Chapter 227: Chapter 98: County Examination (10)

The two, who had once been on excellent terms, were now mere nodding acquaintances.

But he had to admit, the young man’s perpetually cold eyes had replayed in Li Cun’s mind time and again over the years.

Though those eyes held no obvious emotion, he could read into them feelings of superiority, disdain, mockery, and arrogance.

This became another factor driving him to improve.

To crush Zhao Jing in academics the next time they met, he had burned the midnight oil and risen before dawn. For the past three years, he had studied with relentless, obsessive diligence, never allowing himself a moment of rest.

’But in the end, were some things simply unattainable in this lifetime, no matter how much effort he poured in?’

Li Cun grew disheartened, his expression gradually turning grim.

Mr. Wang and the others, however, had truly had their eyes opened.

He and his older brother had been taught by famous tutors since childhood and were frequently tested by their father. Three years ago, their master had said they were ready to take the exam. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

But their father, wanting to further elevate the Wang Family’s reputation, had deliberately held them back for three years to ensure their plan to win the "Lesser Triple Crown" was foolproof.

They didn’t dare to dream of the "Grand Scholar" title, as that was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. But with proper planning, the "Lesser Triple Crown" should have been within their grasp.

Who would have thought, however, that man proposes and God disposes?

His older brother had fallen before even entering the examination hall. Meanwhile, he had encountered Ding Shutian, who had studied diligently for ten years; Huang Chen, who had been lying in wait for a long time; Li Cun, who had endured years of hardship; and Zhao Jing, a man of heaven-sent genius.

As expected, all of them were aiming for the title of top scorer or the "Lesser Triple Crown."

His supposed advantage of having a famous tutor was completely insignificant in front of these people.

Mr. Wang’s face fell.

’In this county exam, forget about being the top scorer,’ he thought. ’I’ll be lucky to even make it into the top three.’

Sharing Mr. Wang’s sentiment, the others—including Ding Shutian, Huang Chen, and Li Cun—all wore somber expressions.

Only the eldest son of the Wang Family, who hadn’t participated in this exam, was different. He had initially been full of regret. But who could have predicted that a minor county exam would turn into a battle between immortals?

Now, he was actually a little relieved.

’Good.’

’All the talent has come out for this county exam,’ he thought. ’Next time, I’ll definitely be able to take the top spot.’

The eldest son of the Wang Family cradled his injured arm with difficulty, cupped his fist to Zhao Jing, and said, "Allow me to congratulate you in advance, Mr. Zhao. My younger brother and I will visit you later. We hope you will honor us with your guidance."

Zhao Jing offered the same polite reply, "It’s still too early to be saying such things..."

Before he could finish, a great uproar erupted outside.

"The results are being posted! The constables are here with the list!"

At these words, everyone forgot about everything else.

They all rose to their feet in unison and headed for the door.

In just that brief moment, countless people had appeared outside.

Everyone surged forward with the same goal in mind, and the scene once again descended into chaos.

A constable in uniform shouted, "Everyone back up! The list is out, it’s not going to grow legs and run away."

"Back up, back up! Just wait for the names to be called. There are only just over forty people in total, it’ll be over in a moment."

"Just over forty people?"

"There were eighty after the fourth round, and now there are only just over forty left. They cut nearly half the students in one go!"

"The competition is too intense. Just thinking about it makes my heart pound."

"I know, right? My heart is racing now, too..."

As everyone was chattering, they suddenly heard the sound of firecrackers and a copper gong. They all looked up toward the source of the noise and saw a line of constables filing out from the main gate of the county government.

An ancient book once described this exact scene, saying, "From the moment the list is taken out to the place where it is posted, it is carried in a colorful pavilion of yellow silk, escorted by musicians, a ceremonial guard, and soldiers."

The Lord County Magistrate had clearly read this book and understood the importance of ceremony. Thus, the colorful pavilion, the ceremonial guard, and the escort of soldiers were all present, making the scene even more feverish.

There were simply too many people. Worried they might get trampled in the crush, Zhao Jing and his companions retreated back into the teahouse.

But no one was in the mood for tea now. They could only suppress their anxious feelings and listen carefully to the commotion outside.

The two young masters of the Wang Family had brought servants with them. They immediately ordered their personal attendants, "Go stand guard outside. If there’s good news for any of the gentlemen here, report back immediately."

The attendants naturally complied without a moment’s delay and quickly squeezed into the crowd.

Whatever else Mr. Wang said after that, no one was in the mood to listen. They just craned their necks, trying their best to see into the crowd.

The wall was once again slathered with paste, and two constables worked together to carefully affix a large, red poster to it.