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    “JiaoJiao, JiaoJiao!”


    Little Jing Kong ran into the kitchen with his short legs.


    Gu Jiao, who was cutting vegetables, turned to look at him, "What''s wrong?"


    Little Jing Kong scratched his little bald head and asked, "What does it mean to proxy someone in the exam?"


    "Hm?" Gu Jiao''s action of cutting vegetables halted.


    Little Jing Kong said, "I just heard the guest who came to visit our house talking to brother-inw. He asked brother-inw to proxy his young master in the exam. Did he mean for brother-inw to take the exam together with his young master? Like big brother Feng Lin and big brother Lin Chengye?"


    Gu Jiao''s eyes turned cold. She put the kitchen knife on the chopping board, took off her apron and walked out of the kitchen.


    In the study, Xiao Ling looked faintly at the other party.


    Wang Yunughed, "Was I too abrupt with my words? Young Gentleman Xiao may not be able to ept it for a while, but if Young Gentleman Xiao were to analyze it, Young Gentleman Xiao would understand. I know more or less about Young Gentleman Xiao''s situation. You came from a county vige and became a son-inw to a peasant family, even marrying into the bride’s family. With your family’s financial status, being admitted to the Imperial Academy as a Jieyuan, I believe that Young Gentleman Xiao has made great efforts in private. This surnamed Wang absolutely admires Young Gentleman Xiao''s strength and believes that Young Gentleman Xiao can pass the metropolitan exam and be a Gongshi."


    At this point, there was usually a but.


    Sure enough, Wang Yun went on, "However, it may not be so easy for Young Gentleman Xiao to be a Jinshi. Metropolitan exam is presided over by the examiners, who only look at the examination papers, not the people. But after bing a Gongshi, the pce exam will be held personally by His Majesty. At that time, all the examinees will sit in front of His Majesty, allowing His Majesty to see everyone''s faces."


    He spoke of people’s faces, but his eyesnded on Xiao Ling''s legs.


    His meaning was very obvious. How could His Majesty choose to include ame person to the list of sessful examinees?


    There were a total of three lists of Jinshi. The first list was the first ss Jinshi, which were the top scorer — Zhangyuan, the second rank— Bangyan, and the third rank— Tanhua, bestowed with the title Jinshi Jidi. The second list, which was a principal list along with the first one, were the so-called second ss Jinshi, which included several names from the fourth rank to a certain number below, bestowed with the title Jinshi Chushen. The third list was a supplementary list, consisting of the rest of the names outside the principal list, also known as the third ss Jinshi. They were bestowed with the title Tong Jinshi Chushen.


    The term Tong showed that it was already a different ss of Jinshi.


    Even though this dynasty’s requirements for taking the imperial examination were already rxedpared to that of the previous dynasty, after all, none of the schrs, who found their names in the principal list of Jinshi after the pce exam, were physically disabled or disfigured.


    Didn’t that make things obvious enough?


    Wang Yun smiled faintly, "Since you can''t pass the pce exam anyways, you might as well proxy my young master."


    Xiao Ling was unmoved, but Wang Yun continued to exhort, "Besides, Young Gentleman Xiao is still young, only eighteen this year. If you really want to be a Jinshi, you can still take the exam three yearster. That way, you can study for three more years, expand your knowledge more, and have a greater chance of winning in front of His Majesty. Don’t you think so?"


    Every sentence sounded like a consideration for Xiao Ling, but with careful analysis, they actually held contempt for Xiao Ling.


    Gu Jiao''s eyes turned extremely cold.


    Behind Gu Jiao, Feng Lin, Lin Chengye and Du Ruohan were also listening.


    They had heard of this so-called proxy test taking but it was the first time they had really ran into it in person. Also, this man surnamed Wang was simply too loathsome, asking someone for their help with that kind of attitude.


    He just had to insult people and fool them into backing down in the face of difficulties, as if this could show how much status and wisdom he had.


    Wang Yun continued, "The remuneration will definitely satisfy Young Gentleman Xiao. Young Gentleman Xiao can regard it as my young master buying Young Gentleman Xiao’s three years. In fact, it’s still Young Gentleman Xiao who will greatly profit from this. You can study for three more years, umting three more years worth of knowledge, while at the same time earning a sum of money that you can’t spend in a lifetime. Is there any reason not to do it? What’s more, Young Gentleman Xiao can also make friends with my young master. In the future, even if you fail to pass the exam and fail to be a Jinshi, my young master can seek a good official position for Young Gentleman Xiao!"


    What a big tone!


    He actually dared to speak about seeking an official position, who did he think he was?


    Feng Lin''s face crumpled up.


    Even Du Ruohan, who wasn’t very close to Xiao Ling, also felt angry with this shameless person.


    Xiao Ling spoke with a nd tone, "You’ve said a lot, but how do I know if your young master is worth being friends with?"


    Wang Yun revealed a proud smile, "My young master’s surname is He, the same surname as the Madame of the Duke Luo Estate."


    ……


    When Wang Yun came out of the study, Gu Jiao and the rest were no longer in the main room.


    Wang Yun cupped his hands to Xiao Ling and said, "Young Gentleman Xiao might as well think it over. I''lle back in three days to hear Young Gentleman Xiao’s reply."


    Over there, the elderly woman felt depressed as the yers suddenly ran away In the middle of the game.


    Inside the kitchen, the runaway yers Du Ruohan and Lin Chengye had a little meeting together with Gu Jiao and Feng Lin.


    Several people were sitting on small wooden stools.


    Du Ruohan: "The Duke Luo Estate is the only family in the capital that can contend with Marquis Xuanping Estate and the Zhuang Family. There used to be the Liu Family in the past as well. If this examinee surnamed He is really from the parental family of the Duchess, then he is really qualified to talk big."


    With the power and influence of the Duke Estate, getting a small official position for Xiao Ling was simply as easy as turning one’s hand over.


    It was indeed faster than if Xiao Ling relied on his own studies.


    "Why do I feel that that man surnamed Wang looks familiar?" Feng Lin was deep in thought, propping up his cheek, "I think I''ve seen him somewhere before."


    Du Ruohan frowned, "Now that you mentioned it, I kind of feel the same."


    "He, Jinghong." Lin Chengye opened his mouth.


    This name didn’t ring a bell in Du Ruohan’s mind, but Feng Lin suddenly remembered, "It''s him!"


    "Who?" Gu Jiao asked.


    "The top scorer in the college exam in Pingcheng!" Feng Lin eximed.


    This happened when Xiao Ling took the entry-level exams to be a Xiucai. Xiao Ling was the top scorer for both the county exam and the prefectural exam. In the third one, in the college exam, he didn’t get the top spot because someone had switched his eight-part essay exam paper.


    Feng Lin had paid special attention to the top scorer of the college exam, whose name was He Jinghong.


    Of course he didn''t witness it himself.


    Lin Chengye wasn’t in Pingcheng during that college exam. He knew He Jinghong only because He Jinghong also came to the provincial capital for the provincial exam in the sixth month.


    He Jinghong even stayed in the same inn as him, Xiao Ling and Feng Lin.


    "I remember! I remember now! He stayed next door to us!" Feng Lin said, "At first, I didn''t know that he was He Jinghong. Then I overheard someone calling him. That man surnamed Wang is the steward of his family and has appeared with him several times."


    Feng Lin, who couldn’t stop gossiping, babbled to Xiao Ling, Du Ruohan and Lin Chengye that the one staying next door to them was the college exam top scorer.


    Feng Lin said, "At that time, I was just joking. Could it be that this guy really bribed the examiner of the college exam to rece Ling''s exam paper?"


    This kind of spection wasn’t without reason.


    Xiao Ling''s early performance was simply too excellent. No one else other than him could be the perfect candidate for the top scorer position. There were only two kinds of people who could profit from taking him down: one, people whose strength was barely enough to ce below the quota line. As long as one person was taken down, they were sure to appear in the top 50 ces, thus increasing their chances of bing a Xiucai.


    The other kind were people whose achievements were on par with Xiao Ling''s. Overthrowing Xiao Ling meant they could get the top spot for themselves.


    But there was no evidence, so they could only forget about it. <h4>Raz P.''s Thoughts</h4>


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