"Of course I hope to win, what about you?"
Zhao Lin saw that many examinees around him were looking over here, so he asked without any pretense.
Sudi smiled and said, "I wanted to win too, but with you here, I can only take second place. It would be much better if you weren't here."
The examinees next to him all nodded.
Zhao Lin was a terrifying man. He had won two cases in a row and overturned a mad carriage with one shoulder. He was a man of both civil and military talents, and was several levels higher than himself and others.
But they were not discouraged.
Who wouldn’t aim for first place if they could take part in a scientific examination?
Not to mention the first place, even the top scorer, as long as the results are not out, they will try their best.
As they were talking, Yuan Chengwen, Gao Shun and Jiang Chengdu came over after greeting others.
The first thing they asked about when they met was the exam. Zhao Lin always said to everyone, "I think the exam questions are not difficult, but whether I can get the first place depends on the results."
This is what Zhao Lin really thinks.
He has the memories of his past life, and with the efforts of his previous life, he should have no problem passing the exam.
This college entrance examination is just like the one from primary school to junior high school. It tests basic things. If you fail, that would be a problem.
But whether he can win the first place in the case is still unclear.
"The academy exam is finally over. Even if you pass, the provincial exam will still take a few months. Let's go, I'll treat you all to a meal at the hotel."
Sudi said generously.
Zhao Lin did not refuse, as making friends is also a way to improve himself.
Zhao Lin and others arrived at the hotel. There were already quite a few people there, mostly examinees. Some were worried, some were ambitious, and some were chatting and laughing. It was obvious that they all had their own predictions about the college entrance examination.
They went upstairs and asked for a private room, which was separated by a screen and was similar to a private room. A group of seven or eight people sat down.
While the waiter was preparing the food and drinks, Sudi said, "Brother Zhao, do you still remember the outline of the answer? Why don't you write it down for us to see?"
Zhao Lin naturally did not refuse. Zhao asked for paper and pen and wrote down all the test questions from memory.
This time he did not use the Songti font, but the Guangeti font, which is also a special font for imperial examinations.
Write the meaning of the sutra and post the text first.
These are things that need to be memorized, and they are not difficult.
Every time Zhao Lin finished writing a piece, Su Di would go over to look at it and repeatedly praise him: "Every word is correct, you are worthy of being Brother Zhao."
The draft was circulated, and others nodded after reading it.
But this doesn't mean anything, because they were all about the same. Only one person was upset and made a few mistakes in the words, which led to his failure.
When it came to writing the second part of the test, which involved writing poems and policy essays, everyone fell silent.
Especially the policy paper, which was about how to increase grain production. Zhao Lin wrote more than a dozen articles of several thousand words, which made Sudi and others read it word by word. Every time they saw a part, they couldn't help but stop and think carefully, which made the people waiting behind scratch their heads and ears anxiously.
No one paid any attention to the food and wine brought by the waiter, as they just waited for Zhao Lin to finish answering the questions.
When Zhao Lin finished writing the last word, Su Di quickly read it, sighed, and said, "With Brother Zhao here, we can only compete for second place."
The others remained silent.
They all have the same idea.
Zhao Lin is truly amazing. He can actually write such well-organized and practical articles in a targeted manner. Who can compete with him?
Sudi cheered up, raised his glass and said, "This is a drink to thank Brother Zhao for saving my life."
"Yes, thank you Brother Zhao for saving my life."
Jiang Cheng, Gao Shun and Yuan Chengwen all raised their glasses and thanked Zhao Lin sincerely.
Zhao Lin raised his glass and said with a smile, "It's just a small favor, please don't be polite. Let's drink this cup together, and wish us all to pass the imperial examination and become scholars."
Sudi smiled and said, "Yes, we all passed the college entrance examination together and became scholars."
The others also raised their glasses and everyone drank together.
Su Di filled Zhao Lin's and his own glasses again and said, "From my experience with Brother Zhao, I can see that he has extraordinary talent. He will definitely win the first place in the academy. This year happens to be a year of major examinations. There will be the provincial examination in August, the metropolitan examination, and the palace examination after the New Year. Brother Zhao will be able to catch up. Maybe after winning the first place, he can even win the third place."
The three top scorers in the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination, and the palace examination are commonly known as the "Big Three Yuans."
Everyone agreed.
Zhao Lin smiled and said, "If I succeed, I will first thank everyone present for their good wishes."
"Humph! You don't even know if you can pass the exam, and you're already bragging here. How ridiculous!"
Suddenly, a disdainful voice came from the side, and the atmosphere among the crowd suddenly stagnated.
Sudi said unhappily, "Where did the cats and dogs come from that are barking here?"
The screen next door suddenly opened, and at that table sat a few people dressed as scholars, who were obviously examinees or students.
At this time, everyone at that table looked at Zhao Lin's table with disdain.
One of the young men with pointed chins and monkey cheeks said, "That's what your grandfather said. What do you think? We Juren don't even dare to say we can get the top prize. How dare a few people who haven't even confirmed whether they can get the scholar degree dare to speak nonsense? Isn't it ridiculous?"
"you?"
Sudi was furious and was about to stand up when Zhao Lin grabbed his hand and pulled him back.
Sudi's expression changed immediately. Without thinking, he pulled his hand back and wiped it on his body.
Zhao Lin didn't notice Sudi's actions, but looked at the person next to the sharp-nosed and monkey-faced man: "Brother Bai, we meet again."
Bai Shicheng nodded slightly without saying anything.
"Oh, who was it? It turns out to be Shi Zhong." The man with the pointed chin and monkey cheeks said, "Brother Bai is treating us today. We're all having a good time drinking. Shi Zhong, please come and write a poem to liven things up for us."
Everyone at Zhao Lin's table changed color.
This person's words are extremely insulting.
But what surprised them was that Zhao Lin didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled and said, "Brother Bai, are you sure you want me to write it?"
Bai Shicheng said calmly: "If you want to write, then write. If you don't want to write, then don't write. Why bother asking me?"
Zhao Lin shook his head. "Well, since this brother has said so, it would seem stingy of me if I don't write a poem for Brother Bai. Listen carefully."
Everyone was stunned.
The mockery on the faces of the people at Bai Shicheng's table was even stronger.
What kind of poetry is this? Isn't it the work of a mean-spirited person who curries favor with the powerful?
Su Di said, "Brother Zhao, why bother with them?"
Zhao Lin smiled, tapped his wine glass with his chopsticks, and said aloud, "This poem is called Making Friends.
Bronze is required for casting mirrors, as it is easy to polish.
Stay away from villains when making friends with them, as they are hard to tolerate.
The illustrations of casting mirrors are subtle, and the illustrations of making friends are interdependent.
All copper cannot be illuminated, and villains are prone to gossip."①
As soon as the words fell.
Everyone at the two tables changed color.
The people at Zhao Lin's table were shocked at how eloquent he was. He actually managed to write a poem in such a short time, and it was a very appropriate poem at that.
The people at Bai Shicheng's table were shocked by Zhao Lin's talent for writing poetry on the one hand, and shocked by the meaning of the poem on the other.
The meaning of the whole poem is very simple. It is to advise Bai Shicheng to stay away from villains. Villains are full of troubles and should not be associated with, so as not to implicate himself.
Looking at Bai Shicheng and the man with a pointed chin and monkey face, both of them had red faces and gnashed teeth.
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