Although this was the provincial examination, in which xiucai competed to become juren, rather than the metropolitan examination, in which juren competed to become jinshi, it was being held in Yujing and was therefore no trifling matter. Moreover, the court attached particular importance to the civil examinations, and the step from xiucai to juren concerned the tax exemption granted to the gentry. Thus, high-ranking court officials had been dispatched to serve as chief examiners.
Sure enough, a grand sedan chair arrived outside the gates. Hong Xuanji emerged from it in official robes, his face solemn.
"Quickly, go welcome him. The Grand Preceptor oversees civil administration. Marquis Wuwen was conferred the title of Grand Preceptor yesterday; he must have come under His Majesty's orders to inspect the examination grounds today."
Having found the examiner's line of thought and written accordingly, Hong Yi's brush danced like dragons and serpents. In less than two hours, while it had only just reached noon and the surrounding xiucai were still gnawing their brush handles, he had already handed in his paper.
"There has been no smuggling of materials and no cheating." Li Shenguang spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, then waved his hand. "Grand Preceptor Hong, please proceed to the chief examiner's room."
"These sages never became gods. The upright, masculine force upon them comes solely from generations upon generations of scholars worshipping them and leaving their thoughts upon the sages. Over time, those thoughts accumulated into this vast and righteous will, radiant as the sun and moon. If no one worships them for a long time, that will shall gradually disperse. Likewise, if all scholars lose the righteousness in their hearts and do nothing but scurry about like flies and dogs, will these sages also lose their power?"
"Hmm? First place?" Hong Xuanji's gaze flickered