If his only goal was to pass the county exam, that would be fine. But his aspirations were far greater.

Such lofty ambitions required results that were just as eye-catching, and he couldn’t be sure that an essay he considered good would be viewed the same way by others.

Thankfully, Mr. Wang had heaped praise upon his essay, even tearing up as he reached the end.

"Passing the county exam? With this level of skill, even passing the Autumn Imperial Examination would be a breeze."

Mr. Wang’s tone was a mixture of dejection and hope. "Jing, I have a feeling that this year, you and I will be heading to the Prefecture for the Autumn Imperial Examination together."

These were the last words Mr. Wang spoke as he saw Zhao Jing out.

And as he said them, Mr. Wang’s tone was incredibly solemn, and also incredibly envious.

He was envious of Zhao Jing’s talent and of his old friend for having a worthy successor. He couldn’t help but reflect on his own life; he was halfway through it, yet in the blink of an eye, he found himself on the same step as the younger generation.

But Mr. Wang quickly shook off his earlier melancholy.

’Isn’t this just how life is?’

’There are men over seventy who can’t read a single word, just as there are those who become high officials in their youth. People are born with different talents and encounter different opportunities. Envy is pointless.’

’Instead of envying another’s genius, I should just chain myself to my desk starting right now. I refuse to believe I can’t advance in my studies and earn a title for myself!’

On his way home, Zhao Jing ran into Chen De’an, who was also just returning from his tutor’s house.

De’an waved at him from a distance. Once he caught up, the two walked home together.

Chen De’an said, "I don’t get why you still go see Mr. Wang. With your skills, if you don’t pass this Child Examination, I’ll twist my own head off and let you kick it like a ball."

Zhao Jing chuckled. "You’d better keep that head of yours. If you twist it off, I’m afraid you’ll scare me."

Chen De’an scoffed with a grin. "This head of mine is plenty smart, you know. It might not be on your level, but it definitely works better than most people’s."

De’an had also shown his essay to his tutor. The tutor had nodded repeatedly while reading it, saying that while there were some minor flaws, they didn’t detract from its overall quality. He’d said that it was brilliant on the whole, and based on the standards of previous years, De’an should place in the top ten at the very least.

Of course, he was too embarrassed to repeat this to Zhao Jing.

He was too ashamed.

’After reading Zhao Jing’s essay and then looking at my own, the gap between us is obvious.’

’His tutor had only praised him because he hadn’t read Zhao Jing’s essay. If he had, how could he possibly still offer any praise?’

’He’d probably just glare at me and demand, "What is this dogshit you’ve written?!"’

’Tsk. We’re all born from a mother, we all have one head, one nose, and two eyes. How can the difference between two people be so damn big!’

De’an asked Zhao Jing, "Jing, do you think I have a shot at becoming a Linsheng?"

Becoming a Linsheng was no easy feat. Each year, every county only had a few slots available.

A common misconception needs to be clarified here: a Scholar is not necessarily a Linsheng, but a Linsheng is always a Scholar. The distinction lies in their ranking. A Linsheng is a Scholar who ranks at the very top of the examinations and is thus granted the title, which allows them to enjoy a stipend of grain and silver coins distributed by the court.

De’an certainly didn’t dare to dream of taking first place. With a great Buddha like Zhao Jing standing in the way, he had long since given up on that hope.

’But becoming a Linsheng... hehe, everyone’s allowed to dream a little, right?’

Zhao Jing thought back to De’an’s essay. De’an was not a conventional person, so naturally, he couldn’t write a conventional essay. His writing style was rather unorthodox, which some officials might find quite displeasing.

Before the exam, they had repeatedly reminded De’an that Mr. Cheng, the County Magistrate, preferred essays that were simple and tranquil, pragmatic and proper. But De’an simply couldn’t write if he strayed from his own style. There was nothing to be done about it.

’A complete overhaul would be difficult, but if we just changed a few words and phrases... a last-minute cram session might still do some good.’

"When we get home, I’ll take another look at it for you and share a few tricks. I can’t say for sure if they’ll be useful, but you can decide for yourself if they’re worth trying."

De’an immediately agreed. "Deal."

The two arrived home as they were talking.

After arriving home, they didn’t rush to their rooms. Instead, they first went over to Xu Su Ying and Chen Wanqing, who were drinking tea in the courtyard, and told them the trip had gone smoothly.

Xu Su Ying and Chen Wanqing didn’t press for details. As Xu Su Ying had said earlier, "Why put more pressure on them? The essays are already written. The results might even be sitting on Mr. Cheng’s desk right now. We’ll know how they did by this afternoon at the latest. And if we ask them... well, Jing might be fine, but if De’an can give a straight answer, I’ll take his last name."

The mother and daughter had just been talking about the two of them when, in the blink of an eye, they walked through the door.

Xu Su Ying felt a momentary pang of guilt, almost thinking her son and son-in-law had overheard her talking about them behind their backs.

She was just about to greet them and ask if they were hungry or thirsty when the sound of gongs and drums suddenly erupted in the distance.

They all exchanged glances. Chen Wanqing asked tentatively, "Are they posting the results?"

Chen De’an leaped to his feet and bolted for the door. "Yes, yes, that must be it! Good heavens, they’re posting them already? Will I even have an appetite for lunch now?!"