Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 219 Juren Party

On the morning of the day when the results were announced, the outside of the provincial examination hall was already crowded with people. Everyone was waiting for the results to be announced and estimating who would get the first ticket to the top three.

The top three winners of the previous list was Ye Liangchen, but who will win this list is still a bit tricky. The four great warriors in Xia Lin's academy, Zhu Qi, Tang Yang, Song Chen, and Zhou Huan, are all favorites to win, and Lao Zhang's academy also has five or six favorites to win.

Now that the odds have been opened, we just have to wait and see who will win when the results are announced. For this matter, Xia Lin even bet fifty taels of silver with Lao Zhang. It's just for fun.

Because there were also some students from Lingnan and Henan provinces participating in this provincial examination, the number of people was a record high, reaching nearly 60. However, among these people, less than 1 people could make the list, and the admission rate was around :. So everyone was looking forward to it.

At this moment, Xia Lin saw a familiar face in the crowd. It was none other than Xiong Wentao, whom he met again at Tengwang Pavilion in Suzhou. He was waving a fan at the moment, and his expression seemed calm, but the way his feet were flapping back and forth betrayed him.

Xia Lin came up to him with his hands behind his back: "Oh, what a coincidence."

"Oh, isn't this Lord Xia? Long time no see." Xiong Wentao bowed to Xia Lin and said, "We meet again. Lord Xia and I are worlds apart."

"Come on." Xia Lin laughed: "What? Bring the students to wait for the results to be announced?"

This question made Xiong Wentao blush. He was a few years older than Xia Lin. After hearing what he said, he laughed awkwardly: "Well... To be honest, Master Xia, I am here to wait for the list to be announced. This is my third time taking the exam."

Xia Lin sighed, then laughed: "You took the exam for ten years?"

"Nine years...nine years, starting when I was sixteen, and now I'm twenty-five."

Xia Lin patted his shoulder and said, "It will definitely work this time."

Xiong Wentao sighed: "No, this time the questions are so difficult that they make my scalp itch. I just wrote them randomly. The questions are a bit unorthodox."

Xia Lin just smiled and said, "If you pass the exam, I'll treat you to a big drink."

"It doesn't matter if it's big or not, but if there are flowers, that's great."

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter. This laughter actually made Xiong Wentao feel relaxed. Then he said to Xia Lin: "Master Xia, what's this?"

"I am waiting for the results with my students."

"Then there must be no problem with the students brought up by Lord Xia. Apart from anything else, I have seen Lord Xia's talent before."

While the two were talking, an official from the Ministry of Rites came out, holding a red paper list in his hand, and walked over. He placed it in a yellow silk pavilion, accompanied by drums, music, guards of honor, and soldiers. The people waiting for the list to be announced gathered around him, holding their breath and waiting for the list to be announced.

The Dragon and Tiger List is arranged from bottom to top, with the lower ranked students coming out first. But at this moment, except for the top three, everyone else only cares about whether they are on the list or not.

Those who saw their names on the list cheered, while those who did not see their names were eagerly looking forward to the next one. At this moment, some students on the list were already acting like crazy, laughing, crying, and some even collapsed with their eyes rolled back without catching their breath.

Here there is a forty-year-old old man with a haggard face, and there is also a fifteen or fifteen-year-old boy with the fuzz on his lips still intact.

As more and more names appeared on the list, many people who had not seen their names yet had become discouraged. Now, as the top 50 were announced one after another, a large number of people from Ehu Academy and Yuzhang Academy appeared. This was within Xia Lin's expectations. There were 57 people from the two academies who actually took the exam. The rest either came here to warm up and familiarize themselves with the process for three years, or they had originally chosen the craft class and came here to experience it.

In the end, there were thirty-five people in the top fifty, eleven people after the thirty-fifth place, a total of forty-six people, and only eleven people failed to make the list.

However, the top three results have not yet been announced. How many students from the two academies will be on the list and which academy will get first place will all be decided this time.

Before the last list was announced, firecrackers rang out. After a burst of bangs, Old Guo walked out of the examination hall himself. He then took the list from the official from the Ministry of Rites and said, "As an old man, I want to share in the good fortune of you kids today."

After saying that, he personally stepped forward and posted the last page of the list. As the paper slowly unfolded, the name of the third place also appeared. It was Liang Qiu from Yuzhang Academy.

The students from Yuzhang Academy below jumped up with a cheer, they were so happy, while the examinees from Ehu Academy next to them clenched their fists.

He slowly raised the pole and revealed the second place. The first word he uttered was "Zhu". At this moment, everyone held their breath at the same time.

Soon, the name was revealed, Yayuan - Zhu Qi from Ehu Academy!
Zhu Qi is already twenty years old and relatively calm, but his face still turned red at this moment. He was clapping his hands at first, but as soon as he turned his face away he burst into tears.

At this moment, applause came from all directions. More than one person applauded him. Most of them were classmates, but there were also many serious fellow examinees. After all, everyone was a scholar and knew that ten years of hard study was not easy. It was indeed a cause for celebration to receive such an honor.

But there is still a highlight to come, and that is the announcement of the top winners!

Soon the scene quieted down. Old Guo turned around and looked at the young people on the scene. "I'll keep you in suspense for a minute. Tomorrow, Prince Teng and I will hold a Deer Singing Banquet on the Tengwang Pavilion. Everyone who makes the list must go. I don't care about those red tapes. Everyone who passes the exam tomorrow will receive 100 taels of silver, the first place winner will get an additional 500, the runner-up winner will get 300, and the top scorer will get 200."

Sometimes the simplest words can touch people's hearts the most. What is the simplest thing? Giving money is the simplest.

So at that time, all the new candidates who were announced on the list began to applaud, but at this moment, Lao Guo made a gesture to silence them, and then revealed the name of the top scorer.

Ok?
After the reveal, the whole audience fell silent. They all thought that the competition for the top prize would be between the two heroes of Jiangnan Road, either from Ehu Academy or Yuzhang Academy.

But who knew that the name above the first place was just a bare one - Hongdu Xiong Wentao.

"Who is this Xiong Wentao?" "I don't know."

"I think I've heard of him. He's a scoundrel. His family sells groceries by the Gan River."

The situation became awkward as everyone was talking back and forth. Xiong Wentao came over with a pancake in his hand. He squeezed into the crowd and ate the pancake while asking, "Who is the champion? Has the result been announced?"

Just now, when he didn't see his name on the list after the 50th place, he went to have breakfast, and then the gongs, drums and firecrackers when the results were announced called him back.

He thought that he definitely had no chance, so he just wanted to join in the fun, but who would have thought that after he squeezed in and looked up, he found that the champion was actually someone with the same name as him...

"Hey? This person has the same name as me." He even laughed and joked with the person next to him: "Interesting."

At this moment, Xia Lin walked quickly to his side and kicked him on the butt: "What are you looking at? I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

He was kicked to the bottom of the list, and then Lao Guo looked at the new champion who still had a fried dough stick in his mouth, and asked in surprise: "Are you Xiong Wentao?"

"Oh...ah, it's me."

As soon as he nodded, a big red flower was draped over him, and then someone brought a tall horse over: "Go up, and parade the champion through the streets!"

"Ah? Me?" Xiong Wentao pointed at himself, holding a fried pancake in his other hand.

Just like that, the lively parade of the top scorers began, and Xia Lin stood under the list and watched for a long time with a gloomy face the whole time.

"What's wrong? Are you upset that your family member didn't get first place?" Lao Guo came over and slapped him on the butt: "Look at you."

"Your Majesty is just teasing me." Xia Lin said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "You just don't want my people to get first place."

"You two have already dominated the list. If you take first place, how can other students survive?" Old Guo put a hand on Xia Lin's shoulder and said, "Come on, come back with me. Your brother is back today."

"Brother...Oh, Brother Guo is back, right?"

"Yeah, that kid has been saying he wants to meet your brother."

Seeing that he still had a sad face, Lao Guo pulled his ear and said, "I'm talking to you."

"No, if I hadn't won first place, I would have donated fifty taels to the city's charity hall. You know me, I'm a clean-handed person, living on a small salary, and my life is very tight. Look at my clothes, the cuffs are all worn out."

"Hey... stop complaining to me. Just donate it. It's no big deal. Isn't your brother's return from Dragon City more important than this?"

"Longcheng?" Xia Lin's eyelids fluttered. "Yes! It just so happens that I have something to ask him. Then, Dad Guo, please wait for a moment. I will go and prepare some gifts. It would be awkward to meet my brother empty-handed."

"Hurry, hurry up."

Xia Lin's salary was indeed not high, and he had no property under his name. He was not greedy. Although he could mobilize millions of taels of silver with a single word, he did not even own a house. Even the imperial court that investigated his secret talks felt that he might have made a mistake somewhere. No one had ever seen such a poor Fudi county magistrate.

After spending some money to buy some gifts, Xia Lin arrived at Lao Guo's house before lunch. As a cousin, he didn't need to report when entering or leaving the mansion, but when he entered, he saw a tall and strong man being scolded by Lao Guo...

He was in his thirties and looked quite vigorous. There was a teenager in his teens standing next to him, pursing his lips and saying nothing.

At this moment, Lao Guo happened to see Xia Lin and immediately waved to him: "Come, come, you've come just in time. This is your useless brother, and the one next to him is your nephew."

Xia Lin stepped forward and bowed: "Brother."

The young man also smiled and bowed: "Uncle."

Xia Lin's appearance finally saved Lao Guo's son's life. He quickly stood up and said, "Oh, brother, I have heard of your name for a long time! I have wanted to meet you for a long time, but I have been too busy in the army to find time."

Old Guo came up and kicked his son: "You useless piece of shit! You've brought shame to the Old Guo family!"

Xia Lin was stunned: "What's the matter?"

"Dismissed from office and investigated..." The elder brother of the Guo family said with a droopy face: "I was investigated by the military governor for no apparent reason. They gave me the title of Guo Chang, saying that he was unfit for military duties and did not discipline his subordinates. I was dismissed from office and investigated, and was sent back to my hometown. Now I am back."

"Tong'er, go call your mother first and tell her that your uncle has arrived. Ask her to prepare to eat in the hall."

Xia Lin was stunned for a moment. Tong'er... Guo Tong, right? This name was familiar. Then he took out his phone and checked it under the pretext of going to the toilet.

"Guo Tong...grandfather of Fenyang Prince Guo Ziyi."

what?
(End of this chapter)