Xiao Yuan followed the entourage of Prince Su to the front of the exam hall.
At this ti, the exam hall was about to close its doors.
Xiao Yuan stepped forward, wanting to enter, but the Governnt Official at the door stopped him.
Upon seeing this, the attendant of Prince Su hurriedly took out a note from Prince Su and found the chief examiner of this session.
Once the chief examiner saw that it was soone sent by Prince Su, how could he not let him in?
After all, the exam hall had not yet closed, so letting soone in did not violate the rules, thus it was only natural to do him this convenience.
The attendant personally escorted Xiao Yuan into the examination area and took the opportunity to make another request to the chief examiner before leaving.
Xiao Yuan was then taken to receive his exam slip.
Being the last to enter the examination area and the last to receive his exam number, he ended up getting a rather good examination cell.
While guiding Xiao Yuan to his examination cell, the governnt officer quietly asked him, "What is your relationship with the person who just brought you here?"
Xiao Yuan answered casually, "He’s an attendant of my friend. My friend knows that I have talent and that I’m certain to beco the top scorer this ti. Fearful that I’d miss the exam, he sent soone to accompany . He even ntioned that he’s waiting for to beco the top scorer."
The governnt officer was taken aback upon hearing this and committed these words to mory.
After Xiao Yuan was settled and the examination papers were distributed, that governnt officer went to find the chief examiner.
"Sir."
The governnt officer whispered to the chief examiner, "The person who ca just now has a very close relationship with Prince Su. The prince is even waiting for him to beco the top scorer."
With just this sentence, the chief examiner felt sowhat apprehensive.
This chief examiner, Hong Enshou by na, was a very tactful man. The Second Prince and the Third Prince had fiercely contested for the position of chief examiner for the Imperial Examination, but in the end, it fell to Hong Enshou, who was not aligned with either side.
While Hong Enshou may seem like a royalist who never gets involved in the princes’ fights, he actually has a good relationship with Prince Su. Prince Su had saved his life during a border pacification mission, and afterwards, Hong Enshou had done many things to aid Prince Su.
Hearing about Xiao Yuan’s special tie with Prince Su, and that Prince Su intended for him to be the top scorer, Hong Enshou thought about how to secure the top prize for him.
If it were about getting Xiao Yuan to be the top scorer of the college examination, Hong Enshou felt sowhat confident—as long as Xiao Yuan’s written essays were not too poor and his scholarship was decent, he could bend the rules privately and bestow the title of top scorer upon Xiao Yuan. But regarding the top scorer of the Imperial Examination...
As Hong Enshou pondered, he asked the governnt officer, "What is Xiao Yuan’s background, and which ho does he belong to?"
The governnt officer thought for a mont and then selected Xiao Yuan’s information, "Xiao Yuan hails from the Qingyuan people; his family has been in business for generations and is extrely wealthy. He does possess so scholarly talent and is very intelligent. During the county examination, prefecture exam, and college examination, he consistently ranked top of the list, achieving the Little Trivium. This ti in the rural examination, he was the top scorer."
Upon hearing this, Hong Enshou clapped his hands decisively, now with an idea.
"Alright, you may go."
After the governnt officer left, Hong Enshou laughed to himself, "No wonder the prince regards him so highly; it all makes sense now."
Hong Enshou understood Prince Su very well and knew that the prince also harbored ambitions.
It’s just that Prince Su was smarter than both the Second Prince and the Third Prince. He had been playing the loyal and filial card, winning favor with the current emperor, while also pretending to be sick, thus earning the reverence of the Second and Third Princes without them suspecting him.
But privately, Prince Su was also making preparations.
However, Prince Su and the Ninth Prince both lacked familial support, and they did not know how to amass wealth, rendering their lives sowhat impoverished, with many of their plans hindered by a lack of funds.
On the other hand, the Xiao Family from Qingyuan was said to have strong business acun, with generations of family heads being very good at making money.
The current head of the Xiao Family was even more skilled at earning money than his ancestors.
It could be said that securing the support of the Xiao Family was akin to acquiring a purse of money.
Moreover, Xiao Yuan does have the ability and scholarship.
Prince Su is thinking of supporting a top scorer.
Hong Enshou thought that Xiao Yuan had already achieved the four yuan and if he could help Xiao Yuan to beco the top scorer in the Imperial Examination this ti, perhaps the Holy Emperor, for the sake of a good reputation, would have to appoint Xiao Yuan as the top scorer.
Hong Enshou, who had been a governnt officer for many years, understood the Holy Emperor’s mind very well and felt that there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that Xiao Yuan could beco the top scorer.
Thinking this way, Hong Enshou paid even more attention to Xiao Yuan.
To ensure that Xiao Yuan could take the exam well, he really did open a lot of back doors for him.
On the day itself, Hong Enshou arranged for a constable to quietly deliver a warm blanket to Xiao Yuan, while the other scholars had only hard dry food to eat and cool water to drink.
For Xiao Yuan, however, Hong Enshou unexpectedly sent soone to bring him hot soup along with freshly made pancakes plus two side dishes.
Of course, the deputy examiners were also watching this.
The deputy examiners did not understand why Hong Enshou was giving Xiao Yuan such preferential treatnt.
Hong Enshou then played the Prince Su card, simply saying that Xiao Yuan was soone Prince Su specifically asked to be taken care of.
Once he said this, the deputy examiners naturally had no objections.
It’s not like they were helping Xiao Yuan cheat in the exam or leaking the questions, it was just making life a bit more convenient for him, which wasn’t a big deal and not worth offending Prince Su over.
The officials in the Capital all knew that Prince Su was greatly favored by the Holy Emperor, and although he seed low-key, if he was really provoked, he could make you suffer bitterly.
These examiners were not rigid and inflexible; small favors here and there were easily granted if possible.
Other scholars in the exam cells were suffering, not eating or sleeping well, and shivering from the cold at night.
But Xiao Yuan was living in absolute comfort.
His mattress and blanket had been changed; the musty and damp old blankets were all removed and replaced with clean, fresh, and warm new ones.
Certainly, there was no worry about food and drink either.
Every al he had was hot and different, with several dishes plus a soup, and though staying in the exam cell was a bit stifling, he didn’t suffer too much, at least much better than during the rural examination.
After several days of exams, when the other scholars ca out, they all looked pale and were staggering, but Xiao Yuan erged with a ruddy complexion and walked with strength.
Mr. Xiao was shocked to see him like this when he ca to pick up Xiao Yuan.
"Yuanyuan, did you just sleep in the exam hall for several days?"
Xiao Yuan, upon boarding the carriage, took a sip of hot tea first: "No, I’ve been answering questions and writing articles the whole ti. Dad, I did particularly well this ti, all the questions had been tackled before, and even that article, Ningning had asked to write before, she had also written similar ones. Anyway, I feel certain to pass this ti."
Mr. Xiao laughed upon hearing this: "Really? If you truly succeed, our family’s ancestral grave might start emitting green smoke. Your mother and I, even after we’re in the ground eting our ancestors, I’ll have sothing to boast about."
When they arrived ho, Xiao Yuan ran to find Anning.
"Ningning, you were absolutely right, the Imperial Examination treats you much better than the rural examination. This ti I slept well, ate well, and took the exam comfortably."
Anning: ...
Mrs. Xiao: ...
Mr. Xiao: "What’s going on?"
Mr. Xiao still rembered that on the third day of the examination, so scholars were carried out of the exam hall, and others nearly died from sudden sickness. How could it be that for Xiao Yuan everything went so smoothly with good sleep and good food.
"During the examination, the food was excellent; every day there was a different nu with at pancakes, buns, noodles, and various dishes. I didn’t even touch the dry food you packed for ."
Xiao Yuan happily boasted to Mr. Xiao: "I ate well, so my brain was sharper. Anyway, I answered very well. Dad, just wait to be the top scorer’s father."
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