The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 99

The special examination was scheduled for April, and Li Yiran and his companions had arrived in the capital a few days prior.

Among them, one had taken the exam multiple times and was quite familiar with the city. 

As soon as they entered the gates, he led them to a remote inn.

“Though it’s a bit far from the examination hall, it’s cheaper. Since we’ll be staying for a while, it’s better to be frugal,” he explained.

Everyone nodded in agreement. They wanted to save money where they could, and the inns near the examination hall were likely already occupied by other candidates. Staying in a quieter area also meant a better environment for studying.

The eight of them rented the entire backyard and took one room each. After all, they were here for the exam—if differences in daily habits disrupted their focus, it would be a small gain but a big loss.

After settling in, Li Yiran left alone and made his way to the Ministry of Revenue with his letter of introduction. Though the imperial examination was normally under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, the funds required to obtain exam qualification were handled by the Ministry of Revenue.

Upon arrival, Li Yiran found a yamen runner outside, slipped him a small tip, and was promptly led inside.

This process had likely been repeated countless times, so the official in charge was quite practiced. After confirming the seal on Li Yiran’s letter, he set the document aside and quickly wrote out a new slip of paper.

But instead of handing it over immediately, he held it under his palm and began rhythmically tapping his fingers on the table, eyes looking elsewhere.

The yamen runner gave Li Yiran a discreet nudge. Understanding the hint, Li Yiran took out five taels of silver and offered it up.

The man took the silver with a dissatisfied expression, as though Li Yiran had made him wait too long. He then pushed the note forward with a snort, signaling him to take it.

Li Yiran’s expression didn’t change. He’d dealt with this kind of treatment often when working for that official in the past. 

He glanced at the note—only four words were written: It is true. Was this piece of paper really enough to qualify for the exam?

Just as he was about to ask, the yamen runner gestured for him to follow and led him outside.

“Sir, don’t ask. Even explanations cost money,” the runner whispered.

Sensing that Li Yiran had a decent and sincere demeanor—and he even looked a bit like a distant cousin—the runner decided to offer him some advice for free.

“Young man, could you tell me more?” Li Yiran bowed respectfully, showing that he was ready to listen carefully.

The yamen runner was a little surprised. Most scholars were proud and looked down on people like him, but this one was different. It made him like Li Yiran even more.

“You don’t know this, but all candidates like you have to go to three places to exchange for an exam qualification. And every place wants its own piece of silver.”

“Oh? Which three?”

“First is the room we just left—the number calling room. You match your name there. Then you go to the filing room to provide your background info. That’s the second place. Once you get a note from them, you go to the knife and pen room. They’ll issue your exam qualification letter based on that note, but that step also requires a seal from the Minister of Revenue. And whether or not you get it quickly depends on how much silver you offer.”

Li Yiran felt he had still underestimated the extent of the corruption here.

“If you offer enough silver, they’ll stamp it and finish it for you right away. If you give little or nothing, they’ll stall and delay, possibly until the day before the exam.”

“Thank you for your guidance, Brother. I won’t forget your kindness.” Li Yiran bowed deeply.

“You don’t need to thank me,” the man replied. “You just looked decent and polite. By the way, my surname is Luo—Luo De.”

“Brother Luo, I’m Li Yiran.”

“Brother Li,” Luo De nodded with a smile. “Come, we should hurry. There’s still a lot to do.”

Li Yiran followed him to the filing room. 

Sure enough, after presenting his slip, the official inside immediately stated that any processing fees, writing fees, and filing fees would be his responsibility.

Seeing the two fingers the man held up, Li Yiran remained silent and handed over twenty taels of silver.

The man accepted the silver, pulled out a stack of blank papers from the cabinet, said only “Write it,” and then lowered his head, ignoring him.

Luo De quietly whispered behind him, “You’ll need to write down your name, place of origin, family members and their positions, your first teacher, which academies you’ve studied in, your past experience, who you’ve worked for, and what administrative tasks you’re familiar with.”

Even with Li Yiran’s excellent memory, he almost forgot a few items. He looked over at the official, then sighed inwardly. Fortunately, he’d run into someone helpful today. Otherwise, this one trip would’ve drained most of his money.

He thought for a moment and then began writing. He’d trained his calligraphy for the imperial examination, so his characters were both beautiful and well-spaced. Even if the official wanted to nitpick, there was nothing to criticize—any mistake would have cost him one tael of silver per sheet.

More than half an hour later, Li Yiran left the filing room with his completed document.

Then, following Luo De, he went to the last location—the knife and pen room. 

When he handed over his paperwork, he also gave fifty taels of silver, which he had asked about in advance.

The man weighed the silver, smiled in satisfaction, and pulled out an official-stamped form from the cabinet. He then filled out a recommendation letter for the imperial examination.

Holding the light piece of paper in his hand, Li Yiran couldn’t help but smile bitterly. This single sheet had cost him seventy or eighty taels of silver. He hadn’t even stepped into the exam room yet, and he only had a little over a hundred taels left. Who knew how much more he’d need to spend? Was this path he chose truly the right one?