Chapter 535 - 200: Top Scorer (Part 3)
Wang Xiao waved his hand. "You just send yours. I’ll prepare a separate gift for Zhen’er."
The brothers’ banter did nothing to alleviate the increasingly gloomy and tense atmosphere in the private room.
Thankfully, just as the others had fallen into a speechless silence, the exam announcer arrived once more.
This time, he brought good news for Ding Shutian. Ding Shutian had placed fifth in the Provincial Examination, earning him the title of Jingkui.
The group once again congratulated Ding Shutian, clamoring for him to treat them all to drinks.
In truth, at this point, De’an, Wang Jun, and Chu Xun all knew their journey in this Provincial Examination was over.
The results of the Provincial Examination were announced in reverse order, starting from last place.
’Huang Chen placed tenth, and Ding Shutian fifth. Could they possibly have scored higher than those two?’
’Not a chance!’
De’an had expected this all along, so he wasn’t too upset.
He hadn’t even passed the main qualifying round, only scraping by in the supplementary one. If he could become a scholar, then ninety-nine percent of the candidates could.
While De’an took it in stride, Wang Jun was far more dejected. Chu Xun was utterly crestfallen, as if he’d just faced the greatest setback of his life.
But before anyone could comfort them, both men pulled themselves together.
"Unlucky in the exam hall, lucky in the gambling dens," Wang Jun said. "Looks like I’m bound to win big this time. Fine, I guess it’s not a complete loss."
Chu Xun, on the other hand, said, "I actually had a feeling I wouldn’t pass this time."
He hadn’t fully recovered his health when he took the Provincial Examination.
Falling into the river on the way here had really taken a toll on his constitution. Even with the excellent care he received at Wang Jun’s home, his body wasn’t as robust as it used to be.
During the final policy essay portion, the weather suddenly turned cold. He had put on warm clothes well in advance, but by the last day of the examination, he felt sick all over. As he left the examination hall, he was coughing nonstop.
By the time he got back to Wang Jun’s home, he was, as expected, running a low fever.
How could he have passed under those circumstances?
A brief silence fell over the room, broken only when the announcer’s voice startled them once again.
"Congratulations to Chen Yan Nian of Wantong Prefecture, for placing as runner-up in this Yisi year’s Provincial Examination for Heyuan Province!"
De’an was shocked. "Chen Yan Nian is here too!"
The others, however, all turned to look at Zhao Jing in unison.
Their voices were filled with a mixture of awe and delight.
"If Chen Yan Nian is the runner-up, then Jing..."
De’an snapped back to reality and leaped onto a chair in his excitement. "The top scorer! Jing’s position as top scorer is a sure thing now!"
The words had barely left De’an’s mouth when the same announcer appeared at the door again, beaming. He was just about to recite another one of his ornate, congratulatory poems.
De’an couldn’t wait. "Skip the formalities! Just tell us, is Jing the top scorer?"
’If Zhao Jing isn’t the top scorer, then who could be?’
After getting a confirmation from the announcer, De’an went wild with joy.
He yanked Zhao Jing out of his seat and into his arms, even trying to toss him into the air. Unfortunately, he couldn’t manage the lift...
...so he settled for slapping him hard on the shoulder a few times to express his delight.
"You’ve done us proud! Jing, you’ve really done us proud! You’re the top scorer! Mr. Jie Yuan Zhao Jing!"
De’an’s heavy palms landed with a THWACK, THWACK, THWACK on Zhao Jing’s back, making his body sway. Zhao Jing tried to struggle away, but De’an was so overcome with excitement that his grip was as strong as an iron clamp.
Wang Xiao came to Zhao Jing’s rescue. "De’an, let him go! You’re going to beat a hole right through him."
De’an brushed it off. "I’m barely using any force! Hahaha, I’m just so happy! Oh, Jing, my dear Jing, you’re my brother, as close as two peas in a pod. Your success is my success! There’s no difference between you getting top scorer and me getting it. I’m just so damn happy!"
You could tell De’an was genuinely happy. He was already starting to ramble nonsense.
Just as everyone in the private room was shaking their heads and giving Zhao Jing looks of helpless sympathy, a few people stopped at the doorway.
The young man at the front was tall and well-built, with a valiant air about him. He looked less like a scholar and more like a candidate for the military examinations.
As he stood in the doorway, the private room fell instantly silent.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, De’an released Zhao Jing and looked toward the door.
The strikingly martial man clasped his hands in a salute to the room and said with a faint smile, "Chen Yan Nian, from Wantong Prefecture."
Upon hearing his name, everyone in the room turned to look at Zhao Jing.
Zhao Jing returned the salute. "Zhao Jing, from Xinghuai Prefecture."
Seeing this, the others followed suit. "Ding Shutian, from Xinghuai Prefecture."
"Huang Chen, from Xinghuai Prefecture."
"I am Wang Jun."
"I am Chen De’an."
"And I am Wang Xiao..."