Chapter 252 The Imperial Examination (Two chapters combined)
This situation took everyone by surprise. Even the Crown Princess was slightly taken aback. As the bookshelf fell, she instinctively took a few steps forward to avoid the impending disaster.
But the room was already cramped, and after taking a few steps forward, he almost bumped into Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Liulang heard the noise first and knew someone had come in. Then the bookshelf fell and hit the door. There was no oil lamp or window in the room, and once the door closed, the room was plunged into endless darkness.
He didn't see who it was, but instinctively took a step back, almost pressing himself against the wall.
Xiao Liulang has been known as a "stay away from strangers" person for a long time. Ever since Feng Lin met him, he has noticed that Xiao Liulang has a serious social phobia. However, Feng Lin is thick-skinned and always tries to get close to Xiao Liulang.
The Crown Princess was somewhat embarrassed by the other party's attempt to avoid suspicion. Wouldn't most men play the hero and save the damsel in distress in such a situation?
Of course, as the high and mighty Crown Princess, she would not allow herself to have any physical contact with men outside the palace. But it's one thing for her not to allow it, and another thing for others not to do so.
A woman's perfume scent filled the room, not the cheap perfume scent of the market, but the finest incense from the imperial court.
Xiao Liulang paused, holding the inkstone.
Although no lights were on in the room, once the eyes adjusted to the darkness, a faint sliver of light filtering through the crack in the door allowed for a glimpse of what lay ahead.
The other person was wearing a pearl-white gauze dress, the silk draped over her shoulders, the gold and silver threads adorning it shimmering faintly in the dim light.
This is a piece of silk that costs one inch of gold. It is said that even if a hundred fisherwomen wove together for a month, they could not produce even half a bolt. While this may be an exaggeration, silk is indeed a rare treasure in the imperial court.
Palace maids were not entitled to wear them, nor were ordinary concubines. The Imperial Household Department usually only gave them to the mistress of the harem—the Empress Dowager or the Empress.
The Empress Dowager was no longer in the palace, and the Empress could not possibly leave the palace.
The woman's figure was graceful, like a beautiful mermaid emerging from the water under the moonlight.
She was a young woman.
The room was so quiet that you could hear your own breathing.
Xiao Liulang didn't speak, nor did he make any move to strike up a conversation or offer a greeting.
"Who are you?"
After hesitating for a moment, the Crown Princess finally spoke first.
Upon hearing this voice, Xiao Liulang clenched the ink stick in his hand, but he still did not speak.
The Crown Princess thought to herself, "Could it really not be Aheng? If it were Aheng, he wouldn't have failed to recognize my voice..."
She paused, then tentatively walked towards the other person. However, whether intentionally or unintentionally, another row of bookshelves suddenly collapsed, landing right between the two of them.
Unable to get any answers or get any answers, the Crown Princess was completely heartbroken.
The two didn't stay in the room for long before the shopkeeper noticed something was wrong and quickly called his assistant to pry open the door.
Unfortunately, the door was blocked and wouldn't be easy to pry open in a short time.
The shopkeeper, feeling sorry for his own door and floor, didn't dare to go too far, and the opening process was unknowingly delayed.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince waited upstairs for a long time but the Crown Princess did not return. He and the Crown Princess had come out for some time alone and did not bring any attendants, only a coachman and two guards who were secretly protecting him.
After thinking about it, he decided to go find it himself.
The Crown Princess said she went to buy sesame cakes, but she was nowhere to be seen at the sesame shop.
He then asked the coachman, "Have you seen the Crown Princess?"
The coachman replied, "Reporting to your master, the Crown Princess has gone to her study."
The Crown Prince frowned. What was she doing in the study?
Despite his doubts, the Crown Prince strode into the study.
He went inside and discovered that something had happened in the study. A thought struck him, and he stepped forward, asking with an air of authority, "Who is locked inside?"
Seeing the woman's imposing presence and distinguished attire, the shopkeeper respectfully said, "I didn't see clearly, but she is a lady..."
"Get out of the way," the Crown Prince said in a deep voice.
Intimidated by his imposing presence, everyone pushed him aside. The Crown Prince gently knocked on the door and asked, "Linlang, is that you inside?"
In the darkness, the Crown Princess turned around, glanced at the bookshelf blocking her way, then at the door that was firmly shut, and said, "I'm here."
The prince pushed the door, but there was no response.
The shopkeeper said, "It's no use. The bookshelves inside have fallen over and are blocking the door."
The crown prince frowned and said, "Why aren't you prying it open yet?"
"This...this can't be pried open!" The shopkeeper wanted to swing an axe to smash it open, but he was worried that he might accidentally hurt the people inside.
The Crown Prince would not deploy his personal guards unless absolutely necessary, but he couldn't worry about that now, as he was concerned that something might happen to the Crown Princess inside.
He made his bodyguards reveal themselves.
Both guards were top-notch imperial guards, and a mere door was no challenge for them. They quickly dismantled the door and removed the first shelf blocking the entrance.
The Crown Prince hurriedly reached out his hand to the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess stepped out from among the shattered inkstones on the ground, guided by his hand.
The crown prince looked her up and down, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
The Crown Princess shook her head slightly: "I'm fine. There was a wait at the sesame cake place, so I came over to choose a few inksticks for Xiao Qi first."
Qin Chuyu cannot use the imperial ink sticks, as it would easily expose his identity.
The crown prince, unsuspecting, said to her, "You can leave this kind of thing to the servants. Don't do it yourself anymore. I'll be sad if something happens to you."
The Crown Princess smiled apologetically: "I'm sorry to have worried you. It's my fault."
The Crown Prince said, "It's good that you're alright. Let's go."
The Crown Prince was unaware that there was another person inside. The Crown Princess glanced at him out of the corner of her eye but said nothing.
The Crown Prince, holding the Crown Princess's hand, tossed a gold ingot to the shopkeeper and stepped out of the study.
Having received the silver ingots, the shopkeeper no longer cared about the broken door and the room full of damaged bookshelves and inksticks. He thanked them with a beaming smile, saying, "Please take care, young master! Please take care, madam!"
After saying that, he turned around, scratched his head, looked at the messy room, and said, "Eh? I remember a scholar went in just now... Huh? How come this bookshelf is overturned too? That shouldn't be the case..."
He had secured the bookshelf properly and hadn't put any heavy things on it, so how did it fall over?
As he was pondering this, Xiao Liulang bent down and walked out from under another overturned bookshelf.
The shopkeeper was stunned: "There really is someone..."
Xiao Liulang didn't say anything, settled the bill for the ink sticks, and even gave a little extra silver. Just as the shopkeeper was about to ask, he said, "It's a loss."
The loss of the second shelf.
The shopkeeper was stunned.
After meeting his relatives, Xiao Jingkong and Xu Zhouzhou, accompanied by Xu Zhouzhou and the servants of the Xu family, returned to the sesame cake shop to meet Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Jingkong was a perceptive child, and he quickly noticed that something was wrong with his brother-in-law's hand.
He stopped and looked seriously at Xiao Liulang's right hand, which was hanging down from his wide sleeve: "What happened to your hand?"
"It's nothing," Xiao Liulang said calmly.
Xiao Jingkong didn't believe it. He grabbed Xiao Liulang's sleeve and saw a red and swollen hand. His eyes widened instantly: "It's all swollen! How did you get this? Does it hurt?"
Xiao Liulang suddenly chuckled and pinched his cheek: "So concerned about me?"
Xiao Jingkong slapped away the hand that was messing with his face and said seriously, "I'm just worried that you won't pass the exam. Jiaojiao is betting on you to become the top scholar! She's staked everything she has on it!"
Xiao Liulang: "..."
As soon as they arrived at the clinic, Xiao Jingkong found Gu Jiao, who was drying medicinal herbs in the backyard, and started ranting and raving about her bad brother-in-law: "...I wasn't looking at him for a second, and he hurt himself!"
Gu Jiao put down the medicinal herbs in her hand and looked at Xiao Liulang who was walking over: "Where are you injured? Let me see." Then she said to Xiao Jingkong, "Go and play with Sister Jiang Li."
"Okay." Little Jingkong obediently went to find Little Jiangli.
Gu Jiao took Xiao Liulang back to her courtyard.
The clinic has consultation rooms, but those are for the public; his clinic is different.
Xiao Liulang had visited the clinic several times, but he had never been inside Gu Jiao's room. It didn't look like a study; it had simple furniture, and behind the screen was a small bed for her to rest on.
The two sat outside the screen.
The screen wasn't the kind of landscape or flower and bird screens that young ladies usually liked; it was just a simple light blue, without any patterns.
Her preferences were always somewhat unconventional.
Although the two of them lived under the same roof, for some reason, this room that belonged only to Gu Jiao gave Xiao Liulang the feeling that he had intruded into her boudoir.
Xiao Liulang's expression turned slightly alarmed.
Gu Jiao rolled up his sleeves and, instead of using a pulse pillow to support his wrist, directly supported his wrist with her hand.
His wrist was badly swollen, but she gently touched the bone; the bone was fine.
She squeezed the back of his hand again; there was slight swelling there, probably due to bruising at his wrist.
"Does it hurt?" she asked.
“It doesn’t hurt,” he said.
Gu Jiao even checked his fingers.
His hands were beautiful, thin, with long, slender fingers, distinct knuckles, and neatly trimmed nails. Even the wrist bone on his uninjured wrist was exquisitely beautiful.
If this were in my previous life, it would be the hands of either a surgeon or a pianist.
How did you get injured?
Gu Jiao was a little angry.
At home, she usually wouldn't let him do heavy work, for fear that he would hurt his hands.
"How did you do that?" she asked.
They rarely inquired about these things between them. When Gu Jiao treated his leg earlier, she didn't ask how he got injured. When Gu Jiao was whipped and fell unconscious, he didn't ask her who she had offended.
Although they eventually learned some of the truth, they did not learn it from each other.
"It was the bookshelf that hit it," Xiao Liulang said. "I didn't pay much attention at the time."
Gu Jiao frowned as she looked at his swollen wrist: "Be more careful next time."
Xiao Liulang nodded: "Okay."
Apply ice on the first day to prevent the bruising from spreading.
Gu Jiao took an ice pack from the first-aid kit and applied it to his wrist. This type of ice pack does not require freezing; it is crushed into ice. The downside is that it cannot be reused.
Xiao Liulang had long been used to the strange things that would occasionally appear in her little medicine box, and he didn't ask where her ice came from.
She held his wrist with one hand and placed an ice pack on his wrist with the other, moving it around from time to time, her expression very serious and careful.
Xiao Liulang's eyes flickered slightly, and he stretched out his hand, saying, "I'll do it myself."
Gu Jiao picked up the ice pack and avoided his hand: "No, it's too cold."
Aren't your hands cold now?
Xiao Liulang stared at her intently, his wrists cold and aching, yet he seemed oblivious to it all. He opened his mouth, then suddenly asked, "Do you treat other patients... the same way?"
"No." Gu Jiao shook her head and carefully applied an ice pack to his hand. "I only do this to you."
Xiao Liulang's heart suddenly swelled, and a strange and intense emotion filled him. In fact, she didn't specify which emotion it was only directed at him, but it made him lose his composure and even his breathing became unsteady.
The ice pack must have been too cold; her left hand went completely numb from the cold, so she switched to her right hand to hold the ice pack and used her icy left hand to support his hand bones.
After changing the wrist several times, Xiao Liulang's wrists were much less swollen and no longer hurt. Her hands were so cold that they were almost numb.
She went to pack her things, and Xiao Liulang could sense that her movements were sluggish.
She closed the first-aid kit as if nothing had happened. She didn't really care; it was just that her hands were frozen. In her previous life, she had been frozen stiff all over before.
However, what she didn't care about this time, someone else cared about on her behalf.
The moment she got up to deal with the medical supplies, a slender, jade-like hand reached out and grasped her cold hand.
Those hands were long and slender, white, and possessed an irresistible strength, tightly enveloping hers.
My fingertips, which had been so cold they were aching, suddenly felt warm.
Gu Jiao stared at him blankly.
He didn't look at Gu Jiao, but silently took her other hand in his palm as well.
...
April 15th arrived in the blink of an eye, and the preliminary tests before the palace examination began.
Xiao Liulang left home before dawn and arrived at the main gate of the palace in a carriage driven by Liu Quan.
The palace has three gates. The central gate is the main gate, which is tall and spacious, standing twenty feet high. There is a side gate on each side of the main gate.
The left-hand gate was mainly used by members of the royal family, while the right-hand gate was mainly used by ministers.
Today's test takers entered through the right-hand door.
The candidates lined up early outside the right-hand gate, according to their assigned exam number.
Xiao Liulang and Du Ruohan had the same exam number. Xiao Liulang was 75 and Du Ruohan was 76. Du Ruohan arrived earlier than Xiao Liulang and greeted Feng Lin and Lin Chengye. It took her a while before Xiao Liulang arrived.
"Why are you so late? I thought you were too scared to come!" Du Ruohan was jealous that Xiao Liulang had taken her place in Feng Lin's heart, so she always teased him whenever they met.
Xiao Liulang was too lazy to argue with him and silently lined up in front of him.
Du Ruohan pursed her lips: "Hey, aren't you nervous? Feng Lin and Lin Chengye are so nervous."
Their exam numbers were relatively high, one was number twenty-one and the other thirty-seven. They were trembling with excitement at the prospect of being ahead of Xiao Liulang and Du Ruohan.
Fortunately, the rest of the people were also shaking; there were very few who weren't.
Firstly, none of us had ever been to the palace before, so we were a little nervous. Secondly, it was particularly cold today!
It's already April, the weather should be nice, but it suddenly rained last night, the temperature dropped sharply, and now there's a strong wind blowing.
Xiao Liulang glanced at him: "Are you nervous?"
Du Ruohan scoffed, "What do I have to be nervous about?"
Xiao Liulang's gaze swept over him. If you don't shake your leg, you'll be even more convincing.
When the time came, the right-hand gate opened, and officials from the Ministry of Rites began to check the candidates' examination documents and identification cards. After the check, a palace eunuch and a Ministry of Rites official would lead the candidates into the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Imperial Palace.
This time, there was no body search, since everyone was no longer just an ordinary successful candidate in the provincial examination; they were all tribute students, and the lowest-ranking person to graduate from here was a fellow successful candidate in the imperial examination.
What is a Jinshi? That's a candidate for a future official position in the imperial court.
"Hey, Xiao Liu, do you know who that is?" Halfway there, Du Ruohan suddenly tugged at Xiao Liulang's sleeve and gestured with her eyes to look at a square-faced scholar in the distance.
Xiao Liulang said calmly, "Why do you talk even more than Feng Lin?"
They talk a lot; they're birds of a feather flock together.
Du Ruohan scoffed, "Fine, if you don't want to hear it, then forget it."
Xiao Liulang actually knew who Du Ruohan was referring to. It was Yuan Yu, the grandson of the chief minister. When they were queuing earlier, he heard the officials from the Ministry of Rites greet Yuan Yu and call him Young Master Yuan.
It is not surprising that the Minister of Rites, being a protégé of Grand Secretary Yuan, would show some favor to Yuan Yu.
As for the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, he is a protégé of Grand Tutor Zhuang, and he will most likely favor Prince An.
Prince An's examination number was after Xiao Liulang's and Du Ruohan's, so Xiao Liulang did not see him.
All candidates took the exam in the main hall of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Each candidate had a cushion, a desk, and writing implements provided by the imperial court. Candidates were required to kneel while answering questions.
The examiners were officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial.
After listening to the instructions and chanting of the Minister of Rites, the candidates bowed and took their seats.
The quiz only tested one subject: the eight-legged essay. This time, there were no questions involving cross-references. The question was: "The Way is not far from man. If man makes the Way distant from himself, then he cannot be the Way."
This quote comes from Chapter 13 of the Doctrine of the Mean, and means that the Way is not far from people. If someone pretends to be profound and makes the Way distant from people, then it is impossible to practice the Way.
There are many ways to approach this question. We can explore the essence and form of the Tao, or delve into the degree and methods of practicing the Tao.
After going through round after round of increasingly brutal preliminary examinations, provincial examinations, and metropolitan examinations, the candidates were not used to receiving such simple questions.
A bizarre scene unfolded in the examination room: all the candidates stared blankly at the exam papers on their desks, seriously suspecting that the examiners had made a mistake.
"The exam begins," the Minister of Rites announced, jolting the candidates awake from their reverie. They then grabbed their draft paper and began to work on the questions.
If there's anything difficult about this exam, it's probably the time allotted—only two hours.
However, considering that the exam questions were not difficult, this amount of time was enough, and even Feng Lin and Lin Chengye did not feel too much pressure.
The preliminary exams are not included in the final score. Their main purpose is not to select talents, but to warm up for the palace examination and to learn imperial etiquette and examination rules.
The Minister of Rites and the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies jointly supervised the examination.
Xiao Liulang sat in the second-to-last seat in the first row. This seat was not usually likely to attract the examiners' attention, but unfortunately, he had a cane next to him.
The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies immediately noticed the cane and whispered to the eunuch beside him, "Whose is that?"
The eunuch counted Xiao Liulang's examination number, then looked at the plaque in his hand, and said, "He is a student of the Imperial Academy."
"Why is it a..."
The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies was about to say, "How come he's a cripple?"
But as the words were about to come out, I realized they were inappropriate.
Since this dynasty has relaxed the requirements for the imperial examinations, I, as an official appointed by the court, should accept them accordingly.
However, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies still couldn't help but be drawn to Xiao Liulang. This was not his fault, since the founding of the dynasty, there had never been a cripple who had taken the imperial examination.
Especially those who have reached the final stage of the imperial examination.
Quite a few have scars on their faces.
Is this kid also someone with a scar on his face? Won't that scare His Majesty?
The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies decided to take a look. If he was really ugly, then he had to be eliminated no matter what. At the very least, his exam paper couldn't be presented to the emperor, lest it frighten the emperor and cause them great distress.
The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies then went to Xiao Liulang to take a look.
He was completely stunned at first glance.
Xiao Liulang calmly finished the exam and did not hand it in early, because he couldn't leave even if he did.
The afternoon was dedicated to learning etiquette and court manners. To be honest, among the 210 candidates, there weren't many from impoverished backgrounds. It wasn't that these students weren't hardworking enough, but rather that their educational resources and system were far inferior to those of the aristocratic children.
It often takes a great deal of effort for a family to cultivate a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). For example, the Yuan and Zhuang families had great Confucian scholars like Grand Secretary Yuan and Grand Tutor Zhuang as their teachers. Even a few words of guidance from them could greatly benefit the family members.
Even if he were to be a talented scholar from Jiangnan like Wang Yuan, who came from a family of scholars and whose family produced two Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), he could still receive excellent guidance.
It is difficult for children from poor families to rise above their circumstances.
Most of the candidates who passed the imperial examination this time came from families with some means of support. They had hired tutors at home to teach them etiquette and manners, so they made a quick overall progress in learning the etiquette of the emperor.
At the hour of You (5-7 PM), the candidates finished their studies, took their examination tokens and identification cards, and left the palace.
Feng Lin didn't quite learn it, so he asked Lin Chengye. Lin Chengye had originally known it, but after Feng Lin asked him, he suddenly became unsure.
"Sixth Brother," Feng Lin pleaded, looking at Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Liulang demonstrated it to the two of them inside the carriage.
Du Ruohan tapped her folding fan and said, "Hey? Little Liu, how come you're so good at etiquette?"
At first glance, he doesn't look like a poor country boy at all.
Not to brag, but Xiao Liulang's manners are no less than those of Prince An. Where did this kid learn such refined manners from a noble young master in the capital?
Xiao Liulang said calmly, "You'll learn if you just observe more."
"You brat... never mind." Du Ruohan shook his folding fan, not revealing what he had been about to ask. "It's getting late, I'm leaving! Do you want me to take you home?"
Feng Lin said, "No need, we have a carriage."
Feng Lin and Lin Chengye shared a carriage, while Xiao Liulang also had a carriage belonging to Liu Quan.
"Alright, then let's not see each other for the next couple of days. Stay home and prepare for the exam." Du Ruohan said, turning around and getting off the carriage.
Feng Lin said to Xiao Liulang, "Liulang, we're leaving too."
Xiao Liulang could tell he was a little nervous, and said to him, "Don't think about anything. His Majesty isn't a poisonous snake or a ferocious beast. Even if something goes wrong, he won't do anything to you. Just do your best on the exam. The same goes for you."
He looked at Lin Chengye and said, "The palace examination does not test the eight-legged essay, but only policy questions. You have made great progress in policy questions this year, so just go ahead and do the questions."
Lin Chengye had been learning from Xiao Liulang for so long, but Xiao Liulang had always been a strict teacher and had never praised him. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he could never satisfy Xiao Liulang…
But just now, Xiao Liulang said he has made great progress?
Lin Chengye was even more efficient than the teacher at the Imperial Academy praised him for!
His back straightened instantly, and he said seriously, "I...I will...do well on the test!"
"Okay." Xiao Liulang nodded. "Don't study these next two days. Just focus on preparing for the exam."
"Um!"
Full of fighting spirit after receiving the praise, Lin Chengye got off the carriage and got into his own carriage with Feng Lin.
These past two days, everyone has stayed home and hasn't gone out.
On the 17th, the palace examination officially began.
On this day, all the academies in the capital city, including the Imperial College, were closed.
More than two hundred candidates arrived at the palace gate before dawn to wait. One candidate left his examination certificate at home and was so anxious that he almost fainted. Fortunately, the owner of the inn where he was staying found the certificate and personally delivered it to him by fast horse.
Although the palace examination generally does not eliminate candidates, those who do not take the exam at all will still be eliminated.
The inspection for the palace examination became even stricter.
Some of the candidates who lived in the capital came with their parents, but they were not allowed to approach the palace; they were stopped several hundred meters away.
Court officials like Grand Tutor Zhuang and Chief Minister Yuan were naturally exceptions.
They were there to attend court, and took the opportunity to give their children a few words of advice.
The other candidates, seeing this, instantly felt immense pressure.
"Focus on the exam and don't think about anything else," Grand Tutor Zhuang said to Prince An, who was at the end of the line. Prince An's exam number was the second to last, but the appearance of Grand Tutor Zhuang caused quite a stir, and almost all the candidates looked at him.
Prince An smiled and said, "Grandfather, please rest assured."
Grand Tutor Zhuang straightened Prince An's wide sleeves, which was to tell him, "You just focus on the exam, leave the rest to me."
With Prince An's strength and Grand Tutor Zhuang's influence, how could he not take first place?
As for potential threats, he has a hundred ways to get rid of the other person's exam paper!
At this moment, the candidates were extremely envious, envious of Prince An's talent and his family background.
Grand Tutor Zhuang could not linger for long and turned to leave when suddenly, a tall and imposing figure approached.
"Oh? Isn't this Grand Tutor Zhuang? What a coincidence."
That irritating voice, who else could it be but Marquis Xuanping?
Grand Tutor Zhuang now gets a headache whenever he sees him. The person most hated by the entire court is none other than Marquis Xuanping!
Grand Tutor Zhuang, holding his official tablet, said calmly, "It should be me who says that. The sun is not even high in the sky yet, why is Marquis Xuanping here to attend court?"
Everyone knows that Marquis Xuanping never holds morning court.
Despite the large number of people present, Marquis Xuanping maintained his composure and said elegantly and calmly, "I am just like you."
Grand Tutor Zhuang scoffed. "The same as him? The same as him in what way? Could it be that he's also here to send his child to the imperial examination? Ha, by whom? His two good-for-nothing illegitimate sons?"
Marquis Xuanping ignored Grand Tutor Zhuang's disdain, curled the corners of his lips, and strode forward.
Marquis Xuanping exuded an aura that immediately drew everyone's attention.
The test takers wanted to see but dared not, so nervous they didn't dare to even breathe.
Marquis Xuanping stopped beside Xiao Liulang, raised his hand, and earnestly and solemnly straightened Xiao Liulang's clothes.
Are there any monthly passes left?
(End of this chapter)
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