Chapter 92 (2/2)

The man took Jun Huang to a table on the other side of the room. There were already a few people sitting at the table. They gave her a friendly smile and introduced themselves. One of them asked, ”What is your name?”

”This gentleman is Feng Baiyu from Yangzhou.”

”What a coincidence!” The man who brought her here said with a stunning smile. ”I'm from Yangzhou as well!”

Jun Huang's mouth twitched. She had picked a random city. She didn't expect this man to be from the area. She stayed silent. The more she talked, the higher the chance she would make mistakes.

”This gentleman is Qin Sheng from Yangzhou.” Qin Sheng gestured for her to take a seat. The group of men resumed their conversation.

Qin Sheng was eloquent and expressive. Jun Huang sat in silence, listening to them talk without showing her true colors. Every once in a while she would smile at something they said.

From what she had observed during the afternoon, Qin Sheng had left a good impression on her. He had a way with words and looked at the world with a unique perspective. He was also a man who had an ambitious goal. Jun Huang was sure he would be able to rank first in the exam. It would be ideal if Qi Yun could recruit him.

A few days later, Jun Huang went to The Drunken Place like she had been the past few days. Qin Sheng and his fellow students had been talking for a while. They welcomed her with enthusiasm when they spotted her. Jun Huang was quiet, but cultured. She usually listened to them talk without commenting. She wore plain clothes, but she held herself with elegance. It was pleasant to have her company.

”We are going to scout the exam location later, brother Feng,” Qin Sheng said with a lowered voice, looking around cautiously. ”Do you want to come with us?”

Jun Huang frowned. ”Scout the location? The exam is yet to come. Didn't the emperor decreed that no one was to enter the exam location beforehand? Why would it be possible to scout the place?”

Jun Huang kept her eyes on Qin Sheng. He stilled when he heard her response. Everyone else at the table fell silent as well. They looked at Jun Huang without a word.

Jun Huang felt a little nervous. Had she blown her cover?

”Oh, brother Feng isn't part of our circle, so it's only natural that you don't know about this,” Qin Sheng said with a smile. ”Continue with your conversation. I'll explain to brother Feng myself.” He pulled Jun Huang out of the tavern.

Jun Huang pretended to be confused. She could tell this was the weak point in the system she was looking for. From now on, she must tread carefully.

Qin Sheng made sure no one was around before letting her go. Jun Huang asked, ”What did brother Qin mean?”

”Does brother Feng not know that people pay to get the exam questions in advance?”

Jun Huang widened her eyes in horror and confusion. Qin Sheng sighed. His new friend must have been completely in the dark.

”There are more and more people attending the exam, and many are great scholars. In order to guarantee a good outcome, one may make use of his connections to acquire the exam question in advance and prepare accordingly. Brother Feng, I've only told you because I consider you my friend. It's a felony to cheat the emperor. We are all being very careful.”

Jun Huang tried and failed to put on a smile. She could only imagine how dark her expression must have been.

Fortunately, Qin Sheng had misunderstood the reason for her foul mood. Feng Baiyu is a scholar with great talent but no money to back him up, he thought. He must have thought that the G.o.d is unjust.

He sighed again and patted Jun Huang on the shoulder. ”Since we are friends, I'll give you a copy as well. We are both people with great ambitions. This exam cannot be the end of our journey. Come with me to the exam location later.”

Something flashed through Jun Huang's eyes, but her expression didn't betray her thoughts. She looked at him with feign delight. ”That will be good. This gentleman will not forget about brother Qin's help.” She cupped her hands in a salute.

Qin Sheng felt a little bashful. Feng Baiyu was knowledgeable, but he was by no means a stick in the mud. He was a talent to be reckoned with.

Jun Huang, on the other hand, was thinking that she must get a look at what the question was.

Unexpectedly, where they headed for wasn't the exam location. Instead, they took many turns before they finally arrived at a courtyard house in a remote area. Everyone was looking around with cautious eyes, worried that they might get caught.

Just when Jun Huang was wondering what was happening, a man dressed in plain clothes walked out. Jun Huang recognized this face. He was the administrative official of the ministry of rites. She had seen him once on Qi Chen's wedding. The man was spiteful. Jun Huang didn't like him.

The man walked in with two servants in tow. In the servants' arms were stacks of paper. Qin Sheng went up to them and handed the man a silver ingot. He said something while pointing at Jun Huang. His voice was too low for Jun Huang to hear,

After they had finished talking, the man gave Jun Huang a look. She looked familiar to him, but he couldn't put a finger on it. Jun Huang cupped her hands at him in greeting.

In the end the official couldn't put a name to the face. Jun Huang let out a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that she had changed the way she dressed before going out today.

The imperial examination in ancient China was held at different levels, including county, college, provincial, metropolitan, and palace level. People had to make their way up the hierarchy in order to become an official. ↩