Chapter 216 The Imperial Examination Ends (Part 1) ...
The reactions of various families upon hearing the imperial edict varied.
Inside the examination hall.
"..."
Qi Chengming appeared to be sitting in a daze, but in reality, he had heard the entire imperial edict issued by Emperor Hongren.
He lowered his eyes silently, his heart at peace.
...It would be wonderful if this matter could be completed as he had envisioned.
Qi Chengming wanted to retaliate, which was one thing; he wanted to take this opportunity to test Emperor Hongren's current tolerance level towards him, which was another. Even if Emperor Hongren was unhappy this time, since he was in the examination hall presiding over the spring examinations, the old emperor could not take the opportunity to lash out at him.
But later, he realized how deep Emperor Hongren's prejudice against him was, and thus adjusted his attitude accordingly.
Now, leveraging the Emperor's decree, the Third Prince's faction no longer had the ability to lie low or cause trouble. Qi Chengming felt much more at ease; the only competitor left before him was the original protagonist, the Seventh Prince.
In other words, it depends on Emperor Hongren's own will. If he wants to interfere, he can force even the most hopeless person to stay.
Qi Chengming has no intention of being a dutiful son or grandson, obediently vying for the throne within the scope set by the old emperor. He wants to strike at the root of the problem, and the last enemy he will face will definitely be the old emperor.
Qi Chengming reviewed the ticket-based plan in his mind, and then thought about the several companions who had quietly left the capital to prepare for the upcoming imperial examinations while the examinations were in the spotlight. He calmed down and focused his attention back on the examination hall.
He and his two assistant examiners sat in their office, surrounded by seven or eight officials and clerks assisting them. At that moment, many people were going in and out, whispering about various matters:
"The chamber pot has been checked again... no one can smuggle anything in." "What about the candles?" "His Highness sent a squad of soldiers to guard them."
"Your Highness, judging from the weather these past few days, it looks like it might rain in the capital," Wang Shi cautiously suggested, leaning closer.
Qi Chengming looked at him suspiciously, recognizing him as the new husband of the legitimate princess. He seemed to be particularly fawning over him these past few days: "The capital is dry all year round, with only a few rains near the summer. How did Scholar Wang know this?"
Wang Shi tried to calm himself down. Fortunately, he came from a poor family and was a peasant who made a living by farming. He could finally say something: "Your Highness, my family makes a living by farming. Checking the weather is a daily routine for us."
Qi Chengming had been deliberately talking to him, so he followed up by instructing, "The examination hall has been repaired before, so it's not easy for it to leak. But just in case, have the patrolling soldiers check it out."
"On behalf of the scholars, I thank Your Highness!" Wang Shi's eyes lit up, and even his tone became much more friendly.
The reason he insisted on bringing this up was because, in his memory, the winter of that year was unusually cold and dry, but the summer rains were excessive, causing floods starting in March and eventually leading to summer floods...
The flood won't reach the capital, but if the examination hall leaks now, it might weed out a few potential pillars of the new emperor. Wang Shi is devoted to the emperor. In his previous life, he was just a minor official who couldn't offer much help, but in this life, being so close to the emperor, Wang Shi is so excited that he always wants to find something to do.
"I remember your wedding is approaching, isn't it?" Qi Chengming was surprised, realizing that Wang Shi seemed to have a high opinion of him, and encouraged him, "Don't worry."
Wang Shi forced a smile and mustered his courage to say, "I wonder if we will have the honor of inviting Your Highness at that time..."
The minor official who was passing by and overheard this was suddenly shocked and looked at him with trepidation.
While it's true that Princess Wang Shishang invites princes to her wedding, it's understandable. But... but you have to consider the circumstances! The legitimate princess is the sixth prince's elder sister, and the sixth prince and Prince Rui are currently rivals for the throne...
Can these be lumped together?
The prince was just being polite, and you took it all seriously, Scholar Wang? How foolish!
Qi Chengming was indeed somewhat surprised, but after a moment's thought, he replied, "Then I'll just wait for the invitation to arrive."
He's suitable for the job in any way, and even if he doesn't explain it to the outside world, there are so many "smart people" in the world who can always find a reason for him.
The junior official was indeed surprised and found a suitable reason for him: "..."
So it turns out Wang Shi and Prince Rui really do have some connection. He probably didn't want the princess to be too short-lived after becoming the prince consort, so he brought in the prince to bolster his image, right? Prince Rui… he's misunderstood. No matter how the princes fight over her, there can only be one princess; they have to consider the bigger picture and maintain appearances.
The young official's mind suddenly cleared, and he felt a sense of admiration for Prince Rui's magnanimity.
The deeds of this Prince Rui have been the subject of much gossip. Some say he is utterly unruly and only owes his success to the Emperor's excessive favor. Others say he is eccentric, aloof, and picky, which led him to inadvertently create those booming shops and sorghum seeds. Regardless of the interpretation, the evaluation is not favorable. These are all rumors circulating privately among the high-ranking officials and ministers of the court, and this humble official wholeheartedly agrees with them.
But now... when he was assigned to handle the Spring Examination, he felt that the Prince Rui he had actually interacted with was not as bad as the rumors outside made him out to be.
Prince Rui was clearly a gentle and polite young man who was also methodical in his work and never caused them any trouble.
"..." The junior official fell into deep thought, vaguely feeling that there was something wrong, but he couldn't figure out exactly where the problem lay.
...Perhaps those high-ranking officials are more susceptible to rumors?
He should go back and have a good talk with the Minister.
Managing the entire examination hall was a grueling task. Qi Chengming patiently waited until everything was inspected and repaired, and then all that remained was for the candidates to begin their exams.
Qi Chengming declined the offer to tour the examination hall with the other examiners.
After offering incense and prayers at the examination hall, he left no words to win people's hearts, so the scholars only knew that the chief examiner was Prince Rui, but did not know what he looked like. Qi Chengming was afraid that many of his friends would be taking the exam this time, and if they suddenly saw his appearance while patrolling the examination hall, they would be thrown into a panic and it would affect their performance.
Even the slightest noise in the examination room has a huge impact. Qi Chengming would rather show up after they have achieved good results and have a formal teacher-student relationship with him, giving them a small "surprise".
Nine days have passed in the blink of an eye.
The three agonizing exams are finally over.
Zhang Ting walked out of the cramped cell, looking haggard. He looked at the bright blue sky, his eyes stinging with tears from the intense light, but he gazed at the sky with a greedy look, as if he had been given a new lease on life.
"...Finally, it's over!"
There were many candidates like him, unkempt and disheveled; some wept, some were restless, and some were filled with anxiety. Even though the rankings hadn't been released, most people had some idea of how well they had performed.
Zhang Ting is the same.
He had diligently studied the classics, histories, philosophical works, poetry, and imperial edicts for the previous two examinations. Even the books he hadn't had time to study in detail in this life, he had dabbled in during his leisure time in his previous life. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to pass the imperial examinations in just two or three years. But what truly made Zhang Ting uncertain was…
The third exam was a policy essay.
This year's topic is "On the Situation of Fixed Principles".
In recent years, the borders have been repeatedly violated, with barbarian invasions from both the north and south, resulting in mixed outcomes in the wars. Several countries have been at odds with each other, but this year's grand ancestral assembly, where "all nations come to pay tribute," has improved the situation somewhat.
To present such a policy essay question at such a crucial time clearly requires them to explain where the future of the war in Dingguo should lie, and what miraculous remedy could save the country. I've heard that the examiner who set the question is His Highness Prince Rui. Is His Highness currently most worried about the war?
Zhang Ting had little exposure to policy essays in his previous life, lacked a broader perspective on world affairs, and thus had a particularly limited vision. While handling practical, down-to-earth administrative tasks was his forte, policy essays were a weakness. Unfortunately, his development in this life had diverged significantly from his previous one, making it impossible for him to even reference the lofty pronouncements of others…
In the examination room, Zhang Ting gritted her teeth and thought hard for a while, and now she was still unsure about her answer sheet.
“…Never mind, I’ll go to the teahouse and hear what other people are saying.” Zhang Ting left the examination hall looking dejected, knowing that many people would be exchanging answers at the teahouse in the next couple of days.
He didn't expect a clear voice calling from afar: "Brother! Zhang Ting! Brother!"
The familiar call made Zhang Ting freeze in place. He turned his head and saw a carriage clearly outside the crowd. A girl with a bright smile waved to him frantically from behind the curtain—it was his sister, Xian'er, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
"How did you—" Zhang Ting was caught off guard, never expecting his sister to come and pick him up. He squeezed through with difficulty, and the driver hurriedly came over to help him, frowning with worry as he said, "Young master, it's not a good place to talk. I'll drive the carriage away first."
Seeing her brother's haggard appearance, Xian'er, who was using the pseudonym Tian Ya, felt extremely distressed. She handed him a teacup, saying, "This is just cooled porridge, not tea. Let's go home first. Mother has invited the doctor from the Prince's Mansion to come and wait for us."
Zhang Ting was stunned: "...Mother?"
It's been a while since we last met. How come you have a family now, and even a mother?
Fearing it would hinder communication, he rented a small courtyard by himself before traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations, without informing anyone. He only wanted to wait until he passed the exams with flying colors before contacting his sister and the prince, but who knew this...?
For a moment, he didn't know where to begin asking.
“It’s Aunt Liu. I’ve already recognized her as my godmother.” Although Xian’er said ‘godmother,’ her relaxed and affectionate demeanor made her seem as close to her own mother as she was to her godmother. “Mother is also thinking about the Prince and you, but she can’t come out, so the coachman had to bring my sister here.”
Zhang Ting, a perceptive man, sensed something amiss in those words. However, observing his sister's relaxed demeanor, he assumed the matter wasn't too urgent and didn't rush to consider it. His energy from forcing himself to finish three major exams was severely depleted; now that he was relaxed, all he wanted to do was close his eyes and sleep soundly.
Let's talk about everything after we wake up.
...
The examination hall was used to release students in sections, rotating them from one area to another.
When the two Huang brothers left, one wept with joy, and the other laughed through his tears.
"Brother Huang Lan, I'm afraid I'm...useless this time." The young man smiled bitterly and said with difficulty. He had a premonition that he had failed the exam. This year's policy essay question was too broad, making it easy for students to write similar essays, but not easy to stand out.
The Huang family was never a well-informed clan, and having come from a remote and impoverished area, their knowledge of the surrounding wars was only vague and superficial, just like everyone else's. Huang Shi wasn't particularly good at the imperial edict questions either, which meant he didn't do well in the second exam either, so he put all his effort into writing the policy essay.
He feels now... he didn't perform well in either of the two games, and he's afraid it's all over.
"..." Huang Lan was speechless, the smile on his lips gradually fading, unsure how to comfort his cousin.
He was very skilled in poetry and prose, and although his answer to the imperial edict question wasn't particularly good, he felt his mathematical calculations were outstanding. For this third exam, he took a different approach, choosing his strengths—
He used mathematical calculations to realistically analyze the changes in military logistics in the south, in order to illustrate his view of "defending and being cautious in war". Every battle here must be small and precise, otherwise it will be impossible to cope with the protracted and repeated attrition, which is like a stubborn disease.
He felt that since the topic was so broad, and he wasn't adept at comprehensively assessing the situation of all battles across the country, he should only write about what he understood and was good at. Like his viewpoint, he should write concisely and precisely, eloquently, and factually. Perhaps that would actually win him favor…
Regardless of their feelings, the two still discussed their thoughts afterwards.
Brother Huang Shi was completely convinced: "I am no match for you."
His familiarity with geology and the surrounding environment of Liuzhou far surpassed that of his cousin. If he were to write about the changes in the surrounding battles, even if he couldn't calculate the logistical aspects, he could at least describe them based on the terrain. But he simply couldn't think of or write about these things. That was his cousin's true talent.
"I wonder how well that kid Zhang Ji wrote it..." Brother Huang Shi composed himself and, as he got into the carriage, he was still looking out and waiting to find someone.
He's starting to worry.
He could go back and work even harder to take the exam again, but if that brat Zhang Ji didn't pass... the Huang family would never marry their sister off to him. Even considering Zhang Ji himself, no matter how much he disliked him, he was still a good candidate for brother-in-law. Therefore, at this moment, Brother Huang Shi's feelings were even more complicated.
If these young, greenhorn students were filled with trepidation as they left the examination hall, then Qin Liusong, though his face remained impassive, was beaming with joy and almost burst out laughing.
This topic wasn't familiar to him in his past life. So what?
The thought that other reborn people also lost their advantages and could only rely on their own knowledge to pass the exams made him secretly smile.
Qin Liusong knew that his knowledge was acquired through solid, hard work. He had spent his life following the new emperor in Liuzhou, learning about all sorts of things, big and small, and even matters of life and death. He was also well aware of the new emperor's views and thoughts.
Is there anyone with an advantage over him?
This is practically feeding him—if he still doesn't do well on the exam, Qin Liusong will only feel that he deserves to be unable to get married or serve the new emperor! That would be utterly incompetent!
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