Why Was Her Name Missing?
Xiaole naturally wouldn't refute Lady Zhu, nodding obediently, but she had other ideas in her mind.
Why did he receive so many rewards? It wasn't because he was diligent, but because he was clever. No matter what rank the girl achieved in the exam, as long as he went there that night and waited at the entrance of the examination hall, the lord and his wife would reward him again in recognition of his hard work.
Others toil all year and barely see a few taels of silver. But he could earn a few taels of silver for staying up all night, so he naturally wouldn't let such an opportunity pass him by.
After leaving the main courtyard, he went home, packed some snacks, put on a thick coat, grabbed his bedding, and headed straight for the examination hall.
The Great Jin imposed a curfew. However, it was a long-standing custom for servants from various households to wait at the entrance of the examination hall before the results were announced, and the Palace Guards usually turned a blind eye to this. They would strengthen the defense of this area, and after the curfew, these people at the entrance of the examination hall were not allowed to wander around, but they were allowed to stay in place.
Xiaole thought he was the only one doing this, but to his surprise, several servants were already squatting at the entrance of the examination hall. Then a few more arrived one after another, until there were about a dozen people in total.
During their conversation, Xiaole discovered that the others had all been sent by orders from their husbands and wives, and were not there voluntarily.
He was grateful for his master's kindness and prayed that Heaven would have eyes and bless his daughter to pass the imperial examination.
As for being at the top of the list, he was just saying it as a lucky phrase to wish for good fortune. He felt that although his daughter was intelligent and had received guidance from the teachers at the Imperial Academy over the past two months, she still couldn't compare to the talented students who had studied diligently for ten years.
He didn't seek to be at the top of the list; he only hoped that the girl could pass the exam and become a scholar.
The provincial examination has always been a major hurdle, with many scholars failing it in their entire lives. For our daughter to pass it after just one year of hard work is truly a stroke of incredible luck for the Zhao Family.
After chatting for a while, they unfolded their bedding, lay down on the ground to sleep, and waited for the results to be released the next morning.
Xiaole woke up the next morning feeling cold. Although he was wearing thick clothes and his bedding was quite thick, there was already frost in the eighth lunar month in the north. And since they were sleeping on the ground, the cold naturally seeped into their bones.
He quickly got up, walked around the people sleeping haphazardly, and ran a few steps around the area. However, as he ran, his eyes were still fixed on his bedding. He was worried that someone would take it, partly because the spot his bedding occupied was right below the notice board. He had stayed up all night to reserve this spot, and he couldn't let someone else take it.
After running a few steps and feeling warmer, he returned, sat down on his bedding, and slowly ate a cold, hard biscuit from his pocket.
As the people around them gradually awoke, they glanced at the position of the morning star on the horizon, quickly packed up their bedding, and a dozen or so stood against the wall. Soon, the carriages of officials heading to court began to pass by. Only when court time arrived and no more carriages passed did they relax, stretch their bodies, take out their dry rations, eat a few bites, and wait for dawn.
As the sky gradually rose higher, more and more people arrived. The dozen Xiaole people who had stayed here last night formed a small circle, occupying the best spots, and unanimously refused to let anyone else in.
As the sun rose higher, Xiaole could no longer wear his thick clothes. Finally, the gate of the examination hall opened, and four men dressed as soldiers came out, one of whom was holding a piece of paper.
"Coming, coming."
The crowd, which had already completely blocked the road, stirred with excitement as everyone desperately tried to push their way in. Xiaole, who was standing at the front, was pushed by the people behind him and almost bumped into a soldier.
"Don't push, don't push! If you push any further, your child's admission will be immediately revoked."
The two soldiers maintaining order shouted, and also pointed out two of the most aggressive pushers, giving them a warning. Only then did the crowd stop pushing and dare not move again.
The other two soldiers applied paste to the paper and then stuck it to the wall.
As soon as the two left, Xiaole stood in front of the list.
He was in a particularly good position, able to see the entire list clearly at a glance.
The capital city has many talented scholars, and naturally, it has more scholars than the entire provinces of other provinces. Each year, there are quite a few people participating in the provincial examinations, about a thousand or more. In recent years, the Great Jin Dynasty has been peaceful and prosperous, with a stable number of officials and few vacancies. Therefore, not only the metropolitan examinations but also the provincial examinations have lower pass rates. The pass rates for the provincial and metropolitan examinations in the capital city have been around seven percent in recent years.
Therefore, the number of people on the list this time is approximately seventy or eighty.
Xiaole looked at each name from top to bottom, but he didn't see the name he was hoping for.
He wiped the sweat from his brow and started looking again from the beginning, hoping he had missed something. He looked through all seventy-nine names again, but still couldn't find the name Zhao Ruxi.
After thinking for a moment, Xiaole frowned: Could it be that her daughter hadn't written her real name, but instead used the pseudonym "Zhao Zhiwei"?
Thinking about it, he looked at the list again from beginning to end, and then found that not only was the name "Zhao Ruxi" not on the list, but the name "Zhao Zhiwei" was also not on the list.
While Xiaole was looking at it again and again, a group of yamen runners came to the Zhao Family family's residence near the Earl of Suiping's Residence, beating gongs and drums, to announce the good news.
The Zhao Family family members all went outside to look around.
The gatekeeper of the Earl of Suiping's Residence knew that today was the day the results of the provincial examinations were posted, that his daughter had participated in the examinations, and that Xiaole had been sent to check the results.
Hearing a loud commotion over there, the older gatekeeper quickly sent the younger one out to inquire.
A moment later, the young gatekeeper ran back and said, "It's the grandson of Old Master Zhao Five, the schoolteacher, who has passed the imperial examination and become a scholar. The yamen runners have come to deliver the good news."
"You won? Oh, that's wonderful news! How many places did you get?"
Seventy-five.
The elderly gatekeeper waved his hand. "It doesn't matter what rank you get. As long as you pass, you'll become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), which means you can become an official, participate in the metropolitan examination, and have a bright future."
The young doorman said hopefully, "I wish our young lady could also pass the imperial examination."
"Definitely, we'll definitely win," the other person said.
No sooner had the man finished speaking than the sound of gongs and drums announcing good news was heard.
This time, the older ones didn't need to speak; the younger ones ran out and returned saying, "The fourth son of Lord Wang on the front street came in fifty-third place."
After they finished speaking, the two looked at each other, their eyes filled with worry.
Whether it was the provincial or prefectural examination, the good news was announced starting with the last-ranked candidate, with higher-ranked candidates being announced later. Of course, those who failed would not receive any good news.
So when you hear that someone else has received good news while you haven't, there are only two possibilities: either they ranked higher than you, or they didn't win. The anticipation and anxiety you feel while waiting is indescribable.