I relied on a system to prolong my life in ancient times.

Chapter 44 Announcement of Results

A few days later, just as Xiao Siyue and the others came downstairs, they saw someone rushing in from outside, shouting, "The results are out! The results are out! Hurry up and go see!"

"The list is out! The list is out! Let's get going!" Instantly, the entire inn erupted into chaos, as if a pot had been boiled over.

"Dad, the results are out, let's go take a look," Xiao Siyue said anxiously, also wanting to know how Xiao Qinian did.

“Okay, let’s go right now,” Xiao Qinian said excitedly, as if he were about to take flight.

The group followed the crowd to the examination hall, where a large crowd had already gathered. Xiao Siyue, taking advantage of her small size, squeezed in, and the list on the wall came into view.

A sharp shout came from the surroundings: "I won! I finally won! Hahahaha..." The voice was full of excitement and exhilaration, making people turn their heads.

However, at the same time, another person sat on the ground, dejected and crying bitterly: "Why wasn't I selected? I've taken the exam three times already, why haven't I passed? Am I really that unlucky?" His face was full of despair and pain, as if the whole world had collapsed.

The area in front of the list was noisy. Xiao Siyue stood anxiously in front of the crowd, but she was too short to see it.

Just as they were about to leave and let Xiao Qinian squeeze in, they heard someone say, "The top spot is held by Xiao Qinian. Who is Xiao Qinian? I've never heard of him."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Siyue paused in her steps as she walked out. The top spot belonged to Xiao Qinian, who was her father.

Xiao Siyue excitedly tugged at the sleeve of the person next to her, her eyes wide and sparkling with excitement, and asked in a slightly trembling voice, "Uncle, you just said that the top spot is named Xiao Qinian, right?"

The middle-aged man next to her looked at the cute little girl in front of him and thought that she was probably here to see the list on behalf of her family. So he smiled and nodded, and replied gently, "Yes, her name is Xiao Qinian."

Xiao Siyue was overjoyed upon hearing this, but to make sure she hadn't misheard, she asked again carefully: "Uncle, is it the 'Xiao' from 'zodiac animal,' the 'Qi' from 'enlightenment,' and the 'Nian' from 'age'?"

Seeing how earnest she was, the older man patiently answered, "Yes, those are the words. Young lady, is this person your family member?"

Xiao Siyue nodded repeatedly, her face beaming with joy, and said happily, "Yes, thank you, Uncle, he's my dad."

Upon hearing this, the uncle couldn't help but show a look of surprise and envy, exclaiming, "Young lady, congratulations! Your father is truly amazing; he actually topped the list!"

Xiao Siyue's excitement grew. She clenched her fists tightly, her eyes filled with pride and joy, as if the whole world had brightened up.

"Thank you, Uncle. I'll head out now." Xiao Siyue was already eager to go out and tell her parents the good news.

After saying that, he quickly squeezed out again.

"Dad, Mom!" Xiao Siyue ran happily toward Xiao Qinian and his wife, who were standing anxiously outside the crowd.

Lin Qin pulled Xiao Siyue away, saying, "Why are you running around like that? What if you get lost?"

"Excuse me, Mother, I want to go in and see the list." Xiao Siyue chuckled twice.

Then, with a mysterious look on her face, she said, "Mom, guess how Dad did on the exam?" Xiao Siyue held her mother's hand and shook it.

"It must be really good, just look at how you look." Lin Qin tapped Xiao Siyue's nose and said affectionately.

"Hehe, Mom, Dad is number one!" Xiao Siyue couldn't help but share the good news with her mother.

"Really?" Lin Qin's eyes widened, she was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Xiao Qinian with joy and said excitedly, "Husband, did you hear that?"

When Xiao Qinian first heard that he was number one, he was incredulous for a moment. Although he was very confident, he was not sure that he could get the top spot. This surprise was too great. But what made him even happier was that he could become Shen Junru's apprentice.

"Yes, I heard it, Yue'er, you didn't see it wrong, did you?" Xiao Qinian still couldn't quite believe it.

"Dad, I didn't see it. The uncle next to me said so. Why don't we take another look later?" Xiao Siyue thought it best to take another look so she could be at ease.

The three waited a while longer, and the number of people in front of the list gradually decreased before Xiao Qinian went to check it again.

"How was it?" Lin Qin asked as she looked at Xiao Qinian, who was walking over with a smile.

“Yes, that’s right, Yue’er is not wrong,” Xiao Qinian said gently, now able to remain calm.

"That's great!" Xiao Siyue and Lin Qin said at the same time.

The three of them looked at each other and smiled.

I ran into Han Zhiyan as soon as I got back to the inn. He had been gone for a few days. He had left a couple of days after finishing his exams.

"Congratulations, Brother Xiao, on winning first place. You should now address me as Scholar Xiao." Han Zhiyan smiled, his eyes revealing genuine joy. He walked to Xiao Qinian's side, clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed slightly, and sincerely expressed his congratulations to Xiao Qinian.

Xiao Qinian quickly returned the greeting, his face beaming with a humble smile, and said, "Brother Han, you flatter me. It was just a fluke. But Brother Han has also achieved excellent results!" As he spoke, he reached out and gently patted Han Zhiyan's shoulder.

Han Zhiyan smiled and said, "Haha, it is my honor to be on the list with Brother Xiao."

The two exchanged a smile, a sense of mutual appreciation welling up within them. They both understood that the competition in this provincial examination was exceptionally fierce, and that to stand out was no easy feat.

Xiao Qinian remarked with emotion, "This imperial examination was truly filled with talented individuals. We are extremely fortunate to have ranked among the top."

Han Zhiyan nodded, deeply agreeing, and said, "Yes, this exam was quite difficult, but we finally reaped the rewards through our own strength and hard work. However, this is just the beginning; there are more important imperial examinations waiting for us next."

With a determined look in his eyes, Xiao Qinian said confidently, "That's right, we must continue to work hard and strive for better results in the imperial examination."

After congratulating and encouraging each other, the two returned to their room.

Xiao Siyue and Lin Qin were waiting for Xiao Qinian in the room. They needed to prepare gifts for the apprenticeship ceremony before heading to Shen Junru's residence.

Shen Junru's trip to Qinzhou was not to oversee the autumn imperial examinations, but rather to attend to other matters. However, these matters were already concluded, and he planned to leave Qinzhou and return to the capital after Xiao Qinian became his disciple.

Shen Junru had mentioned this matter a few days ago, so Xiao Qinian planned to quickly become Shen Junru's apprentice so as not to delay Shen Junru's return to the capital. After all, Shen Junru's time was very precious, and there were still a lot of things waiting for him in the capital, because Xiao Qinian had already been delayed for several days.

After getting ready, the three of them headed to Shen Junru's residence.