Chapter 154: 118.2

Gu Jiao sent Xiao Liulang to Tianxiang Academy, but as soon as she left, Xiao Liulang was called to a stop by a person.

Xiao Liulang turned around slowly and said, "It’s you again?"

The middle-aged man bowed to Xiao Liulang, then said with a smile, "Long time no see. Young master still remembers this surnamed Liu."

Xiao Liulang looked cold as he asked, "Did you tamper with the recommendation slot?"

The middle-aged man kept smiling, "The young master refused to come home with us obediently, so we could only resort to this. As they say, benefits should always be kept for one's own people. That Young Gentleman Feng is a friend of the young master. It's better to give him this unearned benefit than to others. Of course, if the young master promises to come home with me, I can change the recommendation slot now."

Too lazy to bother with him, Xiao Liulang directly ignored him and turned to leave.

The middle-aged man said meaningfully, "Young master really doesn't want to study in the Imperial Academy? That place is where every scholar wants to go. Moreover, the recommendation documents will be handed over to the court tomorrow, so the young master has only one night to consider. Once the documents were sent out from the posthouse, even Lord Marquis himself will not be able to get it back."

Xiao Liulang’s step paused, then he spoke, "I already told you, I'm not that Xiao Liulang, I don't know you. I won't go back to the Xiao Family with you. You should just give up as early as possible."

The middle-aged man let out a sigh, saying, "Alas, why must the young master act this way? There is an easy, bright road ahead but you insist on walking on a difficult path. Young master, this is not wise."

Xiao Liulang said, "If you really want me to go back, get both my own and Feng Lin's name written down!"

"Young master is jesting. I also took great pains before getting this one recommendation slot." If the Imperial Academy was so easy to enter, there wouldn’t be so many examinees exploding their heads just to think of a way to enter it.

Xiao Liulang looked back at him and said, "Isn't there still a provincial exam? Since you are so powerful, why don’t you directly tamper with my score and make it so I can be the top scorer? Once I become a Jieyuan[1], I can enter the Imperial Academy without a local recommendation."

It had always been a rule of the State of Zhao that Jieyuan from all over the country could be admitted directly to the Imperial Academy.

The middle-aged man still had the same smile on his face as he responded, "We can't intervene in the provincial exam. Since we can only get one recommendation slot, I advise the young master not to waste time. Finally, I would like to remind the young master that after tomorrow morning, there will be no room for change."

"So you can't extend your grasp into the provincial exam." Xiao Liulang coldly curved up the corner of his lips and walked away with disdain.

Steward Liu was confused. He touched his chin and expelled a breath. Did he miss something?

In the ninth month, the results of the provincial exam came out, and the posthouses rushed to send the newly released list of successful examinees to various places.

The County Magistrate got up before dawn. Instead of waiting in the yamen, he went directly to the posthouse. His hands started trembling as soon as he got the list of names.

He couldn't wait to open it, and when he did, he saw the three words written in bold letters in the first column on the far right—— Jieyuan, Xiao Liulang!

The County Magistrate bawled on the spot, sitting on the ground and crying his heart out. "Wu-wu-wu… Sob-sob-sob…"

All the constables on the side were frightened, "County Magistrate, you, you, what's the matter with you?"

The County Magistrate’s eyes were filled with tears as he said, "I'm so happy... The county under my rule... finally produced a Jieyuan!"

The top spot in the provincial exam wasn’t so easy to get. Most Jieyuan hailed from the provincial capital itself. After all, the families and teachers of the examinees from the provincial capitals were far better.

Why do so many people come all the way to Tianxiang Academy to study? It was because Tianxiang Academy had the strongest faculty except the schools in the provincial capital.

There were a total of fifty Juren[2] in this list, among whom ten were students of Tianxiang Academy, which was a very terrific proportion.

Only, these ten Juren might not all be local students.

Feng Lin and Lin Chengye also passed the exam.

Feng Lin ranked 17th. He was a student from Song County.

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Lin Chengye ranked 45th. He was a student from the provincial capital.

The County Magistrate scanned the list, and Xiao Liulang was really the only local student who passed the provincial exam.

One was one. Anyway he was the Jieyuan, so this one was also worth ten!

He doesn’t accept rebuttals!

The constable scratched his head and said, "Actually, Xiucai Xiao... Er, no, it should be Jieyuan now. It's only because Jieyuan Xiao married the Gu Family’s girl that he left his household register[3] in our county."

Otherwise, he would still count as a non-local!

County Magistrate: "..."

County Magistrate: "I don't care, I don't care! His household register is here! He is the first Jieyuan during my term of office!"

The County Magistrate personally came to Xiao Liulang's house to report the good news, so that the whole village learned that Xiao Liulang had become a Juren, and was even the top scorer, Jieyuan.

"Did my family’s Dashun pass brilliantly?" Zhou shi excitedly ran to Gu Jiao's house to inquire to the County Magistrate.

The County Magistrate gave her a faint look and replied, "There is no Gu Dashun's name in the list."

"How come?" Zhou shi didn't believe it, saying, "Even Xiao Liulang has passed the exam, so how could my Dashun fail?"

The County Magistrate said, "I don’t like the sound of those words. Does the one in your family have more ability than Jieyuan Xiao?"

In Zhou shi's impression, Gu Dashun had always been the best while Xiao Liulang was nothing but a poor and cripple guy. Even when he had been admitted to Tianxiang academy, he was always the last one in the list several times. If this kind of person could pass the provincial exam, why can't Dashun?

"Are you mistaken?" Zhou shi turned around and saw Xiao Liulang coming back from the academy. She stepped forward and said, "Liulang! You tell auntie whether Dashun passes the exam!"

Xiao Liulang said to Zhou shi, "I didn't see Gu Dashun during the provincial exam."

That came like thunder from a clear sky——

The family sold off the dowry of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and raised a total of twenty taels of silver so Gu Changhai could take Gu Dashun to the provincial capital for the exam. Unexpectedly, all this money was cheated by people halfway.

Zhou shi fainted on the spot and was carried home by the villagers.

When Little Jing Kong stepped out of the private school, he heard Gu Xiaoshun say that his bad brother-in-law became the top scorer in the provincial exam. He said he didn't believe it and firmly thought that someone else had made a mistake!

"It’s true." Gu Xiaoshun scratched his head and said, "It caused a sensation in the entire academy."

Little Jing Kong insisted that seeing was believing.

Gu Xiaoshun had no choice but to take him and Gu Yan to the county yamen.

Little Jing Kongs’ height was very small to reach the list which was posted very high. He raised his little head for a long time before saying, "I want to see the official documents of the yamen!"

The constables were dumbfounded: Little doll, you also know about the official documents?

Knowing that he was Jieyuan Xiao’s younger brother, the yamen constables really showed him the official documents.

Little Jing Kong looked at it carefully for three times, confirming that it wasn't forged nor there was an error in writing. After that, he nodded with a serious face and said, "He truly took the first place in the exam.”

1. ↑ — Jieyuan: Top scorer in the provincial exam. 2. ↑ — Juren: Successful examinees in the provincial exam. 3. ↑ — Household Register officially identifies a person as a permanent resident of an area and includes identifying information such as name, parents, spouse and date of birth. Can also refer to a family register in many contexts since the household register is issued per family, and usually includes the births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and moves, of all members in the family. [via wiki]

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