Tongsheng

Ye Yun woke to the first rays of morning sunlight and slowly opened his eyes, finding that Rong Zheng had long since risen from beside him. He got up, draped on an outer robe, and came out of the room yawning.

As he passed the study, he saw Rong Zheng already sitting upright at the desk.

He immediately stifled his yawn and watched quietly.

Rong Zheng's hair was tied high. His slender fingers gently turned the pages, his eyes lowered in concentration.

"A-Yun, is your husband so captivating that you can't bear to look away?"

Rong Zheng's voice rang out with a hint of teasing. He turned his head, a faint smile curling his lips, mischief in his peach-blossom eyes.

He had noticed his husband watching him some time ago. Having practiced martial arts since childhood, he was alert to even the slightest movement.

Rong Zheng was already exceptionally handsome, and that sudden backward glance was a breathtaking sight.

Ye Yun blushed almost instantly and hastily looked away. "I, I, I'm going to wash up," he said to cover his embarrassment, then hurried off.

Watching Ye Yun's retreating figure, Rong Zheng's eyes flickered with helplessness and affection.

My husband is so shy. What am I going to do when it's time to consummate our marriage?!!!

The prefectural examination results were being posted that day, and Ye Yun once again accompanied Rong Zheng to see them. They arrived rather late, and the place was packed. Coming early would not actually have helped either; those who lived nearby had been waiting for the results since before dawn.

The posting of the prefectural examination results was similar to that of the county examination. Bailiffs put up the list, then removed the red silk covering it at the appointed time.

The prefectural examination admitted fifty candidates, divided into grades A and B. The top ten received grade A, and all the rest received grade B.

Rong Zheng appeared calm, but inwardly he was a little anxious. He had confidence in his performance, but unexpected things could happen anywhere.

What had happened with Xu Qi last time made him suspect something underhanded.

If Xu Qi really had placed eleventh, the punishment of the county education official would have been rather telling. Xu Qi therefore probably had not placed eleventh. The only rank worth the official taking such a risk to manipulate was first place. After all, rankings fell into only two categories: first place and everything else.

Rong Zheng suspected that someone had tampered with his county examination paper, though he had no way of knowing how.

Fortunately, it had been uncovered, or he would never even have known. In this dynasty, an official just one rank higher could crush those beneath him. He had neither power nor influence, merely an ordinary commoner. How could he possibly appeal?

He told Ye Yun to wait at the edge of the crowd and was about to squeeze forward when he heard someone call out:

"First place is Rong Zheng, candidate number sixty. He's from our town, too."

"It really is Rong Zheng again. Impressive!"

"Could he be aiming for the minor triple first?"

"What's the minor triple first?"

Phew~

Rong Zheng let out a breath of relief. His candidate number for this prefectural examination was sixty. He was finally a tongsheng.

This was his first status as a scholar. Although it was still very insignificant in the imperial examination hierarchy, at least his standing had risen a little.

From now on, if he went to court, he could identify himself as a tongsheng rather than a lowly commoner, and he would even have a seat in the courtroom. A merchant, no matter how wealthy, would not get to sit.

His backside had also become more precious. Even if he committed an offense, the county magistrate could no longer have him beaten at will.

At weddings, funerals, and celebrations, he was now entitled to sit at the same table as officials. His social standing had risen slightly, bringing privileges that money could not buy.

Such were the differences between social classes. Having transmigrated into this dynasty, studying hard was his only way to rise through them.

Since Rong Zheng had heard his own name, he stopped trying to move forward and returned to Ye Yun's side.

Ye Yun had also heard the people around them discussing how his husband had come first. His eyes shone with shared pride.

The two hurried home, where the prefect also sent two bailiffs to announce the good news and deliver his reward.

This time, the reward was ten mu of irrigated farmland, quite a generous gift worth roughly a hundred taels. After all, he was the top prefectural candidate, the equivalent of ranking first in the entire city.

The village was once again in an uproar. Some people had previously refused to acknowledge Rong Zheng's abilities and gossiped about his household, but now they fell completely silent.

The village chief grinned so widely that a row of teeth showed. Their village had finally produced a tongsheng, and one who had topped two examinations at that. What an honor!

Rong Zheng and Ye Yun once again received wave after wave of villagers who came to congratulate them. They accepted the poultry, melons, and fruit brought as gifts, but refused anything too valuable.

Rong Zheng was not particularly excited about becoming a tongsheng. Though the qualification was difficult to earn, over the years the town had accumulated no shortage of tongsheng. Xiucai were still fairly rare, however.

What pleased him most was taking first place. It showed that he did have some talent for scholarship.

The road through the imperial examinations was long, and one always needed some confidence and motivation to keep moving forward.

Mm, the future looks promising~

What Rong Zheng did not know was that he had nearly lost first place...

The story began before the results were posted~

The prefect looked at the ten outstanding papers selected by the examiners and began reviewing them with a serious expression, sometimes nodding in approval, sometimes frowning in thought. He would choose the top candidate from among them.

After reading several papers, he pinched the bridge of his nose and rested briefly before picking up the next. The handwriting on this paper was exceptionally striking; its writer had clearly devoted considerable effort to practicing calligraphy.

"Someone who can write so well must be diligent and possess an exceptional disposition," the prefect praised.

The deputy examiner, who was beside him, recognized the paper in his hands at a glance. "My lord, not only is his handwriting beautiful, but his approach to the questions is refreshing as well."

"Oh?" The prefect turned toward the deputy examiner. Seeing how highly he regarded the paper, his interest was immediately piqued. "Then I must take a good look."

A little while later,

"Excellent. Very well written. This policy essay has a lofty premise and rigorous logic. No wonder even you regard it so highly."

The prefect looked at the name on the paper and read it aloud. "Rong Zheng. Hmm, that sounds familiar."

"My lord, do you remember Pei Guangshen, the magistrate of Guangnan County, reporting that their county education official, Xu Huaqing, had engaged in favoritism during the county examination? This student named Rong Zheng was involved in that matter."

The prefect narrowed his eyes in recollection. "So he was the student whose talent was nearly buried."

He looked again at the paper in his hands.

"No wonder Xu Huaqing risked showing favoritism. Rong Zheng's answers are truly outstanding. The depth of his thinking clearly surpasses that of his fellow candidates. No wonder he topped the county examination."

He finished reading the remaining papers, compared them, and selected the two best. Then he found himself in a quandary.

In terms of his answers, Rong Zheng was undoubtedly the best, but he came from an obscure little village, had an ordinary background, and was unknown.

The candidate who had written the other paper was named Wen Yan. He attended the prestigious White Deer Academy in the prefectural city. Not only was he exceptionally talented, but he also possessed excellent character and a fine reputation.

The prefect had met him during an inspection of the academy. True to his name, he was as gentle and refined as jade, a modest gentleman.

He had never met Rong Zheng, but judging by his fine handwriting and commanding prose, he ought to be exceptional too. Ah, a policy essay of such depth was a rare achievement.

The deputy examiner clearly admired Rong Zheng's learning more. Noticing the prefect's hesitation, he added fuel to the fire:

"My lord, Rong Zheng has already topped the county examination. If he takes first place again, he will have topped two examinations. Look, the premise of his answers is clearly a level above the rest. His prose is commanding and flows with perfect naturalness. With such ability, he may well achieve the minor triple first and become a celebrated story in the future!"

The prefect pondered for a long time:

Wen Yan was well known in the prefectural city, but judging by their papers, his learning fell slightly short of Rong Zheng's.

The chief examiner for the academy examination would be an education commissioner personally appointed by the emperor. Such men were mostly drawn from the Hanlin Academy. Why would they care about someone's reputation in a single prefectural city? It would be another matter if his fame extended throughout the realm.

In the end, the prefect named Rong Zheng the top candidate. "I hope he lives up to expectations and one day earns the distinction of the minor triple first."

If someone under his prefecture's jurisdiction achieved the minor triple first, that would count toward his administrative record as well. After all, this was selecting exceptional talent for the country!

Naturally, Rong Zheng had no way of knowing any of this.