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“It seems not, the exams were rather dull, and the questions weren’t particularly fresh,” Song Jingyun remarked as other candidates leaving the exam room brushed past them.
“Hey, what was the situation with the person pulled out of the exam room? What caused such a commotion?” someone inquired.
“I heard they were caught attempting to frame others for cheating, dragged out by the patrol official. They’re facing charges of cheating and conspiracy, compounding their crimes,” another replied.
“Tsk tsk, that person must have regretted it deeply. Their screaming was like a pig being slaughtered, truly tarnishing the reputation of scholars!”
“Indeed, the commotion was probably heard by everyone in the entire Imperial College.”
Jiang Mixia: “…”
After glancing at him, Song Jingyun scratched his head. “Is this really related to the Imperial College? Why didn’t I hear any commotion?”
“Perhaps the young sir was too focused on the exam, so it’s not unusual not to have heard anything,” Xun Yuanbai intervened, trying to assert his presence.
“Likely,” Jiang Mixia nodded in agreement.
“It’s truly unfortunate. I wonder what bad luck befell them to encounter such a candidate.”
“What kind of candidate made you so upset?” one candidate asked.
“The one who, instead of resting after finishing the exam, decided to toast buns. The aroma was so enticing, it stirred up my appetite and distracted me from my own exam.”
“…Is that really happening?”
“Yes, I’ve never encountered such a uniquely fascinating candidate before.”
Jiang Mixia glanced at Song Jingyun once again.
After pondering for a while, Song Jingyun still couldn’t figure out a dish that would be both delicious and not disturb others with its aroma after being toasted, feeling somewhat disappointed.
It seemed like he would have to refrain from indulging in these charcoal-toasted delicacies for the time being.
“Endure a few more days. Once the exams are over, you can feast to your heart’s content,” after saying that Jiang Mixia advised Song Jingyun to freshen up at the inn, change into clean clothes, and ordered a variety of dishes for him to sample and satisfy his hunger.
Roasted lamb, mouth-watering chicken, braised pork, sweet and sour fish, assorted stir-fried vegetables, crispy lotus root slices, cold tofu salad…
An array of dishes was laid out on the table. However, to prevent Song Jingyun from overeating and falling ill, Jiang Mixia instructed the staff to serve the dishes in small portions on separate plates, allowing for a diverse selection with just the right amount of each dish.
After enduring three days of hardship, Song Jingyun almost devoured the meal with gusto, eating more rice than usual, finishing almost half a bowl.
After opening up his appetite, Song Jingyun knew he still had to return to the Imperial College in the afternoon. Concerned about overeating before the upcoming session, he decided to eat only half of the meal and then stopped.
After a brief rest at the inn, Jiang Mixia and Xun Yuanbai accompanied Song Jingyun back to the Imperial College.
This exam lasted for three days, covering the Five Classics and one essay, as well as a question on edicts, judgments, memorials, and imperial decrees, each requiring a response of over three hundred words.
The second exam was notably more challenging than the first. Following the initial exam, candidates had a better sense of their performance, adding to the pressure for the second round.
Those who did well in the first round dared not be complacent, while those who struggled exerted even more effort. With the experience of the first round, candidates were slightly more accustomed to the environment at the Imperial College, approaching the second exam with increased focus and diligence.
With the incident involving Zhang Zhenghao during the first exam, no one dared to engage in any private activities during this round, making the atmosphere even quieter than the first exam.
Learning from the first exam, Song Jingyun adjusted his approach. Instead of hastily writing after finishing the questions to combat boredom, he paced himself this time, writing slowly but with depth.
Despite exercising restraint, his creativity flowed effortlessly. By the time he finished the last few words of the final essay, he still had half a day left.
Well, more boredom ahead.
Feeling a bit frustrated, Song Jingyun eyed the potatoes beside the charcoal fire, tempted to roast them. However, considering the impact on other candidates, he hesitated and decided to suppress the urge.
Roasted potatoes…
Song Jingyun, troubled by this idea, feeling restless, grabbed a piece of paper and penned down three words in bold strokes.
After finishing, he shook his head and sighed.
While ancient people found solace in the thought of plums, Song Jingyun found comfort in writing about roasted potatoes to curb his cravings.
Speaking of roasted potatoes, they seemed delicious no matter how they were prepared.
Braised potatoes, stir-fried shredded potatoes, deep-fried potato sticks, cold tossed silkworm potatoes after frying, hearty dry pot potatoes, fragrant cumin roasted potatoes, tender potato pancake strips, potato slices stir-fried with cured meat, potato and egg pancakes, rolled potato pancakes…
Unknowingly, the paper was filled with the various ways Song Jingyun could think of to cook potatoes.
By the time they left the exam room for the second round and returned to the inn with Jiang Mixia and Xun Yuanbai for some rest, Song Jingyun made sure to order several potato dishes.
Stewed pork with potatoes, potato simmered rice, minced meat stir-fried with potatoes, and more.
Jiang Mixia was a bit puzzled as to why her young husband suddenly took a liking to potatoes. However, since he enjoyed them, she saw no reason to deny him and instructed the inn’s kitchen to prepare a variety of potato dishes. She even personally cooked potato mash fried meatballs for Song Jingyun.
The third round of exams quickly commenced.
While the previous two rounds tested knowledge of academic subjects, the third round focused on current affairs and opinions on contemporary issues. This round was often seen as the one where candidates could distinguish themselves the most.
Many were eager to showcase their abilities, discussing what the current affairs section might entail just moments before entering the exam hall.
Historically, and as speculated by most candidates, the current affairs section typically covered topics such as taxation, water management, drought resistance, governance, and the well-field system.
However, as candidates entered their designated rooms at the Imperial College and laid eyes on the distributed exam papers, they were all taken aback.