Chapter 960: Last Place

Yao Youqian frowned upon hearing this. He knew how poor the Lv Bai family was. Where did they get the silver to book a private room in Gaosong Building?

The surrounding examinees were also surprised, while Manager Hu sneered, "May I ask which noble family Young Master Lv comes from to be so arrogant?"

Belittling Futai Building in front of its doors and praising Gaosong Building like this, do they think Futai Building is easy to bully?

Yao Youqian felt a headache and sighed, "Fool."

What kind of mind is this? Even if he got to know some wealthy sons in the Prefecture City, he shouldn’t be doing such foolish things. How many people does Miss Lv want to offend?

Miss Lv was Lv Bai’s nickname. As a child, he was fair-skinned, and his family doted on him, keeping him at home to study without much work. Neighbors thought he was raised like a noble lady, and some gossipy people gave him this nickname.

The porter hadn’t finished speaking and continued, without responding to Manager Hu, "Young Master Lv said that since Young Master Gu was the county top scorer, he should naturally wait for the results in the best restaurant. He has covered the cost of the private room, meals, and tipping the messengers. As long as Young Master Gu goes there, there’s no need to worry about the silver."

Gu Jin’an laughed. At the end of the month, he had just looked over his family’s accounts; his family was truly not poor.

Gu Jin’an said to the porter, "Continue."

He was curious to see what other laughable things Lv Bai might say.

The porter said, "Young Master Lv also said that you two are making a wager. He feels it’s better to wait for the results in the same restaurant to prevent anyone from running away after losing. After all, many people don’t know where the Gu Family’s residence is."

Not many knew where Gu Jin’an’s house was, mainly to avoid the Old Gu Family.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jin’an asked the porter, "Is that all?"

The porter nodded and said, "Please follow me to Gaosong Building, Young Master Gu."

Gu Jin’an shook his head, "I won’t go to Gaosong Building. The Hu Family is on good terms with mine, so we’ll wait for the results at Futai Building. Go back and tell Lv Bai that I’m not worried about him running away if he loses. I can find him."

He added, "Also, tell Lv Bai another thing. Ask him if he understood what I said when we made the wager. Did he fail the exam?"

Lv Bai had publicly cursed him immediately after finishing the Prefecture Examination, clearly having encountered a frustrating situation, eager to vent his anger, indicating he probably hadn’t done well.

The porter listened, repeated the words to remember them well, and said, "Young Master really won’t go?"

Yao Youqian said, "He already said he won’t. You’d better hurry back and tell Lv Bai to wait for the results quietly and stop doing foolish things, or he won’t be able to bear the consequences!"

Yao Youqian had known Lv Bai since childhood and didn’t want him to keep making mistakes. His chances of winning weren’t high, and if he were to be used to commit foolish acts, his future would be ruined.

After hearing this, the porter didn’t stay longer, cupped his hands, and went to Gaosong Building to relay the words of Gu Jin’an and Yao Youqian to Lv Bai.

Lv Bai was very angry, and with a sullen face, he said, "Since Gu Jin’an likes eating second-rate food in a second-rate restaurant, I won’t force him."

Still calling himself a noble! If Yao Youqian were here, he would definitely retort: Lv Xiaomei, do you deserve to call yourself a noble? How much does your family earn from roadside stalls a day? Can you afford servants?

Then cursed Yao Youqian, "He’s ungrateful, doesn’t even know where he belongs, siding with Gu Jin’an. If he gets rejected by people from his hometown later, he better not blame them for not remembering past ties."

If Yao Youqian were there, he might slap him a few times. Hometown ties refer to a wider range at the Capital—it refers to all officials from He’an Prefecture or Jianghuai.

Other examinees in the private room laughed, saying, "Brother Lv need not be upset. Yao Youqian is just a night-soil collector and unworthy to sit at the same table as Brother Lv."

Adding, "And there’s no need to bother with Gu Jin’an. When Brother Lv wins, you can set conditions for Gu Jin’an, then take over his family business and let them go hungry!"

A person with a carefree demeanor said, "I heard Gu Jin’an has grown sisters at home. Then Brother Lv could say he wants to take his two sisters as concubines, thoroughly shaming Gu Jin’an!"

The speaker, named Miao Qianwen, was one of Mr. Shi’s disciples, a Southern person sent by Mr. Shi to instigate Lv Bai to embarrass the Gu Family.

Actually, Mr. Shi had no major grudge against Gu Jin’an; the biggest grievance was when Gu Jin’an angrily scolded Madman and wrote an article on the differences between a Madman and a scholar.

That article denounced 99% of the Madmen, sparing only those who hadn’t exhibited outrageous behavior.

Mr. Shi particularly admired the outrageous actions of Madmen, hence wanting to teach Gu Jin’an a lesson and let him know that scholars could never surpass Madmen.

But lately, Mr. Shi’s luck had been poor. Past incidents were dug up and used by storytellers in the Prefecture City, many people criticized Mr. Shi, and some said he should be thrown in prison.

For what? Wasn’t it just for forcing a girl? Compensation was paid, what more do they want?

Miao Qianwen was disdainful of those indignant people wanting to capture Mr. Shi, believing that a Madman’s actions should stand out, what’s there to catch?

Lv Bai, hearing Miao Qianwen’s words, disdainfully remarked, "The Gu Family may have fled from famine—they come from the Northwest where the women are all broad-shouldered and ugly. If his sisters are ugly, how could they enter the Lv Family?"

The porter thought inwardly: Are you blind? With how handsome Gu Jin’an is, could his sisters be ugly?

But since he was employed by Lv Bai, he naturally had to flatter him, so after a word of compliment, he asked, "Young Master, is there anything else you need? If not, I’ll take my leave."

He still had to find some congratulatory work for the day; it was a busy day indeed.

Lv Bai waved dismissively like a lord, "Dismissed."

Ugh, I’m not even your servant, and you’re dismissing me like that.

"Ah, thank you for the job, Young Master." The porter thanked Lv Bai, repeated Gu Jin’an’s two sentences, and then left.

Only after the porter left did Lv Bai have time to ponder Gu Jin’an’s words... Gu Jin’an had said on that day that only if he became the top of the county could he set any conditions for him, not that if Gu Jin’an didn’t become the top of the county he would win.

A trap, a trap!

"That scoundrel!" Lv Bai, enraged, smashed a wine cup. But after the anger subsided, his face turned pale. If he didn’t come out as the top scorer, wouldn’t the Gu family’s business and sisters vanish? And then he couldn’t humiliate Gu Jin’an?

"What’s wrong, Brother Lv?" Miao Qianwen asked.

Lv Bai forced a calm smile and said, "It’s nothing, just feel that Gu Jin’an not coming to Gaosong Building is putting me down."

Miao Qianwen laughed, "Haha, Brother Lv, no need to be angry. Once you emerge as the top scorer, you can make Gu Jin’an bow down."

Lv Bai barely managed a smile and then awaited nervously. When he heard he only placed fiftieth, everything went black, and he fainted!

The Prefecture Examination was much more competitive than the county examination, with only fifty taken each subject. Lv Bai had scored the last place!