All the members are good people, only the host is a pervert

The Spring Examination was scheduled for February, a time when the chill of spring still lingered, the winter chill still lingering. Although it was only the third watch, Lin Ruan and her sisters were already lining up with the students from Weizhou Prefecture Academy, ready to undergo body searches and enter the examination hall at the fourth watch.

The imperial examination selected talents, not only examining students’ literary talents, but also a severe test of their physical fitness and mental endurance.

Lin Ruan glanced around and saw thousands of candidates gathered here. They were all outstanding talents selected through a rigorous screening process from Fengwu Nation's twenty prefectures. Each of them, dreaming of achieving imperial fame, had traveled thousands of miles to the capital to take part in this important examination. However, only around three hundred people were admitted each year, meaning that only six or seven out of every hundred would succeed.

The body search and identification process is the same. After verifying the identity, in addition to pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, three thin candles, there is also a charcoal basin.

Lin Ruan didn't care. Firstly, her space was full of items, including warm things from science to metaphysics; secondly, she wore two layers of inner clothes, and the outer layer was made of a layer of fine cashmere. She had been standing at the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall for so long without feeling any noticeable cold.

The exam room still had only two number plates, and it was cold and chilly, like being in prison. She passed countless number rooms, where earlier candidates were already seated. Lin Ruan quickly found her corresponding room and sat down in her designated seat.

She placed the charcoal basin in the corner and then lit it with a tinder. As the tinder fell, the basin quickly erupted in an orange-red flame, bringing a touch of warmth to the cold cell. After checking the roof and tables and chairs as usual, Lin Ruan prepared to look at the questions.

The first exam consisted of three questions on the Four Books and two on the meaning of classics. The first question was very short, consisting of only five words: "There is a great way to make money."

The second question comes from "The Analects of Confucius": "Advanced in ritual and music."

Question 3: "The virtue of moderation is the highest virtue, yet it has long been rare among the people."

Lin Ruan guessed that these three Four Books questions must have been set by Feng Ruyue herself, as they all appeared easy to solve but were actually fraught with traps. Lin Ruan spent a full day and a half working on the answers. She was extremely cautious, meticulously citing classic texts and thoroughly writing the essays. She also slightly altered and polished the essays to suit Feng Ruyue's preferences, striving to appeal to her without losing her own scholarly spirit.

The system was useless; it could only add icing on the cake, not polish. She had to get into the top ten in the imperial examination before she could use the system to secure the top spot.

The Five Classics consisted of two questions each from the Book of Songs, the Book of History, the Book of Rites, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. Candidates were to choose any one of these classics to answer. Since the number of questions was considerable, they were likely set by the same examiners, with Feng Ruyue and Gao Yingyang selecting the questions. Therefore, Lin Ruan relaxed a bit and chose the Spring and Autumn Annals. The reason for this was simply that the top three candidates in Fengwu State's imperial examinations had generally come from this source.

It is the safest choice.

By the time Lin Ruan finished writing all five of her essays, it was already dark. She didn't check her copying, but lay down on the exam board with her clothes on, her consciousness entering the space to rest.

After waking up the next day, Lin Ruan accepted the bamboo tube of water handed to him by the officer. He drank a sip of the spiritual spring water from the tube, poured the water into his hands, and barely washed his face. After his hands were completely dry, he took out his draft and answer sheet, first having the system check it once, then checking it again himself. After confirming that everything was correct, he carefully copied it onto the answer sheet.

When she finished writing, many students in the examination room were still writing furiously. A few weak students coughed lightly. The coughing became heavier as it got darker and got a little better after dawn.

The imperial examinations have always been difficult. Studying diligently is never just talk. As the saying goes, frost forms on a pen on a cold night, candlelight casts a shadow across the lonely window. The fragrance of ink gently warms dreams, and the spring breeze awaits the phoenix's cry.

After finishing, Lin Ruan didn't rush to hand in her paper. Firstly, she wanted to wait for the ink to dry so as not to stain the paper or make her handwriting illegible. Secondly, she didn't want to be the first to be criticized before the results came out.

After five or six people handed in their papers, Lin Ruan gestured to the door: "Hand in your papers!"

Like the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination also consists of three sessions, lasting a total of nine days, and candidates can go home for one night every three days.

The second round tested essays, imperial edicts and verdicts, and the third round tested five essays on current affairs and three arithmetic questions.

Inside the Imperial Examination Hall, a massive brass bell rang, signaling the end of the nine-day, nine-night examination. Lin Ruan emerged from the hall and took a deep breath. While these nine days hadn't been unbearable, they hadn't been easy either. She recalled the content of the exam, gaining a general understanding of it.

Then came the days of waiting for the results. During this time, Lin Ruan, Jiang Wenhui, and Lü Zhao remained ensconced in her own house, studying. After the provincial examination, there was the palace examination, and after that, the imperial examination. Truly, the ocean of learning has no end.

None of them went to the announcement of the results. While the practice of finding a husband based on the results might be a joke in modern times, it was a real thing in Fengwu Country. Everyone stayed home obediently, letting the maids and servants check the results.

Lin Ruan originally wanted to ask the system about her ranking, but the system didn't respond when she asked for the first time.

"Seventeen, what's wrong with you? Is it because the computer has been stuck for too long?" Lin Ruan asked.

The system was furious, Lin Ruan won the championship on his own! !

m9( ｀д′ )!!!!

Seeing that the system was playing dead and not saying anything, Lin Ruan knew her ranking. Hahahaha, first place! First place!

When the maid returned with the report, Lin Ruan was indeed the top scorer, Jiang Wenhui was also ranked 36th, and Lü Zhao had failed this time. She was quite open-minded and said with a smile, "Before the exam, my grandmother told me that even if I passed, my ranking wouldn't be very good. So I'll just treat this as an experience. I'll study hard for another three years and wait and see what happens next time."

Lin Ruan patted Lu Zhao's shoulder and said with a smile: "I will wait for your good news in Beijing in three years."

Lu Zhao also laughed and said, "Of course."

After the results were announced, Lin Ruan became the champion with the first place in the imperial examination. She rejected all invitations to literary gatherings and immersed herself in the study every day, reading various books, searching for relevant information, and devoting herself to the preparation for the palace examination.

Finally, the long-awaited day of the palace examination arrived. Lin Ruan, carrying the necessary writing instruments and other stationery, rode a carriage with Jiang Wenhui to the Forbidden City. When they arrived, the newly admitted scholars had already gathered outside the city gates, each dressed in brand new robes, their expressions solemn and serious, as they quietly awaited the start of the palace examination.

As the sun gradually rose, the towering vermilion palace gates slowly opened. A streak of golden-red sunlight cast a long line of shadows across the candidates waiting in formation before the gates. At this moment, each of them simultaneously raised their heads, their gazes eagerly and longingly gazing towards the soon-to-open palace gates. Their hearts were filled with longing and anticipation for the future, hoping to demonstrate their best selves in this palace examination and earn the emperor's favor and recognition.

I travel the world with my heart set on the Dragon's Edge. I learn the arts of literature and martial arts, and serve the emperor.