Chapter 136

Mr. Zheng and Old Mr. Shen didn’t want to disturb Mu Er Pang’s mood before the exam, so they didn’t go to see him off for a few days.

In the days after Mu Er Pang finished the exam, the two old men were still extremely anxious.

On the day the results were announced, they initially said they wouldn’t go, since they couldn’t read anyway.

They let Shen Cui take Mu Er Pang to check the results, and then come back and tell them.

But even though they said that, they spent another sleepless night, their eyes bloodshot from worry.

Shen Cui suggested, “Why don’t both of you come along? You’re restless at home anyway. The earlier you go, the sooner you’ll know, and the less anxious you’ll be.”

Mu Er Pang nodded in agreement, “Besides, there will be a lot of people at the announcement, what if Mom and I can’t squeeze in…”

Hearing that they could be of help, Mr. Zheng and Old Mr. Shen didn’t hesitate and immediately went out together.

At that time, it was just dawn, and the neighbors nearby were just getting up and hadn’t yet left their homes.

As they approached the place where the results were being posted, the crowd thickened.

Before the county exam, the list of names was usually posted on a round board, but the final results were on a long board to prevent duplicate names.

Next to each name, there would be a description of where the person was from to avoid confusion.

Although Yongnian County wasn’t large, due to the presence of the Qingzhu Academy, which had a solid foundation, it usually had around forty to fifty people passing the exam each year.

With so many names on the long board, it was a bit challenging to find a specific one.

Old Mr. Shen and Mrs. Zheng immediately surrounded their son and helped him push forward.

“Why are you pushing?”

“Yeah, even if you push forward, it doesn’t guarantee your name is on the list!”

Since those who had already seen their results were passing through, many of them were disappointed and vented their frustrations, which weren’t pleasant to hear.

Normally, Mrs. Zheng would retort, but today, she was too focused on Mu Er Pang’s results to respond.

Coincidentally, they ran into the brothers from the He family. Despite not having slept all night and getting up before dawn to come from Xiaohe Village, they had made it here too.

With the help of the He brothers, Shen Cui and the others were able to move forward smoothly and finally see the names on the long board.

Mrs. Zheng, leading the way at the front, was the first to spot the announcement.

Before others could see clearly, she stuttered, her lips trembling, “Mu… Mu… Mu…”

Although Mrs. Zheng couldn’t read many characters, she recognized “Mu”!

At the top of the list was Mu Hanshan from Shuiyun Village!

Mu Er Pang was pleasantly surprised.

While he had performed well in the first four exams, the last one… Was it the innovative idea he came up with on the spot that compensated for his lack of literary talent?

“It really is the top of the list!” Shen Cui exclaimed, her heart racing.

Knowing her son’s abilities, Shen Cui had thought he would secure a spot in the top five, but she hadn’t expected him to rank first!

Top of Form

Especially when she recalled Mu Er Pang’s diligent and hardworking appearance over the past few years, Shen Cui’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Congratulations, Brother Mu!” He Qing and He Yan exclaimed simultaneously, both wearing genuine smiles.

Many people nearby heard their conversation, and their reactions varied. Some who had seen their own names on the list were overjoyed initially, but upon hearing that the top scorer was nearby, they looked and saw only a young man barely reaching their chin.

Their joy diminished, and their expressions became complicated. Others, who found their names absent from the list, were stunned and pale.

Upon hearing the news, some even fainted, luckily surrounded by enough people to catch them before they hit the ground.

The local authorities were prepared for such reactions. Besides the bailiffs, they had dispatched doctors in advance to tend to those who needed medical attention immediately.

Truly, it was a case of “as some rejoice, others grieve.”

Mu Er Pang then asked Shen Cui to take Mrs. Zheng and Old Mr. Shen to stand aside for a moment.

The two elderly were overwhelmed with excitement—Mrs. Zheng was crying uncontrollably, and Old Mr. Shen’s eyes were red too.

Shen Cui led them aside to rest and calm their overly excited emotions.

Meanwhile, Mu Er Pang accompanied He Qing and He Yan to check their own rankings.

As they navigated through the crowd, they ran into Zhang Zian.

Knowing his own abilities well, Zhang Zian had started from the back of the list to check the results. Now, the two groups met in the middle of the board.

In this section of the list, they all saw Zhang Zian’s name—he ranked twentieth.

He Qing’s name was not far from his, at twenty-sixth place.

After exchanging congratulations, He Qing and Zhang Zian fell silent at the same time.

Since Mu Er Pang and the others had checked from the front, while Zhang Zian had checked from the back, neither side had seen He Yan’s name.

“Let’s check again. I was only concerned about myself just now; maybe I missed it!” Zhang Zian suggested.

So, He Qing and Mu Er Pang each held one of He Yan’s hands and looked back.

By now, most of the people rushing to check the results had finished, so the pressure from the crowd had decreased significantly.

The four of them were able to look without obstruction.

However, Zhang Zian hadn’t missed it—He Yan’s name wasn’t on the list.

Afterward, they fell silent, but He Yan smiled and said, “It’s okay. My brother took four years to pass the exam, while I’ve only been at it for two! Don’t look so down just because of me. Those of you who passed should be happy. That’s what would really make me unhappy!”

Though his smile seemed somewhat forced, He Yan was genuinely happy for everyone.

He draped an arm around He Qing’s shoulder and grabbed Mu Er Pang’s hand, saying, “Especially you, Brother Mu. Passing the county exam at such a young age. I might not have passed this year, but meeting you is already a stroke of luck for me!”

His broad-mindedness eased Mu Er Pang’s group’s worries.

“I’ll treat you guys. Let’s find a small stall and have breakfast together. It’s a good opportunity to catch up,” Mu Er Pang suggested.

The others nodded, and Mu Er Pang prepared to go back and inform Shen Cui.

However, just then, before the crowd had fully dispersed, a piercing scream rang out, “How is this possible? How can I not be on the list?”

The voice was very familiar, and they immediately recognized the person behind the scream—Huang Junping!

Every year during the county exam results, there were students who behaved recklessly. But since it was only the initial test for children, if they didn’t pass this year, they could try again next year.

Passing also marked just the first step in the imperial examination. It was rare to see someone go mad like this.

So, the crowd that had just begun to disperse quickly gathered again.

Mu Er Pang and his group, standing in front of the board, were pushed forward by the crowd.

They watched as Huang Junping’s hair was disheveled, and he cried and screamed incoherently.

The adults from the Huang family who came with him also looked stunned, apparently not expecting this turn of events.

When they tried to comfort Huang Junping, they were blocked by the crowd.

Seeing the bailiff with the sword about to approach, Zhang Zian pleaded with a look at Mu Er Pang and the others. They joined forces to pull Huang Junping away from the bulletin board, where he intended to throw himself.

“Huang, calm down!” Zhang Zian wiped his forehead anxiously.

“Huang, I didn’t pass this year either. Let’s work hard together next year,” He Yan revealed his own failure to comfort him.

But Huang Junping couldn’t hear them at all. He continued to shout, “It’s impossible! After the first exam, I was even given a hall name. Though I didn’t excel in the subsequent exams, they were still decent. And in the final exam, my essay was quick and excellent!”

He was truly frenzied. He Qing and He Yan were afraid of hurting him, so they didn’t dare to forcefully restrain him.

Zhang Zian tried to cover his mouth but almost got bitten by Huang Junping, so he refrained from reaching out.

After his outburst, other unsuccessful candidates started discussing, “This person may be crazy, but he doesn’t seem to be lying.”

Someone else added, “That’s true. Every year, those given hall names perform exceptionally well in at least one exam. Even if they don’t secure a position, they shouldn’t be absent from the list.”

Following this discussion, some began to speculate that there was something fishy about this year’s county exam results.

Sensing trouble, the bailiff went to report to the county magistrate, who soon arrived.

“Who’s causing a disturbance?” The magistrate, who had been busy with the county exam for days and finally had a moment’s respite, was naturally annoyed at being disturbed for no apparent reason. His authority was even more pronounced.

The scholars who had just been discussing fell silent.

Huang Junping dared not make any more noise.

He simply clenched his teeth, suppressing his bitterness and resentment.

With no response, the bailiff nearby stepped forward to recount what Huang Junping and the other scholars had said.

The county magistrate stroked his beard and said, “Indeed, scholars given hall names rarely fail to make the list. But this year, there seems to be an exception… The student who was just making a scene, come forward. I have only one question for you.”

In the presence of the county magistrate, Zhang Zian and the others released Huang Junping, who stumbled forward.

The county magistrate asked him only one question, “In the final exam, the essay topic was ‘Feng Fu Rang Bi.’ The line ‘Jade fingers are delicate and soft, golden lotus steps are charming’—did you write that?”

“That’s correct, it was written by this student!” Huang Junping admitted promptly.

That poem was truly the best he had ever written in his life. Even after returning home and reflecting on it repeatedly, he couldn’t think of a single word he could have written better!

Look, even the county magistrate could recite it now. That shows how talented he is…

Huang Junping thought to himself, but he saw Mu Er Pang, Zhang Zian, He Qing, He Yan, and even the other scholars who had spoken up for him looking rather complex.

“Absurd!” With a disdainful snort, the county magistrate waved his sleeve, no longer bothering to speak to him, and walked away.

As the county magistrate left, the surrounding crowd, just as confused as Huang Junping himself, quickly turned to the scholars for explanation.

Someone laughed heartily and said, “This fellow is truly amusing. Feng Fu was a historical hero, with ‘Feng’ being the surname and ‘Fu’ being the given name. Yet he wrote a poem describing a woman’s beauty! Not only has this fellow not even read books like ‘Mencius,’ he has also thrown the rules of exam essays out of the window and dares to complain about unfairness?!”

Those unfamiliar with scholarly matters were still somewhat puzzled after hearing this, but they grasped one thing: this scholar had written something suggestive in the imperial examination!

“This young man looks quite decent. How could he write something like this?”

“Doesn’t this fit the saying ‘Books bring out one’s beauty’?”

Laughter erupted from the crowd. Huang Junping’s face alternated between red and pale, and eventually, he fainted.

His family members finally managed to push through the crowd and hurriedly carried him away to find a doctor!