jdhmnovel Chapter 604 The Imperial Examination Begins!
Chapter 604 The Imperial Examination Begins!
Please! What kind of expression is that...?
Jiang Xiaoqi watched as Jiang Hao's mouth gaped wider and wider, almost big enough to fit half a fist.
"Hey, hey, hey, take it back and read it at your own pace. There's no rush, there's plenty of time!"
"Um, okay, I really don't know what to say. Is this booklet only mine, or does everyone else have it?"
Jiang Xiaoqi felt like she was instantly transported back to a scene from a certain movie, 'Is this unique to me, or do all the other girls have it?'
"Cough cough cough cough, this booklet is a handwritten version of mine. I don't have time to write more copies. You can take a look first, and let them finish the practice questions they need to do."
"Understood. I'll copy it down while I'm looking at it. There aren't many words anyway. We can have everyone take turns looking at it and doing some practice questions in between."
"Okay, Hao-ge, you can arrange it yourself. Alright, you should go back and take a shower and rest. We'll talk again after dinner tonight."
"Okay, I'll head back now. Haha, it really has been ten days to half a month since I've had a proper shower, it's really uncomfortable."
Upon returning to the familiar courtyard, Jiang Hao did not go to his room first.
This little courtyard is the same one he lived in two years ago, and the room hasn't changed either; it all feels like a dream.
"Young Master Jiang Hao, hurry back to your room to wash up, or the water will get cold again."
I just added hot water once. It's not that I'm worried about wasting hot water; after all, the Jiang family has plenty of money to buy charcoal and firewood.
If we add more water, it will overflow.
It's also because the servant in charge of this courtyard isn't very quick-witted. He didn't know to scoop out some of the cooled water and then add hot water, otherwise the water would just keep getting more and more hot.
Seeing that the servant was unfamiliar, Jiang Hao sighed inwardly that Jiang Xiaoqi's family was getting better and better. This year, they had obviously added a lot of servants and helpers, several of whom were new faces.
"Okay, I'll be right there. Thank you!"
"Uh, Young Master Hao, what are you saying? This is all our duty. The young master and the old master have both instructed us to take good care of you all."
Jiang Hao knew, of course, that Ming Fei had instructed him to do these things. Ming Fei was still as meticulous and concerned about everything as before.
Despite being younger than them, he was the one who looked most like an older brother.
The willows are lush and green, and the flowers and grasses are abundant.
The imperial examination began on this day.
The well-equipped Jiang family members were waiting outside the examination hall early on. Of course, they weren't just standing there idly; there were mini stools prepared by Jiang Xiaoqi in their examination baskets.
This stool is smaller than the stools I've seen before, it saves more space when folded, and it's also lighter.
This is the most inconspicuous item in the system store, and it's very cheap; you can buy a dozen for one point.
Jiang Xiaoqi bought a dozen, and after dividing them among the group, there was just enough left for Qiu Feng's group, so he sent someone to deliver it.
This resulted in two groups of people sitting outside the examination hall looking at each other in bewilderment.
This is why the exam baskets were all covered with oilcloth; otherwise, they could have seen the same bamboo tubes and oilcloth bags inside the other's exam baskets.
The number of Chiang Kai-shek's sons who came to Beijing this time was not large, and they were not particularly noticeable compared to the huge procession last time.
However, this time everyone was from the younger generation of the family. The oldest was just coming of age, and Jiang Hao was just over eighteen years old this year, so he was still very young.
The group of five, two of whom were of legal age, two were nineteen, and one was eighteen, were a neat and pleasing sight to behold.
The Jiang family has really good genes. Even if they aren't the kind of people who are stunningly beautiful, they are at least the kind of handsome young men.
In short, the Chiang family rarely makes any embarrassing or outrageous mistakes, since the Chiang family members themselves are very particular about appearances and have always chosen good-looking women to marry.
Regardless of whether they are virtuous or not, the beautiful wives they have brought in generation after generation have truly improved the Jiang family's genes in terms of appearance.
Jiang Hao has grown up now, and Jiang Xiaoqi thinks he is even more handsome than he was two years ago. If he can work hard and get into the top ten in the palace examination, he still has a good chance of becoming the third-ranked scholar.
Of course, this is not a sure thing. After all, Jiang Xiaoqi cannot predict whether someone as handsome as Pan An will emerge in the top ten this year and surpass Jiang Hao.
Jiang Xiaoqi did not take a day off today; he also took half a day off to see the clansmen off.
After Jiang Hao and the others entered the venue, he went straight back to the Hanlin Academy to cancel his leave.
After a few gong sounds, Jiang Hao was the first to stand up and put away his mini stool.
Seeing this, the others also got up and put their mini stools back into their exam baskets, as did the seven people who were looking at each other from a distance.
They were equipped exactly the same, and their movements were identical.
Although Jiang Hao is the youngest among the Jiang family's participants, he is already the unseen leader and backbone of the group.
This situation is very similar to that of Jiang Xiaoqi back then. She was also the youngest, and everyone would always consider consulting her opinion before making a decision.
Jiang Hao and his group were positioned relatively close to the front of the line, and the constables soon began searching and inspecting them.
The items in the examination basket were taken out one by one, and everything was clearly visible. The Jiang family was not only familiar with the preparation for the examination, but they were also experts in it.
Nothing was prohibited or suspected of being prohibited, and the food prepared was the same three items as always.
The food was all in powder form, so the guards didn't need to break it apart at all, because it was already beyond breaking.
Sesame paste, osmanthus lotus root starch, and oil tea noodles.
It wasn't that the Jiang family didn't have other good food to bring for the group; it's just that these few dishes had accompanied the Jiang family during their imperial examinations for many years, so there was a certain mystical element to them.
The main reason was that Jiang Xiaoqi was afraid that the sudden change in style would be too much for everyone's stomach and intestines, and would actually cause problems in the examination room.
It is also essential to have a variety of medicines on hand, such as those for diarrhea, colds, nausea, stomachaches, and headaches.
There weren't many mosquitoes in spring, so I only brought a small packet of mosquito-repelling herbs.
Another addition compared to previous scientific expeditions is the new product from Liuxiang Pavilion, called Liuxiang Pill.
This is for emergencies; if someone is unlucky enough to get a bad number, this could be a lifesaver.
There was nothing else special about the clothes: a few changes of clothes, all single-layered with no lining.
Some durable charcoal stoves and simple ceramic stoves are very miniature, saving both charcoal and space.
In addition, there were miscellaneous items: mini casserole dishes, bowls, chopsticks and spoons, clean handkerchiefs, and not-so-clean dishcloths—everything you could need.
The Jiang family servants had a knack for arranging things; they made sure five people watched as they packed the items into the examination basket, all for this very moment.
After the constables finished inspecting the items, they didn't care if you put them back. Too many people found that the same things couldn't fit in their baskets after the inspection, so they had to awkwardly carry them in on their backs or in their arms.
The Chiang family remained calm and, following the order in which their servants had arranged the items, put them back in their original places, leaving just the right amount of space.
It's neither too heavy nor too light to carry on your shoulder, and it's very neat.
Qiu Feng is in the same situation. They all come from humble backgrounds and have filled their own things without relying on others. Now that they are filling them again, they are even more familiar with them.