The top five in the county examination, barring any surprises, would also be the top five in the prefectural and academy examinations. They were guaranteed to become Scholars and receive government stipends.

They were all so young and full of vigor, yet they possessed such great fortune. It was truly difficult not to be envious.

The onlookers, whether they were students or common folk, were now red-eyed with envy.

This was especially true for those who had taken the exams until their hair was streaked with gray, yet still failed to pass. The sight caused them to lose all composure, shouting, "The heavens are unjust!" as they stumbled away.

Many who witnessed this scene couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity.

But death does not distinguish between the young and the old, and similarly, success in the imperial examinations could not be awarded based on age.

Failing an exam only meant one’s skills were not yet sufficiently honed. The fault lay with oneself, not with others.

Chen De’an glanced at the people around the table. Aside from Mr. Wang—who hadn’t taken the county examination and thus wasn’t part of the comparison—he was the only one who had yet to hear his results announced.

At this point, Chen De’an was starting to grow suspicious and paranoid.

’Are my essays really good enough?’

’Did the Lord County Magistrate only let me pass the first four sessions out of respect for my father, and now he’s decided not to go easy on me for this last one?’

’At my level, I’m afraid I won’t pass the county examination at all.’

Just as his heart leaped into his throat, a loud announcement rang out from the distance, "Thirteenth place in this examination, Chen De’an of the Zhao Village!"

’The Zhao Village, Chen De’an?’

De’an looked doubtfully at Zhao Jing. "I think I just heard my name. Did you hear it?"

Everyone at the table burst out laughing.

"Mr. Chen, I doubt there’s another Chen De’an from the Zhao Village in the entire county."

Just then, the announcer, familiar with the route, arrived at their table once more to loudly proclaim the good news.

His dream had come true. De’an’s lips trembled with excitement, and he was too overwhelmed to speak coherently.

It was Zhao Jing who stood up to handle things for him, tipping the announcer and thanking the surrounding well-wishers. Only then did De’an snap out of it. He bowed in gratitude once more before sitting down in a daze.

After sitting down, De’an smiled, rubbing the back of his head. Then he suddenly burst into a hearty laugh.

"This head of mine is pretty clever after all! Oh, right, Jing, we need to hurry home and tell our parents the good news!"

Zhao Jing replied, "Our parents have likely already heard the news."

These announcers could be a welcome sight, but at times, their methods were rather irritating.

For instance, to earn a few extra tips, they would thoroughly investigate every candidate’s background.

Once the results were posted, they would first congratulate the candidate, then run to his home to inform his parents and grandparents. If the candidate belonged to a large, close-knit clan, they would even go door-to-door, announcing the news to all the relatives. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

With such a joyous event in the clan, who would be stingy with a celebratory tip?

And so, with a few coins from you and a few from me, it would quickly add up to a small fortune.

’And now,’ he thought, ’I’m sure someone has already gone to deliver the news to Chen Song.’

’After all, it’s two pieces of good news, which means two tips. Earning two rewards for one trip—what a great deal that is.’

’It wouldn’t just be Chen Song’s residence, either. Someone has probably already gone to the Zhao Village by now.’

Chen De’an quickly thought of this as well and couldn’t help but slap his forehead. "Silly me, I completely forgot about that."

Just as he was about to say more, Chu Xun suddenly caught the inconsistency. "Your parents... Are you two talking about the same people?"

The moment Chu Xun spoke, both De’an and Zhao Jing suddenly turned to look at Li Cun.

As expected, after processing the question, the color drained from Li Cun’s face, leaving it deathly pale.

He stood up in disbelief, looking as if he were about to collapse.

His abrupt change in demeanor startled the others at the table, who were unaware of the situation. They rushed to support him, asking, "Mr. Li, what is it? Are you unwell?"

Li Cun ignored them, pacing over to Zhao Jing. He forced the words out through clenched teeth, "Who did you marry?"

Zhao Jing watched him, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Are you sure you want to ask that right now?"

Li Cun didn’t answer, his gaze fixed on him stubbornly.

So Zhao Jing said, "De’an’s sister."

Li Cun’s face grew even paler. His pupils dilated, his chest heaved, and he looked as though he might pass out at any moment.

"It’s De’an’s older cousin, isn’t it? You were engaged to her from a young age. You were childhood sweethearts. The one you married must be her. Isn’t that right?"

Chen De’an stood up and tried to pull Zhao Jing away.