Chapter 302

Such results are quite presentable.

You must know that the first round is the most important, and the pass rate is very low, only about ten percent.

That is to say, out of six or seven thousand candidates, only a few hundred people might be able to continue to participate in the second round.

Master Yan was quite satisfied.

However, this satisfaction could not be shown on his face; he first comforted those who failed the exam, encouraged them a lot, and tried his best to soothe their emotions.

Bian Dou Dou was also among them.

He was quite open-minded, "It's okay, anyway, I was mentally prepared long ago; it's fine if I didn't pass, I was just thinking of wandering around, and now I can finally play to my heart's content."

Hearing this, the others quickly recovered and echoed with smiles.

"Brother Bian, take me with you."

"Does Brother Bian provide meals? If you provide meals, I'll go too!"

"Hahaha, since everyone is going, wouldn't I seem unsociable if I don't go? Count me in too..."

With such banter, everyone became happy.

Under a tree not far away, Duan Xiu and a middle-aged elegant scholar stood side by side, looking at Jiang Zhan and the others with gloomy faces.

The middle-aged elegant scholar spoke first, "A-Xiu, how could this be? Didn't you say you would definitely be first?"

Duan Xiu's eyes were cold and sharp.

Yes, how could this be?

With the level of his two essays, it was impossible not to be first.

Could it be... because of that drop of ink?

"Second Uncle, even Grandfather didn't doubt my strength, yet you don't believe me?"

Duan Second Uncle was choked, "But the facts are right before our eyes, how do you expect me to believe?"

Duan Xiu curled his lips coldly, "That remains to be asked of Su Qingyao."

Duan Second Uncle looked at him in surprise.

"You mean, Su Qingyao's judgment is unfair?"

Duan Xiu smiled, "Whether it's unfair or not, we'll know after checking."

He leaned into Duan Second Uncle's ear and whispered a few words.

Duan Second Uncle's eyes brightened and he immediately nodded, "Good, let's do it! I want to see whether that Jiang Zhan really has ability, or if Su Qingyao is playing tricks!"

Half a quarter of an hour later.

Just as Jiang Zhan and the others were preparing to leave, several high-pitched or sharp voices suddenly rang out in the crowd.

"Impossible, Young Master Duan would never lose to a poor boy!"

"Right, we suspect there is a dark curtain, we want to see evidence!"

"Bring out the evidence, otherwise we won't leave!"

Once one person took the lead, others followed and made a scene, especially those who had bet their treasures on Duan Xiu, who shouted the loudest.

Master Yan's face turned black on the spot.

Jiang Zhan also frowned.

He really didn't expect the folk customs of Fengyang Prefecture to be so fierce, actually daring to question the results of the Imperial Examination in public.

Bian Dou Dou jumped up, "What nonsense are you people talking about? Oh, if Jiang Zhan is first, there's a dark curtain, but if Duan Xiu is first, there's no dark curtain? What kind of bullshit logic is that!"

The students of Xiushan Academy naturally followed suit.

For a time, they were arguing endlessly, like a vegetable market.

*Creak. *

The gate of the Prefectural Academy opened, and several Ya Men runners walked out from inside, shouting sternly, "What are you arguing about, what are you arguing about? Do you think this is your backyard? This is the Prefectural Academy, the land of the sages! If you argue again, I'll arrest you one by one and throw you into the dungeon!"

The scene finally quieted down.

But soon that sharp voice popped up again abruptly, "Jiang Zhan is first, we are unconvinced, we want evidence!"

"Evidence, right?" The leading Ya Men runner sneered, "Fine, we'll show you."

After speaking, he turned around and painted on the wall, nimbly posting several sheets of paper.

"These are the exam papers of the top three, open your eyes and see clearly, our Prefect is the most fair and selfless, whether it is a family child or a poor student, he treats them equally, with absolutely no bias!"

"Those who don't know how to read, ask the scholars present to see if Jiang Zhan's first place is well-deserved!"

The crowd quickly squeezed over, squinting and staring hard at the exam papers above.

Most of them couldn't understand, but they had mouths.

They hurriedly pulled the scholars in Confucian robes beside them and asked, "Brother, how is it, who wrote better?"

Scholars could naturally see at a glance who wrote better.

He didn't want to say it clearly, fearing to offend the Duan family; but he couldn't lie in public, otherwise, if it spread, he would be questioned about whether he had studied his books into a dog's belly.

So he had to pull back his sleeve and snort, "Can the Prefect's vision be wrong?"

After speaking, he turned and left, quickly leaving this place of right and wrong.

Although he didn't answer directly.

But others were not fools, and they still saw it; that is to say, Jiang Zhan's essay was indeed better than Duan Xiu's.

This first place is well-deserved, there is no dark curtain at all!

After realizing this, everyone suddenly wilted.

They were definitely still a bit unwilling, but they could only shut their mouths awkwardly; if they continued to make a scene, they would really have to eat prison food.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and the gate of the Prefectural Academy finally returned to tranquility.

There were two groups of people who didn't leave.

One group was the people from Xiushan Academy; Master Yan was worried and afraid that someone would make trouble again, so he decided to stay a while longer.

The other group was Duan Xiu and his uncle.

Duan Xiu walked to Jiang Zhan with an elegant posture, his tone sincere, "Congratulations, A-Zhan, for winning the top spot."

Jiang Zhan smiled faintly, "I accept."

Duan Xiu's face twisted for a moment, then quickly returned to normal.

He leaned closer, staring into Jiang Zhan's clear eyes, and issued a challenge in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "However, I am someone who has always been the most unwilling to admit defeat, and the more I am frustrated, the braver I become. So A-Zhan, you must be careful in the second round, because I will not hold back anymore."

Jiang Zhan took two steps back to keep a proper distance from Duan Xiu.

"Then, let's wait and see."

Duan Xiu didn't say anything else and turned to leave; Duan Second Uncle and several servants also hurriedly followed.

Getting into the carriage and sitting in the cabin, Duan Second Uncle sneered, "That Su Qingyao is really not on the right path, actually appointing a boy from a poor family as first; it was in vain that I greeted him so early, this is not putting our Duan clan in his eyes."

"No, I must find a way to beat him again."

He looked at his expressionless eldest nephew opposite, "A-Xiu, you must leave that Jiang Zhan far behind in the second round; only in this way will we have a chance to overtake him."

Duan Xiu smiled, full of confidence.

"Don't worry Second Uncle, Grandfather often praises my poetry, and mathematics is my strong suit. In this second round, I will absolutely not lose again!"