Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 176 Autumn Examination

"You...why are you here, Brother Yuan?" Aunt Xue's eyes were filled with timidity and joy, and she couldn't help but lose her composure.

Seeing this, Chen Siyuan smiled and bowed, "I've come to congratulate my concubine. I've reviewed the accounts over the past two days. Excluding the balance left over for weekly expenses, I can expect to receive a profit of 3,000 taels in July. My concubine holds a 25% stake, so I can expect to receive 750 taels in interest."

As he spoke, he pulled out a banknote from his sleeve, turned around and handed it to Tongxi, who hurried over to give it to Aunt Xue.

Aunt Xue was naturally delighted holding the banknote. For the past two years, the Xue family's business had been declining, with their income barely covering their expenses. It was only recently, with Chen Siyuan's maritime trade venture, that the Xue family had made a small profit.

Now he has to make money again, and he has already made 750 taels in the first month. If he calculates it over the whole year, wouldn't he make tens of thousands of taels? This is no small amount!
Since it was Aunt Xue who ordered Tongxi to accept the banknote, she hurriedly smiled and invited Chen Siyuan to sit down.

Tonggui smiled and served tea to Chen Siyuan, then said to Aunt Xue, "The lady's left eye was twitching this morning, and I knew something was going to happen. Look, it's not even afternoon yet, and Master Yuan has already brought some money."

Aunt Xue knew it very well. Her eyelids were twitching because she tossed and turned last night and couldn't fall asleep. Whether she opened her eyes or closed them, she saw the beauty in the carriage.

She smiled and said, "Finally, you were right for once." She looked up at Chen Siyuan and saw that he seemed to have a blister under his lip. She frowned and asked, "Brother Yuan, you have a blister?"

Chen Siyuan reached out and touched it, then said with a smile, "There's been a smoker burning in the house these days, so maybe it's causing some heat."

Aunt Xue frowned and said worriedly, "I'm afraid he's worried about the Autumn Examination..." Turning around, she instructed Tonggui, "Go and get some of the rose saltpeter that Shopkeeper Xu sent last month."

Tonggui agreed and turned to go into the bedroom.

For a moment, only Aunt Xue and Chen Siyuan were left in the main room.

Aunt Xue was leaning on the soft couch, her lilac skirt embroidered with peonies in gold and silver threads hanging down, revealing the tip of her frosty diamond-shaped socks. The South China pearls on her embroidered shoes were glistening and bright white.

"You...will end soon, a few days earlier or later won't make a difference." Aunt Xue whispered, slowly skimming the daughter's tea in the sky-blue glazed tea bowl with the covered bowl in her hand, and the jade bracelet on her plump white wrist swayed with it.

Chen Siyuan looked up and saw that a button on her pine green, flower-sprinkled, double-breasted shirt had come undone, revealing a sliver of white at the base of her neck. A copper-enamel incense burner sat on a small table beside the couch, its smoke curling upward, entwining with her hair in a cloud-like bun, creating a scene reminiscent of a painting of a court lady painted by a painter from the pre-Song Dynasty.

Chen Siyuan's heart moved, and he said, "It's better to hurry up sooner rather than later. I'm also afraid that the concubine will worry about it."

Aunt Xue immediately smiled, her heart filled with tenderness and affection, and her eyes and eyebrows became even more gentle. She wanted to express her lovesickness, but when she opened her mouth, she could only talk about other things.

"In a few days I will find a carpenter to clean up the old house. Pan'er is about to get married, so it's not appropriate for her to stay in Rongguo Mansion."

The ending tone seems to be tinged with some of the misty rain of the south of the Yangtze River, full of lazy and leisurely style.

Chen Siyuan asked with a smile, "How many entrances does the old house have?"

"There are three entrances and a small garden on the side."

"That should be enough, and it won't wrong Miss Cao."

"There's enough space, but it's a bit dilapidated. Cleaning it up would probably cost two or three thousand silver coins."

The two of them were chatting, but their eyes were fixed on one thing, as if they couldn't be separated even by a knife or an axe.

"Money is just external things, but the important things are more important."

"I don't mind the money, but I don't know much about construction. It's okay if I spend more money, but I'm afraid those craftsmen are just trying to cheat."

Chen Siyuan understood what she meant. Seeing that Tongxi had returned, he said solemnly, "What the concubine said is quite reasonable. She really needs someone to look after her. I do have some ideas. If the concubine trusts you, I will visit her every now and then after the Autumn Examination."

Aunt Xue immediately said happily, "That's great... But, wouldn't that be too much trouble for Brother Yuan?"

"First... family members don't talk behind each other's backs, so there's no need to be polite, Madam."

Aunt Xue quickly agreed, "Okay." Meanwhile, Tonggui had returned with the rose saltpeter. Aunt Xue took it and tried to pass it to him herself, but then, taken aback, she placed it back in Tonggui's hands and instructed, "What are you doing for me? Give it to Yuan'er."

Tonggui agreed and hurriedly sent it to Chen Siyuan.

Aunt Xue said, "This rose saltpeter has the effect of dispersing, drawing out pus, and removing decay. It's perfect for this condition. Brother Yuan, apply it two or three times and the blisters will disappear."

"Thank you, Madam."

Chen Siyuan knew it was not a good idea to stay for long, so he stood up and said, "In that case, it's time for me to go back."

Aunt Xue felt melancholy and stood up, saying, "Brother Yuan is busy with the Autumn Examination, so I won't keep you any longer. Tongxi, please see him off for me."

"Hey."

Having said this, Chen Siyuan bowed and said goodbye, then raised his eyes and glanced deeply at Aunt Xue before turning and striding away. Aunt Xue walked him all the way to the corridor, looked at him with joy as she walked Chen Siyuan through the hall, then turned back with a look of disappointment.

Sitting back down on the couch, Aunt Xue couldn't help but smile bitterly. She had been tossing and turning yesterday, desperate to stop her misstep before it became too serious. But seeing Chen Siyuan again, she had completely forgotten all about her previous thoughts.

While he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside, and Tonggui said, "Madam, the young lady is back."

Aunt Xue finally collected her thoughts and looked up to see Baochai and Ying'er walking in together.

Aunt Xue said, "My son, didn't you say you had an appointment with Tanchun to knit together? Why are you back now?"

Before Bao-chai could say anything, Ying-erh began chirping, "Madam, you don't know. No sooner had the young lady seen the Third Young Lady than Aunt Zhao came looking for her. I don't know how, but those two seemed to be like water and fire, and after just a few words they were quarrelling. It was only when the old lady heard what was going on that she sent Yuan-yang to investigate, and that frightened Aunt Zhao away."

The third girl was so busy crying that she had no time to think about making lace. So she came back because she was a girl.

Aunt Xue couldn't help but frown and asked, "Again? What's it all about this time?"

Ying'er was about to speak when Baochai glanced at her, so she lowered her head in frustration. Baochai didn't answer, but instead asked, "Just now...did Brother Yuan send some money?"

Aunt Xue smiled and nodded. "Yes, how did you know? The pill business brought in three thousand taels of silver in July, and Brother Yuan just gave me seven hundred and fifty taels of silver."

Baochai sat down beside her, holding a teacup and saying, "It was because of this that Aunt Zhao and Tanchun started quarreling."

Aunt Xue was puzzled and asked, "What does this have to do with Tanchun?"

Baochai sighed, "It is said that it was because Tanchun didn't give her money last time that Aunt Zhao was delayed in her sea trade. Afterwards, Brother Yuan thought she had no money, so he stopped taking her with him in any business."

Aunt Xue sighed and said, "That Aunt Zhao is just trying to find fault. How much money can a young girl like Tanchun save for herself? Even if I gave it all to her, what would it really mean?"

Baochai chimed in with a few words, then glanced briefly at Aunt Xue and said suddenly, "Mother, do you think Brother Yuan will make it to the top of the list this time?"

Aunt Xue was stunned for a moment, then pondered, "Brother Yuan has only been graduating from the Imperial College for half a year, so I imagine his essay must be pretty good... If nothing unexpected happens, he'll definitely pass the exam."

Baochai nodded and said hopefully, "Brother Yuan is indeed capable. He has passed the imperial examination and is also able to manage a business. How old is he? It's rare to find someone so capable in the world." After a pause, she said softly, "Sister Lin is really lucky."

Aunt Xue felt strange and agreed with a few words.

Then Baochai continued, "I heard that Sister Lin and Brother Yuan were having a ceremony of marrying a concubine, and the position of the principal wife is still up in the air, but I don't know which girl got the chance."

Aunt Xue glanced at Baochai, her mind growing more and more perplexed. Ever since Lady Wang mentioned it last time, her daughter seemed to have had some interest in him. She wondered, could it be that her daughter had some interest in Chen Siyuan?
Aunt Xue was immediately annoyed. If Baochai was interested in Chen Siyuan, then what was she to her? In the past, they were just distant relatives, so Aunt Xue could have glossed over it, saying that the two of them had just happened to be a few years apart. But if Baochai became a couple with him, how would she cope?

At that moment, he could not help but say solemnly: "My son, are you interested in that——"

As soon as she said this, Baochai frowned and interrupted, "What are you talking about, mother? I was just praising you privately."

Aunt Xue saw that Baochai's face showed no sign of surprise, so she sighed and said, "Although Brother Yuan is capable, he is still too old for us. If we can count on him to protect our family, I'm afraid it will take at least ten years. My child, you know our family's situation. How can we wait even five years, let alone ten years?"
It's best if you don't have such thoughts. If you do... it's better to give up as soon as possible. Although your aunt is ambiguous now, as long as you and Baoyu are good friends, why worry about this matter not being successful? "

Baochai felt a pang of pain in her heart at the sound, and wanted to argue, but seeing her mother looking at her eagerly, she had to suppress her grievances. Then she remembered what Chen Siyuan had said, that she was afraid her mother would only turn back after hitting a wall, so she muttered her agreement.

Mother and daughter were speechless for a moment, each with their own thoughts in the silence, but they both thought of the same person...

............................................................

But Chen Siyuan leisurely returned to his own courtyard, calmed down for a while, put Aunt Xue out of his mind for the time being, and went into the study to pretend to read a book.

The Autumn Examination was approaching, and there had been no movement from Prince Ping of Yan. Chen Siyuan was considering whether to visit him tomorrow to inquire. While he was thinking, Hongyu was about to enter. She lifted the beaded curtain, glanced at him, and then waited with her hands folded aside.

Chen Siyuan caught a glimpse of this, put down his book and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Hongyu said, "Sister Ping'er asked what kind of street food Master likes, so that we can prepare everything before the show."

Chen Siyuan then remembered the bean sprouts he had eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival and said, "Those bean sprouts were very good. Oh, and prepare some dried eggplant as well."

Hongyu smiled and said, "We have everything, and we even prepared some plain noodles."

"Sumen?"

Hongyu explained that the plain noodles at Rongguo Mansion were extraordinary. They were made with three or four-month-old young chickens, braised, dried, ground into powder, and then mixed with flour and rolled. The flavor was so rich, and just boiled in water, a small bowl could last a whole day.

Besides that, there were also various snacks and fruits, which made Chen Siyuan stunned. He thought to himself, is this an exam? I'm afraid the banquet in the restaurant can't compare to this.

After Hongyu finished counting, Chen Siyuan said, "Just prepare less of everything. I'm taking an exam, not going on an autumn outing. Oh, thank my second sister-in-law for me."

Hongyu agreed and went to answer Ping'er. Before Chen Siyuan could pick up the scroll, Hongyu returned to the study, handed him a letter, and said to Chen Siyuan, "Master, someone from the Imperial College has delivered the indenture."

This knot is the admission ticket for the Autumn Examination, which states the candidate's name, place of origin, etc., and is used to verify his or her identity when entering the Imperial College. There is also a Yin-shaped stick, which is used to check the number on the seat.
Chen Siyuan took it, unfolded the letter, and carefully examined it. Seeing nothing unusual, he smiled and said, "This is the only advantage of studying at the Imperial College. Ordinary students would probably have to go to the government office to get their certificates themselves."

But that's not all. Ordinary students also need five people to form a group and act as guarantors for each other. They may also have to bribe the yamen officials and treat guests to drinks before they can get the certificate.

Perhaps because all the things happened at the same time, Chen Siyuan had just picked up the scroll after talking to Hongyu for a few words. Unexpectedly, the maid in front came to tell him that someone had come from Prince Yanping's palace, and asked Chen Siyuan to go to the palace tomorrow afternoon.

Chen Siyuan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Prince Ping of Yan would fulfill his promise tomorrow. He knew his own situation. Despite studying diligently for the past six months, his eight-legged essays were only at the level of an average scholar, far from the level of a juren. If it weren't for the fact that Supervisor Tao always revealed the questions in advance, how could he have topped the list?
Just as he had sent the maid away, Yunxiang, the little maid, came running back like a gust of wind, and breathlessly said, "Master, Master, the Master has captured the steward Dai Liang, and he's heading to Rongqing Hall now!"

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but frown and said, "What's the big fuss? What does this have to do with us?"

Yunxiang blinked and said, "That's all right. Master, guess what did the master see when he arrested the person?"

"Hmm?" Chen Siyuan's heart moved, and he remembered what Yunxiang had said before. He took a breath and said, "You mean—"

Yunxiang lowered her voice and said, "Yes, I happened to see Dai Liang and Miss Naduo rolling around together. Tsk tsk tsk, I just took a look, but Miss Naduo's face was not red or white, and she didn't care about what others said.

What’s even more bizarre is that when someone called Duoguan a coward to his face, he just laughed it off and didn’t care at all.”

Hongyu couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward to poke Yunxiang with a finger: "Master still has to take the Autumn Examination, so stop talking nonsense these days!"

Yunxiang pouted and said, "I think the master seems quite happy listening to this... Uh, I'll go and listen again!"

After saying this, the woman as graceful as the wind also ran away.

Chen Siyuan shook his head and thought to himself that Qingwen's cousin... maybe he had some special hobby. Who would be willing to be a coward?
Thinking back to what had happened earlier, he thought to himself, "Master and Lady Wang have the real evidence. Dai Liang is doomed this time. Even Lady Jia can't say anything. However, I'm afraid this will be the last time."

Mrs. Wang is naturally greedy, and Master Jia She is no fool, so how could he be willing to hand over the power of Rongguo Mansion to someone else? There is no possibility of cooperation between the two in the future.

From Chen Siyuan's perspective, he'd helped Madam Wang once or twice, and now that there were three powers in the system, it was just the right time for him to maneuver. If Madam Wang seized all the power, it would be a disaster rather than a blessing... In the evening, Yunxiang, who had watched a great show, came back to complain.

The eldest master Jia She and Mrs. Wang were together, and they had the real evidence. Jia Mu had no way to refute it. She just kept saying that although Dai Liang had no merits over the years, he had worked hard, and begged for a lighter sentence for him.

Unexpectedly, the eldest master Jia She was determined to report to the police, and Mrs. Wang mediated. When the warehouse job was decided to fall on Zhou Rui, the eldest master came to argue for the job of collecting land rent.

The two men argued for a long time in front of Lady Jia, and Jia She, despite his pride, finally accepted the job of collecting the rent. Then Lady Jia lost interest, pleaded tiredness, and sent the two men away.

The eldest master, Jia She, was full of pride and returned to the East Wing Courtyard in an arrogant manner, so he did not mention it; but Mrs. Wang was still worried.

The land rent job had originally been promised to Wu Xing, but this time it fell through, which naturally made Mrs. Wang feel resentful towards the eldest wife. She wanted to talk to Chen Siyuan, but thinking of the upcoming autumn imperial examination, she forced herself to hold back her breath.

As for Dai Liang, he was banished directly to the capital's farm to work as an accountant, and his wife, Dai Liang's wife, was taken with him. The maidservant Yunxiang watched helplessly as his wife beat and scolded Dai Liang, then knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to the Second Wife, Wang Xifeng, before being dragged out of the mansion by two maids.

At this point, husband and wife are one, so don't think about "flying away when disaster strikes." Dai Liang had embezzled so much money and had already been punished by the Rongguo Mansion, so how could they be confident in keeping Dai Liang's wife in the mansion?
Nothing else happened that day, and the next day rolled around. Chen Siyuan left for Prince Ping of Yan's mansion at noon. Unfortunately, Prince Ping of Yan had been invited to dinner by the sage, and he never returned.

After waiting for more than half an hour, Ding Daolong, the head chef of the palace, dismissed his attendants and secretly slipped a two-finger-wide piece of paper to Chen Siyuan.

Finally, he said, "The prince has instructed us to give this to Mr. Chen. We don't know what it is. The prince has instructed us to study hard in the Autumn Examination. We will definitely use you in the future."

Chen Siyuan thanked Ding Daolong and wanted to give him some silver, but Ding Daolong refused to accept it, saying that he would not accept the reward without merit.

Chen Siyuan suppressed his worries and left the palace. He opened the paper only after he got into the carriage. He saw three questions from the Four Books and one question from the Five Classics. He took a quick glance and found that the first question from the Four Books was a question about a connection!

The first question juxtaposed the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean, the second was drawn from the Analects, and the final was from Mencius. Because of the first question's juxtaposition, Chen Siyuan pondered for a long time, unable to come up with a solution. He couldn't help but feel a pang of dread. Fortunately, he had the questions ready; otherwise, he would have returned empty-handed and achieved nothing.

He immediately put the paper away, returned home, and went straight to his study to ponder. He made up his mind that if he could not come up with a solution within two days, he would have to sacrifice his dignity and ask for help from Mei Hanlin.

Two days passed in a flash. At dusk that day, Chen Siyuan suddenly threw down his book from his study, slammed his head and stood up, exclaiming in ecstasy: "I figured it out. Hahahaha, it turns out to be from the Jiangxi Provincial Examination in the former Ming Dynasty! Hahahaha——"

Hongyu, Xiangling, and Liu Wu'er hurried over in surprise. Liu Wu'er was the closest, but as soon as she entered, Chen Siyuan hugged her and spun her around three times. She was still dazed when Chen Siyuan kissed her firmly on the lips.

Liu Wu'er's pretty face flushed immediately, and she was at a loss as to what to do. Unexpectedly, Chen Siyuan left her and went to hug Hongyu and Xiangling and spin around...

Because Chen Siyuan had been studying hard behind closed doors for the past two days, the others usually didn't even dare to breathe. But at this moment, Chen Siyuan's frown relaxed and his face was filled with joy. Although Hongyu and Xiangling didn't know why, they also smiled.

Xiangling giggled non-stop, and Hongyu stopped laughing and quickly asked, "What good news has happened to you, Master?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "It's just that I encountered a difficult problem. I pondered it for two days before I finally figured out a solution."

Hongyu said happily, "That must be extremely difficult... If Master can solve such a difficult problem, he will definitely win the battle in the future."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily, feeling extremely pleased. He reached out and pinched her cheek, saying with a smile, "Thanks for your good wishes. I'm also looking forward to winning!"

As he spoke, a surge of pride welled up within him. Although he'd been given the questions ahead of time, he'd never sought help from anyone. Being able to figure out the solutions on his own was progress. If he could keep this up for a few years, perhaps he could pass the next exam!
He was so happy that he couldn't help touching and kissing her. Suddenly, the main room was filled with passion. That evening, Chen Siyuan couldn't hold back any longer and went to Xiaohuazhi Lane to have some fun. He returned home at noon the next day.

A few days passed in a flash, and it was the eighth day of the new year in a blink of an eye.

At noon that day, Chen Siyuan found that he could not concentrate on reading, so he simply threw the book aside and put his weapons into the warehouse and his horses into the mountains.

Hongyu had just returned with the food box when Tanchun and Xichun came along with their maids.

Chen Siyuan personally came out to greet them and ushered the two sisters inside. Tanchun smiled and said, "Knowing that Brother Yuan would be killed tomorrow, my second sister made some Dingsheng cakes."

As he spoke, he glanced at the secretary, who came forward with a basket. Inside were indeed several pieces of Dingsheng cakes. This cake is also called Zhuangyuan cake, which has a homophonic meaning of asking for good luck.

Then Tanchun looked at Cui Mo again, and Cui Mo came forward with a small bundle, unfolded it, and inside was a set of thin quilts and oilcloth.

Tanchun said, "I don't know what to do for Brother Yuan. A few days ago, when I had some free time, I worked with the maid to make a quilt and oilcloth."

Chen Siyuan said gratefully, "Third sister is so thoughtful."

Tanchun smiled and shook her head. Hongyu, who was watching from the side, could not help but admire her and said, "Third Miss's stitching is so good that even a master of needlework can do no better than this."

Xiangling laughed and said, "We wanted to make another set, but Master said we only needed a brocade quilt and wouldn't let us."

Tanchun frowned and said, "The capital is not like the south of the Yangtze River. It's almost Mid-Autumn Festival, and there are frosts and white dews in the morning and evening. We can't be careless."

Chen Siyuan smiled and thanked him. Little Xichun, who was standing beside him, couldn't help but come forward and said, "I'm ready too!"

As she spoke, she took a delicate object from Ruhua's hands and, after fiddling with it and folding it, she discovered it was a delicate folding copper stove! It also came with a matching steaming tray and a pack of silver frost charcoal, clearly showing how much thought and effort Xichun had put into it.

Chen Siyuan took one look and said, "Is this what Fourth Sister thinks?"

Little Xichun nodded with a touch of pride, saying, "Yes, I saw that the copper furnace Sister Feng had prepared was too clumsy, so I simply thought of one myself and sent my maid to find a craftsman on the street to make one. Fortunately, I prepared it early, otherwise I might not have it finished today."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern, Fourth Sister."

Xichun smiled, revealing her gap teeth, and said, "I'm glad I can help Brother Yuan."

The two sisters exchanged a few words, and fearing to disturb Chen Siyuan, they quickly stood up and said goodbye.

Just as they were gone, Ying'er arrived again, bringing Baochai with her a basket. The basket had three layers, perfect for storing various items. The top layer held the four treasures of the study, the middle layer held thin quilts and oilcloths, and the bottom layer held the charcoal stove, food, and other items.

Ying'er didn't know the real situation, and thought that her girl was just doing her best to show her affection, so she said a few flattering and auspicious words and left.

A little later, another snow goose came looking for her. It was Daiyu who sent her with a delicate whale oil lamp.

In the middle of the lampstand is a glass cover that contains whale oil. When it is lit, the whale oil melts and drips along the copper wire to the wick at the bottom. It is extremely exquisite.

After saying this, Xueyan whispered, "My daughter wishes you all the best in the imperial examination. If she hadn't been able to leave the house these past few days, she would have come with the third and fourth daughters."

Before Chen Siyuan could even open his mouth, Xiangling asked, "Miss Lin, can't you go out?"

Xueyan nodded and said, "Every year during the transition from spring to autumn, the young lady rarely goes out to avoid catching a cold." After a pause, she looked at Chen Siyuan with a smile and said, "This year, thanks to the good medicine sent by Master Yuan, there are no other problems. But just in case, the old lady asked the young lady to stay in her room for the next few days."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "Sister Lin is weak, so it's always better to be more careful."

Xueyan agreed with a smile. She was also very sensible, so she lingered for a moment before taking her leave and reporting back.

In the afternoon, Wang Xifeng came over with Ping'er and a basket of food. She was still smiling at everyone she met and her words were sharp and lively.

But for some reason, Chen Siyuan always felt that Feng Jieer seemed to be worried. He had no idea that because of Mrs. Xing's childbirth, Feng Jieer had been feeling like she was facing a great enemy these days.

Unfortunately, a few days ago, Dai Liang was driven away to the farm by the master and Mrs. Wang. Lady Jia lost a capable man. Feng Jieer was worried that Lady Jia's power would be taken away from her, so she went to Mrs. Wang's place every day to keep her busy.

Furthermore, she only had Qiaojie, so she was worried and seemed to be burdened with worries. However, Jia Lian was not ambitious and only thought that the title would fall to him sooner or later. Moreover, because Fengjie was recuperating, she would never let him get close to her. Therefore, they would often talk for a while and then quarrel.

Jia Lian was in a very bad mood, so he had to go to the outer study to find a few handsome servants to relieve his sexual desire.

Feng Jieer talked for a while and then said that Jia Lian would send him to take the exam early the next morning. Chen Siyuan thanked her but did not mention it again.

After Feng Jieer and Ping Er left, Mrs. Wang sent Jin Chuan Er to bring some camphor and menthol to refresh the mind; Mrs. Xing was still in confinement, so she sent Miao Er to bring some small portions of ginseng tea wrapped in glutinous rice paper and a tin kettle; and Jia Zhen from Ningguo Mansion sent someone to bring mugwort, frost sugar and other items.

After everyone left, Hongyu took inventory and jokingly said, "Except for the four treasures of the study, everything we need for food, clothing, and daily necessities is available. If we had known this, why would we have bothered preparing? We could have just waited for them to be delivered ready-made."

Liu Wuer said, "Speaking of the four treasures of the study, it seems that you only need to bring the inkstone and not the brush."

To prevent cheating, the provincial examinations used hollow lead-filled brushes, and in addition to the blank examination paper, there was also a piece of straw paper. The only paper the examinees could prepare was the straw paper they used when they went to the toilet.

No one visited me today, but in the evening, the maid from the back door came to me again and said that Mr. You had sent a pair of top-ranking chips, and her eager anticipation was evident in her words.

Although Chen Siyuan hadn't touched his books that day, Xiangling, Hongyu, and Liu Wu'er were all very cautious, afraid to disturb him. Even the usually noisy maid Yunxiang seemed to have become a quail, walking silently and startling the two servants several times.

When it was time to light the lamps, Hongyu and Xiangling urged Chen Siyuan to go to bed quickly. Fearing that he might not behave well, they simply moved them to the warm room, which made Chen Siyuan feel helpless.

Chen Siyuan tossed and turned all night and finally fell asleep after half past the hour of Si. The next day, he was woken up by Xiangling's push at the hour of Yin, and was immediately urged to wash up and eat.

It was still dark, but the courtyard was brightly lit. Chen Siyuan had just finished his meal when Jia Lian came to urge him, "Brother Yuan, are you ready? We must leave early, otherwise we'll be stuck in traffic and miss the entrance."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly changed his clothes and, yawning profusely, followed Jia Lian forward. The two of them took a carriage and set off under the stars to the Imperial Examination Hall.

Along the way, one could occasionally glimpse candidates holding lanterns and carrying baskets. As they approached the Imperial Examination Hall, the area was jammed with carriages and sedan chairs.

Seeing this, Jia Lian hurriedly urged Chen Siyuan to get out of the car and walk. The group squeezed through the traffic and arrived in front of the Imperial Examination Hall. They saw that there were hundreds of people waiting.

He endured till dawn, when suddenly the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall opened, the examiner announced the decree, and the yamen runners repeated it everywhere.

When the time came, officials began to call out the names. Because Chen Siyuan was recommended by the Imperial College for the exam and did not need to provide a guarantee, he was the third one to be called.

Chen Siyuan responded loudly, quickly took the basket from Qingyu's hand, walked through the crowd and went forward to check.

He hid the gold beans in his sleeve, and when two soldiers came forward to search, he slipped them into one of them without leaving any trace. The soldier was very satisfied, and with a wink to his companion, he let Chen Siyuan undress, briefly checked him, and then let him in.

After passing this first hurdle, the imperial censor behind the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall interrogated him in a serious and thorough manner.

"Chen Siyuan, a student from Shuntian Prefecture?"

"That's right." Chen Siyuan responded with a bow.

The censor examined the petition and said, "Let me ask you, what are the names of the two northeastern gates of the capital?"

Chen Siyuan understood that this was the legendary listening censor. He said naturally, "Reporting to the censor, the east is Dongzhimen, and the north is Andingmen."

Not all of the names of the Nine Gates of the Capital are pronounced with the erhua sound. If you are not a native of the Capital who has lived there for a long time, you will be embarrassed when you open your mouth.

The censor nodded and asked, "What are the two most popular items sold at breakfast stalls in the capital?"

"It's soybean juice and fried dough sticks."

The censor no longer had any doubts and waved his hand, saying, "Go in and find a soldier to take your seat."

Chen Siyuan took the basket and went inside. A soldier came forward and Chen Siyuan stuffed another gold bean into the door. The soldier whispered, "Good luck, young master. This room is sheltered from the wind and very far from the toilet."

Chen Siyuan immediately felt relieved and followed the soldiers to the cell. Once inside, the soldiers immediately put on iron chains.

The cell was cramped, with no overhead space, and nine-foot-high tarpaulins hung on both sides. Chen Siyuan quickly found nails and a hammer, stepped on the partitions brought by the soldiers, and began to nail the tarpaulins.

After nailing the oilcloth, Chen Siyuan immediately found a quilt and went to bed. The exam numbers were only announced today, and the questions wouldn't be out until tonight, so he might as well get some sleep first.

(End of this chapter)