Upon hearing Emperor Guangxi’s evaluation of Song Wei, Lord Liu had already anticipated it, and now he was not surprised at all seeing Song Wei’s essay with his own eyes.
He took the exam paper handed over by the Vice Chief Examiner, glanced at it casually, and placed it on the desk, saying slowly, "This examinee, we cannot touch."
The Vice Chief Examiner was a bit puzzled, "What do you mean?"
Lord Liu replied, "I am the Academic Administrator personally appointed by the Holy Emperor, the chief examiner of Ningzhou’s examination hall. Before leaving the Capital, I was summoned to the imperial court, but as to what was said, there’s no need for you gentlemen to inquire. In short, I have one thing to say, I will protect Song Wei."
Well, with the Emperor backing him, whoever dares to speak another word risks losing ten heads.
The examiners immediately closed their mouths.
Lord Liu’s gaze shifted to Song Wei’s exam paper, and he said, "Though I will protect him, the procedures must still follow their course. This essay’s content is too extreme to be chosen as the first, otherwise, future examinees across regions will imitate it in droves, disrupting the order.—By the way, who wrote the essay we previously agreed upon?"
"Oh yes, that one is good, put it as the top candidate, and we will deliberate on the rest to decide their rankings."
This was also Emperor Guangxi’s intention; Song Wei’s examination ranking must be lowered, otherwise, he would attract too much attention and soon be targeted by the Su Family.
He, the supreme ruler, had gone to great lengths to scout this rare talent and naturally couldn’t let the Su Family take him away lightly.
Ever since leaving the exam hall, Hao Yun didn’t enjoy getting close to Song Wei. When they ran into each other at the inn, even when Song Wei greeted him, his eyes would dart away, and after exchanging a few words, he would excuse himself.
Hao Yun went to Upper River Village in May to seek out Song Wei and studied for a month.
During this month, Song Wei taught him substantial content.
From June to September, Hao Yun did not meet Song Wei again.
However, Song Wei could easily understand that during that time, Hao Yun hadn’t gone anywhere, staying at home all day, analyzing his writing style and thought process to grasp his techniques in preparation for a stunning performance in the county exam.
The current Hao Yun was no longer satisfied with just passing the exam; he not only wanted to pass but also aimed to be the top candidate and be recommended to the Imperial College.
Song Wei did not wait in the Prefecture for the results; after the exam, he took Wen Wan back home.
Hao Yun didn’t go back; he continued staying at the inn, intending to see the results with his own eyes.
On the day the results were announced, he got up particularly early, full of energy, had breakfast, wandered around outside, and seeing it was still early, he returned to the inn, picked up a book, but couldn’t focus on reading, his mind preoccupied with the imminent prospect of bringing glory to the Hao Family.
When the list was posted, Hao Yun pushed through the crowd, suppressing his heartbeat, and looked up to find his name indeed at the top.
"I...I really got first place?"
The feeling was like a surreal dream.
In his ears were the congratulatory voices of his fellow examinees.
It was even more astonishing than gold bricks falling from the sky.
Hao Yun clutched his chest, telling himself to stay calm, knowing that the techniques and writing style he painstakingly mastered over months had caught the examiners’ eyes and won him the top honors in the county exam—a glory rightfully his, without wrongdoing to anyone.
"Congratulations, Scholar," the government official posting the notice smiled warmly at Hao Yun.
Hao Yun thanked him and asked the official, "Do you know, brother, when the Magistrate plans to proceed with the recommendation to the Imperial College?"
The official paused and replied, "The recommendation to the Imperial College was decided long ago. It’s Song Wei, Scholar Song, who took first place in both the county and prefecture exams. The recommendation letter was sent a few days ago and should be close to reaching the Capital by now."
Upon hearing this, Hao Yun was utterly stunned on the spot.