Chapter 43, Mini Test
Before they knew it, it was winter. On the morning of the academy's grand exam, a heavy snow fell in the capital.
There was snow on the road, and it was rush hour for officials and students to take the exams. The carriage was stuck in traffic for a good quarter of an hour not far from the academy. Xia Man sat outside facing the bleak cold wind, but he broke out in a sweat.
Yu Mingshu lifted the curtain, gently stepped off the vehicle, and said, "It's only a few steps, let's walk there."
Yu Dan jumped down right after him, and half of his calves were buried in the snow.
Yu Mingshu grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him out, reminding him, "Be careful of the snow getting into your boots. If the snow melts, you'll freeze to death."
Xia Man reacted quickly, jumped into the car, found a spare pair of shoes and handed them to Yu Dan: "Sanlang, take these with you, and change when you get to the academy."
Yu Mingshu praised, "You've thought of everything."
Xia Man smiled sheepishly: "You guys go ahead, don't be late for the exam."
Two figures in orange-red swiftly darted through the pristine white, entering the academy just before the closing bell rang.
Yu Mingshu had been anxious the whole way to the exam hall, expecting a security check. Would Yang Gong arrange a separate body search for her? If so, how would she explain it to others?
It turned out she was overthinking it; the academy's internal assessment didn't include a body search at all.
Yu Mingshu said incredulously, "Aren't you afraid that candidates will bring cheat sheets into the examination room if you don't search them?"
Yu Dan saw nothing amiss, saying, "We don't usually search people during the monthly and annual examinations, so what's so strange about it?"
"How can this be the same? This exam is linked to the eligibility for the imperial examinations. If someone cheats, is it fair to the others?"
He Zheng arrived late, just in time to hear this. Taking advantage of the moment when no one else was around, he lowered his voice and said, "There are many unfair things. We only need to pass the preliminary exam to participate in the provincial examination. But those students who come from rural areas have to stand out from hundreds of people just to have a chance to enter Chang'an. Even if they get into Chang'an and have the opportunity to compete with students from the Imperial Academy, those who pass are often graduates of the Imperial Academy. Do you think that's fair to them?"
Yu Mingshu felt deeply saddened and gained a deeper understanding of Wu Qiuniang's foresight. No wonder she gritted her teeth and refused to return to her hometown, choosing to stay in the capital alone with her children.
This is truly winning at the starting line.
A male voice suddenly broke in, drawing the attention of the three.
"There are 105 candidates for this exam, with 21 exam rooms, two examiners and five students. Under these circumstances, who would dare to cheat?"
He Zheng's tone was unfriendly: "Xie Huaijin, what brings you here?"
"Come be the examiner," Xie Huaijin blurted out.
"You're quite humorous," He Zheng said sarcastically.
It's easy to guess that Xie Huaijin's results from last year were revoked, so he must be here today to retake the exam.
Xie Huaijin didn't want to say anything more to He Zheng, this powder keg, and simply cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Yu Mingshu: "I wish Yu Erlang all his wishes come true."
Yu Mingshu returned his bow: "I also wish Xie Sanlang a bright future and all things going smoothly."
He Zheng felt extremely uncomfortable and resentful, and said bitterly, "Why bother replying to such a hypocritical and despicable person?"
"It was just a few polite words, so I said them."
Whom should one be polite to? Only to outsiders. He Zheng suddenly felt relieved, and his brow relaxed.
Lin Qingxian walked over from behind carrying the exam papers. Seeing that the three of them were still chatting and laughing in the corridor when the exam was about to start, he immediately scolded them with a stern face. Only then did the three of them hurriedly find their exam rooms.
I didn't feel anything when I was walking around outside, but once I entered the examination room and sat there for a long time, I realized how cold it was after a heavy snowfall in winter.
Yu Mingshu put down her pen several times to move her frozen fingers. When she picked up her pen again, her thoughts inevitably faltered. Fortunately, she had a solid foundation and her performance was not greatly affected.
She didn't have the energy to think too much during the exam, but after leaving the academy, she started to worry about Yu Dan's situation.
But asking how the exam went right after it was over seemed rather unethical. Yu Mingshu stared at her younger brother for a long time before finally swallowing her words.
To avoid traffic congestion at the entrance of the academy, Xia Man and Jing Hong agreed to park their carriage near the bookstore behind the academy. When they saw two carrots and a purple eggplant approaching from afar, they quickly waved to each other.
"My lord! Over here!"
Xia Manjuan tightened her sleeves, quickly brushed the snow off the carriage floor, and smiled joyfully. "My lord has been studying diligently for the past few months, and finally the day of the examination has arrived. Now that the examination is over, it's time to relax! Madam has prepared hot pot at home, and Manager Cui from Fengyanglou has also sent over a lot of braised meat, as well as a large bucket of brown sugar pearl milk tea, all in anticipation of my lord's triumphant return!"
He Zheng was even more delighted than the Yu siblings and leaned over to ask, "Pearl milk tea? Is this another new drink your daughter has come up with? I have to try it."
Jinghong reluctantly pulled his master back, "Second Master, not today. The Earl and the Heir are still waiting in the manor. Madam has also prepared a table of food and wine to celebrate your success."
He Zheng was clearly unwilling, which Yu Mingshu found amusing.
"It's like you've built a nest in our house lately. Have you really forgotten that you still have a home in the Marquis of Anyuan's mansion?"
He Zheng said, "Your feelings have faded, and you find me annoying?"
Yu Mingshu immediately denied it: "I didn't say that."
He Zheng was always quick to smile, and the corners of his mouth that had just turned down immediately turned up. He said with a smile, "Then I'll come again tomorrow. Please save me a cup of that pearl."
"You should leave now." Yu Mingshu was genuinely annoyed with him.
The two carriages headed in different directions. Back at their doorsteps, the aroma of hot pot wafted from the wall, making their mouths water.
Before Xia Man could push open the door, Luo Yan, who had heard the sound of horses' hooves, called Wu Qiu Niang to come out to greet them. As soon as the door opened, Wu Qiu Niang hugged her two children tightly, her eyes reddening with emotion.
Yu Dan was very uncomfortable being held in his mother's arms. He struggled to take a step back and said shyly, "Mother, is it really necessary? It's just a graduation exam, not the provincial examination."
Wu Qiuniang tapped his head, "This test could determine your 'life or death,' can't your mother cry?"
"It's not too late to cry after the results come out," Yu Dan muttered to himself.
Yu Mingshu couldn't hold back any longer and kicked him in the butt, "You just have to say such unlucky things!"
Yu Dan slipped away quickly, sidestepping into the room and running all the way to the dining table, saying, "I'm starving! We can talk after we eat!"
Wu Qiuniang shook her head with amusement, took Yu Mingshu's arm, and walked inside. Just as their gaze was about to pass over the door frame, Yu Mingshu suddenly caught sight of a conspicuous figure outside Xie Huaijin's house on the west side.
That was Xie Huaijin's birth mother, Madam Su. She was probably waiting for her son to return after the exam so they could celebrate together. But... Yu Mingshu vaguely remembered seeing Xie Huaijin get into the Xie family's carriage when he left the academy.
Yu Mingshu only paused briefly, but Wu Qiuniang noticed something was wrong. Following Yu Mingshu's gaze, she looked into the distance and felt a pang of sadness.
After closing the door, the family of three sat around the copper pot. Wu Qiuniang sighed in bewilderment, "The Xie family is so wealthy and powerful, can't they afford to support a concubine? Everyone says that a mother's status depends on her son. This Third Son is so promising, why won't the Xie family let this Su Xiaoniang into the family?"
Yu Dan wolfed down a large piece of rabbit meat, wiped the soup from his mouth with a handkerchief, and said, "I heard Xie Ansheng say that Xie Sanlang's mother was born into a lowly family. She secretly gave birth to Xie Sanlang without telling Xie Xianggong. If it weren't for Yang Shi pleading for her, Xie Xianggong originally planned to hang both mother and son."
"He's not happy that Su Xiaoniang gave birth to his son? He even wants to strangle his own son?" Yu Mingshu was shocked.
“There are plenty of women who want to give Xie a son, so why would a lowly prostitute like me stand out? The Xie family not only looks down on Su Xiaoniang, but also on Xie Huaijin. In the beginning, Xie Sanlang wasn’t even worthy of entering the Xie family,” Yu Dan said.
"Xie Sanlang grew up in a village on the outskirts of the capital until he was seven years old. I heard that he even lived in a cowshed when he was at his lowest point. Fortunately, his mother's family was a scholarly family before they fell into decline. Even in such a state, she did not forget to teach Xie Sanlang to read. That's why Xie Huaijin wrote a poem at the age of six that shocked Chang'an and was finally recognized by the Xie family."
After finishing the story, Yu Mingshu lost his appetite. He put down his chopsticks and coldly mocked, "He looks down on prostitutes, yet he can't control his lower body. Xie Cheng is quite hypocritical."
These words were somewhat disrespectful, but Wu Qiuniang did not stop him. Seeing that she was in a bad mood, Yu Dan swallowed and buried his head in his food.
He had only cooked two slices of mutton when he vaguely sensed a cold gaze fixed on him. Looking up, he met Yu Mingshu's serious face.
"If you ever dare to have illicit relationships with women or do anything to humiliate women... I'll break your legs."
Yu Dan's hand trembled, and the freshly cooked mutton fell into the bowl, splashing oil and broth all over him. His face flushed instantly, and he waved his hands frantically, "How could I do such a thing!"
Wu Qiuniang looked at her two children with amusement, but after laughing for a while, she belatedly realized that Yu Dan was fifteen years old this year and was almost of engagement age.
With his incompetent nature, how will he ever find a wife?
By the end of the hotpot meal, all three of them had lost their appetite, so Luo Yan and the others cleaned up the mess and went back to their respective rooms.
…
Ten days later, the academy released the results.
The area around the list was packed with people; if you arrived late, all you could see were the backs of countless heads.
He Zheng was about to hoist Yu Dan onto his shoulders to take advantage of his height and check the list when Yu Mingshu stopped him from doing this foolish thing and pulled him to run north.
"Where are we going? Aren't you going to check the grades anymore?" Yu Dan asked, bewildered.
He Zhengxian realized, "Idiot, why don't we just go to Zhishantang and ask Old Yang!"
Yu Dan laughed, "He Xingzhao, you're getting more and more arrogant. You think you can call me 'Old Yang'?"
He Zheng punched him and said, "Is Xingzhao someone you can call me?"
Yu Dan's eyes widened, and he clutched his chest, saying, "What do you mean? Only my elder sister is allowed to call you by your courtesy name, but I can't?"
He Zheng didn't speak, but answered with his expression: What else?
After holding it in for a long time, Yu Dan gritted his teeth and spat out four words: "Prioritizing women over friends."
Yu Mingshu finally couldn't take it anymore and glared at him, "Yu Ziming, do you want a beating?"
With a single click to mute him, Yu Dan remained silent.
Yang Congen was not at the academy today, and Yuan Yi was alone in Zhishan Hall, holding a teacup in his left hand and a writing paper in his right. Suddenly, he saw three figures outside the door. He reacted quickly, put down the writing paper, and placed a brand-new copy of the "Liang Code" on top of it.
"Here to ask about grades?"
Before Yu Mingshu could even speak, the other party had already revealed what he wanted. Feeling a little embarrassed, he rubbed his nose and said, "Mr. Yuan is truly a prophet."
How can you be so sure I'd give you this shortcut?
"That's because, in my heart, Mr. Yuan, you are a good teacher who is conscientious, responsible, kind, generous, and cares about students."
Yu Mingshu's words drew sidelong glances from both He Zheng and Yu Dan.
Yuan Yi chuckled, stood up, and took out a stack of rosters from the bookshelf. He found the files of the three of them and handed them to Yu Mingshu.
"See for yourself."
Yu Mingshu and He Zheng reached out almost simultaneously, but not to their own files; instead, they reached for Yu Dan's. Yu Dan, the person in question, instantly closed his eyes, held his breath, and dared not utter a sound.
The calligraphy was evaluated as Grade A, the ink was evaluated as Grade A, the policy essay was evaluated as Grade D, and the poem was evaluated as Grade D.
Yu Mingshu frowned and said, "Your subject imbalance is a bit too severe."
He Zheng said, "That's good. At least the ink-related questions have improved since last time."
Yu Dan's face was long and mournful. Feelings of loss and guilt overwhelmed him, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Seeing that they were both in low spirits, He Zheng sighed and looked at Yuan Yi: "Yu Dan took the exam less than two years after entering the academy, and he was able to get first place in both the calligraphy and painting sections. This is enough to prove that he studied hard. Does the Director really want to expel Yu Dan from the academy according to that absurd agreement?"
Yuan Yi spread his hands, his tone calm and unwavering: "Don't ask me, I can't make that decision."
Seeing him leisurely pick up his teacup and sit back down, He Zheng felt a surge of anger.
"You always say you can't make decisions when something happens, but you sit comfortably in your position at Zhishan Hall!"
Yuan Yi's eyes flashed with displeasure. He took a sip of tea and slammed the cup heavily on the table. "Are you still going to look at the grades? If not, get out."
Yu Mingshu tugged at He Zheng's sleeve, gave him an apologetic smile to Yuan Yi, and then looked down at his own grades.
Four A's, really?
Lin Qingxian actually loosened his grip this time and was willing to give her terrible poem a first-class rating?
Yuan Yi's gaze remained fixed on Yu Mingshu, not missing the surprise in her eyes. He then slowly spoke, "This time, the Ministry of Education will assign four scholars to review the four parts of the exam questions. If you have any questions about the results, please write a document and submit it to the Ministry of Education, which will then forward it to the Ministry of Education."
Yu Mingshu understood; this was not surprising.
Lin Qingxian disliked exam-oriented poems that flattered others, but there were always people who liked them.
He Zheng's results were exactly the same as in the preliminary exam, with no surprises whatsoever.
Yu Mingshu thanked Yuan Yi and was about to leave with the two people beside her when Yuan Yi called her back alone.
“Ming Shu.” Yuan Yi stood up, leaning on the table, and took two steps toward the door. “I can guess a little about what the teacher is thinking. He has been teaching for many years and believes in teaching according to aptitude. As early as a year ago, when Yu Dan was relegated to the Wu Zi Hall, the teacher had already discovered that he was not suitable for taking the imperial examination.”
Yu Mingshu stood outside the door for a long time before looking at Yuan Yi. "Sir, do you wish to persuade Yu Dan to change his major?"
"Think about it yourself. You are a woman, and you've only been in school for half a year, yet you've achieved the highest score in the entire academy. He, on the other hand, has been in school for almost two years, and his essays and poems are still not up to par. With such talent, how dare he try to compete in the imperial examinations, which only admit twenty people each year?"
“Sir, you’ve only seen me for half a year since I enrolled. How do you know how many years I studied hard before I enrolled?” Yu Mingshu retorted.
Seeing that the other person seemed stunned, she changed the subject and said respectfully, "Of course, I also know that Sanlang is not suitable for this path. After we get back, I will persuade him to reconsider."
When the three left the academy, there was still a long line of students waiting to see the results at the entrance.
Yu Dan was in a bad mood, and Yu Mingshu didn't want to bring the bad news back to Wu Qiuniang so soon. The three of them discussed it and decided to change their route to the West Market.
…
Fengyang Tower, Boya Pavilion.
Cui Hongli brought up the bubble tea that He Zheng had been longing for, and also asked the kitchen to cut in line and cook a table of signature dishes.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Did you fail the exam?"
Hearing the shopkeeper's voice, Yu Mingshu snapped out of his thoughts and said, "It's a mixed bag."
Cui Hongli looked around carefully and quickly figured out who was happy and who was sad. She smiled and comforted him, "Little brother, don't think so much. Try this Typhoon Shelter Shrimp. It's the most popular dish at Fengyang Restaurant this month. Everyone who's tried it says it's delicious."
"What kind of weird name is that?" He Zheng subconsciously looked at Yu Mingshu. "You came up with that?"
Cui Hongli said, "You're quite clever. Not only the name, but even the method of preparation was devised by Miss Yu."
"So, Ming Shu has new income?"
"That's right. If you ask me, even if they don't become officials, they'll be set for life."
"You can't say that; you still need to read books."
"That's true. Of all things, only studying is noble."
After several rounds of questioning, the Yu siblings remained silent. Cui Hongli, at her wit's end, gave He Zheng a look that said "good luck," and sighed as she went downstairs.
“Just listen to Yuan Yi and switch majors. Since you’ve always preferred law, then switch to the Department of Legal Studies,” He Zheng said.
Yu Dan gritted his teeth and shook his head repeatedly.
Yu Mingshu took a deep breath, pressed his shoulder and turned him around, forcing him to look into his eyes: "Even the big yellow dog at the academy gate can tell you like law, so why won't you switch majors?"
Yu Dan remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "I either won't take the exam, or I'll take the Jinshi exam."
If studying cannot lead to officialdom and power, then what difference is there between one and a common laborer?
Yu Mingshu couldn't understand his thoughts and pressed him for answers several times, but he couldn't get the truth out of him. Yu Dan kept repeating the same sentence—if you're going to take the exam, take the imperial examination.
The meal was again tasteless and unappetizing.
When leaving, Yu Dan walked the fastest, ignoring even He Zheng, and ran ahead on his own, scrambling onto the carriage and slipping through the curtain.
Xia Man looked blankly at the curtain and mouthed to Yu Mingshu: What's wrong with Sanlang?
“He has something on his mind, don’t bother him,” Yu Mingshu said helplessly. Then she grabbed He Zheng, who was about to say goodbye, and said, “Xingzhao, do me a favor.”
"How can I help?" He Zheng listened attentively, his eyes fixed on her.
“Yu Dan is wary of me and won’t confide in me. You’re good brothers with him, so find a chance to find out what he’s really thinking,” Yu Mingshu said in a deep voice, gazing in the direction of his own carriage.
He Zheng patted his chest and happily agreed.
"It's nothing, I'll take care of it."
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