Chapter 148: Provincial Examination Results
Not long after, the crowd waiting for the announcement in front of the Provincial Administration Office suddenly became lively. As the heavy door of the Provincial Administration Office slowly opened, a clerk walked out.
The time to announce the results has finally arrived.
As the red cloth covering the Dragon and Tiger List was ripped off, cheers and groans rang out one after another, and the crowd's excitement reached its peak!
"I won! I won! Hahahaha!!!"
A sharp-eyed candidate caught sight of his name on the list, jumped up like crazy, and then sat on the ground, crying and laughing.
The students around began to anxiously look for their names on the list. Some of them had solemn expressions, while others showed ecstasy that was difficult to conceal.
On the second floor of the teahouse, Zhu Lan, Qiao Youyou and Xiao Wan sat quietly. From such a distance, they naturally couldn't see the list clearly.
"Lanlan, let's go down and check the list!" Qiao Youyou stood up and urged.
Xiao Wan looked at Qiao Youyou, then at Zhu Lan, but did not stand up. A hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes.
Zhu Lan seemed unusually calm. She took a sip of the clear tea and cast a calm gaze at the crowd outside the window.
"Don't worry." She said softly, "The situation has been determined. Whether it's early or late, the result will be the same. Why bother to squeeze with so many people?"
"Oh, I can't wait!" Qiao Youyou stomped her feet, "Okay, if you guys don't go, I'll go and see it first!"
After saying that, he hurried downstairs, and before leaving, he did not forget to glare at Yang Xin fiercely.
Soon, a man walked up to the second floor and excitedly shouted loudly for everyone to hear:
"Congratulations to Master Yang Xin for being on the list! Congratulations to Master Yang Xin for being on the list!"
He even said it twice on purpose, as if he was afraid that others didn't hear him.
"It's him!" Xiao Wan suddenly touched Zhu Lan's arm and looked at the person who spoke.
Zhu Lan looked up and saw a red scar on the man's left cheek. It seemed that he was the one who kidnapped Zhao Sicheng.
"Don't make it public for now, so as not to alert the enemy." Zhu Lan said in a low voice.
Xiao Wan nodded, suppressing the anger in her eyes.
Yang Xin glanced at Zhu Lan with great pride and asked his attendant:
"Did you see the ranking clearly?"
"My lord, a total of 216 people were selected in this autumn examination, and you are ranked 87th on the Dragon and Tiger List!" the attendant with a birthmark on his left cheek said loudly.
This announcement was like a stone thrown into a lake, causing ripples. A low murmur of discussion suddenly rang out in the teahouse.
It is not easy to make the list in such fierce competition, and the 87th place, which is already in the top half!
"Could this be the son of the new magistrate, Lord Yang? Congratulations!"
"Oh, Young Master Yang is handsome and promising, he is truly a young talent!"
Many people came forward to congratulate.
Yang Xin had a proud smile on his face, knowing that his performance was impressive enough. He stood up and bowed to the people around him, as a response to the compliments.
After dealing with everyone, Yang Xin walked up to Xiao Wan and Zhu Lan, with pride in the corners of his eyes.
"Girls, why don't you go down and check the list? Are you worried about something?"
Zhu Lan and Xiao Wan looked at each other. Neither of them wanted to pay attention to Yang Xin, so they just looked out the window.
Yang Xin was disappointed, and thought that the two girls must be unsure, so he called the attendant and said, "Go, check the results for these two girls!"
The attendant had seen Xiao Wan, but did not know Zhu Lan, so he bent over and asked her name.
Zhu Lan reported his name calmly, but his heart was not as calm as he appeared.
The people who came to participate in the autumn examination were not only talented people from Jiangzhou, but also all the talented people. Although she was confident that she could be on the list, she was not sure whether she could stand out among so many talented people.
After all, there is always someone better than you.
Thinking of the impulsive bet between Qiao Youyou and Yang Xin, Zhu Lan felt a headache. He was thinking about how to deal with the situation if something unexpected happened and he was not as skilled as the other person.
As soon as the servant left, Qiao Youyou came back, but she didn't look very happy.
"How?" Zhu Lan asked.
“I passed…” Qiao Youyou touched the back of her head, pouted and glanced at Yang Xin, and said reluctantly, “It’s just that I only ranked around 100.”
Xiao Wan asked: "Have you seen our names?"
Qiao Youyou made a bitter face and shook her head, saying, “I just found mine when I was squeezed away by the people behind me.”
When Yang Xin heard that Qiao Youyou was only ranked over 100th, he sneered in extreme contempt.
"Miss, I am really happy for you. Fortunately, you didn't bet your grades. Otherwise, the sound of dogs barking would be heard in this nice teahouse. Hahahaha..."
Hahaha, fuck you! Qiao Youyou glared at him hatefully.
At this time, the attendant who went to check the list came back and said to the others:
"Ms. Xiao Wan, ranked 58th in high school."
Xiao Wan heaved a long sigh of relief when she heard this.
The smile on Yang Xin's face fell a little. He didn't expect Xiao Wan to be so amazing! His original intention to show off disappeared instantly, and he felt embarrassed.
He put on a generous smile and said, "Ms. Xiao Wan is extremely talented and capable, and she is as capable as any man. I really admire her very much. I really admire her very much!
You and I are both on the list, it's a double blessing, how about going boating on the lake together to celebrate?"
"Bah, you're like a dog-skin plaster, you can't get rid of it!" Qiao Youyou was not polite at all, "I've rejected you so obviously, can't you see it?"
Yang Xin was almost annoyed to death by this rude and ignorant girl, and said angrily: "I will not bother with you because you are a woman. Don't forget, we still have a bet!
Although Miss Xiao Wan ranks higher than me, you are not betting on her results."
After that, Yang Xin looked at the attendant and asked with a gloomy face: "Did you see someone named Zhu Lan on the list?"
The attendant bowed his head and said, "I haven't seen her yet. I will report back as soon as I find Miss Xiao Wan."
Yang Xin looked at Qiao Youyou and sneered, "Did you hear that? This Miss Zhu Lan might not even be on the list. So, are you going to learn to bark like a guard dog or a wild dog?"
At this moment, music was heard again downstairs, this time with a more festive style than before.
After the music stopped, a high-pitched voice came:
"Listen, scholars, now we will announce the top six candidates for this provincial examination. After rigorous selection by the examiners, the following scholars have outstanding literary talent and outstanding skills:
The first place winner is Zhu Lan, a native of Zhaoping County, Jiangzhou City!"
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