Departmental Examination (Seeking Recommendations and Collections)

The sound of bells and drums drifted from afar. It was barely past four in the morning, and while the sky remained pitch black, the sound of footsteps was already converging toward the Imperial Academy.

If not for the lanterns, the scene would have resembled a city besieged by zombies.

This was because every scholar wore an expression of grim determination, like soldiers rushing to the battlefield, ready to draw their weapons and kill at any moment.

The Departmental Examination was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Rites of the Department of State Affairs, hence it was also known as the Ministry of Rites Examination; in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it would be called the Metropolitan Examination.

Today, four thousand eight hundred and seventy-two provincial graduates from the four hundred prefectures of the realm had gathered in the capital.

Yet, fewer than four hundred would remain!

The Palace Examination determined one's rank, but the Departmental Examination determined one's fate.

If not for the requirements of Literary Qi, the status of the last place in the Departmental Examination would be identical to that of the first.

Thus, this second round, the Departmental Examination, was truly the decisive battle for those who had spent ten years studying by the light of the snow.

It was no wonder the candidates wore such expressions.

Huang Shang and You Shixiong merged into the flow of people, moving forward with calm and composed expressions.

He was actually somewhat nervous, but compared to the other scholars who were gambling their entire destinies on this single test, he was naturally much better off.

Furthermore, he was single-minded and had studied diligently until now; he was sufficiently prepared. If this were not enough, he would have no regrets.

With a few strikes of the gong, the gates of the Imperial Academy slowly creaked open.

The examiner in charge of this session was Fan Zhen.

This man was actually quite formidable, but the Great Song was so full of brilliant talents that he was relatively less famous; however, in the field of historiography, there was the celebrated story of the "Three Fans Compiling History."

The gate guards, stern and solemn, led several squads of soldiers out. Under their supervision, thousands of people moved forward slowly and orderly, merging into the examination grounds.

The subsequent procedures were identical to the Provincial Examination, so there was no need to repeat them. However, when Huang Shang saw the statue of the Sage Confucius inside the Imperial Academy, he could not help but be startled.

That surge of Literary Qi could no longer be described as merely dense; it was vast, immense, and filled the heavens and the earth.

It did not just cover the Imperial Academy; it radiated throughout the entire capital.

Since the Han dynasty elevated Confucianism, for over a thousand years, it had influenced all of China, penetrating every detail of people's lives.

If this were considered a faith, then without a doubt, its reach far exceeded that of Taoism or Buddhism.

Yet, in this world, the primordial energy of heaven and earth was thin, and no one could utilize this power, leaving it to go to waste.

At that moment, Huang Shang's breathing quickened slightly, and he felt a greedy urge to absorb it with all his might, but his reason quickly suppressed it.

During his strengthening as the top provincial graduate, he could have actively absorbed more Literary Qi if he had wanted to.

However, his reason told him this was not a long-term path.

Any power that leaned toward faith was too deeply intertwined with the environment of the world.

This world was the Song dynasty, which had elevated Confucianism to the heavens and emphasized literature over martial arts to the extreme, which was why such convenience existed. If he were to travel through the Heavens Consciousness in the future, would every world be an ancient Eastern one?

Therefore, Huang Shang used Literary Qi and internal energy to form the Noble Spirit.

Internal energy strengthened the physique, blood, and spirit, providing insight into the mysteries of the human body;

Literary Qi focused on knowledge, breadth of mind, spirit, and the bearing of historical responsibility;

The combination of the two was the Noble Spirit!

This power was the only one that truly belonged to him, and no matter where he went, it would be effective!

In view of this, craving too much Literary Qi now would inevitably lead to an imbalance.

If one's virtue does not match their position, disaster will surely follow.

Huang Shang cleared his mind and saw his true nature, turning a blind eye to the temptations of the outside world. He entered his best state and stepped into the examination hall.

Soon, the test papers were distributed, and he began to review the questions.

His first impression: the difficulty had skyrocketed.

His second impression: the scope had expanded.

The spike in difficulty was reflected in the obscure interpretations of the classics. To answer these perfectly was no longer a matter of rote memorization; it required a thorough mastery and integration of knowledge.

This did not stump Huang Shang.

His studies were never rigid, and he had long been able to draw inferences about other cases from one instance.

The expansion of scope was in the poetry and the policy essays.

A wider scope was indeed easier for showcasing one's talents, but it also made it easier to discern a person's true learning and insight.

Only in this way could the gap between candidates be widened.

After reviewing the questions, Huang Shang set them aside and reviewed the three main points he had conceived long ago.

First, be unique.

Whether it was his writing style or his viewpoints, he had to make the examiners' eyes light up.

The number of examiners for the Departmental Examination was much higher than for the prefectural exams, but because there were more people, there were also more papers, requiring even greater caution during the grading process.

Human energy is limited, after all. Do not assume the Departmental Examination is any different; in truth, one must still rely on the strategy of seizing the initiative to gain an advantage.

Everyone here is a survivor who has fought their way through thousands of troops and horses; how much of a gap can there really be in literary talent and scholarship?

Sometimes, it is simply about novelty.

Second, one must have substance in their words.

Huang Shang had specifically traveled to Liangguang to collect a vast amount of information precisely for this point.

The examiners for the Departmental Examination are the elite of the entire nation, possessing eyes like torches; what places have they not visited, and what matters do they not understand?

Cases like Su Shi fabricating allusions in his essays are, after all, rare exceptions. Under normal circumstances, exaggerating in an article is essentially a death sentence, and it is precisely when an article reaches a point of unbridled passion that one is most prone to making such mistakes.

Third, one must target the competition.

This is where the merit of the earlier intelligence gathering comes in.

Huang Shang recalled the formidable competitors of this imperial examination in his mind, identifying their areas of expertise so he could avoid them.

Then, in the fields where these people were not proficient, he would unleash his full potential and defeat them all.

This applies not only to this examination but to achieving success in life as well, does it not?

After reviewing these points, Huang Shang picked up the Zhuge Pen.

Calm and composed!

Just as Huang Shang was writing furiously, Xu Yue and her three companions were traversing the Worry-Free Cave.

With the alliance formed, the cooperation between the four Reincarnators was terrifyingly efficient.

Xu Yue formulated the plans, Wu Que identified gaps and made improvements, Xu Feng charged into the fray, and Nightingale provided support and enhancements.

Each of the four had their own strengths, and they quickly locked onto suspicious targets, following the clues to uncover their tracks within Kaifeng Prefecture.

As expected, it was the Worry-Free Cave.

This place was simply too advantageous for concealment.

Reincarnators love such places, and so do their enemies.

At this moment, the four maintained their formation, remaining extremely vigilant throughout.

No matter how much the Worry-Free Cave had been magically altered, there were no waterways beneath the Imperial City.

But what did not exist originally could be excavated.

"Here!"

As the four searched meticulously, Nightingale soon discovered a trace and pointed with his magic staff.

On a wall that had appeared empty just a moment before, ripples suddenly emerged. As a Taoist talisman drifted down like a falling leaf, a brand-new passageway was revealed before their eyes.

Xu Feng touched the smooth edges and measured the height: "This was done by excavation robots. Good grief, this is well-hidden—digging a tunnel right under our noses!"

Nightingale looked up and asked curiously: "Why is it so high?"

The passage was built to nearly four meters, which did indeed look strange, as a two-meter passage was sufficient for a normal person.

Xu Yue wore a thoughtful expression, while Wu Que asked: "Where does this direction lead?"

Xu Yue spread her hands, and a three-dimensional map of the Imperial City appeared above them, with a red line traced out: "It leads to Yanfu Palace!"

Yanfu Palace was a relatively independent palace area outside the main palace complex. Its scale was not large at the time; it would only be after Emperor Huizong of Song ascended the throne and grew dissatisfied with the cramped palace grounds that Cai Jing, to curry favor with the Emperor, would summon the five great eunuchs including Tong Guan and Yang Jian to begin massive renovations.

Wu Que looked at the map: "They intend to enter the Northern Inner Palace from Yanfu Palace and then proceed to the Eastern Palace to assassinate the Crown Prince. Shall we destroy the passage directly, or lie in wait here?"

Just as Xu Yue was about to speak, Xu Feng and Wu Que's expressions suddenly changed: "Alert! Someone is coming!"

A moment later, a sound clearly reached the ears of Xu Yue and Nightingale as well.

It was a sound emanating from the chest cavity, not like a human, but more like the breathing of a wild beast.

The four immediately separated and took up their formation, only to see a massive silhouette squeeze out from the shadows and enter their field of vision.

They had just been wondering why the passage needed to be built so tall and large.

Now, the answer was revealed.

When a giant over three meters tall, dragging a massive sword, revealed his true form, everyone's expression changed in unison: "Western District! Butcher!"

(The Reincarnator [Butcher] is provided by book friend "Bloodfiend".)

Thanks to book friends "Sniper No. 11", "Armored Dragon Turtle of the Pijia Sect", and "I Love Golden Flash" for their tips.