Chapter 136

Chapter 136

When Han Zhang arrived at the provincial examination hall, Shen Huaizhi and the other three also happened to arrive at the same time.

Shen Huaizhi and the others were still commoners, so naturally they weren't participating in the imperial examination this time. However, the county examinations in Zhao State were generally held at the end of February, which happened to coincide with this year's special imperial examination.

Therefore, to save expenses, the court simply arranged for both examinations to be held together.

After all, the examination hall was large enough—the east wing hosted the imperial examination, while the west wing hosted the Tongsheng examination, without disturbing each other. It was perfectly suitable.

In truth, the court had no choice but to arrange things this way. Zhao State's current peaceful days relied entirely on border troops repelling foreign enemies, and military spending each year was a huge expense.

Thus, Emperor Taixuan had to be frugal in other areas to ensure soldiers' provisions and salaries were supplied without issue, to avoid overspending and draining the treasury.

With limited time, there was no time for much chatting.

Han Zhang could only smile and urge them: "Do well on the test, and once you pass the Tongsheng exam, I'll give you all a break."

As for what happened if they failed?

Well, that was up for debate.

Hearing this, Shen Huaizhi and the other three's smiles immediately fell.

"Brother Han, goodbye!"

"Brother Han, farewell!"

"Brother Han, hurry up and leave!"

"Brother Han, I'm off!"

The four, who had originally wanted to chat with him a bit longer, clasped their fists in indignation and then took off in a flash.

Jiang Wencheng shook his head with a laugh from the side: "Brother Han, you're such a tease... Look how you've frightened Brother Pan and the others."

"Jade needs carving to become a gem; people need a push to work hard. Brother Pan and the others just need some discipline."

Han Zhang smiled and called out to him: "Brother Jiang, let's head on over. If I don't achieve a good ranking in this year's imperial examination, Lan Ge'er and An Ge'er won't let us off the hook."

"Brother Han, you have the nerve to say that! Ever since you appeared, my An Ge'er's demands on me have been growing by the day. You've really made my life difficult..."

Speaking of his husband, Jiang Wencheng's expression was a mix of helplessness and fond complaint.

His husband used to be so gentle and sweet, but now, compared to Lan Ge'er's life, he was starting to develop a more spirited side—he was practically walking all over him!

Han Zhang raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and teased him: "I see Brother Jiang is enjoying it too, huh?"

Jiang Wencheng laughed smugly at that: "What can I do? We grew up together as childhood sweethearts—I love everything about him, no matter what."

After spending so much time with Han Zhang, he'd inevitably developed a thicker skin. His former reserve and politeness had gradually faded, and now he could openly express his feelings.

Because he'd discovered that after doing so, An Ge'er seemed to like him even more.

No wonder Brother Han could charm Lan Ge'er into being completely devoted to him—this approach really worked well on young ladies and lads.

The two chatted and laughed as they walked briskly toward the line of imperial examination candidates.

After finding their fellow students who served as guarantors, they lined up and waited for inspection before entering.

They were lucky—not only were their exam numbers early, but the exam cubicles they drew were also in great spots, far from the stinky latrine, so they didn't have to worry about the smell affecting their performance.

But even so, when he reached his exam cubicle, Han Zhang still let out a sigh.

The reason was simple—the examination cubicles were not only crude, but the space was also pretty cramped for someone his height.

He was a full 1.89 meters tall and had a sturdy build, so sitting inside meant he had to curl up his whole body.

Fortunately, he had his Power to ease muscle soreness anytime, along with the warm clothes, good food, and specially made peppermint lozenges his husband had packed—so it wasn't too bad.

It was just that going from luxury to frugality was tough; once you're used to comfort, it's hard to go back to hardship.

Having grown used to the soft beds and plush pillows at home, he felt a bit out of sorts and missed his husband terribly.

Once all candidates had entered and all inspections were done, the chief examiner finally announced: "Time's up—unseal the papers! Begin writing!"

Years of studying in obscurity—whether one could change their fate all came down to this single gamble.

All the candidates sat in solemn concentration, beginning to think through their answers.

Han Zhang was no exception, approaching it with the same seriousness he'd given the college entrance exam in his past life.

Back then, he'd had nothing—the college entrance exam was his only shot at changing his life.

Now, though he had many things, whether he could hold onto that happiness also depended entirely on this imperial exam.

He absolutely couldn't afford to make a single mistake!

The examination hall was very quiet, with only the sounds of ink being ground and rice paper being turned, along with the occasional muffled sobs of students who couldn't solve problems, being dragged away by attendants covering their mouths.

Several candidates across from him heard the commotion and couldn't help but be affected, their faces going pale.

Han Zhang, however, stayed perfectly calm.

Because even if he hadn't had such rich experiences in his past life, this was nothing compared to what people from the modern era went through in the exam-oriented education system.

After all, in the modern world, as long as you were in school, tests of all sizes never stopped coming, and most people developed very strong mental toughness when it came to exams.

So Han Zhang just needed to be careful—avoid accidentally knocking over candles or ink, staining or burning his exam paper, and avoid eating too much and having to use the latrine, which would earn him the infamous "excrement stamp"—the legendary "poop stamp."

Whether this year's imperial exam questions were hard for others was anyone's guess.

But for Han Zhang, solving them was a piece of cake.

In his past life, though he hadn't been a liberal arts student, he'd lived through the information explosion era and had been a bona fide student at a top university. He wasn't particularly good at liberal arts, but that didn't mean he was actually bad at them.

In fact, to expand his horizons, Han Zhang had minored in history and philosophy during university.

There was a famous saying in the modern world: to become smart, study history; to become wise, study philosophy.

Han Zhang believed it, so he'd studied hard during his college years.

That was why, whether in business or in building a base during the apocalypse, his political insight and sharpness had always been exceptional.

With the original owner's abilities as a foundation, Han Zhang's performance on poetry and rhapsody questions was just passable, but on policy essays and classical exegesis, he was unquestionably sharp, far ahead of the pack, writing as if guided by a divine hand.

The exam had three sessions, lasting nine days in total.

When the final session ended, Han Zhang had just stepped out of the exam hall when he heard a clear, crisp call:

"Husband—"

Shen Qinglan, who had been waiting for ages, dashed over like the wind and happily flung himself into his arms.

The exhaustion of the past few days melted away at the warmth in his arms. Han Zhang couldn't help but smile indulgently and said softly:

"Didn't I tell you to stay home? The exam hall entrance is packed with people and prying eyes—what if you got bumped into? ...Come on, get up. I stink all over—aren't you grossed out?"

Even if he hadn't been stuck near the latrine, after spending so long in that exam cubicle, he was a mess all over.

His husband was really fussy about being clean, and he couldn't afford to look bad in front of him.

But Shen Qinglan only hugged tighter, his eyes crinkling into a smile: "I'm not grossed out—I like you no matter what you look like! Today all the other wives and husbands are here waiting for their spouses, so why would I stay home? Besides, the sun's warm outside—I won't catch a cold."

With that, he even nuzzled his face against Han Zhang's chest to show his sincerity.

Honestly, Han Zhang was happy too that his husband had come to pick him up. Hearing that, he didn't want to ruin the mood and immediately pulled his husband onto the carriage: "Let's hurry—there are still a lot of examinees behind us. If we wait too long, we might get stuck in traffic."

The crowd at the exam hall entrance made it a bad place for chit-chat.

The couple quickly rode the carriage back home.

Before leaving, Shen Qinglan had already told the servants to get hot soup and food ready. After washing up and having a hot meal, Han Zhang crashed the moment his head hit the pillow.

He had his ability, but it could only fix his body, not his mental exhaustion.

He'd been studying intensely all year, and now that the exam was finally over, he needed a deep sleep—otherwise, even if he were made of iron, he'd eventually burn out.

If he passed the provincial exam, the metropolitan exam would be next, so he needed to recharge.

And Han Zhang slept for a whole day and night.

Luckily, most examinees did the same once they got home. Even though Shen Qinglan was worried, he kept it together, running the household perfectly while Han Zhang slept. He also sent word to the village to reassure Grandpa Han and the others.

When Han Zhang finally woke up fully rested, the first thing he saw was a steaming bowl of ginseng chicken soup.

But after last time's "loving chicken soup" from his husband, he now had a mental block about chicken soup. Seeing it, he couldn't help but hesitate and blurt out: "Husband, this soup—you didn't make this yourself again, did you?"

Shen Qinglan, who had just wanted to show he cared, was embarrassed again and shot back, pretending to be annoyed: "What, you'd turn your nose up at it if I made it myself?"

It's true—once you have something, you don't appreciate it anymore. His husband actually had the nerve to look down on him now.

Seeing his husband get all riled up, Han Zhang quickly smiled to smooth things over: "I wouldn't dare! I'm just worried about you—cooking is tough, and I'm afraid you've been secretly practicing again. What if you hurt yourself?"

With that, he immediately picked up the bowl and chugged it.

Then he switched topics: "Oh, husband, good news—I'm pretty sure I'll pass this special exam."

"For real?"

Shen Qinglan's attention was indeed pulled away, and he no longer cared that Han Zhang looked down on his cooking.

He'd actually wanted to ask how his husband did on the exam for a while, but he was afraid that if his husband hadn't done well, pushing the question would be too painful—so he could only hold back his anxiety.

Now that he had a clear answer, he was thrilled.

Han Zhang smiled at the sparkle in his husband's eyes: "Really. I think this year's exam wasn't too hard. I can't say I'll be at the top, but passing should be no problem."

"Once I pass the provincial exam, the metropolitan exam is next. Barring any surprises, I should get the jinshi degree this year. Then, with the Crown Prince and your father pulling strings, I'll definitely land an official position before the end of the year."

"By then, you won't just be some lowly scholar's husband. When we go out to eat, you won't have to sit in the main dining area with everyone else—you can have a private room again..."

The fact that his husband couldn't get a private room at restaurants after marrying him.

He had always remembered it, held it close.