Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 39: Top of the list!
February 25, the 18th year of Hongwu.

The day when the results of the imperial examination are announced.

It was almost noon, the weather cleared up, and the entire Yingtian Prefecture was bathed in warm sunshine.

The streets were crowded with people, and it was a lively scene.

Outside the Imperial Examination Hall, there were scholars in scholar's robes standing there, as well as some people who were watching the fun from all around, all gathered here.

The imperial examination list had not yet been officially posted, but the nearby streets and alleys were already packed with people.

However, the front of the examination hall where the results were posted seemed very spacious, and not many people dared to squeeze so close to the front. Only a dozen people were standing scattered in front, leisurely waiting for the government to post the final list.

The leaders were Huang Zicheng, Hua Lun and Lian Zining.

Then came Ma Jing, Qi Lin, Qi De, Ding Xian and others, while people like Jie Min could only stand back.

The standing order is mainly based on reputation, with the South at the front and the North at the back. However, because of Xia Zhibai, Jie Min has benefited a lot and can stand slightly forward.

Huang Zicheng stood at the front with high spirits, staring at the empty space that had not yet been posted, with a strong ambition flashing in his eyes.

He will definitely win the championship this time.

Become the top scholar!

The same was true for Hua Lun and Lian Zining.

They have also coveted the position of top scholar for a long time and have long regarded it as their own.

After waiting for a while, Hua Lun felt something was wrong.

He looked at Huang Zicheng and Lian Zining, frowned and said, "Brother Huang, Brother Lian, do you feel like something is missing?"

Huang Zicheng frowned, looked around, and said coldly: "Xia Zhibai didn't come!"

Lian Zining looked around and indeed did not see Xia Zhibai. He could not help but reveal a trace of doubt and asked in a serious tone, "What is Xia Zhibai doing again? Does he not even care about the list being posted? Or is he really so confident that he will definitely be the top scorer in the imperial examination?!"

Huang Zicheng also looked confused.

If there had not been the small banquet at Yuhua Villa, he would probably have laughed at Xia Zhibai for being timid and not daring to come, fearing that he would do too poorly in the exam and be humiliated by everyone. But after the small banquet, he no longer looked down on Xia Zhibai and even regarded Xia Zhibai as the biggest threat to his bid for the top spot.

Because Xia Zhibai's speculations were basically correct.

It's scary.

Xia Zhibai's precise and sharp judgment is enough to give him an advantage in this imperial examination.

Xia Zhibai himself is quite talented, so according to Huang Zicheng and others' speculation, Xia Zhibai's ranking in this examination would not be too low.

The worst will be among the top two.

If you can really guess the boss' intention correctly, you may even be able to get into the first class!
Even become the top scholar.

The news that Xia Zhibai had guessed the changes in the imperial examination had spread like wildfire in the past two or three days, and was also known to many scholars. With Xia Zhibai's current reputation, as long as he showed up, he would definitely be respectfully "invited" to the front row.

Now Xia Zhibai has not appeared yet.

That leaves only one possibility.

He didn't come.

Huang Zicheng looked at Hua Lun and Lian Zining, and a hint of annoyance appeared in their eyes.

Xia Zhibai is too arrogant.

They have acknowledged that Xia Zhibai is capable, but isn't he a little too arrogant?
Do you really think that if you can guess the imperial court's intentions, you can rise to the top in one step and become the top scholar? Guessing the imperial court's intentions can only guarantee the lower limit of the imperial examination, but if you want to reach the top scholar, you still have to rely on real talent and knowledge, and rely on the final results of the examination.

Huang Zicheng glanced at the crowded crowd and sneered, "Looking at this situation, Xia Zhibai probably won't come. He is so arrogant. Does he really think that the top prize has already fallen to him? Is it in his pocket?"

"I'd like to take a look after the notice is posted."

"What is Xia Zhibai's rank that makes him so arrogant?"

Huang Zicheng was angry and annoyed. He also felt aggrieved.

They tried their best, fighting openly and secretly, and pulling each other down, to win the title of No. 1 scholar, but Xia Zhibai unreasonably regarded it as his own. The key point was that Xia Zhibai was extremely confident, looking like he was chosen by the emperor, and he didn't care about anything related to the imperial examination.

This nonchalant attitude made the three of them hate him to the core.

Because compared with the concern and confrontation they showed, Xia Zhibai was really too calm, so calm that it was hard to stand up to, and so calm that everything they did seemed so redundant, funny and ridiculous.

even.

When other people looked at him, Huang Zicheng felt that there was a hint of mockery in their eyes.

Huang Zicheng was very angry.

And then there is uneasiness.

If Xia Zhibai really became the first place and the champion of the imperial examination, he didn't even dare to think about how he would accept it.

I totally cannot accept it.

Because everything he does will become a joke.

Let the world laugh at you.

This was like the sky falling for Huang Zicheng, who always thought highly of himself.

Huang Zicheng's breathing was a little heavy, and his mind was extremely irritated. Hua Lun and Lian Zining also looked unhappy. They were angry and afraid of Xia Zhibai. They couldn't help but pray in their hearts, hoping that Xia Zhibai would not be the first in the examination.

Qi De and others standing at the back couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Xia Zhibai is too transcendent.

No matter how indifferent they are, it is related to their chances of becoming a Jinshi and their future prospects, so they have to take it seriously and it is difficult for them to keep their minds calm. But Xia Zhibai is different. He seems to be so sure that he will become the top scorer that he directly regards himself as the top scorer and completely ignores everything else.

This kind of strong self-confidence and calm attitude made them only envious.

As the time for posting the notice draws closer.

The crowd gradually became restless.

"There are too many people taking the imperial examination this time. Although the court has relaxed the number of candidates, it is still extremely difficult to get a seat."

"Yes, scholars from all over the world have come. In the past, the imperial court did not hold the imperial examination, but the local child examination and provincial examination have never stopped. They have accumulated for more than ten years. The competition this time is really fierce."

"When I came here, I was full of confidence, thinking I would definitely get into the top three, or even rank second. Now, I can only hope that I will be in the top three."

"I wonder who will be the first in the exam?"

"It must be one of the three 'Huang Lianhua'."

"Their advantages are too obvious, and their research is too profound. No one else can compare to them."

"Where is Xia Zhibai in the north?"

"Xia Zhibai? Impossible. He is indeed very capable and can guess the court's thoughts, but the exam is ultimately about knowledge. The North cannot compare to the South in this regard. He can have an advantage, but the South's literary background and literary attainments cannot be made up by his tricks."

"There is a chance for the second place, but it is impossible for the first place."

"."

Everyone was talking about it, and when talking about the champion, someone mentioned Xia Zhibai, but most people reacted in the same way, not thinking that Xia Zhibai could become the champion, and no one was optimistic about him.

Xia Zhibai's name was soon drowned out by various voices.

Just as everyone was discussing, it was finally noon. The court official in charge of posting the list also appeared at the Imperial Examination Hall on time and posted the top three rankings of this imperial examination one by one.

The first one to be posted is the first A.

Three in total!
(End of this chapter)