State-Ringing! Before the Sages!

Romance of the Three Kingdoms had deified Zhuge Liang too much, leading many to overestimate his military talent. It had also led some to use the official Records of the Three Kingdoms to criticize Zhuge Liang until he was good for nothing, convinced that he was not so great after all and that it was all because of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

But anyone who had truly read the official Records of the Three Kingdoms would not look down on Zhuge Liang. The Records of the Three Kingdoms had sixty-five volumes. Apart from the emperors, who necessarily had volumes written for them alone, Zhuge Liang was the only person to occupy a volume by himself.

Zhuge Liang's greatest talent was not commanding armies in battle, but governance. He was fit to be a chancellor, not a general.

Even before Romance of the Three Kingdoms, countless scholars had lavishly praised Zhuge Liang. Most crucially, Zhuge Liang had entered the "Confucius Temple" and been honored as a Former Confucian. That was an extraordinary status in ancient times, not something Luo Guanzhong could grant him merely by writing a novel.

Before Romance of the Three Kingdoms was completed, Zhuge Liang's military abilities had also won recognition from many military strategists.

When Sima Yi saw the camps Zhuge Liang had arranged, he praised him as "an unparalleled genius beneath Heaven." He also pointed out Zhuge Liang's shortcomings in military affairs, but he did not dare criticize Zhuge Liang's skill in governing the state in the slightest.

Li Jing, too, held Zhuge Liang's military talent in the highest esteem.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established the Martial Temple, enshrining ten of the greatest military strategists of ancient times, and Zhuge Liang was among them. Although Emperor Xuanzong had elevated Zhuge Liang's military ability too highly, it was still enough to prove that Zhuge Liang had made significant achievements in military affairs.

Zhuge Liang alone was present in both the Literary Temple and the Martial Temple.

On the Saint Origin Continent, Zhuge Liang had once preserved Shu Kingdom's realm for a hundred years, his merit overshadowing all beneath Heaven. His words appeared in the Imperial Examination's Appeal to the Sage's Words every year, without exception.

The court historians recorded that Zhuge Liang never forgot restoring the Han Kingdom and unifying the Saint Origin Continent, even before his end came. He personally led troops into battle, but the enemy kingdom also possessed a Half-Sage. In the end, his lifespan ran out, and he died on the Wuzhang Plains.

The reason Fang Yun particularly valued Zhuge Liang was that there were many poems and verses concerning him, and none had yet appeared on the Saint Origin Continent. Yet the Saint Origin Continent possessed the remarkably mystical power of Saint Invocation.

After sorting out the differences between the two Zhuge Liangs, Fang Yun continued his Swift Writing.

Later, he encountered questions related to the other two Half-Sage examiners. Fang Yun remembered them all, and new books were added to the Strange Book World.

Fang Yun quickly completed the first three examination papers. Most were extremely simple, but three questions were very difficult. One even contained a verbal trap; even following a book might not produce the correct answer. Fortunately, Fang Yun had once lived in an age of information explosion. Word games were not worth mentioning in his eyes.

This was merely the simplest Beginner Scholar Examination. The Appeal to the Sage's Words in the Cultivated Talent Examination was even harder, but the truly difficult portions were poetry, Classic Interpretation, and policy essays.

The questions that followed required him to recite the verses and prose of the Many Saints, followed by fill-in-the-blank questions. They might have been difficult for others, but for Fang Yun, they were absurdly easy.

Writing with a brush was painfully slow. By noon, Fang Yun had only reached the nineteenth page, and he had no choice but to rest and eat.

Washing down his food with water, Fang Yun finished his white-flour sugar cake. He stood and moved around the cramped room for a while before continuing the examination.

Next came the final nine chapters of examination papers, eighteen questions in total, requiring him to reproduce famous passages from the works of the Many Saints according to the questions' demands.

The works of Confucius and the six Second Saints were guaranteed to appear. They made up the first seven questions and were not obscure at all; more than half the examinees could answer them.

The remaining eleven questions came from other Half-Sages. One famous work from each of the three Half-Sage examiners occupied a question. Fang Yun had memorized them all, and they had already been stored in the Strange Book World.

After answering every question, Fang Yun set down his brush and rubbed his aching wrist.

Dong! Dong!

The two gong strikes rang out exactly on time, and Fang Yun immediately knew it was two in the afternoon.

The Saint Origin Continent still officially used the twelve-double-hour system, but a hundred years ago, craftsmen of the Gongshu Household had divided each day into twenty-four units to make time more precise. Since each new unit was only half a double-hour, it was called an hour, while the old unit became a great hour. Numbers were more convenient than words, after all, and like cursive script, they became immensely popular in armies where every second counted before gradually spreading among the common people.

In another hour, the papers would be collected, and the poetry examination papers would be distributed.

Fang Yun carefully checked for an hour. There was not a single blot, misspelled character, or incorrectly answered question.

"What a pity. I never practiced calligraphy much before, so my handwriting is somewhat poor. By custom, that will lower me by one grade. I cannot get an A, but I should be able to get a B. Once I finish the Beginner Scholar Examination, I must practice calligraphy diligently. On the Saint Origin Continent, one simply cannot get by without practicing calligraphy."

Finally, Fang Yun wrote his examination number, name, and address in the designated place.

Before long, the bronze gong rang three times, and the carriages arrived once more. Low clamor and complaints immediately rose from nearby. Clearly, most people had been unable to finish and felt that there had not been enough time.

The person distributing papers handed Fang Yun the poetry paper, then took away the thirty Appeal to the Sage's Words papers.

Fang Yun examined the poetry question closely and relaxed. It did not require fixed tonal patterns, only rhyme and adherence to the theme. Five-character poems, seven-character poems, quatrains, regulated verse, lyrics, parallel prose, or fu prose were all acceptable.

Apart from parallel prose and fu prose, the poems had to rhyme in one of four rhyme groups: Heng, Shao, Dong, or Yuan.

The themes were common as well. He could choose either spring or the frontier.

Fang Yun considered for a moment and decided to write a frontier poem. Judging by Fang Yun's previous personality, he would certainly have chosen this without even thinking.

Fang Yun's eyes went blank. He had no idea where to begin.

"With my current level in poetry, among the four grades of A, B, C, and D, I can at most get a C. I will very likely fail the Beginner Scholar Examination. But if I fail it, I will undoubtedly die!"

Fang Yun pondered for a long time, then sighed softly and silently invoked the Strange Book World.

This time, no book appeared, nor did any golden words stand out.

Fang Yun guessed that there was no fixed answer, so the Strange Book World could not list one precisely.

Thus, Fang Yun laid out the conditions in his mind. It had to rhyme in one of the four groups, had to be a frontier poem, and had to conform to a pro-war ideology. It had to be the work of a famous author. He had to obtain a good ranking and become a Licentiate if at all possible.

After picking and choosing, Fang Yun selected Year's End by the Poetry Sage Du Fu. It was a five-character regulated verse, a very famous frontier poem, and its rhyme fell under the Heng group of the four rhymes.

Fang Yun did not write it directly onto the examination paper. Instead, he picked up his brush and wrote it on a blank sheet as a draft, intending to review whether it was suitable after finishing. After all, examinations had far too many taboos.

Year's End described the year drawing to a close while war still raged in the north. Soldiers at the front shed blood day and night, yet high court officials did not commit themselves fully to battle. The poet wished to serve his country but found no path, condemning the officials for their incompetence.

Jing Kingdom and the Wolf Barbarians among the Grass Barbarians were frequently at war. Fighting before the New Year was perfectly normal, so Fang Yun was not afraid of straying from the theme.

"Far from home at year's end, still a guest; at the frontier's edge, troops are still deployed. Smoke and dust assail the snowy ridges..."

When he reached this point, Fang Yun suddenly stopped writing.

At that moment, outside a pavilion near the examination rooms, the County Magistrate and the head of the County Academy suddenly rose to their feet and looked in the direction of Fang Yun's examination room.

After watching for a while, the two exchanged smiles. Both saw intense delight in the other's eyes.

The Academic Examiner from the Prefectural Academy stood a moment later and said with a smile, "Congratulations, congratulations! Literary Qi is stirring. At the very least, the poem has reached County-Exceeding; it may even be Prefecture-Reaching. You two have rendered great service through your enlightenment and instruction. This year's evaluation will surely be the highest of the high!"

County Magistrate Cai He smiled. "Not at all, not at all. Academic Examiner Wan, you flatter us. The Literary Qi has not yet stabilized, so we cannot jump to conclusions."

Academic Examiner Wan added, "It should be that prodigy, Fang Zhongyong, shouldn't it?"

County Magistrate Cai hesitated, then said, "No. I remember clearly. Fang Zhongyong is not in that direction."

County Magistrate Cai was a Metropolitan Graduate. Possessing powerful Literary Qi, he had already attained an unfailing memory after one glance.

No sooner had County Magistrate Cai spoken than the three men looked again in the direction of Fang Yun's examination room, astonished.

"The Literary Qi has faded. What a pity." County Magistrate Cai sat down in disappointment after speaking.

The head of the County Academy sighed. "What a pity."

Academic Examiner Wan hurriedly said, "Please do not worry, gentlemen. Perhaps that examinee can continue it. Besides, that prodigy has yet to finish his poem."

Suddenly, all three turned toward another direction, anticipation on their faces.

Not long afterward, County Magistrate Cai smiled. "Good! The Literary Qi has stabilized. The poem has reached County-Exceeding. In that location sits Fang Zhongyong!"

The head of the County Academy stroked his beard and laughed. "As expected of our county's prodigy."

"Congratulations, congratulations!" The Academic Examiner of the Prefectural Academy congratulated them again, then looked regretfully toward Fang Yun's location.

Inside the examination room, Fang Yun put down his brush and frowned.

"This poem will not do! I am not even a Licentiate, yet I am criticizing court ministers. The three examiners may not all like it. They may use the excuse that I have no scholarly title and yet recklessly discuss state affairs to lower my grade; no matter how good the poem is, it would be useless. But if even this poem will not work, the others will work even less. Some are not good enough, some are too good, some do not rhyme in the four groups, and some are obviously not something I could have written."

After turning it over and over in his mind, Fang Yun suddenly crumpled that sheet of paper into a ball and set it on the desk.

Fang Yun placed the examination paper before him, raised his brush, and thought silently. Before long, he recalled the breath of spring rushing toward him after today's rain, and a famous poem naturally surfaced in his mind.

Fang Yun set brush to paper.

Spring Dawn.

In spring slumber, dawn comes unseen,

Everywhere, birdsong is heard;

Through the night came wind and rain—

How many blossoms have fallen?

One of the famous works of the Tang Dynasty poet Meng Haoran.

The poem was complete, and Literary Qi erupted like a fountain.

Fang Yun immediately felt a warm current descend from Heaven and plunge straight into the depths between his brows.

Fang Yun's eyes flew wide. He had never expected to receive a Literary Talent Infusion during the examination and become a Licentiate!

All the warm currents gathered at the "Literary Palace" between his brows, then exploded and surged into every part of Fang Yun's body. The wounds from last night's beating healed at a miraculous speed.

Fang Yun felt his eyes itch and blinked involuntarily. His formerly nearsighted eyes not only recovered completely, but his vision became several times better than that of an ordinary person.

"It is Talent Qi Body Tempering! Every advancement in Literary Rank strengthens every aspect of the body and increases one's lifespan. Great Scholars live to one hundred and twenty, while Half-Sages live to two hundred. Once I recover properly, even as a mere Licentiate, my physical condition will surpass that of elite soldiers!"

At the same moment the poem was completed, the three men near the examination rooms—County Magistrate Cai and the others—suddenly sprang from their chairs, staring in disbelief toward Fang Yun's location.

"This..." Academic Examiner Wan could no longer speak.

The head of the County Academy muttered to himself, "Literary Qi has reached Prefecture-Reaching, nearly State-Ringing. With only a little circulation, it will certainly become a State-Ringing poem!"

Then the expressions of all three changed drastically, and they cried out at the same time.

"Before the Sages Licentiate!"

After passing the Licentiate examination, one had to enter the Temple of Sages to worship, where one would receive a Literary Talent Infusion and formally advance to Licentiate. If Literary Qi descended from Heaven before that, one was known as a Before the Sages Licentiate.

Ordinary Licentiates were merely Disciples of the Many Saints, but Before the Sages Licentiates were Heaven's Disciples. The significance was extraordinary, for both Confucius and King Wen of Zhou had been Heaven's Disciples.

"The Saint Origin Continent has tens of billions of people, yet one Before the Sages Licentiate may not emerge in three years! The Sages bless Jing Kingdom! Heaven bless Jing Kingdom!" The head of the County Academy trembled all over with excitement.

County Magistrate Cai drew a deep breath and said, "That position is where the poem was interrupted just now."