The next two exams, just like the first one, had their questions swapped for backup ones right before the test began.
The completely unaware candidates racked their brains in their examination cells, writing furiously.
The external officials responsible for invigilation were already overwhelmed with swirling thoughts, their minds buzzing like a beehive poked with a stick.
Not daring to ask around, they could only bottle up their anxieties and wait for the exams to end.
Once all three exams were over, the candidates walking out of the examination compound felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Aside from relief, their bodies felt nothing but sheer exhaustion.
Moving forward with the surging crowd, Song Gaoli looked around at his peers, feeling an ever-growing heaviness in his heart.
When he came to the capital last year, his mindset was just to give it a try, thinking it wouldn't matter if he failed. But now, the pressure weighing on him was unprecedentedly immense.
Although he felt more confident about his performance this time, he still lacked absolute certainty, experiencing a panicky sensation of floating in the air without being able to land.
Inside Chongde Pavilion, fifty-two bronze lotus lamps encircled the room, and a separate desk lamp sat on each person's desk, illuminating the space so brightly that even a speck of dust on the wooden floor could be seen clearly.
Stacks of shuffled answer sheets were placed on the desks. Yun Simiao looked at the top paper, his back that had been sweating cold sweat for nine days now feeling as freezing as a block of ice.
Xiao Chengjing's sudden move to change the exam questions had caught him completely off guard. For nine whole days, Yun Simiao's heart had not known a moment of peace.
He had wanted to pass a message to Prince Ying, but upon stepping out, he found that the guards outside Chongde Pavilion had been replaced by the Ironclad Army at some unknown point.
There were many of them, standing guard from morning till night, and there was not a single other soul in sight outside.
After suffering through nine whole days of torment, his emotions transitioning from anxiety to numbness, Yun Simiao's mind was now left with only one thought: leave it to fate.
Beneath the plaque that read Selecting Talent for the Nation, the chief examiner of this metropolitan examination, Left Vice Minister of Revenue Jing Yunli, swept his deep, dark gaze over everyone present.
With a heavy slap of his palm against the table, the grading for this metropolitan examination officially began.
Twenty-five pairs of hands moved simultaneously. One by one, the answer sheets were marked with circles, ticks, dots, and lines by the grading examiners brushes.
Among them, very few received circles. When encountering an exceptionally outstanding paper, an examiner might even write the word Recommend at the top of the scroll.
Candles as thick as an arm burned down one after another, and the only sound left in the room was the rustling of turning pages.
The entire grading and evaluation process for the metropolitan examination would last for over twenty days.
During this period, none of the examiners responsible for grading could step out of Chongde Pavilion. They graded from morning until night every day, only able to sleep late in the evening.
In contrast, the candidates who had finished the exam were much more relaxed.
Their first day out of the compound was spent sleeping soundly. After waking up naturally, they would shave, wash their hair, and bathe, then change into clean clothes and go out for a massive feast, wishing they could make up for all the hardships of the past nine days in one go.
Once their bodies recovered, many began gathering in the various guild halls around the capital to discuss the exam questions and their respective essays.
From the nuances of the classics and histories to the preferences of the various examiners, and even some baseless inside rumors, they could discuss these topics for days on end.
On the afternoon of the second day after the exam ended, Song Qiming brought Song Gaoli to the Ye residence.
After reading Song Qiming's recreated exam paper from memory, Ye Liangyu revealed a satisfied smile.
He praised with great confidence, No problem at all. It will definitely rank in the upper-middle tier.
Hearing that Song Qiming had done well, Song Gaoli, who was holding his own paper, felt even more nervous.
Seeing Song Gaoli's hand trembling as he handed over his paper, Ye Liangyu couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
He had helped as much as he could, and he was well aware of Song Gaoli's performance at the Imperial Academy.
It could be said that he forgot to eat and sleep, working tirelessly day and night, and his attitude in class was also extremely proactive.
Compared to the three months he received his guidance before the provincial qualifying exam back then, his level of effort was unimaginably higher.
But ultimately, his foundation was a bit weak, and his time at the Imperial Academy had been too short. Looking at his current state, it seemed he still lacked confidence.
Taking a deep breath, Ye Liangyu lowered his head and began to read the paper carefully.
Song Gaoli clenched his hands tightly, staring intently at Ye Liangyu without blinking.
Any micro-expression on Ye Liangyu's face would make Song Gaoli's heart race, pounding in his chest as if it were about to leap out.
When he saw Song Gaoli's unique interpretation of he who uses force while pretending to be benevolent is a hegemon in the classics section, the hand Ye Liangyu used to hold the paper twitched.
His tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
The expected situation of empty words and armchair theorizing did not occur; instead, the thesis was demonstrated with small but dense real-world examples.
The further he read, the more Ye Liangyu's brows relaxed. A smile of appreciation gradually filled his eyes, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled into a faint arc.
Ye Liangyu spent more time on Song Gaoli's paper than on Song Qiming's. The former was impeccable, while the latter required finding bright spots amidst plain and unadorned sentences.
Ye Liangyu would frown when he saw weak points, and his brows would relax when he spotted highlights.
After finishing the recreated papers for all three exams, Ye Liangyu's mood was somewhat complex.
Under the intense pressure of cramming, Song Gaoli's progress was very obvious.
If he had been given a little more time, perhaps he would have performed much better than he did now.
Seeing that Ye Liangyu was taking a long time to speak, Song Gaoli couldn't help but ask softly, Lord Ye, how did I do?
Ye Liangyu looked up at him, his fingers continuously tapping on the table, his mind wavering.
Finally, he squeezed out a sentence: You barely met the standard but have shortcomings. There is a chance, but it is very risky. It will depend on luck.
The light in Song Gaoli's pupils instantly dimmed, and a deep sense of disappointment showed between his brows.
Was it still not enough after all?
Gaoli has always had good luck, there is definitely a chance.
A crisp and clear voice rang out in his ears. Song Qiming slapped Song Gaoli on the shoulder, his face full of confidence.
Song Gaoli's heavy heart was not comforted by this. He forced a stiff smile, I hope so.
Ye Liangyu stood up and said to the two of them, Until the results are out, anything is possible. You have worked hard during this time. Rest well and just wait for the results to be posted.
The two nodded.
As soon as Song Gaoli returned to the Duan residence, he was cornered by Duan Yanhua.
With eyes full of expectation, he asked, What did Vice Censor-in-Chief Ye say?
Song Gaoli gave a helpless, bitter smile, Teacher, haven't you already read it? Lord Ye said pretty much the same thing as you did.
Duan Yanhua said dissatisfiedly, You went over there just to have him review your paper?
Song Gaoli raised his eyebrows in confusion, What else could I do? The exams are already over.
Duan Yanhua slumped his shoulders in frustration at his lack of ambition and said angrily, For someone like you who just needs a little push to pass, Vice Censor-in-Chief Ye could easily put in a good word with the chief examiner. I sent you there to do that, what the hell is the use of a review!
Song Gaoli's eyes widened, How could we do that! Cheating will result in being stripped of one's scholarly honors.
Besides, the examiners are all locked up in the examination compound and can't come out. The papers are recopied and the names are covered up, so how would they even know which paper is mine? Teacher, please don't say such things in the future, lest someone hears and it brings trouble.
