The beloved baby has a space

On the morning of the sixth day of the imperial examination, the final test of the Six Arts of a Gentleman was archery and horsemanship.

For five consecutive days, the candidates were huddled in the cramped examination room, listless and lacking energy.

Those from better-off families, who ate well, were able to manage. However, some test-takers were not in good health, ate poorly, slept poorly, and felt very weak.

Lu Shusheng belonged to the middle group; his physique was average, and even though he ate well, he couldn't keep up.

When I arrived at the horse farm, I felt like I was floating, and the thought of the upcoming horse archery competition filled me with sorrow.

The Six Arts of a Gentleman accounted for only 30% of the weight in the imperial examinations, and among them, horsemanship and archery accounted for only 5% of that 30%.

Even so, the candidates dared not slack off.

If you lose this part, you might fail the exam.

Most candidates would return home after taking the provincial examination and wait two or four years before taking the imperial examination.

A very small number of candidates, either because they studied diligently or because their families couldn't afford to support them for too long, would continue to take the imperial examinations in one go, and they would place even greater emphasis on their scores.

If their scores aren't high enough, they won't be able to continue taking the exam.

When Lu Shusheng saw the horses snorting, his legs began to tremble.

He wasn't very good at archery on horseback.

Qin Huai was in good condition; he practiced martial arts, so his physique was extraordinary.

In addition, the boy was full of energy and had the help of Ayu's spiritual water, so he was in the best condition at the scene.

He was the seventh to go. Of the first six, two barely managed to hit the target, while the other four missed.

Mounted archery consists of two parts: riding and shooting. If you perform well in both, you will naturally score higher. If you only perform well in one, you will barely get a good score.

When it was Qin Huai's turn, he flipped over and nimbly mounted his horse.

The gentle horse was quickly driven to complete the entire riding procedure, and then he took out the quiver from the horse's belly, bent the bow and nocked an arrow.

The test involved shooting three arrows, and Qin Huai fired all three at once.

call--

call out!
Everyone saw that the three arrows struck the bullseye steadily, penetrating only an inch.

The candidates present were stunned.

Qin Huai put the bow behind him, flipped his boots over, and dismounted.

He had previously considered hiding his true abilities and taking a steady, methodical approach.

But Ayu also wanted him to become the top scholar.

Then there's no need to hide his talents. When he is brilliant enough, even the emperor and empress would never dare to openly withhold the honors he deserves!

Lu Shusheng looked at the still trembling arrow and swallowed hard.

He was now absolutely certain that the sore throat he had experienced earlier was caused by this person.

However, at this moment, he had no desire to confront him whatsoever.

His horsemanship and archery skills are so proficient that his family must have had the means for him to practice.

I don't know how the written exam went, but I imagine it won't be too bad.

If so...

What they said on the ship earlier was probably not an insult to the top scholar, but rather a declaration of their determination to win.

Lu Shusheng was in a daze, and thinking about the shameful things he had done, he felt his face turn red with embarrassment.

No wonder he was so angry. If it were him, how could he not be angry?

He had even considered taking revenge, even if it meant using family connections. But now it seems he has completely disgraced his ancestors!

He didn't know how the other party viewed him; they probably thought he was a confused fool.

Just then, I suddenly heard someone exclaim, "Watch out!"

Lu Shusheng was filled with fear and panic, only to see an arrow coming straight at his face.

Another candidate, nervous after taking the stage, accidentally shot an arrow at the students waiting to be tested, and Lu Shusheng was the first to be hit!
He widened his eyes and saw that the proctors had already stood up quickly, and the students next to them also quickly moved away.

He stood there, frozen in place.

My life is over!

Keng——

Something was thrown at us, deflecting the arrow and causing it to fall to the ground. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a jade hairband.

The jade hoop shattered upon hitting the hard ground.

Lu Shusheng looked over and happened to see Qin Huai.

The boy, now grown up, has waist-length hair that falls down to his sides, and his eyes are calm and indifferent.

It's as if he's seen all the vicissitudes of life, and nothing in the world has changed him.

Lu Shusheng choked, and at that moment, he seemed to see his ancestor.

A minor disturbance occurred at the archery demonstration, but it was quickly quelled by the invigilators. The examinee who shot the wrong arrow was so frightened that he fainted.

Qin Huai took the hairband handed to him by someone and quietly sat back down in his original spot.

The others looked at him; although he looked young, he was fearless in the face of danger and had excellent skills.

Everyone secretly exclaimed, "What a handsome young man!"

Such an extraordinary person is bound to achieve great things in the future.

Even if they fail this scientific expedition, their radiant and elegant demeanor will surely earn them a place on the list in the next one.

Among them, Lu Shusheng was particularly shocked.

The other party actually disregarded past grievances and saved his life. Such an upright and honorable gentleman only made his previous despicable behavior seem even more insignificant!

He also suspected that he had been ambushed by the other party, and that he had wronged them. If the other party really looked down on him, why would they save him?
Qin Huai ignored all these speculations and simply waited for all the candidates to finish their tests before letting them leave.

This place is full of men of all kinds, who haven't bathed for days and reek of foul odors.

He misses Ayu.

After noon, the proctors, together with the chief examiner, collected all the examination materials and checked the candidates' condition.

Those who need to be sent to the hospital should be sent to the hospital, and those who need to be carried out should be carried out.

Candidates were not allowed to leave the examination hall, but if they fell ill during the examination, there would be medical officers on site to treat them.

Most fainted due to exhaustion, while others fell ill due to poor health.

After the exam, these people were sent to outside clinics, and some were picked up by their families.

Qin Huai ignored these trivial details and, upon hearing the "allow passage" order, quickly left the examination hall.

Students chatted with acquaintances in twos and threes, some discussed Qin Huai, and others wanted to exchange a few pleasantries with him, but Qin Huai ignored them all.

"Qin Huai, wait for me." Wang Chuangui, carrying two food boxes and a large cloak, caught up with Qin Huai.

Qin Huai nodded to him, "Second Uncle."

The two were carrying the same thing, but Wang Chuangui, being tall and burly, didn't look as relaxed and carefree as Qin Huai.

He couldn't help but lament that he was getting old and had lost his youthful spirit.

However, he was still happy, finally able to get some fresh air. He sat inside for five days, repeatedly recalling the first half of his life, and almost became a Zen practitioner.

"Brother Ayou, Second Uncle, we're here!" Ayu's clear, girlish voice rang out from the crowd as they stepped outside.

Qin Huai took a few quick steps to meet him, his cold and aloof brows softening.

"Ayu."

Just then, a sudden voice rang out: "Hey, isn't that the wife I've got my eye on up ahead?"

Xiao Feng came to watch the students' lively gathering, and spotted a very recognizable figure in the crowd, wearing a yellow dress and with a face that made people feel close to her.

Who else could it be but Ayu?
He looked around and, not seeing Grandma Wang and her companion, grew bolder.

Qin Huai watched as the man pushed through the crowd and walked straight toward A Yu. He stepped forward and blocked his way.

He then asked the red-armored figure who had appeared, "Where did you come from?"

Chi Jia recalled the smiling face of Old Mrs. Wang before he left and muttered, "What a lecher."

Qin Huai's eyes darkened.

Actually, not to mention Old Wang, Chi Jia was also puzzled before. The old lady doted on Miss Ayu so much, so why did she let her be bullied without saying anything?

Now he's come to his senses.

The old lady wanted to see how her son would handle the situation.

This is a test question from Grandma.