Chapter 99

Yeyu had just woken up when Yue Chen walked in with a food box.

"Brother Yue, what is this..."

Yue Chen, with a broad smile, placed the food box on the table and asked with deep meaning, "Tell me the truth, little brother, have you known Third Miss for a long time?"

"Third Miss?" Yeyu had just woken up and was still a bit dazed. Yue Chen's sudden and vague questioning only made him more confused.

"It's my second uncle's third daughter!"

"Third daughter of Scholar Yue..." Yeyu frowned, pondered for a moment, and then realized, "I remember now. When I attended the lantern festival in Lai'an, I did meet her once! Why are you suddenly asking about this, Brother Yue?"

"Really just once?"

Yue Chen's sarcastic questioning made Yeyu laugh involuntarily, "Brother Yue, what are you up to?"

"This is the food Third Miss sent for you, and she asked me, your cousin, to convey her wishes for your success in the exams! You say it was just once, Brother Yeyu, do you really think I would believe that?"

Uh...

Yeyu looked at the food box on the table in surprise, wondering what was going on. He didn't seem to know Third Miss Yue well; they only met once, and he won a butterfly silver hairpin from her in a bet.

That's all there was to it. Why would she care so much and send food?

Seeing Yue Chen's strange look, Yeyu felt the need to explain, "Brother Yue, I really don't know your sister... It happened like this, on the Lantern Festival..."

"Hehe! No need to explain, no need to say, no need to clarify, I actually have no other intention!"

"No, Brother Yue, don't misunderstand..."

"Master Ye, a woman just delivered this..." Just as Yeyu was about to explain, a waiter from the inn walked in with a fancy food box.

"What? Another food box!" Yeyu looked at the food box in surprise.

"What? A woman delivered it?" Yue Chen quickly walked over to the waiter and asked urgently, "Are you sure it was a woman?"

"Yes, my eyes aren't that bad, but she's gone..."

Yue Chen turned around and looked at Yeyu with a half-smile, teasing, "Brother Yeyu, how do you explain this..."

"Hey, Brother Yue is here too!" Just as Yue Chen was about to tease Yeyu, Xiao Guoliang walked in.

Yue Chen, seeing Xiao Guoliang, immediately had a topic, "Brother Xiao, you came just in time. You once vaguely said that Brother Yeyu has a sweetheart in Lin'an. I was skeptical at first, but now, I can't help but believe it!"

"Brother Yue, Brother Xiao, listen to me, actually..."

Xiao Guoliang waved his hand, signaling Yeyu not to speak, "I believe Brother Yeyu, he couldn't have a sweetheart in Lin'an!"

"Brother Xiao, you are truly insightful! A true friend!" Yeyu clapped his hands, thinking finally someone was speaking up for him.

But just as Yeyu was relieved, Xiao Guoliang changed his tone, "Because there's more than one! Brother Yeyu, with the exams approaching, you need to take care of your health. This is something a woman asked me to give you when I bought buns!"

Xiao Guoliang placed the meat buns from the paper bag on the table and took out a charm tied with silk thread from his pocket, teasing, "This charm is hard to come by, it's said to bless the exam-takers with success..."

Yue Chen snatched the charm and examined it twice, questioning, "Is it real?"

"Whether it's real or not, it doesn't matter. What matters is the person who sent it... What do you think, Brother Yeyu?"

"Uh... I really don't know..."

Yeyu was already at his wits' end with these sudden events. He could explain the food box from Third Miss Yue, but the one from the waiter and the charm from Xiao Guoliang, he had no idea why, so how could he explain it to everyone?

"Hehe! Brother Yeyu, I've been in the capital for many years and don't have many sweethearts. You've just arrived in the capital and already have such achievements! Is it because you're a bit more handsome than me?"

"I really don't know..."

Yeyu looked miserable, at a loss for words.

"Gentlemen, it's almost time, we should hurry!" Meng Tong reminded from outside the door.

Phew! Finally someone came to the rescue. Yeyu felt like Meng Tong was a savior. But Meng Tong's next words left Yeyu speechless.

"Brother Yeyu, don't let the women drain your energy and affect your exam, it wouldn't be fair to our competition!" Meng Tong said coldly and then ignored everyone, leading the way downstairs.

Yue Chen stuffed the food box into Yeyu's arms, muttering, "I'm telling you, I don't care about your sweethearts! You must eat the food my sister prepared!"

"Alright, alright! I'll eat!"

Yeyu, in front of Yue Chen, hastily ate the fortune buns in the food box, almost choking. There was still a lot left, which he could use to stave off hunger during the exam.

...

The Imperial Examination Hall, a name that has spanned over a thousand years of Chinese culture, symbolizes the selection of talents to be offered to the emperor. In ancient times, anything presented to the emperor was called a tribute, and the place where talents were offered was naturally called the Imperial Examination Hall.

The Imperial Examination Hall faces south, with high and thick walls, and has three main gates. Outside the south gate is a large screen wall used for posting the results. Behind the screen wall are three Dragon Gates. The saying "a fish leaping through the Dragon Gate turns into a dragon" refers to these gates.

When Yeyu and his three companions arrived at the Imperial Examination Hall, it was already bright. A sedan chair carried by eight men swayed over, with four guards with knives in front and behind.

Seeing this array, one knew it was a high-ranking official. The sedan chair stopped at the Dragon Gate, and a man in black boots and official attire, wearing a black hat, stepped out.

This man, around fifty years old, looked solemn and spirited. According to the rules of entry, he should be the Chief Military Commissioner, Yu Yunwen.

Shortly after, another eight-man sedan chair arrived, and a man in his fifties, slightly overweight, of medium height, and dressed in the same second-rank official attire, stepped out. This was the other chief examiner, Zhang Shuo.

After the two chief examiners, a series of smaller sedan chairs arrived at the Dragon Gate, carrying various examiners and inspectors.

Yeyu, watching the grand array of the provincial examination, realized it was far beyond the scale of the prefectural examination. However, when he looked around at the candidates, he noticed two puzzling things.

One was that among these candidates, he was the only one with a disability, while the others all looked dignified. He stood out in this crowd, which reminded him of the ridicule he faced at the Zhuangyuan Tower, thinking he was the only one who passed the prefectural examination.

The other was that many of the candidates today were covering their mouths and noses with their sleeves, and quite a few had swollen and bruised faces. These seemed to be the people who ridiculed him at the Zhuangyuan Tower.

"These people look like they've been poisoned," Meng Tong also noticed this unusual situation.

Yue Chen, however, snorted lightly, "Perhaps this is karma."

"Yes, why bother with these people, let's go, it's time for the exam!" Xiao Guoliang glanced at these candidates and then called for everyone to line up for the exam.

The candidates, under the unified command of the Imperial Examination Hall staff, entered through the Dragon Gate. After the three thousand candidates were verified in the Examination Hall, they were led in batches by the examiners to the Hall of Fairness, where they paid homage to the portrait of Confucius with three kneels and nine bows.

Following the order of the roll call, each candidate, holding a candle in one hand and an exam basket in the other, was guided by the staff and directed by the inspectors to their examination rooms, which resembled pigeon coops. All candidates would spend nine days and six nights in these simple cubicles, undergoing three major exams.

Once all the candidates entered the examination rooms, the main gate was locked, known as the "Locked Examination Hall." Each candidate had a room, a pot of charcoal, and a candle.

After the exam papers were distributed, the drum on the Mingyuan Tower sounded, and the candidates began their answers, timed by the water clock.

Yeyu looked at the exam questions and nodded. This imperial examination was personally set by the emperor, which eliminated the possibility of the chief examiner leaking the questions, and the questions were quite meaningful.

The topic was "Heart and Strength," which made Yeyu think of Emperor Xiaozong's life. Despite his passionate resolve to reclaim the north, he ultimately failed to achieve his goal. Instead, over time, he lost his determination to reclaim the north.

"Heart and Strength" was also the emperor's lament, acknowledging that he had the will but lacked the strength. Yeyu knew that Emperor Xiaozong was using this examination to express his inner cry.

"You are crying out, but in the future, will the Han descendants not also cry out and roar deeply!"

Yeyu was now emotionally charged and mentally sharp. At this moment, he recalled a classic work.

But just as he was about to start writing, he suddenly felt a severe stomachache, as if his insides were churning. He quickly found a corner with a chamber pot and vomited and had diarrhea repeatedly, the scene was truly unbearable.

The severe stomachache and continuous vomiting and diarrhea tortured Yeyu greatly. But since the exam was ongoing, he couldn't give up easily. He gritted his teeth, moved the chamber pot to the table, and sat on it directly, abandoning his wheelchair.

Although the diarrhea was extremely uncomfortable, to the point of almost fainting, fortunately, Yeyu's mind was still clear. He brewed a cup of tea from the fragrant wutong wood given by the eccentric monk, which gradually stopped the diarrhea.

After the diarrhea, Yeyu was hungry and prepared to eat the food. But he suddenly stopped, sniffed the buns, and frowned. He then put the buns back in the food box, preferring to go hungry rather than eat them!

Over the three days, Yeyu only drank tea and did not eat any food. At this moment, Yeyu was deeply grateful to the eccentric monk, realizing that the tea made from the fragrant wutong wood not only stopped the diarrhea but also had the effect of clearing the mind and invigorating the spirit.

He then picked up his brush and wrote over ten thousand words without a single pause. After learning painting techniques from Wang Ximeng, his painting skills had greatly improved, and his calligraphy had also advanced rapidly. Now, Yeyu's calligraphy was on the verge of reaching the pinnacle.