In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!
Chapter 1180 - 1092: Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination

Chapter 1180: Chapter 1092: Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination

His words were exceptionally stiff.

Having spoken, he didn’t wait for Su Pan’er to reply, but directly put on his upper garments, trousers, shoes, and socks before slamming the door and leaving.

Su Pan’er had never seen such an attitude on Qin Yi’s face before.

It gave Su Pan’er quite a headache!

In the following days, Shengjing City was flooded with talented young men from all over the country who came to the Capital City and temporarily stayed in inns, waiting for the arrival of the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination.

Nearly every inn in Shengjing City was packed with people, and even temples and abandoned houses were crammed with impoverished students, all gearing up and waiting to make their mark.

The topics of conversation in the taverns and tea houses on the streets gradually shifted from the fierce debates on whether the Virtuous King was the mastermind behind the scenes to the upcoming Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination.

Which talented young man truly had real skills and knowledge, which had caught the eye of an official and received a nomination, and which had written a fine poem or offered a fresh perspective on court affairs, drawing crowds and causing congestion...

The arrival of these students completely transformed Shengjing.

Su Ke was also fully preparing for the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination.

Originally, he intended to join the other students and present a nomination to an official, but Patriach Su stopped him.

"Right now, just like Huarong, your every move represents the face of the Empress. If you go to an official’s residence to present a nomination, let’s not even discuss the implications of such an action, which would bind you and the other party to the same boat. Let’s say the other party quietly accepts your nomination, then it’s fine. But if they refuse, or if they publicize the matter, then it’s not just your reputation at stake, but also the Empress’s dignity. You cannot present this nomination!"

Su Ke pondered for a moment, grasped the meaning, and suddenly broke into a cold sweat.

"Originally, Ke’er planned to submit a nomination to the mentor, but listening to grandfather’s intention, this idea must not be entertained. However, the mentor has already agreed to sign the recommender section. Submitting or not submitting the nomination won’t make a big difference."

Su Ke’s mentor was indeed an academician at Yingtian Academy. With his signature in the recommender column, Su Ke would naturally have no problem participating in the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination.

"Since that’s the case, don’t read any more books in the last few days. Take advantage of the fine spring weather and go out for a walk to relax and prepare for the examination hall,"

Patriach Su, old and experienced, also held high hopes for his grandson and earnestly instructed him again and again.

"What grandfather said is true. My mentor made the same arrangement."

Su Ke stood up to stretch his muscles and bones, his face completely relaxed: "Anyway, Ke’er has remembered everything that should be remembered from the books. Even if there’s something I haven’t remembered, I won’t be able to in the last two days. It’s better to go out for a walk and relax by looking at the scenery."

Patriach Su couldn’t help but laugh joyfully.

So, Su Ke began his last two days of leisurely strolling.

He first went to Su Pan’er’s farm to check the accounts, then inspected several shops, writing down the conditions and issues he observed one by one, along with the account books he had collected, and submitted them into the palace, handing them over to Su Pan’er.

After Su Pan’er looked over these silver banknotes, she handed them to Jiu Lan, ordering her to submit them to His Majesty.

Jiu Lan learned to hold her tongue after she talked too much last time, resulting in Su Pan’er punishing her with half a month’s attendance on the Second Princess. Although she spent her days idly standing and playing, it served as a stark warning to Jiu Lan.

When she returned to the Warm Pavilion, she became increasingly composed and steady.

The silver she gave to His Majesty stirred not even a ripple. He simply accepted the silver banknotes without sending back a single word.

Su Pan’er didn’t really mind whether he said anything, but Su Ke was about to enter the examination hall, and His Majesty had been resting all day in the Purple Zen Hall again, without a chance to see him.

She wanted to leave the palace, but her words carried no weight at the gates guarded by the Imperial Guard.

She was pacing around in distress.

As the ninth day of the first month approached, she still hadn’t come up with a plan and could only send Jiu Lan out of the palace to pass her sentiments to Su Ke and wish him a triumphant victory and to be listed on the golden plaque.

Qin Yi was deliberately avoiding her; he was avoiding suspicion.

This year, Su Ke would be taking part in the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination. To avoid any criticism from the Speech Officials, he naturally tried his best to avoid meeting Su Pan’er before the examination topics were released and during the examination to prevent any potential worries afterward.

The Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination was overseen by the Chief Examiner from the Ministry of Rites, and the examination took place in the Ministry’s examination hall.

Just like the Autumn Imperial Civil Service Examination, everyone was rigorously checked before they were allowed to enter the examination hall. Su Ke originally thought the check during the Autumn Imperial Civil Service Examination was very strict, but the scrutiny for the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination was even stricter!

Perhaps because there was cheating during the last Autumn Imperial Civil Service Examination, this time no food was allowed to be brought in, and the soldiers responsible for the inspections removed the students’ clothes completely, leaving only a piece of short pants to cover their modesty. Even the "Gate of Grain Cycles" had to be thoroughly searched to prevent any items from being smuggled in. It was quite embarrassing and infuriating. They were only allowed to dress and wait outside the examination hall after the inspection found no contraband.

When the time came, Qin Yi unexpectedly led a group of people to the examination hall.

Of course, he offered words of encouragement before waving his hand to allow the many students to enter the examination hall.

As the gates of the examination hall opened, the multitude of examinees rushed in to seize the spots with the best lighting and ventilation.

Indeed!

Unlike the Autumn Imperial Civil Service Examination, the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination did not assign fixed seats; instead, the students competed for the best places. Those who were quick naturally secured exam numbers in the central section with ample light and relatively free from musty odors. Those who were slower had no choice but to settle for the leftover edge spots, not to mention sharing with cockroaches and mice, they would probably have to endure the musty smell for the duration of the exam.

Inside the exam number, besides two planks serving as a table and a stool, there was also a covered "Respectful bucket" provided. All matters of size and other necessities were to be dealt with inside the exam cubicle.

The first session of the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination started with queuing for a body search on the ninth day of the second month in the early morning, and students entered the examination hall after noon. In the evening, as the sky began to darken, the exam questions were distributed, carrying on until the morning of the eleventh when the papers were collected. Subsequently, the supervisors coated the names on the exam papers on the spot to prevent leakage. After the examination ended, a book copyist was commissioned to transcribe the papers in regular script, so the examiners couldn’t recognize the handwriting of the candidates, ensuring fairness in grading. The examination was conducted under "lockdown," strictly forbidding entry or exit to prevent collusion and cheating.

The second session ran from the twelfth to the fourteenth, and the third session from the fifteenth to the seventeenth, marking the end of the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination.

Fortunately, Su Ke managed to grab an exam number near the center. Although the blanket in the cubicle was stiff and board-like, it was fairly free of mold odor, which was a stroke of luck. His exam counterpart across from him was Xue Qian, who upon seeing Su Ke, busily made faces at him in a smug manner.

Groans from students who failed to secure good exam numbers occasionally reached his ears, only to be soundly scolded by the supervisors. Only then did everyone quiet down and abandon their complaints.

Once the examinees had all entered, the sound of the iron gate being pushed from the outside echoed, followed by the thud of a heavy iron lock falling into place. The lock wouldn’t be opened until the end of the exam, not even if a fire broke out inside the examination hall.