Old Acquaintances Arrive Before the Examination Hall Gates

"These past few days, the restrictions I placed on Brother Luo and Brother Zhou have had no effect whatsoever, and they haven't shown any unusual signs either. It's really strange. Could it be that the person behind this is playing the long game to catch a big fish?"

As Qiu Yan walked along the road, his thoughts were on things that had little to do with the Metropolitan Examination.

During the past two weeks, he sometimes reviewed his books in the inn, and sometimes verified what he had learned with Luo Jiayun, Zhou Guan and others. He became more and more familiar with their situation and kept a close eye on the mastermind behind the Book Hoard Inn, but the other party did not make a move.

"After the Imperial Examinations, regardless of the outcome, the scholars staying at the inn will have to leave, and then we should know the truth."

As Qiu Yan pondered this, his thoughts shifted.

"Furthermore, Ginseng Treasure sneaked into the Hanlin Academy at night and stole two books. I've discovered the secrets within those books, but I can't see them clearly because of a veil of mystery. When they acted, they triggered the restrictions on the library's location, which should have alerted the other party, but nothing came of it afterwards. There must be a reason for that."

In the past few days, Qiu Yan has devoted most of his energy to reviewing his studies. Now that the exam is just around the corner, he has freed himself up to summarize and analyze the information he has collected over the past few days.

"The Hanlin Academy's library, with its bookmarks, seems to conceal a person, while the Book Hoard Inn, seems to connect the Fortune of the scholars and examinees who reside there, forming the Unseen link. If I'm not mistaken, there must be a connection between the two, and they are very likely the work of the same person. This person, capable of making such arrangements within the Hanlin Academy and possessing an inn in the capital, is clearly no ordinary individual. They must have planned this for a long time and wouldn't have overlooked the two stolen books due to a momentary lapse in attention. In that case, the other party is actually lying in wait."

As they pondered this, Qiu Yan and his group arrived outside the Examination Hall.

From afar, one could see a dense crowd of people thronging the entrance to the Examination Hall; it was a sea of black, people everywhere!

A cold wind blew, and sneezing could be heard from the crowd from time to time.

At this time of day, most people would still be fast asleep, but now, quite a few have been standing here in the cold wind for quite some time.

Some of these people were test takers.

Don't underestimate the weight of the word "examinee." Every examinee who came to the capital's Metropolitan Examination Hall to participate in the metropolitan examination had already obtained the status of a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations). In the local area, ordinary people would at least call them "Master," and they had the power to act arrogantly.

But outside the Examination Hall, they had no choice but to obey the shouts of the soldiers carrying lanterns; if they were told to go east, they couldn't go west.

These soldiers were sent to maintain Order. They were to divide the crowd into areas according to their respective routes, and the candidates would enter in batches when numbered tickets were issued. This was to prevent them from wandering Examination Hall the examination hall and causing potential dangers.

As the saying goes, a local official is more powerful than a distant one. The candidates knew what was good for them, and even if the soldiers spoke ill of them, they wouldn't say much, much less harbor any thoughts of revenge. The relationships in the Imperial City were deeply intertwined; how could they easily offend someone? Even a minor official had their own connections.

Besides the examinees, a large portion of the group consisted of those seeing them off, including servants, pageboys, young men, and maids—a truly diverse group. From these people accompanying the examinees, one could actually discern the examinees' family backgrounds.

Among this group were many who enjoyed taking advantage of others' power, but at this moment they all restrained themselves and dared not act recklessly in the slightest.

"It's quite lively here..." Dai Guo had just remarked when a soldier approached and shouted at him, "Those accompanying the examinees, don't come any closer, go stay over there."

Hearing the shouts, Dai Guo was furious, but he didn't retaliate. Instead, he yanked hard on the rope in his hand, lifted the stray dog at his feet up, and made it hang in the air with its tongue sticking out!

"Waaah..."

"Young master, we'll wait over there." Hu Qi glanced at the crowd ahead, said this, and then pulled Dai Guo away.

After seeing Hu Qi and Dai Guo off, Qiu Yan gathered his thoughts, took a few steps forward, and entered the crowd of examinees. He immediately felt a strong and cohesive emotional fluctuation.

These fluctuations are present in everyone. Even if someone appears calm on the surface, their emotions are genuine and can reveal their overall state.

With a quick glance, Qiu Yan saw many figures gathered here, estimating that there were at least six or seven thousand people.

"These people are of different ages and backgrounds, gathered from all over the country. They have studied for Knowing Action Spring and Autumn Annals and gone through layers of selection to stand here. Success brings fame throughout the world, while failure leads to a desolate return. When the successful and the unsuccessful meet again in the future, their status and position will be worlds apart. No wonder everyone is so uneasy."

Those who passed the Golden List Metropolitan Examination the Great Rui Dynasty, regardless of their rank, were granted the title of Jinshi (进士), which gave them a natural advantage over those who obtained their official positions through other means.

Of the several thousand people in front of Qiu Yan, only two or three hundred will ultimately receive this honor. If the number of candidates at each level, such as the Provincial Examination, is included, the figure becomes even more substantial. To stand out among so many people is itself a remarkable achievement.

One Metropolitan Examination is like a carp leaping over the dragon gate!

Thinking this, Qiu Yan was led by the soldier to the area where the Jiannan Circuit examinees were taking the exam, and he saw Luo Jiayun and the others in the distance.

"Shen Zhi, you've arrived." Several people came to greet you.

Although they lived close by, they dared not slacken their efforts in the slightest for the important matter of the Imperial Examinations. They were constantly reviewing and filling in any gaps in their knowledge, keeping in mind everything from what they had learned to the various items in their examination baskets. How could they possibly be distracted by calling on friends and companions?

Therefore, Luo Jiayun and the others came separately.

Cao Hanqi and the others came up to greet him. After exchanging a few words, they dispersed to their respective areas. Then Qiu Yan heard someone calling his name. He turned around and saw several familiar faces. Qiu Yan remembered the name of the person in the lead.

"So it's Brother Gao." He went to greet him.

This man, with an ordinary appearance and simple clothes, was named Gao Jing. He was the second-place winner in the provincial Provincial Examination of Jiannan Circuit. He had an extraordinary background and profound knowledge, and was once regarded by many as the only candidate for the top scholar.

Following Gao Jing were also scholars from Jiannan Circuit, all of whom had obtained their degrees in this imperial examination.

This Metropolitan Examination required candidates to be candidates for the provincial examination, but it did not necessarily mean that one had to pass the provincial examination in the same year. Candidates from other years also came, which inadvertently formed them into small groups, commonly known as "fellow candidates".

As soon as Gao Jing and his group arrived at the place, they approached each other and immediately surrounded the top scholar upon seeing him.

After exchanging a few words, Qiu Yan sensed the Scholar Forest aura emanating from Gao Jing, knowing that the other party had also entered the scholarly world through the discussions at the Soul Entry into the Scholar Forest Apricot Altar Dao Discourse and must have gained something. However, as far as Qiu Yan knew, Gao Jing had not entered the most famous Quanyou Academy in Jiannan Circuit, but rather an academy in Central Passes. Qiu Yan did not know which one it was.

After catching up for a while, someone nearby called out the two men's names. Looking in the direction of the voice, they saw a gentle and refined scholar, who was also an acquaintance.

"Brother Gu, it's been a long time." The two went over to greet him.

The visitor was none other Gu Yanzhi, who ranked third in the Jiannan Circuit Provincial Examination.

This person met Qiu Yan in Wuxin City. However, at that time Qiu Yan was unknown, while Gu Yanzhi, Fang Ziyan, the Marshfolk Prince, and others were known as prominent figures in the city.

Things have changed, and now that they meet again, Qiu Yan's reputation has gradually spread. Although it hasn't fully spread from the Eastern Capital due to the journey, its influence has already begun to grow in the city, and Gao Jing, Gu Yanzhi, and others have all heard of it.

Things are truly different now.

"Long time no see," Gu Yanzhi said with a smile as he walked over to Qiu Yan.

Qiu Yan did not find Scholar Forest air about Gu Yanzhi, indicating that he had never been a member of the Scholar Forest. It seems that not every talented person has such an opportunity.

A few breaths later, Gu Yanzhi remembered something. "By the way, Brother Fang Ziyan didn't come to take the exam this time. He's been studying at home. His personality has changed a lot these days. When I went to the capital for the exam, he asked me to pass on a message to Brother Qiu, saying that he wants to have a fair and square competition with you in the future."

"A fair and square competition?" Qiu Yan smiled. "Of course, I'm always ready."

There was a story hidden in those words, which everyone else could tell, but no one actually asked.

For a time, the top three candidates from Jiannan Circuit gathered in one place, but to outsiders, the few people gathered here were no different from those in other places; they were just a few among many candidates.

Similar scenes are constantly unfolding in front of the Examination Hall.

At the same time, more scholars were gathering here from all parts of the city.

"I've finally arrived in time. I wonder if Mr. Qiu has arrived as well?" Yang Zhong, a tall but thin scholar at the edge of the crowd, sighed as he looked at the dense crowd. He then shook his head. "The master must already be inside. The Metropolitan Examination begin in a little while. I'm already late."

This Yang Zhong was the same thin scholar Qiu Yan had seen in the demon cave in the Lin Zhong not long ago.

However, just as the thought crossed his mind, two men approached from behind, one tall and one short, both with dignified appearances and distinguished bearing, clearly from wealthy families. One of them said with a smile, "Di Ai, this time in the Imperial Examinations, you and I will surely determine the winner."

The other person looked helpless. "Qiao Qing, do you really think you can win?"

As they spoke, the two men took the examination basket from the servants, walked past Yang Zhong, and handed their identification documents to the soldier leading the way.

"Who are these two? They're so arrogant, acting like they're guaranteed to pass the Golden List. They're far too presumptuous and don't respect anyone else." As Yang Zhong was thinking this, a cough came from the side, and a tall, handsome man with curly hair walked over.

Although he was tall, he was pale and coughed frequently. He walked past Yang Zhong, bringing with him an unusual aura.

Watching the man's retreating figure, Yang Zhong shook his head, stopped thinking about it, and continued walking forward, heading towards his assigned area under the guidance of the soldiers.

As he walked along, looking at the candidates he passed, Yang Zhong couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose not far away, with many discussions taking place. Yang Zhong looked over curiously and saw a familiar figure – Qiu Yan.

Standing in front of Qiu Yan was a dashing young man, smiling and talking. (To be continued...)

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