It was the day of the exam and Bai Chun stood in the yard before the gate. Tao Fang holds her hand out passing a small bag full of cookies to Bai Chun. Behind her, Tao Chun and Li Bai stood quietly with worry-filled eyes. Seeing their worry, Bai Chun gave them a soothing smile.
"Don't worry so much. I have studied a lot for this and besides I have an agreement with my friend Huang Hao."
Tao Fang nodded her head, her eyes still filled with worry though she tried to keep calm.
"We trust Zhangfu no matter what," She said with Tao Chun and Li Bai nodding their heads in agreement.
"Zhangfu will make everything work out in the end." Tao Chun said with a smile to him. After nodding his head, Bai Chun waved at them and rushed to town forgetting to eat a few of his cookies as he went.
Once in town Bai Chun looked around, noticing it's a bit busier than usual. A lot of the people rushing around were carefully dressed boys starting at around the age of sixteen to men in their mid-thirty's. They all rushed in the same direction, to the magistrate office. After looking around for a second, Bai Chun joined them and rushed to the office.
Near the building that has a long line in the front, Bai Chun looked up with wide, ambitious eyes. The building is made of good strong stone and a blue painted gate blocked the entrance. The door of the gate sat open with a guard blocking it. On the sides of the door stood four guards, two on each side looking sternly at the line of men.
Bai Chun stepped into line and looked behind. The line wasn't super long yet but it is building quickly. He wasn't there long when a carriage pulled to a stop next to him and a boy stepped out of it. A maid following the carriage quickly got next to the boy.
Bai Chun saw everyone bowing in greeting and looked over only to see a smug face looking at him. It was Min Qiang who looked him up and down while tisking his tongue.
"Well look who's here," He said in a taunting tone. Bai Chun bowed in greeting to him.
"I thought you wouldn't be able to afford to take the exam. Did you bankrupt your family for the exam?" Min Qiang asked with fake concern on his face.
"My family is fine and they have been supporting me to take the exam." Bai Chun said calmly used to Min Qiang targeting him already.
Min Qiang sneers at Bai Chun and leans forward near his ear and whispers,
"You won't pass, I made sure of it." Bai Chun's pupils narrowed at his words. Min Qiang leaned back and looked at Bai Chun with a smirk as Bai Chun straightened his back and looked at him with a dark gaze.
"It's nice the young master remembers me so well I will remember this," Bai Chun said, sounding slightly angry and gave a subtle threat. Min Qiang, hearing this, smirked and waved his hand.
"It's no problem now I shall head inside since I don't wish to wait out here with you all," Min Qiang glanced around a hint of disgust in his eyes as he turned and walked inside with his maid following behind him.
Around him everyone took a few steps away.
"Who is he?"
"Did he offend young master Min Qiang?"
"Stay away from him so you don't get targeted by the young master."
Bai Chun stood in place with a dark expression keeping to himself. After half an hour the guard standing in front of the gate shouted to the line.
"Today is the day of the exam! Everyone who is coming inside will be searched to ensure that nobody is bringing anything to cheat with inside! Stay respectful and don't fight to avoid getting kicked out of line and blocked from entering!" After saying this the line started to slowly move as every person got searched a bit before being led to a more private room for a more thorough search.
Bai Chun slowly followed the line until it was his turn. Once there the guard gave him a pat and quickly found the small bag of cookies that Tao Fang had given him.
"Did you really think you could sneak something so obvious in?" He asked with a frown. The people in line watched with wide eyes wondering what would happen next.
"My Qizi baked me cookies this morning in hopes I do well." Bai Chun said with a bow. The guard snorted and gave Bai Chun a disdainful look before dumping all the cookies onto the ground. The guard recognized Bai Chun as the guy young master Min Qiang didn't like from their interaction earlier.
"I hope you don't mind. I must do my job and make sure nothing is hidden inside the cookies." He said, giving Bai Chun a disdainful look, everyone chuckled at his words. Then while smirking at Bai Chun he stomped on the cookies. Bai Chun silently watched anger filling his eyes. He felt so angry his eyes turned red from how hard he had to strain himself to keep from blowing up in anger.Once all the cookies were broken the guard gave him a look of scorn.
"Well there was nothing inside that's good you can enter." Bai Chun walked by angry as he heard chuckling behind him. A servant approaches and leads him to an empty room. On the way there they passed a waiting area where he saw Min Qiang sitting there looking relaxed along with a few other nobles and some merchants.
Bai Chun gave him a frosty glare as he passed and Min Qiang just smirked at him already knowing what happened.
After getting searched thoroughly Bai Chun went to a crowded waiting area separate from the quiet one Min Qiang was seen in and stood near the door off to the side waiting for them to let them inside.
It was noon when the doors opened and they entered the testing yard. The desks were placed onto an outdoor sitting cloth (I made that up) along with official testing booklets placed on top(read about those online they had official stamps on them).
The desks were placed close enough for a person to walk through. Everyone was then directed to their seats. Nobles and merchants towards the front and towards the back lower ranked or anyone without a rank.
Bai Chun stood behind his seat the farthest to the back and waited for everyone else to do the same. Once everyone settled down the exam areas doors closed and in walked a small group one man in the front and three behind him. The man in front looked to be about fifty or so and he held a stern expression with his hands behind his back.
"Slaves greet the invigilator's!" They all called out while bowing to them respectfully.