The journey to the capital was quite peaceful. Except when Jing Heguang was called, he spent most of his time sitting in the carriage reading.
In addition to reading, Jing Heguang will write a little about what he saw and what happened on the road before going to bed, and plans to take it back to Zhang Xingyu to read.
If he doesn’t recognize the words then, just kiss him one after another! Teacher Jing never works in vain.
Besides that, Li Yujiao was also wondering, how could someone like to read so much?
Such boring things are not as beautiful as the beautiful scenery outside.
However, whenever Li Yujiao mentioned Jing Heguang, her mother Qin Lu would remind her and ask her to call him uncle.
Li Yujiao: Goodbye.
***
Half a month before the spring exam, the carriage arrived in the capital.
Jing Heguang stood in front of the carriage and said goodbye to Qin Lu.
“Brother-in-law, I’ve bothered a lot along the way. Thank you for taking care of me. Now that I’ve arrived in the capital, Heguang wants to go to the administration hall to stay, so I won’t bother you any more.”
Jing Heguang was very sensible along the way and didn’t get too close to Li Yujiao, making Qin Lu’s impression of him closer to the image described by Li Wenxin.
—A polite noble character, neither humble nor arrogant.
Qin Lu frowned and sincerely tried to persuade him: “There are many yards in my house, and it’s not a troublesome thing to give you a small yard. My husband calls Heguang brother, why is Heguang so distant?”
However, Jing He Guang had already decided to leave.
If the home in the capital that Qin Lu mentioned was really the Li Mansion, it would be okay for him to shamelessly occupy it for a while.
However, Qin Lu is going back to his natal family. What kind of relationship does he have to live in his natal family’s house? That wasn’t appropriate.
Jing Heguang smiled slightly and said: “I can also discuss things with the seniors in the administration hall, which will also be of great benefit to Heguang. If there is good news in the future, Heguang will definitely come to visit.”
Seeing that he really wanted to leave, Qin Lu also didn’t stop him anymore.
After Jing Heguang left, Li Yujiao poked her head out from the curtain: “If he didn’t pass, can we just assume that we didn’t send him this time?!”
Qin Lu reprimanded: “What he and what not. If I heard you call your uncle Heguang names again next time, I’ll make you write female discipline twenty times!”
Qin Lu stretched out his finger, poked Li Yujiao’s head and said: “I also give you a head when you are born, why don’t you ever use it?”
“Your grandfather is a high-ranking official. A visit will only bring benefits to your uncle Heguang and no harm. He doesn’t want to visit now because he’s afraid of losing your mother’s face!”
Li Yujiao thought for a moment, as if…is this really true?
But Jing Heguang is only a few years older than her, she doesn’t want to call him uncle!
***
Seperating from the Li family and his party, Jing Heguang went directly to the capital’s administrative hall.
Each prefecture has a corresponding administration halls, which is mainly used as residence for civil servants and poor officials in the capital. They only need to pay a small accommodation fee.
Compared to staying in an inn, the administrative hall is more convenient and cheaper.
Jing Heguang arrived at the place and took out his name card to register.
After seeing clearly the name on Jing Heguang’s name card, the old curator of the administration hall said excitedly: “Jing Heguang, are you the Jing Jieyuan in the provincial exam, right?!”
Jing Heguang carried the bundle and said modestly: “It’s just a fluke.”
“There are so many people every year, how could it be a fluke to be a Jieyuan? I will allocate a good room for you. Take the exam well, and strive to be on the gold list! Our prefecture doesn’t have many people studying and has only produced one scholar in the past few years.”
After the room was assigned, the enthusiastic old curator sent Jing Heguang to the room.
As they walked, the old curator introduced Jing Heguang to things that needed attention in the capital and who lived in the administration hall.
Nowadays, most of the people living in the administration hall are Juren, but there are also a few minor officials in the capital.
The old curator said, pointing to a room he was passing by: “Wang Juren in this room is not thinking about studying at all. He runs out every day at this critical moment. Don’t imitate him.”
“Wang Juren?” After a pause, Jing Heguang asked, “Is his name Wang Sixing?”
The old curator nodded, then raised his eyebrows and looked at Jing Heguang: “You know him?”
Jing Heguang smiled bitterly: “he’s my friend.”
Jing Heguang’s expression didn’t look too happy, so the old curator advised: “He arrived in the capital a month ago. Since you have not been together for a long trip, your relationship should be average.”
“At this critical moment, you have to figure out what is more important. Don’t let down so many years of hard work!”
The old curator has been guarding the administration hall all his life. In the first half of his life, he was dedicated to trying, and in the second half of his life, he just made a living. Having suffered it himself, the old curator doesn’t want young people to go astray again.
The old curator thought, and threw out a big bait: “Don’t you know, the little princess seems to be planning to get married this year. If you pass the exam with a good rank, being the imperial son-in-law is not out of the question with your handsome appearance!”
Jing Heguang smiled: “Heguang will definitely try his best, but I can’t be the imperial son-in-law. My husband is still waiting for me at home!”
The old curator smiled reassuringly: “That’s good.”
** *
Jing Heguang stayed at the administration hall, then met Wang Sixing the next day.
When he first saw Wang Sixing, Jing Heguang almost didn’t recognize him.
In the past, Wang Sixing was short and wore simple clothes, but he was full of energy and seemed to be living a good life.
However, at this moment, although Wang Sixing had changed into silk clothes, he had two big dark circles on his face and was listless. He didn’t look like someone preparing for an exam!
Wang Sixing carried the package of roast duck, yawned, and then said with a smile: “Heguang, I came back too late yesterday, so I didn’t bother you. The food in this capital is pretty good, I’ll treat you to roast duck.”
After saying this, Wang Sixing went into the room and put down the roast duck.
Although Jing Heguang and Wang Sixing were tacitly estranged, they will never reveal it.
Jing Heguang looked at the dark circles under his eyes and asked, “Why do you look so exhausted?”
Wang Sixing shook his head: “It’s nothing, I’m just study a little too late.”
He paused and then said, “Don’t ask me about the rest. I’m not like you, I’m not a jieyuan.”
Jing Heguang nodded, then went to the old curator to arrange some food and drinks, and the two of them had a meal.
In the days that followed, Jing Heguang concentrated on overcoming the final difficulties in the administrative hall and reviewed diligently.
At the same time, Jing Heguang also saw that Wang Sixing went out during the day and came back at night to light up the lamp and study. Every time Jing Heguang fell asleep, Wang Sixing’s room was still lit.
This time it was Jing Heguang’s turn to be confused. Are things outside so important? Is it worth wasting such critical time before the exam?
Just like that, the day came for the exam to begin.
Jing Heguang packed up his things and set out for the Gongyuan examination with a few new people he met in the administration hall.
After nine days of exams, Jing Heguang returned to the administration hall and fell asleep again.
After the examination, Jing Heguang and the idle members of the administration hall began to travel around the capital.
However, starting from the second day after the exam, Jing Heguang stopped seeing Wang Sixing in the administration hall.
In ten days or so, the examination results will be published!
The good news of the examination will be sent to the administration hall, so everyone nervously gathers in their hall together.
Jing Heguang was also a little nervous. The original owner hadn’t passed the exam so the uncertainty increased.
However, after Li Wenxin’s examination and contact with several officials who were on the gold list and served as officials, Jing Heguang felt that his level should be enough.
Anyway, he doesn’t seek to be very good, he just needs to passed!
It should…should not be difficult.
The sound of gongs and drums resounded throughout the administration halls where various prefectures’ candidates stayed, so the administration halls with many talents received one good news after another.
After a while, there was no good news in the administration hall where Jing Heguang was.
Seeing that the list was halfway through, the old curator sighed repeatedly: “Oh…I obviously dreamed last night that cabbage was growing on the wall.”
Planting cabbage on the wall means passing the exam.
Jing Heguang was so amused that half of his nervousness disappeared.
But later on, Jing Heguang was really panicking…
The list of successful candidates was almost finished. The old curator went to drink to relieve his sorrow. Many candidates also went back to their rooms in despair. Whether they secretly wiped away tears is another matter.
Only Jing Heguang is left, like a stupid goose, very helpless.
Jing Heguang heard a few more gongs and drums and sighed in frustration: “I have to study for another three years!”
If he studied three more years, it would take up a lot of his love time. Moreover, he didn’t pass the exam, so he always felt that it wasn’t enough to go against the Jing family…
Jing Heguang stood up in disappointment and went back to his room to lie down.
Looking at the dark ceiling, Jing Heguang called out to Little Yellow Peach in his mind and spoke.
“Little Yellow Peach, I’m so sad. I seem to be breaking my promise.”
“When I left, I said I won’t let Xingxing send me away anymore…”
[Your thoughtful little yellow peach friendly suggestion: You can take the exam with your family Xingxing, so someone can take care of you after the exam.]
Jing Heguang listened to Little Yellow Peach’s consolation and said sadly: “Then if I fail again next time, then wouldn’t I be embarrassed in front of Xingxing?”
Just as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of gongs and drums not far away.
The louder the gongs and drums sounded and the cheerful the rhythm, the more depressed Jing Heguang became.
Jing Heguang covered his ears aggrievedly: “I can’t hear.”
[…]
[Host, didn’t you hear…isn’t the sound a little too loud?]
Jing Heguang was stunned.
Then the door was banged, and the old curator shouted in surprise outside the door: “Heguang! Come out quickly to receive the good news! Get up quickly!”
“Third place! You actually got third place!”
