By the time it was midnight, the rain had subsided a little. Song Chi wiped the water stains on the table with the dim light of a candle.
His clothes were wet in many places and he looked quite disheveled.
When Ma Jingming arrived at the door with an umbrella, Song Chi had just spread out the test paper and was about to start answering.
"The other candidates have already fallen asleep, and you haven't finished your paper yet. There are only a few hours left until dawn. Even if you stay up all night, you won't be able to finish it. Besides, your writing brush and ink have been soaked..."
His voice came in from halfway outside the wall, and seeing Song Chi preparing to answer, he couldn't help but speak out.
"You can't offend people you shouldn't offend. This is your fate. The path of the imperial examination is doomed to fail. You'd better accept it."
"Accept your fate?"
Song Chi turned his head and said calmly: "Do you think I will be like you?"
"What did you say!" Ma Jingming's face suddenly changed.
"That year, you passed the imperial examination and took part in the palace examination. You wrote an excellent essay and were able to propose good solutions for governing the country, but you didn't make the top three simply because you were ugly."
Ma Jingming narrowed his eyes and growled, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Song Chi pretended not to notice his angry expression and continued, "Even so, because of your outstanding talent and learning, you were admitted to the Hanlin Academy as a Hanlin."
"Becoming a Hanlin scholar has a bright future and is a necessary step to enter the cabinet. You had the opportunity to enter the palace to serve as the emperor's tutor, but you were rejected due to your ugly appearance. You then sat on the bench in the Hanlin Academy. Later, you were selected to serve as the academician in Jiangzhou."
"You check me!" Ma Jingming frowned. He didn't expect Song Chi to say this to him.
"You seem to be in charge of the education of a state and hold great power, but for a Hanlin, it is a demotion, and it is all because of your ugly appearance!"
"You were disheartened, your ideals shattered, and so you joined the Literary Party, hoping to return to the capital after three years to serve as a tutor, or perhaps become a governor."
Song Chi said in a low voice, "Do you know that people's prejudices are like a mountain that is impossible to overcome? Judging people by appearance may seem absurd, but it really exists. Do you think that currying favor with Song Shiwen can change that?"
Ma Jingming remained silent for a moment, then asked, "How do you know these things?"
"I also know that the person who didn't allow me to be a tutor was Song Shiwen. Not to mention doing dirty things for him, even working for him would be useless. Haven't you heard the saying that ugly people can't become top scholars?"
Ma Jingming fell silent again, but this time the silence lasted longer.
He asked, “How can that be changed?”
Song Chi said calmly: "Wait for me to take the position."
"You are so arrogant. Do you know what you are saying?" Ma Jingming was shocked.
"Then just wait. You'll be able to see it in less than two years."
Ma Jingming fell silent again, this time for longer than before.
"I'll have someone bring you new pen and ink. Start answering the questions from now on. If you can finish the exam, I'll guarantee that your exam will be marked fairly."
Song Chi asked, "Is there still a problem with the writing?"
"You...know?"
"Then why do you think the ink got wet?"
"Did you do that on purpose?" Ma Jingming was surprised. After a moment, he said, "What I'm going to give you is usable. There won't be any problems."
"unnecessary."
Song Chi took out a charcoal pencil from the examination basket and said, "I'm used to using this."
"So you've been prepared for this. No one will disturb you from now on, but time is tight, so it won't be easy for you to finish answering." Ma Jingming said and left directly.
He looked back and saw Song Chi writing furiously in the dim light.
"If you can really get to the top, I will follow your lead." He thought to himself.
The rain gradually stopped, and the candles in other examination rooms had been extinguished. Gu Ronghua was already snoring on the table with a smile on his face. He dreamed that he passed the academy examination, became a scholar, and was praised by his father.
Only the examination room where Song Chi was was still dimly lit.
For him, the scientific examination was not difficult at all. He could do one test paper for twenty-eight people, so why would he need this one?
Most candidates spend their time solving the questions, and some even write them down on draft paper first and then copy them onto the test paper to ensure that the paper is clean, tidy and correct.
Song Chi skipped this step and answered quickly.
It was just dawn and there was still an hour before the exam was due, but Song Chi had already finished answering the questions and even had time to take a short nap.
"clang!"
Three gongs sounded in succession, and the examiners came one by one to collect the papers.
The names on the examination papers for the academy examination had to be covered to prevent the examiners from taking advantage of or sabotaging the examinees during the marking process, but this was useless for Song Chi. He was answering the preparation paper, which had one more dictation question than the main paper, so he could be recognized at a glance.
This is also part of dealing with Song Chi.
If all other methods fail, they will tamper with Song Chi's paper, make random changes or add some ink marks, and make him fail.
The test papers were collected one by one and placed in front of Ma Jingming's desk.
He picked it up and quickly found Song Chi's test paper. He just glanced at it casually and his face was full of surprise and doubt.
Song Chi actually finished answering.
He calculated carefully that if Song Chi answered directly without wasting time on solving the problem, he would be able to finish it, but this was basically impossible.
The college examination paper was already very difficult, testing essays on the meaning of scriptures and calligraphy on scriptures. Song Chi also had one more dictation question than others.
The most difficult thing to deal with at this time is the anxiety of handing in the paper and the resentment of being challenged. In this situation, it is difficult for people to fully concentrate on answering the questions. Ma Jingming asked himself if he could do it, but Song Chi did it.
He was a Hanlin scholar and had almost made it into the top three in the palace examination. For him, articles on classics were child's play and he could tell whether a piece was good or bad just by taking a look at it.
In his opinion, Song Chi's articles were excellent, but he couldn't write them himself.
The answers to the other questions were perfect, and there was not a single mistake in the dictation.
This is a perfect test paper, one that can get the first place.
There was a brush next to him. He only needed to pick up the brush and pretend to accidentally drop a drop of ink on the paper, and then the paper would be ruined.
But Ma Jingming did not do so.
It is foolish to make an enemy of a genius, and it is even more foolish to make an enemy of a scheming genius.
Song Chi said those words to him deliberately in order to shake his resolve, so he dared to put the test paper in front of him.
I have done everything I can. I have been making things difficult for him since he entered the examination hall, but I still can't stop him. This is fate.
Ma Jingming no longer has any burden.
He said directly: "Send the test paper to the room."
"yes."
Several yamen runners carried the test papers into a room.
The room was spacious and bright, with more than ten examiners already seated there.
They were invited from Linzhou, and they were all presidents of academies and local scholars.
From then on, you are not allowed to leave the room or contact anyone until the marking is finished, including the chief examiner Ma Jingming.
"The college examination is over. Please take the trouble to mark the papers."
Ma Jingming bowed and clasped his fists.
He knew that Song Chi would be the top scorer in the academy if nothing unexpected happened, but he didn't know whether the 28 candidates he led could pass the academy examination.
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