The White Dew solar term has passed, and autumn is gradually deepening.
Several autumn rains have fallen, taking away the last trace of summer heat, and a crisp chill permeates the air.
Ten days have passed quietly amidst everyone's eager anticipation, and today is the day the results of the Zhongchendao provincial examination are released!
As is customary, the notice was posted at the exact hour of Chen (7-9 AM).
The area in front of the examination hall was already packed with people, a sea of heads.
The autumn morning light shone through the cool air onto countless faces filled with anticipation, anxiety, or excitement.
The exhaled white breath swirled together, mingling with the steam rising from the breakfast stalls on the street.
People dressed in thick autumn clothes huddled together, whispering among themselves, an indescribable tension and anticipation enveloping the entire street.
Soon, three heavy gongs rang out.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
It cleaved through the noise like a thunderclap, instantly silencing all the commotion.
The crowd fell silent abruptly, all eyes turning to the slowly opening vermilion gates of the examination hall.
Chief examiner Li Jingyao, dressed in a scarlet official robe, walked out slowly, surrounded by a group of officials, with a solemn expression.
He cleared his throat, gathered his strength, and announced in a loud voice:
"May Heaven and Earth bless my great endeavors!"
In this year's provincial examination in the Imperial Academy, the Emperor's will was upheld and fairness was maintained.
After review and repeated verification by my colleagues day and night, the results are now announced..."
He sounded righteous and awe-inspiring, but in reality, his heart was filled with complex and unspeakable emotions.
In the past ten days, he has reviewed all the papers that were "in between" the two, but he still couldn't find that one special paper.
Perhaps that exam paper was already among those who would pass the imperial examination, and the person who gave him the instructions was simply trying to put his mind at ease and provide him with some assurance?
With this guess, he did not go through all the examination papers of those who passed the imperial examination one by one.
If one is truly involved, remaining unaware and not interfering will actually help avoid suspicion and make things safer.
The yamen runners quickly cleared the area at the very front of the examination hall.
An official dressed in the robes of the Ministry of Ceremonies stepped forward, received the heavy yellow proclamation, and began to loudly announce the names:
"The top scholar in the provincial examination of Zhongchen Road—Lin Wuqing from Qingshui County!"
The crowd erupted in a huge gasp and exclamation of admiration.
"Second place—Fengjing, Wu Jingshu!"
"Third place—Xiao Yunshuo of the Shuofeng Dynasty!"
Upon hearing her name, Wu Jingshu's eyes instantly lit up with a dazzling light, and her fingertips trembled with excitement.
But then a pang of regret crept into my heart; it was the second time.
However, just like in the first test, she once again outperformed the princess from the North.
She felt she had performed exceptionally well in this policy essay and was confident that she would not repeat the subtle deviation she had made in the preliminary exam.
Wu Jingshu clenched her fists tightly, her breathing becoming slightly rapid with excitement.
Although they did not win the top prize, there were still the provincial and palace examinations to come.
Most importantly, she twice outmaneuvered the Second Princess of Shuofeng; this resume...
If things go smoothly from here on out, her career will start far ahead of others, and her future will be bright!
Xiao Yunshuo remained calm, seemingly satisfied with his ranking.
Third, it preserved the face of the Shuofeng Dynasty without being too conspicuous and provoking excessive resentment from the masses.
She wasn't actually obsessed with the title of Jieyuan (top scholar in the provincial examination).
However, Wu Jingshu, who was ranked ahead of her, once again outperformed her.
When the collection of essays from the provincial examinations is published, I will definitely take a good look at the merits of these two essays.
What she was most curious about was the woman who won the top scholar title.
I don't know how brilliant his article is, but I can't help but feel a bit competitive.
The names are called in order.
"Rank 45 – Northwest Frontier, Helian Chaolu!"
Helian Chaolu felt a great weight lifted from her heart and breathed a long sigh of relief.
We won! Although the ranking isn't very high, it's enough.
He had finally taken the most solid step towards his goal of serving in the capital.
...
Almost all the candidates came, crowding together, nervously awaiting their fate.
Upon hearing the name, many were overjoyed, excited, and some even embraced their loved ones and wept.
But as the roll call continued, more and more candidates whose names were not called fell into deep anxiety.
Wen Tingwan naturally found herself caught up in it.
After the two-day provincial examination, she locked herself in her home, claiming to be ill and daring not to see anyone.
He only gave vague answers to external parties, saying that he felt it was "between possibilities" and whether to pass or not was entirely up to fate.
But in reality, she knew perfectly well that none of the policy essays, which made up the largest proportion of the predictions, had been correct!
Wen Tingwan had already realized that she had been deceived by Qin Zhaoyue.
That was 100,000 taels of silver! And just like that, it was all lost, gone down the drain.
Just thinking about it makes my chest ache, and I feel like I'm about to vomit blood.
After her father and grandmother find out the truth, how should she conduct herself in the Wen family?
But she dared not make a sound, because a sharp sword was hanging over the entire Wen family, ready to fall at any moment.
Torn between a mix of emotions, she suffered greatly and was caught in a dilemma.
If he hadn't passed the imperial examination, perhaps he wouldn't have been involved in this terrible conspiracy.
But deep down, a sliver of hope still lingered.
At this moment, she seemed to be out of her body, her eyes vacant.
All the surrounding noise seemed to be separated by a thick veil as I listened blankly to the second half of the song.
Chen Yu, standing in the crowd, was equally nervous.
She endured so much hardship before finally breaking free from those heavy shackles and gaining the opportunity to take the exam fairly.
However, this year's provincial examination in Zhongchen was too special, with many talented women gathered, and she didn't know if she could stand out.
I felt I answered the test fairly well, but I still haven't heard my name called, so I can't help but feel uneasy.
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