TTLJDFL Chapter 67

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Since only a little over 300 people remained by the fourth exam, the chances of running into familiar faces increased.

As soon as Li Jin and Chen Xiran stepped out, they ran into Huang Yiling and his companions.

Seeing them, Huang Yiling immediately greeted them, "Thanks to you, A'Jin and Brother Chen, we didn't miss the magistrate's book."

"You're too kind."

Huang Yiling then asked where they were staying. Upon hearing that their inn was 200 meters away, he looked regretful. "The three of us arrived early and are staying at the inn right across from the county office. We wanted to find you to study together, but with so many candidates, it was impossible to track anyone down."

Chen Xiran nodded. "Yes, Mr. Song said that in his time, there were only about a hundred candidates for the county-level exam."

Xu Zifan, who had taken the county exam once before, was knowledgeable on the topic.

"Having more candidates also has its benefits. From what I know, the passing rate for the county exam is about one in ten. This year, that means about fifty people will pass."

They had to thank the many young scholars who came just to "experience the exam atmosphere." Otherwise, the passing quota would have been even lower.

Since it was getting late, they didn't chat for long and instead made plans to celebrate at a brothel after the final exam the next day.

However, Li Jin did not respond to this invitation.

Even though he was easygoing and got along well with his classmates, he had his own principles.

Of course, brothels in ancient times were not the same as mere pleasure houses. They varied in status. The lowest tier, referred to as pleasure houses, had women who mostly sold their bodies.

The "Piaoxiang Pavilion" in town belonged to this category.

A step higher, some brothels separated their women into two groups—some performed arts without selling their bodies, while others were available for the right price.

At an even higher tier, the courtesans were famous for their exceptional talents.

Take Liu Rushi, for example—once the foremost of the "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai," her literary talent rivaled that of men. Unfortunately, having fallen into the brothel world and meeting the wrong people, she ultimately died in sorrow.

The county town's brothels were divided similarly—some women sold their bodies, while others only performed arts.

Li Jin thought to himself: no matter the tier, brothels were still places for scholars and poets to indulge. He had a husband and a child. Naturally, he had no intention of going.

He didn't care what his classmates thought of him. Whether they called him old-fashioned or rigid, he had made up his mind.

Because once you stepped into a place like that once, it became harder to refuse the next time.

And if you drank too much and lost control…

Li Jin was confident that he would never betray his beloved youth. But rather than repeatedly testing his willpower, he would rather eliminate any possibilities from the start.

For Li Jin, principles were always more important than saving face.

Chen Xiran knew him well after studying together for so long.

He asked directly, "A'Jin, are you really not going to the brothel tomorrow? It's the county town's finest one—the women there must be far more beautiful than those at Fragrant Pavilion."

Li Jin chuckled. "So what if they're beautiful? My heart has room for only one person. Xiran, please convey my apologies to Yiling and the others tomorrow."

Chen Xiran hesitated.

On one hand, he had been eager to visit a brothel for a long time. But his father had always kept a strict watch on him, leaving him no opportunity.

On the other hand, this was a rare chance to celebrate passing the county exam with friends. It was tempting.

But if Li Jin didn’t go, and word of his visit reached his father’s ears, there’d be no excuse to use—he’d be in for a whipping!

Chen Xiran clutched his head. "If A'Jin isn't going, then I won’t go either. My father said he'll arrange a marriage for me once I pass the scholar's exam… I suppose waiting another year won’t hurt."

Li Jin patted his shoulder. Though Chen Xiran often talked about visiting brothels, in reality, he never had the courage.

His father had a fiery temper and was strict on this matter—Chen Xiran wouldn't dare cross the line.

The next day, during roll call, dozens more candidates were eliminated. Many of those who remained had bitter looks in their eyes.

This year, the exam unexpectedly included a math test, and they had been completely unaware!

After cramming through the night, they were now standing in the cold wind, realizing that everything they memorized had vanished from their minds.

Now, whether they passed or failed was left to fate.

At first, Li Jin thought that the fifth exam would be the usual—one additional math problem after the standard essay and poetry composition.

But when he saw the test paper, he was utterly shocked.

All three questions were pure math.

There was no opportunity to bluff through poetry or essays!

As soon as the exam started, the sound of sharp intakes of breath filled the room—some examinees looked like they might faint on the spot.

The questions had been set by the county official and Confucian scholars, and no one could object to their decision. An elderly man with a head full of white hair took one look at the test paper and immediately collapsed.

Li Jin could completely understand his feelings.

He had worked so hard to pass the first four rounds, thinking the fifth would also go smoothly. But at this critical moment, a math test had been added.

Years of effort were now in vain, and given his age, he had no idea if he would even be able to take the exam again…

His mental state collapsed in an instant, and he fainted.

The bailiffs rushed over to help, pinching his philtrum and feeding him hot soup. The old man slowly regained consciousness but still gritted his teeth, insisting on finishing the exam.

Whether he would pass or not was another matter, but if he gave up now, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Li Jin copied the questions and began working through them. He understood the mathematical processes well, but in ancient times, math answers had to be written out in words rather than formulas.

After verifying his answers, he had to carefully structure his explanations before transcribing them onto his final answer sheet.

Math was his strong suit, so before the midday hot soup was served, he had already set his brush down.

The proctor collected his paper and, seeing that there was still plenty of time left, allowed him to rest in a side room. Early dismissal wasn’t an option—except for those who forfeited, all candidates had to leave together once the exam was officially over.

The county official sat at the front, handling cases. When he caught sight of Li Jin out of the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but admire the young man’s bearing and appearance.

Noticing that Li Jin had finished early, the proctor brought over his exam paper, filled neatly from top to bottom. The county official took another glance at him with renewed interest.

After enduring until nightfall, Li Jin finally followed the crowd out of the exam hall.

Chen Xiran, who had never lacked food in his life, had spent the past few days surviving on steamed buns soaked in hot soup, with no bathroom breaks. Now, hearing that Li Jin wouldn’t be going to the brothel, his desire for leisure faded as well—he only wanted to soak in a hot bath to dispel the chill in his body.

Outside the county office, Huang Yiling was beaming with excitement.

"Thanks to A'Jin and Brother Chen’s book! The first question was just a variation of something from the book. I couldn’t solve the third question, but I think I did well overall."

When he said "did well," he probably meant he was confident of passing the county exam.

Li Jin said, "Congratulations."

Huang Yiling pulled him aside to compare answers for the first question. Upon hearing that their results matched, he became even more thrilled.

However, for the second question, the five of them had five different answers…

In the end, Xu Zifan spoke up, "Yiling, stop obsessing over answers. Didn’t you say you were going to the brothel? If you don’t go soon, it’ll be too late."

Li Jin and Chen Xiran declined the invitation, using exhaustion as an excuse.

The group parted ways at the county office gate, agreeing to meet at a tavern the next day instead.

This time, Li Jin agreed—after all, it was a group gathering, and it wouldn’t make sense for him to completely avoid socializing.

The Next Morning

At dawn, when Li Jin woke up, he could still hear Chen Xiran lightly snoring in the inner room.

After washing up, he went out to exercise, wearing only a coarse cloth short robe instead of a padded winter coat.

Since he was going for a run, wearing too much would only make him sweat.

At home, he usually wore a padded coat made of coarse cloth with a long robe over it. But during the exam, candidates were only allowed to wear a single thin cotton layer, so he had worn a coat with a coarse cloth lining instead.

With the examinees gone, the county office area felt much quieter. Li Jin ran a full lap around the inner city, his body warming up as he moved.

On his way back, he noticed a burly man who seemed vaguely familiar.

The man also noticed Li Jin’s gaze and turned his head slightly, revealing a trace of appreciation in his eyes.

Since the man seemed amicable, Li Jin gave him a polite nod in greeting.

Back at the inn, no matter how hard he tried, Li Jin couldn’t recall where he had seen that man before.

Meanwhile, that man casually turned and entered the county office through the back gate.

Inside, the county official had already begun reviewing exam papers, assisted by two secretaries.

The man’s name was Wu Fang, a bailiff of the county office. He had recently been tasked with investigating the reputations of students from various villages and cross-referencing the students endorsed by scholars.

To avoid being recognized, the county official had not assigned him to proctor the exams.

Wu Fang had taken a strong liking to Li Jin.

The young man’s pastoral poem vividly captured scenes of his parents working in the fields.

It reminded Wu Fang of his own childhood—his parents had always told him to help out more, saying that strength grew with use and that the farmwork would eventually fall on his shoulders.

He never expected that his growing strength would lead him to a job at the county office instead, becoming a bailiff.

That was why Li Jin had left an impression on him.

He hadn’t expected the young man to recognize him today—but now that the county exam was over, a brief greeting wasn’t against the rules.

Looking at Li Jin’s attire—wearing a simple short robe without hesitation, unashamed of his farming background, yet carrying himself with a scholar’s refined demeanor—Wu Fang’s opinion of him rose even further.

He had seen too many scholars who, after earning a little fame, abandoned their humble roots and cast aside their first wives.

Thinking this over, Wu Fang reported the encounter to one of the supervising secretaries.

The secretary then added a note under Li Jin’s evaluation:

"Upright in character, does not seek connections with wealthy families, nor does he shy away from his farming background."

Had Li Jin been there to see the record, he would have noticed that only ten names were listed.

These were the most outstanding students from the surrounding villages. If their exam results were close, then the title of top scholar would naturally go to the one with the best reputation.

And once someone became the top scorer in the county exam, they had a strong chance of securing the top spot in the provincial academy exam as well.

The prefectural magistrate would certainly be pleased if a "Xiao San Yuan"—a scholar who topped the county, provincial, and metropolitan exams—emerged from his jurisdiction.

This is also considered part of his political achievements.

Meanwhile, Li Jin himself, completely unaware, had already become a top candidate for the position.

T/N: Thank you for reading🍊🍊🍊