Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 740 Shocking Four Seats (1)_1

Chapter 740: Chapter 740 Shocking Four Seats (1)_1

Time flew by, and soon the day of the palace examination arrived.

The exam began at the third quarter of 7am. Those who had been part of the public trial two days earlier were already eagerly waiting at the palace gate early on. Many who had no chance to participate in the public trial crowded outside, trying to get into the palace, only to be stopped by the guards at the entrance, watching enviously as groups of students were let in.

Mo Yan also arrived early. Compared to the last time, she was no longer as nervous. As soon as she disembarked from her carriage, she saw Xiao Ruiyuan standing out conspicuously by the palace gate.

Xiao Ruiyuan had come alone, leaving Chu Heng behind, and had arrived even earlier than last time. He kept an eye on the passing carriages and spotted Mo Yan immediately.

Separated by a long queue, they exchanged smiles. Mo Yan was directly allowed in by the guards at the gate, and Xiao Ruiyuan followed closely behind, talking with her at a discreet distance which did not attract much attention from onlookers.

The palace exam took place in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The questions were jointly devised by the Grand Scholar of the current dynasty and more than ten scholars of the Hanlin Academy, mirroring the difficulty and scope of the autumn exams.

However, the palace exam couldn’t possibly last seven days like the autumn exams—such a duration would be too time-consuming. Thus, the exam papers were condensed into a single volume, which had to be completed within six hours.

As a result, even if the difficulty level was comparable to that of the autumn exams, the time pressure made it much more intense. Within six hours, it wasn’t just about the quality of one’s answers but also managing to finish them all, which was no easy task.

Especially since there was still a policy discussion question in the exam; although the required word count had been reduced from eight thousand to one thousand, everyone understood that it was much harder to write an outstanding essay that was concise. Overall, securing a good result in this palace exam was much more challenging than in the autumn exams.

To more directly verify Mo Qingze’s true abilities, ten sets of the exam were prepared. In addition to Mo Qingze and the three witnesses, six students from the top twenty scholars who passed the recent autumn exams were selected to participate in the palace examination.

The vast majority of scholars study diligently for years, ultimately hoping to gain prestige and wealth through their education. The opportunity to present themselves before the monarch of the country delighted these six scholars immensely. Even if they didn’t catch Emperor Huian’s eye, being noticed by other nobles present could help them advance their careers by ten or twenty years.

However, when the results of the palace examination came out, it became apparent that while some of these six indeed had the capabilities worthy of the top twenty, they were thoroughly overshadowed by Mo Qingze.

When Emperor Huian arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and everyone had paid their respects, ten sets of tables and chairs were brought into the hall and equipped with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. After the student representatives inspected them to ensure there were no irregularities, Mo Qingze and the four others were led in by the guards, sitting down at their respective places with the other six participants.

Mo Qingze had since changed out of her burned clothes she had worn previously and was now dressed in a green cotton robe, which made her fair and handsome face appear even more serene and composed, as if certain of victory.

In contrast, the three witnesses seemed uneasy, their brows furrowed ever since they entered the hall.

Taking an exam while under the watchful eyes of many ensured no cheating, testing each individual’s genuine capabilities. However, with so many spectators, anyone with even a slight lack of mental fortitude would find it difficult to concentrate, effectively making it a part of the test, one could say!

Seeing that the time was nearly upon them, Emperor Huian nodded to Liang Gonggong, signaling that the exam could begin.

Understanding the gesture, Liang Gonggong raised his voice and announced to those in the hall, "The fifth quarter of the morning has arrived, the palace exam begins——"

As the announcement was made, a Little Eunuch inserted the freshly lit incense into the burner. This incense was specially used for timing, and once lit, it would burn for exactly six hours.