Chapter 96

 After the Cannon Fodder 'Top' Turns to Farming, He Gets a Happy Ending with the Aloof Male Lead (Transmigration)

A Gathering of Talents; Morning Sickness

"Lu... Lu Lizhi?"

"Brother Tu, long time no see." Lu Lizhi offered a cool, composed bow of greeting; he hadn't expected Tu Huanwen to be living here as well.

Given *that person's* jealous nature, it was surprising there was another man around when he wasn't there.

"You... you live *here*!?" In his disbelief, Tu Huanwen nearly bit his own tongue.

Lu Lizhi also felt something was amiss—could he be in the wrong place? He stepped out to check; yes, this was the right alleyway.

"Is this the old residence of the Hu family's sixth-generation descendant? I heard it was vacated and set aside specifically for *xiucai* scholars traveling to the capital for the triennial exams, though ordinary people can't easily rent it." Jiang Baiye had been the one to tell him this.

To avoid distracting him, Jiang Baiye had voluntarily stepped into the background; although Lu Lizhi didn't mind his presence, there simply wasn't the time or space to accommodate him there.

Jiang Baiye had already placed all the necessary supplies and belongings inside the room beforehand.

Amidst Tu Huanwen’s dazed nodding, Lu Lizhi walked into his assigned room.

Shadows of bamboo leaves dappled the floor near the window; the room was bright and tidy, and the air smelled pleasant. It was clearly well-maintained to begin with, and Jiang Baiye had even given it an extra cleaning. Lu Lizhi was a man who valued cleanliness; having grown accustomed to a comfortable lifestyle, he had developed rather particular tastes, yet he found every aspect of this place thoroughly satisfactory.

He opened his two wooden trunks: one side held a change of clothes, while the other contained his dining utensils. He had also brought a separate case filled almost entirely with books.

Even a scholar like Lu Lizhi felt the need to do some last-minute cramming to get into the right mindset before facing the formidable provincial examinations.

Three days flew by in the blink of an eye. Lu Lizhi reviewed the books given to him by Professor Huang and Prefect Yan one last time and packed all the essentials into his examination basket. He then double-checked his gear with Tu Huanwen and a fellow student to ensure nothing had been overlooked.

Sure enough, the fellow student cried out in alarm, "I’ve completely forgotten my water skin—the most important thing of all! If I were to drink the water at the examination compound, I’d surely suffer a bout of explosive diarrhea. Not only would it be humiliating, but if I stained my exam papers with filth, the examiners would be absolutely disgusted."

The examination compound opened only once every three years and lacked proper maintenance, so the quality of the well water and the surrounding environment left much to be desired. Coupled with the immense stress and the crude living and dining conditions, many candidates fell ill and collapsed before the exams were even over.

Those who managed to hold out until the end before falling sick were considered to have robust constitutions. Although Lu Lizhi was slender—his constitution having been carefully nurtured—he was surprisingly resilient; had he not been so sensitive, he might not have been the first to succumb to exhaustion in bed compared to Jiang Baiye...

Thinking of this, he realized that another two months had passed since his birthday.

Lu Lizhi quickly gathered his thoughts, recalling the food Jiang Baiye had prepared for him—meals that covered all the major nutritional categories, ensuring a balance of carbohydrates, high-quality protein, vitamins, salt, and ample water.

Though he didn't fully grasp the terminology, he felt confident that the plan was sound.

Upon arriving at the provincial capital's examination hall—marked by a plaque with black-lacquered characters—Lu Lizhi joined the group of candidates from his prefecture. There, he met Chen Jian and Wu Yong, the two men Prefect Yan had previously mentioned.

Both men possessed dignified appearances and distinguished bearings; they spoke with easy smiles and radiated confidence—it was no wonder they enjoyed such renown.

Among the candidates, Tu Huanwen and Fang Kaiyuan stood out as the elite; having achieved the "Little Three Yuan" (winning first place in the county, prefecture, and provincial qualifying exams), their reputations had spread far and wide among scholars over the past three years.

Yet, a dark horse had now emerged to challenge them.

That man was Lu Lizhi, a mere nineteen-year-old from Xuanhe Prefecture.

One must realize that while Tu Huanwen and Fang Kaiyuan were considered young and promising, they were already twenty-two. Candidates in their twenties and thirties were commonplace, and it was not unusual to see men in their forties or even the elderly participating.

Passing the *Juren* examination opened the door to officialdom—a true transformation of one's destiny—yet how many *Xiucai* scholars had stumbled and fallen at this very threshold? They would persist doggedly throughout their lives, never giving up until they were no longer eligible to compete—often without ever seeing their wishes fulfilled.

Consequently, the crowd was a motley mix of ages—far more chaotic than the earlier prefectural exam—and the yamen runners often spoke with disdain toward the elderly *xiucai* (scholars who had passed the entry-level exam) among them.

Lu Lizhi, being the youngest of the lot, also became a frequent topic of discussion.

Many were certain he had made the trip in vain, though some discerning veteran scholars knew that the younger the candidate, the greater the talent—the so-called "child prodigies."

Lu Lizhi overheard voices in the crowd saying:

"What kind of prodigy is *he*? Lu Qingchuan—the youngest legitimate son of the head of the Jiangyi Lu clan—is the true prodigy. He recognized characters at two, composed poetry at three, finished the Four Books and Five Classics by five, and frequented the Lu family academy at seven, conversing effortlessly with established scholars. He passed the entry-level exam at eleven, the *xiucai* exam at fourteen, and is now only seventeen—not yet of age for the capping ceremony—yet he is sitting for this year's provincial exam. He is two years younger than that Lu Lizhi from Xuanhe!"

"Besides, there’s no telling if Lu Lizhi will even pass, whereas Lu Qingchuan is a shoo-in!"

Lu Lizhi paid no mind to their disparagement or their tendency to exalt one person while belittling another; his thoughts were entirely occupied by the Jiangyi Lu clan.

Based on the past events recounted to him by Prefect Yan, his father’s death was highly likely linked to people from that very clan.

Although he had been unable to investigate the matter deeply, he could at least surmise the reason behind it. His father’s literary talent back in the day had been in no way inferior to his own; although age hadn't been on his side, the potential and future achievements he was poised to attain made others view him as a formidable obstacle—a stumbling block to be removed.

Just like now—if he were to forge ahead, would someone inevitably jump out to cause trouble?

Lu Lizhi clenched his fists. He did not want to see—nor could he bear to see—such a scenario play out; yet, if it came to that, he...

With this sharp resolve in mind, and just before bathing and changing, Lu Lizhi suddenly dropped a bombshell that left everyone utterly dumbfounded.

"I have a preference for men. If you don't mind..."

"W-what?!"

"???"

Several examinees who had just stripped off their outer robes were so startled that they hurriedly clutched their pale, scrawny bodies and bolted outside to find the yamen runners.

Lu Lizhi did not actually bathe; he quickly changed into the official garments provided, merely wetting the outer collars with water to create the illusion that he had washed up. By the time the officials arrived, he was already fully dressed.

Suspecting foul play, the yamen runners unceremoniously turned everything he had brought with him upside down.

However, when it came time to inspect his body, they recalled the other examinees' claims about his sexual preferences; the hands they had just extended recoiled instantly, as if they had touched something filthy. @Unlimited Good Stories, All at Jinjiang Literature City

“Now that you’re finished washing, get out of here! Don’t waste other people’s time!” His tone was clearly disgusted.

This was exactly the effect Lu Lizhi wanted. Soon, the news reached the examiners. If he were still the isolated and helpless Lu Lizhi from before, daring to cause such a scene, he would have been immediately kicked out and disqualified from the provincial examination.

But he was the person the Emperor of Da Ning was hoping to see. From the moment the Emperor uttered those words, those below knew that no matter what, they would not allow Lu Lizhi to come before him.

He was also a genius praised by officials like Tai Song. Before coming, these deputy examiners appointed by the court wanted to meet this talent who had made many innovations even before finishing the imperial examination.

This unexpected commotion occurred halfway through the exam.

Furthermore, with many examinees complaining, they quickly discussed the matter and decided to give Lu Lizhi a separate outhouse to prevent any unsightly incidents. That would be unprecedented, and the examiners would definitely be held accountable!

Although Lu Lizhi was given a special treatment, he was still monitored much more strictly than others.

Having achieved his goal, Lu Lizhi found his cell, cleaned away the cobwebs and dust from the walls, and, with everything prepared, opened his exam paper and began to focus intently on answering the questions.

The longer the exam dragged on, the worse his condition would become; delaying things further would only work to his disadvantage.

Lu Lizhi did not follow the instructors' advice regarding the prudent allocation of time; he knew that to avoid the indignity of soiling himself, he had to minimize the number of times he visited the latrine.

Yet, holding back the urge to relieve himself would likely impair his focus and hinder his ability to complete the tasks at hand.

He had to answer as many questions as possible—carefully yet swiftly—while his mental state was still at its peak.

It was a gamble, but one that also served to mitigate the risk of unforeseen mishaps.

The first and second days passed uneventfully. On the third day, Lu Lizhi finished writing the final character, let the ink dry, rolled up his exam paper, and placed it in the designated pouch before setting about cooking a meal.

Just then, a gust of wind swept in, carrying a complex and overpowering stench; Lu Lizhi immediately gagged.

His cell was not particularly close to the communal latrines—it was actually a decent spot—but Lu Lizhi possessed exceptionally keen senses. The accumulated odor of days' worth of waste was truly nauseating.

Lu Lizhi hurriedly covered his nose and mouth, losing all appetite for his meal.

To minimize the need for bathroom breaks, he had eaten very little over the past two days; he was now famished, his stomach clinging to his spine, and his face had turned slightly pale. He popped a piece of candy made by Jiang Baiye into his mouth; the bitterness in his throat and the waves of dizziness soon subsided a little.

Looking at the ingredients he had brought, Lu Lizhi composed himself and decided to go ahead and cook something after all, letting it simmer away on the small stove.

Some candidates, furiously scribbling away with sweat beading on their brows, clearly had no intention of eating lunch; with the exam papers far from finished, who had the appetite for food? They could just as well eat in the evening—there was no rush.

Consequently, the likes of Tu Huanwen and Fang Kaiyuan had no mood to eat either; they raced against the final moments to double-check their papers, ensuring nothing had been overlooked.

Just as everyone was taut with concentration, a peculiar, tantalizing aroma wafted over—one so rich it nearly made them swoon with delight.

Those with less willpower twitched their nostrils, trying to identify the scent, while their stomachs growled and rumbled thunderously.

Pain!

Hunger!

What kind of madman was this? Had someone given up on the provincial exam only to start tormenting the rest of them?

Unfortunately, the "madman" Lu Lizhi didn't get to enjoy much of it himself; after just a few bites, he slumped over his desk and began retching violently again.

The sound of his retching was loud enough to draw the attention of the patrolling bailiffs and examiners.

The mystery was solved: the tantalizing aroma had been coming from his very spot! What was the meaning of Lu Lizhi retching at the very delicacy that had made *them* drool with desire?

Lu Lizhi didn't actually bring anything up, but the retching left his cool, clear eyes glistening with moisture; involuntary tears slid from the corners of his eyes. He looked so wretched and fragile that the yamen runners—who had been watching him with undivided attention—were left completely dumbfounded.

It was heartbreaking.

Could he be suffering from some terrible illness?

Lu Lizhi forced himself to compose himself quickly and drank a cup of tea that had been sitting nearby; only then did he feel a bit better.

He didn't know what was wrong with him, but it didn't seem like a major issue. He wiped his reddened eye corners and nose tip, then slumped over the table to catch up on some sleep.

The yamen runners were baffled: "???" You're in this state, yet you still have the mood to sleep?

He didn't know how long he slept before a wave of nausea woke him again. With trembling hands, he hurriedly brewed a cup of the herbal tea Jiang Baiye had prepared; it did help suppress the urge to vomit.

However, his stomach—deprived of sustenance for so long—began to rebel again. The pain made him furrow his brows, and his face turned deathly pale.

Despite having nothing in his stomach, the urge to retch persisted. Lu Lizhi couldn't help but break into a cold sweat, wondering how he would manage to hold on if this continued.

It was agonizing.

He felt miserable. Then, the thought crossed her mind: what if she had contracted some incurable illness? Her heart skipped a beat.

It made her feel even more nauseous.

Bookmark

Chapter 96: A Gathering of Talents; Morning Sickness