In ancient times, I just wanted to be a salted fish

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Huicuilou officially opened for business.

Due to the previous snow disaster donation, Huicuilou became famous, so many people came here to visit or buy goods.

As a result, Huicuilou's business became extremely popular again.

Except for occasionally going to Zhenpin Pavilion to restock stocks, Chen Ruotong basically stays at home with Old Man and Old Lady Chen all the time.

Zhang Ruixi was also pregnant. Grandma Chen did not allow her to go to Huicuilou to help out anymore. She asked her to stay at home and take care of the baby, and she looked forward to having a lovely great-granddaughter soon.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is already February. The capital is about to usher in an important examination - the Spring Examination.

This exam is crucial for students who hope to enter the official career. They all have dreams and expectations, and prepare hard for the exam, hoping to get good results and realize their ambitions.

The joint examination is the first national-level examination in the imperial examination system.

The opponents of candidates taking part in the imperial examination are no longer limited to those in their own province, but they compete with talented people from all over the country.

Since the palace examination after the joint examination basically only ranks the candidates and no longer eliminates them, the joint examination can be said to be an examination for selecting Jinshi.

The examination will be held on February 9th, 12th and 15th, a total of three days.

Zhang Ruixi's two brothers, Zhang Ruiji and Zhang Ruixiang, also arrived at Chen's house in advance and stayed in the guest room.

They were all well-read students and had a deep relationship with Zhang Ruixi.

The Chen family was very warm and welcoming to the two students and entertained them attentively.

The two young masters felt the sincerity and friendliness of the Chen family and felt as comfortable as if they had returned to their own home.

Zhang Ruixi felt particularly happy to have her two brothers by her side.

Qu Dianzhi and five other classmates from Zhishan Academy who had a good relationship with Qiao Zien also came to the capital on the 25th day of the first lunar month.

These young people are energetic and talented students. They are full of enthusiasm and expectations, ready to show their talents in the capital.

However, they arrived a little late and all the major inns were overcrowded. They could not find suitable accommodation, so they came to Qiao Zien for help.

Qiao Zien arranged these candidates to live in the four-courtyard house.

The house is spacious and bright, with a pleasant environment, providing them with a quiet and comfortable study space.

At the same time, Qiao Zien also specially selected several smart and capable servants to take care of the daily living and diet of these classmates.

He hopes that through such an arrangement, his classmates can focus on preparing for the exam.

Chen Ruotong instructed Chen Luzi to send some fresh vegetables, eggs, meat and other foods to the four-story house frequently to improve the students' meals.

Good nutrition is very important for exam preparation. She hopes that these students can eat well, sleep well, and have enough energy to cope with the upcoming imperial examinations.

Chen Ruotong hopes that these hard-working students can perform at their best in the examination room and realize their dream of being admitted to a prestigious university.

On the ninth day of the second lunar month, before dawn, Chen Ruotong got up early and prepared food and hot water for the exam for Qiao Zien and several of his classmates.

The chill in the early morning had not yet dissipated, and Chen Luzi drove the carriage to deliver the carefully prepared food and water to the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall. Afterwards, Chen Luzi distributed these items to Qiao Zien and others.

At this time, many candidates had gathered in front of the Imperial Examination Hall.

After the two Zhang brothers met with Qiao Zien and others, they picked up their exam baskets, packed their belongings, and lined up in an orderly manner, gradually entering the examination room. Fang Wenxuan followed closely behind them.

Chen Ruotong stood in the distance, gazing at the high-spirited young men, and exclaimed, "The pillars of the country, the future is promising!"

At the same time, Emperor Xuanwu also attached great importance to this examination.

This is the second national examination since he came to power, aimed at selecting outstanding talents.

The regent's rebellion at the end of last year led to the execution or dismissal of more than 20 officials. Many important positions were vacant and needed to be filled by suitable candidates selected from this group of students.

Emperor Xuanwu had even higher hopes for Qiao Zien, because as early as the autumn examination, he had personally read Qiao Zien's test paper and praised her highly.

At this moment, he was eager to know whether this talented young man could achieve excellent results in the imperial examination.

Emperor Xuanwu felt that Qiao Zien was a rare talent with deep insights into state governance. With his assistance, the Daliang Dynasty could be governed even better!

After three days of intense examinations, the students finally finished and walked out of the examination room.

Some of them looked happy, while others looked depressed, but no matter what, this examination was an important experience for them.

Qiao Zien and several other students from Zhishan Academy returned home and began to wait for the results of the imperial examination.

During this period, they lived a fulfilling life every day. In addition to reading and studying, they would also get together with friends to chat, play chess or go out for fun.

The waiting process always makes people feel anxious and long, especially for those students who are eager to get their names on the list of successful candidates.

This sentiment even infected Chen Ruotong. She sincerely hoped that the students of Zhishan Academy could pass the imperial examination smoothly and get their names on the list of successful candidates. She also hoped that Qiao Zien could win the first prize.

On the fifth day of March, the results of the imperial examination were announced. Chen Luzi and Zhao Tiedan had already squeezed into the crowd to look at the names on the list. When they saw Qiao Zien ranked first, the two boys hugged each other with joy and jumped up and down:

"My son got the first place in the exam, which means he is the champion! That's great, that's great..." Zhao Tiedan was so happy that he danced with joy.

After buying three copies of the list of successful candidates, the two rushed to Chen's Mansion and Hou's Mansion.

Qiao Zien did not disappoint everyone and won the first place.

Zhang Ruiji ranked 20th, Zhang Ruixiang ranked 15th, Qu Dianzhi ranked 10th, Fang Wenxuan ranked 47th, and other students also made the list, but were ranked at the back.

When the news came, the entire Chen Mansion and Qiao Mansion were in an uproar.

At this time, Chen Ruotong, the two Zhang brothers, Qu Dianzhi and others were discussing issues with Qiao Zien in the Marquis' Mansion.

Zhao Tiedan held up the list and shouted loudly while running, "Young Master, Young Master, they all passed, they all passed, Young Master got first place..."

The students looked at the list and cheered. They were proud of Qiao Zien for achieving such an excellent result, and even more excited that they could get their names on the list.

Everyone bowed and congratulated each other. They knew that this was just the beginning and there would be more challenges waiting for them in the future.

At the same time, Chen Ruotong was filled with joy. She looked at Qiao Zien, who was full of vigor and vitality, with admiration and appreciation in her eyes.

When the official who was bringing the good news arrived at the mansion, he found that all the students who needed to report the good news were there, so they decided to report the good news together to make the atmosphere more lively.

For a moment, the mansion was filled with the sound of gongs and drums, and the noise spread throughout the capital. People poured into the streets and crowded in front of the mansion, vying to witness this grand occasion.

Qiao Zhenbang was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes and he cried with joy. He personally went to the door to greet the officials and generously distributed wedding money to them to express his gratitude and celebration.

All the students gathered in the Marquis' Mansion today, without exception, have made it to the list, which makes the Marquis' Mansion a place full of joy and glory.

Especially his eldest son, Qiao Zien, who actually won the first place in the imperial examination. This is undoubtedly the greatest blessing for the Qiao family!

The news quickly spread throughout the capital, causing a sensation.

People expressed their admiration for the Qiao family and praised their family's prosperity. Qiao Zhenbang was also very proud and pleased with his son's excellent results.

In the following days, Qiao Zien and others began to prepare for the palace examination. They studied the classics more diligently and polished their essays, hoping to show their true strength in the palace examination.