Top Scholar

Chapter 245 Su Anshou's Father...

Outside the academy, the four members of the Su family were almost going crazy with anticipation.

Su Youjin couldn't hold back any longer and prepared to use his special privileges to go in and see what was wrong with the second son.

"Oh, it's out!" Su Youma cheered.

Then, the Su family saw Su Youcai, hunched over, staggering out from the dimly lit area...

"What's wrong?" Everyone rushed over and took his exam basket.

"Find a place, I need to relieve myself," Su Youcai said, his face pale.

"Miss what?" Su Youjin asked, puzzled.

“It’s just peeing,” Su Lu explained.

"Oh, oh, hurry up, hurry up." Su Youjin and Youma quickly drove Youcai to the wall by the roadside.

"Isn't there a place to pee in the exam room?" Su Youma asked amidst the gurgling sounds.

“Yes,” Su Man said, “there is a toilet under the corridor of each examination room.”

"I came out too late, they've all been taken away." Su Youcai's words didn't stop the rustling water.

"Why are you so stubborn? It's pitch black, you could just find anywhere and take care of it!" Su Youjin couldn't help but shake his head. His second brother was usually quite normal, so why did he suddenly become so dense during exams…

“That’s the academy. How can we urinate and defecate anywhere? The sage will be angry,” Su Youcai said, startled.

"So you'll be fine if you pee at the base of the academy wall?" Su Youjin asked.

"I can't worry about that now. I can't just wet my pants, can I?" Su Youcai said in a hoarse voice, "I've done my best. The Sage will forgive me."

"How did you get into this state?" Su Youjin asked again.

"I haven't eaten, drunk, or relieved myself all day..." Su Youcai said weakly, "Let's go home quickly, I'm starving to death."

"You're the last one to come out?" Su Youjin was utterly astonished. How come his father is nothing like his son?

Su Youma also had to say a few words to defend his boss: "The son is the first to hand in his paper, and the father is the last. This is called having a good beginning and a good end, which is a good thing."

"Huh?" Su Youcai looked at Su Lu. "Why are you in such a hurry to hand in your paper?"

“The master insists on taking my exam paper, what can I do?” Su Lu spread his hands.

"Sigh, I've told you before, handing in the paper too early means the older folks will scrutinize it and find some mistakes," Su Youcai sighed. "Those who don't listen to their elders will regret it..."

Before he finished speaking, several students went out to find food and saw Su Lu and his group walking home. They came over and bowed to him.

"May the chief minister of the Su case be well."

"Greetings, everyone," Su Lu said with a smile.

After the group left, Su Youcai asked, "What did they call you?"

"Chief Su," Su Lu said with a smile.

"This is such a blatant flattery! They're already calling you the top scholar before the results are even posted!" Su Youcai shook his head, thinking, "The world is going to the dogs."

"The list has already been posted separately. The magistrate just approved Qiu-ge'er's paper and decided that he was the top scholar in the county!" Su Youjin immediately became proud.

"So fast?" Su Youcai was dumbfounded.

"That was fast!" Su Youma said proudly, "The master even posted Qiu Ge'er's exam paper, and all the students were completely convinced!"

"Amazing!" Su Youcai gave his son a thumbs up and said, "You truly are my son."

"..." The eldest and youngest uncles couldn't help but roll their eyes. One thought, "What does this have to do with your son?" The other thought, "Thank goodness he didn't take after you..."

"That's right, like father, like son," Su Lu chuckled, changing the subject. "Hey, why haven't I seen Second Brother yet?"

"Oh dear, how could I forget about him!" Chun Ge'er wanted to slap his forehead but couldn't lift his arm, so he slapped his thigh instead and said, "You guys go ahead, I'll go call him home."

After saying that, he hurriedly ran back.

"What are those two kids up to? They're acting all mysterious." Su Youjin shook his head and had no choice but to go home with his brother and nephew.

~~
Inside the Minglun Hall, the lights were on.

The First Master, the Second Master, the Third Master, Instructor Hai, and Assistant You have already begun grading the papers with great tension.

The pressure is greatest in the first round. We must finish grading these 3,000 papers by the afternoon of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year and select the top 20 on the main list and the 800 on the supplementary list.

Those who passed the official examination were called "out of the circle." Because their examination numbers were written in circles when the results were announced, they were also called "out of the circle," with the highest number in the center of the circle being the first-place candidate. All those who passed the official examination were eligible to take the state examination; whether or not they continued to take the subsequent examinations was entirely up to them.

The remaining 800 candidates will proceed to the second round of testing to compete for the remaining 30 spots.

Therefore, the results had to be announced on the fourth day of the second lunar month so that the eight hundred candidates on the supplementary list could go to the county government to collect their preliminary results for the following day.

The first round of marking will take less than two days at most. Five people will have to mark an average of 300 papers per day. At most, each person will work seven and a half hours a day…

Therefore, each paper is given three minutes for grading.

Three minutes is only enough to read one essay in the traditional eight-legged style, and only enough for one reading; there is simply no time to examine it in detail.

Fortunately, most of the candidates in the first session had poor writing skills and their essays were so nonsensical that they could be discarded with just a glance...

But reading too many of these articles can make one feel inflamed. So much so that Magistrate Lu's unspeakable secret would resurface every time the county examination papers were graded.

Now he was more experienced; after reading dozens of unbearable articles, he would look up to relax, silently reciting a calming mantra to prevent his anger from rising. Just as he looked up, a clerk entered carrying a scroll. Magistrate Lu's face darkened, and he said, "What time is it? Why bring this in? Just throw it out!"

"Yes," the clerk replied, while giving You Muyou a meaningful look.

Fortunately, You Muyou was good at multitasking, always keeping half of his attention on the master.

"Please calm down, sir. According to the rules, candidates can still have one more candle." He smiled upon seeing this.
"You've studied hard for so many years, so please accept this exam paper."

"Bring it here." Magistrate Lu had this tacit understanding with him. He knew this was the paper he was responsible for taking care of.

The clerk breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped forward to present the examination paper to the master.

Magistrate Lu took the article and glanced at it. He had originally planned to let it gain popularity as long as it was plausible...

But after reading it, he sighed and tossed it to the clerk, saying, "Include it in the supplementary list."

As mentioned before, the number of scholars in each county was an important indicator for the higher authorities to assess the county, so the county magistrate still had to select the best candidates.

As for those with connections, let's talk about that after we've selected the best candidates...

~~
The main hall of the Su residence was also brightly lit, filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.

The dishes on the table were even more lavish than those for the New Year. All the Su family members in the county town had come to celebrate Qiu Ge'er's victory in the county's top examination!

As soon as the list of successful candidates was published, Su Youjin quickly sent Su Youxi back to share the good news.

The sun was already setting. Auntie was getting really anxious... She hadn't planned a celebration banquet at all, so who would have thought that Qiu-ge would win first place on his first try?

The old man said it didn't matter; celebrations shouldn't last overnight, so they could start the meal later!
The eldest aunt then followed her instructions and, along with all the female members of her family and two maids, began to busily make preparations.

Thanks to his talent, the banquet was surprisingly not delayed...

During the meal, Su Youjin and Su Youma once again took turns recounting Su Luzhong's experience as the top scholar!

Although they had already told the story three times in just one afternoon, the two of them still spoke vividly and enthusiastically!

Su Daji and the others listened with rapt attention, occasionally raising a glass together...

"How about that? Isn't my grandson amazing? One was first in the whole county, and the other was third!!" The old man was practically strutting around with pride!
"Amazing! Amazing!" Su Daji nodded vigorously, saying, "I'll definitely pass the imperial examination this year and become a scholar!"

Su Lu, the main character tonight, looked at his elder brother and second elder brother strangely, noticing that neither of them touched their chopsticks.

"Aren't you hungry?" Su Youcai asked, his mouth full of food.

"We're not hungry, we ate too much at lunch..." Su Man and Su Taiqiang said with a forced smile.

"That won't last for two meals!" Su Youcai said, placing a clean quail egg on his nephew's and eldest son's plates. "Eat some more."

"Oh dear." Unable to refuse her second uncle's hospitality, Su Man had no choice but to pick up her chopsticks and try to pick up an egg with trembling hands, but she couldn't manage it even after several attempts.

"You should eat too." Su Youcai glanced at Su Tai again.

"Oh." Su Tai reached out with trembling hands, picked up the egg, and stuffed it into his mouth.

"What exactly did you two do all day?" Su Youcai pressed. "Like you've been carrying bricks all day."

"..." Su Man finally managed to pick up the egg with her chopsticks, but her hand trembled, and 'plop,' it fell to the ground again...

"Sigh." He sighed, put down his chopsticks, but was still very happy and said, "May our ancestors bless you two."

"Never stop!" Su Tai said in a muffled voice.

"How many times have you gotten up and bowed down? Your arms are so sore." Su Youcai pinched Su Tai's arm, and Su Tai grimaced.

Su Tai looked at his elder brother, Su Man shook his head slightly, "The secrets of the art should not be passed on to six ears."

~~
The next day, Su Lu had no more tasks, but Su Youcai still had to continue his efforts to prepare for the second round.

The second exam consisted of one question on the Five Classics and two passages from the Legal Code. The Legal Code refers to the "Great Ming Code" and the "Criminal Procedure Regulations".

In the past, the imperial examinations for the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) involved memorizing the "Great Proclamation," but now the "Laws and Regulations" have completely replaced it. Shouldn't that be considered progress...?

Although the dictation was a bit difficult, it was still a free point. So the real deciding factor was the question about the Five Classics.

During the exam, one question will be presented from each of the five classics, and candidates will be allowed to choose their own answer.

Unsurprisingly, Su Youcai studied the Book of Songs...

"Dad, I really can't help you with this," Su Lu said helplessly. "We're not in the same field."

"Don't worry, son," Su Youcai said confidently. "Your father may not be good at much else, but I'm an expert at interpreting the Book of Poetry! I'm most confident I'll stand out in the second round!"

He sighed again and said, "But the prerequisite is that I have to get into the second round of interviews..."

"There's definitely no problem," Su Luxin thought. Otherwise, why would Magistrate Lu make you take an exam? Is he messing with you?

"I hope so," Su Youcai said, but he had no confidence at all. "I just guessed on the second question, I don't know if the master will be lenient."

"You definitely can," Su Lu reassured him.

"Son, am I stupid?" Su Youcai suddenly whispered again.

Having a genius son, it's hard for a fellow test-taker father not to feel ashamed...

P.S. Are you finally satisfied today? Can you give me some monthly tickets and subscriptions now? Let's celebrate Su Anshou's achievement.

(End of this chapter)