I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 39 Smart
Song Yuan said, "This silly child, the city's inspection is very thorough, how could he possibly bring in a sachet?"

“Xiaoyuan’s good intentions will surely bring good luck. I can wear it to the examination hall and then take it off.”

Seeing that Xiaoyuan's face was pale, Xue Xiang rubbed her little head.

The little girl's face immediately turned red, and she retreated behind Song Yuan.

"It's getting late, Mother, Uncle, and everyone else, please wait."

"How can that be? Just deliver it; it won't make a difference."

"Which family doesn't send their children off to the exam? What are we lacking?"

"Brother, I'll wait for you outside the examination hall."

"Don't talk nonsense. Once you go in, you won't be able to come out until tomorrow."

"I do not care."

"........."

Xue Xiang ultimately couldn't resist his enthusiastic family members' insistence on seeing him off to the exam.

As soon as he stepped onto the street, Xue Xiang was surprised to find that Yunmeng City woke up earlier than ever before.

The streets were already bustling with pedestrians.

The crowds converged, all heading in one direction—the north of the city, where the examination halls were also located.

At 2:45 AM, the family carried Xue Xiang to the examination hall, where a huge crowd had already gathered.

Xue Xiang bowed to his mother and uncle. His mother hugged him, her lips trembling, but she ultimately said nothing.

Xue Xiang patted his mother's shoulder, then pinched Liu Mei's arm, nodded to his uncle, picked up his examination basket, and went into the examination hall.

Before dawn, the examination hall was already filled with scholars. According to his number, he quickly found the thirteenth district.

"Brother Xue."

"Brother Meng, Brother Zhou, Brother Li, Brother Su."

Xue Xiang quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

Standing opposite him were Meng De, Zhou Mengyu, Li Peng, and a short young man.

At that time, Xue Xiang, Zhou Mengyu, Meng De, and Li Peng went to Zhaoyewu to study.

As a result, Zhou Mengyu, Li Peng, and Zhaoyewu were eliminated, leaving only Xue Xiang and Meng De to persevere to the end.

But a friendship was formed nonetheless.

Currently, the first step in the process of taking the city exam is mutual agreement and mutual guarantee.

The so-called mutual guarantee means that every five Confucian scholars will vouch for each other to ensure that no one impersonates another, no one substitutes for another, and no one plagiarizes.

If one person makes a mistake, all five will be punished.

There were only four people: Xue Xiang, Meng De, Zhou Mengyu, and Li Peng. The short young man was Su Qing, a fellow villager whom Zhou Mengyu had brought along.

As for the guarantee, it meant that the five of them would pool their money to find a government-subsidized student to vouch for them, ensuring that their backgrounds and academic records were clear.

At this moment, the scholars gathered at the edge of the examination hall, queuing up to be searched. Only after passing the search would they meet the guarantor who would lead them to the verification officer to authenticate their identities.

After exchanging greetings, the conversation inevitably turned to the city exams.

"Have you heard? The professor sent by the academy is Feng Jing. This gentleman is fond of the 'Feng Ya' (a collection of classical Chinese texts). He regrets that he received the news too late, so he prepared a few 'Feng Ya' test questions."

"Feng Jing is a veteran professor in the city's college entrance examination. I've heard he always likes to set strange and risky questions. This time it's going to be tough."

"The written test is actually not too bad, but the level of secrecy surrounding this cultivation test is extremely high. To this day, we still don't know which parts will be tested."

"Have you heard? The examiners for this exam were all drawn from Xufeng County. They're known for being extremely impartial and incorruptible."

"Hey, don't be so nervous. The city test is just the first step in the imperial examination. The power to set the questions for the cultivation test even rests with Yunmeng City. The difficulty won't be too great. The key is still the final document."

"........."

Suddenly, three drumbeats sounded, and the entire arena fell silent. Then, a shout rang out: "Pierce through the Dragon Gate!"

The search begins; prepare to enter.

According to the order, it would take at least half an hour for Xue Xiang and his group of five to pass through the Dragon Gate.

Meng De and Li Peng continued their conversation, but the topic had shifted to Junjun, the newly popular young lady at the Shihua Pavilion.

Xue Xiang was speechless for a moment, then stopped the two of them. "Gentlemen, while there's still time, let's do a self-check first, so that we don't miss a single word or phrase and end up in our clothes or exam baskets." "At this critical moment, who would be so foolish?"

Su Qing, who had been listening more than speaking, suddenly chimed in.

"Being responsible for yourself is also being responsible for everyone. There's nothing wrong with checking things out; it starts with me."

Xue Xiang insisted on his opinion.

He is usually not particular about details.

But since it involved scientific research and his future, he didn't want to make the slightest mistake.

"It wouldn't hurt to do a mutual inspection."

Although Zhou Mengyu felt that Xue Xiang's actions were unnecessary, Xue Xiang was, after all, his employer, so she had to give him face.

Meng De and Li Peng did not object.

At that moment, Xue Xiang handed the exam basket to Zhou Mengyu, unbuttoned his outer robe to reveal his shirt, and jumped and shook himself on the spot.

After a thorough inspection, Zhou Mengyu and the other three found nothing amiss.

After Xue Xiang finished dressing, the group began to check Zhou Mengyu's identity again.

After a short while, Zhou Mengyu, Meng De, and Li Peng had all finished their inspections, and it was Su Qing's turn.

Su Qing calmly handed over the examination basket and untied his outer robe. Xue Xiang was rummaging through the writing brushes, inkstones, and other items in the basket when he suddenly heard Meng De whisper, "What's this?"

His voice sounded a little strained.

Xue Xiang looked in the direction of the voice and saw Meng De pointing to the two blue lining pieces of his outer robe and asking a question.

Xue Xiang stared intently, but found nothing unusual.

Su Qing's expression was extremely solemn as she said in a low voice, "It's just clothes, what's the problem?"

Meng De snorted coldly, "You won't shed tears until you see the coffin, you think you're so smart?"
This type of indigo is dyed with indigo insect extract; it changes color when it comes into contact with water, revealing the underlying dye.

"You still won't tell the truth? Do you really want me to pour a glass of water on it?"

Su Qing repeatedly cupped her hands in greeting and lowered her voice, saying, "Keep your voice down, I had no choice but to do this."

This is a secret medicine that was only developed this year; they definitely won't be able to detect it.

I promise nothing will happen…

Instantly, Xue Xiang and the other three men turned pale.

Zhou Mengyu's eyes were bloodshot as she stared intently at Su Qing, wishing she could devour him alive.

Su Qing was introduced by him. If Su Qing is investigated, all five of them will be implicated and their futures will be ruined.

"Grass mud horse."

Meng De cursed angrily, ripped off two pieces of blue lining, and stomped on them. "You think you're so smart? Even I've heard about it. You think the search team wouldn't know?"

Xue Xiang, Zhou Mengyu, and Li Peng rushed forward and almost stripped Su Qing naked, even undressing her hair to examine her.

The commotion here was quite loud, attracting the attention of many people.

But the mutual inspection wasn't just being done by Xue Xiang and his family, and nobody else interfered.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Su Qing dared not resist and allowed the men to search her.

Xue Xiang and his team found no other dangerous items, but the four of them were still shaken.

If they hadn't found someone else to form a bond with, it would have been too late, and the four of them would never have wanted to have anything to do with Su Qing again.

Then another shout was heard: "District 13, Class A".

Xue Xiang and his group of five, along with sixty others, strode westward.

Soon, they saw a red arched gate, with a large number of soldiers lined up on both sides, and more than a dozen examiners dressed in red robes guarding the gate and inspecting the candidates' belongings.

In front of the round arched gate, twenty-five people wearing cangues knelt to one side.

Not far away, several miniature copies of cheating devices, an inkstone that had been smashed open and embedded with foreign objects, were scattered on the ground.

Among them were several pieces of blue lining, just like the two pieces Su Qing had made. Su Qing broke out in a cold sweat, and Xue Xiang and the others' hearts pounded wildly.

Meng De couldn't help but grab Su Qing's arm and threaten him, telling him to confess now if he had anything smuggled, or he would make him pay even in death if it was discovered.

(End of this chapter)