Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 341 My head is buzzing
Early in the morning, there were already crowds of people at the east wall of the South Courtyard of Lin'an Prefecture.

There were crowds of people, but there was little discussion.

Although many people tried to remain calm, even their smiles were a little stiff, showing how nervous they were.

The moment the results are announced is when all the emotions begin to ignite.

Crying, laughing, cursing, all kinds of life.

It was almost Si time when Yang Yuan finally arrived.

He sat on a four-wheeled cart, pushed by Xiao Qingtang, with Dan Niang and Lu Xi accompanying him.

Yang Yuan, who was so vigorous last night and bullied Dan Niang to the point of crying and almost dying, now looks like he can't walk anymore.

However, Dan Niang, who looked so tortured that she was about to die last night, now looked like a rose after a night of rain and dew, so beautiful and charming.

This recovery ability is also amazing.

"Don't worry, don't worry. I think it will definitely work."

Yang Yuan smiled and comforted Lu Xi and Dan Niang. He had obtained the test questions in advance, and the test was written by a talented woman from the Song Dynasty who was the head of the Tokyo Shangting. For a juren, it should not be a problem, right?

Luxi and Dan Niang were much more nervous than him. They just smiled and didn't even dare to say a word.

What if he boasted but ended up failing the exam? Wouldn’t Erlang be embarrassed?
As for spoiling the fun, of course I won't say anything.

The four-wheeled cart was pushed to the big tree at the entrance of the alley and could no longer move forward.

Qingtang volunteered, "Wait a minute, I'll go check it out and come back with the news."

"No, I'll go!" Luxi and Dan Niang said in unison.

They wanted to see first hand whether Yang Yuan had passed the exam.

Both women have now learned the entire Zhelong Gong. Dan Niang and Yang Yuan have even practiced it together, and their physiques are very different from ordinary people.

Although she looks like a timid little beauty, she is very strong.

She led the way in front, Luxi followed behind, and the two women rushed forward through the crowd.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way..."

As soon as the Si hour arrived, the gate of Lin'an government office opened.

Sixteen yamen runners armed with swords came out, escorting four clerks holding lists and carrying buckets of paste. The crowded crowd suddenly became agitated.

Lu Xi whispered to Dan Niang, "Sister Dan Niang, I will look from the front to the back, and you look from the back to the front."

"Okay!" Dan Niang agreed, her palms already sweating from nervousness.

Outside the crowd, at the entrance of the alley, Qingtang stood on tiptoe and stretched his neck to look forward.

Yang Yuan couldn't help laughing and said, "Don't look at it. I can't see anything even when I stand up. What can you see?"

Qingtang said happily: "I saw it, I saw it. I told you, I smelled it as soon as I smelled it."

Yang Yuan was very surprised. Could one tell whether one passed the exam or not by smell?

Qingtang said: "Brother-in-law, wait for me, I will be back soon."

After Qingtang said this, he squeezed into the crowd.

After a while, Qingtang came back with a lotus leaf bag in her pocket, smiling broadly, and showed it to Yang Yuan proudly: "Do you want to eat it?"

Before Yang Yuan could see clearly, a sweet fragrance hit his face. When he looked closely, he found that it was sugar-roasted chestnuts.

Sugar-roasted chestnuts were invented by a man named Li He in Bianliang City in the late Northern Song Dynasty.

After the Jingkang Rebellion, Li He went to Yanjing, and the method of roasting chestnuts with river sand and sugar was passed on.

But when he was in Bianliang, some people also learned his craft and later drifted to Lin'an, so Lin'an also had sugar-roasted chestnuts.

However, at this time it is not called sugar-roasted chestnuts, but spiral-roasted chestnuts.

What a snack!

Yang Yuan glared at her and said, "Strip it for me to eat."

"it is good!"

Qingtang agreed readily, put the lotus leaf bag on Yang Yuan's legs, picked up a chestnut, peeled off the skin, took a bite, and said with a beaming face: "Delicious!"

Then, she handed the remaining half to Yang Yuan's mouth: "Brother-in-law, try it."

……

Sixteen yamen runners armed with swords protected the wooden notice board where the list was posted and kept the people three feet away with a long rope.

Inside, four clerks worked in pairs, applied paste, and then spread the list out.

After they finished posting, sixteen experienced yamen runners pulled back the ropes, stepped back one leg, and quickly pushed themselves toward the ground.

With a loud "boom", the crowd was boiling.

The sixteen yamen runners were like reefs facing the flood, standing firmly in the sea of ​​people and being continuously "washed" by the people rushing past.

"Don't push, don't push!"

Fortunately, there is a fence in front of the list, otherwise the person who rushed over first would be squeezed and his face would be pressed directly against the bulletin board.

Amid the noise, someone soon burst into crazy laughter: "I won, I won!"

Then some people squeezed out, anxious to go back and tell their families the good news.

At this time, no one has read the entire list, so there is no crying or cursing.

This time, Dan Niang and Lu Xi did not squeeze in the front. Even though they were so strong, they were women after all and did not want to be squeezed so tightly with others.

After the crowds in front finally improved, Dan Niang and Lu Xi could no longer hold back and rushed forward immediately.

As agreed, Dan Niang started from the end of the list. As long as the surname was wrong, she would look up. This way, she was quick.

However, she had just read three names when she heard Luxi scream.

Dan Niang thought she had run into someone from Luxi who was "chasing a god".

Some scoundrels like to squeeze in to join in the fun when there are many people around.

When they see a girl with outstanding looks and good figure, they will deliberately use their bodies to push against her, and the bold ones will just go for it.

This action is called "squeezing the gods." Dan Niang's eyebrows were raised, her eyes were wide open, and she looked towards Lu Xi fiercely, but she didn't see the sly and wretched man for a while.

At this time, Lu Xi screamed again, pointed at the list with one hand, supported the fence with the other hand, stamped her feet and shouted, "Dan Niang, Dan Niang, look, my second brother is the first place! My second brother passed the exam and won the first place."

"Boom~"

There was a commotion among the crowd. Not only did Dan Niang look at the list immediately, but everyone else also looked at the top of the list.

When they saw the top of the list before, they didn’t feel anything, but now that the family of the top scorer is here, they are paying more attention.

Dan Niang looked carefully and saw that Yang Yuan's name was indeed at the top of the list.

Dan Niang was surprised and delighted, fearing that she had read it wrong or that it was a duplicate name, she read the hometown and age in small characters at the end carefully, and then she cheered.

……

Qingtang sat on the root of a big tree next to the four-wheeled vehicle, talking all the time.

Fortunately, she still knew to feed Yang Yuan. For every two chestnuts, she would put half of them into Yang Yuan's mouth.

The two were eating happily when Luxi and Dan Niang rushed out from the crowd, breaking through all obstacles.

"Second brother, you passed the exam and became the top scorer."

"Erlang, you are the champion!"

"what?"

Yang Yuan was opening his mouth wide waiting for Qingtang to feed him, but when he heard this, his head buzzed and he froze there.

Qingtang was overjoyed. She threw half a chestnut and it landed accurately in her own mouth. Then she rushed forward and asked, "Did you hit it? Did you hit it?"

Lu Xi and Dan Niang ran over, grabbed Yang Yuan's arms, and shook them excitedly: "Second brother (Er Lang), you passed the exam and became the Liyuan!"

Qingtang ran back like a puppy welcoming its owner home, wagging its tail and happily boasting to everyone: "My brother-in-law has passed the imperial examination!"

The people nearby cast envious glances at Yang Yuan, and some even raised their hands to congratulate him.

Yang Yuan tried to remain calm, smiled and bowed in return, but his head was still buzzing.

He had previously thought that with Li Shishi's talent, she should be able to pass the imperial examination.

However, Jie Yuan...

Although he also said that he would be able to get the top scorer in the exam, he was just joking.

He had never really thought that Li Shishi would pass the exam and become the top scholar. Besides, he didn't want to pass the exam at all.

Perhaps since the establishment of the imperial examination system, the only person who did not want to get first place was Yang Yuan.

Because he seriously lacks confidence!

If you pass the imperial examination, you will just have a position that is not too conspicuous. If you pass the imperial examination, you will attract a lot of attention!
If someone asked him to compose a poem...

Luxi and Danniang thought that Yang Yuan was just so happy that he was stunned. They were not surprised at his appearance at all and immediately pushed him home happily.

Old Man Song and others did not come, mainly because they were worried that if he failed the exam, it would be embarrassing for him to have too many people around him.

The three women worked together to push the cart very fast, and Yang Yuan "flew" back to Qingshi Lane with his butt bouncing all the way.

As soon as we entered the bluestone alley, the speed of the four-wheeled cart suddenly slowed down to an outrageous level.

"My second elder brother passed the imperial examination and became the top scholar. Yes, yes, of course, let's be happy together."

"Erlang passed the exam and became the top scholar. Where is the top scholar in Lin'an Prefecture?"

"Hey, you who's carrying swill, get out of here. Why are you still carrying swill at this hour? Don't make my brother-in-law look bad. My brother-in-law is a top scholar in the imperial examination."

Then I saw three little girls, baring their teeth and claws, chattering, and transforming into three small trumpets, blowing the horns "ditto-da" all the way.

Yang Yuan felt as if he was sitting on pins and needles. He quickly helped himself and pushed the wheels hard, trying to escape back home.

However, the quality of this car is not good. Why are the wheels so rough?

Yang Yuan turned his head and saw Lu Xi and Dan Niang, one on each side, pulling his cart and struggling against him.

The news that Yang Yuan passed the imperial examination and became the top scorer spread quickly.

Those who pass the Juren examination may not necessarily pass the Jinshi examination.

However, those who pass the examination and become the Jieyuan are almost destined to pass the Jinshi examination.

After all, he was Jieyuan, which meant he was the top scorer in the local college entrance examination and the most talented among all the scholars in that session.

If he can't pass the imperial examination, doesn't it mean that all the students in this class will fail?
Therefore, Yang Yuan, who had passed the imperial examination and returned with the highest score, was regarded as a Jinshi by the neighbors.

Some people with enthusiasts have already begun to study what kind of memorial archway for successful candidates in the imperial examinations will be erected at the entrance of Qingshi Alley in the future.

Should we build a three-story building with two pillars or a three-story building with four pillars?
If it is a three-story building with four pillars, can it be placed at the entrance of the alley?
Gao Dusuo from the north wing was the first to arrive to congratulate, followed by Xu Zhixian from Lin'an County.

The prefect of Lin'an did not come. Even if he had passed the imperial examination and become the top scorer, it would not be worth the prefect of Lin'an to come and congratulate him, not to mention that the prefect of Lin'an was vacant now.

The new prefect, Qiao Zhen, is currently waiting in Shanyin for the officials of the Transportation Department appointed by the court to take office. He will only come to Lin'an to take up his post after the handover is complete.

However, Zheng Yuandong from the Speed ​​Room came.

In his opinion, Yang Yuan's success in the imperial examination also meant that he would definitely pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi.

Once Yang Yuan passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, his career advancement path would be completely opened, and he might not necessarily be the chief of spies in a certain room in the machine room in the future.

This person can be regarded as a colleague in the court in the future, but since he is still his subordinate now, there is no reason not to make friends with him as soon as possible.

So, Zheng Yuandong came to congratulate him on the pretext of visiting his patient.

This went on for another two days, and then many of the top candidates in the examination came to visit.

These people also have great hopes of passing the imperial examination next spring, so of course they have to establish good relationships with Yang Yuan in advance.

This time, Yang Yuan was a little overwhelmed.

When these scholars met Yang Yuan, they would more or less discuss some academic matters with him, and this was what Yang Yuan was afraid of.

So, early in the morning on the fifth day after the examination results were announced, Yang Yuan left Qingshi Lane in an ox cart, served by a little maid Qingtang.

It is said that Yang Jieyuan went to the countryside to recuperate and prepare for the exam.

(End of this chapter)