The first time in history

Chapter 220 Palace Examination

Seeing Xiao Cui bring five or six pancakes and put them in the basket, Qian Mingduo smiled and said, "No need to bring food, I will be back around lunch time."

"Are you going to finish your answers quickly like you did the last two times?" Li Shishi took Qian Mingduo's hand and said, "You must answer carefully!"

Qian Mingduo hugged Li Shishi in his arms, "I know, you wait for me at home, let's go out for a walk together this afternoon, it's a nice day today."

Holding a lantern in his hand, Qian Mingduo walked on the dark street. He suddenly had a premonition that he had never had in the previous times he traveled through time.

In the previous times he traveled through time, he returned to the real world without any warning. But this time, Qian Mingduo clearly felt that he might return to the real world at any time.

"After I finish this palace examination and secure a title of imperial decree for Shishi, it won't be too late to go back then!" Qian Mingduo paused, raised his head and spoke silently to the sky. "I beg you, no matter who you are, please let me finish the exam."

I hurried to the outside of the palace, where people were already waiting in line. At the hour of Yin, the palace gate opened wide, and a eunuch held the imperial edict in his hand, "All tribute students, please accept the edict..."

There was no kang in the Jiying Hall. Although the emperor ordered people to place several charcoal basins there, everyone inside felt that it was not very warm.

Qian Mingduo was a little nervous because he would soon see Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou. The founder of the Southern Song Dynasty would move the capital to Lin'an Prefecture in a few years.

"All the tribute students kneel to welcome the emperor." the eunuch announced loudly.

Qian Mingduo, like everyone else, fell to the ground and shouted "Long live the emperor". He looked up and glanced at Zhao Gou on the throne. He was not tall, but his features were regular. Although he looked thin, he had an air of an emperor.

After looking around, Zhao Gou waved his hand. Several officials from the Imperial College took the test papers and placed them on the small tables in front of each candidate.

After the examination papers were distributed, Zhao Gou waved his hand again. The eunuch loudly announced that the palace examination had officially begun.

Qian Mingduo took out a small cotton pad from the basket and put it under his butt. The pad was still slightly warm. He looked at the questions on the test paper while grinding. He sighed softly. It was not surprising.

Just after the 7th hour, Qian Mingduo had finished answering the test paper. He stretched his numb fingers and carefully checked the entire test paper from beginning to end.

Then he stood up and bowed respectfully, "Student Lü Zhengyi has finished answering the questions. Please collect the paper."

"Lü Zhengyi?" Zhao Gou looked at Qian Mingduo, "Are you the champion this year?"

"Your Highness, I am the champion of this year's exam."

"Is he also the champion of the Lin'an Prefecture provincial examination?"

"Your Majesty, I am the winner of this year's Lin'an Prefecture provincial examination."

Zhao Gou motioned to the eunuch beside him to fetch the test paper. He looked at it carefully for a while, nodded continuously, and handed the test paper to the chief examiner of this year's exam, "My dear, take a look!"

"From the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination to this palace examination, you have finished answering the examination papers within two hours. It seems that you..." Zhao Gou looked at the examiner, "you must have been very confident and finished it in one go?"

Qian Mingduo bowed his head again and said, "I am just fulfilling my duty as a scholar and studying the books of the sages diligently."

"Go back and have some rest!" Zhao Gou smiled.

Qian Mingduo walked slowly to the inn. He did not enter from the backyard today. Instead, he entered from the main entrance of the inn. The boss was about to go out, and when he saw Qian Mingduo coming in, he hurriedly bowed and said, "Sir, are you the first one to hand in your paper again? Then you will definitely win the first prize like the previous two times!"