Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 109: First Place in the Prefectural Examination
Before and after the prefectural examination, Zhu Ping’an’s life remained much the same—he rose early to practice calligraphy and read in the morning, reviewed and studied eight-legged essays during the day, and read by lamplight at night, coolly observing the other scholars’ post-examination conversations about poetry, wine, and tea…
The vixen in his room also behaved the same as always, smiling all day long, never giving him a moment of peace.
When the sun rose for the third time, Zhu Ping’an returned from his morning reading and was once again surrounded by his uncle and the enthusiastic locals, who dragged him over to see the prefectural examination results. This time it was the final ranking. The results were posted as a “long list,” combining the scores from all three rounds and ranking the successful candidates by name. The first name on the list was the prefectural first-place candidate, with the first thirty names on the A-list and the next seventy on the B-list. In total, one hundred candidates would pass out of the more than nine hundred who had participated, a pass rate of roughly ten percent.
Whether on the A-list or B-list, everyone who appeared on the list would be recognized as a tongsheng. They would no longer need to take the county or prefectural examinations again; the academy examination came next.
The crowd was dense, with groups of scholars gathered, some nervous, some confident, and some resigned, discussing their thoughts on the exam. After a brief period of mixed emotions, the sound of firecrackers filled the air, and two rows of red-robed yamen officers arrived, beating drums and gongs, attracting a large number of onlookers, creating a lively scene.
Zhu Ping’an wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he thought he caught sight of a familiar figure in the crowd—someone who vanished as quickly as they appeared. When he looked again, he couldn’t find them.
“Zhi’er, look, they’re about to announce the results,” his uncle, Zhu Shouren, seemed even more excited than Zhu Ping’an. He grabbed Zhu Ping’an’s shoulder and shook him, pulling his attention to the scene.
The other two locals and his uncle’s chubby friend also stood on tiptoe, their eyes following the officials carrying the list.
This time, from Kaoshan Town, Zhu Ping’an was the only one left.
Standing in the crowd, Zhu Ping’an quietly observed the excited people around him. At that moment, he felt strangely calm, a stark contrast to the excitement of his uncle and others.
There was no suspense this time. After the official delivering the list congratulated and encouraged the candidates, he began to post the rankings with the help of the officers. A long list of names was pinned to the wall, with both the A-list and B-list appearing on the same sheet.
The prefectural first-place candidate was listed at the top, followed by the remaining candidates on the A-list, marked in red ink, and then the seventy names on the B-list.
The mood among the scholars watching the list was more intense than at any previous examination. Those on the list were ecstatic—becoming tongsheng marked the first step on the long imperial-examination road. The candidates who failed were even more dejected, and many wept bitterly. Although they had survived the earlier rounds, failing now meant they would have to take the county and prefectural examinations again, a process involving seven or eight smaller tests and countless uncertainties. Seeing the joy of those who had passed only deepened their sorrow.
Once the list was posted, the exclamations of Zhu Ping’an’s uncle and the others were nonstop, sounding like ducks being strangled, which was quite painful to the ears.
They looked at the list, then at Zhu Ping’an, as if they didn’t recognize him.
Zhu Ping’an was also a bit surprised, but after a moment, a silly smile crept across his face. As the ancients said: “Heaven rewards diligence, and sincerity never deceives.”
Amid the bustling, laughing, and grieving crowd, the final prefectural examination list was revealed.
First place: Zhu Ping’an; second place: Wang Jin; third place: Zheng Wei; fourth place: Xia Luoming… Tenth place: Feng Shanshui…
This time, first place meant truly taking the top spot in the prefectural examination, so it was no wonder his uncle and the others were so shocked. Its weight was much greater than first place in a county examination: it was the result of fierce competition among scholars from the six counties of Anqing Prefecture. Although these scholars had not yet reached the level of xiucai, such a result was something Zhu Ping’an’s uncle and the other locals had never dared to imagine. Zhu Ping’an’s uncle and several fellow villagers had taken more than ten years merely to become tongsheng, yet Zhu Ping’an, only thirteen years old and taking the Children’s Examination for the first time, had returned as the prefectural first-place candidate. It was almost like a fairy tale.
Moreover, what made them envious and frustrated was that the prefectural first-place candidate was generally considered very likely to pass the academy examination and become a xiucai. This was a well-known unwritten pattern that had held for years. As long as Zhu Ping’an did not do anything extreme, his prospects in the academy examination were excellent.
Zhu Ping’an was somewhat surprised by taking first place this time, and far more pleased than he had been with the previous round’s first-place result. First, this time he could say he had achieved it through his own ability rather than by reproducing a Qing-dynasty top scholar’s paper from memory. Second, although the prefectural examination was only a qualifying stage on the way to the academy examination rather than the main hurdle, it was still difficult. The other scholars might have looked down on him repeatedly, but their command of the eight-legged essay and the Four Books and Five Classics was undeniable.
Of course, Zhu Ping’an did not let his joy cloud his mind. There had been some luck in taking first place this time: the Fifteen Strings of Cash question, his chance encounter with the old fisherman, and the sudden improvement in his calligraphy… Perhaps the examiners simply happened to appreciate his style. More importantly, this was only the prefectural examination, a competition among scholars from the six counties of Anqing Prefecture. Next came the academy examination. Only after passing that and becoming a xiucai would he truly enter the formal imperial-examination ladder; beyond that still lay the provincial examination, metropolitan examination, and palace examination.
The long march had just begun; this was merely a trivial first step.
Zhu Ping’an’s success as the prefectural first-place candidate astonished not only his uncle and the others, but also county first-place candidates such as Xia Luoming of Tongchengg and Feng Shanshui of Susong. The only one who remained unaffected was Wang Jin of Taihu. After looking at the list, his expression did not change, as though the top three positions had nothing to do with him.
However, Xia Luoming from Tongchengg, Feng Shanshui from Susong, and others were not as calm. They had all been striving to win first place, much like a group of lions evenly matched, none willing to yield. They quietly competed with each other, all wanting to come in first. Yet, in the blink of an eye, the gluttonous fat pig had already run wildly to the finish line, screeching.
It felt like punching into cotton.
“Ahem, Zhu Xian, congratulations,” Feng Shanshui of Susong barely managed to maintain his composure.
Xia Luoming from Tongchengg and the others, however, were somewhat enraged. They merely cupped their hands and then left.
“Zhi’er, you’ve become the top scorer?” Uncle Zhu Shouren still couldn’t believe it and reached out to pinch Zhu Ping’an.
Zhu Ping’an winced, gritting his teeth at the unexpected pinch from his uncle.
Seeing Zhu Ping’an’s pained expression, Uncle finally believed he was not dreaming. His thirteen-year-old nephew had, on his very first attempt at the Children’s Examination, not only passed but taken first place.
This was a blow.
“Younger generations are truly frightening…”
The other two villagers also sighed, helping Uncle leave. They headed to the familiar tavern, seemingly preparing to stay out all night again.
No one celebrated, so Zhu Ping’an had no choice but to celebrate on his own. Perhaps, it really could only be himself.
On his way back to the inn, Zhu Ping’an bought some wine and meat and returned to his room.
When he pushed open the door to the inn, the wine and food he was carrying were still in his hands. Looking around, the room was spotless, and his bedding was neatly folded. The room only retained a faint fragrance from the seductress.
“Hmm, she’s really gone.”
Zhu Ping’an seemed unsurprised by the departure of the seductress. Calmly, he placed the food on the table. In fact, he had known she would leave for some time; he just didn’t know exactly when.
It was still early spring, but the sound of a cuckoo bird could be heard at night. Such birds were typically heard near the end of spring or the beginning of summer, not that Zhu Ping’an knew this from village life.
“Not returning, just a signal for the accomplices to call her back,” Zhu Ping’an mused. Otherwise, why else had the seductress been tossing and turning? It was probably why he hesitated so many times when buying food, unsure when she would leave and worried he might buy too much and not be able to eat it all.
As Zhu Ping’an placed the food on the table, he noticed a letter and a fifty-tael silver note under the wine jar at the corner of the table.
This vixen was quite interesting, Zhu Ping’an smirked.