Zong Jincheng grew increasingly convinced of his suspicions, even adding several more labels to Qin Ye: cunning, scheming.
"I saw it! I saw it! Three hundred and sixty-six successful candidates! This year, three hundred and sixty-six made it!!"
"Oh heavens! That means our chances just got better! Quick, check if my name’s on the list!"
The students at the front excitedly scanned the results, while the teachers and students of the advanced class pushed forward with equal fervor. Shen Yibai, in particular, charged ahead with such unstoppable energy that it seemed like one man could hold off an army.
"Little brother, why aren’t you going to check the results?" Zong Wenxiu asked curiously.
He himself had given up trying to squeeze through the crowd, so he always hung back. But it was rare to see his younger brother so indifferent.
Zong Jincheng waved a finger dismissively, putting on an air of maturity. "What’s there to see? Of course we passed. I’m not curious at all. Not one bit."
Xu Wan, standing nearby, saw right through him but said nothing. She stifled a laugh and whispered to Zong Zhao, "Look how smug Jincheng is. Even though he still lost to Qin Ye, he managed to rank second in the imperial examination. He must’ve been too excited to sleep last night."
Zong Zhao glanced at the faint dark circles under the boy’s eyes and nodded. "You called it."
Zong Wenxiu, still oblivious, simply expressed his hopes earnestly: "Honestly, I never expected much. Just passing would’ve been enough. As long as I made it as a candidate, I could attend the palace exam and at least become a Jinshi. A Jinshi! Just thinking about having such an impressive title makes me feel incredible."
Zong Jincheng grinned. "Brother, aim higher. What if you ranked third?"
Zong Wenxiu waved his hands in shock. "That’s too much… If it were just the top three in the capital, I might dare to hope. But this is the imperial examination—competitors are talented scholars from all over, including top provincial graduates. There’s no way I’d make it."
Zong Jincheng hopped over and slung an arm over his shoulder, boasting, "So what? Their provincial exams included poetry, but our advanced class’s policy essays are unmatched. You should be more confident—you could even make it into the top three!"
Zong Wenxiu rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Let’s just wait for He Zheng and the others to come back with the results. No point getting our hopes up for nothing."
Before long, Pan Hongzhi came sprinting back first.
He shouted breathlessly, "Madam, Jincheng—I passed! I actually passed! I ranked fourth!!"
Zong Wenxiu was stunned. "Fourth in the imperial exam?! Oh heavens, Teacher Pan, you’re amazing! Congratulations!"
Pan Hongzhi took a deep breath and continued, "Wenxiu, you passed too—third place! Jincheng is second. You both did even better than me!!"
Zong Wenxiu: "!!!"
He was third.
This was a result he wouldn’t have dared dream of. He looked toward the sea of people crowding around the announcement, unable to make out the words, but it was as if he could see a bright future shining through that list.
He had really ranked third!
Zong Jincheng, already knowing the outcome, snorted smugly. "Let Qin Ye enjoy being first for another half-month. Just wait till the palace exam—I’ll snatch that top scholar title from him!"
Pan Hongzhi blinked. "How did you know? Qin Ye really is first—he’s the top candidate!"
Zong Jincheng thought to himself: Of course I know. I know all too well. If it weren’t for me, Qin Ye would’ve been pushed down by underhanded tricks.
But the little troublemaker wasn’t one to boast about his good deeds, so he kept quiet.
Soon after, He Zheng and the others came running back, shouting, "Jincheng, we passed too! I’m fifth, Teacher Cheng is sixth, Teacher Zhao seventh, Teacher Xu eighth, Wei Xinglu ninth, and Shen Yibai tenth! Our advanced class has a perfect pass rate again!"
Shen Yibai squeezed forward, eager to show off. "Now it’s my turn! Let me tell everyone—the top candidate in the imperial exam is called the ‘Top Scholar,’ and the top ten are ‘Elite Scholars.’ We’re Elite Scholars! We have our own title now!!"
"We all passed!!!!"
The group erupted into cheers, drawing envious stares from other examinees. Some sharp-eyed onlookers recognized them and gasped in shock.
"It’s them! I know them—they’re the Childhood Scholars from Qingbo Academy! They all passed!"
"What?! Those candidates are Childhood Scholars? They’re only teenagers?"
"Then what does that make me? I’ve taken this exam over a dozen times and still haven’t passed!"
"Old age is old age. You think it’s just those Childhood Scholars who are impressive? The top candidate, the Top Scholar, is also a Childhood Scholar—just eleven years old, and he was the provincial champion!"
One student suddenly realized, "That second-place candidate, Zong Jincheng—he’s eleven too, right? I saw him at the library last month!"
"Right! And Zong Wenxiu—those brothers exposed Wei Shaoling’s scheme. If not for them, I wouldn’t have passed!"
"Congratulations, Brother Yang! At least your hard work paid off. But that unscrupulous Wei Shaoling still ranked twelfth—what a bitter pill to swallow."
"Wei Shaoling does have some talent. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to manipulate so many of us."
"Pah! Someone like him will only bring harm if he enters officialdom. I hope the Emperor sees through his façade during the palace exam and ranks him dead last."
The crowd vented their frustrations about Wei Shaoling, but they also remembered Zong Jincheng and his friends. With the crowd too thick to approach them now, they resolved to express their gratitude after the palace exam.
Just then, a sudden scream rang out:
"Oh heavens! Look at that!"
In the distance, firecrackers exploded with deafening booms, accompanied by the clamor of gongs and drums. Teams of lion dancers leaped into the air, while acrobats breathed fire above the crowd—it was as lively as the Lunar New Year.
No, even the New Year wasn’t this extravagant…
Because they were also scattering coins along the way!!!
The common folk had never seen such a spectacle, and they scrambled madly along the roadside to snatch up the copper coins.
Then, four majestic horses appeared, each carrying a jubilant young boy. Servants flanked the horses, shouting for their masters:
"Congratulations to Young Master Zong Jincheng, second place in the imperial examination!"
"Congratulations to Young Master He Zheng, fifth place in the imperial examination!"
"……"
Now, not only did every student in the academies and libraries recognize them—the entire capital knew their names.
Out-of-town examinees gaped in disbelief.
"Is this how you celebrate passing the exam in the capital?"
The locals: "……"
They’d never seen anything like it either.
What kind of celebration was this? Even the top scholar’s parade wasn’t this flamboyant!
But there was one benefit—the students in the library finally pieced together Zong Jincheng’s identity.
"So he’s the real Zong Jincheng. That day in the library, he gave someone else’s name."
"No wonder he dismantled Wei Shaoling’s arguments so effortlessly—his academic skills surpass Wei Shaoling’s!"
"Zong Jincheng is truly remarkable—not only is he exceptionally talented in literature, but his character is also outstanding. If I could serve in the same court as him in the future, it would be something to look forward to!"
