The scholar still had the imperial examinations to take after passing the xiucai. If this cousin truly managed to pass the xiucai at this age, he would be the hope of the Lin family.
How could she not let him continue his studies? If he were to truly relax, it would likely only be after Lin Bo failed to pass, or after he passed the juren or jinshi examinations and began his official career.
But she couldn't say that now. She could only offer Lin Bo a distant hope, saying that once he passed the xiucai, he could relax a little.
"Yes, brother will work hard." Lin Bo also knew that Lin Yan was speaking the truth.
"Yes, cousin, let us encourage each other!" Lin Yan extended her hand, and Lin Bo took it.
The holiday passed quickly, and Lin Yan and Lin Bo resumed their studies. Old Madam Lin and Mother Lin also prepared to return to their hometown.
They had stayed for quite some time, and there were still some businesses to manage back home, so they decided to leave.
Mother Lin had not intended to leave, but as Old Madam Lin was still there, she had to show filial piety. Moreover, since Lin Yan was living in the academy, she couldn't be of much help here, so she left reluctantly.
Before leaving, she had reminded Lin Yan to write home often.
Compared to the reluctant Mother Lin, Old Madam Lin seemed a bit indifferent.
However, Lin Yan could also see her reluctance to part with her, but as she was always dignified, she did not show it.
After seeing off Old Madam Lin and Mother Lin, Lin Yan devoted herself entirely to her studies. Although no significant results were visible in the short term, she was indeed making progress.
The prefectural examination in April was fast approaching, so Lin Yan and Lin Bo packed their bags and prepared to return for the examination.
Before leaving, Lin Yan went to bid farewell to Lord Du, only to receive news that Lord Du had already left.
The gatekeeper gave Lin Yan a letter written by Lord Du.
"My lord has returned home. This place was originally used by my lord to relax. Now my lord has returned to his hometown in Yuyao. He told this old servant that if Young Master Lin were to come, I should give you this letter."
"Thank you, Uncle Li!" Lin Yan bowed.
"You're too kind. Since Young Master Lin is returning for the examination, you should hurry back and prepare, lest you delay your matters."
"Then I shall take my leave." Lin Yan left with the letter.
Upon opening the letter, Lin Yan saw a whole page filled with only an address and the words, "Come find me after you pass."
Lin Yan couldn't help but sigh again at Lord Du's carefree nature.
However, Du Mengzhou's calligraphy was truly excellent, with a powerful stroke that conveyed his free and easy spirit. Truly, his handwriting was a reflection of his character.
Lin Yan felt that she would never be able to write such beautiful characters in her lifetime.
So, she carefully put the letter away, intending to take it out every day before practicing calligraphy to motivate herself.
The prefectural examination was hosted by the prefect in the prefectural city. Lin Yan and Lin Bo arrived relatively early, but they did not choose an inn close to the examination compound.
Firstly, they couldn't find any, and even if they did, it would be too expensive. Secondly, it was too noisy, making it impossible to concentrate on their studies.
Lin Bo found a small courtyard in a quiet alley and rented two rooms from the residents.
Lin Yan was also satisfied with this accommodation, away from the bustling city and not too far from the entrance of the examination compound. The landlords were an elderly couple who did not bother them.
Before the examination, Lin Yan did not allow Lin Bo to go out again, instead keeping him focused on intense study within the house.
Because of this, Lin Yan and the others were unaware of some of the gossip surrounding this prefectural examination.
On the day of the examination, to avoid missing their young master's timing, Lin Yan and Lin Bo's attendants stayed up all night and woke them up when the time came.
Taking the donkey cart they had rented, Lin Yan and the others reached the entrance of the examination compound via a small path.
They arrived early, but the entrance to the examination compound was already crowded. With imposing yamen runners guarding the entrance, no one dared to make noise outside.
Lin Yan and Lin Bo alighted from the cart, told the attendants to drive the cart back, and waited at the entrance.
The prefectural examination consisted of three parts. The first two parts would each take one day, while the third part would take two days. They were, respectively, the study of classical texts, miscellaneous essays, and policy proposals.
At the beginning of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), the gates of the examination compound opened. The students in front entered the compound in an orderly fashion. Lin Yan and Lin Bo waited in line behind them to enter.
After a series of procedures, it was already dawn by the time Lin Yan found her seat.
Lin Yan briefly cleaned her assigned spot and waited to receive the examination papers.
The first two parts of the examination passed with ease. Lin Bo returned each day with a smile, indicating he had performed well.
However, Lin Yan did not ask him how he had done, nor did they discuss their answers. Discussing answers during an examination was a serious taboo.
On the third day, when Lin Yan and Lin Bo arrived at the examination booths with their prepared bedding, they discovered that their assigned seats were not ideal.
Although not the worst, they were not far from the worst. Lin Yan was better off; her cubicle was several rooms away from the worst ones, so the smell was not too strong.
However, Lin Bo was right next to the worst cubicles. Although not directly affected, it was not much better.
At this point, he felt incredibly fortunate that he had listened to Lin Yan and prepared more items.
He placed a thick handkerchief aside, preparing to cover his nose and mouth if the smell became unbearable.
He had been quite confident about his performance in this examination, but now, encountering the poor conditions, he felt his hopes might not be as high as he thought.
Besides the bad smell, there were other issues during this part of the examination. The people next to and opposite Lin Bo were snoring, and the constant rumbling sound made it impossible for him to sleep at night.
He had considered getting up to light a candle, but remembering Lin Yan's instructions, he gave up.
Lin Bo lay on the small bed board, looking up at the darkness before him, and began to ponder the policy proposal questions amidst the snoring.
He repeated his train of thought many times, diligently crafting sentences. Every time he thought of a good phrase, he wanted to write it down on scratch paper but suppressed the urge. In this way, as he pondered, he fell asleep at some point.
On the other side, Lin Yan was not fully asleep either. In such an environment, it was difficult for her to fall asleep. However, given her physical condition, not sleeping for a few days would be no problem.
Lin Yan wasn't thinking about anything specific; instead, she chatted with the system while browsing the items in the system store.
After looking for a long time, Lin Yan actually found many things that piqued her interest. However, she likely wouldn't be able to use these things in this world.
But they weren't very expensive, so she generously bought them.
Among them was a protective jade pendant, which was quite interesting. It seemed to be from a cultivation world and could defend against external attacks.
If Lin Yan had not experienced the world of metaphysics, she would not have been able to understand its operating principles.
However, having experienced the world of metaphysics, she now understood the existence of spiritual energy and knew that in addition to science, there were many unexplainable things in this world.
Thinking of this, Lin Yan suddenly remembered that she hadn't tested whether this world had spiritual energy since she arrived.
Because this was an ordinary ancient world, she had assumed there was no spiritual energy. But what if there was? After all, scholars were always associated with various supernatural beings.