Chapter 83 The Imperial Examination felt like coming home. No…
"Wait a minute," Fusu, his fighting spirit ignited and brimming with confidence by the few words, suddenly thought of a crucial question: "Will the Emperor be present during the palace examination?"
"Pfft, cough cough cough—"
Su Shi choked while drinking water and quickly covered his mouth, trying to use the choking to cover up his uncontrollable laughter.
Are you afraid of the officials?
"...I'm just afraid the company will die, okay!"
Fusu was afraid that his identity would be exposed on the spot and he would be forced to commit suicide. Should he have told the emperor in advance that he would come? Otherwise, all the effort to hide it would have been wasted.
Isn't there a way to skip the whole process and just shove the top scorer's report card in front of the officials without any pain?
How could you be so careless?
Fan Chunren wore a familiar look of helplessness, patting Su Shi's back to help him catch his breath, while curiously asking Fusu, "Young Master Zhao, have you not seen the Emperor before?"
"I……"
Li Guanlan raised an eyebrow: "You must have seen it before, right? That imperial decree. You might recognize me during the palace examination, who knows?"
He spoke with a hopeful expression on his face.
Countless scholars arrive in Bianjing (Kaifeng) early, publishing numerous articles and visiting prominent figures in the court, all in the hope of gaining temporary fame and making a lasting impression on the examiners when they transcribe their names, thus securing a higher ranking. While this tactic might work somewhat during the spring examinations, it becomes completely ineffective during the palace examinations.
After all, who could possibly get the Emperor to give them face? Among them, Fan Chunren, whose family background was the most illustrious and who was quite famous among the sons of officials, had never even met the Emperor.
Last year, Zhao Xiaolang was granted a favor by the emperor and his records were kept there. And coincidentally, he also shares the surname Zhao. He's a member of the imperial clan, meaning he's one of the emperor's own people. Such a unique advantage is nothing to be envious of; a man like him doesn't appear for decades.
Fusu: ...But that's exactly what he wanted to avoid!
Su Shi added insult to injury: "Forget about all that nonsense, with your striking height, it would be hard for the Emperor not to notice you, Zhao Xiaolang."
Fusu, unable to contain himself any longer, lowered his voice and said, "...That's because I'm only four years old this year!"
"Isn't that settled then?"
Su Shi spread his hands, his expression a mix of shamelessness and innocence: "A four-year-old Jinshi, who wouldn't want to see his true face?"
"so--"
He declared gleefully, "You can't escape!"
Fusu: "..."
Is it too late to start something big now, so that the Emperor is too busy with state affairs to come to the palace for a leisurely stroll?
Fan Chunren's next words ruthlessly shattered his last shred of hope: "This dynasty values civil administration, and the Emperor is particularly concerned about the imperial examinations. According to my father, the Emperor personally goes to the Jiying Hall every spring for the imperial examinations. Even if he is not there for the whole time, he will still go back and forth to inspect the candidates for a quarter of an hour or two."
“So, Zhao Xiaolang…” He stroked Fusu’s head and said earnestly, “You should be prepared. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”
He completely misunderstood the reason for Fusu's sudden agitation: "Your age is so remarkable that the Emperor will only cherish you and not be harsh on you. Why are you afraid? Besides, if you perform well in the palace examination, you will see him many more times in the future, so there is nothing to be nervous about. Just keep a calm mind."
"...Thank you." Fusu heard his own strained voice and painfully closed his eyes. He could maintain a "calm mind" on his own; he only hoped that the Emperor and his senior brother Fan would be able to do the same after learning the truth.
The time between the spring examination and the palace examination was very short, only a brief ten days or so. But this interval was enough to test the candidates' character. If they were obsessed with the easily attainable fame and fortune, spending their days flattering each other with their peers and neglecting their own progress; or if they were intoxicated by the gentle prosperity of Bianjing's streets and brothels, forgetting their homeland, they would ultimately fall from grace, making a single misstep in the final crucial battle, and ending up with a dismal conclusion.
"...There are countless similar examples; every three years, several people stumble because of this." Yang Anguo said with his hands behind his back, "You should all take this as a warning and never be lazy or negligent, understand?"
"yes--"
Fusu's voice mingled with the crowd. He had just learned his ranking in the imperial examinations when he was summoned to the Chancellor's study. Also present were Fan Chunren, Su Shi, and others who had also passed the examinations.
So, is this a pre-exam pep talk for them? Fusu quietly shifted his small body, his curious eyes drifting outside. Besides all the familiar faces, there were also a few unfamiliar senior brothers. However, those senior brothers clearly recognized him, and the moment their eyes met, they all smiled at him.
"Last year, Master Fan divided the Imperial Academy into two sections and recruited students of excellent character and learning from all over the country to serve as students. If you are on the list, it shows that my efforts this year, as well as those of you doctors and even Master Fan, have not been in vain. Do you understand?"
"yes--"
Fusu noticed that the response this time was much louder than before. Clearly, everyone was encouraged by Chancellor Yang Anguo's words. Even he himself felt a heavier sense of responsibility. The Imperial Academy, as the front line of the new policies, had borne an immense amount of pressure, which goes without saying. For example, Dr. Wang, who had initially disliked Fusu, was easily dealt with by the Chancellor and his colleagues, without Fusu bearing any burden himself.
If the number of people passing the imperial examination this year is even lower than before the reforms, the pressure on the chief ministers and doctors will explode instantly, turning into a raging fire that consumes them. But Yang Anguo bears all of this alone, and he encourages them with the lightest words.
—So you absolutely must pass the imperial examination!
Even if it's for the sake of the chief priests and doctors.
This is a thought that everyone shares without prior agreement.
Sure enough, Yang Anguo nodded with satisfaction upon seeing the situation: "That's very good."
He had offered warnings and encouragement, and the meeting should have ended there. But then he suddenly remembered something, and a complex sadness appeared on his face: "Never mind, if I don't say it now, I may never have the chance again."
He changed his tone from earnest to serious: "I know that many of you will have bright futures ahead of you, and high positions are within your grasp. By then, you may have forgotten who I am."
"If you forget, so be it. To be honest, if you achieve great things in the future, the root cause will be yourselves, and it will have little to do with me. Just never forget the classics you have read, and don't forget how they taught you how to be a person, an official, and a citizen!"
"yes--"
Fan Chunren said, each word deliberate and resounding, "I will never forget your teachings, nor will I forget the sage's admonitions. An official should have a public-spirited heart. Serving the people and benefiting the world is the true nature of us students of the Imperial Academy."
Subsequently, countless voices echoed around Fusu, all vowing that they would never forget the path they had come from.
Yang Anguo listened, neither saying he believed nor disbelieved, and glanced around: "Then I'll stay in prison and watch over you all."
Upon hearing these words, Fusu was deeply moved. Even he knew that the vows made today might not be fulfilled in the future. But Yang Anguo still chose to speak. Although his reputation was not as resounding as that of his contemporaries Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang Xiu, and he had no essays or poems that made it into textbooks, this did not prevent him from being a teacher of the highest moral character and learning, a true Confucian scholar.
Unlike the others, Fusu quietly made a decision in his heart.
After saying his last sentence, Yang Anguo had several sheets of paper distributed to each candidate: "These are the official gazettes that I and your doctoral candidates asked someone to find for you. Please take a look."
Everyone immediately glanced at it as if they had found a treasure, and then put it away. The content of the palace examination was roughly similar to that of the spring examinations, except that since it was the final stage, it tested recent national events. Compared to the autumn examinations, which tested basic skills in areas such as agriculture and sericulture and water conservancy, the political aspect was much stronger.
The official gazette, on the other hand, was a work document issued by the government and copied to various levels of government offices, making it difficult to circulate outside. Having this as a reference was like having an extra advantage over other candidates, essentially giving everyone peace of mind.
How could I not be full of confidence?
Fusu looked at the contents of the official gazette: Di Qing won a great victory, envoys from Jiaozhi came to Bianjing to seek peace, the southwest was delighted to have a new highland horse farm... Hmm, many of these were things he had personally experienced, and there were even more inside stories that he knew but could not disclose to the public.
For a fleeting moment, Fusu even considered sending a letter back to ask the Emperor what questions would be asked in the palace examination. But he ultimately restrained himself: No, wouldn't that imply that he would appear at the examination hall to lure the Emperor in?
Let's just pray he's lazy and doesn't show up that day!
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
From the day of the palace examination, Fusu felt unwell all over, because as soon as he appeared among the candidates, he was surrounded by everyone's gaze.
Everyone's gaze fell on a certain scene, which was both striking and eerie. The eunuch responsible for guiding the candidates into the Hall of Heroes followed their gaze and immediately exclaimed "Oh dear!" His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Hey, hey, hey, lend me a hand! I have urgent business to report to the officials!"
"Hey? What's the rush?"
Another innocent eunuch could only take on his colleague's task, bewilderedly leading the person into the Jiying Hall. Fortunately, the task of guiding people could be done by one or two people.
The eunuch couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing to watch the students enter the palace, their expressions of awe and bewilderment at the vastness and solemnity of the court.
But Fusu was different.
Among the students who were so shocked they almost stumbled together, he alone remained expressionless, as if he were simply passing by his own home.
No, it should be said that this is his own home.
Look, that caisson ceiling was originally red, coated with a lot of cinnabar and other heavy metals. It was only when he was a child that he feigned illness to attract the attention of the emperor and empress, and they specially replaced it. Who knows if it was the culprit behind the short lifespans and lack of offspring in the Song Dynasty royal family?
Is this place even worth making him nervous?
Fan Chunren stroked his chin: "Even I feel my breath catch in my throat, but you, Zhao Xiaolang, are so calm. I underestimated you."
Su Shi, as usual, suppressed a laugh.
But once Fusu arrived in familiar surroundings and saw everyone else being quite reserved, he actually felt much more relaxed. He gave a slightly smug smile: "Yes, my mental fortitude... has always been... very... good..."
As he spoke the last few words, his voice was forced to draw out due to stiffness. This was because, in the narrow corner of his vision, he saw a tall, slender figure that was all too familiar, yet he dared not turn his head to confirm it.
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Author's note: I had set lofty goals and was determined to write well, but today I suddenly came across a really good story, and then... (stares into the distance)
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