flstandardbreds Chapter 136 The Autumn Imperial Examination Ends
Chapter 136 The Autumn Imperial Examination Ends
Chapter 136: The Autumn Examination Ends
At the third quarter of the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), the deep night gave way to the first light of dawn. The entire capital city was still asleep, but the Imperial Examination Hall, where the provincial examination was being held, was brightly lit all night long.
The autumn imperial examinations concluded yesterday, but none of the candidates were allowed to leave. This is because in the Great Xia Kingdom, after the examinations conclude, invigilators collect the candidates' answer sheets and conduct a preliminary check overnight. If any identical answer sheets are found, the chief examiner will immediately order the arrest and immediate punishment of the cheating candidate.
With an indifferent expression, Ye Yanxun watched as a candidate shouted "Injustice!" and was taken away by the guards. He casually toyed with the uneven surface of the incense pill.
This is the seventeenth time. This is the seventeenth student caught cheating. We don't know what will become of them.
Before the autumn imperial examination, Ye Yingrou was also taken away by the guards, and she has never returned since, which is really a bad omen. If it weren't for the fragrant pill that Ye Pianran gave him, he wouldn't have been able to concentrate on answering the questions in this provincial examination at all, as his mind would have been completely preoccupied with Ye Yingrou's safety.
Rou'er has really gone too far this time. He just hopes that someone will realize she's a girl and won't make things too difficult for her...
The Ministry of Rites' investigation continued until 9:00 AM, when no further problems could be found, and only then was the bell in the examination hall rung again.
"When-when-when-"
As the deep sound of the bronze bell echoed through the examination hall, a tall and noble figure dressed in purple robes appeared on the platform. It was none other than the fourth prince, Prince Nanping, who was in charge of this autumn examination.
"This autumn examination has now concluded. The results will be posted on the bulletin board of the examination hall in fifteen days. Please remember to come and check them."
Upon receiving this message, the students sitting in their examination cells knew it was time to leave. In an instant, the examination hall was filled with a deafening commotion, even more lively than before the autumn examinations began.
Ye Yanxun packed his bags and left the cell. His eyes searched the crowd carefully, hoping to spot Ye Yingrou. Just then, someone rushed up from behind and grabbed his shoulder tightly. Tong Zhu and Yan Ning's voices followed:
"Brother Ye, how did the exam go?"
"Judging from Brother Ye's confident demeanor, he must have done quite well on the exam."
Interrupted from his thoughts, Ye Yanxun could only turn around, smile at Tong Zhu and Yan Ning, and say, "We don't know the outcome yet, and can only say that we've done our best."
“Not bad, just do your best. I’ll tell the old man the same thing when I get home,” Tong Zhu said with a nonchalant laugh.
"Let's go, let's go home and get a good night's sleep." Yan Ning stretched out a big yawn, put her hands behind her head, and strolled leisurely towards the outside of the examination hall.
Ye Yanxun glanced back at the watchtower one last time, then gritted his teeth and caught up with the two of them.
At this moment, Ye Yingrou, whom Ye Yanxun cared about most, had removed the human skin mask from her face, changed out of her men's clothing, and returned to her original appearance. She stood under the platform, bowing her head and waiting.
Seeing that most of the examinees had left the examination hall, Chunyu Jing turned around, hands behind his back, and leisurely descended from the high platform. As he passed Ye Yingrou, a slight smile played on his lips as he said:
"I'm back."
Ye Yingrou curtsied and said, "Yes, Your Highness."
Chunyu Jing led Ye Yingrou out through another side gate of the examination hall. Along the way, they passed many officials and guards, who all cast strange glances at Ye Yingrou, thinking to themselves: The Fourth Prince did not bring any maids with him when he came, so why did he have someone with him when he left?
Indeed, Ye Yingrou lost her bet with Chunyu Jing, and Chunyu Jing's punishment for her was to make her work as a maid in the Prince's mansion.
Although she was merely an orphan of the Marquis's family who had been separated from her family, her father was still a Marquis, and he doted on her immensely, even going to great lengths to pave the way for her at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. To be transformed from a young lady who was served into a maidservant who was ordered around was already a form of humiliation, but for Ye Yingrou, this was exactly the outcome she wanted, and she didn't feel wronged.
only……
Looking at the tall, elegant figure in purple walking ahead, Ye Yingrou bit her lip and cautiously said, "Your Highness, I did not inform my family of my departure this time. Could you please allow me to..."
Chunyu Jing did not turn around, and said:
"Now that you have made your choice, you are now a member of the Prince's Mansion and have no home to speak of. However, I am not the kind of harsh and unforgiving master. Although you cannot go back, you can write a letter, and I will send someone to deliver it to your mother."
Ye Yingrou took a deep breath and could only say, "This servant understands, thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."
After leaving the examination hall, Chunyu Jing nimbly boarded the carriage and sat down. Ye Yingrou, as a maid, could not sit with her master and could only walk on both sides of the carriage like the other servants, heading towards the Prince of Nanping's mansion.
They entered through the side gate, which meant that Ye Yingrou brushed past An Shihou and Xu Pingyue, who were waiting to greet Ye Yanxun at the main gate.
After Ye Yanxun, Tong Zhu, and Yan Ning came out of the main gate of the examination hall, they immediately saw the Marquis's carriage. The carriage was particularly conspicuous in the bustling and crowded road, but even more conspicuous was the Marquis Anshi standing by the carriage waiting.
Tong Zhu laughed, patted Ye Yanxun on the shoulder, and said, "Brother Ye, Yan Ning and I will be waiting for your good news in fifteen days."
Ye Yanxun laughed and said, "Don't just wait for me, maybe the two of you will be on the list too."
Tong Zhu pursed his lips, waved his hand, and said, "It's hard to say, it's hard to say. I'm leaving now, see you later." After saying that, he and Yan Ning continued to walk away arm in arm.
Ye Yanxun shook his head with a helpless smile, returned to the carriage in front of the Marquis's residence, bowed to Marquis Anshi, and called out "Father".
Marquis Anshi did not ask Ye Yanxun how he had done on the exam. Instead, he nodded and turned to get into his carriage. It wasn't that he didn't care about Ye Yanxun's exam, but rather that he had great confidence in his abilities and knowledge. The provincial exam was just a threshold; after that, there was the metropolitan exam and the palace exam. The palace exam was the crucial moment that would determine his official career.
Ye Yanxun was well aware of this and followed closely behind An Shihou into the carriage. However, just as he was about to lift the curtain, An Shihou turned around and glanced at Ye Yanxun. Ye Yanxun was puzzled by this glance, and when the curtain was lifted, he immediately froze in place.
Inside the carriage sat a beautiful woman, as lovely as a lotus emerging from water. She gazed tenderly at Ye Yanxun, her eyes glistening, as if she were suppressing the emotions surging within her.
After regaining his senses, Ye Yanxun immediately stepped into the car, casually put his luggage aside, knelt down in front of Xu Pingyue, took her hand, and said with surprise, "Mother, why have you come?"
Xu Pingyue gently stroked Ye Yanxun's hair and said softly, "Of course I'm here to take you home."
Ye Yanxun laughed and said, "Seeing Mother makes me very happy, and all my fatigue has disappeared."
Marquis Anshi also sat down and said with a smile, "Alright, let's talk about it when we get home. Your mother has prepared a table full of delicious food for you."
The carriage swayed slightly as it moved towards the Xu residence in Yanliu Lane.