After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

The sound of gongs and footsteps grew closer.

The waiter led the messenger up to the second floor.

Congratulations! Zhao Hongxuan, a magistrate from Xinghe County, Xinghe Prefecture, has achieved the 198th place in the Imperial Examination!

With a 'whoosh,' the person stood up, knocking over the still steaming teacup.

"Ouch, it's so hot!" Zhao Hongxuan cried out in pain.

"Ah Xuan! Be careful!" Tan Hao quickly helped his friend shake off some of his clothes.

The tea was scalding hot the moment it soaked my clothes, but the temperature dropped quickly after I shook them off. They were damp and stuck to my body, but I wasn't worried about catching a cold in June.

"Ah Hao, it's me! It's my name!"

"That's right, it's you! Ah Xuan, you passed the preliminary examination and are now a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination). Congratulations!"

"Haha, thanks! But this ranking is a bit low~"

Zhao Hongxuan scratched his head, his joy quickly turning to embarrassment at his ranking. He was certain he was far behind Ah Xuan this time…

"One hundred and ninety-eighths is good enough. At least you passed, right? After passing the provincial examination in a few years, you can go for the provincial examination!"

"Yes, Ah Xuan, you can't leave me behind. I'll stay right behind you. We'll take the provincial examination together!"

"Okay, okay! First, let's receive the good news and then the reward!"

"Yes, yes, I'm so happy I'm confused!"

He had the servants wrap large red envelopes for everyone who came to announce the good news, only then remembering that his clothes were still wet.

"My apologies, Grandpa Jiang, Uncle Jiang, I'll go next door to change my clothes and I'll be right back!"

"Go on, go on! Young man, don't be so impulsive over every little thing."

Landlord Jiang felt that this Zhao family boy was also very unreliable, not much better than his own son.

The Tan family's son seems more composed at the moment, but it is still my grandson who is the most stable, as immovable as a mountain, completely unaffected by the outside world, drinking tea and eating snacks as he pleases.

The world is noisy and chaotic, but I remain aloof and independent. Ah, quite the demeanor of a great person!

Just as Landlord Jiang was secretly praising his grandson, he saw Zhao Hongxuan return in a festive new outfit and sit back down by the window.

Looking down, I saw that there were still many people in front of the list who were reluctant to leave even after looking at it. Most of these people were actually not on the list.

There was resentment, but even more so, curiosity. I wanted to see who the top scholar in that academy was. Seven prefectures were taking the exam together; the competition was fierce.

Those who can top the list can certainly be described as the reincarnation of the God of Literature.

As time went on, the number of people in the teahouse gradually decreased, because everyone basically had a general idea of ​​where they would rank if they made the list.

Clearly hopeless, some left in despair, while others, hoping to make connections with the newly appointed scholars, remained rooted to the spot, waiting in vain.

Landlord Jiang also wanted to leave, but he couldn't. His grandson was sure to be on the list, so he had to stay with his beloved grandson and wait for the messenger to bring the good news.

But it was truly agonizing. His son's smug and carefree attitude really infuriated him!

Zhao's kid is ranked 198th. Half a day has passed; his ranking must have been announced much higher by now. It seems I really have no hope...

Oh well! At least our family has produced a scholar, right? At least we can give an account to our ancestors! Sigh…

At that moment, a servant ran upstairs, shouting, "Master Jiang, it's a success!"

This was the first servant of the Zhao family to squeeze into the top of the list. After seeing his young master's ranking, he wanted to come out and report the news as soon as possible, but who knew that it was easy to get in but difficult to get out.

The crowd jostled and pushed, and it took them a full quarter of an hour to squeeze through the hundred-meter stretch of road, which is why they missed the messenger who came to deliver the good news.

Fortunately, he also remembered the results of the other students who took the academy exam with the young master, so he could still share the good news.

He ran straight to Landlord Jiang, his face beaming with joy, and said, "Congratulations, Master Jiang! Your young master has passed! You, you also..."

"Really! My Mingfei, what... what place did he get?" Landlord Jiang excitedly stood up and rushed over, his eyes red and bright, showing none of the composure he had when talking about others.

"And there's more! Young Master Tan won too!"

"How many places did Ah Hao get?" Zhao Hongxuan and Landlord Jiang did the same thing, rushing over and flanking the messenger on the left and right.

"Third place! Young Master Tan is third place!"

Tan Hao remained calm, though his slightly trembling lips betrayed his inner turmoil.

He had considered the position of top scholar in the provincial examination, after all, he had once been the top scholar in the county government. However, he did not directly participate in the provincial examination that year, but instead thought of taking a year to reflect.

Unexpectedly, by a twist of fate, he transferred from that place to study in Xinghe Prefecture, where he met Jiang Mingfei, who was younger and more talented than himself.

He, who once became the top county official at the age of eight, doesn't seem to be anything special anymore.

I missed out on the chance to win the small three-yuan prize, and although I was disappointed, I quickly adjusted my mood.

There are always people better than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. You'll always encounter outstanding people. If everything goes smoothly for you, it might not necessarily be a good thing.

Soon, Tan Hao composed himself, took out a red envelope from his pocket, and handed it to the Zhao family servant.

"Thank you, Young Master Tan! Congratulations, Young Master Tan! No, no, it should be Master Tan! Congratulations, Scholar!"

"Thank you for making this trip. The constables haven't even reported here yet."

"Haha, this kid's pretty smart. He knew to check mine too, otherwise he wouldn't have gotten this red envelope today!"

Landlord Jiang, who was standing to the side, was getting impatient as he watched the others talking nonstop. He was eager to know his grandson's ranking!

The Tan family's son is third; his grandson can't be worse than him! Is he second, or first?!

Landlord Jiang couldn't help but interrupt, "Alright, alright! Stop talking nonsense! Quickly tell me what rank my Mingfei got!"

"Grandpa Jiang, don't worry! Your son has really made you proud! Our Xinghe Prefecture..."

"Tuang! Tuang! Tuang!" The sound of the gong interrupted the servant's words.

Congratulations! Mr. Jiang Changshou from Changshou Village, Changshou County, Xinghe Prefecture, has achieved the 168th place in the Imperial Examination!

"Another one surnamed Jiang? And another one from Changshou Village in Changshou County? Is this village so renowned for its literary tradition that it has produced so many scholars! And they've all passed the imperial examinations at the county level!"

"Is the Jiang family a prominent family with a long tradition of scholarship in Changshou County?"

I've never heard of him before, but there's a sub-prefect named Jiang in Xinghe Prefecture. I wonder if we're related...

"Grandpa! Grandpa, you're amazing!" Jiang Xiaoqi really thought her grandpa was amazing.

Landlord Jiang waved his hand, signaling his grandson to calm down.

Jiang Wenqing was also somewhat surprised. "Wow, my old man is still going strong!"

168! Almost a hundred places higher than my 258! Sigh... I'm a father, I still have to keep this son under control.

Thinking back, I was a bit too arrogant just now. I'll have to keep a low profile from now on...

One hundred and sixty-eighth place, although it is a lower-middle ranking, after all, Landlord Jiang has not touched a book for almost thirty years.

Four months of intensive training, supposedly with tutoring, but if you don't delve into it yourself, even the best teacher can't teach you anything.

Jiang Xiaoqi suddenly wavered in her previous plans. It was such a waste that her outstanding grandfather wasn't going to participate in the provincial examination! (￣▽￣)

After handing the red envelope to the messenger who brought the good news, Landlord Jiang suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. What was wrong?

Despite the joyous atmosphere, I had a strange feeling of unease, as if I were being watched by something terrifying...