After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

Chapter 326 A Balanced Approach: Entering the Provincial Examination

The day after tomorrow was the day for the provincial examination, and Jiang Xiaoqi did not continue to distribute examination papers to his three cousins.

Instead, it was to let them relax and recharge so they could perform better in the exam.

He certainly hoped that all of them would pass the imperial examination, but there were more candidates taking the exam this year than in previous years, making the competition even more intense.

He didn't say that everyone had to pass the exam, but quietly asked Butler Wen to cook another pot of ginseng chicken soup, with some added ingredients as usual.

He wasn't just after points. The more talented people the Jiang family produced, the more prosperous the entire family would be, and the more prosperous the family would be, the more beneficial it would be for his family and for him personally.

Unfortunately, in this era, clan is extremely important to individuals, and its influence is far-reaching; one's fate is the fate of all.

Jiang Lin and the other two understood this principle as well. Trusting Jiang Xiaoqi, they did as he said and put down their books the day before entering the venue to relax.

After drinking the chicken soup, they all enjoyed a nice hot bath and received a set of bath towels and bathrobes generously sponsored by Jiang Xiaoqi, as well as a bottle each of fragrant essential oil and floral water.

Several sunny and cheerful boys instantly transformed into fragrant young men, their very presence leaving a pleasant scent as they walked.

"Ah Hao, you've used way too much of that floral dew. It's quite pungent when you walk past me, it's giving me a headache. Please stay away from me! I'm afraid it will affect tomorrow's provincial examination."

Jiang Hao sniffed: "Brother Lin, it wasn't me. I used the jasmine scent. The scent here is clearly orchid. It's Brother Yan's!"

Jiang Lin also sniffed and sneezed several times: "Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!"

"It really is an orchid. Ah Yan, stay away from me. Never mind, just go back to your room and come out again when the smell has faded!"

Jiang Yan lowered his head and smelled it. It didn't smell good at all. The smell was just right!

Jiang Yan was ushered into his room by Jiang Lin and Jiang Hao. The air was filled with the faint scents of jasmine and plum blossoms, mixed with a hint of orchid fragrance that hadn't yet dissipated, as if he were about to be swallowed up by the other two scents.

The Jiang brothers were playfully bickering, while the experienced servants had already prepared all the necessary items for their arrival.

These were all elderly people who had served the imperial examinations and accompanied the candidates, so it's no wonder that Landlord Jiang cared so much for his grandson.

Landlord Jiang wasn't the only one concerned; County Magistrate Yun was also worried about his son.

He himself was incapable of helping his son with the imperial examinations, and the highest-ranking official he had connections with was far away on the border. There was also a barrier between civil and military officials, so he was simply unable to lend a hand.

Fortunately, he was willing to spend money and asked someone to buy the exam questions that the chief examiner of the provincial examination had thrown into the wastepaper basket.

While it may not be useful, it can at least give my son some direction and help him solidify the relevant knowledge points.

It was just a discarded manuscript, not an actual exam question, so it couldn't be considered cheating.

However, he was a step too late when he received the discarded manuscript; his son, Yun Muze, had already arrived at the provincial capital.

Only then did he entrust his capable subordinate to disguise himself and deliver the examiner's manuscript to the provincial government, so that he could personally hand it to his son and avoid any unexpected complications along the way.

His men hurried to the provincial capital, proceeding with extreme caution. Once outside the city, they changed into the robes of a wealthy merchant and disguised their faces.

That's how the Jiang brothers saw what happened outside the antique shop, and luckily they didn't go up to say hello.

Discovering someone's carefully hidden secret is never a good thing.

Upon receiving the manuscript, Yun Muze's mood was like a rollercoaster, going up and down.

He didn't know what his father had brought him beforehand, and he was also puzzled as to why the meeting place was an antique shop.

On the surface, the antique shop had no connection to his family, but he knew that his distant cousin had a stake in it.

My father went to such lengths, had someone disguise themselves, and even arranged to meet outside; he felt this was no small matter.

He only glanced at the so-called examiner's manuscript, hesitated for a moment, and then burned it.

Father was really... making a fuss over nothing.

With his talent, even if he couldn't become the top scholar in the provincial examination, he would definitely not fail. What was the purpose of this?

It's pointless to live in constant fear. If nothing goes wrong, all is well, but if something does, forget about your career; you might not even be able to keep your life.

There was no way around it; that was his own father. Could he really betray his own family and report his father for theft?

Alas, I can only instruct my father's confidants not to reveal this matter, and to pretend that they never came to the provincial capital and never gave him a single word.

The manuscript was burned to ashes, but the fire in Yun Muze's heart was hard to extinguish in a short time.

I was on tenterhooks for four or five days, but no one came to arrest me, and there was no word that the examiner had lost his manuscript.

There were fewer pedestrians on the streets than usual, because the provincial examinations were to begin tomorrow.

Everything seemed normal, but he no longer had the same composure as before.

No! That won't do! I must adjust myself before entering the examination hall, otherwise it will definitely affect my performance in the provincial examination.

Sometimes people are like this: the more they don't want to do something, the less likely they are to do it. Later generations called this "the rule of Mozi is not fixed".

Yun Muze is now caught in a vicious cycle, trying his best to break free, but he is still affected by it.

There's no time to find other ways to adjust things.

It has to be said that County Magistrate Yun really screwed over his son without any mercy. Perhaps he is still gloating at home, thinking that he has done his son a great favor?

Yun Muze took a deep breath and decided to stop dwelling on the matter. He spread out some papers and began to review classic articles, trying to immerse himself in them and forget his troubles.

In any case, time will not slow down for anyone.

The next day, as dawn broke, clusters of lights were lit.

The candidates lined up outside the examination hall to wait to enter.

Jiang Lin, Jiang Hao, and Jiang Yan had a good night's sleep and were full of energy.

"Mingfei, isn't the one we've sworn brotherhood with Yun Muze?"

The provincial examination required five scholars to vouch for each other to ensure the authenticity of their identities and prevent impersonation or proxy testing.

Of course, if one of the five people in a group cheats, all five will be implicated, which is extremely unfair.

Last time, Landlord Jiang, Jiang Wenqing, and Dong Jin had formed an alliance with Tan Hao and Zhao Hongxuan, so they knew each other well.

This time, only four members of the Jiang family, including Jiang Xiaoqi, participated in the provincial examination; one person was still missing.

Jiang Lin and the others all believed that they had formed a bond with Yun Muze, who was traveling with them, but Jiang Xiaoqi denied it.

"It wasn't him. He was someone who approached me at the last minute, and I only agreed to be his colleague."

As for forming an alliance, I found people when I returned to Xinghe Prefecture. They weren't from Xinghe Prefecture, but locals from Xuanzhong Prefecture.

"Who is it?" Jiang Hao asked, worried that the person might be unreliable.

"Three years ago, this person also participated in the provincial examination, but failed. We met at a teahouse at that time, and later became familiar with each other after exchanging letters a few times."

I've investigated this person; he has a clean background, is dedicated to his studies, and possesses great integrity. There are no potential risks.

The group understood the implied meaning in the words, which meant... there was a hidden danger in Yun Muze.