Chapter 270: The Exam Results - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter

 Chapter 270: The Exam Results

Suppressing her dissatisfaction, Wei Lanxuan gave Liang Luo a stern warning.

“This is the last time. If you act so recklessly again in the future, don’t blame me for disregarding our familial bond. I’ll have you punished severely and sent away as a maid!”

“Alright, alright! I won’t do it again, I promise! Before my marriage, I swear, unless summoned by someone of high rank from the palace, I will not step out of this courtyard.”

If she stayed indoors, she would avoid making any further mistakes.

Everything would be discussed once she married into the Ninth Prince’s residence.

Seeing Liang Luo’s assurance, Wei Lanxuan softened. As long as she stayed home, any missteps wouldn’t be exposed to the outside world.

So, she agreed and arranged for Liang Luo to be sent back to recover from her injuries.

The twenty lashes had not been too severe; there were no open wounds, only some bruises. Liang Luo would recover in a few days. However, Wen Yuwei, who had been burned, stayed in the Kexin residence.

Although it was publicly stated that Wen Yuwei was recuperating, many speculated that she might be fortunate enough to remain in the Kexin residence permanently.

The issue of whether she would become a secondary consort or a maid was still undetermined.

Meanwhile, the Kexin residence had used this opportunity to strengthen its ties with the Wen family.

Wen Jingsong, feeling smug, thought he had everything under control. He was unaware that the Kexin Prince’s people had thoroughly investigated the Wen family’s tampering with the exam papers.

In fact, the investigation had been instigated by Prince Ding, Xiao Tingyi.

He had initially hoped that Elder Xu would expose the matter, but the Kexin Prince acted swiftly. Since he was interested, it would be beneficial to fan the flames.

They released both true and false rumors about the Wen family’s allegiance to the Wei family and the Ninth Prince.

Soon, the Kexin Prince, deceived by these rumors, was determined to take harsh measures against the Wen family, aiming to eliminate Wei’s valuable ally.

As the Kexin Prince gathered more evidence, the day for the exam results finally arrived.

After days and nights of intense study, this was the day they had all been waiting for.

Many impoverished scholars arrived early to wait under the exam results list, eager for the Ministry of Rites to post the results.

Wen Jingsong had been careless.

He assumed the exam results were flawless and didn’t recheck them before sending them to the Ministry of Rites for posting.

When the results reached him, it was too late.

Wen Mengsheng had achieved first place!

This news spread like wildfire, with everyone discussing it on the streets and alleys.

Among this year’s candidates, people had heard of Yin Canwen and Wen Xinglu’s names, and even Su Cheng had made efforts for Feng Jinlin, but no one had expected Wen Mengsheng to come first!

The top ten on the list were to be presented to Emperor Qi, but now Wen Mengsheng, who was originally far behind, had taken the top spot, while the former top candidate didn’t even make it onto the list. Everyone was astonished.

Yin Canwen looked at the list repeatedly, his pride thoroughly crushed.

“How could this be! How is it possible!”

The one speaking was Feng Jinlin a, who had been confident about his own ranking. Now that the results were out, he had done remarkably well.

He was ranked sixth, which was satisfactory. But why did Yin Canwen, who was more talented and diligent than him, fail to make the list? He couldn’t make sense of it.

Feng Jinyao and Bai Siruo had also come along today.

However, they were waiting in the carriage.

Feng Jinyao seemed calm, resting with her eyes closed, while Bai Siruo couldn’t contain her impatience.

“Ah Yao, why are you so calm? Do you really think Second Cousin will make it?”

Feng Jinyao smiled lightly. “Whether he makes it or not, we’ll find out soon enough. Instead of worrying here, you’d be better off conserving your energy.”

Bai Siruo wondered why she needed to conserve her energy.

Feng Jinyao knew that a hard battle lay ahead and needed to mentally prepare herself, ensuring every detail was flawless.

As Feng Jinlin helped the dejected Yin Canwen over, Bai Siruo saw them.

Ignoring everything else, she immediately jumped out of the carriage.

Seeing their state, her heart sank.

“Did you all fail the exam?”

Hearing the word 'fail,' Yin Canwen forced a bitter smile, as if all his strength had been drained, and said to Bai Siruo.

“Feng Er ranked sixth, but I failed.”

Bai Siruo’s eyes widened in disbelief.

In their view, Yin Canwen’s success and Feng Jinlin’s failure seemed more likely. It was surprising that it had turned out the other way around.

“How could this be? Did you make a mistake in your answers?”

Although Bai Siruo didn’t understand the examination details, she had occasionally heard her father mention past failed candidates.

It wasn’t necessarily that they wrote poorly, but sometimes their answers didn’t match the questions.

Could it be that Yin Canwen had made a similar mistake?

She wanted to offer some comfort but found it difficult to find the right words given his current expression.

Yin Canwen’s despair was beyond words.

His failure not only jeopardized his future but also completely extinguished his slim chance with Feng Jinyao.

The Feng family would never allow their daughter to marry someone who failed the exam, and he would have no face to remain in the Feng family.

As he considered withdrawing, Feng Jinyao lifted the curtain of the carriage with her delicate hand and offered him some consolation.

“Don’t be discouraged, Young Master Yin. Life is unpredictable, and if you didn’t succeed this time, there will be other opportunities. Why not ask Uncle Bai for his opinion? He has reviewed the exam papers and might offer some insights. It could help you in future exams.”

“Yes, yes, Ah Yao is right. Don’t lose heart, Canwen. If you didn’t succeed this year, try again next year. After all, you’re still at Yunqi Academy, so there’s no shortage of options.”

Feng Jinlin quickly added. He didn’t want his friend to be overwhelmed by his failure and lose hope.

A visit to the Bai family might offer some hope, no matter what Uncle Bai had to say.

Upon hearing their words, Yin Canwen regained some composure.

He suppressed his previous weakness and pain, nodded to the two, and said.

“Thank you, Brother Feng and Miss San. I will visit Uncle Bai to understand where I went wrong.”

“Alright, let’s go together!”

Yin Canwen got into the rear carriage, feeling anxious and uneasy.

Feng Jinyao, however, was privately pleased. Everything was progressing as she had envisioned.

The carriage quickly arrived at the Bai family’s residence, and the four of them hurried inside.

Upon learning that Bai Chaohai was still at court and hadn’t returned, they waited patiently in the courtyard.