Chapter 74 The teacher has arrived, the top scholar has been selected.
The sun was blazing, and a hot wind was blowing.
The ground was steaming hot. Zhang Ting had only walked a few steps after finishing her exam when the sun burned her skin. She hissed softly, sweat beading on her forehead, and quickened her pace.
Zheng Er had been waiting outside the examination hall for a long time. When she saw her employer come out and wipe away his sweat, she immediately ran up to him and handed him the iced drink she was holding. She had just run to the outer room to buy it.
"Hey boss, let's cool off!"
Zhang Ting took the drink and downed it in one gulp. The cool liquid went down her throat, and she let out a pleasant sigh. Turning her head, she saw that Zheng Er's face was flushed from the sun. "There are no trees to provide shade near the examination hall. Why didn't you bring an umbrella?"
Zheng Er took her test basket, waved it off dismissively, and said, "Hey, what woman carries an umbrella in this heat? So what if it's hot? We're not making a living off our looks."
The two walked one after the other. Zhang Ting laughed at her, "When I saw that the young master didn't like you, why are you crying?" Zheng Er had been single all these years, and she had asked Zong Suyi to secretly act as matchmaker and arrange a marriage for him.
Zheng Er lost his usual quick wit and scratched his head sheepishly, saying, "Master, I'll have to trouble you to take care of my life's most important matter."
"Why thank me? Thank your husband instead."
"Alright! I will bring the lead sheep to thank you, my lord."
We chatted and laughed all the way home, and there we saw the teacher sitting in the yard. The tall osmanthus tree cast a shadow that shielded her from the scorching sun.
Zhang Ting stepped forward and bowed, "Greetings, Master. You've only just arrived in the prefectural city today?"
“Yes, that’s right.” Zhang Shu stood up, her steps slightly unsteady from sitting for so long. Zhang Ting’s pupils contracted and she quickly helped her up. “Teacher, shall I help you inside to rest? It’s hot outside.”
Zhang Shu nodded slightly, and the two walked towards the east wing. She asked casually, "How did the exam go?" The bright light made the silver hair on her head shine.
Zhang Ting was confident, but she couldn't be too certain: "Being on the list shouldn't be too surprising."
Zhang Shu was well aware of his apprentice's talent and had also privately inquired about the examiner's likes and dislikes. He asked his apprentice how he approached the questions and what kind of policy essay he had written.
Hearing her beloved disciple's reply, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes eased slightly. The weight that had been pressing on her heart for so long finally lifted, and the corners of her mouth curled up in a smile. "Not bad, it should be a sure thing." Just this strategy alone was enough to pierce Yan Laogou's heart. Wouldn't she be absolutely thrilled with it? And when she found out that this was Zhang Shu's disciple, she would definitely be green with envy! Haha!
The master and disciple stepped into the room, which was only slightly cooler than the outer room, but it was still hot enough to make one sweat profusely. Zhang Ting frowned slightly, "The maids didn't even bring an ice basin for you, Master?" He helped his master sit down, "I'll go and urge them right away."
Zhang Shu pulled his beloved disciple back and sighed, "This is my intention, Xiao Ting, don't blame them."
Her eyes were filled with sorrow, her brows were furrowed, and her hands were draped over her lap. “On my way to the prefectural city, I saw the people along the way with their skin peeling from the sun and their bodies emaciated, yet they still had to work in the fields under the scorching sun. My heart was heavy.”
"Tongzhou Prefecture is considered good. According to your senior sister's letter, in other prefectures, especially Zhangzhou Prefecture, the sun has scorched all the crops to death, the granaries are empty, and the people are so hungry that they have to go to the mountains and forests to pick grass roots to eat."
"The people are at a critical juncture of life and death. If I were to use such extravagant and expensive ice, I would find it difficult to feel at ease."
Zhang Ting poured her a bowl of water and handed it to her, comforting her, "In this world, you are a great Confucian scholar of our time, and you should take good care of your health so that you can speak out for the people in the future." He added, "Although I have some family wealth, the money I earn is all legitimate. As long as it can make my teacher more comfortable, no amount of money is too much to ask."
"Please use it with confidence, why worry?"
"I have been given the title of 'Master Zhang' by the people of the world for no reason, but I can only watch helplessly as the people are suffering in dire straits." Zhang Shu only accepted the water offered by his young apprentice and drank it, but refused to accept the ice she offered.
"Xiao Ting, please don't try to persuade me anymore." Zhang Shu was even thinking about using his savings over the years to buy rice and grain and send it to the disaster area to temporarily relieve the people's distress.
Zhang Ting pursed her lips, her face darkened, and turned her head to the side, unable to understand the teacher's stubbornness.
She's already quite old, turning sixty this year. Her health was ruined by her excessive drinking in her younger years, and now, with the summer heatwave raging, how can she possibly withstand it without ice?
She silently bowed to her teacher, slowly withdrew, and then turned to instruct her maid to provide ice for her teacher every day without fail.
Zhang Shu opened his mouth and then closed it again, his hands hanging down on his lap, and in the end, only a deep sigh escaped his lips.
Another stubborn one!
......
In the dead of night, the examination hall was brightly lit and completely silent, with only the occasional bark of a dog.
Liu Xian had a mountain of exam papers on her desk. She was in charge of grading the Spring and Autumn Annals and had already graded most of them. She had circled the papers that she would recommend to the chief examiner, and the rest were probably mediocre.
She rubbed her tired temples and perked up to continue grading papers.
Stupid and ignorant. She yawned, flicked her vermilion brush, and dismissed it.
Cliché. With a calm flick of her right hand, she dismissed it.
Liu Xian idly flipped to the next page. She rubbed her sore neck, glanced at it casually, but her eyes were instantly fixed on the exam paper, and she stopped rubbing it.
Her face was solemn. She put down her red pen, straightened her back and sat forward, holding the exam paper in both hands and reading it carefully.
When she finished reading it, she clicked her tongue in admiration, then lowered her head and picked it up again to read it once more.
The more I look at it, the more exquisite it becomes; the solution is ingenious, perfectly natural. It must be the best of the best!
I wonder who could have such a thorough and profound insight?
Liu Xian circled the scroll and placed it on top, then personally handed it to the chief examiner.
As soon as she entered, she said, "Lord Yan, this must be the top scholar in the Spring and Autumn Annals!" Looking up, she saw that the chief examiner Yan Hui was surrounded by other examiners.
Liu Xian asked in surprise, "My lords, what's going on?" A moment later, she seemed to understand, and asked, mouth agape, "Have you all come to Dingyuan?"
The examiners, each holding an exam paper, looked at each other awkwardly, saying nothing.
Liu Xian was embarrassed, not expecting that he had been so conservative. He only wanted to qualify for the top spot.
She walked up to Yan Hui, spread out the exam paper, and said solemnly, "With this paper, you should be awarded the top score in the provincial examination."
The examiner who was grading the Four Books pushed past her and sneered, "Don't talk nonsense, Lord Liu. What percentage of the essays are in the Five Classics? You think you can be the top scholar?" He turned to Yan Hui and said, "Lord Yan, this essay is thorough in its understanding of etiquette and righteousness, and combines reason and law. It is truly a classic! I humbly request that you award it the top scholar title!"
The other examiners in charge of judging the poems and essays crowded over and said, "Lord Yan, take a look at mine first! This paper should be the first choice!"
"Lord Yan, don't listen to their nonsense. My exam paper is truly exquisite. Look at mine, look at mine!!"
"Lord Yan, this is the real one! Hey, you scoundrel Qi, how dare you push me! How shameless!"
"Fang Tuchi, how dare you insult me! I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"
The examiners and their entourage started arguing, and it looked like it was about to escalate into a fight.
Yan Hui touched the love scroll she had just read, her face tense as she bit her lip, her expression full of displeasure. Clearly, the scroll she held was the one that should have been finalized.
She stood up abruptly, slammed her hand on the table, and scolded, "Enough! Look at you all, you don't look like officials of the court anymore, you all look like shrewish women wandering the streets."
She said decisively, "Now that all the esteemed officials have finished grading the exam papers, let's unseal the original papers and begin determining the top scorers."
When the clerk brought the exam papers and opened the seal on the spot, all the examiners were dumbfounded.
Some people were dumbfounded: "This...this...it's the same person!"
Liu Xian laughed and said, "Zhang Ting is actually a femme fatale, causing all of you officials to fight over her, haha."
"Tsk tsk, truly a young phoenix whose voice surpasses that of its mother!"
The examiner teased her, saying, "Many elderly women with white hair take the provincial examination. You might not be so sure, Lord Fang. This person might even be older than us."
Lord Fang proudly told her, "You don't know what Zhang Ting has done. She is a promising young woman and a well-known local sage. It is all thanks to her that prices have been stabilized and the people have been saved."
Despite the constant noise around her after opening the sealed book, Yan Hui was engrossed in her own thoughts, holding the original copy of Ai Juan, oblivious to all other sounds around her.
The original scroll's calligraphy is elegant and refined, possessing a timeless and graceful style—truly exquisite! Wonderful! Wonderful!
The style just looks familiar.
When Yan Hui looked up again, his face was solemn, and he solemnly decided, "This person shall be selected as the top scholar!"
On the first day of the ninth month, the results of the provincial examination were released.
Before dawn, the area outside the examination hall was already crowded with people.
Before long, two constables came out with the list of successful candidates and shouted, "Get out of the way at once!" They used their scabbards to clear a path through the crowd and came to a high wall, where they posted the list of successful candidates one by one.
A large crowd gathered behind the list, all craning their necks to look.
Zheng Er didn't send any of his maids; he himself was the first to arrive at midnight to keep watch. He wouldn't feel at ease unless he personally oversaw such an important matter.
She stood calmly in the front row, looking around from the front to the back.
The first-place winner was Zhang Ting, a native of Lvtian County, Tongzhou Prefecture (grandfather Zhang Qian, mother Zhang Qiu, both scholars).
The second-place winner was Zheng Ai, an official registered in Tongzhou Prefecture...
"You're amazing, boss!" Zheng Er jumped up excitedly, her eyes even brimming with tears. At this moment, she was happier than at any other time in her life. She almost hit the person next to her and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please forgive me, Your Majesty!" But she couldn't stop smiling.
The man was already depressed after failing the exam, and seeing her so excited, he snorted angrily and turned away.
The frail-looking scholar standing before the list of successful candidates was overjoyed: "I passed! I passed! I finally passed!!" She excitedly announced to those around her, not caring whether they knew her or not.
"Oh no, I failed again! I was so close, so very close!" someone lamented in anguish.
Someone exclaimed excitedly, "Look, everyone! I told you the top scholar would be Zhang Xianshi!"
"We are in awe of your talent."
"In my opinion, Zhang Jieyuan should be the foremost scholar in Tongzhou Prefecture in terms of both talent and virtue."
"That's right, that's right, my dear sister is absolutely right."
Zheng Er grinned, revealing his white teeth, his heart pounding with excitement, and squeezed through the crowd, saying, "Ladies, please make way."
She wanted to run back and share the good news, to be the first to tell her employer. For the past three years, her employer had worked day and night, never putting down his books, pouring countless efforts into his work, and finally, his efforts had paid off!
At the same time, the messenger carrying the good news held up a red plaque and walked to the outside of Zhang's residence, shouting: "Congratulations to your esteemed family's virtuous and filial Zhang Ting for achieving the top rank in the Tongzhou Prefecture provincial examination!"
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