Chapter 217 The Imperial Examination Ends (Part 2) ...
After the imperial examinations concluded, the intense period of sealing, copying, and grading the papers began.
Qi Chengming had been cooped up in the examination hall for almost half a month, and he was getting restless. Seeing that the other students could leave, while they still had to finish grading many papers before they could go out to report, he had to try his best to calm down and focus on the papers in his hand.
The students' exam papers have changed drastically since then—
Each exam paper had its name covered by thick sealing paper and stamped with a special seal across the seam. The original ink-black answer sheets were then copied again with vermilion ink by the scribes, becoming "vermilion scrolls" before they reached the examiners.
These procedures were handled by different junior officials, and supervising them to prevent cheating was also Qi Chengming's responsibility. At least now, when Qi Chengming looked at the exam papers, he couldn't tell which ones were written by people he knew.
"Your Highness, please have some hot porridge," a familiar junior official whispered in the courtyard.
The food in the examination hall was only so-so. Qi Chengming had been eating the same food as them for the past few days. He couldn't have any food with a tempting aroma, and his mouth felt extremely bland.
Most of the examination hall was now locked up, and it was quiet under the cover of night. Only a few rooms were still lit with candles, so the clerks simply carried the stoves into the courtyard one by one and started cooking delicious fish porridge.
"Everyone, take a break and recharge before making the revisions." Qi Chengming called to the other revisers to go together. He had sharp eyes and didn't miss the fact that many people in the room were silently swallowing or twitching their noses when the clerk called him.
"Where did this fish come from?" Qi Chengming asked curiously.
The examination hall could not be fully opened until all the papers were graded. These people were eating grains and winter vegetables stored in the examination hall, so they had been eating even less meat these past few days.
"It was a special gift from His Majesty!" the clerk said excitedly, his eyes filled with reverence as he looked at Prince Rui. "They are royal dragonfish; His Majesty bestowed twenty of them!"
Qi Chengming: "?"
The compiler Dong, whom Wang Shi knew well, was also present today. He glanced around and, noticing that Prince Rui seemed puzzled, kindly stepped forward to offer his assistance, saying with humble eyes, "It is said that 'Luoyang carp and Yi River bream are more precious than cattle and sheep.' The carp from Luoyang and the bream from the Yi River have delicate flesh and an exceptionally delicious flavor, and are hailed as the finest dishes in the capital during the third month of the lunar calendar, sometimes even more precious than gold!"
"The best-tasting batch of Luo carp was specially supplied to the royal family and even earned the reputation of being a dragon fish..."
As Dong was speaking, he couldn't help but swallow.
He had eaten carp before, but he had never tasted how delicious the "dragon fish" carefully selected by the royal family could be... This time, he was truly blessed by the new emperor.
"Everyone, hurry up and have a taste!" Qi Chengming was also getting hungry. The aroma of the pot of fish porridge was already enticing, and with this knowledgeable explanation, his anticipation was even higher.
Speaking of which...
Qi Chengming held a steaming bowl of porridge, blew on it to cool it slightly, and then eagerly shoved a spoonful into his mouth. The fresh and tender fish slices melted in his mouth, instantly giving him a jolt of excitement, and he frowned: "..."
Hot!!
Whew, he almost burned his mouth and cooked another dish.
But...it's so fresh!
To maintain his image, Qi Chengming could only swallow the mouthful with tears in his eyes, slowly eating the next spoonful while exhaling.
It was indeed exceptionally delicious.
He immediately announced that he had a new favorite dish!
Come to think of it, before he transmigrated, he seemed to have heard of the "Yellow River Carp," vaguely remembering it being a delicacy from Luoyang in the Central Plains? But it didn't seem to be fish porridge; was it braised or fried?
Despite the chilly March night, Qi Chengming and the other examiners ate until they were sweating profusely, their faces beaming with joy, feeling incredibly warm and comfortable. At the end, he let out a satisfied sigh, put down his food, and silently noted this down in his mind, planning to develop a new culinary recipe after this was all over!
"Let's go, let's continue grading." Now that everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, all the private complaints had vanished, and everyone was full of energy and had regained their spirits.
The candlelight flickered, and the room was quiet.
After Qi Chengming and others worked overtime for another half month, the fresh rankings were finally released.
First, it was sent to His Majesty and the officials of the Ministry of Rites in the palace for review. If there were no objections, it would be posted outside the Ministry of Rites and on the screen wall of the Imperial College. By this time, more than a month had passed since the spring imperial examinations were held, and the process was extremely complicated.
Once someone passes the imperial examination with flying colors, messengers from various provincial guilds will ride horses through the post stations to spread the news to other places, or they will go to the residences of scholars living in the capital with gongs and drums.
After more than a month of quiet, Beijing has become noisy again.
Everywhere was filled with the joyous sounds of celebration, and the noisy banging of gongs and drums would suddenly erupt from somewhere, accompanied by cheers from the crowd and the dumping of baskets of copper coins, with the crowd watching and laughing as they grabbed the "lucky money".
Qi Chengming was finally freed, but he felt so exhausted from the ordeal.
With a build somewhere between a young man and a teenager, he strolled casually through the festive street with his hands behind his back, a short distance behind him was Song Gu, who had come to personally pick him up. Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi, who had originally come by car, had been sent back first.
Song Gu was able to walk side by side with the new emperor with ease, calmly enjoying the atmosphere, as low-key as a pair of friends of equal status.
"The palace examination is in three days. All the candidates who passed the spring examination will have their final rankings." Qi Chengming lowered his voice; the noisy street was the safest place to talk. As long as he paid attention to the people passing by, he wasn't worried about being overheard.
"Steward Song, did you know? This year's top scholar is actually someone we know."
The term "spring examination" is derived from the fact that it was held in spring; in essence, it should be called "metropolitan examination," and the top scorer was called "metropolitan scholar."
Song Gu's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he raised his eyebrows slightly and said in a low-key and reserved manner, "Your Highness, I suspect that there will be many talented people you know on this list."
"Hearing your words is like hearing a lecture," Qi Chengming laughed, teasing him.
Song Gu smiled slightly and offered no explanation.
The new emperor initially thought he was talking nonsense, but only Song Gu and his fellow reborn individuals would understand that he was speaking the absolute truth. However, among the people the new emperor now knew, had any of them passed the imperial examination with top honors?
After thinking for a while, Song Gu had a vague idea.
He raised his eyes and saw the young prince staring intently at him, waiting for him to guess.
“…I guess it is, Mr. Qin?” Song Gu’s tone didn’t even carry a question; he spoke it as a statement.
"It's him." Qi Chengming still felt it was a dream. He only knew that Mr. Qin had always been ambitious, but he never expected him to be this ambitious!
When Qi Chengming was grading the exam that day, he saw the essay of the most outstanding paper... The viewpoints and examples looked very familiar.
Tsk, it looks really familiar.
When the examiners unanimously rated him as the best choice and the list of successful candidates was announced, Qi Chengming was stunned for a few moments when he saw that familiar name.
"But that's because I was confined to the examination hall grading papers. Where is Mr. Qin staying now? If we had already discussed it after the exam, there wouldn't be such a surprise," Qi Chengming admitted as he asked.
"Mr. Qin did not want to expose his relationship with His Highness, so he moved out and rented a small courtyard," Song Gu said calmly.
This can only fool those in the public eye. Everyone knows that Qin Liusong is a shameless scoundrel who has secretly risen to the position of the new emperor's confidant.
This name has been the subject of countless people's gnashing teeth.
"The final palace examination is where the rankings are determined," Qi Chengming murmured. He didn't have high expectations for the candidates' rankings; after all, regardless of their rankings, those who could accomplish something were considered his trusted ministers. However, this also determined how the candidates were ranked in the emperor's eyes, which was their future.
"Your Highness, aren't you afraid that His Majesty will allow you to participate in the palace examination?" Song Gu asked, still puzzled.
Qi Chengming shrugged, appearing nonchalant: "I can't refuse this."
During the palace examination, although the emperor personally examined the candidates, Qi Chengming, as the chief examiner, was also required to be present to set the questions. It seemed entirely possible that he might be summoned to the candidates' vicinity, or that he might be seen alongside the emperor during the examination, thus revealing his appearance to the scholars.
What can Qi Chengming do?
"Fortunately, only the rankings of the top few in the palace examination will be changed based on performance, and the other candidates will not be eliminated. Let's leave it at that." Qi Chengming felt that they had all stood out from the students across the country, and their abilities were all about equal. It was only right to give it their all in terms of mental fortitude.
Let him test who has stronger mental fortitude and superior overall abilities!
...
Qi Chengming, as an outsider, has already made preparations for the follow-up.
But for the tribute students, passing the imperial examination was the greatest joy of their lives, enough to make them celebrate for a long time.
When the results were released, Zhang Ji barely had the courage to look at them. He was instead pulled along by the two Huang brothers.
"Look at me, I'm willing to risk my life to accompany a gentleman, can't you show the same spirit?" Brother Huang Shi used himself as an example to scare Zhang Ji.
Zhang Ji hesitated for a moment, then didn't refute. The young man's lips were chapped and his eyes were bloodshot. He hadn't slept well for the past two months, worried that he hadn't made the list.
He really wanted to...
"Let's go, let's go to the Imperial College." Brother Huang Lan had already spotted a good spot and led them there before dawn to secure their place.
The Ministry of Rites is where the examination results are usually posted, so it must be packed with people. But Brother Huang Lan has heard that the Imperial Academy's screen wall is large and spacious, and it's a newly established place for posting results, so why don't we try our luck here?
After waiting for at least two or three hours, Zhang Ji's legs were numb from standing, and he was in great pain, but the crowd didn't complain. It wasn't until the results were announced that everyone started to stir.
Zhang Ji's eyes lit up as he gazed into the distance with his clear vision.
"This...this is...!" He was somewhat stunned. "Brother Huang Lan!! Look—"
Zhang Ji hadn't found his own yet, but he immediately spotted Huang Lan's name.
It's tall and big, right in the top half of the list.
Huang Lan was caught off guard and stood there dumbfounded, like a stone.
This ranking...
This ranking should be a good spot among the top two!
Brother Huang Shi, disregarding everything else, scanned the room several times but couldn't find his own. No matter how unwilling he was, he had to accept reality: "..."
Fortunately, he had already prepared himself for failing the exam. His expression changed a few times before he lost his composure and went to help find Zhang Ji's name.
"241st!" Brother Huang Shi found Zhang Ji's name near the bottom of the list. He had almost failed, but he still passed!
Good, good, good. Although he'll get a beating when he gets back, at least his sister's marriage is on the horizon.
For a moment, Brother Huangshi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He was the only one among the three who failed the exam. How bitter that must have been!
Looking back at his two companions, who were standing there dumbfounded like geese, Huang Shi was furious: "Wake up! You've both fallen for it! If you want to savor the moment, let's go back and calm down, okay? We're about to get separated here! Hey!"
If he doesn't leave soon, he feels like his shoes are going to fall off!
...
On the other side, Zhang Ting obediently hired a helper to go and see, while he himself stayed in the Qi residence restless. He drank a lot of tea in the morning, but his sister, who couldn't stand it, took the cup away and replaced it with milk.
"He passed! He passed! Master Zhang from the Qi family residence on Zhongdao Street! He ranked tenth in the imperial examination!" Before long, the helper was heard shouting all the way back, his voice hoarse from shouting.
Zhang Ting's breath hitched, and her mind went blank for a long time.
The threats from his uncle, the tragic fate of his sister, his own life of frustration and despair, the unspeakable bitterness of his path to education... all those hardships seemed to float away from his body, leaving only the desperate cries of the henchmen echoing in his ears, growing ever closer.
"...You've won!" "Master Zhang has won!"
"Quick, hurry up and scatter lucky money at the door!" Zhang Xian slapped her brother on the back with concern, stuffed the basket into his hands, and pushed him out the door without saying another word.
The housekeeper and wet nurse Liu exchanged worried glances with her, and Zhang Xian nodded firmly. She decided to keep her brother busy with other things beforehand, lest he develop a stroke from the stress of passing the imperial examination. That would be too unlucky!
Before Zhang Ting could even react, he was surrounded by congratulatory neighbors at his door, instinctively throwing money out. Children's shrill cries and cheers filled the air, and passersby joined in the lively chatter, smiles everywhere: "Sir! It's the sir who passed the imperial examination!" "Congratulations!" "...May we share in his joy!" "Top ten! Could he even hope for the highest rank? That's incredible!"
Zhang Ting suddenly broke free from that hazy, dreamlike state, and was instantly jolted awake as if doused with a bucket of cold water.
Yes, he can't be happy yet.
The imperial examination hasn't even started yet!
Although there's no chance of failing the imperial examinations after the spring session, there's a significant difference between the top three ranks. His current ranking is basically between the top two, which is the best opportunity to bring honor to his family. He must continue to be cautious and work hard!
Strive for a top-five finish!
Thinking of this, Zhang Ting suppressed his joy at passing the imperial examination with great difficulty. He handed the basket to a servant and went inside, giving instructions in a low voice for a long time. His younger sister, Zhang Xian, hesitated for a while before asking him, "Brother, didn't the Prince tell you to go see him after the results were announced? Why did you refuse?"
Judging from what my brother said, it seems that he must wait until the palace examination is over and everything is completely settled before going to the prince to report the good news.
Zhang Ting remained silent for a moment, offering no explanation.
Normally, whether it's inquiring about His Majesty's preferences or conversing with the examiner, the prince, these are things he needs right now. He could easily use the prince's residence to obtain all of this and achieve a better ranking.
If these methods were applied to scholars, they would never be condemned as disgracing their reputation or being opportunistic; rather, they would be seen as the means by which they advance their careers, an unspoken rule. But… Zhang Ting simply refused.
More than his ranking, he cared about his true abilities in the prince's eyes. He was determined to impress the prince and the new emperor, to prove himself as a capable person. Not... to resort to all sorts of underhanded tactics to win the emperor's favor.
Who cares about the current Emperor Hongren?
Zhang Ting made this choice simply because their fundamental purposes were different.
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