Announcing the Exam Results

"Impossible? Did I misread the answer?"

Feng Yuan heard Lu Hong's mutterings, his eyes shifting slightly as he picked up Chu Ming's exam paper to examine it.

Inside the inner hall, only the crisp sound of paper being flipped back and forth could be heard.

Lu Hong stood up, watching nervously.

Feng Yuan's eyes, however, grew increasingly bright.

"Good, he actually got ninety-nine percent correct. The final reading comprehension was written without a single error. This boy named Chu Ming has a very thorough understanding of the three volumes of poetry and prose!"

He did not hold back his praise, "It is only these few places where the errors are too obvious, and the calligraphy is a bit ugly, crooked and twisted..."

Looking at those few corrected spots, as well as two other places, the corners of his mouth curled slightly.

Whether this Chu Ming was truly the illegitimate son of the wealthy Chu family in Baiyuan County was hard to say for now, but based on this exam paper alone, he was fully capable of taking first place in this Willow Town academy exam.

A complex look flashed across the corners of Lu Hong's eyes; he also knew that this sudden, outstanding exam paper would snatch the top spot away from his son.

But with Feng Yuan right in front of him, it was not appropriate for him, as a father, to engage in any underhanded maneuvers.

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt that the additional questions Feng Yuan had set were quite good. Lu Xian had possessed an astonishing memory since childhood and would surely be able to reclaim the top spot.

"Lord Feng has a sharp eye, seeing at a glance that this person is extraordinary. Lu Hong is impressed!"

He did not forget to flatter him, as Feng Yuan had shown interest in this youth even before the exam began.

"Heh heh, Master Lu, hurry and finish grading the remaining papers."

"Yes."

In less than half a quarter of an hour, all the exam papers had been graded.

"Chu Ming first, Lu Xian second, Guan Chong third, Chi Lin fourth..." Lu Hong tallied the rankings for the exam.

"Lord Feng, shall we announce the rankings first, or begin the memory test?"

"Announce the rankings first."

The current ranking was, in his mind, merely a rough ruler to measure the amount of ink in the bellies of the youths outside, but it had to follow the talent selection system of the Great Qin Dynasty; the rules could not be disrupted.

"Yes."

Lu Hong took the graded papers and walked toward the outer hall.

Outer hall.

"Everyone, be quiet." Lu Hong stood on the platform, his expression blank.

The youths below quickly returned to their desks and sat obediently, though their hearts were pounding wildly.

The grading was finished; the results were about to be announced.

It was nerve-wracking.

No one spoke, but the atmosphere, tense enough to make breathing difficult, weighed on everyone's heart, including Lu Xian and his two companions.

"I will now announce the results." With everyone seated and quiet, Lu Hong cleared his throat, "Wu Chun, Ding-Lower."

Wu Chun was the youth who was a head taller than everyone else and had once hoisted Huang Lu up by the collar.

Huh?

Haha...

You could hear a pin drop. Aside from Wu Chun himself, who looked quite surprised, the others were also somewhat shocked by this result.

The academy exam results had twelve grades: Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding, with each grade further divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower.

Ding-Lower was the absolute worst.

Huang Lu gloated secretly from the side.

"Sun Han, Ding-Lower."

"Huang Lu, Ding-Lower."

Who?

Huang Lu's body trembled, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Brother Chu, did you hear my name just now?" Huang Lu leaned toward Chu Ming, asking in a tiny voice.

Chu Ming nodded slightly.

Impossible!

I, Huang Lu, have studied poetry and prose diligently for two and a half years and consumed several large baskets of medicinal herbs; how could I be Ding-Lower...

"Brother Chu, why haven't they called your name yet?"

It was obvious that the rankings were being announced from lowest to highest.

The sooner your name was called, the worse you had performed.

"Wan Hui, Grade C-Upper."

"Gong Rong, Grade B-Lower."

As more than half the names had been called, many slumped into their desks in despair, their eyes hollow and vacant.

"Brother Chu, you didn't forget to write your name, did you?"

After a brief moment of self-adjustment, Huang Lu's thoughts quickly expanded.

With the current results already hitting Grade B-Lower and Chu Ming's name yet to be called, he concluded that Chu Ming must have failed to write his name down.

As for doing well?

Huang Lu hadn't even considered it; the man spent his time listening to music in brothels and obsessing over Poetic Travels, and he had only been tricked into coming to this Academy Exam by him.

Haha, with Chu Ming and Wu Chun at the bottom to cushion my fall, I'll have an excuse to give my old man when I get back.

"Brother Chu, I have a travelogue called Poetic Travels; I'll give it to you when we get back." Huang Lu was in a good mood.

Chu Ming nodded perfunctorily.

"Chi Lin, Grade A-Lower."

"Guan Chong, Grade A-Middle."

"Lu Xian, Grade A-Upper."

As the words fell, Lu Xian instinctively lifted his chin.

As expected, the top three spots belonged to Lu Xian and his two companions.

Most of the youths wore expressions of resignation, while a few showed disappointment.

"Congratulations to Brother Lu for taking first place." Chi Lin, sitting next to Lu Xian, whispered his congratulations.

Grade A-Upper was the highest possible evaluation; first place was a certainty.

However, no sooner had he finished congratulating him than he heard a voice from the stage: "Chu Ming, Grade A-Upper."

Who?

The youths were stunned, and Lu Xian, Guan Chong, and Chi Lin were equally dumbfounded.

Chu Ming?

The name sounded so familiar—had they heard it somewhere before?

Chu Ming? Brother Chu!

Behind them, Huang Lu jolted awake, whipping his head around to stare at Chu Ming.

"You... you wrote your name? And just writing your name gets you a Grade A-Upper?"

"No, Brother Chu, you got a Grade A-Upper?!"

Huang Lu was incoherent, failing to realize for a moment that his voice was too loud and had already violated the order of the examination hall.

Upon hearing this, all the youths turned their heads in unison.

They had heard the name Chu Ming just moments ago, while waiting for the results of the Academy Exam!

He was the pale-faced man who had been arm-in-arm with Huang Lu, frequenting brothels and obsessing over travelogues!

Someone like that could get a Grade A-Upper?!

A sense of doubt instantly welled up in the hearts of the youths, filling the gazes they cast his way.

Especially for Guan Chong and Chi Lin!

A Grade A-Upper meant that the person in the back whom no one cared about had performed better than them.

Chi Lin's eyes were wide with shock.

Two Grade A-Uppers and one Grade A-Middle—that meant his top-three ranking...

Clenching his fists tightly, he suddenly looked up at the stage, "Master Lu, did you make a mistake in your grading?"

Hm?

He dared to question the Master?!

The youths refocused their attention on Chi Lin.

Chi Lin's face turned beet red as he realized his mistake and hurriedly apologized: "Master Lu, I... I..."

Lu Hong looked at Chi Lin, his expression remaining calm, showing no significant change despite Chi Lin's challenge.

This result was not only unacceptable to Chi Lin, but even he himself found it hard to believe—and was even more unwilling to believe it.

Because, even among those with Grade A-Upper, his own son, Lu Xian, was slightly inferior.

"I will now announce the top three."

The top three were actually quite obvious; it was just a matter of who took first place.

However, it should be Lu Xian.

For an unknown Chu Ming to appear out of nowhere and receive a Grade A-Upper was already shocking enough to surpass Guan Chong and Chi Lin, but it was absolutely impossible for him to be more brilliant than the Master's son, Lu Xian.

"Third place, Guan Chong."

The group of youths reacted with indifference, save for Chi Lin, whose body trembled slightly.

"Second place..." Lu Hong paused, his gaze sweeping toward the back before landing on Lu Xian in the front.

Lu Xian's heart skipped a beat.

He understood his old man's gaze better than anyone else.

"Lu Xian."

As expected!

Lu Xian's expression tightened instantly.

"Huh?"

The youths were completely bewildered.

Lu Xian was only second, and the first place wasn't some unknown student from a private school named Chu Ming?!

Many gazes immediately turned toward Huang Lu.

Is this what you meant by someone who frequents brothels, obsesses over travelogues, and is completely devoid of learning?