GBP Chapter 356 The Imperial Examination Approaches, the Jiang Family Holds a Rally to Initiate Their Ef
Chapter 356 The Imperial Examination Approaches, the Jiang Family Holds a Rally to Initiate Their Ef
Time is like toilet paper; it seems like a lot, but it doesn't last long.
The last few big ones might have already reached their limit.
What was that called again? Oh right, cherish your time.
Cherish it like you would toilet paper.
Haha!
The Chiang family cherished their time and wanted to make the most of every second.
Adhere to the principle of intensive study before the imperial examination: study until you drop!
Jiang Xiaoqi was the least hardworking among them, yet he still had to act as an examiner, which actually had its advantages for him.
Being able to see more writing styles before the imperial examination would also be beneficial to Jiang Xiaoqi.
However, seven days before the imperial examination, Jiang Xiaoqi still managed to loosen everyone's nerves a bit.
"Mingfei, there's no need for that. There are still seven or eight days left. We can do a lot more practice tests. Don't waste them!"
The oldest among them, Jiang Changfeng and Jiang Changgeng, were the most hardworking; the two old men's hairlines had receded even further.
Jiang Xiaoqi felt both sad and amused. Sigh~ Why am I so much like Jiang the Skinflint?
"My two great uncles, have you been feeling unwell lately? Have you been drinking the nourishing soups you've been having these past few days?"
The two knew that Jiang Xiaoqi was changing the subject, but thinking about the changes in their bodies these days, they still spoke up.
"Well, I must say, I've been eating better lately, and even my eyesight has improved."
"Before, I had to hold the book further away, but now I don't need to; the words are very clear."
"Yeah, me too. My lower back used to always ache, but it hasn't been lately. This tonic soup must be expensive, right?"
Jiang Xiaoqi waved his hand, "It's not expensive at all. It's all homemade, and the medicinal herbs are readily available at home. As long as my uncles are in good health, that's all that matters."
"I still have to prepare for the imperial examination, so I need to keep drinking it these next few days. It will make things easier when I'm in the examination hall, so I don't get sick and miss the exam."
Jiang Xiaoqi successfully changed the subject and did not hand out any more test papers.
Besides the two eldest uncles who were scholars in the Jiang family, the others also received a tonic soup.
Jiang Lin and the other two younger ones didn't drink any more; young people shouldn't take too much tonic.
The foundation they built during the provincial examinations is still strong, and they remain energetic even after continuous intense sprints.
The day before the imperial examination, Jiang Changqing finished his shift and returned to the Jiang residence with Landlord Jiang, where he gave the candidates some final instructions.
This concerns the honor of the entire Chiang family, and as the clan head, he naturally had to offer encouragement.
With the support of Jiang Xiaoqi's collection of tens of thousands of books and a constant stream of exam papers, Landlord Jiang's position in the clan was beginning to resemble that of a deputy clan leader.
In fact, the elders of the Jiang family who remained in Xinghe Prefecture had already designated two deputy clan heads, one of whom was the landlord Jiang, and the other was currently serving as the headmaster of the Jiang clan school.
The Jiang Clan School has expanded considerably in recent years, and in addition to recruiting its own members and the sons of officials from Xinghe Prefecture, it has also begun to recruit students from all over the country.
As the clan has grown and prospered, Jiang Changqing now serves as an official in Beijing, and many clan matters are still discussed and decided by the clan elders.
Therefore, some people proposed to add two deputy clan chiefs. Based on merit and seniority, the most qualified candidates were Landlord Jiang and Headmaster Jiang.
As the clan chief, Jiang Changqing delivered an inspiring speech, while also telling everyone to relax and not be overly tense.
"After the results of the provincial and palace examinations are announced, let's return to Puyang together to pay homage to our ancestors and erect more memorial arches for the successful candidates!"
Just as everyone was getting excited, Landlord Jiang stepped forward and said a few words: "Rest early today and don't overthink it. Many people from our Jiang family took the exam this time. Even if only half of them win, we'll still have made a profit!"
After Landlord Jiang finished speaking, everyone visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Six out of twelve, that should be alright?
Among the twelve, there was a top scholar who was practically guaranteed to pass the provincial examination, and there was also Jiang Lin, whose ranking was not low either.
In addition, there are two other elders, Jiang Changfeng and Jiang Changgeng, who have taught at the ethnic school for many years, and they are also very likely to be involved.
As for the others, the brothers Jiang Wenhai and Jiang Wenhao, who are pillars of the nation, are also very likely to pass the imperial examinations.
That makes six already. What if another dark horse emerges? We can definitely aim for a top-eight finish and secure a top-six!
Everyone seemed to be on the same wavelength at this moment, and their expressions were visibly relaxed. It looked like they would all be able to sleep well tonight and wouldn't have insomnia.
But they seem to have forgotten that Wang Jue was not a member of the Jiang family; only eleven members of the Jiang family actually participated in the imperial examination.
I don't know why, but everyone seemed to overlook the fact that Lao Wang's surname isn't Jiang. Maybe they've known each other for so long that they consider him family? Cough cough, okay~ actually, they just forgot.
Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Landlord Jiang ordered Wenbin and Li Mo to lead the servants to check the twelve examination baskets again.
One person is responsible for the details, and the other is responsible for checking the count.
Each test basket was checked three times by different people. After the checks, it was sent to a sealed warehouse, locked, and secured three times.
It takes three keys—one from Landlord Jiang, one from Xiaoqi Jiang, and one from Old Madam Jiang—to open the warehouse door simultaneously.
The next morning, the sun had not yet shone on the Jiang residence, because it was still dark.
The servants of the Jiang family began preparing breakfast with great skill. After their masters had washed up and finished eating, the examination basket was loaded onto the carriage and guarded by special personnel along the way.
The Jiang family dispatched five carriages, three people per carriage, twelve people in four carriages, and one carriage to carry exam baskets.
Although the Jiang family lived quite close to the examination venue, everyone still left before dawn at the insistence of several elders.
It's comparable to the college entrance examination in later generations; it's better to go early than late, so that if there's any unexpected event on the way, you won't panic.
Even though I had left early, the area outside the examination hall was still packed with people.
There's nothing you can do; you're early, but others are even earlier.
Some even started sleeping at noon the day before, and got up at night to secure a good spot in front of the examination hall.
First come, first served; first come, first served; first searched, first in; first in... seems pretty useless~
That means just sitting there blankly, waiting for the next person to come in. The only thing you can do is tidy up the examination room and wipe off the dust.
After the Jiang family members got off the carriage, it could no longer move forward.
The Chiang family's position in the queue was neither too far forward nor too far back, but in the middle, because judging from the number of people in the front queue, just as many more people would be arriving later.
What's fun about queuing?
It's not that there are fewer people ahead of you in line, but rather that there are more people behind you in line.
Last time, Jiang Xiaoqi was the one who escorted the examinee to the exam; this time, he is the one taking the exam.
Looking at the slowly inching line and the candidates of varying ages, Jiang Xiaoqi felt a strange sensation.
Sigh~ When will I be the boss?
County examination, prefectural examination, provincial examination, township examination, metropolitan examination, palace examination, enter the court as an official, and then climb as high as possible.
Then wait to retire, or rather, retire from public life, and then count down the days until you die of old age.
I've been through two lifetimes of hardship, could I please get a system that lets me lie down and relax or a system that lets me live off a woman in the next life?
Ah!