Song Yu trudged with heavy steps toward his assigned examination cell—Cell Jia-80.
The stench cell.
The cell was right next to the latrine. The moment he stepped inside, a musty odor assaulted his senses. Song Yu looked up at the sky in exasperation and flipped it the middle finger.
Was this some kind of joke?
Before the exam began, Song Yu spent all his time lighting incense. First, he burned sandalwood, filling the cell with its fragrance. Then he hung a pouch of "Toad Palace" incense around his neck. Still unsatisfied, he sprinkled a layer of powdered incense along the eaves of the cell.
After all this, he sat down and earnestly prayed that as few people as possible would visit the latrine during the exam.
Even if the Toad Palace incense worked, it couldn’t withstand a constant stream of visitors.
The gong sounded, marking the official start of the provincial exam.
Since the exam spanned several days, candidates had to manage their time wisely. When Song Yu saw the exam questions, he rolled his eyes internally at Ye Shijie.
"That old man’s questions are as ruthless as ever."
After grumbling, he dutifully began answering.
Ling Ming and Zheng Fang were luckier—neither was assigned a stench cell. In fact, Zheng Fang got Cell Yi-1, the farthest from the latrine.
Neither could truly understand Song Yu’s suffering.
Meanwhile...
Shen Qingping finally found time to deal with some cases in Ji’an Prefecture. The prisoners who had hoped he’d forgotten them were sorely disappointed.
"I heard you didn’t want to see me?"
Shen Qingping had reverted to his usual intimidating self—the high-ranking official who struck fear into criminals.
"N-No, of course not! I was just waiting to confess everything to you, my lord. I was getting anxious when you didn’t come sooner."
The prisoner forced a flattering smile, cursing his own bad luck.
......
"My lady, it looks like rain."
Song Shihuan stood under the eaves, watching the darkening sky with a trace of worry in her brow.
"Yes," she murmured. "Ever since Father entered the examination hall today, I’ve felt uneasy, as if something bad is about to happen."
"Don’t say such things!" Baoxia quickly interjected. "His Highness and my lady are blessed by fortune. Nothing bad will happen."
"Rain during the exams isn’t unheard of. Many candidates have had their papers ruined by leaks, invalidating their results." Song Shihuan tightened her grip on her handkerchief. "I just hope everything goes smoothly for Father."
"Young Master Shen installed waterproof cloth for His Highness. Don’t worry, my lady."
If Song Yu could hear his daughter’s thoughts, he’d be on the verge of tears.
Smooth? Far from it.
Halfway through the first day, thunder rumbled, and rain began pelting down in heavy sheets.
Summer storms were sudden and fierce, impossible to predict.
"What are you doing?"
A patrolling officer barked at Song Yu, who was rolling paper into small cylinders instead of answering questions.
"It’s not what it looks like..." Song Yu forced a pained smile. "The stench is unbearable. The Toad Palace incense only masks so much. I’m just rolling paper to plug my nose."
As he spoke, he stuffed the paper into his nostrils—a perfect fit.
The officer gave him a sympathetic look. "Focus on your exam."
This poor man had been assigned the stench cell and caught in a downpour.
......
Song Yu steeled himself and finished the Four Books and Five Classics sections. To be safe, he drafted his answers on scrap paper first, revising them multiple times before carefully transcribing them onto the official exam sheets.
After all, every candidate at this level was skilled. Song Yu refused to lose points over careless mistakes.
Night fell, but the rain showed no sign of stopping.
Hearing snores from the neighboring cell, Song Yu glanced at the long-neglected roof and suppressed a scoff. Some people really didn’t care.
His candle burned late into the night.
Sure enough, by midnight, water began dripping through the roof. Song Yu swiftly spread the waterproof cloth, ensuring his exam papers were safely shielded beneath layers of protection.
Only when everything was secure did he allow himself a brief respite, leaning against the wall for a two-hour nap.
"My papers! The rain ruined my papers! How could the roof leak?!"
The panicked shouts from the next cell jolted Song Yu awake. He immediately checked his own papers, relieved to find them unharmed, then leaned back with a sigh.
"No shouting in the examination hall! Violators will be disqualified!"
The officers arrived swiftly, leaving only the sound of the candidate’s sobs behind.
The cruelty of the provincial exam lay in its relentless elimination—every moment inside the hall was a test.
By morning, the skies had cleared. Song Yu folded the waterproof cloth, having survived another trial.
"Compared to the heavens’ challenges, Ye Shijie’s questions don’t seem so hard anymore."
He muttered the thought under his breath.
......
After three grueling days of intense focus and the ever-present stench, Song Yu looked visibly haggard.
When he finished the last question, he set down his brush, his vision swimming with black spots.
He pinched his thigh hard—the sharp pain briefly cleared his mind.
Early submission was forbidden. Ye Shijie despised it.
The remaining hours were agony. Outside the examination hall, a carriage waited to fetch him.
When the final gong rang, Song Yu’s stomach churned.
Finally, it was over!
The gates creaked open. Crowds outside held their breath, scanning the emerging candidates for familiar faces.
"Has Father not come out yet?"
Inside the carriage, Song Shihuan grew uneasy. In past exams, her father had always been among the first to stride out, brimming with confidence.
"My lady, His Highness hasn’t appeared yet," the guard disguised as a coachman replied quietly.
Even Zheng Fang and Ling Ming had emerged.
Only when the crowd began thinning did Song Yu finally stagger out, unsteady on his feet.
"Young Master, what’s wrong?"
Song Yu waved weakly. "Just help me into the carriage."
He lacked even the strength to climb in himself.
Inside, Song Shihuan paled at the sight of his ashen face. "Back to the inn! Summon the imperial physician immediately!"
"No need... I just need sleep..."
All Song Yu wanted was to collapse into deep, uninterrupted slumber. Before drifting off, he raised his middle finger one last time:
"Stench cell—may I never endure you again in this lifetime."
Song Shihuan gasped in horror. Father had been assigned the stench cell?!
Snore.
Song Yu was already fast asleep.
