Chapter 87

Outside the examination hall, the crowd was no longer crowded.

The initial excitement and bustle had passed. Those who came to see the list of candidates, directly related to the thousands of examinees, mostly left after confirming the list. Moreover, it was lunchtime, and the afternoon sun was at its most scorching, making it unbearable to stay in the open. Therefore, most of the onlookers had dispersed.

As a result, Mr. Ming, who was in a sorry state, finally managed to squeeze to the front of the publicly displayed examination papers. At first glance, his pupils constricted.

The handwriting was familiar to him.

The questions were also ones he had seen before, and they left a deep impression. He had almost exhausted his energy writing answers to these questions for an entire afternoon, so how could he forget them?

His first reaction was anger—someone had leaked the exam questions in advance!

Before the provincial examination, even the examiners had not been determined, yet the exam questions had already been leaked!

He was incredibly angry!

He had wasted half his life on this, his life's work was wasted within these high walls of the examination hall, and his reputation was ruined because of it. How many students had struggled bitterly, only to find that in some people's eyes, their efforts could be so easily trampled upon. Where was the justice in this world!

Even more heartbreaking was...

The content of the answers was also familiar to him, as he had written them himself. How could he be unfamiliar with them?

He read through the four questions and confirmed that they were indeed his answers. Someone had copied his answers almost word for word.

It was not hard to guess who the copier was. He had only given the answers to one person, and that person's name was on the paper, prominently at the top of the list!

These were his answers, and someone had used them to win the provincial examination, to score a perfect score and become the top candidate!

His anger turned into a low, guttural growl in his throat, like a wild beast ready to tear everything apart.

The rage almost burned him to ashes.

His initial thought was to report it.

To file a complaint, to lodge a formal complaint with the emperor!

No matter what family background or connections they had, he would rather destroy everything to get justice!

How dare they! Leaking the exam questions was bad enough, but they even dared to use them to test him, and then use his answers to claim the top spot. It was arrogant and shameless, openly and brazenly trampling on others!

He had never seen such bullying...

"Brilliant! This policy essay is truly brilliant, with profound insights, shining and clear, the words and sentences flow smoothly, and the entire essay is a seamless whole. I have never seen a provincial examination policy essay written so seamlessly before."

"Expressing the inner turmoil, like a surging river, I am sure A Shiheng must have written it with great enthusiasm and satisfaction."

"This A Shiheng is indeed extraordinary, with quick and smooth thinking. I am convinced by this perfect score on the policy essay!"

"Gentlemen, if I am not mistaken, this essay will surely be included as a required reading in the Imperial Academy."

The sun was scorching, and after a few men discussed the matter near Mr. Ming, they found it unbearable and left, calling out to each other.

As soon as they left, others came to admire the work.

"Excellent! 'Once entering the imperial hall, all past and future fame is resolved.' Truly worthy of the top candidate!"

"Yes, the grandeur is evident. Just entering the imperial hall and resolving all past and future fame—what a grand spirit, reaching the heavens!"

"Gong Ming... Gong Ming... Oh... Oh..."

A man with gray temples suddenly sobbed, his face turned upward, as if lamenting a great loss.

"Brother Huang, what's wrong with you?"

The others around him showed concern for the sobbing man.

Huang shook his head, wiped his tears with his sleeve, and pointed to the poetry paper, saying in a pained voice: "I see a different profound meaning. 'Imperial Hall! Imperial Hall!' This title is also our lifelong aspiration. Studying hard for years to achieve fame, it is 'fame' rather than 'official rank.' When I took the exam several times, using all my efforts, wasn't it to clear my name? Seeking fame, this 'fame' is like a cry to the heavens!"

Hearing this, the others nodded: "Yes, this 'fame' and 'seeking fame' express the hardships of many. One cry can shock the world, but if not, all the hard work becomes a laughingstock. A cry to the heavens, indeed, this word is a cry to the heavens!"

The same poem, when faced by different people, due to their different backgrounds and experiences, revealed various flavors, but all praised it.

Mr. Ming, standing in front of the barrier, looked up to the sky with closed eyes, as if lamenting a great loss. Listening to the various praises of A Shiheng's answers, tears streamed down his face, silently dripping from his beard.

He was angry, indeed very angry at first, that someone dared to steal his hard work to gain fame and position, and he wanted to rush to the Zhong family to confront Yu Qing!

But as he heard the praises, slowly, slowly, his anger subsided, and his heart calmed down.

Slowly, a scene from long ago appeared in his mind.

A scene he seemed to have forgotten, but now, with his eyes closed, became very clear.

It was his most spirited period, a prodigy known throughout the region, winning the top spot in the preliminary exams, receiving countless praises and compliments, and at that time, he chose the woman he most desired.

Everything was so beautiful, a time when he got whatever he wanted.

Until the district exam, he looked down on the other candidates, boasting publicly that the top candidate would be none other than him!

Who knew that the results of the exam would deal him a heavy blow. Not only did he not become the top candidate, but he didn't even make the list of top candidates. He was ranked far down, and the shame made him a laughingstock.

From that moment on, his mindset changed dramatically, and he no longer dared to be arrogant.

He wasn't stupid; it was obvious that if he dared to be arrogant again, others would surely mock him with the results of the previous district exam. He wasn't stupid enough to bring shame upon himself.

After that, he went to the capital with the determination to clear his name and restore his reputation. Once inside the examination hall, he answered the questions with great care, guessing who the examiners were, what their preferences were, and whether his answers would offend them.

The anxiety and fear of failure were still vivid in his memory, afraid of failing again, afraid of becoming a laughingstock again.

But what he feared came to pass. After the results were announced, he, the former prodigy and young candidate, failed the exam.

This time, he didn't just rank low; he didn't even make the list, being directly eliminated.

Afraid of becoming a laughingstock, he indeed became a big laughingstock, too ashamed to face anyone.

Before each subsequent exam, he tried to predict the questions, carefully studying the examiners' preferences, and almost researched all the officials in the capital.

But the final result of the provincial exam was still a series of failures, and he continued to fail and try again.

No one could understand how he felt when he saw the gates of the examination hall, which to him were like a monster with a blood-red mouth and sharp teeth, ready to devour him.

Later, he didn't dare to go home, too ashamed to face those who had seen his arrogance, including his neighbors, realizing how detestable his past behavior had been.

He then turned to a life of debauchery, earning the nickname 'Mr. Afternoon.'

The past was vivid in his mind, and Mr. Ming, with tears streaming down his face, suddenly opened his eyes and smiled, looking at the publicly displayed answers on the wall.

His hatred for Yu Qing was completely gone, truly gone.

Because he realized that even if he had entered the exam hall this time, even facing the same questions, he would still fail.

The publicly displayed answers helped him find the answer to the question that had puzzled him for years.

"Truly the talent of a top candidate!"

Another person, after reading the top candidate's answers, was amazed.

"Top candidate's talent... top candidate's talent..." Mr. Ming repeated these words, suddenly smiled bitterly, wiped the tears from his face, took a deep breath, and turned, walking out of the crowd with a look of relief.

As he walked out of the open area and entered the street, a few people got off a carriage he passed by. They were Zhan Mochun, Xu Fei, and the four others.

The six of them still had the smell of alcohol on them, having just had lunch at a restaurant.

Zhan Mochun and Xu Fei looked spirited and full of life, with a natural air of superiority.

The other four, however, looked strained and dejected, clearly following the lead of the two.

It couldn't be helped; the places where the six of them stayed had sent people to check the results. Zhan Mochun and Xu Fei had passed the provincial exam and were now officials, just waiting for the final imperial exam to determine their ranks.

The other four had all failed, which was not surprising given their low ranks in the district exam.

In other words, Zhan Mochun and Xu Fei were about to enter the palace to meet the emperor, while the other four might never have the honor of entering the imperial palace, perhaps not even in their lifetimes.

Fortunately, the six had agreed to come today before the results were announced, otherwise, Zhan Mochun and Xu Fei would have been too busy to spend time with them.

"Brother Zhan, Brother Xu, I told you, the afternoon is the best time to come here. It's hard to squeeze in during the morning," Su Yingtao said, pointing to the now less crowded area outside the examination hall, his tone more humble.

Zhan Mochun waved his hand. "Let's go, I can't wait to see Brother Shiheng's publicly displayed answers."

They had heard about it before and discussed it during lunch. A top candidate with a perfect score, a rare occurrence in a hundred years, had already made a name for himself in the capital, truly surprising them.

The group finally stopped at the notice board to confirm their rankings. Zhan Mochun and Xu Fei wanted to check their positions, and the other four couldn't help but look again, just in case they had missed something.

The name 'A Shiheng' at the top of the list was very prominent.

Zhan Mochun sighed. "A rare occurrence in a hundred years, truly remarkable. Brother Shiheng was indeed low-key, and we were blind to his talent!"

The doubts in his mind seemed to be resolved. No wonder the other person didn't take him, the top district candidate, seriously. It turned out that his talent was not inferior to his, and the district exam must have been a fluke, resulting in a rank of over a hundred.

Seeing the name 'A Shiheng' and the top position, Xu Fei was the most puzzled. How could that person have such talent? Passing the provincial exam was one thing, but scoring a perfect score in all four subjects was too much, too ruthless and unreliable!

Thinking about the Yu Qing he knew, who dared to do things under the nose of a provincial governor for money, who dared to kill with a sword, who could draw talismans and pass the provincial exam with a perfect score, it was too bizarre!