Chapter 106: The Release of the Examination Results

Chapter 106: The Release of the Examination Results

Lu Lingyun sent someone to look for Huang Yue's uncle's family.

The next day, she was still busy with miscellaneous matters in the mansion when Wang Qiluo came looking for her excitedly.

"Lingyun, it's out! It's out!"

"What's out?"

"The results of the provincial examination are out!"

Wang Qiluo excitedly pulled Lu Lingyun out of the mansion to see the list.

Seeing her happy appearance, Lu Lingyun said nothing and instructed the wet nurse, Shuang Hong, and the maids to take care of Bing'an. Then, she got into the carriage and followed Wang Qiluo to the Examination Hall to see the posted results.

Outside the large yellow notice board, the crowd was bustling.

Lu Lingyun and Wang Qiluo found a spot and pushed their way through to see the list.

As expected, the top name on the list, the Metropolitan Laureate, matched Lu Lingyun's memory—a man named Tong Zhengjian.

Tong Zhengjian was a nearly forty-year-old scholar from Jiangxi Province. He excelled at examinations and had spent ten years preparing in a local academy for this imperial examination, perfecting his calligraphy.

Ten years of hard work paid off as he became the Metropolitan Laureate this time.

Of course, before this, he had participated in several examinations but never made it onto the list.

He emerged like a dark horse in this spring examination.

Suddenly, a loud shout erupted from the crowd.

"Old Tong! You passed!"

"You even became the Metropolitan Laureate!"

"You're amazing!"

The noisy crowd immediately turned to look at the source of the voice, where they saw a short, middle-aged man with a long beard and wearing coarse clothing being surrounded by a group of people.

"So this is our Metropolitan Laureate!"

"Congratulations, Lord Tong!"

"Lord Tong is going to soar high now!"

"I wonder if Lord Tong has taken a wife yet! My daughter is sixteen and unmarried!"

"Lord Tong, please come to our restaurant later; we have prepared fine wine and food at the Yuexiang Restaurant!"

"Lord Tong, come to our inn; we have reserved the best room for the Metropolitan Laureate."

"Move aside, all of you! Lord Tong, my master is the head of the Imperial City's Household Department, and we are fellow townspeople. My master invites you to rest at our mansion and chat!"

Amidst the adulation and courting, the short, middle-aged man could barely contain his excitement at seeing his name as the Metropolitan Laureate.

He laughed wildly.

Laughing uncontrollably, he suddenly fainted.

Seeing Tong Zhengjian faint from laughter, the crowd did not care about his condition and scrambled to carry him away.

In the end, the servants of the Household Department head managed to get a group to carry him away.

Lu Lingyun couldn't help but smile faintly at this scene.

Becoming the Metropolitan Laureate was indeed impressive. Over a thousand candidates from across the nation took the spring examination, and only two hundred were selected.

The Metropolitan Laureate was the top among them.

At the palace examination, the emperor would certainly ask him a few more questions.

However, being the Metropolitan Laureate did not guarantee becoming the top scholar.

The final selection was personally decided by the emperor. In her previous life, Lu Lingyun remembered that Tong Zhengjian, who was the top candidate in the metropolitan examination, ended up as a third-class scholar after the palace examination due to his poor performance.

His psychological resilience was lacking, and his family background was not impressive. When the emperor asked him a few questions, he panicked and could barely speak coherently, resulting in the emperor dismissing him as a third-class scholar.

Fortunately, as long as one made it onto the list, they would pass the palace examination. The worst outcome was being a third-class scholar, which still meant having an official position. Tong Zhengjian eventually secured a minor local government post despite the setbacks.

"Lingyun! He passed!"

At this moment, Lu Lingyun heard Wang Qiluo's voice.

Wang Qiluo excitedly pointed to a name near the top of the list.

"Look there! Look there!"

Following her finger, Lu Lingyun saw Liu Shuhui's name a few places below Tong Zhengjian.

Seeing that he performed steadily and made the list as he did in her previous life, Lu Lingyun's brows relaxed slightly.

Good, very good.

Liu Shuhui did not stand out much in the metropolitan examination, but at the palace examination, he truly emerged as a dark horse, surpassing many candidates who relied on their family backgrounds and various supports to secure a place among the top three.

In her previous life, the top three names on the list included the top scholar whom Lu Lingyun had worked hard to support.

The second place was also occupied by a candidate from a prestigious family with numerous backers.

Only Liu Shuhui relied on his true strength.

"I knew Young Master Liu would pass!" Wang Qiluo exclaimed, looking at the names above. Even though this wasn't the top rank in the imperial examination, she was already overjoyed.

"You're such a hopeless case," Lu Lingyun poked her head. "Your father is at least a Fourth Rank Martial Guard General; what's there to get excited about seeing a newly admitted scholar?"

"Don't say that. Fighting and killing can't compare to the wisdom of the learned."

Lu Lingyun: "......"

There's no saving you, no saving you.

Some people look sharp and quick-witted, but their minds are far from it.

"Then you just wait patiently. There's still the palace examination!"

"Lingyun, no matter what the result of the palace examination is, you'll help me, right?" Wang Qiluo held onto Lu Lingyun's arm.

Seeing her expectant look, Lu Lingyun affectionately poked her forehead, "Of course, my little miss."

At that moment, a familiar carriage approached.

Coincidentally, they ran into Lu Hanyi and Li Wenxun again.

But this time, neither of them noticed Lu Lingyun.

Lu Hanyi, with her heavily pregnant belly, led Li Wenxun straight to the yellow notice board, with servants clearing the way.

The first name she looked for was the top of the list.

It wasn't Li Wenxun.

The second wasn't him either.

Nor the third.

Fourth...

Lu Hanyi's face grew increasingly pale. She only saw half the list before shouting loudly, "Impossible! Impossible!"

In her previous life, Li Wenxun easily passed the imperial examination, and according to her mother, Lady Liu, he ranked quite high.

As soon as the results were posted, Lu Lingyun felt vindicated.

Many people had high hopes for Li Wenxun.

But how... could he not be on the list!

"How did you not pass!" Lu Hanyi yelled.

"Don't worry, we haven't finished looking yet." Li Wenxun frowned and continued scanning down the list.

The list was long, admitting over two hundred people.

"No, no! You didn't pass!"

Lu Hanyi started yelling and pushing Li Wenxun. Just as she was about to call him a liar, her stomach began to hurt.

"Ah, my stomach!"

Li Wenxun, at this moment, couldn't care less about Lu Hanyi's condition and continued looking at the list.

When Lu Hanyi clutched his arm in pain, he pushed her away.

He had no affection for this wife.

Initially, they had been sweet for a while. Lu Hanyi treated him tenderly and looked up to him with admiration, saying he would definitely become the top scholar and give her a good life.

Back then, he thought that if he couldn't marry someone who could help him, marrying such an adoring and gentle wife would do.