Chapter 436 Junjun, how are you feeling?
The female official looked up and gave Jiang Wanjun an appreciative glance. "No need."
"Let her in."
Jiang Wanjun breathed a sigh of relief, bowed excitedly to the leading female official, picked up her bundle, and turned to leave.
Jiang Wanjun stayed in the academy for three days and three nights.
They were released on the fourth day after all the exams were completed.
"Junjun, how are you feeling?"
The Marquis of Ningyuan and his wife, as well as Jiang Wanjun's parents, were not present. Shen Ruzhi stood outside waiting for Jiang Wanjun.
Jiang Wanjun smiled and said, "It was alright, but there was one subject where I felt I didn't perform very well."
Shen Ruzhi knew that Jiang Wanjun would be affected to some extent this time because of Jiang Wanning's matter.
She patted your shoulder gently. "It's okay. If you don't pass this time, we can try again next time. No one will force you to get married."
"If all else fails, come to Western Xia, and I'll give you an official position."
Shen Ruzhi said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, and Jiang Wanjun thanked Shen Ruzhi for her kindness, "I still want to wait for the results of the imperial examination."
"Jun Jun." Mu Yunzhou came out of the boys' college, searching for Jiang Wanjun in the crowd. "Jun Jun, shall I take you somewhere?"
Jiang Wanjun was taken aback by Mu Yunzhou's sudden action and didn't know how to respond.
Stunned, Jiang Wanjun only reacted after Shen Ruzhi gave her a push, "Okay."
Mu Yunzhou glanced gratefully at Shen Ruzhi, reached out to take Jiang Wanjun's hand, but then felt it was inappropriate and gestured for her to follow.
Why did you bring me here?
Jiang Wanjun looked at the pavilion in the suburbs, the place where they used to compose poems together.
"I want to tell you that even if you don't do well on this exam, I'll be there for you to retake it," Mu Yunzhou said earnestly. "It's just four years, isn't it?"
“It’s okay if we wait a little longer. We can take the exam again in four years. I don’t want you to lose your fighting spirit because of this failure.”
Jiang Wanjun finally understood the meaning behind Mu Yunzhou's actions. "Do you think that because of my sister's matter, I will be distracted and won't want to take the exam again if I don't do well this time?"
Mu Yunzhou lowered his head and remained silent.
Jiang Wanjun suddenly laughed and said, "Of course I'm sad and worried about my sister's disappearance."
"But that's precisely why I need to work even harder. I still have my uncle and aunt, my parents, and Shi An to take care of."
"Only in this way can I live up to my sister's expectations. I can't keep being so down and making them worry."
Mu Yunzhou raised his head, his eyes unreadable. "So, you did pretty well this time?"
Jiang Wanjun nodded, "It felt the same as usual, except there was one subject I wasn't very good at, so I probably didn't perform very well."
"And you?"
Mu Yunzhou forced a smile, "I'm just like you, pretty much the same."
"Then we'll see you in three days when the results are released," Jiang Wanjun said with a smile.
Mu Yunzhou nodded blankly.
Three days later.
On the day the results were announced, Jiang Wanjun arrived at the entrance of the examination hall early, but Mu Yunzhou was nowhere to be seen.
"Jun Jun, what are you looking for?" Shen Ruzhi asked, noticing that Jiang Wanjun seemed distracted.
"No, it's nothing."
Shen Ruzhi followed the gaze and glanced over. "I heard that during Mu Yunzhou's exam, he deliberately didn't answer one of the questions properly and just went to sleep."
Jiang Wanjun then understood what Mu Yunzhou had said when he asked her to go to the pavilion that day.
Was he afraid that he wouldn't pass the exam and wanted to retake it with him?
"This idiot," Jiang Wanjun muttered to herself, "After studying so hard for so many years, how can he be so childish?"
"How can one do without the word 'love'?" Shen Ruzhi said with a smile. "Junjun, you should really think carefully about Mu Yunzhou's feelings for you."
"Although he is a bit dull, it is rare to find a man who is so affectionate."
Jiang Wanjun lowered her head shyly and remained silent.
Suddenly someone shouted, "The results are out! The results are out!"
"I passed the exam! I passed the exam!"
"Who is the top scholar? Who is the top scholar?"
Everyone went to see the first place winner, and Jiang Wanjun, hearing the noise, also looked up.
"Junjun, you came in third." Shen Ruzhi pointed to the list and said to Jiang Wanjun, "You passed the exam, you passed the exam."
Jiang Wanjun looked up and saw her name.
People around her turned to look at Jiang Wanjun when they heard the noise.
"The third-ranked scholar is actually a woman!" someone exclaimed in surprise.
Everyone congratulated Jiang Wanjun, and some even began to inquire about her identity and whether she was married.
Previously, it was all about finding a son-in-law after the exam results were announced; now there's an additional requirement: finding a daughter-in-law after the exam results are announced.
Jiang Wanjun thanked the people around her and followed Shen Ruzhi through the crowd to get into the carriage.
"Jun Jun, you're amazing," Shen Ruzhi said.
If Ningning hadn't gone missing, it wouldn't have been impossible for Jiang Wanjun to have become the top scholar in the imperial examination.
Jiang Wanjun said absentmindedly, "If it weren't for Bu Muyunzhou and others deliberately not doing well on the exam, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to become the third-ranked scholar."
"You don't need to blame yourself. If you both had done very well on the test, the result would probably have been the same."
As the two were talking, Jiang Wanjun was somewhat absent-minded. She lifted the curtain and looked outside, when she suddenly saw a familiar figure.
"Stop the car! Stop the car now!" Jiang Wanjun shouted loudly.
The carriage stopped, and Jiang Wanjun rushed off the carriage without even saying goodbye to Shen Ruzhi.
Shen Ruzhi looked out through the curtain at Mu Yunzhou, who was wandering aimlessly down the street.
"Master, shall we continue?" the coachman asked.
Let's go.
Jiang Wanjun rushed up to Mu Yunzhou. Mu Yunzhou was startled at first, then turned around and quickened his pace to leave.
"I thought you were held up by something and couldn't come, but it seems you were deliberately avoiding me," Jiang Wanjun said without chasing after him.
Mu Yunzhou stopped in his tracks, and Jiang Wanjun continued, "Is it because you deliberately didn't do well on the exam, that you didn't pass while I did, that you're avoiding me?"
"Since you've already passed the exam, it's impossible for us anyway, so I naturally can't bother you. I understand."
"If you fail this time, will you fail next time?" Jiang Wanjun questioned.
"In four years, I have spent all my savings to take the imperial examination. If it weren't for the prince and princess, I would have given up long ago."
Mu Yunzhou said, "If I have to wait another four years, I can't hold on."
“Who said we have to wait four years?” Jiang Wanjun said. “The prince has already submitted a memorial proposing that the imperial examinations be changed to once a year.”
"Why don't you come and participate again at this time next year?"
Mu Yunzhou was moved. He looked down at the frayed edges of his sleeves and said, "A year, and I..."
"Then marry me." Before Mu Yunzhou could finish speaking, Jiang Wanjun interrupted, "If you marry me, I will support your studies."
Mu Yunzhou was stunned for a long time.
Jiang Wanjun said with a hint of disappointment, "Are you unwilling? Do you despise me for being a divorced woman? If that's the case, then forget it. Just pretend I didn't say those words today."
After Jiang Wanjun finished speaking, she turned around and prepared to leave.
Mu Yunzhou called out from behind, "I..."
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