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

Located in the center of Gongyuan Street, adjacent to the Qinhuai River, the Jiangnan Examination Hall was unparalleled in the world in terms of the number of examination cells and the size of its grounds.

As one of the fundamental examinations of the Great Liang Dynasty, the provincial examination was completely different from the previous three examinations. It was of extremely high standard and strictly supervised, making it a source of fear for students who had taken it once. The provincial examination in Southern Zhili was even more so.

In the imperial examination system, there was a huge chasm between the Xiucai (a lower-level scholar) and the Juren (a higher-level scholar), and only those who crossed it could be called "masters." The provincial examination was the chasm between these masters and the common people.

There were too many scholars on this side of the chasm, and the examination for the provincial examination was even held at night. The students had to stay in their small cells, eating, drinking, relieving themselves, and sleeping there, until the examination hall would release the questions the next morning.

Upon arriving outside the Jiangnan Examination Hall, Ning Nan calmly found a private room in the Heming Tower outside the hall, ordered a pot of expensive Junshan tea and some tea snacks, and sat down to wait for the exam.

As the sun gradually rose and the hour of Chen (7-9 AM) arrived, the area outside the examination hall was already packed with people, and the number of people at Heming Tower, which was closest to the examination hall, surged even more.

Loud discussions then began to rang out.

Some were discussing current events, some were debating the meaning of classics, and some were making plans to visit historical sites and enjoy the spring scenery together after the provincial examinations...

Despite the noise, Ning Nan didn't find it noisy.

These days, life is a monotonous routine, so experiencing the warmth and everyday life of people isn't a bad thing; on the contrary, it makes my mind more peaceful.

Sitting in a private room on the second floor of Heming Tower, by the window, with a plate of broad beans in my hand, which were stir-fried with salt and sugar, I tasted quite good. I chewed on the beans while looking out the window.

There wasn't enough room for anyone to squat under the wall outside the examination hall.

Wearing square headscarves, padded jackets, and scholar's robes over them, the candidates, carrying examination baskets, lined up in the corner, some squatting and some sitting.

The candidates came from different backgrounds, were of different weights, were of different heights, and were of different ages.

Ning Nan saw many teenagers like him, a few candidates even younger than him, and some people who looked to be in their thirties or forties.

The imperial examination system was not just a matter of time and effort. Passing the lowest level (xiucai) was already difficult enough, let alone becoming a juren (juren).

A casual exam could easily take more than a decade to pass; for example, a Grand Secretary of the Former Liang Dynasty only passed the imperial examination when he was over thirty.

Ning Nan popped a broad bean into his mouth. Looking around, he noticed that a significant number of the students were elderly men with white hair, carrying exam baskets and searching for places to sit.

Some candidates sat by the Qinhuai River, a few of them sitting around a bare willow tree, talking loudly and confidently. Their demeanor was no less impressive than that of some well-off students who could sit in the Heming Tower.

At that moment, his eyes suddenly narrowed.

Under a sycamore tree about ten feet away from Heming Tower, a burly man was seen arguing with a candied hawthorn vendor.

The vendor was rather fat, looked middle-aged, and was stuffing things into the fat man's hands with a simple, honest smile.

Ning Nan stopped eating the broad bean.

"Brother Chu..." He sighed, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and murmured softly.

I was puzzled before as to why this young master of the money exchange was suddenly wearing patched clothes.

It wasn't until I had dinner with Zhao Jing and the others last time that I understood the whole story... Wu Yue Bank, owned by Chu Pangzi, had Wu Wang taking the lion's share. After the rebellion was exposed, Wu Yue Bank was shut down by the imperial court.

The Chu family had always been honest and law-abiding, and had not participated in any rebellion. After spending all their wealth to bribe officials, they were only found guilty of having their property confiscated, and none of the family members were exiled or beheaded.

Ning Nan thought for a moment, then came down from Heming Tower and headed straight for Fatty Chu.

At that moment, Fatty Chu and the candied hawthorn vendor saw him.

Fatty Chu hissed, "Let's go."

The middle-aged man selling candied hawthorns looked somewhat embarrassed, but he still took back the two coins he had been clutching in his palm, without trying to give them back to the other man. Chao Ningnan gave Ningnan a somewhat simple and honest smile, then turned and walked away with the bundle of candied hawthorns in his hand.

"Brother Bai Xuan." Fatty Chu's face was a little pale. He turned around and smiled at Ning Nan, but the smile was somewhat forced.

In two days it will be the Beginning of Winter. At this time, the wind is howling. If it weren't for Cui Cui's wife forcing him to put on an extra layer of clothing this morning, Master Ning would probably be breathing out white vapor from the cold by now.

He smiled at Fatty Chu and said, "Brother Chu, I've reserved a private room at Heming Tower. How about you...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Feixiong shook his head sheepishly and said, "Brother Bai, Brother Bai Xuan," his already pale face gradually flushed red, and he stammered, "I have other important matters to attend to... um... I'd like to go and purchase some more writing brushes and ink..."

Ning Nan responded with an "Oh," and then smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "In that case, I won't keep Brother Chu any longer."

A hint of sadness appeared on Chu Feixiong's fat face, but he quickly forced a smile, said goodbye to Ning Nan, and left with his exam basket.

Ning Nan stood still, glancing at Chu Pangzi's back. Then she turned around and looked at the back of the candied hawthorn vendor.

If he wasn't mistaken… Master Ning frowned… This man should be Brother Chu's father? The owner of the Wu Yue Money Exchange? …Master Ning's gaze shifted, and he silently took a breath…

The sun is westward.

The light gradually dimmed.

A cold wind blew by.

The candidates who managed to grab a corner huddled together tightly.

The candidates who could only stay by the river stood up, tucked their hands into their sleeves, bent over, and stamped their feet to keep warm.

It was late afternoon.

A series of hurried footsteps echoed from the examination hall, and a large group of constables came out banging gongs to maintain order.

Immediately.

The gates of the Imperial Examination Hall were wide open.

The candidates, some nervous, some excited, filed through the Dragon Gate after their names were called out and they were searched by the officials…

……

Inside the cramped and shabby cell, Ning Nan set up a wooden plank and a chair, looking somewhat worried.

The dry biscuits and some salted meat in the exam basket were chopped up by the inspectors to prevent the person from bringing cheat sheets.

It was already dark outside, so he could only eat broken pancakes and scraps of meat, covered with a blanket, silently leaning against the cold wall of his cell, staring blankly with his eyes closed.

Waiting for the free-for-all at dawn the next day.

The provincial examination in Daliang has been simplified a bit. It used to be three sessions, but now it's only two.

However, each session lasts for three days and two nights. During these three days and two nights, candidates can only stay in their cells, bring their own food and drink, and are not allowed to come out.

A chamber pot was placed inside the cell.

No one would collect the chamber pot before the exam ended, to prevent anyone from cheating. A wooden board was placed on top of the chamber pot to mask the smell.

There's only one day between the two sessions, so the exams will last for seven days in total...

……

……

The Northern Dynasty's embassy was located on the west side of Datong Street, adjacent to the Honglu Temple.

Its interior is as large as a prince's palace.

The sky was beginning to lighten with the first light of dawn.

In a courtyard called "Anhe Pavilion", a figure wearing a yellow and black striped mandarin jacket pushed open the door.

Outside the door, a somewhat thin figure was waiting.

The figure was dressed in a scholar's robe with a cross-collar and right-fastening, with a black beaded belt around his waist, resembling the attire of a scholar from the Southern Dynasties. However, he wore a reddish-purple melon-shaped hat with thick wool trim on his head.

Upon seeing the imposing and distinguished prince from the Northern Dynasty's Iron-Capped Royal Family emerge, the scholar who had come from the north and was studying at the Imperial Academy of the Southern Dynasty quickly smiled and kowtowed.

"Lu Jing pays his respects to Your Highness. This servant greets Your Highness."

Hongfeng, with his hands behind his back, smiled:

"Lu Jing, get up quickly."

He glanced at the sky; the Beginning of Winter had passed, and a layer of frost covered the bare tree trunks in the yard.

November 19th.

Many days have passed since I finished the provincial examination in the Southern Dynasty. This evening is the time when the results are announced at the Jiangnan Examination Hall.

"Let's go."

As Hongfeng spoke, his breath steamed in the somewhat chilly air.

"After we pay our respects to the Seventeenth Princess, we will go to the Jiangnan Examination Hall."

He gazed at the early winter scene of the Jiangnan-style garden in the courtyard, a slight smile appearing on his lips:

"Go see how this Prince Ben is doing in Jiangnan... winning four imperial examinations in a row!"