Wei Shu rushed back from the city overnight. He didn't even go to the Wei family. He directly asked his servants to drive the carriage to Cuiwei Academy.
That day, Chen Cui got up and saw that his mood was getting higher and higher, so she thought that he should be back today, so after breakfast, she didn't rush to turn on the time gain, nor did she close the door of the academy.
When they heard the sound of horse hooves outside, everyone knew he was back, and they rushed out to greet him.
Wei Shu jumped out of the carriage by himself without the help of the servants.
There were no outsiders around, so he didn't have to pretend to be a gentleman, and he smiled and said in high spirits, "As expected, I got the twelfth place!"
"Not bad, not bad, you do a good job!" Lao Buyu was pleased.
Mu Erpang and Wei Xi went up to him and surrounded him as he went into the main room. One of them asked him if he was tired. Another asked him if he was thirsty.
Shen Cui had always been paying attention to her mood and had guessed that he had done well in the exam, but she was also happy.
She had no chance to get a word in, so she followed them into the house.
Zhou went to the kitchen, brewed another cup of new tea and placed it on his desk.
Wei Shu gulped down the drink, took a breath, and began to tell them what had happened.
"Isn't it said that what you learn from books is always shallow? I have asked people about the specifications and systems of the provincial examination. I thought I understood the entire process, but after experiencing it myself, I realized that what I heard from others is different from what I experienced myself. Let me talk about the examination hall first..."
He spoke for a long time, and Mu Erpang, Wei Xi, and even Lao Buyu who had already participated in the entire scientific expedition process listened very carefully.
They kept talking about the announcement of the results a few days ago. The servant next to Wei Shu was so choked up that he wanted to say something but stopped himself several times.
Wei Shu gave him a helpless look and told him to just finish what he was saying and not to make faces at him.
The servant said, "Our young master performed well, but Song Yao was not... I looked at the top 20 again and again, but I couldn't find his name. But there were too many people, and I couldn't squeeze to the side. I heard someone saying something sour next to me, saying something..."
If he continued talking, he would be about to talk about the fire in the examination room. Wei Shu didn't want Chen Cui and the others to worry, so he signaled him to stop talking.
Although the servant was smart and didn't continue talking, he didn't say anything else either. He suddenly stopped talking midway, which made Lao Buyu and the others even more curious.
Chen Cui also wanted to know why Wei Shu's mood suddenly dropped so much on the first day of the exam, so she asked with her eyes.
There was no way to hide it now, so Wei Shu simply told them everything. As he spoke, he stood up and turned around on the spot to show them that he was really fine.
The servant originally wanted to let everyone laugh at Song Yao, but when they heard about the fire, Chen Cui and the others didn't care about Song Yao anymore. They just checked Wei Shu carefully and confirmed that he was indeed safe and sound without any injuries. It was just a false alarm, and then they felt relieved.
After listening to the whole process, Mu Erpang couldn't help but mutter, "That scholar is so... so unlucky. His shoes were cut open, and he encountered a fire. He was kicked out before he even took the exam... Doesn't that mean he has to wait another year..."
Wei Shu said that’s right!
"It's a pity indeed. I think that man returned the money without asking for anything in return. He is quite honest. Although his behavior is a bit strange, he doesn't seem like someone who would deliberately set the fire. I think it was just bad luck and it was an accident."
Whether or not you pass the exam is just a matter of time, but after careful preparation he was not even qualified to take the exam, which made them feel sorry for him, and some even felt sorry for him.
Lao Buyu shook his head and said, "This boy is actually fine. You don't need to worry too much about him. After all, I have seen more pitiful ones."
Everyone asked him why he said that?
He went on, "Most of you are active in this county and have never heard of what's happening outside. Earlier, when I was traveling outside, I heard about a 'child prodigy' named Mei Ruochu. Mei Ruochu was gifted and had a photographic memory. He wrote poems at the age of seven. I've read the poems and I still remember them... Although they are a little immature, they are very talented and delicate. With a little training, he will naturally become a great writer."
As he said this, he looked at Mu Erpang and said, "Based on his original development, I think only your eldest brother can be as famous as him."
But no one has heard of this person. It is understandable since Mu Erpang started school late and Wei Xi has few contacts with people. However, Wei Shu has been in Qingzhu Academy for several years and has participated in two consecutive academy competitions.
If there really was a person as famous as Mu Yunchuan, how could he not have heard of him?
"So it's a pity. The child prodigy who was so famous back then has become an unknown person now." Lao Buyu sighed, "There are too many pity things in the world. It's a pity to be unlucky, and it's also a pity to be 'injured Zhongyong'. What we can do is to try our best and try not to let this 'pity' happen to ourselves. Do you understand?"
The three young men immediately stood up and bowed in unison, saying "yes".
The atmosphere was a little heavy, so Shen Cui changed the subject and said, "Ashu just came back from outside, do you want to take a rest?"
Wei Shu rushed back just to share the good news with them. He had been stuck in the examination room for four days and only had a few days of rest in the city. He had been holding on for the past few days.
When he really came back, he felt sleepy and tired.
But now is not the time to rest, he still has to go back to Qingzhu Academy to report his grades.
He had gone back to report immediately after the county exam. It was just a formality and he did not find it difficult or troublesome.
His results today were not bad, and he even surpassed Song Yao. He actually didn't want to go.
I can’t explain why I don’t want to do it, but I feel an inexplicable disgust in my heart.
Moreover, he couldn't help but think that since Song Yao performed poorly this time, he became the more outstanding one. What if the dean asked him to go back?
Although it was he who volunteered to take the place of Song Li's punishment, he had to leave Qingzhu Academy and find another place to review his lessons.
Later, Lao Buyu also explained that the headmaster's action was not to drive him away, but to train him.
Now that the provincial examination is over, he should go back, but... the longer he stays in Cuiwei, even though he knows that the headmaster is very meaningful, the more he dislikes his circuitous style of doing things.
He was not a person who was good at hiding his thoughts, and he had no intention of showing any cunning in front of Cuiwei. Lao Buyu and Shen Cui both saw his embarrassment and hesitation.
Chen Cui wanted him to rest for a while first, and it wouldn't be too late to go back after he recovered.
Lao Buyu had already stood up and said, "By the way, according to the rules you still have to go back to Qingzhu. Come on, I'll go back with you! The sooner we go, the sooner we can come back. It won't be too late for you to rest when you get back."
As he spoke, he gave Shen Cui a look - that look contained a sly smile, and Shen Cui knew that he had a plan, so she let them go by themselves.
A few minutes later, Lao Buyu and Wei Xi arrived at Qingzhu Academy and asked Zhaifu to pass the message on.
Soon the two met Ling Qingming.
"Congratulations to my senior brother." Knowing that Wei Shu had a difficult time, Lao Buyu rushed to speak, "Wei Shu did well in the exam, ranking twelfth in the provincial exam, and did not bring shame to our sect and the two academies!"
The ranking in the provincial examination is pretty good. If the trend continues, there shouldn't be any major problems in the academy examination.
Ling Qingming was naturally happy too. He looked at him with satisfaction and encouraged him, "Keep your mind steady and don't slack off for the upcoming college entrance exams."
Wei Shu naturally agreed.
After praising and encouraging him, Ling Qingming asked, "What about Song Yao? How did he do in the exam?"
Wei Shu traveled day and night to come back. Even though he was delayed for a while because he went back to the village, he was still much earlier than others. Song Yao did so poorly in the exam, so he naturally would not come back so early.
"I don't know. There were so many people looking at the list at that time that I couldn't squeeze in. It was the servant at home who helped me to look at it."
Anyway, this is the truth. He only knows that Song Yao did poorly in the exam, but he doesn't know his exact ranking. The two had always had a grudge against each other, and he was too lazy to convey his bad news to the headmaster in advance. He seemed like a mean person who couldn't wait to take advantage of someone's misfortune.
Ling Qingming also knew that the two of them were not on good terms, so he did not continue asking him and instead asked about the content of the exam.
On the way back, Wei Shu wrote out the test contents from memory.
He also specially wrote two copies, one of which was already placed in Cuiwei Academy, and the other was taken out at this time and presented to Ling Qingming.
He read through the ten lines at a glance and felt that the questions were standard and not particularly difficult. If Wei Shu could get 12, then Song Yao would definitely not be far behind!
"Good answer." Ling Qingming smiled and immediately gave Wei Shu some pointers on the content.
After he finished giving his instructions, Ling Qingming casually asked Wei Shu what the plan would be in the future.
Lao Buyu rushed to speak about this awkward topic, "Let's not talk about anything else about Cuiwei. The environment is very quiet. In addition, the season has changed recently, and his brother is not in good health. They have a good relationship as brothers, so let him stay in our academy... according to what we agreed before."
Wei Shu didn't know what they had agreed on before, but Ling Qingming naturally knew.
It’s just a little strange. Lao Buyu has always been quite smart. After suffering a loss once, he is eager to suffer a second time?
But for him and Qingzhu Academy, it was a good deal. So he just nodded and didn't say much.
After they finished talking, the monk outside came to report that Song Yao had returned.
Lao Buyu winked at Wei Shu and pulled him up to say goodbye.
Ling Qingming was more interested in Song Yao and wanted to summon him immediately. He didn't want to trouble Buyu and Wei Shu to be present, so he naturally agreed.
Lao Buyu pulled Wei Shu faster and faster, and when they reached the dismounting stone outside Qingzhu Academy, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Wei Shu asked him what he was laughing at?
Lao Buyu tried to hold back his laughter and said it was nothing, then he added: "I just thought of a proverb, 'losing the watermelon and picking up sesame seeds', and I felt like laughing for no reason."
As soon as they left, Ling Qingming met Song Yao.
Song Yao looked depressed, no longer as high-spirited as he was when he got first place in the county exam. Anyone who is not blind would know that he did very poorly in the exam.
Ling Mingqing's warm smile remained unchanged as he comforted her, "When you reach the end of the water, sit and watch the clouds rise. Life has its ups and downs, and it's inevitable. Even if you don't perform well once, it's okay."
After comforting him, I asked him what ranking he had gotten.
Song Yao said in a whisper, "Three... thirty-three."
Although Ling Qingming guessed that he did not do well in the exam, he just thought that maybe he just did not make it into the top three. However, he never expected that Song Yao could get such a result!
The smile on his face froze.
Song Yao immediately added: "Principal, you are wise. This student is not incompetent. For some unknown reason, a fire broke out in the examination room, right near the student's seat. Although the fire was put out by the soldiers, the smell of burning still lingered in the student's nose. The student was affected by the fire and did not do well on the first day of the exam. Later,..."
Wei Shu didn't mention anything about the fire before, but when Song Yao, who did poorly on the exam, said this, it sounded like sophistry.
"So this accident happened, and it's really not your fault. Don't be discouraged, and prepare well for the college entrance examination later."
Song Yao was absent-minded and didn't know how much he had heard. He just responded with a low "yes".
Now he didn't have the face to pester Ling Qingming for advice anymore, so he handed over the test content he had memorized and left tactfully.
After he left, Ling Qingming's face became completely gloomy.
He still had high hopes for him and was willing to send away Wei Shu, with whom he had a conflict, hoping that Song Yao would help him get a "small third place" in the imperial examination. I didn't expect it to be so useless and a fire broke out in the examination room, affecting my performance? How many unexpected things are there on the road to scientific expedition? Not to mention that the fire didn't burn him, even if it burned right in front of him, he wouldn't be so panicked!
As for Wei Shu...
He originally wanted to ask Lao Buyu to contribute to the fame of his own academy and leverage his power, but now it seems... why does it seem like he has become the fool who handed over the treasure to others?
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