Provincial Examination

Lin Su had been in a good mood for the past twenty-odd days.

With hundreds of taels of silver coming in daily from the winery, anyone would be in a good mood.

This allowed him to study with peace of mind.

After ten days of studying, his mood improved even further because he discovered that the path of the imperial examinations wasn't that difficult after all.

The Provincial Examination tested poetry and policy essays.

Poetry was a given, and as for policy essays, they were also incredibly simple for him. Ever since he inadvertently opened his Literary Path with a Ci poem titled "Butterflies Love Flowers," the great tree in his mind had been nourished. All the articles and poems he had read before reappeared clearly. Some he had only read the title of, and had skimmed through with blurry vision, now reappeared completely and bizarrely, making Lin Su suspect if the "Residual Text Completion" function of his golden finger had also manifested in the Literary Way.

Through this method, he had memorized no less than three hundred, if not five hundred, policy essays!

It was important to note that among the countless policy essays, only those that stood out and had endured through time were the excellent ones, each a masterpiece! Lesser policy essays had long been cast aside by the relentless march of time.

The examination itself wasn't the problem; his calligraphy was.

In the imperial examinations, calligraphy was also extremely important. In this world, calligraphy was even considered a great Dao. Some Great Confucians, despite not having high levels of writing skill, could still achieve enlightenment through their profound mastery of calligraphy.

Therefore, during this period, he had been diligently practicing calligraphy.

He particularly favored the Yan Style, which was free-spirited and unrestrained, with less rigid rules, suiting his personality quite well.

His Second Brother, that human-shaped clock, had already announced the final countdown for today. Tomorrow was the big day!

Tonight, no one was allowed to disturb him; this was an order personally issued by Madam Lin.

Lin Su ate a sumptuous dinner and, as Madam Lin had instructed, went to bed early. However, he found himself unable to sleep, a common affliction carried over from his previous life. After tossing and turning for a while, Lin Su opened his eyes and gazed at the ceiling. Suddenly, he detected a strange little object, resembling a tiny, slender sword, hidden in a crack between the floorboards, suspended in mid-air.

If his Literary Path hadn't been so widely opened and his Literary Root so strengthened, making his five senses incredibly sharp, he would never have noticed it.

This discovery made Lin Su's heart pound. Damn, what is that thing?

He got out of bed stealthily. He could sense the little object following him. He went to the study, and the little object entered the study. As it glided past the moonlight filtering through the courtyard, there was a flash of light. Lin Su felt a familiar sensation. Yes, it was the same peculiar faint light he had seen last time when that little vixen, Dark Night, had carved characters onto his face.

Dark Night! You little vixen, you've gone too far.

Everyone knows you want to steal the secret formula... oh, wait, people from Earth don't know, but Lin Su knew with his toes.

Just honestly go and steal the secret formula. As long as you can overcome the hurdle of microbial fermentation technology, I'll even concede the brewing technology's secrets.

But you've been monitoring me personally for so long, that's over the top. You're hovering a sword over my head while I sleep! Is this something a decent person would do?

For all these days, you've probably been watching every character I write. If I were to write down the secret formula, it would be leaked.

Lin Su recalled and secretly rejoiced. During these past few days, when he practiced writing, he had only written the Four Books and Five Classics. He hadn't written anything else. Thank goodness, thank goodness. In a society where miraculous techniques and divine methods are flying everywhere, one really can't be too careful.

Although there wasn't any major loss, Lin Su still felt a surge of indignation.

Spying?

Fine, I'll show you something new!

He sat down at his desk, picked up his brush, and began to write.

"On this night, Pan Jinlian had just bathed and was sitting on the edge of the bed when Ximen Qing entered the room. His hand reached towards..."

In the attic, Dark Night's eyes suddenly widened. Using the sword as her eyes, what did she see?

Not scriptures, not secret formulas, but a story. The story was incredibly vivid. She seemed to see a man, a woman, engaging in something illicit late at night. The narrative was detailed and intricate. Before she knew it, her legs began to tremble slightly, and the small sword suspended above Lin Su also trembled.

As Lin Su's pen described the scene with extreme detail, the small sword suddenly shot upwards and returned to the attic. Dark Night leaned against a pillar, her chin beneath the black veil flushing red...

Heavens, don't men of letters write about sages and beautiful poems?

Don't words carry the Great Dao of heaven and earth?

Why has it suddenly changed its appearance completely?

Heaven as my witness, she knew this was very vulgar, extremely vulgar, but his descriptions possessed a strange magic, seeping into her bones, making her feel as if she were there. It made her entire body feel hot and weak...

Lin Su noticed the small sword's departure, a smile playing on his lips.

A page of "smutty" literature repelled a super expert. Success!

But as he stood up, he couldn't move his feet for a moment. The effect of the "smutty" literature was mutual. While it drove away Dark Night, he himself was also affected. It took him a long while to slowly return to normal. He walked towards the bedroom, his mind filled with fantasies. On previous nights, Xiao Tao would always come before sleep, lingering and not knowing what she was up to. Would she come tonight?

Xiao Tao did not come tonight because Madam had issued a strict order that no one was to disturb him.

Lin Su tossed and turned on the bed like a pancake for most of the night before finally falling asleep.

His last thought before sleeping was: This trick really can't be used often. Isn't it torture? Whether it tortured her or not, I don't know, but I truly felt the torment myself...

In the early morning, Lin Su was awakened by his Second Brother.

Madam Lin personally brought a bowl of noodles. These were the Ascending Official Noodles made by his mother's own hands. Seven or eight maids stood in two rows, simultaneously congratulating the Third Young Master on his impending success.

In the attic, Dark Night stared coldly, cursing inwardly. Ascending official, go ahead and ascend official for me to see. If a vulgar scoundrel like you could ascend official, then all the Sages must be blind, and heaven and earth would be utterly unjust!

Lin Jialiang escorted Lin Su to the pier. Many people were already waiting there, all participants in the examination from Haining. Several professors were also at the pier, and Lei Dongyang was there as well. However, today, he was not acting as a judge but merely as a bodyguard. The imperial examinations for scholars were of utmost importance, and they must not be disrupted. Therefore, every step of the process was under strict protection.

Stepping over a red rope barrier marked the waiting area. Only those participating in the current imperial examination could enter; accompanying personnel were strictly prohibited.

Lin Jialiang handed Lin Su the provisions his mother had prepared and whispered to him, "Third Brother, go and strike up a conversation with Professor Lei. Even if you can't get his special attention, at least try to ease any potential friction."

Lin Su asked, "In the imperial examinations, can he cheat?"

"How is that possible? The imperial examinations are monitored by the sacred will of all Sages. Not even the Emperor could cheat, let alone him?"

"Then why should I try to mend fences with him?"

"..." Lin Jialiang gently patted his head. "Third Brother, you've just embarked on the Literary Path. On this path, you can't do without connections and influence. 'Three people can make a tiger,' and 'accumulated slander can bone a person.' Building a literary reputation isn't something that happens overnight; it comes from many people and many events..."

"Okay, I know!" Lin Su patted his second brother's shoulder and stepped over the red line.

In a small grove by the river, a little white fox hid in the grass. It watched Lin Su cross the red line. Finally, this kid is out of his turtle shell. Without the protection of that expert inside, I can make my move.

But she didn't make a move because she suddenly realized this kid was participating in the imperial examinations!

In that case, there's no rush to capture him. If he can truly pass the imperial exams and establish himself in the literary world, his vital energy will be even more potent then. It won't be too late to capture him then! Fruit is best when it's ripe...

But can this kid really pass the imperial exams?

The little fox felt it was quite unlikely.

She knew about the imperial examinations. They weren't something a genius could pass with a sudden burst of inspiration. One had to study the classics of all the sages for a long time. Had this kid studied them?

According to her thorough investigation during this period, absolutely not!

Lin Su crossed the red line and stood before Lei Dongyang, bowing slightly. "Professor Lei, good morning!"

Lin Jialiang nodded. Good, good. A promising young scholar.

Lei Dongyang looked up at the sky. The faint dawn light on the horizon seemed to have sparked some inspiration in him, and he was temporarily oblivious to everything on the ground...

A young man beside Lei Dongyang chimed in, "Kid, your name is Lin Su?"

"Yes! And may I ask your esteemed surname, brother?"

The young man lightly fanned open his folding fan, revealing two large characters: Lingyun.

"I am Zhang Haoyue of the Zhang family in Haining. Zhang Xiu is my elder brother!"

Zhang Xiu's brother!

Lin Su smiled faintly. "A pleasure to meet you!"

"The imperial examination hall ultimately tests one's cultural depth, not a few poems written on a whim that can get you by."

"And then?"

Zhang Haoyue smiled. "And then? Heh heh, there is no 'then.' The Lin family will still be the Lin family, and trash will still be trash!"

Lin Su applauded and praised. "Brother Zhang speaks profoundly! Trash will always be trash! Well said! Take Zhang Xiu, for example. Even though he got the title of Xiucai and was the number one Xiucai in Qu Prefecture, didn't his literary career ultimately collapse, and wasn't he completely removed from the Literary Way? This shows that trash can only fool people for a while, not for a lifetime."

Zhang Haoyue's folding fan stopped its motion, and an infinite killing intent flashed in his eyes.

The young scholars beside him also stared at Lin Su, their gazes decidedly unfriendly.

Even Lei Dongyang's face turned green.

The literary world was a circle. The Zhang family was deeply rooted and influential, with a flourishing literary tradition and extensive connections. Therefore, nine out of ten scholars in Qu Prefecture had some acquaintance with their family.

When Zhang Xiu's literary career was shattered in Haining Tower that day, and his Literary Path was severed, the Minister of War flew into a rage, and the entire Zhang family was furious. This included the families friendly with the Zhang family, the literary talents who had been close to Zhang Xiu, and especially the other Eight Scholars of Qu Prefecture who were present in the tower at the time, along with their families. Not a single one of them felt favorably towards Lin Su. Almost everyone held a grudge, vowing to expel Lin Su, the "stirrer of the literary world."

However, expelling Lin Su was not easy. This kid possessed peerless poetic talent. Every time his Treasure Brush fell upon Treasure Paper, seven-colored auspicious clouds became the norm. This was an assessment by the Sage's will, and no one dared to object.

But this kid actually courted death by daring to participate in the imperial examinations. Upon hearing that he had registered, Lei Dongyang became excited and immediately sent this news to half the literary world of Qu Prefecture, sparking excitement in countless people.

Good! You're amazing in the poetry world, protected by the Sage's auspicious clouds, no one can break through. But you've jumped into a field you're not good at. Don't blame us for kicking you while you're down.

Soon, various plans were formulated, awaiting the grand opening of the show.

Today was the day the grand show would begin!

"Dare to bet?" Zhang Haoyue said coldly.

"Bet on what?"

"The imperial examinations start today, so naturally, we bet on the results. The one with the higher ranking wins, and the one with the lower ranking loses!"

"What are the stakes? If it's ten thousand taels of silver, I can't afford it."

"As scholars, how can we bet on such material wealth?" Zhang Haoyue laughed. "The loser will strip off all their clothes, run three laps around Haining City, and shout 'I am trash' ten times! Furthermore, the winner can ask the loser one question, and the loser must answer truthfully and in detail!"

The entire place fell silent. Although it wasn't about gold or silver, this bet was extraordinarily significant.

The loser would run naked around the city three times, shouting "I am trash." Their reputation would be ruined, their lifelong shame, their Literary Root would be tarnished, and their Literary Path would surely be severed!

For a scholar, this was even more serious than betting their head.

Lin Su burst into laughter. "Running naked! Haha, that's quite interesting. My elder brother said that when soldiers fight on the border and there's no one around, swimming naked by the river has a unique charm. Brother Zhang truly lives a carefree life. This way, isn't it similar to the border soldiers..."

Everyone exchanged glances. Did he truly not understand the gravity of this bet?

Judging by his expression, he really didn't seem to grasp it. He wasn't originally a scholar. When warriors fought outside, swimming naked did happen. But how could that compare to scholars? How could the wilderness compare to a bustling city?

Zhang Haoyue's heart skipped a beat. "So, will you bet?"

"Bet? Why wouldn't I bet? To gamble for the imperial examinations, a fine tale for the literary world!"

"Very well, let's write down the contract!"