The Transmigrated Life of a Salty Fish Family

Chapter 896 Mr. Yan Passes the Imperial Examination

The joint examination of Guanzhou Prefecture, Leshan Prefecture, and Xizhou Prefecture.

Yan Huaiwen passed the imperial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations).

Surprisingly, his ranking was in the middle of the list.

A mid-tier position, neither high nor low.

The news quickly reached the capital through the heavens.

When Yan Lao Er learned of that day, his face was filled with disbelief, and he exclaimed that it was impossible.

The King of England also found it strange.

With Mr. Yan's talent and learning, how could he not be on the list?

Upon careful consideration, it was concluded that Mr. Yan had likely overworked himself. He had entrusted the heavy responsibilities of the three prefectures with great trust, which had exhausted his body and mind, leaving him with insufficient energy and inevitably affecting his examinations.

The King of England reflected on this.

I am so ashamed and embarrassed.

I've misled you, sir!
He comforted Yan Lao Er with a sense of guilt, saying, "Sir, you were burdened by official duties and were unable to perform to your full potential. Fortunately, the imperial examination is like a path to a high place for you, with no obstacles in between. The war in Guanzhou is over, and we need to focus on improving people's lives. You can also have less to worry about. When the spring examination comes, you will surely pass with flying colors."

Yan Lao Er looked dejected. "Big Brother must be very disappointed."

His older brother is so hardworking and proud!
Those were people who studied even while fleeing famine, burning the midnight oil every night to read and write without stopping!
That was Old Yan, who balanced work and studies perfectly, supporting our family with his thin and frail body!
Yan Lao Er suddenly felt wronged on behalf of his elder brother.

My older brother works so hard and is so ambitious, why can't he be at the top of the class?

Even I, a complete slacker, managed to get the top score in the imperial examination!

Yan Lao Er locked himself in his room and began writing furiously.

He mustered the same enthusiasm he had for taking the imperial examination and wrote two long letters.

One letter was sent to his older brother, and another to his teacher.

In his letter to the teacher, Yan Lao Er thought he was being very subtle and careful in his questioning, but to Master Tian, ​​it still sounded like he was asking why his older brother hadn't gotten first place, whether someone had sabotaged him, and whether the examiner, Lord Ma, sent from the capital, had targeted his brother or made things difficult for him...

When Master Tian wrote his reply, he had been waiting for a long time.

I really want to write a big "Get lost" on the original letter and send it back.

Finally, seeing the sincere greetings at the beginning and end of the letter, I straightened the paper and carefully wrote down the reasons for Yan Juren's failure in the examination...

Yan Huaiwen received a letter from his younger brother.

He chuckled softly, then shook his head.

Then, with a gentle smile, she picked up her pen and wrote back.

He patiently answered his younger brother's questions and concerns one by one.

……

Yan Yu's situation is much simpler.

She wrote a letter to her friend Pang Xiaopang, asking for the answer sheets of her uncle and the top three students in the joint examination of the three prefectures.

Because Jiuxiao Express cannot be used.

When Yan Yu received the reply, the army had already reached the middle section of the canal between Leshan and Beijing.

The chief examiner, Lord Ma, had a moderate writing style and was a meticulous and rigid person.

In other words, they dislike overly ornate writing, dislike piling up flowery language, dislike exaggeration, dislike distorting the words of sages, and are even cautious about quoting allusions, choosing the best and avoiding excessive use...

The above is Yan Yu's own summary.

Under the exam-oriented education system, understanding the test setter, strategizing against the test setter, and defeating the test setter are almost instinctive for every student who has completed compulsory education.

Given his uncle's abilities, even without more detailed intelligence, he could determine what kind of articles Lord Ma preferred based on the most basic information. Therefore, Yan Yu was not at all surprised that his uncle's answer sheet was written so perfectly.

The so-called standard is a template that perfectly matches the examiner's aesthetic sense and leaves no room for criticism.

But that's also where the problem lies.

This is just too ordinary and unremarkable.

Compare the top three.

Yan Yu couldn't go against her conscience and say that her uncle's answer was better than others'.

Li Xuemei also read them one by one.

A glint of light flashed in his eyes.

He smiled faintly and said, "Your uncle was hiding his true abilities."

Yan Yu now realized that her uncle had definitely answered that way on purpose.

"Do we really need to be so low-key?" she muttered under her breath. "My uncle was hired by the prince as an advisor. He's involved in both official duties and military affairs, and he even issues orders on my behalf. During the great battle, even the crown prince had to listen to my uncle's advice. He even used Xizhou to seize the Tonghe River, and he did it first and reported later. Everyone knows that my uncle is highly regarded by the prince. He's just taking the provincial examination. Even if he passes, he'll only be a reserve official after that. It's not like he's taking the imperial examination. What's wrong with taking the exams earlier?"

At this moment, Yan Yu and her father, though far apart, were on the same wavelength.

Why can't my uncle get a better score?

The papers for the first, second, and third place students were written quite well, but her uncle could have done even better if he had written them normally!
“This is a joint examination of the three prefectures, with students from three major prefectures ranking together. This is an unprecedented event, and I imagine many people are paying attention to it,” Li Xuemei said calmly. “The series of victories in Guanzhou are too conspicuous. Your uncle will also be going to the capital in a while to serve as a staff member in the Prince of Ying’s mansion, in charge of the military and political affairs of Guanzhou. If we add the top few in the joint examination of the three prefectures, it’s really hard to ignore such a dazzling person.”

Li Xuemei slowly said, "I think your uncle knew that he had caught the eye of many people, so he deliberately created a smokescreen to make it impossible for people to see through him."

“Scholars see the imperial examinations as a ladder to advancement. Who would pretend to be unskilled, or even manipulate their scores? Cautious people might not fall for it, but those in high positions who consider themselves extraordinary,” Li Xuemei paused, then suddenly laughed, “might believe your uncle’s nonsense.”

Yan Yu seemed to be deep in thought.

“Think about that King Wu who came to our Guanzhou…” Li Xuemei called out his name with a smile.

Yan Yu suddenly realized, first nodding, then chuckling repeatedly.

“King Wu…” she continued, “Back then in Yongning City, he probably wanted to show how much he loved the people? He was all pretentious, so picky about food and lodging, keeping the servants running around like crazy. With all that fuss, it was as if he had already ascended the throne and left the palace as emperor!”

"He looks approachable, but he's actually aloof. Don't be surprised, from his perspective, my uncle is just an ordinary scholar who even writes such dry and boring articles. Maybe he thinks that Guanzhou is a remote place that has never had any talented people. Hahaha, my uncle was picked out by the King of England from among the short ones. Hahahaha!"

Yan Yu was originally sitting cross-legged in the carriage.

When she was feeling happy, she leaned back and lay down, then rolled over, cupping her round face in her hands and kicking her chubby little legs up happily.

Little Sprout was nestled in Li Xuemei's arms, drowsy and sleepy.

Hearing the noise, he looked over.

Its two short legs also stood up, and its chubby little hands grabbed and naturally put it into its mouth.

Li Xuemei looked down and handed the baby in her arms to her sister.

This little brat is strong; it takes a lot of effort to pry her legs open and prevent her from eating them.

Yan Yu had no choice but to take it, separate Xiao Ya'er's hands and feet, and skillfully put the bottle into her arms.

The little sprout instinctively wrapped itself up, quickly forgetting all about biting its toes.

"Did the Pan family boy find out what your uncle asked you to do?" Li Xuemei suddenly asked.

Yan Yu chuckled and said, "Brother Pan is quite easy to fool. He was so caught up in the double-cross that he didn't notice that other information had been gathered and sent to Brother Fengnian. Every one of these places along the way that sells stolen goods has a powerful backer. If they weren't officials, who could protect them?!"

Li Xuemei couldn't help but smile when she thought of Pan Zheng's arrogant face with his innocent and clear eyes.

“The Pan family boy really believed your words that you didn’t need to ask any questions and just grabbed him and sent him to dig mud as a laborer.”

"Now it seems that it was really good that you brought Xiao An Camp to join the Duke of Dingguo's army. The food and supplies are plentiful, the treatment is generous, and the banner of the Duke of Dingguo is very strong."

The otaku is back again~ Please help me find any typos~ (*▽*)~