Chapter 503 A Dream of Youth 35
Before I knew it, spring had deepened, and the day of the Xieqi Prefecture Examination had arrived.
A few days earlier, Xie Wangzhi had submitted Xie Qi's information. Xie Qi was studying at the county school and had excellent grades. In addition, Xie Wangzhi was also a teacher there, so it was not difficult for him to get a recommendation.
The education system of the Great Zhou Dynasty basically followed that of the previous dynasty, but the Great Zhou Dynasty placed greater emphasis on the imperial examination system, so it established a wide range of schools, including official schools and many private schools.
The central government's official schools included the Imperial Academy and the National Academy.
The Imperial Academy was the highest educational administration institution and the highest academy in the Great Zhou Dynasty, but it only admitted "sons and grandsons of officials of the seventh rank or above in the capital" as students, making it one of the gathering places for the sons of the powerful and wealthy.
The Imperial Academy, on the other hand, recruited outstanding sons of officials below the eighth rank or commoners as students. Although its status was lower than that of the National Academy, it was better run and was the focus of the Great Zhou Dynasty's education and talent cultivation, as well as the core of the central government's official schools.
The remaining schools were preparatory schools established by the four disciplines for scholars to prepare for the imperial examinations.
However, the curriculum of these schools was basically Confucian classics. In addition, the Great Zhou also set up other specialized schools, such as martial arts, law, medicine, mathematics, calligraphy, painting and so on, which were under the jurisdiction of the central bureaus.
However, their status is secondary.
Local government schools were divided into two levels: prefecture and county. Xie Qi attended the county school, which was established by the county.
Xie Wangzhi knew he didn't yet have the ability to directly send his son to the Imperial Academy or the National Academy, so he had Xie Qi take the entrance exam for the prefectural school and then get a recommendation to study in the capital.
Otherwise, he can only wait until his father becomes a high-ranking official.
Madam Chen put the talisman she had obtained from the Confucian Temple into Xie Qi's purse, and then encouraged him, "Qi'er is so capable, he will definitely pass the exam!"
Thanks... I'm even more nervous now!
"It's okay if you don't pass the exam, brother. You're still so young. Look at them. If you don't pass this time, just consider it as gaining experience. Try again next year or the year after. You'll be even better then!"
Xie Qi was among the youngest in this exam group, although there were quite a few teenagers around his age.
Seeing that Xie Qi still looked a little nervous, Xie Ning hesitated for a moment, "If my brother passes the exam, how about Father takes us to the Treasure Pavilion for a meal?"
Last time, a few of us went out shopping to relax, and Xie kept looking at Zhenxiu Pavilion. It was that restaurant that knew how to do business; they put up a signboard at the entrance with pictures of the dishes that looked incredibly delicious, making people want to try them.
Xie Qi really wanted to eat there, but the food at Zhenxiu Pavilion was so expensive that it cost him half of his New Year's money.
The two children turned to look at Xie Wangzhi, their eyes sparkling.
"good."
Xie Wangzhi didn't care about the money. If it could soothe his son's anxiety, he would gladly eat ten meals.
Just as Xie Wangzhi was continuing to give Xie some detailed instructions on the key points of the exam, a shout came from the side.
"Brother Xie!" Fang You stared wide-eyed at Xie Qi and Xie Wangzhi, who were queuing up, his face blank. "This, this is your son taking the entrance exam for the prefectural academy?"
That's way too young!
Fang You was utterly incredulous and heartbroken. Seeing that there were more than just one young man present, Xie Qi's heart ached even more, as he was considered one of the older ones.
He clearly still thinks he's young and promising.
"Young Master Fang, it's been a long time. I just wanted to let my son go down and give him a try, so he would know that there are always people better than you."
Hearing this, Fang You felt more at ease. Although he was still a little uneasy, he didn't lose his composure.
"Brother Xie, there's no need to be so modest. I've heard Young Master Xie compose poetry before, and he is truly talented."
Xie Wangzhi noticed the gazes directed at him and lowered his eyes slightly. "The exam doesn't just test poetry and prose; the most important thing is the interpretation of the classics..."
Fang Youjing was very good at it, and he nodded upon hearing this.
The other teenagers secretly glanced at Xie Qi, becoming even more confident. If the boy's father had said so, then the boy's knowledge of the classics must be lacking.
Xie Ning glanced at Xie Wangzhi in surprise. Xie Qi's poems were indeed inspired, but his understanding of the classics was clearly better. After all, he was personally taught by Xie Wangzhi, so it couldn't be worse. He was probably just saying this to avoid trouble.
After all, being too arrogant can easily attract envy and cause trouble. Since our family isn't particularly powerful, it's better to be more discreet.
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