Kays Translations

Chapter 84: Struck by Dogshit Luck

The two characters “Ding Chou” on the red paper hit the faces of Uncle Zhu Shouren and others surrounding Zhu Ping’an like two loud slaps, hard enough to leave a sting.

**Pa… Pa…**

The sound still echoed. Uncle Zhu Shouren twitched at the corners of his mouth, staring blankly at the list, unable to pull his gaze away for a long time, as if he were determined to see the characters “Ding Chou” as something else.

The other students were similar to Uncle Zhu Shouren, each one stunned by the two characters “Ding Chou,” their minds in a daze…

“Cough, cough, cough, there must be a problem with the list…”

One unsuccessful student, pulling his gaze back from the first-class list, mumbled with red eyes. Besides a problem with the list, he could not think of any reason why Zhu Ping’an would make it onto the first-class list.

“Perhaps… perhaps there was a mistake during the grading…”

Another student, who couldn’t accept the result, came up with a second reason for why Zhu Ping’an might have made it onto the first-class list.

In truth, these people simply did not want to accept the result. The imperial examination system was notoriously strict, and the county examination was only its most basic level. Although it was somewhat more lenient than the prefectural and academy examinations, grading errors were still unlikely. The county examination had strict anti-cheating procedures, including having candidates’ answers recopied so that graders could not recognize handwriting or identifying marks. The graders did not read the original papers; clerks from outside the county transcribed them in red ink, and the copies were checked repeatedly, making errors such as assigning the wrong seat number very unlikely. Each paper also passed through multiple graders before the results were posted.

No matter what, however, they refused to credit Zhu Ping’an’s ability. After an animated discussion, they settled on a single explanation for his place on the first-class list: the glutton behind that snake-and-birdsong poem had simply stepped in dogshit luck!

Thus, in addition to being called a glutton, a fool, and a disaster magnet, Zhu Ping’an acquired another nickname: the dogshit-luck boy.

The six people listed in the second class were fine, but the others who failed to make the list looked at Zhu Ping’an, this boy who had gotten lucky, with strange expressions.

It wasn’t that we lacked talent; it was just that our luck was bad.

With a sigh of unwillingness, the unsuccessful students packed their things and set off on their way home.

Uncle Zhu Shouren also sighed at fate’s cruelty as he slowly walked back to the inn with the crowd. After decades of hard work, he had only made the second-class list, while Zhu Ping’an had blundered onto the first-class list through sheer luck. Fate truly played tricks on people. Still, luck could not be repeated forever, so there was no need to dwell on it. After all, Zhu Shouren had already passed the prefectural examination. Zhu Ping’an’s luck could not possibly last; his path through the imperial examinations would surely end soon. Yes, it had to.

Zhu Ping’an, who had not had a chance to speak since the list was announced, watched as everyone sighed and left, feeling powerful about his luck. He couldn’t help but slowly extend his right hand as if he wanted to call out to them.

But the next moment, the scene shifted. Zhu Ping’an turned his palm upward, brought four fingers together, and abruptly extended his middle finger, performing a gesture that was modernly popular but unknown in ancient times: the iconic middle finger salute.

At this time, everyone began to disperse, and the crowd in front of the list thinned out. Zhu Ping’an slowly walked to the front of the list to take a closer look. This county exam had over 1,300 participants in the first round, with more than 700 on the second-class list and 50 on the first-class list, along with one person at the top. The first and second-class lists were arranged in circles, without a specific ranking, and Zhu Ping’an was located in the most central small circle of the first-class list. The top candidate only had the seat number “Jia Zi,” indicating that he was seated in the front, quite far from Zhu Ping’an, and had no impact on him.

Returning to the inn, the students in the lobby congratulated Zhu Ping’an on making it onto the first-class list with mocking tones.

Zhu Ping’an responded politely to each one, seemingly oblivious to their sarcasm.

True gold fears no fire. Zhu Ping’an looked down on debating with them, finding it pointless. Not to mention that these people were likely waiting for him to argue, just to step on him and show off. After all, the first round of the county exam was actually quite basic, with seventy percent of the participants making it onto the list. There were still the second, third, and fourth rounds to go, each more challenging than the last. Let them stir up trouble; when the results of the subsequent rounds came out, their faces would be swollen from their own actions, and he wouldn’t need to lift a finger.

It would be interesting to see their expressions then.

As everyone watched Zhu Ping’an leave calmly, their mockery intensified, interpreting his calm departure as a sign of overwhelming shame.

“Look, look, he doesn’t even dare to argue; he must feel guilty inside.”

“What’s guilt? Maybe he’s up to something; he might have given some benefit to the county magistrate.”

“Shh, Brother Wang, be cautious with your words. What can this glutton, who lives in a shack, offer the county magistrate? The magistrate is famously upright and just in the county… He, this time, is just lucky. Just wait; tomorrow’s exam will surely put him back in his place…”

“Oh, that’s true. Haha, how can luck last long… Let’s see how he does in the next exam.”

The lobby grew lively. Those still at the inn were either tongsheng like Zhu Shouren, who did not need to sit the county examination, or candidates who had passed this session. After a few drinks, everyone was in high spirits. Someone suggested imitating the betting booths outside the results wall and opening a pool on whether the snake-and-birdsong glutton could make the list in the next round.

“I’ll bet 100 wen that he won’t make it.”

“I’ll bet one tael of silver that he won’t make it…”

In the end, they couldn’t open the betting table fast enough; all the students in the inn’s lobby placed their bets, but all were wagering against Zhu Ping’an.

Thus, everyone exchanged knowing smiles, feeling a sense of camaraderie, and raised their cups in unspoken agreement, toasting and drinking together.

Back in his room, Zhu Ping’an was completely unaware that he had once again become the target of everyone’s mockery. He tidied up his belongings, sat down at his desk, opened the laws and previous cases, and read with great interest under the sunlight streaming through the window.

The second round of the exam was to assess judgment, focusing on the candidates’ abilities to discern right from wrong and to draft various administrative documents. This showed that Old Zhu’s examination reform genuinely aimed to select truly educated, knowledgeable, and capable practical talents for the country. Unfortunately, the rigid eight-legged essay format severely restricted this goal.

As Zhu Ping’an read through the laws and cases, he couldn’t help but mock Old Zhu’s good intentions. Dreams may be grand, but reality is harsh. If Old Zhu knew that most of the people selected by his method were just bookworms, he would surely weep bitterly in his midnight dreams.

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