Chapter 146 The Imperial Examination
On February 19th, a gong sounded, and the gates of the Ministry of Rites Examination Hall opened wide. The mountain-high bags instantly attracted the attention of the candidates queuing up.
Each bag contained fifteen catties of charcoal. They could buy a bag of charcoal for three days of exams by paying two taels of silver.
Fifteen catties of charcoal and two taels of silver were undoubtedly an astronomical price, but not a single candidate felt there was a problem. On the contrary, they were filled with gratitude towards the court and the crown prince.
The first three-day examination of the provincial examination was successfully completed. Fifteen catties of charcoal were available for heating. Although the weather was still cold, no one froze to death. Of course, this did not include the candidates who went crazy because they felt they had not answered the questions well due to the difficulty of the questions.
On February 21st, Li Xiaoxiao, Zhao Jian, and Asheng waited at the entrance of the examination hall to pick up Meng Guanqi, whose face was slightly pale.
The second exam was held on February 26th. Early that morning, the three of them took Meng Guanqi to the examination hall again. Three days later, they waited at the gate to pick him up as usual. Meng Guanqi's face was even paler than in the first exam. When he got home, he didn't say anything and slept for a day and a night.
The third exam was held on the third day of the third lunar month. The temperature rose slightly, but as the snow began to melt, the perceived temperature became even colder. The air was damp, and the bone-chilling cold was more unbearable than a heavy snowfall. The last exam saw the most people faint, but immediately, officials would come and carry them into a temporary tent set up at the entrance of the examination hall, where a doctor would provide medical care. Once the candidates regained consciousness, it was impossible for them to return to take the exam again; they had been disqualified. However, at least their lives were saved, and they would have another chance to take the exam three years later.
Li Xiaoxiao craned her neck to look into the examination hall. In this abnormal early March, even she felt very uncomfortable from the cold. Those fifteen catties of charcoal certainly couldn't last for three days and three nights of burning. She wondered if Meng Guanqi, who was only wearing five layers of clothing, could survive.
Finally, the bell that signaled the end of the exam rang throughout the examination hall. The gates of the examination hall opened, and the candidates inside, carrying their book baskets, looked like zombies, their faces pale and their eyes glazed over, unresponsive to being called.
Li Xiaoxiao watched in horror: "Has it had its soul extracted? How terrifying!"
Ah Sheng was also chilled to the bone: "I've never seen anyone's expression like that before. What have they been through?"
Zhao Jian looked at the carriage. She and Asheng squeezed through the crowd to find Meng Guanqi. Finally, they saw him stagger out of the carriage, his face pale and bluish, not much better than the others.
Li Xiaoxiao reached out and pushed aside all the people blocking her way. She walked straight to Meng Guanqi, took his hand, and Meng Guanqi looked at her directly. He closed his eyes and leaned against her.
Ah Sheng quickly took the basket of books from his hands, and Li Xiaoxiao hoisted Meng Guanqi up on her back: "Let's go, let's go home!"
When they got home, Liu was already anxiously waiting. When she saw that her son had fainted, she was almost in tears: "What happened? Did Qi'er faint in the examination hall?"
Li Xiaoxiao instructed the servants to prepare hot water for Meng Guanqi immediately, while comforting Liu Shi, "It's alright, he only fainted after coming out. The others were in similar condition and were all carried back. A hot bath and some rest will make him feel better."
The kitchen quickly prepared hot water, and Zhao Jian and Asheng worked together to lift Meng Guanqi into the bathtub to soak, adding hot water from time to time.
After brewing a cup of tea for about the time it takes to drink it, Meng Guanqi finally came to his senses and shook his head with a wry smile: "After taking the imperial examination, it's like having your skin peeled off."
He didn't soak for too long. Once he felt his body warm up, he got up, ate four bowls of rice and a bowl of soup in one go, and then slept soundly for a day and a night.
After waking up, he was in a daze for a long time. Finally, Li Xiaoxiao kicked him out to do some warm-up exercises. He worked up a sweat and only then did he feel like he was alive again.
Li Xiaoxiao looked at him with a face full of sympathy: "Are you all better now? I'll be very scared if you act like that again..."
Meng Guanqi laughed and said, "Alright, now I can finally relax and stop thinking about it."
Li Xiaoxiao hesitated, as if she wanted to say something, and Meng Guanqi asked, "What do you want to say?"
Li Xiaoxiao asked cautiously, "How do you think you did on the exam? Do you think you'll pass this time?" She had never seen anyone perform like this before. No wonder so many people went crazy. How difficult were the questions? If they had to take it again, not only would Meng Guanqi not be able to handle it, but she herself wouldn't be able to either.
When Meng Guanqi heard her question, he did not answer directly. Instead, he went back to his study and silently wrote down the answer he had written.
Li Xiaoxiao watched him finish writing, her face full of amazement. He had to memorize his answers after each exam. If it were her, she probably wouldn't even remember the questions, let alone the answers.
Meng Guanqi compiled all the answers to the three questions together: "Tomorrow I will take these answers to Headmaster Gu, and after he has looked at them, he will know whether I have passed or failed."
Li Xiaoxiao said anxiously, "Oh, stop keeping me in suspense, what do you think?"
Meng Guanqi said modestly, "I think it's fine, but we still need to hear Headmaster Gu's opinion... Everyone feels they did well after the exam, just like when I tested you before, didn't you feel you got full marks?"
Li Xiaoxiao sighed, "You're really modest, but I genuinely think I did very well on the test." It turned out that Meng Guanqi only gave her a passing grade on the questions she felt she had gotten full marks on, which was very disappointing.
The next day, Meng Guanqi went to see Headmaster Gu. Headmaster Gu laughed and said, "If you don't come to me now, I'll come to you too. I've already read the papers of several of your classmates, and none of them have satisfied me. Let's see your answers."
Meng Guanqi quickly presented his exam paper with both hands.
Headmaster Gu began to read carefully, while Meng Guanqi waited on the side. An incense stick burned, half an hour passed, and an hour went by, but Headmaster Gu still hadn't finished reading. However, Meng Guanqi could roughly guess the answer by observing his expression.
After Gu Shanzhang finished reading, he smiled and asked Meng Guanqi, "What do you think?"
Meng Guanqi said, "I think it's enough that I don't need to take the test again next time."
Headmaster Gu laughed and scolded, "You naughty boy, it would be best if you could strive to be the best, but if you become the worst-performing student, you'll have your day."
Meng Guanqi said, "I think the test questions were extremely difficult. I have done my best to answer them this way."
Gu Shan sighed, "You are truly a force to be reckoned with. Even if I were to answer the questions myself, I might not be able to produce such a good result as yours."
Meng Guanqi was taken aback by the high praise from Headmaster Gu: "Why be so modest, sir? I am still quite young—"
Headmaster Gu waved his hand: "The brilliance of an article is not determined by age. On the contrary, the older one is, the less impressive one is. Your article is very brilliance and you are likely to be ranked in the top twenty. This year, Wanshan Academy is counting on you."
Meng Guanqi frowned slightly: "The other classmates..."
Headmaster Gu shook his head: "The time is not yet ripe. The chances of passing are slim. It's better to fail than to be a bottom-ranking scholar."
If you fail the imperial examination, you can try again at least three years later. But if you pass the imperial examination, it is really embarrassing. You don't even have a chance to try again. Your future is also firmly restricted. Even if you make a lot of achievements after becoming an official, you will have to give way to those who passed the imperial examination when it comes to promotion. Isn't that unfair?
But that's how the imperial court selects talent, and no one can change it.
This year, apart from Meng Guanqi, everyone else at Wanshan Academy will be eliminated. However, if Meng Guanqi manages to get into the top twenty, the name of his prestigious private school will become even more renowned.
Meng Guanqi felt relieved to receive the approval, but then Headmaster Gu suddenly changed the subject and asked, "I heard your Senior Brother Fang mention that you don't live in the east of the city, but rather in some Li residence in Chang Le Fang in the west? I forgot to ask, how did you end up living there? Is it because of an old friend from your family?"
Chang Le Fang is very close to the capital. If he has old friends living there, it would be a very wise move for Meng Guanqi to stay there during his imperial examination, as it would save him a lot of trouble.
Meng Guanqi blushed slightly and shook his head: "That's my fiancée's house. Our whole family lives together."
Gu Shan was taken aback: "You're engaged? When did this happen?" Didn't he say he would arrange the marriage after passing the imperial examination?
Meng Guanqi said shyly, "We got engaged when we were in Biyang County. We plan to pick a date to get married after the exams are over."
Headmaster Gu asked in surprise, "The Li family? I've never heard of any official with the surname Li." Could they be some newly rich? Has he been away from the capital for too long and doesn't recognize them?
Meng Guanqi shook his head: "She was not born into an official family, but into my family. The house in Chang Le Fang was bestowed upon her by the Crown Prince. I was able to live in the west of the city because of her."
"From his family?" Headmaster Gu was even more confused: "From your family? The Crown Prince bestowed a house upon her? Perhaps I'm too old to understand what you're saying?"
Meng Guanqi smiled and said, "Sir, you also know her. She used to be my maid, Li Xiaoxiao."
Headmaster Gu stood up in shock: "You, you actually want to marry a woman who was once a maid? Do you know what difficulties you will face?"
Meng Guanqi said frankly, "From the moment I decided to get engaged to her, I was prepared to face all difficulties. But it is absolutely impossible for me to give her up. Without her, there would be no me, no Meng family. Moreover, I don't think Xiaoxiao is unworthy of me. I still eat her food, live in her house, and receive her protection. If I am fortunate enough to pass the imperial examination in a month, I will finally be able to repay her in some way."
Gu Shanzhang was dumbfounded and couldn't say a word for a long time, but Meng Guanqi was calm and composed, with no sign of reluctance. He even smiled slightly when he mentioned Li Xiaoxiao. He was an experienced man and knew that Meng Guanqi was in love with her. However, it was too easy for a scholar to be criticized for marrying a woman who came from a maid's background.
He murmured, "Have you ever thought about how many noble ladies could be your choice, given your looks, your background, and the fact that you passed the imperial examination at such a young age?"
Meng Guanqi said solemnly, "There are many noble ladies in the world, but there is only one Li Xiaoxiao. You are surprised because you don't understand her. You won't think that way once you truly get to know her. A person's life is at most fifty or sixty years. It is not easy for me to find someone I can rely on and entrust my life to. I can strive for fame and fortune, and I believe my methods are no less than others, but I can never have her free and unrestrained spirit. It is my good fortune to have her."
His words, tinged with longing and certainty, piqued the curiosity of Headmaster Gu: "What kind of woman is she that you hold in such high regard?"
Meng Guanqi smiled slightly, but changed the subject: "Now that the Crown Prince has won the support of all the scholars in the land, would you be willing to come out of seclusion and advise him?"
Headmaster Gu hadn't expected him to suddenly bring up this topic, but after a moment's thought, he replied, "Since the Crown Prince has done so, I, as his teacher, will naturally keep my promise and do my best for him."
Meng Guanqi was overjoyed: "It's just a pity that the Crown Prince is currently attending to His Majesty's illness and cannot see you, sir. If he were to hear this news, he would surely be ecstatic."
Headmaster Gu said, "Why did you skip my question and turn to the Crown Prince? You haven't answered what kind of woman she is that you have such a high opinion of her?"
Meng Guanqi smiled slightly: "After you meet the Crown Prince, you can ask him about this matter yourself. If my family agrees to me being with Xiaoxiao, the Crown Prince will definitely be the second person in the world to do so."
Why is Li Xiaoxiao so highly regarded by the Crown Prince? Headmaster Gu couldn't help but become curious. He thought of what Meng Guanqi had just said about Li Xiaoxiao's house being a gift from the Crown Prince. Could it be that she really has some extraordinary talent?
The crown prince they were talking about had been guarding Emperor Jian'an's bedside for nearly a month.
When Emperor Jian'an opened his eyes, he immediately saw the Crown Prince with sunken cheeks and an unshaven beard. He was taken aback: "Chengming, what happened to you?"
He thought he would ask a loud question, but his tongue seemed to be stuck together, and all he heard was a mumbled murmur. He couldn't even understand what he was saying. He was startled and just as he moved his head to ask himself what was wrong, a wave of dizziness washed over him. Emperor Jian'an immediately closed his eyes and waited for the dizziness to pass. He heard excited shouts of "Father!" and someone calling for the imperial physician. It seemed as if many more people had suddenly appeared in the room, making a racket that disturbed Emperor Jian'an's peace. Finally, he couldn't help but shout, "Stop making noise!"
Those three words finally made things clear.
Upon hearing those three clear words, Emperor Jian'an finally felt relieved. After the dizziness subsided, he finally opened his eyes.
Before him stood the Empress, the Crown Prince, Yang Shimin, and two ministers. Liang Qisheng was squeezed to one side, and Xiao Yuanzheng was taking his pulse by holding his wrist. There were seven or eight people crammed into the room.
Physician Xiao said happily, "Although His Majesty's pulse is weak, it has stabilized. He will be able to stay awake for longer periods of time in the future. He just needs to rest and recover gradually."
The main thing is that his life is no longer in danger, so he no longer has to live in fear.
Emperor Jian'an asked in surprise, "Why are there so many people here? What happened—" Before he could finish speaking, his memories from before he fell into a coma suddenly flooded back. He had a splitting headache, but he finally remembered what had happened to him.
He actually fell off the city wall!
He fell down!
No wonder his head hurt so much, and his right knee was also throbbing; he must have injured his head and knee in the fall.
Looking at the Crown Prince's haggard face, he knew it couldn't have been from just a day or two of hard work. He couldn't help but feel a mix of emotion and pity. His eldest son was very filial to him, having taken such a long time to get sick.
He asked Physician Xiao, "How long was I unconscious?"
Physician Xiao said respectfully, "His Majesty has been in a coma for twenty-nine days, and tomorrow will mark a month."
Emperor Jian'an's eyes snapped open; he had been unconscious for twenty-nine days! It was truly a blessing from heaven that he was able to wake up!
He recalled what had happened before he lost consciousness and asked urgently, "Has the weather warmed up yet? Is there enough charcoal sent from Jinzhou City?"
Upon seeing that Emperor Jian'an's first act upon waking from a deep coma was to concern himself with the people's livelihood, Yang Shimin was deeply moved and replied, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. The weather is warming up, and with the roads in Jinzhou repaired, firewood and charcoal are being transported in daily. The people of the capital no longer lack firewood, and prices have come down. Furthermore, the imperial examinations that Your Majesty was concerned about concluded the day before yesterday. The examiners from the Ministry of Rites are working diligently to grade the papers, and the results will be announced in a month. Now that Your Majesty has awakened, we are eagerly awaiting Your Majesty's selection of this year's top scholar!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jian'an breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "I never imagined that while I was unconscious, the imperial examination would be over. Yang Shimin, now that I'm awake, you won't have the chance to be the top scholar."
Yang Shimin flattered Emperor Jian'an twice, then excused himself by saying that the emperor had just woken up and needed to rest, and left with the two ministers.
Emperor Jian'an has awakened, so he no longer needs to go to the palace for his shift.
After the senior officials had all left, Emperor Jian'an sighed and said, "Chengming must have been suffering a lot these past few days, right?"
The Empress wiped away her tears and said, "The Crown Prince is so filial. He serves His Majesty personally every day without taking off his clothes. He sleeps at His Majesty's feet every day and feeds His Majesty water, medicine and food every half hour. It is too much trouble for him."
Emperor Jian'an was also moved, and looked at the Crown Prince with gentle eyes: "Now that I have woken up, I don't want to see you looking so old. Go back to the East Palace and rest well. Don't come to see me until you've gained weight."
The Crown Prince also wept and said, "Serving the Emperor is a son's duty of filial piety, so how can it be considered hardship? The fact that the Emperor was able to wake up safely is truly thanks to the blessings of our ancestors and the good fortune that allowed him to escape this calamity."
Emperor Jian'an was very pleased to hear this, but still insisted that the Crown Prince go back to rest: "Your father is already ill. What will happen if you fall ill as well? Quickly go back to the East Palace to rest. You are not allowed to come to see me for three days. This is an imperial edict."
The Crown Prince had no choice but to bow and take his leave, and was helped back to the Eastern Palace by Wan Quan.
The Empress has been suffering greatly these days, and she is also quite old, with signs of aging showing on her face.
But Emperor Jian'an did not despise his wife: "You look exhausted, you must have been working hard. Go back to the palace and rest. Don't worry about me."
The Empress held Emperor Jian'an's hand tightly and sobbed, "I was terrified. I was so afraid that Your Majesty would fall into a coma like this. What would we do then?"
Emperor Jian'an said with his eyes half-closed, "I've woken up, haven't I? Don't worry, I'm here for you. I know you're worried about Cheng Yao. The child is still young. If he does something wrong, his parents have to protect him."
After hesitating for a long time, the Empress finally spoke up: "Your Majesty, why don't you grant Cheng Yao a piece of land far away from the capital, so that he can leave this place? Cheng Ming doesn't seem like he would forgive him. We can protect Cheng Yao while we are still here, but there will come a day when we can't protect him anymore. Are we just going to watch these brothers kill each other? In the end, it was Cheng Yao who did something wrong, and we are biased towards him."
Emperor Jian'an said calmly, "Let's discuss this matter when I'm feeling better. You may leave."
The Empress had been serving Emperor Jian'an these past few days and was quite exhausted, so she was helped back home by her maids.
Emperor Jian'an had slept for too long and was not sleepy at all when he woke up. He would not feel dizzy as long as he did not move, and closing his eyes would only make him more alert.
Everyone in the sleeping quarters had left, leaving only Liang Qisheng.
Emperor Jian'an suddenly said, "Liang Qisheng."
Liang Qisheng hurriedly stepped forward: "Does Your Majesty have any instructions?"
Emperor Jian'an asked, "During the time I was unconscious, did the Crown Prince truly serve me without ever taking off his clothes?"
Liang Qisheng hurriedly said, "It's absolutely true. His Highness the Crown Prince is extremely filial and devoted to His Majesty. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to endure such hardship."
Emperor Jian'an said, "I've been unconscious for so many days, didn't he ever think of taking over the reins of the state? Didn't the ministers try to persuade him?"
Liang Qisheng said, "Lord Yang tried to persuade him, but the Crown Prince refused to go anywhere. He even pushed all the tasks that the Eastern Palace was supposed to handle to the Six Ministries. He was only focused on serving His Majesty. These days, the Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet have been making decisions on matters of state."
Emperor Jian'an sighed softly, opened his eyes and looked at the yellow tassels in front of the curtain: "He has truly learned how to be a crown prince; he is impeccably discreet."
Liang Qisheng didn't dare to reply and lowered his head.
Once this happens, the Crown Prince's reputation for filial piety will surely spread throughout the land; the more haggard he becomes, the better the effect will be.
But is this truly out of genuine filial piety, or is it just for show?
Regardless, he made a brilliant and flawless move.
Emperor Jian'an closed his eyes again. He needed to conserve his energy and recover his health as soon as possible. He was only fifty years old this year, and he did not believe that the fate of Emperor Dawu, who would not live past fifty, would befall him.
Even though he fell from such a high city tower, Heaven didn't take his life. He will surely be able to regain his strength and take back control of the government.
Finally, the second day dawned, and Emperor Jian'an felt less dizzy. He wanted Liang Qisheng to help him up and walk around, but Liang Qisheng suddenly lost his speech.
Oh no! Physician Xiao didn't tell His Majesty about his knee injury. His Majesty had always thought it was just a head injury. Now that he's regained consciousness, he wants to walk again.
Seeing Liang Qisheng hesitate and refuse to step forward, Emperor Jian'an frowned and said, "What are you dawdling for? I told you to help me up and walk around."
Liang Qisheng immediately knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. It's not that this servant is unwilling to help you out of bed, but your legs—"
Emperor Jian'an asked in surprise, "My leg? What's wrong with my leg?" He didn't feel anything.
Liang Qisheng said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty has injured your knee. I'm afraid you won't be able to walk again."
Emperor Jian'an was shocked: "Nonsense! How could I be unable to walk? Help me up immediately!"
Liang Qisheng had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward to help Emperor Jian'an. Emperor Jian'an was fine once he sat up, but when he tried to move his right leg, he suddenly felt a piercing pain in his knee, so painful that he broke out in a cold sweat.
He immediately panicked: "My knee is injured, why won't the imperial physicians treat me properly?"
His head injury was more serious, and the imperial physicians had almost cured him. There was no reason why he wouldn't treat his knee injury.
Liang Qisheng said in a trembling voice, "The imperial physician said that His Majesty's knee was shattered... and bone spurs were even protruding from the flesh. After His Majesty's brain hemorrhage subsided, Imperial Physician Liu removed the bone spurs for His Majesty."
After the bone spur was removed, the skin and flesh naturally healed, but how could a knee without bone maintain its original function? Therefore, Emperor Jian'an would never be able to stand up again in his lifetime.
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