Chapter 378 The results of the provincial examination are announced!
The White Dew has passed and autumn is deepening.
A few autumn rains fell, taking away the last bit of heat in late summer, and the air was filled with a crisp chill.
As everyone is eagerly waiting, ten days have passed quietly, and today is the day when the results of the Zhongchendao County Examination will be announced!
According to convention, the results will be posted at noon.
There was already a huge crowd of people in front of the Imperial Examination Hall.
The autumn morning light shines through the cool air and onto countless faces filled with anticipation, anxiety, and excitement.
The exhaled white air gathered into a dense mass, blending with the steam rising from the breakfast stalls on the street.
People in thick autumn clothes were rubbing shoulders with each other and whispering to each other. An indescribable tension and expectation enveloped the entire street.
Soon, three heavy gongs sounded.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
It split the noise like thunder, instantly suppressing all the noise.
The crowd suddenly fell silent, all eyes fixed on the slowly opening vermilion lacquered gate of the Imperial Examination Hall.
The chief examiner, Li Jingyao, was dressed in a crimson official robe and had a solemn expression on his face. He walked out slowly surrounded by a group of officials.
He cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and declared in a loud voice:
"May Heaven and Earth bless me to do great things!
In today's provincial examination, we will follow the emperor's will and uphold fairness.
After being reviewed day and night by colleagues and repeatedly verified, the results are now announced..."
He sounded righteous, but in fact he felt complicated.
During these ten days, he had reviewed all the papers that were "in between" twice, but he could not find the special paper at all.
Perhaps the student with that paper was already among those who would pass the exam, and he was asked to do so just to give him peace of mind and a guarantee?
With this guess, he did not look through the test papers of all the successful candidates one by one.
If you are really involved, it would be safer if you are not aware of it and do not interfere.
The yamen runners quickly cleared the area at the front of the Imperial Examination Hall.
An officer in the uniform of a ceremonial official stepped forward, took the heavy yellow list, and began to call out the names loudly:
"The first place winner of the Zhongchen County County Examination is Lin Wuqing from Qingshui County!"
The crowd instantly erupted in loud exclamations and praises.
"Second place - Feng Jing, Wu Jingshu!"
"Third place - Shuofeng Dynasty, Xiao Yunshuo!"
When Wu Jingshu heard her name, her eyes suddenly lit up with dazzling light and her fingertips trembled with excitement.
But then a trace of regret quietly passed through my heart, it was the second one again.
However, just like in the first test, she once again defeated the Northern Princess.
She felt that she had performed very well in this policy essay and believed that there would not be any subtle deviations like those in the initial exam.
Wu Jingshu clenched her fists tightly, her breathing becoming slightly rapid due to excitement.
Although he did not win the first place, there were still the provincial examination and the palace examination afterwards.
Most importantly, she defeated the Second Princess of Shuofeng twice. This resume...
As long as everything goes smoothly in the future, her career starting point will be far ahead of others and her future will be bright!
Xiao Yunshuo looked calm and was quite satisfied with the ranking.
Third, it not only preserved the reputation of the Shufeng Dynasty, but also did not make it too conspicuous and arouse excessive resentment among the people.
She is actually not obsessed with the position of Jieyuan.
However, the one who was ranked before her, Wu Jingshu, once again surpassed her.
When the collection of essays from the provincial examination is published later, I will definitely take a good look at the essays of these two people.
What she was most curious about was the woman who won the first place in the imperial examination.
Not knowing how wonderful his article is, I can't help but feel a bit competitive.
Roll call in order.
"No. 45—Northwest Border, Helian Chaolu!"
Helian Chaolu felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.
I won! Although the ranking is not very high, it is good enough.
The goal of becoming an official and staying in Beijing has finally taken the most solid step.
…
Almost all the candidates came, squeezed in the crowd, nervously waiting for the verdict of their fate.
When they heard the name, they were naturally overjoyed and excited, and many of them hugged and cried with the people around them.
But as the roll call continued, more and more candidates whose names were not called fell into deep anxiety.
Wen Tingwan was naturally caught up in it.
After the two-day provincial examination, she locked herself in her home, claiming to be sick and not daring to see anyone.
He was vague in his response to the outside world, saying that he felt "in between" and that whether it would pass or fail depended entirely on God's will.
But in fact, she knew very well in her heart that the policy article, which accounted for the most important part, was not predicted at all!
Wen Tingwan had already realized that she must have been deceived by Qin Zhaoyue.
That was one hundred thousand taels of silver, and it was all gone just like that.
Whenever I think about it, my heart aches and I vomit almost blood.
After my father and grandmother know the truth, how should I deal with myself in the Wen family in the future?
But she didn't dare to speak out, because there was a sword hanging over the entire Wen family, which might fall at any time.
The various emotions intertwined and torn her apart made her suffer and feel torn.
If he had not passed the imperial examination, perhaps he would not have been involved in this terrible conspiracy.
But deep down in my heart, there is still a glimmer of hope.
At this moment, she seemed to be out of her body and her eyes were empty.
All the noise around me seemed to be blocked by a thick layer of gauze, and I listened blankly to the roll call of the second half of the song.
Chen Yu in the crowd was also extremely nervous.
She went through so much hardship and finally broke free from the heavy shackles and got the opportunity to take a fair exam.
However, this Zhongchendao County Examination was too special, with so many talented women participating. She didn't know whether her level could stand out.
I felt that I had answered the test paper quite well, but I still haven't heard my name called, so I can't help feeling anxious.
Even though she is no longer threatened by usury, her father and younger brother still need her to support the family.
If I study hard for another three years... it will be too difficult.
The further the names were read, the more stagnant the atmosphere became, the slimmer the hope became, and the invisible pressure almost suffocated people.
Finally, when the number of names called out reached over 140, the roll call officer's resounding voice rang out:
"No. 143—Xianyun County, Chen Yu!"
Chen Yu was startled and froze in place.
She was not alone in looking at the list; she was accompanied by the young manager of the drugstore and a servant.
"Chen Yu, you got it! You got it!"
The young shopkeeper shouted excitedly, and seeing that she looked distracted, he quickly grabbed her arm and shook it hard.
Chen Yu stared at him blankly, with only a buzzing sound in his ears.
The voices of congratulations and envious gazes around seemed to be very far away.
Ecstasy instantly flooded her like a tide, breaking down all her tense nerves, causing her legs to go limp and she almost collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately, the young manager was right beside him and caught him, preventing him from falling.
I won...I actually won!
"I won?"
"Yes, yes, I heard it so clearly."
Tears welled up in Chen Yu's eyes without warning, but he grinned and laughed.
She was finally able to support her father and younger brother and provide a roof over their heads!
One hundred and fifty, one hundred and sixty, one hundred and seventeen... the number of successful candidates has far exceeded that of the previous session.
After the 184th name was read out, all the results of the Zhongchendao County Examination were announced.
Wen Tingwan seemed to have been drained of all her energy in an instant, and her face turned as pale as paper.
His body was shaky and he could only stand with the help of his maid.
No more...
He spent over 100,000 taels, gambled everything, and lost everything...
Why bother? Why bother!
After endless regret and despair, a bone-chilling hatred suddenly rose up and rushed straight to the top of his head.
Qin Zhaoyue! It was her, she who ruined herself, ruined everything!
Anger instantly replaced the feeling of powerlessness, and an idea grew wildly.
She wants to save herself and save the Wen family.
Maybe... maybe not passing the imperial examination is a good thing.
At least I didn't let those people succeed in their conspiracy. Does this count as atonement?
She took a deep breath and tried her best to squeeze forward to find the examiner of this subject.
At this moment, a clear voice reached her ears:
"Don't act rashly. I am a Xuanji Guard. The court is fully aware of your situation, and the Wen Mansion is under surveillance."
This one sentence was like a spell, nailing Wen Tingwan to the spot.
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