart with square grids drawn in all directions, with the names of the various classics such as the Analects, Mencius, Poetry, History, Changes, Rites of Zhou, Book of Rites, and Spring and Autumn Annals marked horizontally, and the timeline of the imperial examination reform in the first year of the Baoyuan era listed the years before and after.
The middle cell contains the number of questions on these classic texts each year. In this way, the statistical comparison of the changes in the proportion of questions on "poetry, calligraphy, and interpretation of classic texts" in the imperial examinations over the years can be made.
There's even a small diagram next to it, with upright square pillars rising up along the vertical and horizontal lines of an "L" shape. The vertical lines are marked with the number of pillars, and the horizontal lines are the names of the sub-sections of the classics. The pillars of the classics that appear more frequently in the exams are taller, and the varying heights make it even more obvious. You can tell at a glance which classic is most frequently tested in the exams.
Geng Hao watched intently.
In the past, when the professors lectured, they would always say which scripture was the most important and then go on and on about why it was important. Geng Hao would forget it as soon as he heard it, and it would leave no trace in his mind. But now it was clear to him at a glance! He didn't need anyone to explain it to him. With just two pictures, he memorized everything.
Geng Hao couldn't help but marvel, "That's great, even a fool could understand it."
I don't know about the fool, but he understood it anyway!
The same applies further down the line. Charts and graphs were used to analyze which of the seven major topics in policy essays—border defense, official administration, the Green Sprouts Law, the Market Regulation Law, the Baojia Law, Wang Xiangong's Reform, and Fan Xiangong's Reform—was the most important and frequently tested.
Afterwards, not only were the essays by Prime Minister Fan and Prime Minister Wang, as well as the top three political essays of the past years, included, but also detailed explanations of why these brilliant writers were so good.
There was no lengthy explanation; regarding policy essays, only one bold, vermilion-colored sentence was written: "'The three-part method' is the general method for policy essays."
Only later did they concisely use ink to annotate.
Unconsciously, Geng Hao murmured the annotation aloud: "Policy essays originated from the policy examinations of the Han Dynasty. They were a genre of writing in which the court offered 'strategies and solutions' for specific matters of politics and governance. Therefore, the core of policy essays is 'practical application.' To promote good governance, one must not only put forward viewpoints but also cite historical materials, classics, or real-world cases as evidence to provide concrete and feasible solutions. Thus, regardless of the topic, one can break down the topic using a three-part structure: 'clarifying the topic, analyzing the causes and theories, and offering solutions.' This three-part structure can be further subdivided into two frameworks: general-specific-general and progressive argumentation..."
Geng Hao's hands trembled slightly, and his heart was beating a little fast. He swallowed hard.
He actually... understood it...
During lectures, the PhD would repeat "the key to solving a problem is to be clever" and "the key to setting a high standard" a hundred times, but he didn't know what "clever" or "high standard" meant. He would only know how to solve a problem once the PhD explained it, and he couldn't solve the next one.
This also made every question seem brand new to him. The questions recognized him, but he didn't recognize the questions. He learned like a headless fly, dabbling here and there, without any systematic understanding, and in a muddled way.
This is also why he doesn't like reading; he gets so sleepy while reading that he'd rather go home and sleep.
Now, however, he seems to know how to write policy essays...
Then, the book went on to explain the poems, essays, and classic texts one by one, which Geng Hao read without blinking.
After finishing the first section, the second section focused on the methods taught earlier, with corresponding "real exam question analysis and mock training". When Geng Hao saw those questions, he subconsciously tried to solve them using the methods mentioned earlier, and surprisingly, it went quite smoothly step by step!
This made his hands restless; at this moment, he felt incredibly strong!
But he refrained from writing and continued reading.
After the mock training comes the "Compilation of Past Exam Questions". The book includes classic exam questions from previous years, along with annotations from renowned teachers. Unlike the usual rough classification of "A, B, C, D", here A is defined as "90 to 100 points", B as "80 to 90 points", and so on.
This detailed breakdown means that every aspect of an article, from its formatting to its relevance to the topic, is supported by annotations. These annotations explain why the article was rated "A" or "B," whether for its rigorous formatting, its relevance to the theme, its elegant language, or its neat handwriting. There are even counterexamples, providing a comparison of why poorly written articles were rated "G".
Moreover, the graders also signed their names.
Dr. Yao is known for his sharp and direct comments, meticulous annotations, and the fact that his grading notes are often longer than the articles themselves. Dr. Jiang, on the other hand, is known for his gentle and encouraging remarks.
Lin Wen'an is just as sharp-tongued as Dr. Yao, but even more concise and reluctant to write an extra word.
Others may not know, but because of his distinguished family background, Geng Hao knew a great deal about the qualifications and inside stories of the various doctors at the Imperial Academy.
Dr. Yao and Dr. Jiang both set the imperial examination questions in the examination hall when they were young. Now both of them have retired and no longer serve as doctors in the Imperial Academy. But... is there any more convincing commentary on the examination papers than that of the people who set the questions?
As for Lin Wen'an, needless to say, his mere presence was enough to inspire confidence. However, when Geng Hao read the essay Lin Wen'an had graded, his lips twitched in a speechless manner.
When grading papers, Dr. Yao and Dr. Jiang not only gave scores, but also carefully pointed out what was good and what was bad, which gave Geng Hao a lot of insights.
What about Lin Wen'an? When he graded papers, besides giving scores, his comments were only "good", "acceptable", "poor", "very poor", "redundant", "grammatical errors", "mistakes", "a complete mess", and "why not use it for firewood?"
After reading it, Geng Hao took a deep breath, silently turned the page, and decided that he would not read any more of the ones he critiqued, since they were all worthless!
What's wrong with this person! Absolutely despicable!
The second section mostly consisted of explaining and practicing problems, and at the end there was a "Specialized Breakthrough" section with a huge pile of problems, and a book of model answers was also provided.
He glanced at them and realized that all the "answers" were written by Lin Wen'an himself, with annotations by Dr. Yao and Dr. Jiang. Geng Hao was astonished and did the math: he had actually written more than ten model essays for this "Three-Five" book!
His eyes widened in disbelief. Though he hadn't examined it closely, he knew from the handwriting and comments that Lin Wen'an's writing must be excellent. Wait, hadn't his father told him that the Arsenal was incredibly busy, and that Lin Wen'an stayed up until the palace gates closed every day? With such a heavy workload, how could he possibly have so much time to write this? Did he alone have twenty-four hours in a day?
It takes Geng Hao at least two or three days to write a policy essay. Sometimes, when he can't figure out how to approach the topic, he can rack his brains for more than ten days... Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly discovered that these model essays not only had Lin Wen'an's signature, but also the corresponding date.
Upon inspection, there were more than ten articles, which he had completed in just two days.
Geng Hao: "..." He'll fight him to the death!
Recalling that cold, deadpan face, Geng Hao felt even more jealous and angry, but he still read the book to the very end, unable to put it down.
Half an hour later, he finally finished reading the last page and let out a long sigh. He clutched the book to his chest, his expression somewhat dazed, and kept muttering to himself, "I think I really understand now."
He couldn't understand anything the teacher said before; he didn't know why it was written that way or interpreted that way.
After that, I became even less willing to attend classes.
But now he seems to understand. This is exactly what he's been missing; he needs someone to tell him this! Why didn't the doctors say this before? Now this book seems to have shown him a broad and promising path; he just needs to follow the map and move forward!
After reading it, he had a general impression that each part, from the initial knowledge analysis to the final exercises, was interconnected. The knowledge also progressed from easy to difficult, deepening step by step, and finally, a large number of exercises were used to consolidate this knowledge.
After finishing the book, he felt as if he wasn't actually human, but a stuffed duck from Manfeng Farm, and someone had mixed all the knowledge from the Four Books and Five Classics into flour and made steamed buns, then pried open his beak and stuffed it into his mouth without a care...
The final section, titled "Full-Scale Simulation Exam Papers," was designed with three sessions and nine volumes of exercises, modeled after the exam papers for provincial and prefectural examinations.
First session: One excerpt from the Analects and one from Mencius, plus one five-character poem.
The second session consisted of one essay each on the interpretations of the *Zhou Li* and the *Li Ji*, and one policy essay.
Final act: Five lines of text
Following this test paper is like taking an imperial examination.
Holding the book, Geng Hao suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the room twice. He still felt excited. When he looked at the pile of "one hundred questions" that Geng Niu and Geng Ma had just brought, he no longer found them glaring. Instead, his eyes were bright, and he wished he could write a hundred questions today!
Passing the imperial examination with flying colors is a piece of cake!
While Geng Hao was still excited in the private room, Cheng Shujun was standing in front of Yao's general store, his face flushed, waving his hands repeatedly at Yao Ruyi: "No, no, no... I really can't accept such valuable books."
The sky was overcast today, and it looked like it was going to rain heavily. Yao Ruyi was thinking about the clothes drying in the yard, so she stuffed the "Sanwu" book in her hand into his arms without saying a word: "Keep it. These are copies that were accidentally stained with ink or had incorrect page numbers during printing. There are several of them. They can't be sold, but the content is good and it won't affect your reading. If you take it, consider it my way of thanking you for helping me out these past few days."
Cheng Shujun instinctively hugged the stack of books, his ears turning bright red in an instant, at a loss for what to do.
Just now, when Yao Xiaoniangzi stuffed the book into his arms, her fingertips brushed against his arm. Cheng Shujun immediately froze like a clay sculpture, becoming a piece of wood. Even his throat felt like it was frozen. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Yao Ruyi didn't pay attention or notice anything. After talking to him, she saw Lin Weiming yawning as he came out of Lin Si Cao's house. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she ran towards Lin Weiming with the remaining few flawed copies of "Sanwu" in her arms: "Lin family's eldest son! Wait!"
The early spring air was chilly, and the wind stung his face slightly. Cheng Shujun watched as Yao Xiaoniangzi ran towards Lin Weiming. He noticed that she had also given Lin Da a set of books, which made Lin Weiming so happy that his mouth was practically stretched to his ears. However, a bitter smile appeared on his lips.
He glanced at the chubby gourd hanging on his schoolbag and fiddled with it for a while, somewhat forlorn.
Just like the gourds, after receiving them that day, he saw several more at Meng Boyuan and Lin Weiming's houses the next day. Little Stone even had four, with not only auspicious wishes for good fortune and health, but also blessings for five blessings and abundant wealth. At that time, Little Stone was chewing on a roasted sausage, swinging his chubby little legs, and said very proudly, "Sister Ruyi said I can choose any of them! I can have as many as I want!"
Lu Fang, Liu Huaiyan, and others also had them, as did Geng Hao's twelve servants.
In fact, he already knew then that in Yao Xiaoniangzi's heart, he was no different from anyone else.
She is kind to everyone because she is a kind person.
Cheng Shujun sighed and slowly walked into Zhixingzhai with his book in hand. Today was actually the day when the students of the Imperial Academy took a bath every ten days, but with the spring imperial examinations approaching, most of the students had not returned home, so Zhixingzhai was particularly lively. The seats in the study room were already full, and it was said that some people had come before dawn to reserve seats for their classmates; others were not afraid of the cold and brought their own stools, sitting in twos and threes under the corridor, reciting their lessons loudly.
He glanced into the tea room, which was also full, but fewer people than in the reading room.
Because today is also a "day off" for Wangwang, Yao Xiaoniangzi said that Wangwang has gained three pounds in the month since Zhixingzhai opened, so they set a rule of "two days off every five days". Today, it should be sent to Dr. Jiang's house to play with his lion cat.
Although he couldn't find an empty seat, he still went inside.
He noticed Lu Fang sitting in the corner, drinking milk tea with a plate of rice cakes in front of him. There was enough room for a stool to squeeze in next to him, so Cheng Shujun went over and sat down. Lu Fang had dark circles under his eyes. When he saw Cheng Shujun coming over, he nodded weakly as a greeting.
Cheng Shujun asked curiously, "What's wrong with you? Why are you reading so diligently?"
Lu Fang said with a bitter face, "Don't even mention it. Last time I drank a cup of Boya's Broken Strings during the day, and then I couldn't resist drinking a cup of Cloud Mist Gardenia at night. Now look what's happened! It's past midnight and I'm still wide awake, unable to sleep at all! Uncle Cong said before that the tea leaves in this milk tea are all top-quality and very invigorating, and told me not to drink it at night, but I didn't believe him. I guess I brought this on myself. Now I can't sleep at night and I feel sleepy during the day. I'm afraid I'll fall asleep during the lecture, so I have to drink a cup of milk tea to stay awake."
He paused, then became even more indignant: "It does keep me awake, but then I can't fall asleep at night! This cycle goes on and on, without end!"
Cheng Shujun was both amused and exasperated; only Lu Fang would have such bad luck happen to him.
Fortunately, he was short of money and had never ordered milk tea.
Lu Fang sighed. He also felt that his luck was bad, but fortunately they were all minor matters, so he didn't care. He sighed again and took out his book to continue reading.
Seeing him reading, Cheng Shujun hurriedly opened the book in his pocket, "Three Years to Jinshi, Five Years to Zhuangyuan," intending only to flip through it casually, but he couldn't stop once he started. Like Geng Hao, he felt his mind suddenly become clear. Because he was already diligent, he understood the book thoroughly, and reading it was even more beneficial. Although many of the ideas in the book were novel, they actually coincided with the methods he had painstakingly summarized before—truly a good book!
He was so engrossed in his reading that he read for two hours straight. Only when his legs went numb and his stomach was bloated with water did he stagger out to the outhouse, but he was still thinking about continuing to read, so he hurriedly returned and started reading again.
He was so engrossed in his reading that it was already dark when a young man suddenly rushed in, indignantly saying, "Fellow students! I'm so angry! My neighbor's son studies at Biyong Academy, and just now he and some other students from Biyong Academy mocked us for being privileged children who got in through patronage. They said that if we weren't born into good families, we wouldn't have the chance to study! They even said that Biyong Academy has produced several outstanding students from humble backgrounds, and that next month in the spring imperial examinations, they will surely surpass the Imperial Academy again and sweep the top three spots!"
In the tea room, several students suddenly stood up and cursed, "Which bastard farted like that? The top three students from our Imperial Academy last year and the year before were both here, why didn't they say anything then? Now they're acting so arrogantly!"
Someone pondered, "I seem to have heard about this as well. I've heard that there is indeed a remarkable person at Biyong Academy who topped the list in the ten-year examination last year. Our school's doctor is related to Dr. Feng from Biyong Academy. We found his exam paper and saw that it was indeed well-written. Perhaps that's why they made such a statement."
"That's incredibly arrogant!"
"That's right! We haven't even had a chance to laugh at them for being a bunch of remnants of the previous dynasty, poor peasants! And they're already cursing us! How can the blessings our parents earned be something to be ashamed of! I study by lamplight until the wee hours every night! No, I'm so angry! Tonight I'm going to thoroughly study these three or five, and when the imperial examinations come around, I'll definitely crush their arrogance! What a bunch of scoundrels!"
"Take me with you!" "I'm not going back to Zhixingzhai today!"
"Oh, right..." another person's eyes darted around, "You guys also need to keep your mouths shut, don't let this book get out, don't let the people from Biyong Academy know about it!"
Everyone started plotting how to keep it a secret again. Cheng Shujun didn't get involved, only realizing later that the book he carried had become so popular that almost everyone had a copy in just one day. He was also grateful to Yao Xiaoniangzi for giving him the book; otherwise, he probably wouldn't be able to buy one now.
Just then, a heavy rain began to fall outside the window.
Disturbed by the sound of rain again, Cheng Shujun hurriedly turned to close the window beside him, only to see Yao Xiaoniangzi close her umbrella and rush in. He paused, his gaze instinctively following her to the counter, where he heard her urgently speaking to Uncle Cong, who was wiping cups and saucers in the tea room:
"Uncle Cong, did Second Uncle forget to bring a raincoat and umbrella when he went out today?"
Uncle Cong paused for a moment, then nodded: "I didn't bring any." He turned to look at the rain again, "Why did it suddenly start raining so heavily?"
Cheng Shujun noticed that Yao Xiaoniangzi frowned, a rare sight, and her eyes quickly filled with worry and concern. She said softly, "Second Uncle has been coming home lately no matter how late he is busy. What are we going to do with this heavy rain?"
Cong Bo thought for a moment and comforted her, "It's alright. There are eunuchs in the palace to take care of you. They will definitely not let Erlang get wet in the rain. Don't worry, young lady."
Yao Ruyi remained silent, standing there for a moment before making up her mind. "Of all the people in the family now, I'm the one with the most free time. I'll take Da Huang to deliver a raincoat and umbrella to Second Uncle. Uncle Cong, please take good care of things here! I'll be right back!"
Before she could finish speaking, and without waiting for Uncle Cong to stop her, she opened her umbrella and ran into the continuous rain.
Cheng Shujun's gaze followed her figure out again, and he felt his heart fall into the heavy rain with her, feeling wet and heavy.
How could the palace lack umbrellas? Not to mention that there are guards at every palace gate, even if you get to the palace gate, do you think the imperial guards would just sit idly by? Cheng Shujun lowered his head and gave a bitter laugh.
It's just that I want to see him, which is why I'm so concerned and confused, like someone who's too close to the situation to see clearly.
Yao Ruyi didn't think much of it. She went back home and quickly wrapped the raincoat and umbrella in oil paper. She also put a small straw hat and a raincoat on Dahuang. Before, Uncle Yu went to Ma Xing Street to buy bird hats and clothes for the birds and bought a few raincoats for dogs to give to her.
She couldn't help but chuckle when she received it, thinking to herself, "They actually sell this kind of thing in cat and dog shops? And people actually buy it!"
Now that she's been proven wrong, she's putting it to use.
She picked up the dog, opened the large umbrella, and hurried out the door.
Although Cong Bo assured her there was no need to worry, as the eunuchs would take care of things, she was still uneasy—she knew that at this hour, Lin Wen'an would certainly not trouble the eunuchs with such matters. It had rained last time he returned, but it was only a light drizzle, so it was fine without an umbrella.
He came back alone, soaked in the rain, without any attendants.
Yao Ruyi noticed that he was soaked from head to toe and complained about what was going on in the palace, that they wouldn't even give him an umbrella.
Lin Wen'an casually dusted off his robe and said indifferently, "Most of the young eunuchs working in the palace are only twelve or thirteen years old. They get up before dawn every day to work, and they are never free from morning till night. I cannot protect others, but I can do my best to help the two eunuchs who follow me, so they don't need to work so hard." When it was time for him to finish his shift, if he wanted to stay and work, he would send the eunuchs to eat and rest on their own, and sternly order them to leave, forbidding them from returning to serve him.
Therefore, Yao Ruyi guessed that today would be no different.
Besides, his legs will hurt on rainy days.
Yao Ruyi led Dahuang and carried a lantern as she braved the rain. Although she was wearing a raincoat, a straw hat, and carrying an umbrella, the wind and rain were still fierce today. By the time she reached the palace gate, half of her clothes were wet, her hair was soaked, and the stray hairs at her temples clung to her face, making her look somewhat disheveled. The wind even made her feel a little cold.
The imperial guards on duty at the palace gate looked over warily, about to reprimand her, when suddenly the heavy bolt on the door inside moved, and the locked door opened a crack wide enough for one person. The guards, as if they were used to this, immediately turned around respectfully and bowed deeply: "Greetings, Lord Lin."
Lin Wen'an responded in a slightly hoarse voice, rubbing his aching temples, and stepped out of the palace gate amidst the sound of rain.
He was extremely tired today. Although the backfire of the newly built flare oil torch had been greatly improved, there was still a chance of the barrel exploding. He had been calculating this all day, but had not yet found the problem.
At this moment, his mind was still filled with the constantly flowing formulas and numbers, spontaneously reorganizing within him. He had calculated it countless times; the numbers he derived were definitely correct. So, what was wrong? Was it the gunpowder's purity that was insufficient, or was there an error in the craftsman's casting of the bronze...?
"Second Uncle!"
"Woof!"
He suddenly froze, raising his eyes in astonishment.
The rain was pouring down, and lanterns swayed beneath the palace walls. In the hazy yellow glow of the rain, a smiling face was illuminated. Her hair was slightly damp, and her eyelashes were wet and clumps hung down. Her eyes, however, seemed to be washed brighter by the night rain, reflecting the candlelight in the lanterns and warming her exhausted body.
Big Yellow was also dressed strangely, and it wagged its tail and barked at him a few times.
The rain pelted down, seemingly piercing his bones and striking his heart. His heart skipped a beat, and he gazed at her silently and restrainedly, his fingertips slightly curled.
"I knew I was right! And you came at just the right time!" Yao Ruyi, oblivious to his odd behavior, happily greeted him, handing him the umbrella and raincoat. Although her own fingertips were trembling from the cold, she seemed unconcerned. "Quickly take off your cloak, wear this..."
Before she could finish speaking, Yao Ruyi was pulled into a strong embrace. She was stunned, and the umbrella and raincoat in her hands fell to the ground.
Just now, Lin Wen'an took a step towards her, grabbed her arm with one hand, and loosened the cloak tie under her neck with the other.
He unfurled his dark cloak, lowered his eyelashes, and leaned down slightly to wrap her cold body in his arms.
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Before Geng Hao started practicing coding problems: I'm terrifyingly strong!!
After doing practice problems: I'll never boast again [crying emoji]
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