Literary Assessment

The Dao Assessment took twenty people per round. By the time all three hundred-plus examinees had finished, it was already dusk. According to the regulations for this unified examination, the Literary Assessment would be completed on the second day.

There were no incidents overnight. Early the next morning, Wei Yuan was led into a brightly lit grand hall. Tables and chairs, along with the Four Treasures of the Study, were already set up. Just like during the Dao Assessment, the moment Wei Yuan entered the hall, he saw his number flashing on a table.

As Wei Yuan walked over and took his seat, he felt as if an invisible wall had risen around him, isolating all sound and commotion. He couldn't hear anyone else, and the surrounding scenery became blurry. Even the person at the next table was indistinguishable, and he couldn't see what was written on their paper.

The furnishings on the desk were simple: a sheet of white paper in the center, a brush rest to the right holding a fine-tipped brush, and an inkstone with a bowl of clear water in the middle of the desk. Then, the clear voice of the Daoist Priest sounded beside Wei Yuan, briefly explaining the use of the various writing implements. The most miraculous was the bowl of clear water; if he made a mistake, he could dip his brush in a little of the water to erase it and rewrite.

After explaining the use of the stationery, the Daoist Priest's voice turned solemn: "Literary Assessment, begin!"

Following the Daoist Priest's voice, dense lines of text automatically appeared on the white paper before Wei Yuan. Wei Yuan had already picked up his brush, but he froze upon seeing the exam paper. There was basically no blank space left on the paper; where was he supposed to write his answers?

Wei Yuan steadied himself and carefully read the questions. The first question was:

In the Thirteenth Year of Jingxuan, who blocked Emperor Hui's carriage and presented the Eight Strategies for Pacifying Liao?

A: Zhong Heng B: Ding Shu C: Gongshu Luyuan D: Daoist Master Xianju

Wei Yuan had never seen a question posed like this before, and Zhang Sheng had never taught him such a thing. Fortunately, the question wasn't difficult. This was a significant event in Tang History, and Wei Yuan's fundamentals were solid. He searched his memory and picked up his brush to mark the letter D.

Next was the second question: In the Thirty-fifth Year of Mingde, who led eight thousand one hundred armored soldiers, decisively defeated the mountain tribes at Ji, and beheaded two hundred seventy-three?

A: Mao Gong B: Xu Chu C: Master Huihai D: Hanikuzi

This question also didn't stump Wei Yuan, who could recite Tang History backward and forward. He scanned it at a glance, saw the name Xu Chu, and marked the letter B. After answering this question, Wei Yuan's pounding heart gradually calmed down. Although the question format was strange, the difficulty wasn't high. If all the questions were like this, this Literary Assessment would be a piece of cake.

However, a strange thought suddenly crossed Wei Yuan's mind: what if the question wasn't about Xu Chu, but about the thirty-fourth, thirty-fifth, or thirty-sixth year of Mingde? Or even more, what if it asked about eight thousand one hundred or eight thousand two hundred armored soldiers, or even two hundred seventy-three or seventy-four beheaded...

Little Wei Yuan suddenly shivered and quickly banished the terrifying thought from his mind. He chuckled inwardly, thinking, Who would be so idiotic as to set such a stupid question?

Wei Yuan gradually calmed down and answered fluently. The subsequent questions did not contain any content that made Wei Yuan tremble.

After finishing a page, Wei Yuan set it aside. A new sheet of white paper would automatically appear on the desk, displaying new questions.

Soon, Wei Yuan encountered another type of question he had never seen before: In the Twenty-first Year of Xuanwu, Emperor Taizong of Tang defeated Northern Liao at (), reclaiming seven thousand li of land and establishing () prefectures.

This time, there were no A, B, C, D options; he had to fill in the blanks himself.

This battle was the nation-defining war for Great Tang. Emperor Taizong fought for seven months, finally annihilating Northern Liao at Wuyang, killing two of Northern Liao's three Great Masters, and establishing the Seven Commanderies of Yanzhou. Of course, Yanzhou now has twenty-two commanderies; that's a story for another time.

Such a major event naturally didn't stump Wei Yuan. Wei Yuan picked up his brush and began writing, his characters strong and vigorous. He discovered that the brush in his hand also had a mysterious quality; the strokes it produced could be extremely fine, even if the characters were as small as millet grains. The brushes Wei Yuan used as a child weren't like this; characters as large as beans would easily blur into a mess.

Wei Yuan wrote with gusto, and the stack of exam papers on his desk grew higher. After continuously answering over ten pages, only one line of text appeared on the newly presented white paper, with the rest being blank:

Discuss Xu Jie's presentation of Emperor Ming's Book of Recommending the Virtuous.

A policy essay!

Wei Yuan's spirits immediately lifted. Finally, something familiar.

Xu Jie was a renowned minister in the early Great Tang period. He presented the Book of Recommending the Virtuous to Emperor Ming, who had recently ascended the throne, suggesting broader channels for recruiting talented individuals. This single act laid the foundation for a century of prosperity. This question was essentially about the policy of employing people, questioning whether to prioritize virtue or talent.

Wei Yuan pondered for a moment, then his brush flew across the paper, writing rapidly. When Zhang Sheng taught him, he not only required Wei Yuan to memorize the Book of Recommending the Virtuous but also meticulously explained each point, discussed its actual impact based on historical facts of the time, and finally had Wei Yuan consider how the strategies in the book would affect different eras. Only then was he considered to have completed the task.

There was no single correct answer for this type of question. According to Zhang Sheng's teachings, it needed to be answered in conjunction with the prevailing trends of the time to be considered qualified. Anything detached from the historical context of the time was mere empty talk.

In a short while, Wei Yuan had filled the page. He set it aside and began looking at the next question:

In the Tenth Year of Xuanguang, the Western Jin suffered an earthquake in three prefectures. In March, famine-stricken civilians rose in rebellion. In May, mountain dwellers from the south invaded. General Fan Yuan led an army of fifty thousand from the capital. Should he advance west or head south?

This question tested whether to prioritize dealing with external threats or internal stability; there was no definitive answer. In historical records, Fan Yuan marched west to suppress the rebels, beheading hundreds of thousands, yet the unrest continued. The mountain dwellers took advantage of the chaos to invade, pushing directly towards the capital, ultimately forcing the Western Jin to sign a treaty of capitulation. As a result, the Western Jin's national strength greatly diminished, falling from being one of the Three Great Vassals to the bottom of the Nine Kingdoms.

This question was more difficult. Wei Yuan pondered for a moment, referencing real cases from historical records, and began to discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

To answer well, besides learning from history, one also needed to be familiar with the geographical environment of the Western Jin at the time, the characteristics of its ruler and ministers, and the movements of neighboring kingdoms. This far exceeded Wei Yuan's capabilities. Without being a master historian, one could not answer this question well.

Page after page of white paper was filled with writing and then set aside. Unknowingly, nearly two hours had passed, yet Wei Yuan didn't feel the slightest fatigue. The chair he sat on continuously emitted a cool sensation, allowing him to maintain a clear mind and full energy.

When Wei Yuan finished filling another page and set it aside, no new white paper appeared on the desk. Wei Yuan exhaled and placed his brush back on the rest. He picked up the completed exam papers and reread them. Throughout the entire exam, Wei Yuan hadn't encountered a question he couldn't answer. As for the policy essays, there were a few with no definitive answers, but Wei Yuan, remembering to be self-consistent, felt his answers were satisfactory.

Judging solely by the policy essays, the questions Zhang Sheng had given Wei Yuan in the past were far more difficult than this exam.

A gong sounded, signaling the end of the Literary Assessment.

The examinees left their papers on the tables and filed out of the hall, returning to their dormitories to rest.

As soon as Wei Yuan left the hall, a noticeable wave of fatigue washed over him. The full three hours of the Literary Assessment, even with the support of the precious chair, had completely drained Wei Yuan's mental energy. The other examinees also had no energy to talk and hurried back to their rooms to rest. The Martial Assessment was the next morning, and they needed to conserve their strength.