Who Cares About Being the Matriarch? My Rebellious Husband Secured Me a Noble Rank! - Chapter 79

It was the ninth day of the ninth lunar month — the day the autumn imperial exam results were announced.

Since early morning, students had been anxiously gathered outside the Dragon-Tiger Wall, nervously awaiting the posting of the list.

The entire street was packed with people. Here and there were faces filled with joy, while others wore worry.

Chi Yan arrived a bit late. The prime spots were already taken, and with the crowd so dense, it was hard to squeeze through. He decided not to push and nudged Shen Tangning beside him.

“Looks like we’re a bit late. Want to find somewhere to sit for a while?”

Shen Tangning’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she shook her head. “No need. Everywhere else is probably just as crowded. We might as well wait here.”

Chi Yan didn’t insist. He casually kept her shielded behind him, preventing others from crowding her. Clearing his throat, he feigned calm: “Honestly, I could’ve come alone. No need to trouble you to make the trip.”

If his ranking turned out bad, and Shen Tangning started an argument right here, he’d have no time to calm things down.

“No problem,” she smiled, her eyes curved. “I’ve only heard about the excitement of results day before, but thanks to you, this is my first time seeing it. It really is lively.”

She scanned the crowd. Everyone was on edge, craning their necks to get a glimpse. Passing by earlier, she overheard that some even hired people to queue all night just to be the first to know their results.

Though she thought it a bit over the top, she understood—after ten years of hard study, this day was everything to these students. Their excitement was natural.

Chi Yan, however, looked remarkably unperturbed. Shen Tangning found this odd and asked, “Aren’t you nervous?”

Chi Yan’s eyes flickered. Of course he was nervous — who wouldn’t be? But if he showed it, wouldn’t she just laugh at him?

“Well, the outcome’s decided anyway. Might as well keep calm,” he said, coughing awkwardly but sounding reasonable.

Noticing him looking around anxiously, Shen Tangning smiled knowingly. “You’re right.”

At that moment, the examination hall gates opened, causing an immediate stir among the candidates. They stretched their necks to look, and saw the Minister of Rites holding the yellow lists, with guards clearing the way.

He walked toward the Dragon-Tiger Wall and posted several yellow placards on it. The crowd immediately hushed, holding their breath.

The charged atmosphere made Shen Tangning’s heart skip a beat. She glanced at Chi Yan — he stared fixedly at the list, not blinking, swallowing hard.

If he looked that tense, how could he say he wasn’t nervous?

A faint smile flickered across her lips.

After the Minister of Rites left, the crowd surged forward, scrambling to see the lists.

Four yellow sheets were pinned to the wall, the candidates’ names inked boldly in black. Having one’s name on the list meant passing the exam. Not finding your name meant failure.

Some people shouted and danced with joy. Others looked stunned, re-reading the list in disbelief, then left crestfallen.

Shen Tangning and Chi Yan stood far away, unable to clearly see the names. They planned to wait until the crowd thinned before approaching.

But then, a bystander shouted, “Let’s hear who the top three are!”

Outside, anxious voices called out, “Read it quickly! See if my name’s there!”

To keep the suspense, the reader started from the bottom up.

“Top scorer: Tang Xu!”

The crowd erupted in surprise.

“Tang Xu? How could it be him?”

“When did he get so smart? Must be pure luck!”

Chi Yan’s brow twitched in surprise. Without recent events, he might’ve been happy for Tang Xu’s success, chalking it up to luck. Now, it was clear Tang Xu was hiding his real abilities.

“Second place: Chu Mingyu!”

More murmurs of shock.

Chu Mingyu was from a humble background but had always been diligent, widely considered the likely top scorer. How had he only come second?

Could there be other hidden talents among this year’s candidates?

“Congrats, Brother Chu!”

Though disappointed, Chu Mingyu accepted it gracefully. “Thank you all.”

He was eager to meet the top scorer and learn from them.

Then came the moment everyone was waiting for.

The name was read out with wide eyes and a shaky voice:

“Third place is… Chi Yan!”

Chi Yan himself was taken aback. Though confident, this result still surprised him. He felt his previous answers had been somewhat unorthodox, not exactly aligned with the examiners’ preferences.

Shen Tangning’s eyes widened but she quickly smiled and congratulated him: “Congratulations, husband. Heaven rewards those who work hard…”

Before she finished, the crowd erupted into chaos.

“Chi Yan? You’ve got to be kidding! How could it be him?”

“Yeah, Chi Yan couldn’t even pass the provincial exam before. If he made the top three, it must be a mistake!”

Chi Yan, unfazed, responded coldly: “It’s right here in black and white. It’s my name — can I mistake it?”

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then suspicion flared.

“Is there another Chi Yan?”

Some voices rose in anger.

“Fraud! There’s no way he’s the top scorer! He must’ve cheated or bribed the examiners!”

“Yeah, we don’t accept this! Where are the examiners? Come out and defend yourselves!”

Anyone else would’ve been accepted without question, but Chi Yan? He was known for being reckless, failing repeatedly. Suddenly topping the list was as absurd as a total illiterate becoming champion!

Seeing the unrest, Shen Tangning tugged his sleeve. “Husband, let’s go back for now.”

With tensions so high, she feared a riot. It was better to leave before anyone noticed them.

Chi Yan’s eyes flickered with surprise but he nodded slowly, allowing Shen Tangning to lead him away.

They safely boarded the carriage home. Shen Tangning glanced at Chi Yan — since boarding, he had been unusually silent.

She believed him — he wouldn’t cheat. One of his strengths was his integrity: if he did something, he owned it; if not, he didn’t lie.

“Husband, don’t take those words to heart. Truth will come out in time.”

The Ministry of Rites wasn’t corrupt. If Chi Yan’s name were fraudulent, the list wouldn’t have been posted.

Chi Yan shrugged casually, returning to his usual laid-back demeanour. “Don’t worry. I’m used to this sort of talk. Won’t let it get to me.”

Shen Tangning fell silent. People’s hearts were made of flesh — harsh words could wound deeply. How could he really not care?

News of Chi Yan’s achievement spread quickly, reaching the Chi family before them.

Reactions at home were mixed.

But for Chi Yan and Shen Tangning, an even greater storm awaited.