Chapter 190: Chapter 177: Top Three, Bottom Three (Second Update)
Xu Shu asked again since he didn’t hear a response, "Are you still mad at me?"
Song Fang glanced at him.
These days, she had been so preoccupied with her third brother’s recurring illness, that if Xu Shu hadn’t mentioned it, she might have forgotten the awkwardness in the carriage that day.
The sudden mention made Song Fang’s welcoming demeanor fade considerably.
Xu Shu knew he made a big blunder and had been trying to make amends. Unfortunately, he had never coaxed a girl before. Even after asking all his unruly friends, he still couldn’t think of an effective way. He could only try things step by step, buying things she liked, and getting her breakfast early in the morning...
"My third brother and cousin both took a rest. I need to go shopping for vegetables, so I can’t entertain guests. If there’s nothing else, you should head back first!"
After saying this, Song Fang went into the kitchen to grab a basket, preparing to take Yuanbao out with her.
Xu Shu initially wanted to ask whether she’d still be visiting the General Mansion after the exam was over, but realizing the timing and situation were wrong, he decided not to speak. He simply bade farewell without even entering the house and headed straight home.
For dinner, Song Fang made some home-cooked dishes for Xie Zheng and Song Yuanbao, and cooked vegetable porridge for Song Wei.
Song Wei didn’t come to the main room, so Song Fang personally took the porridge to him and asked if he was feeling better.
Song Wei had taken medicine before sleeping, sweated under the covers, and now his fever had subsided considerably, although his lips were still somewhat cracked.
After drinking a couple of sips of porridge, he felt slightly relieved.
Seeing him able to swallow, Song Fang guessed he was getting better and sat down, "Xu Shu came by during the day asking if there had been any more unexpected incidents with the third session. I didn’t respond to him then."
Song Wei stirred his spoon in the porridge bowl, not wanting his little sister to worry, "It didn’t rain for the second session, it went fairly smoothly."
These words were a reassurance to Song Fang, who had been anxious for days, and her expression brightened, "Really? If there were really any issues, third brother, don’t hide them from me; otherwise, I’d feel guilty as your sister."
Song Wei smiled, "It’s not possible to lie about these things."
Before long, Xie Zheng came by to see Song Wei, chatted casually for a bit, and then went back to his room to study.
Song Wei did not touch the books, knowing that in his current state, reading would just make him dizzy. It was better to rest and gather strength.
The third session of the exam started early morning on the fifteenth of March. Today there was no rain, nor was it too sunny. It wasn’t too cold or too hot, just right.
Song Wei, who was prepared for misfortune, didn’t encounter any of the expected minor incidents.
In this session, his illness was mostly cured, his mind was clear, and his thoughts were also sharp, performing better than in the previous two sessions.
Leaving the examination hall on March sixteenth, Xie Zheng asked him if he was confident about passing.
Song Wei hesitated, not saying he was confident, nor that he wasn’t.
His performance in the three sessions, the first was the worst, the second was better, and the third was actually good. However, the graders look at the overall result, and with only one outstanding session, it’s unlikely to rank high.
——
According to the examination regulations, the rankings should be announced within half a month, by the first of April at the latest.
While the graders fill the rankings, the top ten names must be submitted to the Emperor for review.
On March 28th, Emperor Guangxi received the list of the top ten candidates from the Ministry of Rites Examination Hall and their exam papers.
After a brief glance, Emperor Guangxi didn’t make significant changes but shuffled the rankings of two of the candidates before sending it back to the Ministry of Rites.
This year, based on the reference numbers from various provinces, 280 candidates would be accepted overall.
On the day the rankings were announced, the area outside the Ministry of Rites Examination Hall was bustling, filled with current-year examinees.
Xu Shu had already arranged for someone to check the rankings, leaving Song Wei and Xie Zheng at home to wait.
Song Wei appeared calm, his demeanour neither hurried nor slow, as if passing or failing the exam didn’t make much of a difference to him.
In contrast, Xie Zheng, who performed better, was the first to become anxious. Holding his tea, he had no intention to drink, and after only a few words with Song Wei, would glance out the window, clearly hopeful that Xu Shu’s person would bring back good news.
Song Wei, stepping into the exam despite his severe illness, had persisted to the end, which was already a feat. Xu Shu feared if he really failed, he wouldn’t be able to handle it, so he advised, "If not this year, you can wait another three years. With your talent, becoming an Advanced Scholar is only a matter of time; it’s just this year’s bad luck. As the saying goes, true gold shines wherever it is. You, Song Wei, are true gold; the examination hall can’t bury you."
Song Wei smiled slightly and didn’t respond.
Xie Zheng sighed deeply, thinking his third cousin was indeed a piece of real gold, but unfortunately, he was covered in bad luck. No matter where he went, as long as the bad luck lingered, he really wouldn’t shine.
——
When the servant copying the rankings returned, Song Fang had already set the meal, and Xu Shu had just picked up his chopsticks. Unable to wait for the servant to slowly report with deep breaths, he put down his chopsticks and grabbed the paper with the rankings.
After taking a look, he was somewhat taken aback.
Xie Zheng asked, "What’s wrong?"
Xu Shu hesitated, "Both of you passed, but the rankings..."
"What’s wrong with the rankings?" Song Fang, sitting closest to Xu Shu, took the paper from his hands. After reading it, she didn’t comment and directly handed it to Song Wei.
Song Wei glanced over it casually and then passed it to Xie Zheng.
After reading it, Xie Zheng didn’t know whether to be happy or worried.
What was written on the paper?
Out of 280 spots, Xie Zheng ranked just above two hundred, while Song Wei was directly at the bottom.
Anyone who knew Song Wei had high hopes for his exam performance, such as his classmates from the Imperial College. They believed that given his achievements in the college’s exams, taking a top three spot in the imperial examination would absolutely be no problem.
In fact, he indeed took a top three spot, but in reverse order.
Passing was already unexpected for Song Wei, so he didn’t think the ranking was bad.
The lower the ranking, the greater the room for improvement during the palace examination.
As long as he’s not unlucky on the day of the palace examination, he’s confident about climbing higher.