Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 641 - 641 642 Glory and Catastrophe_1

Chapter 641: Chapter 642: Glory and Catastrophe_1 Chapter 641: Chapter 642: Glory and Catastrophe_1 Yu Ze, with a stern face, said, “Your husband here didn’t marry until he was twenty-five! I wasn’t the least bit delayed!”

Muniang: “…”

Just look at how dark this man’s face had turned. She had merely sighed a few times over Zhao Jiangshui’s failure in the examination, did he really need to be so dissatisfied with someone else? The jealousy of this man was truly…

Although that was what she thought, Muniang still cooed in a soothing tone, “Alright, it was just a thought I had. It’s not a big deal for a young man to face some setbacks.”

At that, Yu Ze was finally satisfied. Why should his wife worry about other men for no reason? Brothers? If they weren’t blood-related, it wasn’t acceptable!

“However, speaking of today’s list of successful candidates, I heard that Feng Rui made it to the top of the list. He’s the nephew of Mrs. Feng and the eldest son of Assistant Minister Feng. Just now, I saw Yu Ming preparing a lavish gift to go and congratulate him at Feng Mansion,” Yu Ze said casually.

Muniang frowned: “Feng Rui? How could someone like him become the top scholar?”

“You know him?”

“I just happened to see him at Dongxing Building yesterday. I couldn’t tell that the rascal had any air of a Number One Scholar, and frankly, I found him disagreeable!” Muniang said irritably.

“Did he offend you? I’ll go and teach him a lesson,” Yu Ze obviously wasn’t focused on the same thing; he didn’t care whether the guy had the air of the Number One Scholar or not – all he cared about was whether his wife had been wronged.

“There’s no need for that; he’s the man of the hour right now. Why should we stir up trouble against the wind? After a few days, I’ll take care of him myself!” Muniang said through gritted teeth.

Yu Ze’s lips curved up into a smile. He liked this prideful streak in his little wife.

At this point, Zhao Jiangshui had already started to pack his bags. Since he’d failed the examination, there was no point in staying in the Capital any longer – he naturally planned to go home. Tianniu had thought ahead; if he indeed failed, she would follow him back. So, of course, she was helping him pack.

Suddenly, a knock at the door sounded. Zhao Jiangshui was feeling despondent and had no interest in answering. Tianniu went to open the door herself and was met by a man dressed like a scholar. She recognized him; he was also from Qinghua City to take the examination, a fellow traveler with Zhao Jiangshui, named Xu Qi.

“Jiangshui, are you leaving?”

Zhao Jiangshui sighed and said, “Oh, it’s you. I’ve failed the examination; there’s no point in staying here. Of course, I’m going back home. I’ve heard you placed one hundred and seventy-second; I haven’t had a chance to congratulate you yet.”

Xu Qi hurriedly said, “I was thinking it just shouldn’t be so, the other day when we discussed your answers, I found them astonishing. By comparison, my set of discussions seems quite mediocre. I passed, so how could you have been disqualified?”

Zhao Jiangshui was indeed frustrated, but now it was all in vain to say anything, “I’m afraid the examiners didn’t like my kind of answers. After all, they were too innovative; perhaps they thought I was too arrogant and directly discarded me.”

“But I know the chief examiner of this round, it’s the famously erudite Master Ning. He is always open-minded, not one to strictly adhere to old rules. He has always encouraged innovation. Didn’t you also make sure to understand the preferences of the chief examiner, which is why you were so confident and boldly spoke your mind?”

Before the exam, the identity of the chief examiner would definitely become the biggest topic among the candidates because they need to cater to the examiner’s preferences. Zhao Jiangshui was no exception; he had these new ideas in his mind but also considered what kind of person the examiner was, so naturally, he had looked into it beforehand. Hearing Xu Qi say this made him even more discontent.

Feeling annoyed, he sat to one side and threw the object in his hand aside, “Then what should I think? Xu Qi, you also said it shouldn’t be this way, but what is the reason exactly? I can accept defeat, but I cannot accept being so bafflingly defeated!”

Xu Qi was also helpless, “Jiangshui, how about you don’t leave in a hurry? In three days, Master Ning will host a banquet for the top ten candidates on the list. We can wait outside the mansion then. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to meet Master Ning, and you can ask him for clarification. Even if you have to fail, at least you’ll understand the reason.”

Zhao Jiangshui’s heart sank, after which he said, “Alright, if Master Ning can enlighten me, it would be of great help for my future path. After all, I really can’t figure out what’s wrong with my answers. If I don’t figure out the problem this time, it would be pointless to take the exam again.”

Zhao Jiangshui’s return to Qinghua City was thus postponed. Muniang originally thought Tianniu would leave with Zhao Jiangshui but, hearing the reason, felt it was not unreasonable. Failure itself is not to be feared, but not knowing where one failed is the most frightening. Zhao Jiangshui’s decision was a good one, so she didn’t interfere further.

That day, Master Ning held a banquet at his mansion for the top ten scholars. Since he was the main examiner for this session and had personally handpicked the top ten, he naturally appreciated them greatly. Especially the Number One Scholar, whom he had personally selected. This candidate’s writing was sharp, his opinions incisive—a true masterpiece—that greatly impressed Master Ning. At this banquet, the person he most wished to see was this top-ranked individual. Regrettably, Feng Rui seemed to have no regard for his honor, claiming to be slightly unwell and did not attend.

Feng Rui was not putting on airs; he dared not attend. The impersonation occurred after the examiners finalized the grades. His father had used his connections to copy the original answer sheet and insert Feng Rui’s name into it. Since examiners were not allowed to see the candidates’ names, Master Ning naturally was unaware of this machination. His intention to host the top ten was to discuss their insights thoroughly. The views expressed were entirely novel and profound. How could Feng Rui discuss these? His presence would certainly blow his cover, so naturally, he wouldn’t come.

During the banquet, Master Ning sighed regretfully, wishing he could meet this talented individual to discuss and expound at length. It’s rare to find such excellent talent, and Master Ning was certainly generous with his praise. Furthermore, he spoke extensively about the views in the writings, praising them as the work of an extremely talented person. Remarkably, even the other top ten candidates present couldn’t help but applaud when they heard these points.

Although Feng Rui didn’t attend, his fame still spread far and wide. The Capital was abuzz not only with his remarkable talent but also with the incisive points from the essay, which Master Ning, in his excitement, revealed quite a bit, and thus became widespread in the Capital.

What should have been great honor turned into a calamity in the hands of the impostor Feng Rui.

Zhao Jiangshui did not get to meet Master Ning at the gate of the mansion during the banquet but heard the praises of the Number One Scholar and the related content from the scholar’s work. Zhao Jiangshui felt as though struck by lightning—it was unmistakably, unmistakably his own answer sheet!

Zhao Jiangshui stood up abruptly with a “whoosh” and nearly bolted out the door, “I must go to the Feng Family to ask for a clear explanation of this matter!”