Provincial Examination (Seeking Recommendations and Collections!)

"Have you heard? The Fairy has gone to seek immortality and the Dao; she can no longer divine our fortunes!"

"My mother wept for half the night, regretting that she hadn't asked about her future."

"Sigh..."

No one knew of the battle that had taken place within the Fairy Temple.

Yet, for more than a month afterward, undercurrents surged throughout the entirety of Yong Prefecture and even the Jinghu South Circuit.

Huang Shang did not know the specific methods used by Wu Que and Nightingale, but judging by their habit of hiding by day and moving by night, nearly every official and member of the gentry had been visited.

Even if ordinary people discovered the true face of the Fairy, they would meet a miserable end if they dared to seize leverage over the powerful.

But what kind of people were these Star-level Reincarnators? With a few slight maneuvers, they had brought those people to heel.

The network of connections that He and the Ming Cult behind her had spent so much effort to build was now being utilized by them.

After that, it was time to cover things up.

The Fairy Temple, which had previously boasted countless fervent believers, was sealed off, and the crowds dispersed as quickly as the tea cooled.

Facts proved that there was no one in this world without whom life could not go on.

During this period, Huang Shang only returned home once before moving out.

This was to prevent retaliation from the Ming Cult.

He and Zhu Yan were not dead; they had been imprisoned.

Their disappearance could be explained away as them betraying the cult and fleeing.

However, the movements of the high-ranking officials in each prefecture and county were clearly signaling hostility to the Ming Cult.

The Ming Cult would inevitably be enraged and strike back.

Wu Que and Nightingale did not lower their guard; at such a critical juncture, they could not afford to be distracted by protecting Huang Shang's entire family.

In this way, everyone was satisfied.

While the Reincarnators were busy running about, Huang Shang stayed in a Daoist temple, studying diligently.

It was common practice for scholars to lodge in temples before examinations.

Unlike Buddhist temples, which were bustling with people, the Daoist temple offered the quiet Huang Shang desired to read, write, and make final preparations for the Provincial Examination.

At this moment, he was studying the Mencius.

Later generations would collectively refer to the "Way of Confucius and Mencius," placing the two on equal footing, but in the Song Dynasty, Mencius had not yet reached such heights.

During the Han and Tang dynasties, Mencius was merely one of the sages of Confucianism and not particularly prominent. It was not until Han Yu burst onto the scene, championing Mencius and establishing the theory of the Daoist lineage, that he claimed the Confucian lineage passed from Yao to Shun, Shun to Yu, Yu to Tang, Tang to Wen, Wu, and the Duke of Zhou, and from the Duke of Zhou to Confucius, and finally from Confucius to Mencius.

In this way, the status of Mencius changed significantly.

As an aside, when later generations summarized the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song, Han Yu's status was quite unique.

In literature, Han Yu was a pioneer of the Classical Prose Movement.

In Confucian studies, Han Yu was the source of many schools of Song learning.

One must realize that during the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism and Daoism flourished, while Confucianism was actually in decline.

It was Han Yu who emerged to revitalize the Confucian school.

Among the students under Zhang Zai, whenever they mentioned Han Yu, they referred to him as Master Han, which showed their respect for him.

Even so, the current Confucian circle held two completely different views on Mencius.

For instance, Sima Guang disliked Mencius intensely and had even written the Doubting Mencius.

Sima Guang's Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance can be called a textbook on imperial governance; naturally, he would not like the view of Mencius that the people are more important than the ruler. All the great scholars of his faction feel the same.

My teacher, Zhang Zai, reveres Mencius, and Wang Anshi also champions him; these are the supporters.

Hmm, I need to investigate clearly which faction the examiner belongs to this time.

Undoubtedly, Huang Shang was categorizing the examiners.

His scholarship was already sufficient.

What followed was to fathom the examiner's mind.

This was crucial.

Do not think that the Provincial Examination would be without issues; the King of Hell is easy to see, but the little devils are hard to deal with. It is truly hard to say when one might capsize in a gutter.

For example, if the examiner detested Mencius, and you were to praise him excessively between the lines, you would certainly be sabotaged.

It was not just Mencius; many aspects could be taboos.

An examination is an examination; it requires flexibility.

Huang Shang knew very well that only after achieving success and fame could one better realize their ideals.

It was not the time to impatiently vent one's own thoughts and ambitions within a single test paper.

As for the situation of the examiners, how could he obtain it?

It doesn't matter, aren't there Reincarnators?

Sure enough, Huang Shang only had to show a look of inquiry, and Nightingale immediately went to handle it with joy.

In just one night, the detailed information on the chief examiner of Yong Prefecture was laid out on the table.

August.

The triennial imperial examination finally opened.

A fence had long been erected in front of the Examination Hall in Yong Prefecture.

Wu Que and Nightingale, who had come to see Huang Shang off, could only reach the gate, waving at him repeatedly just like parents sending their children off to a college entrance exam, their eyes filled with earnest anticipation.

As Huang Shang passed through the gate, his eyes were met with scholars waiting to enter and patrol soldiers maintaining order.

Among them were the clerks responsible for examination affairs, lined up in front of the Examination Hall, each holding a sign as if they were picking people up at an airport.

One with a loud voice shouted: "Find the corresponding examiner according to your name tags, line up, and enter in order after a quarter of an hour!"

The scholars lined up in a chaotic mess, some already sweating profusely from nervousness.

After a period of confusion, everyone finally stood in place. The gates of the Examination Hall opened, and a second group of clerks, who had been waiting for a long time, began to check the rosters.

They strictly scrutinized the candidates: name, place of origin, age, appearance, and so on.

This was to prevent anyone from taking the exam on another's behalf.

After everyone's identity was verified, the clerk with the sign led them further inside, though they still hadn't reached the examination rooms.

In a shed on the right, he said to the students with a straight face: "Before paying respects to the Most Holy Sage, you must bathe and change your clothes. You have the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, then go to the exit to collect your belongings."

Including Huang Shang, everyone began to strip efficiently.

At first glance, this seemed quite strange—did the examination hall provide baths?

In reality, this was a method to prevent the smuggling of crib notes.

Throughout history, smuggling had been the best way to cheat, with endless tricks that were impossible to guard against.

Therefore, when candidates entered the hall during the Tang Dynasty, not only were their belongings checked, but they were also searched thoroughly from head to toe, inside and out, which inevitably involved some groping.

By the Song Dynasty, the power of the literati had surged, and the scholar-officials considered this an insult to their dignity, so they came up with the bathing method.

This way, while the scholars bathed inside, the proctors could search their belongings outside.

It prevented cheating while maintaining decorum.

Of course, this was only in the Song Dynasty, which was extremely kind to the literati, despite the time and effort involved.

By the Ming Dynasty, they simply stripped naked, stood obediently, and were searched clean amidst a chorus of "freedom."

Huang Shang felt very fortunate.

Entering the bathhouse, he found it somewhat similar to later generations.

Above his head were several thick bamboo pipes with rows of small holes spraying water.

It wasn't just a shower; the water temperature was also very moderate, much better than what many had in their own homes.

Huang Shang took a hot shower with a sense of nostalgia, dried himself with a towel, and put on the clothes specifically provided by the Examination Hall.

When all the candidates had gathered in the square, feeling refreshed, the chief examiner, Scholar Guo, appeared before them wearing a crimson official robe.

On the incense table, the statue of the Most Holy Sage stood silently.

If Heaven had not produced Confucius, the ages would have been like a long, dark night.

The other candidates were all looking at the examiner; after all, it was the living man who truly held their fate in his hands.

But Huang Shang looked at Confucius, never blinking.

In his vision, that was no longer a clay statue.

It was a vessel for Literary Qi!

A vessel for Literary Qi so dense it was beyond description!

Thanks to book friends "Feng Yu Wu Fei," "Heaven Crystal Hun Tian Treasure Mirror," "I Am the Reincarnator King," "Ba Zhang He," and "Brother Tutu ← True" for their tips.