After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

He spoke casually and got into the carriage with a light and quick movement. The carriage seat was padded with a blanket, so he leaned back and his back was no longer so stiff.

A few drops of autumn rain fell in the morning, and the yellowing banana leaves in the yard finally drooped down.

Just as Master Ning was about to go to the county government office to see for himself whether he could pass the first test, he raised his hand and pulled open the curtain on the side of the carriage. Facing the damp wind, he blinked hard, and the soreness in his eyes was immediately relieved.

The time when the sun is setting in the west.

The streets were bustling with people, lively and chaotic... Vendors were energetically hawking their sugar cakes, shop assistants were soliciting customers with sweat towels draped over their shoulders, scholars were laughing and joking as they invited each other to a gathering, a few vegetable farmers were carrying loads on their shoulders, swaying with every step, and sedan chair carriers were gritting their teeth as they carried their sedan chairs... all sorts of people were in a hurry.

Ning Nan sniffed the aroma, leaned out of the window, and called out. The vendor's smiling face drew closer, bowing and calling out, "Greetings, young master!" Young Master Ning took out eight coins.

There were two sugar cakes; he ate one himself, and Uncle Ping took the other.

The sugar cake is crispy and fragrant, and very crunchy when you bite into it.

After eating the cakes, I sat down at a roadside tea stall and ordered a bowl of tea.

The tea leaves were coarse, and the teacup was of poor quality. After washing his hands with a little tea, the tea master raised the teapot with its pointed spout, and the water level in the cup rose higher and higher.

Master Ning blew away the hot air, took a sip to quench his thirst, smacked his lips a few times, and said, "Uncle Ping, guess how long until the results are announced?"

Uncle Ping changed his squatting position, rubbed a handful of soybeans, and said with a simple smile, "Master, this old man can't guess this."

Ning Nan smiled and swayed on the stool, bored. He knew the other person didn't know, but he still couldn't help asking.

call.

An ugly daughter-in-law always has to meet her in-laws.

After lingering by the roadside for a while, he felt relieved and let out a long sigh of relief.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out two copper coins, which jingled and tinkled in the teacup.

"Let's go."

The big yellow horse strutted proudly out of Datong Street, heading straight for the Jiangning County Government Office.

The county government office was packed with people, three or four deep. The constables, with stern faces, were banging gongs to maintain order.

After all, there was a Manchu of high status participating in the county examination in Jiangning, so there were an unusually large number of people coming to Jiangning today to see the results.

Ning Nan glanced at the crowded people, had Uncle Ping stop the carriage by a stream, and leisurely hummed a few tunes.

The leaves of the willows by the stream have all fallen.

The golden sunset casts its glow on the water's surface, and the bare willow branches sway gently in the golden waves. A few white fish flick their tails, blowing bubbles as they swim upstream.

Ning Nan relaxed, looked away, and walked towards the county government office with his hands behind his back.

A cheer erupted from the crowd ahead, and he suddenly realized... it must be the announcement being posted... The crowd visibly surged forward, their footsteps loud and rapid, like the sudden beating of war drums.

"You've won! You've won! Young master, you've won!" A servant shouted at the top of his lungs, his face flushed.

"I won... Oh, I finally won!" An old man cried, beating his chest and stamping his feet.

"My lady! My lady!" A young man who looked like a scholar waved his hands in the crowd, tears streaming down his face as he pushed his way out. "I won! I won! Fourteenth place! Fourteenth place!"

"Eighth place! The new young master of the Huang family!" a servant announced loudly. A moment later, people outside shouted excitedly, "Master Huang of the Huang family is here! Who announced this? Come and claim your reward!"

The sounds rose and fell in waves.

"Second place! Young Master Li Yanting of the Li family!" Another servant shouted in a shrill voice... Ning Nan was taken aback, then smiled. The bookworm really lived up to his name. However, the one who brought the good news was going to be disappointed, as no one from the "Li family" would reward him with silver.

As the names of "third place", "ninth place", "sixth place" and so on were announced, the results were announced.

Ning, the talented scholar, twitched his eyelids and slowed his pace.

The crowd ahead was still bustling, but then an even more boisterous commotion arose.

"That Tartar also fell for it..."

"Still the top scorer...tsk tsk tsk..."

"How is that possible? Are the candidates from Jiangning County really that incompetent? They let the Tartars snatch the top spot?"

"Ha... I still made a special trip here to see... just want to see those Tartars make a fool of themselves..."

"I've heard that Jiangning is quite good at this subject. Isn't there a Li Wenzhao at Bailu Academy?"

"...Li Wenzhao is Li Yanting! He came in second place!"

"I heard from my cousin that Ning Baixuan, that great scholar, was also taking the exam. He even saw him in the examination hall that day... It was so deserted... Where is he?"

"Didn't pass the county exam?"

"No way..."

Several people hurried past, bumping into someone's shoulder... Ning Nan's eyes widened in surprise, and he stopped in his tracks.

……

……

The setting sun dyed the sky red, and its rays shone down, casting an orange glow on the otherwise cold and impersonal Jiangning County Government Office.

The aroma of tea wafts through the air at the county government's literary hall.

"Magistrate Lou certainly appreciates talent."

To the left sat a middle-aged man in a brocade robe with a mustache, who picked up his tea and smiled.

"I, Qin, have taken a look at Ning Baixuan's article, and it is utterly worthless. He is a son of a noble family, arrogant and disdainful of others... Ha, I never expected that the magistrate would still place him at the bottom... The magistrate's act of valuing talent truly makes me, Qin, ashamed."

Lou Jizuo, who had a long beard with three strands, sat at the head of the table. Upon hearing this, he stroked his beard and gave a wry smile, saying:

"Master Qin, you may not know this, but when I was reviewing the papers, I also felt that the last person's writing was crude and unbearable, making him unsuitable for a major task. However, the loyalty to the emperor that was subtly expressed in his writing touched me deeply. In selecting talents for the country, I dare not be biased, which is why I chose this person."

Lou Jizuo shrugged, his eyes filled with helplessness, and said, "But who would have thought that when the anonymous names were revealed... it turned out that the last place was none other than that arrogant Ning Baixuan! This is truly... this is truly... sigh..." He murmured the same thing several times, but couldn't say anything more, and finally could only let out a long sigh.

Master Qin frowned, took a sip of tea, and said indifferently, "The county examination did not have the names anonymized and copied. Does Magistrate Lou... not inspect the examination halls?"

Lou Jizuo placed his hands on his knees and sighed, "I, Lou, have certainly inspected the area."

"You still can't recognize Ning Baixuan's handwriting..." Master Qin snorted.

"If Magistrate Lou, acting in the public interest, were to follow the example of Zhang Taiyue of the Liang Dynasty and suppress Ning Baixuan, who is only eighteen years old, for another term to temper his arrogance, it would probably become a good story and give our Great Liang a pillar of society... But now... humph..." He hummed twice, clearly extremely dissatisfied.

Lou Jizuo stroked his beard and sighed:

"Back then, Zhang Taiyue passed the county-level imperial examination at the age of thirteen. On the eve of the provincial-level examination, Gu Huayu said that he was too young and that passing the examination too early was not a good thing. As a result, Zhang Taiyue failed the provincial-level examination... Many years later, Taiyue, who was now the Grand Secretary, still felt grateful for Gu Huayu's good intentions and was very thankful to him... Ah, back then, Zhang Taiyue..."

Lou Jizuo expressed his emotions and recounted the past events of Zhang Taiyue's suppression. His voice rose and fell with emotion. He then talked non-stop about Zhang Taiyue's journey from passing the imperial examination to becoming the Grand Secretary.

After listening for a while and finding no opening, Master Qin, with his distinctive mustache, realized something was wrong and that the old fox was deliberately changing the subject...

……

After leaving the county government office, the middle-aged wealthy man named Qin Zhongxi boarded a carriage with a heavy heart.

Inside the car, a tall and imposing figure sat at the head of the table. This figure was over sixty years old, with deep and mottled wrinkles on his face, resembling tree bark.

"Nephew Qin, what did Lou Jizuo say?"

His voice was hoarse and dry, yet carried a calm and steady quality, like that of a bronze bell.

Qin Zhongxi glanced at the man, recounted what had just happened, and finally sighed:

"Reporting to Prince Anfeng, the results of the county examination have been finalized, and Lou Jizuo's approach is no longer feasible."