Chapter 41: Queue? We have VIP access
Although I found a tea stall with a seat, the downside was that it was too far away from the Imperial Examination Hall and I couldn't see what was going on at the entrance.
Zhu Chao was a child after all, and after drinking a few sips of water, he wanted to urinate.
Du Lanfang took Zhu Chao out to find a toilet, and Zhu Yuanou asked her to stop by the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall to see if people had already started entering.
Du Lanfang was extremely unhappy, but he didn't know how to say anything.
She took Zhu Chao to the toilet. When they passed by the entrance to the Imperial Examination Hall, they saw people from the county government coming out and announcing that the candidates could now line up for verification and entry.
When the candidates nearby heard the noise, they all swarmed to the verification area.
Because of the need to conduct body searches to prevent cheating, male and female students were divided into two teams, and the county government specially arranged women to check and search the female students.
In the blink of an eye, a long queue had formed in front of the county government office.
The candidates who were a little slower were shocked when they saw the length of the line.
Let's line up. The sun is scorching overhead and the heat is unbearable.
I would rather wait until everyone else has entered the examination room before queuing up, but I’m afraid that I’ll enter the examination room at the wrong time and won’t be able to get a good seat.
What else can I do? I can only grit my teeth and queue up!
…
Du Lanfang deliberately waited for a while at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall, and only returned to the tea stall when he saw that the line was long enough.
When he heard that it was time to line up to enter, Mr. Zhu stood up suddenly.
"Hurry, get in line! Run!"
The county examination was held in small rooms in the Imperial Examination Hall. Candidates only had corresponding examination room numbers and there were no seat restrictions.
In such hot weather, everyone naturally scrambles to sit in the shade farther away from the window.
Otherwise, if I sit in the sun for two hours, I would probably faint before I finish the test paper.
Since we entered late, there was no good seat.
When Zhu Lan, Qin Yuwei and Qiao Youyou rushed over, almost all the candidates were already queuing up.
The three of them could only be ranked last.
Mr. Zhu was so angry that he smashed his crutch on the ground several times, regretting it so much!
If I had known earlier, I should have stood guard at the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall and never left.
This is bad!
Pei Yue also had a distressed look on her face. In such a hot day, she had to endure so much suffering just waiting to enter.
Qiao Youyou suggested buying an umbrella, but the umbrella stall on the roadside had already been sold out by the students lining up in front of her!
The three of them could only stand under the scorching sun. Soon their skin became sunburned and they began to sweat.
"Dad, it's all my fault. Chao'er is too young and can't walk fast..."
Du Lanfang looked extremely anxious and self-blaming, and even wiped the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief.
Zhu Chao is also the old man’s favorite. He would not blame a three-year-old kid, right?
For a moment the aroma of tea filled the air.
"You won't run with him?"
Zhu Yuanou felt that his daughter-in-law was even more useless, and he felt upset every time he looked at her for one more second.
Du Lanfang put away the handkerchief in disappointment, but when he looked at Zhu Lan and others at the end of the line, he couldn't help feeling happy.
Humph, don’t you like to show off?
With the sun so bright above our heads, it’s hard to say whether we will be awake or not by the time we enter the tribute hall.
Still want to get good grades? It's just a dream.
"Where are Zhao Hu, Li Yulong and Qian Zhou?" A man in official uniform suddenly called out the names of several candidates.
Zhu Yuanou looked in the direction of the voice and saw someone from the government office.
There were several candidates in the line who were looking around nervously. When their names were suddenly called, their faces turned pale instantly.
They stood up trembling, and one of them knelt down because his legs were weak.
"Get it!"
At the officer's command, several candidates whose names were called were immediately pressed to the ground!
Everyone was frightened by this scene and watched in fear as the officers took those people away.
"The government office has received a secret report that some candidates are suspected of colluding to cheat in this county exam. We have solid evidence. The rest of the students don't need to panic."
The leading officer said.
The students around just breathed a sigh of relief when they heard the officer calling out a few more names.
"Where are Qin Yuwei, Qiao Youyou, and Zhu Lan?"
The three of them were standing too far away and couldn't hear clearly.
But I wish that Grandpa and the others heard it carefully.
Zhu Yuanou turned pale, and Du Lanfang beside him bravely said:
"Sir, they are at..." and pointed to the end of the team.
Zhu Yuanou glared at her angrily, looking at her as if she was just hoping for chaos in the world!
"Dad, they're people from the government office..." Du Lanfang felt a little guilty, but he wanted to see what would happen.
Could it be that those girls also cheated and were caught by the government?
That was quite a blast!
Once cheaters in the imperial examination are discovered, they will be banned from taking the examination for life!
Du Lanfang's heart beat faster and he couldn't help but crane his neck to look over there.
She had long said that Zhu Lan was a hopeless case. If he hadn't cheated, how could he have gotten such a score!
Catch them, catch them all!
The officer walked towards Zhu Lan and the others, his tone much gentler.
"I've been looking for you for quite some time. All the people recommended by the government are here, except for you three."
"Thank you, sir."
Several people hurriedly thanked the official and followed him to the Imperial Examination Hall.
Once I got to the shade, I felt the temperature drop suddenly, and I breathed a sigh of relief as if I had escaped death.
Qiao Youyou looked at the long dragon-like team behind her.
Phew, luckily we have VIP channel!
Du Lanfang was stunned.
Isn't it cheating...why aren't they arrested?
Are these idiots in the government office mistaken?
And took them directly into the Imperial Examination Hall?
So many people are still queuing!!!
Someone nearby said enviously:
"These kids are really amazing. With the government's recommendation, they are basically guaranteed to be students."
"Yes, yes, it would be great if my child could have this blessing too!"
The government office...recommends...
Du Lanfang felt like he was in terrible condition and was about to vomit blood.
He said he felt dizzy and took Zhu Chao back to the carriage.
"Mom, what's wrong with you?" Xiao Zhu Chao waved his little hand and touched Du Lanfang's face.
"Mom is fine, she just had a heart attack."
…
What follows is the normal process of the county examination.
Verify facial features, conduct body searches, etc.
The body search was very strict, especially for women. In order to prevent smuggling, they were only allowed to wear one hairpin as jewelry on their body.
Naturally, Qiao Youyou was asked to take off her gold lock and have it kept by a special person. She could only receive it after the exam.
"Oh, well. I finally don't have to wear the school uniform..."
The Hu father always asked her to carry the golden locket with her, and she usually kept it hidden on her body.
Today I finally got to wear it out.
She said this but cooperated by taking off the golden lock.
There are two county examinations in total, which are completed in two sessions in the morning and afternoon.
Candidates are not allowed to leave the examination room during the examination and must stay in their seats. Lunch will be distributed by the county government at noon. If they want to rest, they can only lie on the table for a nap.
For Zhu Lan, this county exam was not difficult as he had practiced it with Master Cen many times before the exam.
Even the title of the article is almost the same as the one suggested by Master Cen.
After the afternoon exam was over, Zhu Lan walked out of the room and stretched. At the same time, he saw Qiao Youyou and others walking out of different rooms.
Everyone greeted each other and it seemed that everyone was answering the questions smoothly.
Zhou Da and Xu Shiming were walking together, asking each other about the situation, when they happened to run into Liang Zhou.
"The exam is over, why think about useless things? Come on, let's go play polo!" Liang Zhou called Gu Chaoyang and others again.
Xu Shiming walked outside the Imperial Examination Hall and did not forget to pick up a handful of copper coins from the turtle in the wishing well.
…
Some distance away from the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall, in a place invisible from outside, Xiao Wan was waiting for Zhao Sicheng.
She asked Zhao Sicheng how he answered, and he scratched his head and said it felt okay.
"If I pass the examination for becoming a Tongsheng, can I propose marriage to your family?" Zhao Sicheng asked with a grin.
Xiao Wan pinched his waist and was also amused. Only when she was with Zhao Sicheng could she speak her hometown dialect without any scruples.
"In ancient times, girls were considered to be of age 15, but now, I haven't even reached adulthood yet.
Be careful, kid. Don’t let the people in my house know about this. I’ll just send you to the government and see what you can do then!”
"Then you'll be in trouble. You'll have to go to the prison to bring food to your husband."
"Bullshit!" Xiao Wan pinched him again angrily.
…
Qiao Youyou, Zhu Lan and Qin Yuwei walked out of the Imperial Examination Hall. Qin Yuwei mentioned that she wanted to go to the shop that she had agreed to meet with Pei Yue.
Zhu Lan and Qiao Youyou were happy to accompany her.
There were a lot of people on the street. Qin Yuwei caught a glimpse of the flickering little gold lock on Qiao Youyou's neck, reminding her not to show her wealth and be careful of being targeted by thieves.
Qiao Youyou thought it made sense, reached out to take off the golden lock, and suddenly was stunned for a moment.
"No... No, this is not my gold lock!"
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