Chapter 189: Chapter 177: Top Three, Bottom Three (Third Update)
Song Wei rested for a night. At dawn, he got up to wash. He felt slightly better than the previous night, but his head was still heavy.
When his brother became so ill, Song Fang specifically took leave from Hongwen Academy to come back and serve him. She had already helped him pack his writing materials and food into the exam basket. Afraid that he might feel cold at night, she especially got him to change into a thicker robe.
Unable to make it by herself, Song Fang bought him a pair of knee pads from outside.
Song Wei did not refuse. After preparing everything, he pushed the door open.
Xie Zheng was waiting outside. Upon seeing him, he smiled, "How are you feeling today?"
"Not bad."
Xie Zheng proactively took his exam basket, holding it himself, unlike others who advised Song Wei against taking risks. "Just endure two more sessions, and once the exams are over, you’ll be free. You can rest as much as you want then."
Song Wei heard this, slightly curled the corners of his lips, but within the smile, there was a pale weakness of someone not fully recovered.
Xie Zheng silently prayed in his heart, hoping he could smoothly complete the second and third sessions.
Song Wei thought the same; he had endured such difficulty in the first session, believing the heavens, if not blind, should grant him some favor in the second and third sessions.
Yet upon reaching the exam hall, he realized he had imagined the heavens as too benevolent.
This time it wasn’t rain; it was an issue with the cell’s location.
Each row of cells had a latrine at the end. The closer to the latrine, the worse the smell was, indescribably foul.
Unfortunately, Song Wei’s position was the last cell in their row.
The previous session had been rainy, coupled with him sleeping through the day, so there was almost no feeling.
The second session was different. The scorching sun made him drowsy. Two examinees, it seemed, had eaten something bad, constantly ran to the latrine.
Song Wei was already distracted due to illness; the odor kept affecting him, making it hard to settle his thoughts, constantly interrupting his train of thought.
Not until nightfall did he finish answering the exam paper, eating was out of the question. He timed it right to disassemble the writing board and combine it with the seat board to sleep on it for the night.
The examiners supervised strictly, prohibiting examinees from moving around freely at night.
The Eldest Princess learned through Doctor Li that Song Wei’s cell leaked rain last session and had arranged to have it simply repaired through connections.
However, she did not know Song Wei’s cell location; otherwise, she would have had it changed long ago.
In the first half of the night, Song Wei slept fairly well. In the later half, rain came again, waking him, so he continued sitting without daring to sleep because it was too cold.
It might not have meant much to other examinees, but to him, being a patient, even a slight breeze felt like cold needles piercing into his pores, unbearable.
He sat from the later half of the night until dawn, handing in his paper to leave.
Xie Zheng saw his eyes shaded with blue, guessed he hadn’t slept well, and asked, "Did you run into trouble again last night?"
"Just couldn’t sleep because of the rain; compared to the first session, I was much luckier," Song Wei said, his voice laced with weariness.
Xie Zheng was slightly relieved, encouraging him, "Only one more session, just endure for three more days."
Song Wei faintly smiled, three days more simply meant completing the exams, not passing them.
In previous exams, he always had a decent idea, but these first two sessions of the exam had made him realize he might not become an Advanced Scholar.
The first session was answered entirely on sheer will. Now when asked to recall, he couldn’t remember what he had written.
As for the second session, it barely matched normal standards, but if he wanted to use its results to compensate for the first session, it was quite uncertain.
To pass, unless he performed exceptionally in the third session to cover the "mistakes" of the first two sessions.
Upon returning home, Song Fang immediately prepared warm water for their baths.
Song Wei finished bathing, dried his hair, and came out to eat.
He hadn’t fully recovered, and Song Fang didn’t dare cook heavy meals, preparing something light.
After eating, Song Wei went back to his room and slept.
Unfamiliar with the surroundings, Song Yuanbao didn’t go out nor disturb Song Wei’s rest. He washed the clothes his father had changed out of and helped his aunt with household chores.
After school, Xu Shu hurried to the alley courtyard at the earliest.
Having been overshadowed by the first session’s "loss," he was particularly concerned about the second session. Seeing Song Wei sleeping inside the room, he directly asked Song Fang, "Is your third brother feeling better?"
Xu Shu showed genuine concern, so Song Fang had no reason to drive him away and replied truthfully, "He’s much better than in the first session."
"No issues with the second session?" Xu Shu asked again.
Song Fang hesitated somewhat; she hadn’t had a chance to ask about the specifics of the second session since her third brother had already gone inside to rest.