The newly released list of candidates was reviewed to make sure that no idiots had sneaked in, and then the list was posted to inform the people who had been waiting for a long time.
The place where the list was posted was in front of the high wall of the Gongyuan.
Jing Heguang was in the crowd, feeling like he was going to be squeezed into pickle sticks!
Zhao Mingtang and Liu Dao were squeezed further, while Wang Sixing could barely stand still that he held onto Jing Heguang. He was short and thin, so he was almost squeezed out.
Seeing that Wang Sixing was about to be squeezed away again, Jing Heguang stretched out his hand to grab him, then said in a disgusting tone: “You are like this, you are not as strong as my husband.”
Wang Sixing’s clothes were a mess from the crowd, so he said angrily: “I’m a scholar! Why do you need so much strength for? Besides, are you as strong as brother-in-law?”
A butcher kill pigs, and a pig weighs several hundred catty!
Wang Sixing estimated that he didn’t weigh half a pig, let alone have the strength…
After Jing Heguang thought about it, he realized that he didn’t seem to be as strong as Zhang Xingyu either.
Well, it his bad for thinking about him all day and night and then use the wrong reference.
Fortunately, he can go back soon and see his baby!
Jing Heguang looked at the high wall in front of him, then dragged Wang Sixing forward. As he walked, he explained: “I am worried about your health. You are really too thin. You also eat so little in one meal.”
Wang Sixing raised his head and asked in a doubtful tone: “Really?”
“Really.” Jing Heguang nodded seriously, “I just missed my husband, so I compared you to him. After seeing the list, I will packed my things and go home!”
While he was talking, Jing Heguang heard Wang Sixing scream: “I’m there! I’m there!!!”
Wang Sixing’s name was at the end of the list, so he saw it at once.
Wang Sixing shouted, his voice harsh.
From the moment Jing Heguang heard the voice to when he lowered his head, in the blink of an eye, he saw Wang Sixing with tears in his eyes.
Wang Sixing was so excited that he cried.
He thought of the ten years he had spent studying hard by the cold window, the countless dewy mornings, the countless dim nights with oil lamps lit, and now everything finally paid off!
Wang Sixing screamed unpleasantly and cried in a miserable state, like a child, but everyone who looked at him looked envious.
That’s a real juren! They want to be too!
If they pass, they will also cry too!
Immediately afterwards, the big red paper with the name of the new candidate was posted firmly, and the people who crowded to see the list became even more excited!
“I’ve passed! I passed too!”
“My name is not there…it’s impossible, how could it be possible without me?!”
“My young master passed!”
“Master…Master, why are you fainting?! Make way, my master fainted!”
…
Amidst countless different noises, Wang Sixing was so excited that he realized that he had soaked Jing Heguang’s handkerchief with his tears.
Wang Sixing shyly hid the handkerchiefs, raised his head and said to Jing Heguang, “Thank you, Brother Jing.”
However, when he looked at him, he saw Jing Heguang’s calm expressions.
Compared with the faces around them that were either happy, excited or nervous, Jing Heguang’s expressions seemed a little out of place.
He had a calm expression on his face, he was the calmest one in the crowd.
Wang Sixing thought he was worried so he comfort: “I could passed, so there Heguang name will definitely be there too!”
After saying that, Wang Sixing stood up on tiptoes again and looked for Jing Heguang’s name and his two other friends’ names on the list from back to front.
Jing Heguang is knowledgeable. This is not only Wang Sixing’s opinion, but also the consensus of the four people.
Jing Heguang also believed that he would definitely passed.
He did not directly copy the original answer sheet. Jing Heguang made improvements in some places, which improved the quality of the answer sheet.
Jing Heguang and Wang Sixing looked for the names together.
However, Jing Heguang’s name is not on the entire red list.
Wang Sixing rubbed his eyes, frowned and asked, “Did I miss it?”
Jing Heguang shook his head: “It’s true that my name is not there.”
Wang Sixing thought for a moment, then suddenly slapped his thigh and said happily: “There is also a top ten list!”
Jing Heguang was stunned.
A middle-aged man in a long-sleeved robe, who also didn’t see his name, next to him laughed out loud: “You think this is like planting cabbages in the ground. Is the top ten so easy to enter? If this pretty boy can get into the top ten, so can I!”
The man in the long-sleeved robe has been taking the exam for more than 10 years. From a young man to his son becoming a young man, he still hasn’t made a step forward to be a xiu cai at all.
Hearing Wang Sixing’s ‘arrogant words’, the man couldn’t help but laugh twice to relieve his anger.
Who would have thought that Wang Sixing would be like a good news bird today? As soon as the man finished laughing, Wang Sixing shouted ecstatically: “Ah! Brother Jing’s name is the first, he is this year’s Jieyuan!”
The cold expression on Jing Heguang’s face finally broke into a smile.
What he is happy about is that he has achieved his goal and can go home with a peace of mind!
Jing Heguang was just thinking about what to pack when his arm was pulled down by Wang Sixing.
Wang Sixing looked around dissatisfied and said: “That old guy ran away…he laughed at us for being young, what’s the use of his old age?”
Jing Heguang smiled: “His name must not be on the list, forget it. It’s not easy for him to run to see this every year at his age.”
Being reminded, Wang Sixing finally remembered that he had passed the exam!
He laughed out loud: “I’m very happy today, so I won’t settle the score with him. I will just wish this day every year for him! He will always be disappointed!”
A person who ‘was not easy for him to run to see this every year’ and a person who ‘will be disappointed on this day every year’ that originally wanted to make friends with the new Jieyuan: “…”
They suddenly didn’t dare to come forward.
However, these are two Juren, and one is the Jieyuan, they really want to get close!
After hesitating for a moment, Jing Heguang was surrounded.
“Brother Jieyuan, what’s your surname?!”
“Brother Jieyuan, I’ll treat you to a drink at Juxian Tower tonight. How about meeting my sister? My sister is beautiful and has a reputation as a virtuous person…”
“Fuck you. Your sister has already married three different people. Brother Jieyuan is more suitable for my brother!”
“Brother Jieyuan, I have a poem that I want to share with you…”
Even Wang Sixing was not spared. Two wealthy men grabbed him and asked him if he was married.
***
The commotion attracted the attention of the academic staff in the Gongyuan.
Xue Zheng worriedly asked the yamen servant standing next to him: “Who is causing this commotion?”
The yamen servant replied: “It’s the current Jieyuan. There were already many people, but now this place is totally blocked so we can’t leave.”
The book in Xue Zheng’s hand slapped the man on the forehead: “Why don’t you go and get Jieyuan out for me quickly? What will I do if he was squeezed?!”
With the intervention of the Yamen, the weak Jing Heguang and the even weaker Wang Sixing were finally taken out.
Jing Heguang glanced at Xue Zheng and said with a scholar’s courtesy: “Greeting sir. Student Jing Heguang thank you for saving me.”
Wang Sixing also said: “Student Wang Sixing thank you for saving me.”
Xue Zheng said with a smile: “It’s not a big deal. I’m still waiting for you to go to the Luming Banquet to drink with me later, so I can’t let you guys being squeeze out by them.”
Jing Heguang: …
Jing Heguang said nothing, but his heart wasn’t calm.
The thought of packing up and going home immediately is over!
The Luming Banquet is a free-to-attend Juren banquet after the provincial examination. One can go or not as they like, but if one goes, they can expand their network and make friends with Juren in the same year.
Jing Heguang wasn’t too interested in this, so he didn’t plan to go. He planned to go home with good and reliable news.
But now that Xue Zheng has personally called his name, especially since Xue Zheng has just pulled him and Wang Sixing out of the crowd, it’s really not good to just run away.
When Xue Zheng saw Jing Heguang, his eyes suddenly brightened.
Xue Zheng remembered the scene of ‘Li Wenxin’s hands shaking’!
Is it this Jing Heguang? Xue Zheng was very curious.
However, Xue Zheng didn’t ask anything. After all, Li Wenxin sleeping in the study was just a joke at their level.
However, with the thought that maybe he could continue to watch the joke, Xue Zheng had a good attitude towards Jing Heguang and his tone was very friendly.
When leaving, Jing Heguang was still wondering – did he have a halo that made those big bosses protect him?
On the carriage back, Jing Heguang listened to Wang Sixing share his excitement while chatting with Little Yellow Peach in his heart.
“Little Yellow Peach, do I have some kind of hola that makes those big bosses favor me?”
[No.]
“Then I am actually able to become Jieyuan, this makes me quite surprised.”
The original owner’s place in the provincial examination was twentieth, not even close to the top ten. However, Jing Heguang was rushed to first place, this surprised Jing Heguang himself.
Little Yellow Peach’s explanation was: [This shows that the brain of this body is really great at studying.]
Jing Heguang didn’t speak anymore, but he felt that he was smarter than the original owner.
For example, he has to memorize a book many times, which is of course very little compared to ordinary people.
However, when Jing Heguang comes into contact with a new book, it is very easy for him to remember and understand it. He is much better than the original! This difference is also reflected in various details.
However, it was a bit shameless to say that he was smart, so Jing Heguang thought about it and let it go.
***
Two days later, the magistrate, Xue Zheng and the others held the Luming banquet in the backyard of the Yamen, and invited all the new candidates who were still in Fucheng.
The Luming Banquet is held in the evening.
During the day, Zhao Mingtang and Liu Dao packed their luggage and said goodbye to Jing Heguang and Wang Sixing.
The door of the inn.
Zhao Mingtang patted Wang Sixing on the shoulder, then looked at Jing Heguang, and said: “No need to send him off, Liu Dao and I will just go back to study first. The four of us will get together later.”
Liu Dao also said: “Yes, we’ll go back to study hard and try to catch up with you!”
Jing Heguang and Wang Sixing both passed, while Zhao Mingtang and Liu Dao, who didn’t pass, were naturally disappointed.
Jing Heguang was Jieyuan, so his level was much higher than theirs, therefore, forget it. However, Wang Sixing’s level was almost the same as the two of them, but Jing Heguang made him more motivated and performed exceptionally well in the examination room.
Thinking that they could pass the exam as long as they worked hard, Zhao Mingtang and Liu Dao regretted their loss and wanted to catch up with their friends.
Although there is a possibility that they will not be able to catch up with Jing Heguang…Forget it, it would be better to catch up with Wang Sixing. If they passed, they will have a good life!
Zhao Mingtang and Liu Dao waved to their two Juren friends, then left the inn and embarked on the road back home.
After Jing Heguang and Wang Sixing tidied up, they also went to the Luming Banquet.
***
In the evening, in the backyard of the yamen.
The magistrate, academic administrator, and the others have not arrived yet, so the scholars are chatting happily and praising each other.
A bunch of people were chatting happily when the new Juren who came to the banquet discovered that some of the people attending the banquet didn’t seem to be this year’s Jurens, or even the previous ones!
However, those who can sneak in are obviously not ordinary people. With this understanding, the overall atmosphere is not awkward.
Jing Xiuran listened to those eloquent words and felt that his knowledge had been sublimated. He felt that his five hundred taels were well spent!
Jing Xiuran is from the Jing family in Fucheng. Of course, he is not from a big family. They are just a wealthy gentry near Fucheng. In the previous generation of the Jing family, there was an old Jinshi who had been a minor official for more than ten years.
If it were long ago, Jing Xiuran would definitely not have been able to come up with five hundred taels, and neither could his family. But since his uncle, who was the clan patriarch, adopted him to an uncle, who suddenly died, their whole family has a lot of money to spend now.
Jing Xiuran didn’t feel bad about the five hundred taels at all, he even thought that he could use his surname to get in touch with the new Jieyuan later, who had the same surname as him!
T/N: Walk carefully Jing Xiuran _(┐「ε:)_
