Chen Wanqing let out a sudden sneeze. Snapping back to reality, she quickly pulled her clothes tighter and waved for Zhao Jing to get back to his work. She then hurried out of the room and toward the west wing to make her incense.

Chen Wanqing’s steps were light and quick, but anyone who knew her would have seen at a glance that she was flustered, as if making a hasty retreat.

It wasn’t until she was inside the west wing with the door shut behind her, her back pressed against it, that Chen Wanqing felt her heart, still pounding wildly. THUMP. THUMP.

She recalled Zhao Jing from just a moment ago. ’His eyes were so dark and intense, as if brimming with countless emotions.’

’And now... he was a year older, on the verge of gaining prestige and status. He was starting to show his fangs.’

Chen Wanqing pressed her lips together, slowly peeling herself away from the door and walking further into the room.

’I have so much work to do today. I’ll probably be busy until midnight. Jing will be asleep by then. That’s for the best.’

In the east wing, Zhao Jing felt a pang of regret for the first time. ’When we designed these three back rooms, why didn’t I choose the middle one for my study?’

’That way, whether Wanqing was resting in her room or making incense in the west wing, I could see her just by looking up.’

’But the layout is set now. It’s too late for regrets.’

’Still, I’ve learned my lesson. When we get a new house, I’ll be sure to place Wanqing somewhere I can always see her.’

Zhao Jing lowered his head to write, but with his thoughts on the person in the west wing, his focus wavered.

But soon, a despairing wail erupted from De’an in the front courtyard. "What sins did I commit in a past life?! I wrote it once in the examination hall, and now I have to write it all over again at home! What is this garbage I’m writing? I want to puke just looking at it!" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The shout yanked Zhao Jing back to reality.

’If I can’t even pass the county exam, if I can’t give Wanqing a good future, what right will I have to keep her by my side?’

It was like a splash of cold water to the face. Zhao Jing was completely calm now.

He ground some fresh ink, picked up his brush, dipped the tip, and began to write his essay, one stroke at a time.

That night, in countless homes, candles burned late into the third watch.

Compared to these scholars burning the midnight oil, the Chen family turned in early. Around midnight, everyone had gone to bed.

Meanwhile, at the county government complex not far from the Chen family’s home, every lamp was lit, the entire complex as bright as day.

The examination was over, and the candidates were free once more. The County Magistrate, however, was not.

First, all the collected examination papers had to be sorted. Any that were missing a name or seat number, were damaged, defaced, blank, or showed signs of smudging or correction were discarded. The names on the remaining papers were concealed, and the papers were bound into volumes before being delivered to the Lord County Magistrate.

The Lord County Magistrate’s work of grading the papers had begun.

A total of four hundred twelve people had registered for this county examination. After disqualifying those who were late or brought prohibited items and thus couldn’t enter the hall, four hundred nine remained.

From those four hundred nine, another batch was removed for submitting unacceptable or incomplete papers, leaving a final total of three hundred sixty.

Three hundred sixty acceptable papers, all to be read and ranked by Noon the next day. The workload was enough to give anyone a splitting headache.

Fortunately, the County Magistrate was experienced. The moment he picked up a paper, he could generally tell whether the candidate would pass.

As he flipped through paper after paper, the County Magistrate’s expression was impassive.

In his three years in office, he had focused on improving public safety and education, and both areas had seen great progress.

This was especially true for education; the year-over-year increase in the number of examination candidates was a testament to his success.

’The number of scholars has increased, but their quality still leaves something to be desired.’

After reading through several papers without finding a single outstanding candidate, the County Magistrate’s brow furrowed slightly.

He had set two questions for this examination. The second was a test of the students’ academic level, while the first was a test of their practical ability and ingenuity.

’Unfortunately, so far, not a single person has answered both questions to my satisfaction.’

’But no matter. There are still so many papers to go. Surely, no matter how poor the batch is, there will be at least two or three who stand out.’

Midnight arrived. The County Magistrate had finished two more volumes. Exhausted from the late hour and mental strain, he couldn’t help but let out a huge yawn and had to ask a servant to bring strong tea to keep him awake.

Unfortunately, the refreshment was a double-edged sword. The more alert he became, the more clearly Mr. Cheng recognized that improving education was not a task to be accomplished in a day or two. Raising the local standard of scholarship and cultivating a new generation of capable young men could not be rushed, no matter how anxious he was.

He forced himself to continue grading. As dawn approached, he had only found a single essay that could barely be called "substantive."

Because the papers had not been transcribed by clerks, Mr. Cheng recognized the author at a glance from the handwriting alone.

’It must be the Wang Family’s Qilin son, without a doubt.’