Due to the resurgence of Japanese invasion, the entire Ningbo city was under martial law, and the provincial examination was postponed again and again.
The candidates in the provincial capital complained bitterly and felt that every day was a long time coming.
Not until the Japanese pirates had looted and left did Magistrate Ma announce that the provincial examination would be held on September 12.
In order to shorten the examination time, the prefect cancelled the initial, secondary and consecutive examinations, leaving only the main examination.
It is really exciting to decide the outcome in one game. Even the most talented student cannot guarantee that he can pass it in one try.
Xu Yan was naturally a little nervous. He suspected that Magistrate Ma might be doing him a favor by letting him know the exam questions through casual conversation, but that was just speculation. What if it wasn't? Could he pass the exam on his first try simply by claiming first place?
As for Chen Maoli, he seemed much calmer. This was no wonder; the level of candidates from Cixi County was roughly on par with those from Yin County, making them among the best in the entire prefecture.
Chen Maoli was a top student in Cixi County, having topped the county exam. In comparison, Xu Yan, the top student in Dinghai County, seemed a bit underwhelming.
Dinghai County's culture and education are at the bottom of the Ningbo Prefecture. Xu Yan is a general among dwarfs, and it is inevitable that he pales in comparison with the real academic masters.
It can be said that Chen Maoli was determined to win the provincial examination this time, and if possible, he even wanted to challenge for the first place in the provincial examination.
Compared with the county examination, there are obviously more candidates in the prefectural examination.
Xu Yan and Chen Maoli stayed at Tailai Inn. They didn't have to get up too early to queue up outside the provincial school. Instead, they washed up normally and went there leisurely.
This is the advantage of living near the examination center!
Generally speaking, the selection methods of the prefectural examination and the county examination are very different. The county examination is to select as many outstanding candidates as possible, while the prefectural examination is bound to eliminate many outstanding students.
In other words, it is not that you can pass just because you are excellent, and it is not just about what you think but what the Lord thinks.
Of course, another point is the allocation of admission quotas.
Yin County and Cixi County are undoubtedly the top counties for the exam, and unsurprisingly, most of the places will go to students from these two counties. However, this doesn't mean that students from other counties have no chance.
On the contrary, as the prefect of a prefecture, Ma Fuzun must treat his people equally and truly love them like his own children.
Therefore, even in a county like Dinghai County, where students were not good at studying, there were definitely students who could pass the provincial examination. Otherwise, if the students in Dinghai County started making trouble, it would definitely cause a huge uproar.
Magistrate Ma has been in the officialdom for a long time, so he naturally understands the reason and just needs to be a good person.
However, Xu Yan and Chen Maoli were queuing in front of the government school to be inspected by the yamen runners. From a distance, they saw a young man in a moon-white silk Taoist robe walking towards the government school, surrounded by a group of people.
Chen Maoli whispered in Xu Yan's ear, "Brother Yishi, the one walking in the middle is Zhang Yinian from Yin County."
Xu Yan frowned and asked, "Is this Zhang Yinian very famous?"
"He's more than just famous. Zhang Yinian has been studying at Jishan Academy since he was ten years old, and he's been deeply favored by the teachers there. Now, after completing his studies, he's won the top spot in the county exam with an undisputed advantage. His momentum is truly extraordinary."
Xu Yan was no stranger to Jishan Academy. This academy was founded by the renowned Northern Song Dynasty official Fan Zhongyan, and Zhu Xi even lectured there in the sixth year of the Gandao reign. Jishan Academy declined during the Yuan Dynasty, but it experienced a resurgence during the Ming Dynasty.
This is of course because of a saint - Wang Yangming.
In the early years of the Jiajing reign, Wang Yangming returned to his hometown of Shaoxing to devote himself to his studies. By then, the School of Mind had already gained considerable influence. Although many followers of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism constantly attacked the School of Mind, Wang Yangming and his disciples remained committed to developing it.
Soon Wang Yangming had an opportunity.
In the third year of Jiajing, Nan Daji, the prefect of Shaoxing, admired Wang Yangming very much and decided to worship him as his teacher. Wang Yangming expressed to Nan the hope to build an independent academy as his own lecture place. Nan Daji naturally patted his chest and promised to take care of it.
Rebuilding a new academy was too costly, so he and Shanyin County Magistrate Wu Ling discussed and decided to repair and expand the academy based on the Song and Yuan Dynasties Jishan Academy.
Once we have the support of the government, things will be much easier.
Jishan Academy was quickly restored and put into use for teaching.
Wang Yangming and his disciples taught here and spread Yangming's philosophy of mind.
Countless scholars in the world traveled thousands of miles to Shaoxing to become Wang Yangming's disciples, hoping to study at Jishan Academy.
Jishan Academy flourished from then on.
Although Wang Yangming died of illness in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign, this did not affect the prosperity of Jishan Academy. Many scholars still came here to study.
I guess this is the case with Zhang Yinian.
"According to what Brother Lu Qing said, this Zhang Yinian should have some abilities."
I have to say that this person was very smart. He went to study at Jishan Academy, the top school in Shaoxing Prefecture where academic elites gathered. After studying for five years, he returned to Ningbo Prefecture, which was in the middle of Zhejiang Province in terms of culture and education.
Yin County is already considered the top county in Ningbo Prefecture, but he still easily won the first place. He really has something.
If you think about it, this is like doing weight training all the time, and suddenly taking off the burden is such a relief.
It is estimated that in Zhang Yinian's eyes, the opponents in this provincial examination are all vulnerable.
Zhang Yinian arrived late, and the candidates queuing up made way for him when they saw him, which showed their respect for him.
Xu Yan scoffed inwardly. He was a student of Mr. Qian Dehong, a disciple of Wang Yangming. Zhang Yinian also studied under him at Jishan Academy. They were considered fellow students. It seemed this prefectural examination was a competition among fellow students.
The order of the queue was temporarily disrupted due to Zhang Yinian's arrival, so the yamen runners and clerks naturally worked hard to organize and maintain it.
I don't know whether Zhang Yinian did it intentionally or unintentionally, but he bumped into Chen Maoli's shoulder when he passed by him.
Chen Maoli was caught off guard and staggered. If Xu Yan hadn't stepped forward to support him, he would have almost fallen to the ground.
Seeing Chen Maoli make a fool of himself, the candidates around Zhang Yinian all laughed out loud.
Although Zhang Yinian tried to suppress it, a smile still appeared on the corner of his mouth.
This subtle expression was noticed by Xu Yan.
This guy did it on purpose!
"That's outrageous!"
Xu Yan wanted to step forward to speak up for Chen Maoli, but was held back by him.
"Don't be impulsive, brother!"
Seeing Chen Maoli shaking his head at him, Xu Yan angrily said, "This man is going too far. Brother Lu Qing, why are you encouraging his arrogance?"
"That's a long story."
Xu Yan saw that there seemed to be something hidden, so he asked, "Brother Lu Qing, do you have a grudge against this guy?"
Chen Maoli sighed and said, "It's not really a celebration, just a small misunderstanding. Earlier this year, a poetry gathering was held in the prefectural capital, and I attended. Zhang Yinian's five-character, eight-rhyme poem was met with applause from the entire room, and he was on the verge of winning. I then wrote a poem that stole his thunder. Although the winner was not determined in the end, I'm afraid Zhang Yinian is jealous of me."
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