Chapter 304: Chapter 140: A Ray of Hope
The situation made Gu Chengyu increasingly restless. The announcements for the second and first place should not be too far apart, yet there was still no good news at this point. Could it be that he had truly failed?
It wasnât just Gu Chengyu; even Ming Mo and Ming Yan were anxious. How could the young master possibly fail? It was inconceivable! In their minds, the young master was diligent, determined, resilient, and talented. Failing was simply not something they had ever considered.
Across the table, Min Feng glanced at Gu Chengyu. Previously, he had been quite apprehensive about Gu Chengyu, but now he was nowhere on the list? He felt he had worried himself unnecessarily beforeâperhaps Gu Chengyu was only good at poetry and essays?
The most likely first place now seemed to be Fu Yanshan.
Liu Haonan was even more taken aback. How could the person who had overshadowed the Three Great Scholars of Jiangnan with his poetry not make the list today? He chuckled, feeling it was a fitting retribution. Perhaps this would help restore his own reputationâthere goes the Little San Yuan, only a hollow title!
Sun Xian and Ye Zhiqiu didnât know how to console Gu Chengyu either; they had never imagined he would fail.
"Chengyu! Donât worry, maybe something unexpected happened on the road and caused the delay! I believe youâll definitely pass!"
Yet, Ye Zhiqiu didnât even believe these words himself. With such a delay, how could what he said happen at all? What are the chances of such a coincidence in the world?
"Yes..." Sun Xian said dryly, though he himself felt his words were quite hollow.
"Didnât you say before that heâd definitely be among the top ranks? Didnât expect he wouldnât make the list at all!" The scholars nearby had already begun discussing; at this point, the announcements should have been over long ago.
"I truly didnât expect it! Alas! Heâs still a bit young!" This examinee wasnât saying anything too harsh, just expressing some regret.
"Isnât Fu Yanshan also young? Heâs only a few years older, maybe he is the first place! Besides, the Three Great Scholars of Jiangnan are also not that old!" Some sharp-tongued examinees thought that Gu Chengyu had been in the limelight before, but now having failed, he really lost face.
Even Manager Wan shook his head and sighed; to write such poetry and essays yet not be on the list was truly a pity. It seemed his poetry would have to be taken down tomorrow. As a shopkeeper, he needed to prioritize the innâs reputation, so it wasnât fitting to hang Gu Chengyuâs calligraphy anymore.
"Waa...I failed!" An examinee could no longer bear the pressure and anguish in his heart, holding his head and crying painfully.
This crying affected many of the other scholars who had also failed; they too had been holding back, and at this moment, everyone wanted a good cry.
Some rejoiced, some raged, and some were plunged into silent despair. Amidst such surroundings, Gu Chengyuâs heart miraculously became calm. So be it if he didnât pass! At worst, he could come back in three years. Life is full of ups and downs, and he wasnât one who couldnât handle setbacks.
He just found it strange; he thought he did quite well! Could it be that he overestimated himself?
Having figured it out, Gu Chengyu didnât care about what others said. He smiled at Sun Xian and the others, saying, "No need to console me. Iâm still young; at worst, I can come back in three years! Iâm not going to be discouraged by one failure."
Sun Xian and the others couldnât understand it either; Gu Chengyuâs talent was always better than theirs, even surpassing the Three Great Scholars of Jiangnan. There was no logical reason for him to fail! Even if not first, he should at least have been in the top three, right? Was it a poor performance in the exam room or some kind of exam scandal?
Suddenly, a voice came through intermittently, "Provincial Examination good news! Congratulations to Young Master Gu Chengyu from Jingyuan Prefecture for achieving the top scorer title in the Capital Provincial Examination."
Originally, the inn was noisy, and since the voice was so fragmented and lacked the sound of hoofbeats, no one heard it clearly. But as the voice came closer and closer, repeating many times, it continued until it reached the inn. Everyone was shocked! Why was there still good news coming now?
Wait, top scorer? Who is the top scorer?
The reporter ran all the way there, panting, and seeing no response from anyone, had to raise his voice again: "Provincial Examination good news! Congratulations to Young Master Gu Chengyu from Jingyuan Prefecture for achieving the top scorer title in the Capital Provincial Examination."
Gu Chengyu actually heard it earlier, but he was puzzled as to why the person wasnât arriving on horseback. Could this be the treatment for a top scorer, running all the way singing about passing the exam? Such an approach almost seemed worthy of a top scholar.
Truly, life is full of surprises, light at the end of the tunnel! Gu Chengyu couldnât help but admit his heart started to leap with joy; he ultimately couldnât achieve complete equanimity in the face of glory and disappointment!
"I almost missed delivering the top scorerâs good news! There was a problem with the horse on the road, who is Mr. Gu Chengyu? Congratulations!"
Gu Chengyu stepped forward to receive the report slip from the manâs hand. Raising his eyes, he realized it was the same constable who delivered the good news to Sun Xian.
"Thank you for your trouble!" Clearly, he ran all the way, indeed having suffered, and Gu Chengyu fetched five ounces of silver from his bosom and handed it over. The reward for a top scorer couldnât be short.
"Thank you! Thank you!" The constable was delighted to receive five ounces of silver, feeling his long run was worth it. Having finally caught up, he almost wanted to shed tears of joy at that moment!
Upon seeing, wasnât this the same person who previously gave a three-ounce silver reward when delivering good news for someone else? Even though it wasnât as much as the official families in the Capital, those cases werenât reachable for him anyway, so he was very happy to receive this amount.
After the reporter left, the inn became even more lively.
"I told you! See, isnât he the top scorer?" The person felt proud for his unique insight.
"Who could have imagined such a thing? That the horse could have an accident? This is the first Iâve heard of it, no wonder the good news for the top scorer was delayed for so long!"
"It seems that he truly stands out, and we shouldnât be jealousâhe has real talent!"
No matter what, although people had spoken ill of him before, in the end, congratulations were in orderâafter all, he was the top scorer!
Some scholars were focused on Gu Chengyuâs rank, while most were immersed in their grief over not making the list!
"I didnât pass this time either, and I donât know how to face my clan after going back. How much silver has the clan supplemented from front to back? I really feel ashamed!"
Some scholars passed and were chatting and laughing with others; those who didnât pass were wailing, feeling ashamed to face their families; yet there were others who remained quite calm, merely shaking their heads and sighing, perhaps having expected it.
In summary, it shows the warmth and coldness of the world, the various states of human life! Gu Chengyuâs greatest gain today wasnât becoming the top scorer in the Provincial Examination but rather the calm nonchalance with which he faced situations in life.
"I congratulate Mr. Gu for becoming the top scorer in the Provincial Examination!" Manager Wan hurriedly stepped forward to congratulate, after all, he was a top scorer! Fortunately, he hadnât had time to take down Gu Chengyuâs poetry, otherwise, he might have offended him?
Having stayed in the inn for over a month, Gu Chengyu was already quite familiar with Manager Wanâs worldly shrewdness, and with such a person, a little courtesy would suffice.