Ch 69: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

According to the county regulations, the county exam consisted of four sessions, with one exam every other day. The results were announced three days after the last exam.

The reason for the one-day gap between exams was to allow the examiners to conduct a preliminary screening of the exam papers. Candidates with illegible handwriting, numerous errors, or incoherent essays would be disqualified from participating in the next session.

The first day of the county exam, known as the main session, was the most important and the most difficult.

However, Jing Li didn’t sense any difficulty from Qin Zhao’s demeanor, which seemed unaffected by the exam process.

On the other hand, Chen Yanan had rarely visited the pharmacy since the exam started, and Jing Li had no idea how he was faring.

“Are you worried about him?” Qin Zhao asked.

“A little…” Jing Li took a bite of a pastry, chewing carefully as his right cheek puffed up slightly. “I haven’t had much chance to talk to him outside the exam stalls these past few days, so I don’t know how he’s doing. His mother has high hopes for him, and if he fails again this time, he might take it hard.”

Qin Zhao reassured him, “We’ve already completed three sessions, and since he hasn’t been disqualified, it means he’s doing well enough. Don’t worry. The kid may not be a natural scholar, but he’s been learning under my guidance, and the county exam is hardly enough to stump him.”

“Hardly enough…” Jing Li fell silent.

After the past few days, Jing Li had come to realize that Qin Zhao wasn’t being calm because of his mindset but because he truly didn’t consider the county exam to be challenging.

Maybe this is what it feels like for a max-level player to beat up low-level monsters in a beginner’s village.

“Tomorrow is the final session. You can ask him afterward how he did,” Qin Zhao said, lifting his head from his book and looking at Jing Li with a hint of exasperation. “Honestly, I’m more concerned about you.”

Jing Li blinked and took another bite of his pastry. “What’s there to worry about with me?”

Qin Zhao: “…”

His gaze shifted to the empty plates beside Jing Li. If he wasn’t mistaken, this little guy had already eaten three plates of pastries, two bags of dried fruit snacks, and a baked flatbread in one afternoon.

While it was true that Jing Li’s appetite had returned with the warmer weather, this resurgence in appetite seemed a little too enthusiastic.

Qin Zhao stayed silent for a moment, then shook his head. “It’s nothing. Just eat a bit less—it’s almost time for dinner.”

“Got it…” Jing Li agreed casually, and while Qin Zhao’s head was down, he sneakily grabbed another piece of pastry from the plate.

Qin Zhao, who saw everything clearly: “…”

The final session of the county exam soon came to an end, and as usual, Jing Li waited outside the exam stalls.

At the start of shen hour (3-5 p.m.), the main gate opened, and the officers began releasing candidates.

By the last day, the original hundreds of candidates had dwindled to just a few dozen. However, there were noticeably more candidates leaving early today than on the previous days.

The reason was simple: firstly, the final exam was less difficult, so it didn’t require as much time. Secondly, by making it to the final session, the chances of being eliminated were slim.

In most county exams, the largest number of candidates were disqualified after the first day. As the exam progressed, fewer and fewer candidates were eliminated.

By the time candidates reached the last session, at least 80% of them were likely to pass.

Everyone knew the pattern by now, so they were much less nervous than during the previous sessions, and their efficiency in answering the questions had improved significantly.

Jing Li peeked through the crowd and quickly spotted the familiar figure walking at the back.

His expression shifted from anxious to delighted, and he was about to run over when he suddenly felt a slight, dull ache in his abdomen.

The pain wasn’t severe, more like a gentle tapping with a small hammer. It hurt briefly and then returned to normal.

Jing Li rubbed his abdomen, puzzled.

Did he eat something bad today?

…But this isn’t the stomach?

Could it be from standing too long, causing a stitch in his side?

Today was the final session of the county exam, and Jing Li had been restless since lunchtime. He decided to arrive at the exam stalls an hour early.

An hour, which was about two hours of waiting. He hadn’t noticed while waiting, but now his legs were starting to feel a bit sore from standing too long.

As Jing Li paused for a moment, Qin Zhao had already reached him. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Qin Zhao was too familiar with Jing Li and could sense even the slightest change in him.

Jing Li didn’t want to ruin the good mood now that the county exam was over, especially since the pain in his stomach had only lasted a moment and was already gone.

“It’s nothing,” he shook his head, then hesitated before adding in a small voice, “…just that my legs are sore from standing too long.”

Qin Zhao: “…”

After all this time together, Qin Zhao knew all too well what little schemes Jing Li had in mind. Amused, he said, “I told you before, you should have waited at home.”

Jing Li didn’t respond, staring silently at the tile beneath his feet.

Qin Zhao sighed helplessly and turned around. “Come on, hop on. I’ll carry you back.”

Jing Li happily climbed onto Qin Zhao’s back.

“Grandpa Xue said we’re not eating at home tonight, we’re going out to a restaurant.”

Qin Zhao replied, “Alright.”

Jing Li wrapped his arms around Qin Zhao’s neck, rubbing his cool cheek against the warmth of Qin Zhao’s neck. “Am I heavy?”

A slight smile tugged at the corners of Qin Zhao’s lips. “Heavy. Have you gained weight these past few days?”

Jing Li’s smile froze for a moment, and he responded sheepishly, “N-no, I haven’t gained weight.”

“Really? It feels like…” Qin Zhao lifted one hand and patted Jing Li’s waist lightly.

The implication was clear.

Jing Li quickly insisted, “It’s because I’m wearing too many layers, that’s all!”

Qin Zhao smiled but didn’t say anything.

His teasing was all in good fun. Jing Li had a small frame and was quite light, making it no trouble at all to carry him. However, Qin Zhao had noticed recently that Jing Li’s waist and stomach had become slightly rounder, possibly due to his improved appetite.

Qin Zhao had realized this the night before when he held Jing Li while they slept.

Of course, Qin Zhao wished Jing Li could gain even more weight. He had been too thin before.

Qin Zhao carried him back to the pharmacy, and about an hour later, Chen Yanan finally finished his exam and came straight to the pharmacy.

“I’ve been taking this exam for three years now. If I fail again, my mother is going to kill me,” he said as soon as he walked in the door.

Jing Li felt helpless.

He had thought that once the exams were over, Chen Yanan’s exam-related anxiety might ease up, but clearly, he was still the same. And it seemed this would continue until the results were posted three days later.

Qin Zhao said, “Why don’t you go and comfort him?”

“Me?” A Yi blinked in confusion, glancing over at Chen Yanan, who was sitting across from them. “But… I’m not very good with words.”

“No worries,” Qin Zhao replied warmly. “We’ll watch the shop. You take him out for a walk. Let’s meet at the restaurant tonight.”

A Yi nodded. “Alright.”

Over the past few days, they had all been busy with the exams, and A Yi had felt like he couldn’t contribute much. Now that Qin Zhao had given him something to do, he was happy to help.

A Yi walked over to Chen Yanan, bent down, and whispered something to him.

Chen Yanan looked up suddenly, surprise evident on his face, and nodded repeatedly.

The two of them quickly left the pharmacy, and Jing Li clicked his tongue. “Didn’t you say you didn’t want to get involved in their affairs? Why are you setting them up like this?”

Qin Zhao glanced away from the door and resumed his work of organizing the pharmacy’s accounts. “I just didn’t want him sulking around and being an eyesore.”

Jing Li chuckled softly but didn’t press the matter further.

Qin Zhao was genuinely kind to Chen Yanan. Even though there had been some past disagreements between them, Qin Zhao never held a grudge. Jing Li knew that it wasn’t just about repaying a life-saving favor from long ago—Qin Zhao truly regarded Chen Yanan as a friend.

Sure enough, when they met up at the restaurant that evening, Chen Yanan had regained his usual lively spirit.

He looked so pleased with himself, as if he had already secured the top spot in the county exam. Anyone who didn’t know better might have assumed he had aced it.

…

The next day, at the county office.

In the study, the county magistrate and several scribes were reviewing the exam papers.

Pei An, as the magistrate’s most trusted scribe and the exam question writer, sat to the right of the magistrate, carefully sorting and categorizing the exam papers handed to him by the other scribes.

Marking the imperial exam papers wasn’t as simple as checking right or wrong answers. Each exam paper had to be reviewed by all the scribes present. When a scribe deemed a paper satisfactory, it would be passed on to the next person for further review, and this continued until everyone had finished reading the paper. Only then would it be handed to Pei An.

At any point, a scribe had the right to hold back a paper.

If a paper was held back, it would undergo a final review after all the marking was done. If the paper still didn’t meet the standard upon rechecking, the candidate would be disqualified.

The papers that made it to Pei An’s desk represented the candidates who had passed the county exam.

In addition to reviewing the papers like the other scribes, Pei An was also responsible for categorizing the papers and drafting a preliminary ranking of the candidates.

However, his rankings were only for reference; the final decision would be made by the county magistrate.

Pei An methodically divided the papers into two piles, one for the stronger candidates and one for the weaker ones. He hadn’t yet finished when the impatient magistrate interrupted, “Let me take a look at those first.”

Pei An replied with a respectful “Yes,” and handed over the papers he considered to be of higher quality.

The county magistrate quickly flipped through the exam papers.

Pei An, observing his actions and glancing at the other examiners, lowered his voice and said, “If you’re looking for Qin Zhao’s paper, I don’t believe it’s among these.”

The magistrate paused, “All the papers have been anonymized. How could you possibly know?”

Pei An replied, “It’s based on my understanding of him.”

He knew Qin Zhao’s talent well. While these papers were of higher quality, none stood out as extraordinary, which wouldn’t align with what Qin Zhao was capable of.

The magistrate raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You have that much confidence in him?”

Pei An answered, “Don’t you as well, sir?”

The magistrate chuckled. “I’m just curious.”

Throughout the four sessions of the exam, Qin Zhao had submitted his paper at noon sharp each time, never delaying for a moment. The magistrate was genuinely intrigued to see what kind of work this person had produced.

However, the rule was that the papers’ names could only be revealed after the rankings were finalized. No matter how curious the magistrate was, he couldn’t break this rule.

After hearing Pei An’s words, the magistrate set the papers aside and tossed them back in front of Pei An. “Continue reviewing.”

Pei An nodded and went back to reading the papers.

The magistrate, now bored, watched him and asked with a smile, “Pei An, how is it that you don’t seem worried at all?”

Pei An replied, “What should I be worried about?”

The magistrate grinned. “Qin Zhao is just a commoner for now, but he already has quite the reputation. If he does well and passes with high marks, I’d certainly want to bring him into the county office. And if that happens, wouldn’t your position as the chief scribe be at risk?”

The magistrate made no effort to keep his voice down, and the examiners in the room paused in their work.

For someone to rise to the rank of county magistrate, he couldn’t simply be incompetent. The magistrate was well aware of the subtle power struggles among his subordinates. In fact, he enjoyed watching them compete.

Keeping the most capable people around was always to his advantage.

Pei An, who had worked under the magistrate for many years, could somewhat guess his intentions.

He shook his head and said, “Even if that day comes, it would still be in service of you, sir. Earning your trust depends on your perspective, and worrying is of no use.”

Besides, Qin Zhao had already promised that he wouldn’t join the county office. Qin Zhao was a man of his word and wouldn’t go back on his promise. Even without that assurance, Pei An didn’t believe Qin Zhao would be content to stay on as a mere scribe.

With his potential, Qin Zhao’s future was limitless.

Pei An didn’t voice these thoughts, and the magistrate, unaware of them, was pleased by Pei An’s earlier response and asked no further questions.

As Pei An picked up the next paper, he barely read two lines before his hand paused.

It seemed that what they were seeking had arrived.

He finished reading the paper, took a deep breath to steady himself, and then stood up to present it to the magistrate. “Sir, here is what you were looking for.”

The magistrate’s eyes lit up. He eagerly took the paper, quickly skimmed it once, and then carefully read it a second time.

“Impressive, truly impressive!” The magistrate placed the paper down, clearly impressed. “Pei An, your eye for talent is sharp. It’s been years since we’ve seen a piece of writing of this caliber in the county.”

Pei An nodded in acknowledgment but remained silent.

The county magistrate gently rubbed the anonymized exam paper, speaking with a cryptic tone, “With talent like his, if he continues to advance step by step, our small county office might not be able to contain him in the future.”

Pei An’s eyes flickered, and he cautiously asked, “Are you suggesting, sir…”

Whether or not someone passed the exam was entirely in the magistrate’s hands. If he was worried that Qin Zhao might outgrow the county office and not be able to be recruited, he could simply ensure that Qin Zhao didn’t pass.

However, doing so had its own risks…

“I urge you to consider this carefully,” Pei An advised.

They were seated in the magistrate’s study, deliberately keeping their voices low so that no one outside could overhear.

The county magistrate looked up at Pei An with a hint of displeasure. “What’s your opinion, then?”

Pei An replied, “He’s not someone to be kept confined forever. Even if you suppress him now, you can’t hold him back indefinitely. Instead of making an enemy, why not show him some goodwill?”

The magistrate caught Pei An’s meaning and asked, “You think he’ll surpass me one day?”

Pei An lowered his eyes, saying nothing, but the magistrate could tell from his silence that he agreed.

In truth, after reading Qin Zhao’s exam paper, the magistrate had already formed his own judgment. If Qin Zhao were to continue advancing, it wouldn’t be surprising if he eventually became a jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest level of the imperial examination). Perhaps he would even attain a high-ranking official position.

Making an enemy of him now would be unwise; better to foster a good relationship.

Weighing the pros and cons, the magistrate quickly made up his mind. Placing the exam paper back on the table, he chuckled, “We’ve speculated so much, but what if this paper isn’t Qin Zhao’s after all? There’s more than one talented candidate this year. Don’t forget about Yan Xiu, the top scorer from the county exam three years ago. He’s competing again this year.”

Pei An laughed as well. “I’m willing to bet, sir, that this paper belongs to Qin Zhao. Shall we wager a meal at Zui Xiang Lou?”

“Deal! We’ll mark this paper as the top scorer and see if it’s Qin Zhao or not,” the magistrate agreed with a broad smile. “Now, let’s finish reviewing these papers quickly. Tonight, we’ll have some fun at Zui Xiang Lou!”

…

On the day the results were posted, Jing Li woke up early and, pulling Qin Zhao along, arrived at the county office half an hour before the scheduled time.

The announcement of the results, also known as fa’an (posting of results), was a major event. On this day, the county office would display a large sheet of paper covered by a red silk cloth. The sheet would list the rankings of the fifty successful candidates.

Though it wasn’t yet time for the results to be revealed, a large crowd had already gathered outside the county office, their eyes eagerly fixed on the covered list.

Qin Zhao glanced at the scene and led Jing Li to a quieter spot by the side of the street to wait.

At last, around midmorning (si hour), the officers struck the gongs and drums, loudly announcing, “Results are posted!”

With that, the red silk was lifted, and the crowd surged forward, all trying to find their ranking. The officers struggled to keep control of the situation as people pushed and jostled to see the results.

Luckily, Qin Zhao and Jing Li had positioned themselves away from the crowd, so they weren’t caught up in the chaos.

The ranking list for the imperial exam was displayed in a circular arrangement, with candidates’ positions split into an inner and outer circle. Due to this layout, the lower positions on the list were written upside down.

Only the top scorer’s position was prominently displayed in bold red characters, right in the center, making it the easiest to spot.

While others twisted and craned their necks to find their rankings, Qin Zhao had already taken a quick look, then pulled Jing Li into his arms. “Now that you’ve seen it with your own eyes, are you satisfied?”

Jing Li gave a small hum of acknowledgment.

Perhaps he had been influenced by Qin Zhao’s calm demeanor, but when he saw the result, he didn’t feel surprised at all. Instead, it felt like everything was as it should be.

At the center of the ranking sheet, right at the top, was a familiar number.

—Candidate No. 086.

It was Qin Zhao’s number.

Qin Zhao’s achievement of securing the top spot in the exam was no surprise. However, it was Chen Yanan’s rapid improvement that caught everyone’s attention—he placed fifteenth, entering the inner circle, which was a huge leap forward.

It was especially impressive considering that during his last attempt at the county exam, he had been eliminated after the first session.

Before the group could even figure out how to celebrate, someone from the county office arrived.

“Congratulations to Mr. Qin on achieving the top score,” Pei An greeted them with a pleasant smile.

Not every top scorer received a personal visit from the county office, only those who had earned the county magistrate’s special favor. The fact that it wasn’t just a regular officer but Pei An himself, the magistrate’s trusted scribe, further proved how much the county magistrate valued Qin Zhao.

Understanding the significance, Qin Zhao invited him into the house and offered tea and refreshments. “I appreciate you making the trip, Mr. Pei.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Pei An replied while sipping his tea. “My lord values talented individuals. This is only appropriate. I was also curious—when do you plan to head to the prefectural city?”

“Tomorrow,” Qin Zhao answered.

Registration for the prefectural exam would begin three days after the county exam results were posted and would last for ten days. Though there was ample time, Qin Zhao wanted to take Jing Li to explore the prefectural city beforehand. He had made the decision to leave right after the results were posted.

“That sounds wise,” Pei An said thoughtfully. “In fact, my lord didn’t just send me to congratulate you.”

He took a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Qin Zhao. “Please accept this.”

Qin Zhao asked, “What is it?”

“It’s a letter of recommendation from my lord to the prefect.”

Due to the anonymous exam system, the county magistrate’s recommendation couldn’t influence Qin Zhao’s exam ranking. However, the letter would ensure that his time in the prefectural city would be much smoother.

The magistrate was extending a gesture of goodwill.

Qin Zhao’s gaze flickered slightly, and he accepted the letter. “Thank you. I understand.”

Pei An didn’t stay long and soon took his leave after delivering the letter. Qin Zhao gave him a small amount of silver as a token of appreciation. Pei An accepted it with a cheerful smile and wished Qin Zhao, “May you achieve a small three yuan (first in all three levels of the county, prefectural, and provincial exams),” before departing.

The next day, Qin Zhao and Jing Li bid farewell to Xue Ren and A Yi before boarding a boat bound for the prefectural city.

The journey from the county to the prefectural city was downstream, and by water, it would take only two days—three days faster than by land.

They weren’t traveling alone; the other four members of their exam group were also on board.

Yan Xiu, who had placed second in the county exam, along with Chen Yanan (15th), He Zhixing (39th), and another classmate of He Zhixing’s, were all heading to the prefectural exam with Qin Zhao.

As for the two people who had originally been part of Qin Zhao’s mutual protection group during the county exam, both had failed and already returned to their hometown.

The six of them had rented this small boat, enjoying the scenic riverbanks as they traveled downstream.

As for the “reward” Jing Li still owed Qin Zhao, after much pleading and teasing, Qin Zhao reluctantly agreed to delay it until they returned to their village.

Qin Zhao fetched some fresh water on the deck and was about to return to the cabin when he saw Yan Xiu standing at the bow, gazing off into the distance.

His figure appeared… somewhat melancholic?

“Don’t bother with him,” Chen Yanan, looking a bit seasick, was leaning against the rail for some air. “Let him wallow in his sorrow.”

Qin Zhao asked, “What’s going on with him?”

“He’s returning to a place that brings him pain,” Chen Yanan replied. “That Prince Rong—rumor has it that his death occurred near the Jiangling prefecture, and his body was never recovered. Come to think of it, the emperor announced Prince Rong’s death to the nation right before the provincial exam three years ago. No wonder Yan Xiu failed the exam back then…”

“Shut up!” Yan Xiu snapped coldly, without even turning his head.

Chen Yanan shrugged and fell silent.

Qin Zhao ignored the situation and lifted the boat’s curtain, stepping into the cabin.

The boat was quite large, with several wooden plank beds inside for travelers to rest at night. Qin Zhao approached one of the beds, where a boy was curled up, clutching a wooden basin. “Ugh—”

Jing Li had been feeling terrible since they boarded, vomiting multiple times, though now he had nothing left to throw up and was merely dry heaving.

Qin Zhao gently pulled him into his arms and offered him some water. “Drink a little water first.”

“Mm…” Jing Li, suppressing the churning in his stomach, managed to take a few sips of water before leaning weakly against Qin Zhao’s shoulder.

He couldn’t understand it—how, as a fish, could he get seasick on a boat?

Jing Li’s face was pale, completely drained of color. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, murmuring weakly, “If I had known it’d be this bad… I should’ve just swum there myself.”

Qin Zhao: “…”

He gently stroked Jing Li’s back and said softly, “I spoke with the boatman earlier. As soon as we reach a place with a rest stop, we’ll disembark and take a carriage for the rest of the way.”

If Qin Zhao had known Jing Li would get seasick, he wouldn’t have suggested taking the water route.

The journey by boat was supposed to take two days, and they would need to sleep on the boat tonight. With Jing Li in such a state, Qin Zhao couldn’t bear to see him suffer any longer.

Jing Li, exhausted, only managed a slight nod.

After about another half hour, the boatman’s voice came from the deck, “Sir, there’s a dock ahead. Would you like to disembark here?”

Qin Zhao led Jing Li out of the cabin. Not far ahead, there was a dock with a small path leading into the dense mountains.

Qin Zhao frowned slightly. “Is there a rest stop here?”

“It’s not a rest stop,” the boatman explained. “There’s an old temple up the path, and the head monk is kind. Many travelers stop there for lodging. You could stay there for the night, and tomorrow, the monks can guide you down the mountain to a place where you can rent a carriage.”

“If you don’t stop here, the next rest stop won’t be until after dark. There are bandits in the mountains at night, so it’s unsafe to dock randomly.”

Nightfall in these deep mountains was dangerous, so after hearing the boatman’s warning, Qin Zhao didn’t press the matter.

He thanked the boatman and said goodbye to the others, agreeing to meet them in a few days in the prefectural city. Then, he and Jing Li disembarked.

The small boat continued downstream until it disappeared from view.

Qin Zhao said, “You can change back to your original form now.”

Looking into the mountains from the dock, one could faintly see the tiled rooftops of the temple through the layers of pine trees, though it seemed to be some distance away.

Jing Li, feeling miserable all day from the seasickness, relaxed upon hearing Qin Zhao’s suggestion and immediately transformed back into his small koi form, splashing into the water.

Qin Zhao gathered Jing Li’s scattered clothing and pulled out a small fish basket he had used for him before from their luggage. He crouched down and carefully scooped both the koi and some river water into the basket.

“Good thing I brought this along.”

Qin Zhao picked up the fish basket and began walking toward the mountains.

After about the time it would take to burn an incense stick, Qin Zhao saw the entrance to the ancient temple.

“Xiao Yu, wake up.” He called softly, but the little koi remained curled up quietly at the bottom of the basket, fast asleep.

Qin Zhao smiled helplessly and was about to wait at the roadside for a moment when the temple’s bright red doors suddenly opened, and a young monk in robes stepped out.

The young monk had a gentle demeanor and greeted Qin Zhao with a bow. “Last night, the head monk had a dream, telling him that an old acquaintance would arrive soon. It seems you have finally come.”

“Please, follow me inside.”