The government officer posted the examination results.
Everyone craned their necks to see the names on the list.
Zhong Lanhua and Zhang Zhaodi crowded with each other, neither willing to give way.
"Looking here is a waste for you. How could that fool in your family possibly pass as a Scholar? If it were so easy, everyone would go for it," Zhong Lanhua mocked.
"Oh please, if that dung pile in your family can become a Scholar, why can’t our clean and handsome son-in-law? Heaven sees everything."
"Enough arguing, quickly check if their names are there." The people beside tried to intervene.
Zhong Lanhua and Zhang Zhaodi snorted at each other and craned their necks again to see the names on the list.
Jiang Yihuan had no interest in listening to their bickering and had been searching for Xiao Yanci’s name since the beginning. She started from the first name and continued downwards, her expression growing darker with each search.
Zhong Lanhua, who couldn’t recognize many characters to begin with, was now more dizzy. She tugged at Jiang Yihuan beside her, urging and inquiring, "Did you find it?"
Zhang Zhaodi was about to ask Jiang Jing and Zhang Yingdi beside her when she heard Zhang Yingdi pointing towards the middle, saying, "There it is, Wang Shu’s name is there!"
"Wang Shu made the list?" Zhang Zhaodi asked excitedly, "Look carefully and confirm, is it really true?"
Jiang Jing echoed beside, "It’s Brother-in-law’s name indeed."
"Also Zhong Chushan and Chen Buyu..." Zhang Yingdi said, "But their names are further down. Wang Shu’s name is ranked in the thirties!"
"As long as they are on the list, it means they passed, all the same," Zhang Zhaodi cheerfully said.
"No, it’s not the same," a middle-aged woman beside said, "The higher the rank, the stronger their position. Your son-in-law being in the thirties shows remarkable strength!"
"Thank you, thank you, everyone is strong," Zhang Zhaodi laughed gleefully.
Her joy increased seeing Zhong Lanhua’s sour face beside her.
"Your dung pile didn’t pass? Don’t be discouraged, you can try next time. Your family’s candidate was so exhausted that he almost couldn’t make it; now just staying alive is fortunate in itself."
"Who said Brother Xiao didn’t pass?" Jiang Yihuan pointed to the name on the list. "His name is there."
Zhang Zhaodi followed her direction to look but couldn’t recognize it, asking Zhang Yingdi beside her, "Look, is it Xiao Ci’s name?"
"It is indeed his name, but it’s at the last spot," Zhang Yingdi said.
"The last spot? Hahaha... Making lofty claims before about becoming the future Champion Scholar, naturally gifted, but ended up with the last spot," Zhang Zhaodi laughed exaggeratedly.
Zhong Lanhua was fuming.
She rushed to the government officer, displeased, saying, "There’s something wrong with this list, it’s shady. Did you falsify it?"
Jiang Yihuan couldn’t believe Zhong Lanhua had the guts to confront the government.
She hurriedly went forward to hold Zhong Lanhua back, "Mother, don’t say such things."
"I also want to ask, why are the rankings like this on the list?" Xiao Yanci stood not far away, looking angrily at the names on the list.
In the previous life, he clearly ranked first; how could he rank last this time?
The exam questions this time were exactly the same as in his previous life, and he answered even better. Despite the unexpected appearance of Zhou Wangshu, this result is unreasonable.
There’s only one possibility, the list has issues.
Xiao Yanci spoke out, leading the unsuccessful candidates to question the fairness of the examination process too.
The government officer saw it and was furious, "You, as a scholar, have shallow knowledge and don’t look for reasons within yourself, yet dare to slander the Lord County Magistrate."
"If the review is fair and just, what’s there to hide from us?" Xiao Yanci said, "I demand that our exam papers be shown publicly."
"Indeed, it’s incomprehensible how people like Zhong Chushan and Chen Buyu made the list; this raises doubts over the entire fairness of the examination," a scholar remarked.
"We too demand our exam papers be made public. Even if it turns out we’re just not good enough, we want to see the facts clearly."
County Magistrate Chen walked out from the county government.
Everyone stopped talking and bowed toward County Magistrate Chen.
"You want to see the exam papers made public. I act uprightly with nothing to hide. Bring out all the exam papers of the candidates," he ordered.
By the time Su Yaoguang and Zhou Wangshu arrived, the county government was already in chaos and the exam papers had been displayed.
Everyone scrutinized the papers of Zhong Chushan and Chen Buyu, whom they belittled. Upon examining their papers, they had to admit their loss was not unjustified.
Without their knowledge, those they looked down on had made rapid progress. Not only was their content more insightful, but their neat handwriting showed significant effort in private.
The list’s hundreds of names surely withstand scrutiny. Only Xiao Yanci was an exception; although his content was commendable, even potentially first-ranked, his handwriting was disorderly, varying from large to small, thin to thick, with an unusual odor lingering, which had greatly troubled the examiner grading his paper.
"Rumor has it you were unwell during the exam days, refusing to leave it marked with lavatory stains, you handled the excretion right there. Your spirit is admirable, but your conduct disgraceful. You must know, servants cleaning up after you were so disgusted they couldn’t eat for days. Were your answers not satisfactory, even the last spot would not have been given to you."
County Magistrate Chen showed no favor towards Xiao Yanci this troublemaker, airing his shameful fact before everyone.
Xiao Yanci’s face darkened.
He had been trying to forget that incident, yet now it was brought up again, feeling like having a buried corpse unearthed, unbearably nauseating.
Xiao Yanci specifically examined Zhou Wangshu’s paper.
He realized he underestimated Zhou Wangshu.
Although Zhou Wangshu’s paper was standard, with no remarkable areas, such good standards were indeed rare, enough for him to earn the Scholar title.
However, he hadn’t lost.
This time was just bad luck.
Next time, he would take care of his health, leaving no opportunity for others to surpass him.
Xiao Yanci had no choice but to accept the result.
Zhang Zhaodi saw Xiao Yanci had settled down, realizing the situation was decided.
She said to Zhou Wangshu, "My two godsons are truly capable, usually seen as carefree, unexpectedly made waves in secrecy!"
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