Nine days passed in the blink of an eye.
Generally speaking, you can tolerate sitting in that spot on the first day, but by the second day, you'll be terribly suffocated by the fumes, not to mention the third day.
Ning Hong tried her best to calm herself down, sprayed some peppermint water on her clothes, and covered her nose so that she could get through the nine days smoothly.
This is absolutely terrifying.
I hope I can pass the exam on my first try and never have to suffer like this again.
Ning Hong staggered out of the examination room.
His face was pale.
"Brother, here, here."
Ning Nuonuo arranged for a carriage to wait at the entrance of the examination hall.
Yang Lian was standing next to her.
Yang Lian was taken aback when she saw Ning Hongze like this.
I never imagined that the imperial examination would be so terrifying. Even someone as strong as Ning Hongze ended up in such a sorry state, reeking of sourness.
"Nuonuo, stay away from me, I really smell terrible."
He thought for a moment, then took out a small bottle of floral water and sprinkled some on himself.
He prefers peppermint water to strong-smelling perfumes.
This mint water is refreshing and elegant, with a minty aroma that is invigorating and can also repel mosquitoes.
"Brother, what's that smell? It smells so good."
"This is peppermint water, used to repel mosquitoes."
"This water can repel mosquitoes?" Ning Nuonuo curiously took the bottle of mint water and sprinkled some on her wrist. "It smells so good."
"If you like it, you can have it."
"Thank you, brother."
Ning Nuonuo accepted them without hesitation. Her brother always gave her many strange and unusual things. From being surprised and astonished at first to now taking it for granted, Ning Nuonuo could only say that she had gotten used to it.
"Hey, brother, brother."
Next to Ning Nuonuo's, there was another carriage, which was quite luxurious.
Even the coachmen sitting outside driving the carriage exuded a certain spirit, somewhat different from their own coachmen.
He was feeling dizzy when he smelled a refreshing minty scent.
His eyes lit up immediately, and he called out to Ning Hongze.
"What is it?"
Ning Hong paused for a moment, pointed at herself, and saw the richly dressed man in the carriage next to her nod before she asked.
This is also a pitiful child.
Although he was close to the stinking cell, the child simply sat down on it.
This is really bad luck.
Several times, I saw him cover his nose with a handkerchief, and whenever someone needed to use the toilet, he couldn't help but gag.
The child looked young, with snow-white skin, clearly from a wealthy family. After nine days of testing, his snow-white skin turned deathly pale.
It looks rather pitiful.
Ning Hong knew this person.
The boy's name is Han Tianbao. He is only sixteen years old this year, but he has quite a reputation in the capital. This is because he was last year's top-ranked student in the imperial examination.
He is exceptionally talented.
Unfortunately, his talent was accompanied by his spoiled nature.
However, judging from his performance in the examination room, Ning Hong felt that these rumors were likely spread by people who were jealous of his talent.
"Brother, could I have some of that perfume from earlier?"
“Isn’t this the Liang family’s perfume?” Ning Hong wasn’t stingy and handed another small bottle to Han Tianbao.
Four years ago, Liang Huixue began her entrepreneurial journey.
The perfumes and soaps they launched were very popular in Beijing and also sold quite well in the surrounding areas.
"Yes, Miss Liang is very intelligent. I heard that she received guidance from an immortal when she was young, which gave her a book in her mind, so she can always make some very special things. A while ago, she even made something called lipstick. It was very popular with countless noble ladies."
Speaking of Liang Huixue, this young master has met her a few times.
When Liang Huixue was offering incense, she saved his sister, who then became her confidante. It was because of this that the two of them got engaged.
He was quite fond of this girl at the time, but unfortunately, not long after their engagement, she suddenly broke off the engagement.
A while ago, I heard that she married the Sixth Prince.
Although he was somewhat disappointed, he wasn't too sad. After all, a woman like that was not someone like him who could control her.
Han Tianbao took the mint water.
The refreshing minty fruit smells wonderful.
It made him feel much better immediately.
"Brother, thank you so much! How much is this mint water? I..."
"Let's be friends since we're both taking the exam together," Ning Hong waved her hand and got into the carriage.
A breeze blew, and the carriage curtains fluttered.
Ning Nuonuo leaned against the window, and when her gaze met Han Tianbao's, she gave him a sweet smile, which instantly captivated Han Tianbao, leaving him mesmerized.
What a lovely girl!
"Young master, young master."
The coachman noticed that his young master was staring intently at the other man's carriage, and even after the carriage had driven far away, his gaze remained fixed on it.
She hurriedly reached out and nudged him, saying, "Young Master, this servant has been rude."
"ah?"
Suddenly snapping back to reality, I felt a sense of loss.
"They've already left?"
He murmured to himself, his gaze involuntarily drifting over again, but the carriage had long since disappeared into the distance, leaving no trace.
"Young master, have you taken a fancy to that young lady?"
"Don't talk nonsense, lest you ruin the young lady's reputation."
Such a lovely girl deserves the best.
"Since the young master likes her, why not ask the madam to come and propose marriage?" Given the young master's status in the Han family, this is a trivial matter.
Even if this girl is just a poor girl, as long as the young master likes her, the madam should be satisfied. Not to mention, the girl's brother and the young master are candidates in the same examination.
"No, I don't know this girl well, and I don't know what kind of person she is, so I shouldn't be too hasty." Han Tianbao shook his head.
His father said that when choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous one. If she is not virtuous, it is better to marry a well-behaved and obedient one, even if she is a little silly, than a troublemaker.
Back when his sister strongly urged him to marry Liang Huixue, his father objected, saying that Liang Huixue was not suitable for him. Sure enough, only half a year after the engagement was set, she got together with the prince.
If his father hadn't been the imperial tutor, this prince might have come to give him a dressing down.
Thinking back to the day the prince sent someone to visit, and how his father's face turned pale and then flushed, looking extremely unpleasant, Han Tianbao couldn't help but curl his lips into a slight smile of schadenfreude.
"I never imagined that Brother Han would be the son of the Grand Tutor?" The man who came to the door was a confidant of the Sixth Prince, who had been by the Sixth Prince's side since childhood.
However, thanks to the Sixth Prince, he managed to get a minor official position to make ends meet.
Of course he had met his father.
Han Tianbao never mentioned his father to outsiders, so others naturally did not know that Han Tianbao was actually the son of the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty.
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