Chapter 2187: Xun Sheng Fails the Examination

Chapter 2187: Xun Sheng Fails the Examination


Meng Yunzheng once again closed his doors to visitors. Ever since the good news arrived, many people started coming to visit him.

Some officials and nobles, who had been observing from the sidelines, also began to show interest. However, every time they sent someone over, they were politely refused at the door. The excuse was always the same – Meng Yunzheng wants to prepare for the palace examination and is studying diligently day and night, leaving no time to entertain guests.

Some people understood this, but others found it amusing. They felt that Meng Yunzheng was being arrogant and dismissive of others, even before taking office. They believed that he wouldn't go far in his career with such an attitude.

Those who had been turned away were eagerly awaiting the chance to return the favor in the future. If Meng Yunzheng achieved a good result in the palace examination and secured an official position, they planned to make him experience the challenges of the officialdom. Ideally, they would have him assigned to a remote and inconvenient post, where he would spend the rest of his days.

Even government officials had such thoughts, so you can imagine how excited ordinary people were. Many believed that Meng Yunzheng was the reincarnation of the God of Literature and hoped to share in his good fortune. As a result, there were always people coming to see what the commotion was about outside the Meng family's courtyard, and the neighborhood was constantly crowded.

Meng Yunzheng paid no attention to all of this. He remained at home, quietly reading. This time, he was truly focused on his studies. He wanted to secure the top spot in the palace examination. This way, Shu Yu would undoubtedly be thrilled, yes.

In contrast, Shu Yu almost ran out every day.

With Meng Yunzheng's top position in the provincial examination and a likely top three rank in the palace examination, his title as a Jinshi was practically guaranteed.

This allowed Shu Yu and Yun Qide to move forward with their plans, using Meng Yunzheng as a focal point for their publicity.

They were so engrossed in their discussions that Shu Yu was mostly outside.

Some people had their sights set on Shu Yu, thinking they could use her to connect with Meng Yunzheng.

However, Shu Yu was elusive and rarely stayed in one place for too long. Whenever they had someone watch the store, waiting for Shu Yu to arrive and notify them, she would leave soon after, leaving them empty-handed.

Nevertheless, while she was out and about, Shu Yu learned quite a bit of news.

She learned that Xun Sheng had failed the examination, which wasn't entirely unexpected. After all, he had contracted a fever from being caught in the rain during the first examination, and although he had prepared for the subsequent ones, his performance wasn't great.

Fortunately, he had a good mindset. Since it was his first time taking the provincial examination, he hadn't expected to pass in one go. He saw it as an opportunity to gain experience and planned to try again in three years when he was better prepared.

Initially, after the results were announced, he had intended to go congratulate Meng Yunzheng in person. However, upon hearing that Meng Yunzheng was focusing on his studies and wasn't receiving visitors, he decided not to disturb him. Later, while Shu Yu was in the streets, she bumped into him, and he asked her to deliver his congratulations.

For now, Xun Sheng hadn't left the capital. Despite failing the examination, he wanted to stay and witness Meng Yunzheng's achievements as his friend.

Apart from Xun Sheng's examination results, Shu Yu also heard about the matchmaking event held on the day the results were posted.

A scholar who ranked twelfth in the provincial examination, around twenty-three years old, was said to be unmarried and was directly "carried away" by a household's servant.

Shu Yu was relieved when she heard about this. Fortunately, Meng Yunzheng hadn't gone to check the notice board; otherwise, a similar scene would have undoubtedly unfolded with him being the most sought-after target.

The top scholar, unmarried, and with exceptional looks – he would have been the most eye-catching candidate, and it was impossible for him not to be snatched away.