Chapter 115.2
The last session of the provincial exam started on the fourteenth, when the examinees once again re-entered the examination compound. Then they took the last exam on the fifteenth. The exam this time was an eight-part essay.
This was Lin Chengye's weakest subject. During the entry-level examinations, he never got high marks in eight-part essays even once. He became a Xiucai by mainly relying on his scores in classics filling and normal essays.
However, when he looked at the questions on the examination paper this time, he inexplicably felt that they were not particularly tricky, unlike the questions given to him by Xiao Liulang normally.
Moreover, Xiao Liulang taught him some tricks in answering eight-part essays, and also made him memorize a few neat sentences of flattery that matched in sense and sound, which had no deep meaning, but could make the overall style of the article look high-end and grand!
Lin Chengye started writing, his movements natural and smooth!
It was all about making it verbose! [T/N: more familiar term ‘wordy’.]
Xiao Liulang said, ‘If you don’t understand, just make it verbose! Never leave a part empty!’
Lin Chengye felt that he was particularly good at writing wordy sentences at this moment (even though he himself couldn’t understand how he was doing it). Although he wouldn’t get a high score, he didn’t think he would fail as before.
At the end of the three exams, the examinees lost a circle of fat.
Steward Zhou waited outside the examination compound early in the morning.
As he watched the examinees coming out one by one, he felt worried about his sixth young master.
Soon, Xiao Liulang’s group of three came out.
No matter how crowded it was, Xiao Liulang was always the first person you would notice at a glance.
Steward Zhou spotted him first, and then he saw Lin Chengye next to him.
Steward Zhou was about to shout "You've lost weight, young master", but the words got stuck in his throat.
Er... Why did his young master seem to have gained weight again?
Actually, Lin Chengye didn’t gain weight, it was the other examinees who had become thin, which made him appear chubby.
Steward Zhou stepped forward quickly and asked with mixed excitement and anxiousness, "How did you do in the exam young master? When you didn't let me come over during the last two exams, I was stifled in worry! Do you think you’ll pass? Was the exam difficult? Why do I think everyone's complexion doesn’t look good!"
Lin Chengye said, "Talk later."
Steward Zhou looked at the examinees around them and realized he had been overexcited. How could this be a place to talk?
With a smile, he said to Xiao Liulang and Feng Lin, "The exam is finally over. Both of you have worked hard these days. My Lord is hosting a banquet at home. I would like to ask you both to come to the residence with me for a brief visit."
The Lin Family was the wealthiest people in the provincial capital. Feng Lin really wanted to attend and broaden his horizons, but Xiao Liulang refused, "Thanks but we have to refuse. We're going back to the county town early. We appreciate Lord Lin's kindness. We'll be brought together by fate again in the future."
"Ah..."
"Ah..."
Lin Chengye and Steward Zhou were stunned at the same time.
Especially Lin Chengye.
Although he already expected that Xiao Liulang would have to go back after the exam, he still felt strange at this moment.
The days when Xiao Liulang tutored him was the most miserable ordeal in his life. Only when he entered the examination compound did he realize that it actually was his most precious experience.
"You, leave, later. I, I will, see you off. " Lin Chengye's anxiety exposed his stuttering problem.
His expression changed and a trace of panic flashed through his eyes.
But there wasn’t a change in Xiao Liulang's countenance. His eyes were as calm and cold as ever. "No, you've been away from home for so long, it's time for you to go back and see your family."
Feng Lin was a little surprised. It was the first time he heard something so human from Xiao Liulang’s mouth after knowing him for so long.
Thinking carefully again, he indeed had changed a lot from a year ago.
Lin Chengye ultimately failed to persuade Xiao Liulang to visit his home. In fact, he could feel that his teacher-student relationship with Xiao Liulang was quite good. Xiao Liulang seemed like a cold person, but he really wasn’t deep down. So he simply didn't understand why Xiao Liulang just wouldn’t agree to visit his home.
Steward Zhou looked at Lin Chengye and smilingly said, "Sixth young master, young miss cousin is in the residence. She said that you’ve worked hard for the provincial exam so she will take you out on a trip for a few days!"
Lin Chengye didn’t like that love-struck fool of a cousin!
Xiao Liulang and Feng Lin returned to the inn.
As they went upstairs, Feng Lin asked, "Do we have to wait here until the results come out?"
The results would take half a month to be released.
Xiao Liulang said lightly, "No need, the results will also be reported to the county yamen."
"That's also fine." Feng Lin nodded. Even though he really wanted to know both his and Xiao Liulang’s results at the first moment the list was out, seeing Xiao Liulang's eagerness to return home, he should be feeling homesick, right?
He should be missing Lady Jiao.
Hehe, this smelly guy.
The two people were on their way to their rooms when they heard the excited voices of the examinees in the lobby.
"Ah, have you heard? The Imperial Academy in the capital is going to be reopened!”
"Really? Who told you that?"
"Do I still need someone to tell me that? An imperial notice has been posted at the gates of the yamen! If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself! Excellent students will have the opportunity to enter the Imperial Academy after being recommended by the yamen. If you become the top scorer in the provincial exam, you can enter the Imperial Academy without recommendation!"
The said excellent students must at least be a Xiucai. Generally speaking, the examinee who topped every exam in the entry-level would automatically get the recommendation slot. If there was no such examinee, there was also a choice to give the slot to the top scorer of the county exam or prefectural exam.
Feng Lin pulled Xiao Liulang's sleeve and said, "Liulang, you’re the top scorer for the two exams!"
Although he failed to get the top spot in the college exam for some reason, he was still an outstanding Linsheng ah!
Feng Lin slapped his own thigh and said, "Oh, if we’d known earlier, you shouldn't have asked for that 1000 taels of silver and instead retake the exam! If you have won the three lower top seats, entering the Imperial Academy is a done deal!"
The Imperial Academy was the highest learning institution in the State of Zhao. It was the pride of all the students in the world to be admitted to the Imperial Academy.
Xiao Liulang's calm look remained unchanged.
He stood on the stairs, listening to the hot discussion among the examinees in the lobby.
"But didn't His Majesty personally order the closure of the Imperial Academy back then? Because the young Chief was burned to death? How come it is suddenly reopened?"
"It was Grand Preceptor Zhuang who led many important ministers to kneel outside the imperial audience hall for three days and three nights before finally moving His Majesty’s heart."
"Grand Preceptor Zhuang is really a loyal minister of the State of Zhao. When His Majesty ordered the shutdown of the Imperial Academy, all exhorters back then were punished by His Majesty."
"Grand Preceptor Zhuang was not punished, was he?"
The examinees didn’t want such a good official for the country and the people to get into trouble.
"How could that be? If he had been punished, the Imperial Academy wouldn’t have been reopened."
The examinees talked passionately and the discussion was in full swing.
Xiao Liulang showed a suspicious and thoughtful look at this moment.
Soon, he lost the mood to listen to the gossip and went back to his room with an expressionless face.
Lin Chengye's things had been picked up by Steward Zhou. The accommodation fee had long been settled by Steward Zhou, so there was no need for the two of them to fish out money from their pockets. Now Xiao Liulang only had to pack up his own things.
At night, Feng Lin wanted to eat some of the famous snacks in the provincial capital.
"I've been here for so long, and in order not to spoil my stomach, all I've been eating were the dishes made in the small kitchen. I want something else ah!" Feng Lin said with grievance.
When he accompanied Xiao Liulang to the prefectural city for the exam, Feng Lin got a stomachache on the way from eating blindly. Although there was the antidiarrheal medicine given by Gu Jiao, it made him terrified to the end.
The provincial exam was no small matter. In order to avoid repeating the same mistake, several of them had been following a proper diet these days.
Xiao Liulang also happened to want to buy something for his family, so he agreed to go out with Feng Lin.
[T/N: To refresh our minds:
Entry-level examinations- county exam, prefectural exam, college exam
Linsheng - First class Xiucai(general term for entry-level exam passers)
Three Lower Top Seats - First place of every entry-level exam
Just a couple of chapters more and they're finally going to enter the capital! Things will only get more exciting after they arrive in the capital!! o(≧?≦o) ]
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