Top Scholar

Chapter 257 The Date of the Provincial Examination
Mr. Zhang completed the enrollment procedures, and two days later, Wenzhantang started classes. The students immediately threw themselves into intensive study in preparation for the state examination in early April.

The Wenzhan Hall was taught by experienced teachers from the academy. Since all students had passed the county examination, there were no more instructions or basic knowledge to be taught. Instead, everything was based on practical experience, simulating the question-setting and grading style of the prefecture as much as possible, to help students refine their essays to the most suitable level.

This is extremely important. Although the examination content for the county and prefectural examinations was exactly the same, the prevailing writing style in the prefecture differed considerably from that in the county. Furthermore, Prefect Jia and Magistrate Lu had different preferences regarding the types of writing they produced.

Furthermore, policy priorities differ between the prefecture and the county, and these differences need to be carefully addressed and understood within a month. For the candidates from Hejiang, this presents an even more valuable opportunity to close the gap with candidates from the prefecture.

Su Lu also pleaded with Zhou Shanzhang to allow his father and elder brother to also attend the Wenzhan Hall for further studies... Although Chun Ge'er had already attended the Wenzhan Hall once, firstly, that time it was special training before the county examination, with a different focus. Secondly, Chun Ge'er hadn't had any real combat experience for two years.

No matter how hard one trains, it's difficult to maintain peak performance. One urgently needs to be tempered in an environment like the Wenzhan Hall before returning to the battlefield!
Chun-ge'er completely abandoned his elder brotherly airs. Every night, after finishing the essays assigned by his teacher, he would ask Su Lu for guidance, and then he would try to improve them on his own. He studied until the wee hours of the morning every day, and then got up early the next morning to continue...

He was the first Scroll King of the Su family. Back when the scroll was first opened, Su Lu was still in some unknown dimension.

Under this highly focused and extremely self-disciplined state, Su Man's skill level recovered quickly, and within ten days, he had already reached the level he had two years ago.

What's even more terrifying is that, after two years of teaching and growth, he was able to integrate the unique skills taught by Su Lu and Zhu Jie, which made great progress in his writing!

Twenty days later, Su Man's writing had become outstanding in the literary hall, impressing the instructors who exclaimed that they had never seen anyone improve so quickly.

Su Lu also spoke highly of his elder brother, and every day when he helped him read articles, he felt a strong sense of regret:

“Brother, if you hadn’t been teaching at home these past two years, but instead had been studying with renowned teachers, your level would definitely be above mine.”

“Impossible.” Su Man shook her head and said, “The difference in talent is obvious, and we are about the same in terms of hard work. It’s good enough that I can keep up with you.”

“Brother’s talent is no less than anyone else’s.” Su Lu looked at his article and said sincerely, “Two years ago, you just didn’t have a good teacher to guide you. To put it bluntly, the teaching level in our town was not good enough, which prevented you from developing your talent.”

“What you say makes sense, but I am not the same person I am now as I was two years ago.” Su Man said softly, “In the past two years, I have focused on teaching and have gained new insights into my students.”

“At night, when I’m home alone, I spend the whole night reading and thinking. I read through all the books we copied carefully… In short, by doing everything I can, I’ve accumulated so much knowledge and skills that I’ve achieved what I have today.” The same words would sound like bragging coming from someone else, but when Su Man said them, they were so convincing.

"I see everything and think about things differently now than I did two years ago, and that's probably one of the reasons why my writing has improved."

Upon hearing this, Su Lu realized that this was precisely the method taught by the old sect leader. His elder brother's comprehension was truly remarkable…

~~
Inspired by his nephew, Su Youcai also put in a tremendous effort, burning the midnight oil with the young people. His relentless energy was a stark contrast to his lazy demeanor during his exam preparation the previous year!
Clearly, after overcoming numerous hardships and mental demons, even greater talent has finally been unleashed!

Although the proprietress felt sorry for him, seeing the man wholeheartedly devoted to one thing, she could only offer her full support and try her best to provide the students with extra nutrition and create a good environment for their preparation.

On the other hand, Su Lu didn't forget his classmates either. He spent most of his time living with them in the dormitory at the government office, as if he had returned to the days when he lived in the academy...

~~
Time flew by as we studied day and night, and March arrived in the blink of an eye.

It's the third day of the third lunar month again, and kites fill the sky. Miss Zhu, who has been waiting for a long time, has finally made her move. She's busy organizing a gathering, preparing to invite her friends to go on a spring outing just like last year.

In her mind, Su Lu would definitely bring Su Man along, and then she would have a chance to... hehehe...

To everyone's surprise, Huang E was still under house arrest, and none of the candidates showed up. Even Xiao Tiantian made an excuse that she had to attend class and didn't come to join the fun.

In the end, besides Zhu Ziming, only She Yunluo responded positively, and even brought Su Tai into the fray...

As a result, all of Miss Zhu's elaborate schemes, which she had been devising for many days, turned out to be futile. The delicious food she had prepared also ended up benefiting She Yunluo and Su Tai.

"Try this, it tastes good."

"Mmm, you eat too."

"This is too greasy."

"Dip it in vinegar..."

"Leave some for me." Zhu Ziming was extremely annoyed. Why did these two never care about others when they ate?

The couple ate heartily, but Miss Zhu, dressed in her finest clothes, couldn't eat a single bite.

She Yunluo and Su Tai had almost finished the lunch for ten people before they remembered her. They quickly found a sausage on the messy table, stuck it on a skewer, and handed it to Miss Zhu.

"Sister, at least eat a bite."

"I'm not eating," Miss Zhu said irritably. "If you're not eating, I'll eat," She Yunluo said, taking a bite of the sausage and asking, "What's wrong? Something on your mind?"

"You really can eat that much?" Athena Chu rolled her eyes in exasperation. "What about what I told you to do?"

"I tried, but it didn't work out." She Yunlu apologetically put down the sausage. "Uncle Huang is determined not to release them. What can I do?"

“If Huang E doesn’t come, Su Lu won’t come; if Su Lu doesn’t come, Su Man won’t come. What’s the use of just having Su Tai?” Zhu Yin angrily began to criticize Su Tai again: “One can eat like ten, but ten can’t do the work of one. You didn’t force your older brother to come, did you? Nobody’s confining him to his quarters, did anyone?”

"I wouldn't dare," Su Tai said apologetically, his mouth full of food, "My eldest brother is the eldest grandson of the main branch, and his word is law at home. If he doesn't agree, what can I do?"

"I shouldn't have relied on the two of you!" Miss Zhu said dejectedly.

Su Tai and She Yunluo exchanged glances and quickly conveyed their feelings.

'She looks down on us.'

'That won't do! Watch me! You all get out of the way!'

"Received!" Su Tai nodded, then picked up Xiao Ming and said, "Come on, I'll take you to catch loaches."

"I haven't finished eating yet." Zhu Ziming struggled under his armpits, but it was as if he was bound by an iron hoop, and he could only let him carry him away.

"What are you trying to do?" Miss Zhu looked at her departing brother and then at She Yunluo who was approaching.

“Sister, we have indeed failed in our mission this time.” She Yunlu put her arm around Miss Zhu’s shoulder and said with great seriousness, “But there are indeed special circumstances. Scholars take exams more seriously than anything else. Su Tai’s older brother failed an exam two years ago. This time, not even the King of Heaven can affect his preparation!”

Miss Zhu thought about it and realized it made sense. She nodded and sighed, "I was too hasty. I originally wanted to follow your approach, but I forgot that the timing wasn't right."

“I completely understand how you feel, sister.” She Yunluo patted Zhu Yin’s shoulder with the expression of someone who had been through it all. “Once you have someone you like, your heart is all over the place, like a hundred rabbits are jumping around. You just want to settle down as soon as possible so you can feel at ease.”

"Mmm!" Miss Zhu nodded vigorously, feeling that She Yunluo had hit the nail on the head. She even regarded her as an emotional mentor and asked eagerly, "You said you've fallen for a young master, but he's avoiding you and won't see you. What should you do?"

"Just go for it! Didn't you see what I did back then? If there's no opportunity, create one. If he won't come to me, I'll go to him! Just stick to him!" She Yunluo pressed her palms together, crossing them in a cross shape, and said, "He won't be able to shake you off even if he wants to..."

"If he doesn't come, I'll go," Miss Zhu said, having already made up her mind.

"Okay, I'll figure something out after the state exams are over..."

"That's right! Your parents don't object, so what's there to hesitate about!" She Yunluo was very pleased; this child was teachable.

"Okay, thank you, sister." Miss Zhu held She Yunluo's hand tightly: "I'll need your guidance in the future."

"Don't worry, sister, I'll go through fire and water for you!" She Yunlu said righteously, "Besides, helping you is also helping myself."

~~
On the fifteenth of March, a notice announcing the provincial examination was posted on the wall outside the prefectural government office.

Su Man, meticulous as ever, copied the text back just as he had done for the county examination, and studied it carefully with Su Lu…

"Just like the county examination, it also has four sessions. The main session is on the first day of the fourth month, followed by a preliminary review on the fourth, a second review on the seventh, and a final interview on the ninth. Even the examination content is exactly the same," Su Lu summarized.
“The state examination and the county examination have the same process and content, but there are some differences.” Su Manxin said meticulously, “First of all, the entrance is no longer a rush, but is sent by the county instructors to the examination.”

"Moreover, there are fewer candidates, and the first round will involve a search, so it will definitely be a mess. Be prepared." Su Man then smiled at Su Lu, "However, the top ten candidates from your county can sit in the hall and enter the venue earlier, so you don't have to squeeze in with us."

"Isn't my older brother also among the top ten in the county?" Su Lu asked.

“I’m from the previous year, so my application doesn’t count anymore,” Su Man said. “You still have to line up properly.”

"In addition, no candles will be provided for the state examination anymore, and the papers will be collected as soon as it gets dark..." After Chun Ge'er finished speaking, he and Qiu Ge'er looked at Su Youcai sitting to the side.

"Why are you looking at me? I'm famous for being fast now, I guarantee I'll hand in my paper before you two," Su Youcai said confidently.

"Father, don't be in such a hurry. The provincial examination is the most difficult of the three minor examinations. Not hesitating doesn't mean you have to hand in your paper early," Su Lu advised. "You still need to make good use of your time."

"Sigh, alright." At other times, Su Youcai is the father. But when it comes to academics, it's a different story.

P.S. This chapter is dedicated to my longtime reader, FoLi FoLi. Hurry up, please vote with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)