The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 100

April 12 marked the first day of the imperial examination.

A light drizzle fell from the sky, slightly calming the anxious hearts of the candidates.

The gates of the examination hall had yet to open. Candidates gathered in small groups, whispering to one another in hushed tones.

Li Yiran stood under an oil-paper umbrella, carrying some food in his hand. He would be staying in the examination hall for the next three days. His mind was calm, like a still, ancient well.

Just a few days ago, he had been restless—so anxious that he couldn’t sit still. He couldn’t focus on reading, and his mind was filled with imagined scenes of failure. At times, he felt as though he could already see the contempt and ridicule in others’ eyes.

He had been frightened by his own imagination. 

It wasn’t until he stood in front of the examination hall that he realized just how unsettled he truly was. Over the years, he had been drifting through the mundane world. While it had broadened his experience, it also made it difficult for him to study with a focused mind.

All the candidates around him had studied diligently, day and night. They could recite the classics backward. 

For a fleeting moment, he even considered giving up.

But then, he thought of his family—those who had quietly supported him from behind. If he passed the exam, they would surely celebrate with him. And if he didn’t? 

Li Yiran smiled to himself. They would only pat him on the shoulder and say, “It’s all right.”

That was why, now, Li Yiran felt strong inside. He came to the examination following his heart, having done everything he possibly could. As for the outcome—he would leave it to fate.

With a creak, the old doors of the examination hall opened. Behind them lay the hopes of countless candidates. The invigilator signaled the yamen officers to begin letting people in. They lined up in formation, waiting for the examinees to step forward.

After undergoing a body search, Li Yiran was led to his assigned room. He was lucky—it was situated right in the center of the examination hall.

He quickly swept away some dust and then saw the invigilator walking in from the gate.

After reading aloud the rules of the examination, the yamen officers began distributing the test papers.

Li Yiran received his paper, calmed his nerves, and began to write…

Three days passed, then another three. After finishing the final session, Li Yiran dragged himself out of the hall and called for a carriage to return to his inn. He collapsed onto the bed without even washing up and fell into a deep sleep. He didn’t wake until the following evening, only getting up because of how hungry he was.

Although each session lasted three days with a rest day in between, few used that day to truly rest. Most candidates, like Li Yiran, simply passed out the moment they returned.

The results would be posted on April 30. The days leading up to that—the six or seven days from now—were the most relaxed for the candidates.

Most chose to wander the city, taking in the sights. After all, this might be their only chance to visit the capital. Li Yiran joined them, and along the way, made three or four like-minded friends.

…

“Amu went to burn incense again,” Tian Xiaoman said, watching Li Amu walk out with a basket. He could tell right away what he was up to.

Since the morning of April 12, Li Amu had been visiting their ancestral temple every one or two days, burning incense and praying to the ancestors for Li Yiran’s success.

“Let Amu go. It makes him feel better,” Li Wenxuan said while using a stone to polish an arrowhead.

“Yeah… I wonder how Big Brother did on the exam?” By now, it should be over, but they still hadn’t heard any news.

“Don’t worry. Big Brother’s so smart—he’s definitely going to pass.” Li Wenxuan had blind faith in his brother.

Seeing how confident he was, Tian Xiaoman felt reassured as well. Either way, with his big brother’s intelligence, even if he didn’t become an official, he’d do just fine.

Father Li sat on the ridge of a field, smoking a pipe. He took a long drag, then choked and coughed hard. 

He was thinking about his eldest son. Back when their family was poor, Yiran had given Wenxuan the opportunity to study instead. Now, finally, he could pursue his own dream.

He knew how hard the life of a scholar was. So many old scholars in their village couldn’t even pass the exams. And Yiran had lost several years already… In the end, it was their failure as parents.

…

On April 30, even before sunrise, crowds had already gathered beneath the list of names. Most were servants from wealthy households, sent to check the results.

Li Yiran, however, finished his breakfast at a leisurely pace before setting out from the inn, planning to walk to the examination hall. By the time he arrived, the list would already be posted, and the crowd should have thinned.

Some people thought this meant he was confident. Others thought he had already given up hope. But either way, they admired his composure.

When Li Yiran arrived, the sun had already risen. As expected, only a few people remained standing under the imperial list.

He clenched his fists and walked forward. 

A large sheet of yellow paper was posted there, with just over 170 names written in cinnabar.

Li Yiran first looked at the top three names, but he didn’t recognize any of them. Then he scanned the bottom few—his name wasn’t there either.

His heart tightened. He began searching from the bottom upward, line by line.

Finally—there it was, in the 66th position: his name!

He had passed!

At that moment, Li Yiran was overwhelmed with joy. Though his ranking wasn’t high, it was the best reward he could have hoped for after months of intense effort.