章節 218: The Future

The peach blossoms were in full bloom in the capital and the imperial examinations in full swing. It was rare for this final test to be held two years in a row, giving those who hadn't been ready the year before as well as those who were unfortunate to miss having their name inscribed onto the golden tablet (1) another chance without having to wait for three long years in-between. Yan Zheyun could only imagine the bustle in the inns of the eastern and western marketplaces, scholars in their modest Confucian robes coming in from all walks of life, all determined to be the next to leave a mark in history.

創作者的想法
Queeniecat

Apologies guys, the next chapter was accidentally published under Vol 3 (title: Pear and Parasol) because I was using my tablet to write it and it didn't have an updated app...I am trying to get this fixed but meanwhile it can be found there. Sorry!!!

(1) Golden tablet: figurative, not an actual gold tablet. This is the description of the pass list of the final leg of the imperial examinations.

(2) Stench of copper coins: a metaphor for the perceived mentality that merchants were greedy and took a profits-before-anything world view.

(3) Being a whore and erecting a chastity arch: popular social media slang for behaving immorally yet claiming righteousness.

(4) Toss the shards of the jar on the floor after breaking it: a derogatory common saying describing a situation where one commits an error but gives up on rectifying it and instead makes it worse on purpose.

(5) Water that was tossed out: a derogatory common saying that girls (in this case children) who were married out (as opposed to a son bringing a wife back) was like water that you tossed out and was no longer the responsibility of the household they grew up in.

(6) Study tyrant/school tyrant: internet slang. Very close phrases but the first means someone academically superior (to the point of stressing others around them) and the latter means someone that is literally the school hooligan (lol).

(7) Beat the grass and startle the snake: an idiom that means to inadvertently alert an enemy.

A/N: Thank you very much for reading and for the patience regarding my emergency hiatus. Also really appreciate the lovely gifts, comments, golden tickets, and power stones. <3