Do you know: I should be fat and you should be thin!

"Middle position, lucky!"

Zhou Ning arrived at his private cell, parted the straw curtain that blocked his view, and went inside to sit on a low stool.

The first exam tested understanding of Confucian classics.

Officials from the Censorate responsible for patrolling the area walked back and forth.

"These things aren't difficult enough to stump anyone, they won't create a significant gap in skill levels, so we need to hurry! We need to squeeze in some time to rest!"

All the candidates thought the same thing, and they all ground ink, picked up their pens, and hurried to answer the questions.

The second exam tested poetry and prose (poetry is mainly used to express emotions, while prose is mainly used to describe things; both emphasize rhyme).

Zhou Ning thought for a moment and left behind a poem, "Ode to Limestone"!

"Carved and hammered from the deep mountains, it faces the raging fire with indifference. It fears not being ground to powder or shattered body, but only wishing to leave its purity in the world."

On the surface, the poem describes the process of burning lime, but in reality, it uses lime as a metaphor to express the poet's own feelings.

It demonstrates Zhou Ning's spirit of not shying away from hardships and dangers and being willing to sacrifice himself in order to maintain his loyalty and integrity.

"If I were to write a poem... about orchids? Or bamboo? Or fish? No, I'd better play it safe and write about loving lotuses."

Zhou Ning began grinding the ink.

"She stands gracefully in the breeze, elegant and poised above the water. Her fragrance is not from the wild and distant, her purity is not from the mud and sprouts. She is adorned with clouds and mist, and imbued with the spirit of purity. How radiant her skirt is, how elegant her parasol is. Untainted and unpretentious..."

In his poem "Ode to the Lotus," Zhou Ning blends elements from Confucian and Buddhist classics such as "Li Sao," "On the Love of Lotus," and the "Lotus Sutra." By depicting the lotus's purity and noble character, he uses the lotus as a metaphor for people and expresses his aspirations through this symbolic object...

The day has passed!

That night, all the candidates brought their own bedding and slept on the brick floor, their snoring filling the air.

However, the temperature in Bianjing in early spring is very changeable. It may be sunny during the day, but the temperature may suddenly drop by ten degrees at night, followed by rain!

Soon everyone was awakened by the raindrops and jumped up and down on the spot.

"Oh my God!"

"What should we do? We don't know if the rain will stop tomorrow..."

"It's so cold..."

"It's a late spring cold snap..."

Zhou Ning was also woken up by the rain. Listening to the complaints of the people around him, he just wanted to sing a song: "Actually, the rain wasn't that heavy~ It was the wind that was blowing so hard~ It was pointing at me and saying~ Look, the top scholar is here~"

Stopping his wild thoughts, he wrapped himself up like a cocoon and forced himself to sleep!

Fortunately, the spring rain came quickly and left just as fast, stopping completely at the crack of dawn.

However, after being covered with soaked blankets all night, none of them got a good rest, and their condition deteriorated.

"Thank goodness, the dry food didn't get moldy." Zhou Ning breathed a sigh of relief, changed into slightly drier clothes, and ate all the crumbs of pastry in one go!

This is prone to breaking!

The next day, the entire day was dedicated to history and theory exams!

After some thought, Zhou Ning produced an essay titled "On the End of the Han Dynasty." It primarily analyzed that the downfall of the Han Dynasty was entirely due to the Yuan family, specifically Yuan Shao.

Zhou Ning pointed out that Yuan Shao's decision to bring Dong Zhuo to the capital was not simply "stupid," but a calculated but ultimately out-of-control political gamble.

Judging from the situation at the time, Yuan Shao's suggestion had complex political considerations, but he underestimated the risks and unforeseen events, which ultimately led to disastrous consequences.

Yuan Shao's core objective was not to completely eliminate the eunuch clique, but to replace the imperial relatives and eunuchs with the gentry (led by the Yuan family) as the core of power.

He hoped to break this balance by introducing external forces, so that regardless of whether the maternal relatives or the eunuchs won or lost, the gentry could reap the benefits and ultimately the Yuan family would take power.

Therefore, he suggested summoning troops from outside the capital, hoping to use the power of the local army to force the Empress Dowager to agree to eliminate the eunuchs, while also having He Jin "use a borrowed knife to kill" so as to avoid directly bearing the infamy and to control the overall situation himself.

He was outwardly fierce but inwardly cowardly, fond of scheming but lacking in decisiveness. He hesitated to undertake great tasks, yet risked his life for petty gains. Despite this, he was overly ambitious, believing his plans to be meticulously crafted. Ultimately, he not only failed to benefit the Yuan family but also ignited the chaos of Dong Zhuo's rebellion and the Three Kingdoms period...

At the end of the chapter, Zhou Ning suggests, "If one lacks self-awareness, it's better to be a loyal subject..."

Linxi Pavilion!

Seeing Lin Qinshuang return, Mo Lan hurriedly asked, "Is Father still angry? Why won't he let me go out?"

Lin Qinshuang nodded and said sarcastically, "You really didn't do well this time. If you weren't engaged, it wouldn't matter, he's just an outsider. But of the three girls, you were the one who should have hoped he would have a son, but you didn't congratulate him, giving him ammunition to criticize you. Your father said that every time he thinks of the way Zhou Ning looks at him, he feels suffocated! You're not allowed to leave the room for the next few days."

"Why should I? I just hope he fails the exam, so Father won't like him so much. Does Father not like Mo'er anymore?" Mo Lan said angrily.

Lin Qinshuang shook her head and sighed, "Silly child, your father cares most about his reputation. Now you must hope that the boy succeeds in the imperial examination, and perhaps this matter can be resolved peacefully. Otherwise, your father will have to pay a large sum of money! Have you forgotten Zhou Ning's condition for marrying you? It may not seem like a big deal, but you've given him leverage. If Zhou Ning really fails, as long as we keep harping on this matter, Old Madam Sheng will definitely not side with our Linxi Pavilion."

Mo Lan then realized why Sheng Hong was so angry!

Not only will you lose face, you might also lose money!

A mansion as large as the Sheng family residence in Bianjing would cost a fortune; Sheng Hong certainly couldn't afford it himself. He would likely have to seek help from the eldest branch of the Sheng family, who were in business...

"How could this happen..."

Shouantang!

"Grandmother, may you be well!" Rulan and Minglan greeted her.

Grandma Sheng smiled and said, "Please sit down."

The two girls sat down obediently. Minglan was fine, but Rulan's face showed no sign of joy.

Grandma Sheng smiled and said, "These past few days, Bai-ge'er and Feng-ge'er have been taking their exams. With just two people gone, the house has become much quieter."

Rulan smiled and said, "Replying to Grandmother, my mother said that she needs to bathe and fast for the next few days, pray behind closed doors, and no outsiders are allowed to make noise. Also, Molan has been locked in her room by Father and is not allowed to come out for the next few days!"

Grandma Sheng said "Oh," and asked, "Why?"

She didn't care that Mo Lan didn't come to pay her respects, but she never expected that her biased son would actually punish Mo Lan.

Rulan asked in bewilderment, "Then she must have made a serious mistake, but nothing happened yesterday when she took her brothers to the examination hall!"

To outsiders unaware of the marriage, Mo Lan's refusal to congratulate Zhou Ning was indeed not a big deal.

Grandma Sheng understood and instructed, "During your brother's exams, the family must remain harmonious. You sisters must learn to help Mother and take good care of the household."

The two orchids rose and agreed.

After Rulan left, Old Madam Sheng said, "Tell me, what happened yesterday?"

After thinking for a moment, Minglan told her grandmother what had happened yesterday morning.

"Are you sure he squinted at your father and pointed at Mo Lan with his chin?" Old Mrs. Sheng seized on the information.

Minglan affirmed, "Grandmother, I saw it all; it's absolutely true. Otherwise, Father wouldn't have locked Molan in her room as soon as he got back."

Grandma Sheng laughed and said, "His dissatisfaction is so obvious. It seems I need to prepare in advance and send a message to your Uncle Youyang's family to avoid embarrassing your father."

Minglan said worriedly, "Grandmother, it rained all night last night. Do you think my brothers must have been suffering?" She thought to herself, "He's still so young, how could he bear it?"

"The imperial examinations are not just about academic ability; every year some people fail because of illness. But are you only worried about your older brothers? Won't your younger brother feel bad? Who are you more worried about?" Grandma Sheng teased.

"Oh dear, Grandmother!" Minglan said shyly.

She asked herself honestly, her second brother deserved two points, and Yuanruo's brother deserved two and a half points, but what about Zhou Ning, whose family background was the worst...?

......