Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 316 Towards the Golden Palace (20)

Realizing that Yan Zhen had seen her being mocked by Xie Wanfang on the second floor, Meng Zhenyue felt embarrassed, but also felt a mix of indescribable sadness and gratitude.

The heartache stemmed from her own predicament, while the gratitude came from Yan Zhen's awareness of her situation and his lack of disdain.

She genuinely wanted to be friends with me.

Meng Zhenyue remained silent for a moment, then curtsied to Yan Zhen: "Thank you, Madam Cao."

-

Before they knew it, it was March 8th, the day of Xue Lin's imperial examination.

Yan Zhen, along with his steward and Wang Xiaocui and her son, escorted him to the outside of the examination hall.

One after another, students carrying their books and examination boxes entered the examination hall and underwent body searches at the entrance.

"Don't be nervous, just do your best. It's okay if you don't pass the exam. You're still young, and there's plenty of time in the future," Yan Zhen said.

"Hmm." Xue Lin said expressionlessly, taking the examination box from the steward and turning to walk towards the entrance of the examination hall.

Wang Xiaocui held a handful of sunflower seeds in her hand, cracking them open as she asked, "What's wrong with him? He's all puffed up. Can he really get the top score in the exam looking like this?"

Yan Zhen watched Xue Lin pass through the body search at the door before saying to Wang Xiaocui, "Hot knowledge: passing the provincial examination only makes one a tribute student. Tribute students must pass the palace examination and meet the current emperor to be selected as the top three."

Wang Xiaocui: "..."

"Let's go, go back."

The imperial examination was divided into three sessions, each lasting three days and two nights. Xue Lin would not be able to walk out of this door until three days later.

-

Three days passed in a flash, and Yan Zhen and the steward went to the gate of the examination hall to pick up the people.

After waiting for most of the day, and it was almost dark, Xue Lin and many students finally came out from inside.

Spending three days and two nights in the cramped examination room, eating, drinking, and relieving oneself there, was undoubtedly a very arduous experience, and the students who came out all looked pale and sickly.

Xue Lin was no exception; he had faint dark circles under his eyes and his brows were furrowed.

Yan Zhen led him to the carriage parked not far away: "Are you feeling unwell?"

Xue Lin shook his head: "Tired."

"Can you still hold on?"

Xue Lin suffered from a poor foundation during his developmental period. Although he has grown taller in recent years, his physique is not strong, and he gets sick for a period of time every year when the seasons change and winter approaches.

"I can endure it." Xue Lin didn't seem to want to say more. "Let's go back to the manor."

The Cao family had prepared food long ago. Since Xue Lin was going to return to the examination hall tomorrow to start the second exam, the food prepared was not too greasy and consisted of light and easily digestible dishes.

Xue Lin seemed to have little appetite, and after only a few bites, he put down his chopsticks and went back to his room to bathe and rest.

The next day, the whole family once again went out to see Xue Lin off at the examination hall.

Xue Lin was even more silent than during the first exam.

Watching him walk into the examination hall, Wang Xiaocui said worriedly, "Is Xue Lin under too much pressure? Can he hold on until the third round?"

Yan Zhen was quite philosophical about it: "He'll come out on his own when he can't take it anymore."

Wang Xiaocui frowned: "Does leaving early mean failing the exam?"

"Correct."

With so many students across the entire Ji region, the Gongshi degree, with fewer than two hundred openings every three years, was tested not only on academic knowledge.

It is also a rigorous test of both mental and physical strength.

Three days later, the second exam ended.

When Xue Lin was contacted again, his complexion was even worse, and he even started to cough and have a low-grade fever.

After bringing him back to the Cao residence, Yan Zhen immediately invited a doctor to examine his pulse.

"Caught cold at night, lack of rest, and excessive liver fire, which causes stagnation in the heart, resulting in a low-grade fever." The doctor was not surprised by this. "Every year during the spring examinations, some candidates fall ill. I will prescribe two doses of medicine for you, to be decocted and taken once tonight and once tomorrow morning."

After the doctor left, the servants prepared the medicine and brought it up. Xue Lin drank it and went to bed early.

But his low-grade fever did not subside the next day.

Yan Zhen, who was waiting for Xue Lin to have breakfast in the dining room, listened to the steward's report and, after careful consideration, made a decision: "Go and tell the young master not to participate in the third exam. His health is the most important thing."

Xue Lin is only twenty years old. He has many more three-year periods ahead of him. It's not worth risking his health for one exam and suffering irreversible consequences.

The steward glanced at her face and whispered, "But the young master has already left for the examination hall."

Yan Zhen was taken aback and immediately stood up: "When?"

“Fourteen minutes ago.”

Yan Zhen strode towards the stables: "Why did you only tell me now?"

The steward said aggrievedly, "Young Master told me not to bother you..."

Yan Zhen: "..."

Xue Lin guessed that she wouldn't let him take the third exam while he still had a low fever, so he left early, not giving her a chance to stop him.

After getting his horse from the stable, Yan Zhen rode off to the examination hall without anyone else in tow.

She rushed to the examination hall and saw Xue Lin walking into it after finishing his inspection at the entrance. Yan Zhen called out to him, "Xue Lin!"

Xue Lin paused, looking at her from a distance through the soldiers at the door who were conducting inspections.

His face was even paler and weaker, but when he saw her, a faint smile appeared in the corners of his eyes and brows.

There were too many people, and since making noise was prohibited outside the examination hall, Yan Zhen gestured for him to come out.

Xue Lin shook his head, took a few steps backward, tightened his grip on the exam box, and turned to leave.

Yan Zhen: "..."

This naughty kid!

I always act stubbornly at the wrong time, and once I start, I'm as stubborn as a donkey, you can't pull me back.

I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

The housekeeper and Wang Xiaocui and her son arrived at the examination hall shortly afterward. Seeing Yan Zhen standing alone outside, Wang Xiaocui asked, "Didn't you stop him?"

"Ah."

Wang Xiaocui clicked her tongue: "She's so sick and still insists on taking the exam. What if she faints and has to be carried out? It'll be a laughing stock and a waste of time..."

"No, it won't happen." Yan Zhen looked at the closed examination hall. "Xue Lin will definitely pass the exam."

Although mischievous children are stubborn, they never do anything in vain.

He will surely achieve a satisfactory result in whatever he insists on doing, even if he's stubborn.

-

Three days later, Wang Xiaocui's words came true—Xue Lin was carried out.

Not only Xue Lin, but many candidates were exhausted after taking the exams for nine consecutive days. After the last exam, as soon as their tense nerves relaxed, many of them fainted.

The steward was well-prepared; he not only brought several strong guards to carry the person, but also brought the doctor along to the entrance of the examination hall.

Upon receiving the unconscious Xue Lin, he found his face as pale as paper and his entire body visibly thinner.

The guards hurriedly lifted him onto the carriage. After the doctor took his pulse, he said to Yan Zhen, the steward, and Wang Xiaocui, who were waiting in the carriage, "Don't panic, he's just too tired and has fallen asleep."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

After bringing Xue Lin home, Yan Zhen instructed the steward and his personal servant to wash his body and change him into clean undergarments. He also instructed the kitchen to keep easily digestible porridge ready for him when he woke up.

Xue Lin slept for two days and two nights.

During this time, Wang Xiaocui came to see Yan Zhen twice, worried that Xue Lin had passed out in his sleep, and said she would find a doctor to come and take a look at him.

Yan Zhen stopped her: "No need."

She had experienced these things too.

Many years ago, when she was still a "human" at the age of eighteen, she worked day and night through her senior year of high school. After the college entrance examination, she slept for two days and one night. When she woke up, she almost fainted due to low blood sugar.

But the joy of relaxing both body and mind, of finally "getting through the tough times," is something that can never be compared to anything else.

Let Xue Lin sleep. The month between the end of the imperial examination and the release of the results will be the most relaxing time of his life.