Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Shen Lun and Cai Si exchanged a glance, both somewhat puzzled.

His Majesty's tone... doesn't sound like praise, it sounds more like nitpicking.

Before they could respond, Qin Ji's gaze swept across several lines of the list, his face growing darker and darker until it was ashen, making the two ministers' hearts pound with fear.

Could it be that His Majesty is not satisfied with this list?

Did they choose someone His Majesty didn't want, or did they fail to choose the person His Majesty wanted?

Qin Ji placed the roster on the table. "Where are the top ten exam papers? Bring them here for me to see."

Shen Lun and his companion were prepared and quickly presented the anonymous exam papers.

Qin Ji skimmed through the entire document and found that there was no exaggeration; each person possessed genuine talent and ability, and the two had done their jobs quite diligently.

The provincial examination was just an entry ticket; the final ranking depended on the palace examination.

Qin Ji slumped down on the exam paper on the desk, pinched his brow, and waved his hand: "Don't worry about the rankings for now. Leave."

Unsure of His Majesty's meaning, the two exchanged a glance, bowed, and said, "Yes."

Qin Ji leaned back on the throne behind him, staring blankly at the beams of the Qianzheng Hall with a look of utter despair.

They were all acquaintances, one or two at a time.

If this continues, those who know him will know he's wearing a vest, but those who don't will think he's wearing a fishing net full of holes.

...

April 15th, the day the results were finally released.

The scholars studied diligently for ten years, hoping to achieve success in the imperial examinations and pass the exams in a single day.

Before dawn, the long street outside the examination hall was packed with candidates eager to see the results, a bustling and noisy scene.

At the exact hour of Chen (7-9 AM), the gates of the examination hall were wide open.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites filed out carrying the list of successful candidates in a row, followed by a group of constables.

With the sound of gongs clearing the way, the crowd automatically parted to make way, and countless eyes were fixed intently on the list of candidates bearing the official seal of the Ministry of Rites.

With the sound of a gong, a constable announced, "Announcement of results—"

The candidates rushed forward, some standing on tiptoe and craning their necks to look, others squeezing forward like fish through the gaps.

Some are happy, some are sad.

Some raised their arms high, their faces flushed, veins bulging on their necks, shouting joyfully, "We got it! We got it!"

Some of them sat down on the ground and wailed loudly, unable to contain their grief.

Some left the crowd looking dejected and utterly defeated.

There are countless ways in which people live, and they cannot be judged in the same way.

Uncle Li stood on a rock, tiptoed, and squinted at the list of successful candidates.

First place winner: Fang Yanqing

Place of origin: Hezhou, Jiangbei Province

Second place: Fu Xingjian

Place of origin: Gyeonggi Province

Eighth place: Pei Lian

Place of origin: Gan County, Ngum Province

Thirteenth place: Gu Zhenhe

Place of origin: Gyeonggi Province

25th place: Chen Han

Place of origin: Gyeonggi Province

Seventy-first place: Liu Qinghong

Place of origin: Shangyuan County, Qujiang Province

87th place: Zou Rong

Place of origin: Quang Ninh District, Linh Lac Province

203rd: Lu Zhongbai

Place of origin: Pingtao County, Hedong Province

385th: Yan Mingli

Place of origin: Huaiyin County, Lingnan Province

...

After searching for a long time from back to front, Uncle Li finally saw the first name. He rubbed his eyes, and after a long while, he clapped his hands as if waking from a dream, and hurriedly rushed back.

He jogged all the way back to the Jiang residence and burst into the study, panting.

Jiang Jibai gently put down his teacup, Shen Jiangliu put down his book, and Fang Yanqing finished the pastry in two bites, swallowed it with tea, and patted the crumbs off his hands.

The three of them, master and apprentice, all looked at Uncle Li.

Uncle Li, clutching his chest, finally caught his breath: "It worked!"

Although the result was not surprising, Jiang Jibai still smiled when he heard the news that his second disciple had passed the imperial examination with flying colors, and he was happy for his disciple.

Even with considerable self-confidence, Fang Yanqing still felt a sense of reality at this moment.

The palace examination has always only ranked candidates, not eliminated them. Passing the metropolitan examination means that one foot has already stepped into the door of officialdom.

"What place?" Fang Yanqing pressed.

"Congratulations, young master! Congratulations, young master! You've come in first place, the champion!" Uncle Li was even more excited than him.

A hint of joy appeared on Fang Yanqing's face as he stepped forward and patted Uncle Li on the shoulder: "Thank you for making this trip, Uncle Li."

They were very enthusiastic, but unfortunately, they didn't offer a single penny as a reward; they just talked a good game. Jiang Jibai, on the other hand, had long anticipated his second disciple's character and handed a piece of silver to Uncle Li: "Take this and have some tea, and share in the good fortune."

Uncle Li accepted the silver and left with a satisfied expression.

Shen Jiangliu couldn't stand this stingy behavior and exclaimed, "The most generous person in history!"

Fang Yanqing was in a good mood today and didn't want to lower herself to the level of that spray bottle jerk.

If he can maintain his momentum in the imperial examination and come back as the top scholar, he can crush this water bottle spirit on the beach. Why would he have to worry about not being able to win an argument with the water bottle spirit in the future?

How dare a mere third-place scholar ramble on in front of the top scholar?

Thinking about this, Fang Yanqing almost burst out laughing.

It was rare that Fang Yanqing didn't retort. Shen Jiangliu could tell from his second junior brother's expression that he was definitely up to no good.

He could roughly guess what Fang Yanqing was eager to try, and calmly sipped his tea.

Laugh, laugh.

Let's see if you can still laugh when the palace examination comes.

As your senior, you've already done more than enough; you stingy rascal, may you have good luck.

...

At the same time, the good news reached Zhao Siye and his apprentice Pei Lian immediately.

Zhao Siye stroked his gray beard, barely able to contain his smile, wishing he could immediately pick up a brush and write a letter to each of his old friends.

Regardless of his ranking in the palace examination, whether he made it into the top rank or not, Pei Lian couldn't possibly fall into the third rank, which is outside the top two hundred. A fifteen-year-old Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) is something no one would believe.

Throughout history, there have been many child prodigies, but the story of Zhong Yong, who failed to live up to his early promise, is unheard of; a fifteen-year-old who passed the imperial examination is a rare occurrence.

It's truly a stroke of good fortune that he was able to receive such a disciple; after encountering such a wicked person, Heaven has finally compensated him once again.

Zhao Siye felt increasingly pleased with himself, patted Pei Lian's head, and happily said "good" three times in a row.

Pei Lian, beaming with joy, muttered, "Stop slapping your head, or you'll stunt your growth!"

With a doting smile, Zhao Siye withdrew his hand: "Be humble and prepare well for the palace examination. Achieve a good ranking, and I'll make those old men furious! Hahahaha!"

Pei Lian looked speechless, but for some reason, he suddenly remembered the Mangshan Poetry Gathering, and a fierce fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.

I wonder if that "Jiang San" participated in the provincial examination, and whether I'll run into him in the palace examination.

Pei Lian suddenly asked the servant who had come to deliver the good news, "Besides me, who else made it into the top ten? Is there anyone with the surname Jiang?"

Just as the servant was about to reply, Xie Wumian rushed over, carrying wine in his hand and smiling: "Junior brother, congratulations on passing the imperial examination."

Pei Lian was about to thank his senior brother when he subconsciously glanced in the direction of his teacher. He saw that Zhao Siye's smile was fading away as he looked at the newcomer.

...

Second update delivered. The activity continues; 1500 words of love fueled this effort. Double updates again tomorrow!