Chapter 196 The Imperial Examination (Second Update Combined)
It sleet last night, and when I woke up in the morning the ground was covered with a layer of ice, making it very slippery.
Gu Jiao had made preparations in advance, spreading the sand she had stockpiled a few days earlier on the ground of the corridor and the courtyard.
She opened the courtyard gate, intending to spread out the alleyway as well, only to find that the alleyway was already completely covered with sand, coal ash, and straw mats.
As Gu Jiao was wondering what was going on, a neighbor opened the gate of his courtyard and poked his head out, smiling at Gu Jiao, "Is Liu Lang going to take the exam?"
"Aunt Lu," Gu Jiao greeted her. She was one of the old lady's mahjong partners and had visited the house a few times.
Gu Jiao understood. The road was paved by the neighbors, and each family used different materials, which is why it was paved in such a colorful way.
She had always thought her family was isolated, but the old lady had somehow integrated them into the alley.
Gu Jiao thanked her.
After that, several more neighbors opened their doors and said auspicious words such as wishing Xiao Liulang success in the imperial examination.
Gu Jiao thanked them one by one.
Her gratitude was heartfelt; they were not Xiao Liulang's family and had no obligation to do so for him.
Their kindness is not their duty, but a matter of compassion.
Of course, my great-aunt also deserves credit.
If it weren't for the fact that the aunt got along well with them and told them that her son, Liu Lang, was going to take the imperial examination, they probably wouldn't even know that such a person existed in the alley.
Each household also hung lanterns under the eaves, illuminating the alleyway brightly; this is usually only done during the Lunar New Year.
Gu Jiao smiled slightly.
She likes Beijing.
Xiao Liulang also got up, and the two had a simple breakfast.
Knowing they would be leaving early today, they let Xiao Jingkong sleep in the old lady's room last night.
The carriage was waiting at the alley entrance early in the morning, but it wasn't the old chief priest's carriage; it belonged to the Marquis of Xuanping's residence.
Manager Liu bowed to Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao, and said with a smile, "Young Master, Young Madam, please get in the car."
Not far away, Liu Quan stood looking aggrieved beside another carriage. He had arrived a step too late and had been overtaken by this brat!
Although they share the same surname, Liu, they are not related at all.
The iron hooves and wheels of the Xuanping Marquis's cavalry were treated with anti-slip material according to wartime standards, allowing them to charge into battle even in icy and snowy conditions, so this kind of road condition was naturally no problem for them.
Xiao Liulang did not refuse.
He first sent a carriage to Lin Chengye's residence to pick up Lin Chengye and Feng Lin, and then headed towards the examination hall.
Countless carriages and horses slipped on the road, but the carriages of the Marquis of Xuanping's residence sped off as if on flat ground, arriving at their destination unaffected in the slightest.
They were the first to arrive; the other test takers were probably delayed by traffic conditions.
Gu Jiao lowered the curtain and said, "Fortunately, today is just the entrance."
Xiao Liulang nodded.
Gu Jiao checked his bag once before leaving, and now she took it out to check it a second time.
Xiao Liulang was to spend three days and two nights inside, and was not allowed to bring silver charcoal or hand warmers, so Gu Jiao had to put some thought into her clothing and food.
Gu Jiao prepared a jar of dried chili peppers for each of the three of them. If they got too cold, they could chew on some dried chili peppers. After all, the cell was so small, and they couldn't get up and run around.
In winter, there's no need to protect against mosquitoes, but you do need to protect yourself from the cold. Gu Jiao also packed cold medicine for the three of them, the kind that won't make you drowsy.
There's also frostbite cream.
Seat numbers for the imperial examination were not assigned based on scores, but were drawn by lot on site.
Seeing that it was almost time, the three of them went down together to draw lots.
The Imperial Examination Hall in the capital was much larger than those in other parts of the country, with four examination rooms in total, located in the east, west, south, and north. The three of them were lucky enough to be selected for three of these examination rooms.
Xiao Liulang was in examination booth number five in the East Examination Hall.
The examination shed was the same size as the ones in the area, only the walls were plastered cleaner. Inside the shed, there were still two wooden planks, one used as a table and the other as a stool. When sleeping, the two planks were pushed together to form a bed.
The bedding was provided by the examination hall.
After all, it's freezing cold, and it wouldn't be good if the test takers got sick.
The Ministry of Rites was in charge of the examination and the Hanlin Academy was responsible for setting and grading the papers.
As early as yesterday, the examiners from the Hanlin Academy had already entered the inner hall of the examination hall. Just like in the provincial examination, the examiners could not leave the inner hall until all the examination papers had been reviewed.
Not long after Xiao Liulang and his two companions entered the examination hall, other candidates arrived one after another. Du Ruohan was not far behind; he was the twentieth candidate.
Gu Jiao also gave him a small medicine packet.
Du Ruohan thanked him politely, but didn't really take it seriously. What a joke! He's so healthy, how could he possibly get sick?
After giving the medicine packet to Du Ruohan, Gu Jiao saw no need to stay any longer.
"Let's go," Gu Jiao said.
Steward Liu asked from the outer seat of the carriage, "Where is the young mistress going?"
"A clinic," Gu Jiao said.
More than half a month has passed, and that brat Gu Chenglin is still not discharged from the hospital. Gu Jiao is planning to kick him out!
Steward Liu's attitude towards Gu Jiao changed drastically. Gu Jiao didn't ask why, but it wasn't hard to guess from Xiao Liulang's attitude that this "illegitimate son" had already met with Marquis Xuanping.
Furthermore, Marquis Xuanping's attitude towards him wasn't too dismissive; otherwise, Steward Liu wouldn't have changed his attitude so quickly.
They stopped in a hurry and the carriage slowly made its way down the street.
Gu Jiao curiously admired the scenery along the way.
She'd never been to this area before, so it was quite novel for her.
She was engrossed in reading when Steward Liu suddenly smiled and asked, "Young Madam, how did you and the young master meet?"
Gu Jiao said, "Your Xuanping Marquis's mansion is so powerful, can't you investigate it yourselves?"
Of course I've checked, that's why I'm asking you to verify it.
Steward Liu has figured out why his master lost his composure: this illegitimate son, Xiao Liulang, looks very much like the deceased young master.
Their ages are basically the same, except that the young marquis's birthday is in the twelfth lunar month, while Xiao Liulang's birthday is in the first lunar month.
Actually, the interval should have been longer, but unfortunately, the young marquis was born a month prematurely.
He said to the Marquis, "They are all your flesh and blood, your own brothers, so it's not surprising that they look alike! Could it be that the deceased young marquis has come back to life?"
His own lord clearly understood this principle, but he still wanted to inquire further.
Manager Liu chuckled and said, "Young Madam, when you saw the young master, did he have a mole under his right eye?"
"No," Gu Jiao said.
Manager Liu said, "No need to answer so quickly, think about it carefully."
Gu Jiao said, "I see him a hundred or eighty times a day, do I need to wonder if he has a mole on his face?"
Manager Liu was rendered speechless by the rebuttal.
Manager Liu thought to himself that he had not only underestimated the young master, but also the young mistress. She had no trace of the poverty and shabby air of a poor child, and she was not easy to manipulate or fool.
It's true what they say, "Birds of a feather flock together."
The carriage traveled through the streets of the southeast district. Because of the imperial examination, several main streets were closed, and only candidates with examination permits were allowed to pass. The route they had taken to get here could no longer be taken back.
They changed streets.
The shops on this street are novel and give people a feeling of vibrant colors and lush greenery.
"What's that?" Gu Jiao asked, pointing to a pavilion on her left.
Manager Liu said, "Young Madam, are you referring to Cuixiang Pavilion? That's a brothel."
Is this what ancient brothels were like?
Having been here for so long without seeing anything, Gu Jiao slightly pulled back the curtains and curiously looked at the brothel in front of her.
Manager Liu turned around and saw her barely concealed excitement, and his brows furrowed slightly.
A young lady like you should avoid brothels like the plague, right? How come you actually took a liking to one? Didn't you even blink?
"What building is that?" Gu Jiao asked, pointing to another two-story shop.
Manager Liu said, "Yunle Pavilion? It's a theater."
"Are you here to listen to opera?" Gu Jiao asked.
Manager Liu paused for a moment, then explained, "Men listen to opera."
Gu Jiao: "Oh."
The area around the Imperial College is a key educational district in Zhao State, and such places of debauchery are not allowed. Let alone brothels and theaters, Gu Jiao has never even seen a gambling den or martial arts school.
"Is that a gambling den?" Gu Jiao asked, pointing to a shop with a large "gambling" sign hanging in front of it.
Steward Liu: "Yes, young mistress."
What about that one?
"It's also a gambling den."
Why wasn't the word "gambling" written on it?
"It's a relatively high-status gambling den."
What about this one?
Auction house.
Gu Jiao asked about many more places, from brothels to martial arts schools and gambling dens. Her eyes shone brightly, as if they were glowing with a green light.
Steward Liu: ...Young Madam, is this really alright? If the Marquis asks later, it really wasn't me who led you astray.
After crossing the street, the shops became much more serious. Gu Jiao lost interest, yawned slightly, and lowered the curtain.
Manager Liu, who had meticulously selected one of the most prestigious streets in the capital for Gu Jiao and planned to have a tour guide introduce her, was speechless.
As she reached the end of the street, a shout and an argument caught Gu Jiao's attention. Gu Jiao parted the curtains a crack and looked at the shops on the street: "Where is this place?"
"This is Qingfeng Tower," said Manager Liu.
Gu Jiao poked her head out and asked, "It looks like it's very lively. What are they doing?"
Manager Liu closed his eyes helplessly: "Place a bet on the provincial examination."
Young mistress, could you please stop being attracted to these shady things?
"What kind of exam is it?" Gu Jiao asked.
"Rankings," said Manager Liu.
There are many gambling games like this in the capital, but the most sensational is the triennial Spring Examination. All the major gambling houses in the capital will open games for everyone to place bets. The bets are all kinds of things, with the most popular being the top scholar in the provincial examination and the top scholar in the palace examination, followed by the third-place scholar, the second-place scholar, the top ten in the provincial examination, and the top ten in the palace examination.
The higher the ranking, the higher the minimum bet.
For example, the minimum fee for the top ten in the provincial examination was ten coins, but for the top ten in the palace examination, the minimum fee became one hundred coins.
It's not that the more expensive the bet, the more you lose. It mainly depends on the number of people betting. If everyone bets on the same person, then that person's odds are extremely low.
The most popular figure this year is Prince An, with everyone from the top scholar in the provincial examination to the top scholar in the imperial examination buying his name.
In contrast, the competition for the second and third place was much fiercer, with the eldest son of the Chen family, the illegitimate son of the Luo family, the eldest son of the Zhao family, and so on. Gu Jiao even saw Du Ruohan's name on the betting slip.
Gu Jiao scanned the list from beginning to end, and she didn't see Xiao Liulang's name in the top ten of the palace examination, let alone the top ten of the provincial examination.
What's going on?
Is her husband not even worthy of being in the top ten?
“Young Madam…” Manager Liu followed behind Gu Jiao, looking worried.
Although all the major gambling dens in the capital had gambling games, Qingfeng Tower was quite different. It was actually an elegant place where one could drink tea, taste wine, enjoy delicious food, and even listen to storytelling and singing. It was a gathering place for the most elite and famous people in the capital.
Although my young mistress is the daughter of a marquis, she grew up in the countryside, and I'm afraid...
To put it bluntly, Steward Liu was worried that Gu Jiao would be disrespectful and bring shame to the Xuanping Marquis's mansion. He wasn't afraid of that, since the Marquis had already lost all sense of shame, but it was Gu Jiao who would suffer from the ridicule of others.
Gu Jiao left in a hurry without bringing any money. She turned to Steward Liu and asked, "Did you bring any money?"
Manager Liu was taken aback.
Gu Jiao stretched out her hand and gestured for him to take out money.
Manager Liu didn't bring much with him, just some loose silver, and the coachman's total was only ten taels.
Gu Jiao walked into Qingfeng Tower.
The waiter stepped forward and politely asked, "Miss, are you here to place a bet or to have some tea?"
“I’ll place my bet,” Gu Jiao said.
To be honest, Gu Jiao's clothes and appearance were not luxurious, but every year at this time, many commoners would come to place bets, and the bets were quite substantial.
Compared to those people, Gu Jiao only had a red spot on her face.
The waiter, being experienced and knowledgeable, didn't lose his composure. He warmly led Gu Jiao to the betting table and asked her, "Which gentleman would you like to bet on?"
Those who participated in the imperial examination were all successful candidates in the provincial examinations, so it was not inappropriate to address one of them as "Master Juren".
Gu Jiao said, "The person I want to remove is not on your list."
"Which bet would you like to place?" the waiter asked with a smile.
Gu Jiao said, "The top scholar in the provincial examination and the top scholar in the imperial examination."
"Oh, isn't it right here? Look!" The waiter pointed to the list hanging in the center of the hall. Under the top scholar and the champion, the name of Prince An was written in order. Of course, the names of a few other candidates were also written, but it was obvious that those candidates were just there to make Prince An look good. Not only were there very few people buying tickets, but they were all shills.
Gu Jiao: "There are no candidates I want to bet on."
Waiter: "So... who would you like to bet on, young lady?"
Gu Jiao: "Xiao Liulang of the Imperial Academy."
The waiter said he had never heard of it.
Xiao Liulang was quite well-known at the Imperial Academy, after all, not many freshmen were directly admitted to the Shuaixing Hall; there were only two this year, one was Prince An, and the other was Xiao Liulang. Moreover, Xiao Liulang almost always ranked first in the subsequent examinations, and even got into a conflict with Zheng Siye, which made him both famous and infamous.
However, those things all happened inside the Imperial College. Once outside the Imperial College, who would recognize him?
There are countless noble families and distinguished clans in the capital, and many talented individuals with renowned reputations. While they may not be as outstanding as Prince An, they are certainly not comparable to a poor boy from the countryside.
"I'm going to place my bet on him. If he doesn't, I'll go somewhere else," Gu Jiao said, and then turned and left.
This is a sure-fire way to make money! If it's not even on the list, it means that person is incompetent!
The waiter wasn't about to miss out on this deal. He quickly stopped Gu Jiao, smiling, and said, "Miss, don't go! Let me write your name down for you! How much would you like to bet? The minimum bet for the top ten is..."
“The top scholar in the imperial examination,” Gu Jiao said.
The waiter was bewildered: "You...you ordered that person?"
"Mm." Gu Jiao nodded seriously.
The waiter looked at her as if she were an idiot: "Fine, fine!"
I have no idea where this little idiot came from; this kind of bet is clearly going to be a waste.
The waiter said, "One bet for the top scholar is one tael of silver, and one bet for the champion is five taels of silver. How much would you like to bet?"
Gu Jiao said, "Dismissed."
Gu Jiao placed five bets for the top scholar title and one bet for the top scholar title, totaling exactly ten taels, all in Xiao Liulang's name.
Finally, Xiao Liulang's name appeared on the betting slip.
Manager Liu clicked his tongue and shook his head.
Ten taels of silver, his ten taels of silver, just like that, wasted away for nothing.
I really don't know where the young mistress gets her confidence that the young master can defeat all the talented men in the capital and become number one. She would even bet on him to be in the top ten.
The top scholar in the imperial examination? The champion in the imperial examination?
That's incredibly audacious!
Manager Liu followed and whispered to Gu Jiao, "Young Madam, shall we leave now?"
Gu Jiao paused, then suddenly looked at the list opposite her, which was covered by a semi-transparent curtain, and asked, "What kind of list is that?"
“Um…” Manager Liu frowned.
The waiter nimbly stepped forward, beaming, and said, "That's the Hairpin Flower Ranking! You can place bets there too!"
"What is the Hairpin Flower Ranking?" Gu Jiao asked.
The waiter explained, "The 'Flower-Adorned List' is a list of the young ladies, and it's the last list to be revealed. Those who pass the provincial examination and become Gongshi will participate in the palace examination, personally presided over by His Majesty, in April. Those who excel in the palace examination will be personally selected by His Majesty as the top three Jinshi, also known as the Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua. These three will parade through the streets adorned with flowers, and their flowers can be given away. Everyone is currently placing bets on who will receive the flowers of the top three Jinshi."
"Can I only get one?" Gu Jiao asked, blinking her eyes.
The waiter's lips twitched. "What do you mean you can only get one flower? Do you know how rare a single flower is?"
These flowers were bestowed by His Majesty, and they have extraordinary significance. Even the top three scholars in the imperial examinations would not be willing to give them away!
The girls then scrambled to grab the flowers, and some actually managed to snatch them, but that was too disgraceful to the imperial court, so the court issued a decree forbidding the snatching of flowers.
There are only two ways to obtain a hairpin from a top-ranking scholar: either the other person gives it to you willingly, or you challenge them to a contest. They can accept or refuse, but if they lose, they must give you the hairpin.
The waiter sighed, “Miss, think about it. How talented must someone be to pass the imperial examination with top honors? Who can challenge them? Let alone challenge their martial arts, they can simply refuse to fight if they are not good at something! So, unless they are willing to give it up themselves, it must be a woman as intelligent as the Crown Princess.”
When the Crown Princess was mentioned, the waiter couldn't help but chime in, "Miss, you know what, there really is someone who has received two hairpin flowers."
Gu Jiao asked indifferently, "That Crown Princess?"
The waiter, his face full of admiration, said, "That's right, it's her! She challenged two top-ranking scholars in succession and won both! His Majesty even said she was born a woman by mistake, otherwise what chance would men have?"
Gu Jiao had no interest in the Crown Princess; she was only curious about who was on the list of those who wore hairpins.
The waiter led her to see it.
The list of women wearing hairpins contained the names of many noble ladies, though not their real names. For example, the name of the daughter of the Duke of Luo was written as Miss Luo the Third.
Miss Gu and Miss Zhuang are the most popular choices on the list.
It's obvious without even guessing that the two are Gu Jinyu and Zhuang Yuexi.
Zhuang Yuexi is the younger sister of Prince An. Prince An is certain to become the top scholar in the imperial examination, so it is highly likely that he gave the hairpin to his younger sister.
As for why it wasn't given to Zhuang Mengdie, Zhuang Yuexi is a talented woman, while Zhuang Mengdie is a good-for-nothing, so everyone naturally prefers the former.
Even so, Zhuang Mengdie was still listed on the hairpin flower list as the Fifth Miss Zhuang. She bought her own name, purely to save face.
Following Gu Jinyu and Zhuang Yuexi are, in order, Miss Luo the Third, Miss Zhou the Fourth, and the Daoist nun Miaoyin…
Uh... how come even a Taoist nun is on the list?
Gu Jiao saw several familiar surnames on the list, which seemed to belong to the daughters of the girls' school.
"Miss, would you like to bet on the Hairpin Flower Ranking? Just follow the crowd, you can't go wrong." The waiter was pointing at Gu Jinyu and Zhuang Yuexi, both of whom had a high chance of winning the hairpin flower.
Gu Jiao wasn't interested in that.
Just as she was about to turn and leave, a woman's teasing voice came from the second-floor corridor: "Someone, I want to place a bet!"
It was Zhuang Mengdie.
Gu Jiao looked up.
From her angle, she could see Zhuang Mengdie walking out of a side room arm in arm with Zhuang Yuexi. Both of them were wearing veils, so she couldn't see them from their angle.
The shopkeeper went upstairs himself, cupped his hands in greeting to the two ladies, and asked, "Miss Zhuang, whose bet would you like to place?"
Zhuang Mengdie said with a grin, "Place your bet on Miss Gu!"
The shopkeeper said gently, "How much do you want? I'll write it down for you right away!"
Zhuang Mengdie laughed sarcastically, "Wait, what I want to get off... isn't Miss Gu who's already on the list."
"Huh?" The shopkeeper was taken aback.
Zhuang Mengdie looked at the opposite room and said, "It's Miss Gu from the Marquis of Ding'an's mansion! You probably don't know this, do you? This Miss Gu on the list isn't a daughter of a marquis's family at all. She's just a peasant girl who was switched at birth! The real Miss Gu is someone else! Your Qingfeng Tower has such a big business, but you can't even figure out who's real! I'm really ashamed for your Qingfeng Tower!"
While she was criticizing Qingfeng Tower, who couldn't tell that she was subtly mocking Gu Jinyu?
Gu Jinyu also came to the betting site today, just to see how popular she was. Who would have thought she would run into Zhuang Mengdie, that mad dog!
Qingfeng Tower is a mixed crowd; once the news gets out, the whole capital will know in no time!
Gu Jinyu's face turned ashen.
Zhuang Mengdie was in a great mood, left a copper coin, and departed.
That's right, one copper coin is required to enter the hairpin flower ranking.
Zhuang Mengdie only placed one bet.
Half an hour later, Gu Jiao's name appeared alone at the very bottom of the hairpin flower list.
(End of this chapter)
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