CHAPTER 171: CHAPTER 5 COUNTY EXAMINATION (3)

Ye Zhiqiu was the second one, after Gu Chengyu, to submit his exam paper. When he arrived at the hall, he already had some sweat on his forehead. Gu Chengyu knew this was due to high mental tension.

"Brother, your speed is really fast." Ye Zhiqiu saw Gu Chengyu already waiting in the hall and wasn’t surprised. This was only the first exam, and for Gu Chengyu, it shouldn’t be a problem; after all, this was his strong suit.

"Brother’s speed is not slow either. I wonder when they’ll come out." As Gu Chengyu and Ye Zhiqiu conversed, another few examinees emerged one after another, and soon a constable came to announce that they could leave the exam hall.

"Father! Uncle! Second brother! Why have you come? The inn isn’t far, we know the way. We’ll go back together once they come out." Once Gu Chengyu exited the exam hall, he saw Mr. Gu and the others at the gate, alongside many other families waiting for their examinees. Just looking at the crowded square, one could imagine how many exam candidates there were this time.

"Waiting for you! Has Hua not come out?" Before Mr. Gu replied, Uncle Gu urgently asked about Gu Wanhua’s situation.

"Brother Ye and I were among the first to come out; we submitted early. Second son and Hua might take a bit longer and have to wait for the second release period."

"Why did you come out so early? Didn’t finish writing?" Gu Chengyi asked in confusion.

"Of course, we finished writing; we write quickly." Gu Chengyu wasn’t usually talkative with Gu Chengyi, but being questioned about not finishing made him not want to converse any further.

"Brother! If you’re not in a hurry, why don’t you wait and head back together?" Ye Zhiqiu was alone, unlike the Gu Family group.

"There’s nothing to do at the inn; tomorrow will be the day the results are posted. Going back won’t allow me to settle down to read, so I might as well wait here with you." Ye Zhiqiu nodded, fearing he might overthink if alone.

The second group came out quickly; this time, He Shunian and Sun Xian also came out. Gu Chengyu noticed their confident expressions and guessed they had probably performed well.

Upon exiting the exam hall, Sun Xian immediately looked around to see if Gu Chengyu and the others had come out. After scanning briefly, he spotted the Gu Family beneath a large tree.

"Chengyu! You must have done well this time, right? It’s what you’re best at." Sun Xian and He Shunian approached them with companionable steps.

"We’ll see tomorrow when the results are posted. Hua and second son are still missing, kindly wait for them too; they should be out any moment now." It was late afternoon and two more releases were expected.

Gu Wanhua and Gu Wanjiang came out together, with one final group following them. Gu Wanjiang walked with relief, glad his knowledge of the Four Books was fairly solid, though he had spent considerable time on three questions. In his estimation, he should pass.

"Here they come!" Gu Chengyi eagerly scanned the crowd for second son, and upon finally spotting his son’s figure, he exhaled with relief, hoping that being out before the final group meant he had completed the exam well.

"Second son! How was the exam?" Gu Chengyi hastily inquired as second son and others approached.

"I should pass; where’s Little Uncle?" Second son felt fairly confident about this exam, but seeing Gu Chengyu and the others already waiting made him slightly uneasy.

"Whether you pass remains to be seen with tomorrow’s results. There are many people here, let’s discuss at the inn first."

Meanwhile, Uncle Gu had hurried to join Gu Wanhua, asking about the exam.

When Gu Chengyu and the others arrived at the inn, it was bustling with voices as the scholars discussed the exam.

"I heard there were over three hundred candidates in this exam! So many people!" A scholar exclaimed loudly to his tablemates.

"What? That many? Then surely the difficulty of passing has increased!" Another scholar reacted with immediate concern.

"Indeed! Passing this county examination is increasingly difficult!" Several nearby lamented.

Gu Chengyu and the others decided to return to their rooms first and come down later for dinner.

"Look, even such a young candidate appeared in this exam." One scholar recognized Gu Chengyu from the exam hall, where Gu Chengyu had been seated not far from him.

"Humph! No wonder there are so many people in this exam. Even young kids come to test; aren’t they just filling space?" A forty-something examinee scoffed.

Upon hearing the comment about his age, Gu Chengyu was compelled to respond.

"Brother, such words are incorrect, aren’t they? There’s a saying: ambition doesn’t depend on age. As long as the learning is complete, one can take the exam. Does the county examination have any age restrictions?"

At this moment, He Shunian and Sun Xian came forward to support, being his fellow graduates from the same private school, and couldn’t let their teacher be discredited.

"It’s amusing to hear brother’s comments. Everyone knows that examinees in the hall range in age, so why should only brother be allowed and not those younger or older?"

"I merely suggest he’s too young, possibly hasn’t even finished memorizing the Four Books. Coming to the exam might be a waste of time." Although more candidates indicate increased admissions, competition remains fierce.

"How does brother know I haven’t completed the Four Books? Without knowing them, how could I attend this exam? Tomorrow’s results will reveal the truth." Gu Chengyu, having said his piece, saluted the scholars and headed upstairs with Mr. Gu and the others.

The commotion had caught the attention of other examinees, and familiar faces stepped forward to mediate. Truly it was the other candidate who had stirred the trouble.

"Brother, don’t take it to heart; you know I’m not good with words, but I’m always by your side." Ye Zhiqiu flushed as he spoke to Gu Chengyu.

"Brother is overthinking; they are insignificant people, why worry over them?" Gu Chengyu, having noticed Ye Zhiqiu’s supportive stance earlier, understood his intentions even if Ye Zhiqiu was not articulate.

Some people fail but don’t reflect internally, always blaming others. Such people find progress difficult. The candidate had likely failed many times and, seeing the crowd at this exam, became anxious.

The next day when the results were posted, Gu Chengyu and the others struggled to reach the board, where a large red paper was displayed with seat numbers arranged by rank.

Gu Chengyu began by looking at the center of the circle. He was confident in himself; good handwriting, neat answers, and no mistakes were crucial for the first round, essentially ensuring a pass. At the center, he saw the top position was occupied by seat number five, prominently displayed.

Although surprised to be first, Gu Chengyu felt a surge of excitement, calmed himself, and started searching for others’ seat numbers. They had exchanged numbers earlier, agreeing to help one another. The crowd was dense.

Utilizing his inner strength, Gu Chengyu maintained his position despite the jostling crowd. Looking further, he first spotted Ye Zhiqiu at the eighth rank. Continuing, he found Sun Xian at seventeenth.

As he continued, a nearby wail erupted, "How is it possible I haven’t passed? What’s happening?"

Gu Chengyu didn’t turn to look, as such outbursts were common in the exam halls and unremarkable.

After finishing his search, he managed to squeeze out of the crowd, though his hair was tousled from the ruckus.