The exam was over at this time and the candidates came out of the examination room one after another.

While Li Shao was dealing with the people who were constantly chatting with him, he was also looking for Shen An and his own carriage.

After seeing Zhao Ye, he hurriedly said to the people around him: "Guys, my family is here to pick me up. Let's talk next time." Then he walked away quickly.

A few people wanted to say something, but Li Shao had already run away. They looked at each other helplessly and had to give up.

Originally, he had been thinking about getting close to Li Shao in advance. They were in the same group. Although he had no chance of passing the imperial examination this time, he was envious and jealous of Li Shao.

But anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Li Shao would have a bright future, and they wanted to make friends with him in advance, but he was not enthusiastic about them at all.

"Brother Ye, you've been waiting for a long time! I told you to go home and rest after you drop me off, why are you still waiting here?!"

"Husband, I'm not tired. I'll be staying at home anyway, so why not wait for you here?"

"I asked Shen Qing and the others to take the children home first. The meal should be ready. I only brought a little dry food for lunch. You must be hungry now."

"Hahaha, my wife still understands me! When Wu comes out, we'll go home quickly."

Liu Wu also came out soon. The dinner was particularly sumptuous, but no one drank any alcohol, after all, there was still a policy essay exam tomorrow.

Noticing that Liu Wu was in a visibly low mood at the dinner table, Li Shao and Zhao Ye did not mention today's imperial examination, and went to bed early after dinner.

After washing up and lying on the bed, Zhao Ye said, "Husband, how did you do on the exam today?"

Li Shao raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Oh, it's not easy to wait until now to ask me!"

"I didn't ask because I saw that Brother Liu looked a little unhappy! It seems that he didn't do well in the exam."

Li Shao smiled and hugged him into his arms, kissing the top of his head, "My brother Ye really knows how to be considerate of others, how can you be so considerate!"

"Hey, husband, please tell me how did you do in the exam?"

"I can't say it's 100 percent certain, but it's probably 70 to 80 percent certain."

"That's good, that's good. Husband, go to bed quickly and stay alert. You have a policy paper tomorrow."

"Just go to bed what?! It's still early! I can't sleep, let's do something else."

"Ah?! My husband, you have to take part in the imperial examination tomorrow!"

"What does tomorrow's exam have to do with what I'm doing today?! Maybe because I'm happy today, I'll do better on the exam tomorrow!"

"Ah?! What kind of nonsense is this? There is no such thing!"

"Of course, you believe me, Brother Ye."

......

The questions in the policy essay test on the second day were much more difficult than those in the provincial examination, but they still centered around military strategy, military theory, battle case analysis, current politics and military affairs, etc.

Li Shao glanced over the test questions several times, thought for a moment, and then he had an idea for how to answer the questions, and wrote down the answers on the answer sheet in great style.

After leaving the examination room today, in addition to Zhao Ye and Shen An who came to pick him up, there were a few more people who were waiting for him outside the examination room and came up to him to establish a relationship with him.

Li Shao’s wonderful performance yesterday had already spread throughout the capital.

But after all, the results of the joint examination have not been announced yet, and he has not passed the palace examination, so those families with some status do not care about him.

Some small families, minor officials or merchants wanted to establish good relations with him before he became successful.

Li Shao and his companions had to put in a lot of effort to escape from the encirclement of those people.

After returning home, Liu Wu couldn't help but sigh: "Brother Li, you are really worthy of your reputation. You shined in the imperial examination. Now everyone in the capital knows your name! There are so many people rushing to make friends with you."

"I can't do it! I have no chance of winning this time. I can only wait three years to fight again."

Li Shao consoled him, "Awu, don't underestimate yourself. You also said you couldn't do it in the last provincial examination, but you still passed, didn't you?"

Liu Wu shook his head and smiled bitterly: "It's different. Although I said that last time, I actually had some confidence in my heart. Whether I can pass the exam depends on luck."

"This time is different. I didn't reach the minimum passing line in both archery and boulder lifting yesterday. I took the policy essay today just because I thought that since I'm here, I have to take part in the policy essay test of the imperial examination."

After hearing what he said, Li Shao didn't know what to say. According to the examination rules and conventions of the military examination, even if there are few qualified people, the court must ensure that the selected candidates are only allowed to fail in one item at most.

The other subjects must meet the minimum standards. Liu Wu did not reach the minimum passing line in either of the two subjects, so he would definitely not pass the exam.

Liu Wu was not the kind of person who complained about himself. He was depressed for only a moment, and then he immediately cheered up and said with a smile: "Brother Li, you don't have to think about how to comfort me."

"It's just that I failed the exam once. I'm still so young. I will work harder after I go back this time and take the exam again in three years."

"But when I come to the capital to find you again, you should have become an official. Don't find me annoying then! Hahaha!"

Seeing that Liu Wu could still joke, Li Shao felt relieved, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "No matter when you come to the capital, I welcome you, hahaha!"

"By the way, you took the imperial examination a few days after arriving in Beijing, and you haven't really seen the city. Now that the exam is over, I'll take you to eat some Beijing specialties and see the sights of Beijing tomorrow."

Liu Wu shook his head and said, "Brother Li, thank you for your kindness, but I plan to go back tomorrow."

"I've been out for so long, my family should be worried about me. Since you already know I didn't pass the exam, I won't bother you here anymore."

"Thank you and your husband for letting me stay and treating me to delicious food and drinks every day. I will always remember this kindness in my heart. If there is anything you can do for me in the future, you two will definitely ask for help."

"What kind of favor are you talking about? It's not worth it to keep it in mind. But since you're here, how can you not take a good look at the capital and have some fun for a few days before leaving?"

Zhao Ye also advised: "Yes, Brother Liu, these few days are not a big deal. Let your elder brother Li take you around the capital, see the sights, and eat some of the specialties of the capital that we don't have in our hometown."

"Thank you so much, Brother Li and my husband, for your kindness to me, but I really won't stay. I want to wait three years to pass the imperial examination and then take a good look at the capital. This can be regarded as a motivation for myself."

Seeing that he was so determined, the two of them didn't know how to persuade him anymore. Zhao Ye thought about asking Shen Qing to go out and buy some snacks and dry food for Liu Wu to eat on the way.

Li Shao said: "Okay, since you have made up your mind, we respect your opinion. Have you found a car to go back, and your companions to go with you?"

"Well, a few people who came with me also contacted me yesterday. Only one of them thought he should be able to pass the exam and said he wanted to stay. The others were similar to me, so they planned to go back and leave at 3 p.m. tomorrow."

"Okay, then we must have a few drinks tonight to send you off."

"Hahaha, okay, I've been craving your wine for a long time, and I won't go home until I'm drunk today."

In the end, Liu Wu was the only one who did not return home until he was drunk. Li Shao did not feel drunk at all. Looking at Liu Wu slumped on the dining table, Li Shao could only help him into the room and give him a simple wash.

When he woke up the next day, Liu Wu kept praising Li Shao for his good drinking capacity. Then he packed his luggage and got on the carriage for the return trip. Li Shao and Zhao Ye also went to see him off.

After Liu Wu left, Li Shao felt inexplicably relieved, not because he disliked having Liu Wu in his home.

But when Liu Wu was around, Ye Ge'er was always unwilling to get too close to him, saying it was not good because there were guests around, not family members like Shen Qing.

Now that Liu Wu is gone and the imperial examination is over, the results will be announced in about half a month, and he can also have some good time with Ye Ge'er.

Unfortunately, Su Cen came again. After arriving, she said hello to Li Shao, threw her personal servant and the boy in the main room, and then pulled Ye Ge'er into the room to whisper something to her, which made Li Shao so angry that his teeth itched.

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