"Impossible? Wrote the wrong answer?"
Feng Yuan heard Luu Hong's muttering, his eyes changed slightly, and he picked up Chu Ming's test paper to look it over.
Within the inner hall, only the repetitive rustling of paper could be heard.
Luu Hong stood up, watching nervously.
But Feng Yuan's eyes grew even brighter.
"Good! He actually got ninety-nine percent correct, and in the final reading comprehension, he reproduced it perfectly, not missing a single detail. This Chu Ming has a remarkably thorough understanding of all three poetry texts!"
He was not stingy with his praise at all. "Just a few spots where the mistakes are obvious, and the handwriting is also sloppy, crooked..."
Looking at the corrected sections and two other places, the corner of his mouth curled slightly.
Whether this Chu Ming is really the illegitimate son of the Chu Family, the wealthy merchants of Baiyuan County, is hard to say for now. But just by this paper, he could absolutely be first place in this Liuu Town Academy exam.
Luu Hong's eyes flickered with mixed emotions. He also realized that this unexpected answer sheet would snatch first place from his own son.
But with Feng Yuan right there, as a father, he couldn't exactly pull any tricks.
Thinking of this, he suddenly felt that the extra questions Feng Yuan had added were rather a good idea. Luu Xian had always had a phenomenal memory since childhood, surely he could retake the lead again.
"Lord Feng, your insight is sharp, discerning at a glance that this young man is out of the ordinary. I am impressed!"
Even now, he did not forget to flatter, for before the test, Feng Yuan had shown interest in this youth.
"Hehe, Mr. Luu, hurry and finish marking the remaining papers."
"Yes."
It was less than a quarter of an hour before all the papers were graded.
"Chu Ming first, Luu Xian second, Guan Chong third, Chix Lin fourth..." Luu Hong tallied the exam rankings.
"Lord Feng, should we announce the rankings first, or begin the review?"
"Announce the rankings first."
In his eyes, the current rankings were only a rough measure of how much knowledge those youths outside had, but it was based on the Great Qin Dynasty's system for selecting talent, so the rules could not be disrupted.
"Understood."
Luu Hong took the graded test papers and moved toward the outer hall.
...
Outer hall.
"Everyone, quiet." Luu Hong stood expressionless on the stage.
The youths below quickly returned to their own seats, sitting upright, though their hearts pounded wildly.
'All graded, the results are about to be announced.'
'So nervous.'
No one spoke, but that suffocating atmosphere of tension weighed heavily on everyone's chest—including on Luu Xian and his two companions.
"I will now announce the results." Once all were seated and quiet, Luu Hong cleared his throat. "Wu Chun, Lower Grade D."
Wu Chun was the one who stood a full head taller than everyone else, the youth who easily grabbed Huang Lu just now.
Huh?
Hahaha...
You could hear a pin drop; apart from Wu Chun himself, who was obviously shocked, even the others found this result a bit surprising.
The exam results had twelve grades: A, B, C, D, each divided into upper, middle, and lower.
Lower Grade D was the worst of all.
Huang Lu secretly delighted in Wu Chun's misfortune from the sidelines.
"Sun Han, Lower Grade D."
"Huang Lu, Lower Grade D."
Who?
Huang Lu's body shivered, his eyes full of disbelief.
"Brother Chu, did you just hear my name?" Huang Lu leaned in close to Chu Ming, whispering the question.
Chu Ming nodded lightly.
Impossible!
I've read poetry and books for two and a half years, eaten crates of medicinal herbs—how could I end up with Lower Grade D...
"Brother Chu, how come your name hasn't been called yet?"
Clearly, the order of the announcement went from lowest to highest.
The earlier your name was called, the worse your performance.
"Wan Hui, B+."
"Gong Rong, Lower Grade B."
As more than half the names were called, a number of boys slumped hopelessly at their desks, their eyes vacant and dazed.
"Brother Chu, did you forget to write your name?"
After a brief period of self-adjustment, Huang Lu's mind began to race again.
The results had already reached Lower Grade B, but Chu Ming's name still hadn't appeared. In his view, Chu Ming must simply have forgotten to put his name.
Did well on the test?
That thought never crossed Huang Lu's mind; always hearing music at the brothel, obsessed with travelogues, even being tricked by him into joining the academy exam.
'Haha, with Chu Ming and Wu Chun as my cushion, I'll have a ready excuse for my old man when I get home.'
"Brother Chu, I have a travelogue called 'Poetry Travelogue'. I'll give it to you when we get back." Huang Lu was in quite the good mood.
Chu Ming nodded absentmindedly in response.
"Chix Lin, Lower Grade A."
"Guan Chong, Middle Grade A."
"Luu Xian, Upper A."
With those words, Luu Xian unconsciously raised his chin.
As expected, the top three were the trio of Luu Xian and his friends.
Most of the young scholars' faces were full of certainty; a few showed disappointment.
"Congratulations, Brother Luu, for taking first place." Chix Lin, sitting beside Luu Xian, offered a low-voiced congratulations.
Upper A was the highest rating—first place was as good as settled.
However, just after he finished congratulating, a voice from the stage rang out: "Chu Ming, Upper A."
Who?
All the students were stunned; even Luu Xian, Guan Chong, and Chix Lin froze.
Chu Ming?
That name sounded familiar—hadn't they heard it somewhere before?
Chu Ming? Brother Chu!
In the back, Huang Lu snapped awake, suddenly whipping his head around to look at Chu Ming.
"You—you... you actually wrote your name? And just by writing your name you get Upper A?"
"No way, Brother Chu, you got Upper A?!"
Huang Lu's words tumbled out, not realizing he'd already broken the exam hall order by speaking so loudly.
As soon as the other boys heard, they all immediately turned their heads.
The name 'Chu Ming'—they had heard just earlier, while waiting for the exam results!
That fellow who hung out with Huang Lu, haunted brothels and sang tunes, obsessed over travelogues, with a sickly pale face!
Someone like that could score an Upper A?!
Doubt and disbelief instantly filled their minds and now reflected in their gazes shot toward him.
Especially from Guan Chong and Chix Lin!
Upper A meant that the one no one cared for in the back did better than both of them.
Chix Lin's eyes bulged wide.
Two Upper As, one Middle A—where did his top-three spot go now?
His fists tightened. Suddenly, he raised his head sharply, looking toward the stage. "Mr. Luu, did you make a mistake?"
Hmm?
Daring to question the teacher?!
The crowd refocused on Chix Lin.
Chix Lin's cheeks flushed bright red. Realizing his mistake, he quickly apologized, "Mr. Luu, I...I..."
Luu Hong looked at Chix Lin, his expression still calm, not much changed by the challenge.
This result—even leaving aside Chix Lin's disbelief—he himself could barely accept it, and truly did not wish to accept it.
Because, even with both at Upper A, his own son Luu Xian still lost by a hair.
"I now announce the top three."
The top three were obvious; it was just a question of who was first.
That should be Luu Xian.
Some Chu Ming, appearing out of nowhere, being able to get Upper A—even surpassing Guan Chong and Chix Lin—was already astonishing; it was surely impossible for him to outdo the teacher's own son, Luu Xian.
"Third place, Guan Chong."
The students reacted calmly—only Chix Lin's body trembled slightly.
"Second..." Luu Hong paused, his gaze moving to the back before returning to the front, resting on Luu Xian.
Luu Xian's heart gave a hard thump.
He understood his father's look better than anyone.
"Luu Xian."
As expected!
Luu Xian's expression instantly tightened.
"Huh?"
The students were all dumbfounded.
Luu Xian was only second, while the one who wasn't a private student and whom no one knew—this Chu Ming—was first?!
Many gazes immediately shifted to Huang Lu.
This is the guy you described as haunting brothels, loving travelogues, and good-for-nothing?