Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 463 Passing the Exam
As night fell, the South City Wharf gradually quieted down.

Xie Yuyan looked at Su Man: "Recently, we've removed some of the people patrolling the docks and sent them to work in the shops in the city. If anyone asks, just say we need to repair the shops quickly so we can open them as soon as possible."

Su Man nodded.

The people in the open are withdrawn, and the people secretly protecting them will follow. This is also a good opportunity to see how well they have been trained these days, and whether these people are truly capable.
Xie Yuyan stood up: "I'm going to change my clothes. You can wait for me in the courtyard."

Su Man responded.

These past few days, the old lady has asked him to teach her some martial arts, not the kind that relies on brute force, but rather the kind of skill that uses the opponent's force against them and strikes unexpectedly.

Su Man initially thought that a few days wouldn't be very useful, but while teaching her, he discovered that this woman knew far more than he had expected. She must have learned these skills and techniques before. Especially when holding a dagger, she knew exactly where to aim for the most effective way to kill.

……

Xie family.

In the stillness of the night, a man, guided by the moonlight, quickly walked to the wall. When he heard knocking sounds outside, he gently moved a brick, creating a small gap.

“Attendant,” the person outside whispered.

The man slightly raised his head, revealing a beautiful face. The woman nodded and asked, "Has the message I gave you been relayed back to the sect?"

The man immediately responded, then paused: "Then... Xie Wenjing really isn't dead?"

Instead of answering, the woman said, "If we find out who Qiao Si is on good terms with, we must interrogate him thoroughly. Qiao Si wouldn't spare someone's life for no reason."

The person outside said, "Don't worry, Attendant, this matter is of utmost importance, and the people in the sect dare not be careless."

The woman looked around and then said, "I searched the entire Xie family compound, but I still couldn't find that jade pendant. Now it seems... it might have been taken away by someone."

The person outside thought for a moment and said, "Does the attendant mean that the person who took the jade pendant might be Xie Wenjing?"

The woman nodded slowly, then lowered her voice and continued, "I have received definite information that there will be a big commotion in Bianjing in the next few days. Someone will be secretly targeting the Xie family. Gather your men and sneak into the Xie family's residence. It would be best if you could capture the Xie family in the chaos. If you can't, search the house thoroughly to see if you can find the jade pendant."

The people outside nodded.

The woman thought for a moment: "Although Xie has too many secrets, and we should capture her alive for interrogation, if it's not easy to do so, killing her is just as good, to avoid leaving any future trouble."

After saying that, she waved her hand and said, "Go."

The man dared not delay and quickly left. The woman put the wall bricks back in place, straightened her clothes, and then tiptoed towards the inner courtyard.

As she reached the moon gate, she seemed to sense a movement in her shadow on the ground. She immediately hid behind the artificial rockery, held her breath, and waited for a while to make sure no one was following her before continuing forward.

After the woman left for a while, the branch that had been pressed down by her fingers finally returned to its original position.

A tall figure walked out, looking in the direction the woman had disappeared—it was Xie Wenjing's courtyard.

……

Liu family.

As soon as it was light, Liu Erlang and the others got up to wash and dress.

The Liu family prepared the meal and served it up. In addition to several small dishes and soup dumplings, there was also a plate of Zhuangyuan cake.

After the group finished their meal, they happily led their servants to the South Courtyard of the Ministry of Rites, where the notice would be posted on the east wall of the South Courtyard.

The carriage was forced to stop before it even reached the Ministry of Rites. The driver whispered, "There are too many people ahead. You gentlemen will have to walk."

Liu Erlang and the others got off the car one after another, talking as they walked forward.

"Zuo Shangying."

Reminded by someone, Liu Erlang immediately looked over and saw that Zuo Shangying was also being swept up in the crowd not far away. The sound of drums beating came, and the notice written on yellow paper had been pasted on the wall. Almost immediately, someone began to read the notice aloud.

As the notices were posted one by one, scholars began to discover their names.

“I won.”

“I won.”

Liu Erlang heard shouts coming from beside him, and when he turned around, he saw Huang Zongwu.

Immediately afterwards, Hu Ying from Jiangling Prefecture also discovered his own name.

Two other students who co-authored the tabloid also passed the imperial examination at the same time, with their rankings differing by only ten places.

"Erlang, don't worry, your ranking will definitely be higher than ours, you'll be at the back."

Liu Erlang felt his heart pounding like a drum, and he could hardly breathe.

"Erlang's name is here."

Upon hearing the news, Liu Erlang felt his legs go weak. He couldn't wait to push through the crowd to the list, where he saw his name: Liu Tonghan, number twenty-eight.

Liu Erlang checked the information several times to make sure the name and place of origin were correct before a smile appeared on his face. After years of hard study, he was finally able to embark on his official career. If he hadn't been so determined, he would have cried out like the other scholars around him.

It took him a while to come to his senses, and he hurriedly looked at the names in front of him.

Immediately, a name that he recognized very well caught his eye.

Zuo Shangying, eleventh place.

Liu Erlang was overjoyed again. His eyes scanned the crowd and found Zuo Shangying not far away.

Their eyes met, and what should have been a pleasant surprise turned into a mere nod due to the tabloids.

In the end, five people passed the exam to help prepare and write the Bianjing tabloid, while one person failed.

Huang Zongwu and Hu Ying walked forward with Liu Erlang in their arms, and the group of people were extremely happy.

They had booked a banquet at the restaurant beforehand, and everyone who passed the exam would be celebrated. Now that five people had passed, there was no shortage of drinking and merrymaking.

All Liu Erlang remembered was the constant toasting and drinking, with people joining in and offering him drinks one after another, which he drank all of.

During the meal, several familiar faces seemed to bring money. Liu Erlang could only see their mouths opening and closing, but he couldn't hear what they were saying.

Liu Erlang was carried home only after he was completely drunk and unconscious.

When Liu Erlang woke up the next day, he felt a splitting headache. Before he could even get up, he heard people making a fuss outside.

"Dozens of copies were sold immediately after the tabloid was published."

"The bookstore is still printing it."

"Now it's all over the place, people are saying that the people who write tabloids are all scholars who have passed the imperial examinations."

"If we sell a few dozen more copies, our tabloid will be able to make money. I heard that the tabloid in Daming Prefecture is still losing money, so... it's clear which tabloid is better."

Tabloid? Liu Erlang shuddered, his mind finally clearing up.

Didn't he tell the bookstore that the newspaper should be shown to him first after it was printed to avoid any errors or omissions? How come it's already on sale?
Liu Erlang put on his long robe, not bothering to put on his boots, and quickly walked a few steps to open the door. Then he saw the notes in Huang Zongwu and the others' hands.

The words "Bianjing Xiaobao" (汴京小报) were particularly eye-catching.