Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

Chen Chang'an was completely unaware of his reputation as the "Poet Immortal of the Brothels".

With only a month left until the provincial examination, Qing Shuang and Gong Yue had completely stopped him from managing the shop and even prevented him from leaving the house.

The four maids, Baoqin, Siqi, Linshu, and Shihua, took excellent care of every aspect of his life, allowing Chen Chang'an to live a life where everything was done for him.

Qing Shuang even deprived him of the right to cook, even though she really craved Chen Chang'an's cooking.

Chen Chang'an was originally quite relaxed about the provincial examination, but their antics made him a little nervous.

As friends, they were actually being a bit too nosy, but Chen Chang'an enjoyed the feeling of being cared for.

In this strange world, his family despises him and even persecutes him.

The two friends he met on the street treated him so sincerely that, in Chen Chang'an's heart, they were no different from family.

In this final month, Chen Chang'an couldn't help but get serious.

He began to address the shortcomings in a targeted manner, devoting the vast majority of his time and energy to writing policy essays.

And Chen Chang'an wasn't the only one in the entire capital who was taking this so seriously.

Nearly 10,000 students from various prefectures of Daning gathered in the capital. The major restaurants and inns in the capital were already fully booked a month ago, and some old houses that had been vacant for three years were also rented out.

Even the temples and Taoist monasteries in the city were filled with candidates taking the provincial examinations.

Some students, unable to find accommodation, even resorted to other means, renting rooms in brothels and staying there for extended periods.

Even though Da Ning has emphasized military prowess over literature in recent years, the imperial examination remains the only way for poor scholars to change their own or even their entire clan's fate. Each imperial examination is the biggest event in the capital for three years.

The atmosphere of the entire capital city has become different from before.

On the streets, one can often see young scholars holding books and swaying their heads.

In restaurants and taverns, you could often see students reciting their lessons while eating.

These candidates from all over Daning had only been in the capital for a short time when they heard of Chen Chang'an's name and learned that as long as he passed the imperial examination, he could directly enter the Hanlin Academy regardless of his ranking.

They were envious, but they didn't have any objections.

After all, he had almost single-handedly shouldered the responsibility of supporting the intellectuals of Da Ning.

In addition, Chen Chang'an's reputation as a courtesan poet, as well as his grievances with his family of origin, provided them with rare topics of amusement and conversation during their tiring studies...

On the seventh day of the eleventh month of the ninth year of Jingping, all things were auspicious.

The provincial examinations for the imperial examinations have officially begun.

In the provincial imperial examinations in Daning, candidates had their hair curled at noon, but they had to undergo a thorough body search before entering the examination hall at 7:00 AM. Those who lived far from the examination hall had to get up at 5:00 AM.

The Imperial Examination Hall in the capital was located in the south of the city. It took Chen Chang'an about fifteen minutes to walk there from his home.

Therefore, Chen Chang'an was not in a hurry to get up.

However, some people are worried for him.

Just after dawn, there was a knocking sound at Chen Chang'an's door.

Qing Shuang pounded on the door while urging, "There's only one hour left before we enter the examination hall, and you're still sleeping? Get up and check what you need to bring..."

Chen Chang'an opened the door with a yawn. Qing Shuang was standing at the doorway, and Gong Yue was also standing in the courtyard.

Even though it was Chen Chang'an's exam, they got up earlier than him.

Chen Chang'an yawned again and said, "Apart from the examination permit and household registration certificate, you're not allowed to bring anything else. There's not much of a check..."

To prevent cheating, very few items could be brought into the examination hall during the imperial examinations.

The examination papers, writing brushes, ink, paper, candles, and bedding were all provided by the imperial court. The only things candidates could bring were their examination permits and household registration certificates. Even the food was provided by the examination venue.

The examination permit was the admission ticket. After passing the state examination and obtaining the status of a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), one could register for the provincial examination through the state government, and the local government would issue the examination permit.

The household registration certificate is like an ID card. Chen Chang'an's household registration certificate was originally with the Chen family, but with just one word from Chen Chang'an, the magistrate of Wannian County issued him a new one.

Chen Chang'an took out the examination certificate and household registration certificate. Qing Shuang and Gong Yue checked them several times and carefully placed them in a box.

Princess Zhaoyue handed him an exquisite food box and said, "Food is not allowed in the examination hall. You'd better eat some breakfast to tide you over, otherwise you won't be able to eat anything until after noon..."

Chen Chang'an opened the food box, and a rich aroma of food wafted out.

Chen Chang'an sat at the stone table, and after a few bites, he couldn't help but say, "Miss Gong Yue, your cook is incredibly skilled..."

His own cooking skills were not bad either; he had eaten at the best restaurants in the capital. But even the food at Zuixianglou was not as good as this one.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he even felt that the rice cooked by her cook was more fragrant.

Upon hearing this, Qing Shuang turned her head and smiled.

The imperial chefs in the palace were, of course, very skilled. In order to ensure he had a good meal and was in a good mood for the exam, Her Highness woke them up in the middle of the night.

This guy has no idea how good the princess is to him.

Chen Chang'an picked up his chopsticks, looked at Qing Shuang and Gong Yue, and asked, "Aren't you going to eat anything?"

Qing Shuang waved her hand and said, "You eat, we've all eaten. You're the most important person today."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chang'an stopped being polite and slowly finished his breakfast.

I must say, these delicious meals really lifted my spirits.

Princess Zhaoyue handed him a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, then said, "If you've eaten your fill, head to the examination hall early. There will be a roll call before the search begins. Qingshuang and I will take you there..."

Before the imperial examinations, it was almost a customary practice for candidates' family and friends to "send them off" to the examination.

Some candidates, hoping for good luck and to outdo others, would send off candidates with an extremely extravagant procession, sometimes even with gongs and drums, a unique feature of the imperial examinations in Daning.

Chen Chang'an only had these two friends. Hearing this, she nodded and said, "Let's go."

The three men reached the gate, where four maids—Baoqin, Siqi, Linshu, and Shihua—stood on either side. They opened the gate and announced in unison, their voices clear and melodious, "Wishing you success in the imperial examinations, young master!"

The courtyard gate opened, and Chen Chang'an looked outside, slightly taken aback.

A row of figures stood in front of his house.

At the front was Gu Qingcheng. Today, she was wearing a plain white dress and no veil. Because of the cold weather, she was also wearing a white fox fur cloak.

She just stood there quietly, and even the sky seemed to brighten up considerably.

Behind her stood a group of women.

Chen Chang'an didn't recognize any of these women. His gaze swept over their faces, making him feel somewhat dazzled...

Although these women looked different, without exception, they were all top-notch beauties.

Even if her looks couldn't compare to Gu Qingcheng's, she was no less beautiful than any of the celebrities Chen Chang'an knew in his previous life.

He looked at Gu Qingcheng, and said in astonishment, "Miss Gu, what's going on here...?"

Gu Qingcheng smiled slightly and said softly, "Today is the imperial examination. We are here to see you off. We wish you success in the examination and that you will enter the Hanlin Academy..."

As soon as she finished speaking, the top courtesans from the various brothels behind her bowed gracefully and began to speak one after another.

"This humble servant gathers wild herbs to wish you, sir, success in the imperial examinations and the attainment of the moon's laurel."

"I, Peony, wish you, sir, success in the imperial examinations and to stand out from the crowd."

"This humble servant, Nuanyu, wishes you, young master, success in the imperial examinations and a triumphant victory!"