The spring examinations end

The examination halls for the Spring Imperial Examinations were rows of small, dark rooms called "examination cells." After the students entered, the buglers in charge of supervision would lock the main doors, leaving only a small window for delivering the examination papers.

For the entire day, the students ate, drank, and relieved themselves all in the small, dark room.

The candlelight flickered, casting a dim yellow glow in the small room. Xu Erlang sat at the desk, pouring water into the inkstone and slowly grinding the ink.

There's still a long time before the exam, enough time for him to calm down and think things through.

Since ancient times, the imperial examinations have emphasized classical texts and downplayed poetry. In addition, the poetry scene in the Great Feng Dynasty had been in decline for a long time. Therefore, for most students, the final examination was just a formality.

When I was admitted, the students I knew were chatting and laughing, quite relaxed. Unlike the previous two sessions, they looked serious and nervous, as if they were about to go into battle.

However, while others could relax, Xu Erlang knew he couldn't afford to be careless.

He was a student of the Cloud Deer Academy. According to the attitude of the officials in the court towards the students of the Cloud Deer Academy, after passing the imperial examination, they would either be exiled to remote and impoverished areas or their official positions would be delayed and they would be hidden away.

Xu Erlang had his own ambitions; he neither wanted to be exiled to a remote and impoverished area nor wanted to remain in the capital and be sidelined.

"The road ahead is long," Xu Xinnian sighed.

Just then, the bugler outside knocked on the small window and said in a muffled voice, "Sir, the exam papers have arrived."

Those who participated in the spring imperial examinations were all successful candidates in the provincial examinations (举人), who were qualified to become officials. The soldiers directly addressed the examinees as "Master".

Xu Xinnian took the exam paper and spread it out on the desk. It was already daylight, but the sun had not yet risen.

By the orange candlelight, Xu Xinnian looked closely and saw that the title was a line from the "Chengzi: Gangge": "The commander of an army may be taken away, but the will of a common man cannot be taken away."

Xu Erlang, well-versed in poetry and literature, instantly distilled the core idea: to express one's aspirations!

He stared at the exam paper, his expression uncontrollably blank, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"My brother must have stepped in dog poop before he came into my room that day, right?" Xu Erlang muttered.

How could he guess that?

Xu Erlang treated the lottery that day as a way to deal with his annoying older brother. Although the questions for the imperial examinations could be guessed, they were limited to the classics and policy essays, since there were clues to be found in those two areas.

The topics for poetry and lyrics depend entirely on the examiner's mood; they can come up with whatever they want, even something as simple as a roadside wildflower.

How could you guess that?!

Unless his elder brother stepped in dog poop that night, Xu Erlang couldn't think of any other possibility.

Wait a minute. Xu Xinnian's shocked, confused, and bewildered expressions all transformed into ecstasy and excitement.

Brother, you guessed the question correctly! Brother, you guessed the question correctly!

He suddenly straightened his back and couldn't help but want to let out three long shouts to express the excitement in his heart at that moment.

"With your poetic talent, elder brother, since you guessed the exam question correctly, then in the third round of the poetry competition, I, Xu Erlang, will be the most honored. I... I might even be able to compete for the top prize."

Those who passed the provincial examination were called "Gongshi," and the top Gongshi was called "Huiyuan."

His thinking was reasonable. First, the examination would be conducted anonymously, so his identity as a student of the Cloud Deer Academy would not be exposed, and he would not be ostracized. Second, Xu Xinnian was a natural scholar, a prized student of the great Confucian scholar Zhang Shen, and with the added advantages of the Confucian School system, such as photographic memory and clear thinking, his level far surpassed that of the students of the Imperial Academy.

Finally, to prevent cheating in the imperial examinations, the Great Feng arranged for three chief examiners and multiple examiners. This made the composition of the examiners more complex, as they must have come from different political parties.

They might even become enemies.

Even if someone could bribe one examiner, it would be impossible to bribe the other two.

Therefore, in each imperial examination, the examiners would engage in fierce competition, then discuss and compromise with each other to make the final decision.

"If Heaven had not granted me the Xu Xinnian, the imperial examinations would have remained shrouded in eternal darkness."

Even with his pride, Xu Xinnian couldn't control his emotions at this moment, now that no one was in the room. He was gesturing wildly and laughing like a fool.

If there's a bed, he'll roll around on it or wriggle around like a maggot.

"My brother is truly my lucky star! Calm down, calm down, what was that poem he gave me again?"

Xu Xinnian steadied himself and forced himself to calm down.

Fortunately, Confucian School of the eighth rank, he already possessed a photographic memory, and the poem his elder brother gave him was indeed excellent, so he remembered it quite well and quickly recalled it.

He picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and unfolded the draft paper. Only then did he realize that his hands were still trembling slightly.

"How pathetic! It's just the imperial examination, why are you getting so excited? Father said I have the potential to be the Grand Secretary."

After making a self-deprecating remark, Xu Xinnian relaxed a bit, his hand stopped trembling, and he quickly wrote on the paper:

A golden goblet of fine wine costs ten thousand coins, and a jade plate of delicacies is worth ten thousand coins.

I stopped drinking and eating, and drew my sword, looking around in bewilderment.

The Yellow River is blocked by ice, and the Taihang Mountains are covered in snow.

In my leisure time, I fish on the green stream; suddenly, I dream of sailing to the edge of the sun.

The road is hard, the road is hard, there are many forks in the road, where am I now?

There will be times when the wind and waves will be strong, and we will set sail to cross the vast ocean.

(Author's note: The poems used in the imperial examinations, also called "fu de" poems, are usually five-character, eight-rhyme, four-rhyme, or six-rhyme poems, not seven-character ones. I've modified them for the other world setting to suit the plot. Also: To avoid trolls!)

After finishing the poem, I read it over several times to make sure I hadn't made any mistakes, but new doubts arose in my mind.

"What is the Yellow River? What is the Taihang Mountains? 'Leisurely fishing on the green stream, suddenly dreaming of sailing to the edge of the sun,' what are the allusions in these two lines?"

Xu Erlang frowned.

Xu Xinnian, a well-read scholar, racked his brains but couldn't find where the Yellow River and Taihang Mountains were. However, based on his understanding of poetry, "leisurely fishing on the green stream" and "suddenly dreaming of sailing to the edge of the sun" should be two different allusions.

"Brother, really! He doesn't even bother to add annotations when he writes poems. How am I supposed to understand his State of Mind when he's writing them, or his profound intentions?"

"The Yellow River and Taihang Mountains should be the names of the river and mountains, respectively, which can be replaced. As for the lines 'Leisurely fishing on the green stream' and 'Suddenly dreaming of sailing to the edge of the sun,' even without a specific allusion, their meaning is not difficult to understand, so there's no major problem."

So, after changing "Yellow River" and "Taihang Mountains," Xu Xinnian picked up his pen to answer the question:

"Ode to the Difficulty of Traveling"

The chief examiners for this year's imperial examination were Zhao Tingfang, Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion; Liu Hong, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief; and Qian Qingshu, Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall.

Unlike the students, the chief examiners and co-examiners never left the examination hall from the start of the imperial examination. The gates were locked, and unless one had wings, one could not leave.

To prevent collusion between examiners and students, examiners could only leave the examination hall after the list of successful candidates was finalized.

Compared to the fierce competition during the first two rounds of grading, the examiners' attitudes and emotions underwent a significant change.

"Nonsense! What kind of lousy poem dares to be presented in the imperial examination?"

"Using bamboo as a metaphor for people to express one's aspirations is a good angle, but praising bamboo more than expressing aspirations is putting the cart before the horse."

"Sigh, after looking for so long, not a single poem is amazing."

"It's been like this every year, we're used to it."

The examiners, also known as the officials behind the curtain, would review and comment on the papers. At first glance, the atmosphere seemed tense, but it was actually the most relaxed and comfortable.

Poetry is not valued; a good poem is a bonus, but a bad one doesn't matter. They're all rubbish anyway. The poems students write are considered rare if they're even mediocre. They're not worth the examiners' serious attention.

In the capital, when it comes to poetry, there is one person who cannot be ignored: Xu Qi'an, the Nightwatchers. He is revered by scholars as the leading figure in the poetry world, or the savior of the poetry scene in the Great Feng Dynasty.

"If Xu Qi'an were to participate in the imperial examination, at the very least, a poem that will be passed down through the ages would be born this year."

"Who can argue with that? It's a pity Xu Qi'an wasn't a scholar. In the future, history will record that Yuan Jingnian's best poems all came from him. What face will we scholars have left?"

Scholars have a complex attitude towards Xu Qi'an. They are both glad that he rose to prominence, which has allowed them to produce a few decent poems over the past two hundred years, preventing them from being ridiculed by later generations.

It is also a pity that he was a military man rather than a scholar, because that would be something that would make future generations laugh at him.

In the two hundred years of the Great Feng, there were countless scholars, yet they were not even as good as a single warrior.

"No matter what the mistakes are, it's all Xu Pingzhi's fault."

Just then, an examiner unfolded a copied paper, examined it closely for a few seconds, and froze, his body as if petrified, completely motionless.

But his lips kept muttering to himself, repeating the same thing over and over again.

After a few minutes, the examiner suddenly stood up, looked around at his colleagues in the room, took a deep breath, and said in a resounding voice, "Who says that scholars of the Great Feng can't write good poems? Who said that? Who said that?"

The examiners all looked over, bewildered, wondering what had gotten into him.

The poetry scene has been in decline for two hundred years, and contemporary scholars are not good at poetry; these are facts, so what is there to argue about?

"Smack!"

The examiner slammed the paper on the table, his chest heaving, and exclaimed excitedly, "I dare say, this poem will surely become famous throughout the land. It will definitely be recorded in the annals of this year's imperial examination!"

An examiner nearby glanced at him, walked over curiously, picked up the paper, and took a closer look.

Madness seems contagious. The examiner, holding the paper, trembled with excitement. "What a poem! What a poem! Hahaha! Who said scholars of the Great Feng couldn't write good poems? Who said that?"

Now, the other examiners realized that a masterpiece had been published, and they swarmed over to share and read it with each other.

"A fine poem deserves a toast."

"There will be times when the wind and waves will be strong, and the sails will be hoisted to cross the vast ocean." This is the kind of poetry a scholar should write.

"How could a student write such a poignant poem, imbued with the marks of life's hardships?"

Perhaps he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations and thus expressed his aspirations through poetry.

The appearance of this poem, "The Road to Shu is Hard," was like a golden phoenix mixed in with a flock of chickens; it was exceptionally precious, and the examiners throughout the room kept passing it around, excitedly commenting on it.

"Cough cough!"

A loud cough came from outside the door, where the white-haired Grand Scholar of the Eastern Pavilion stood with his hands behind his back.

He was drawn there by the noise.

The examiners inside the room immediately fell silent.

"What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket?"

Grand Secretary Zhao Tingfang reprimanded him for a few moments, then asked, "I just heard someone say that this poem has become famous throughout the land?"

Immediately, an examiner stepped forward and respectfully handed over the paper.

The Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion glanced at everyone before taking the scroll. He squinted as he looked at his hand holding the scroll, which trembled slightly.

Anyone can see that this is a good poem, an inspiring one.

But different experiences lead to different feelings.

This poem is both an expression of aspirations and a reflection on a difficult life experience. From "My heart is lost and the road is hard" to "There will be a time when I ride the wind and break the waves, and set sail to cross the vast ocean", anyone with similar experiences can quickly empathize with it.

The last line expresses the poet's aspirations and serves as the finishing touch, elevating the entire poem's artistic conception to a considerably higher level.

"This boy is absolutely talented. If he excels in both the classics and the policy questions, I will definitely appoint him as the top scholar in the imperial examination!" the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion thought to himself.

The day after the imperial examination ended, Xu Xinnian found that his treatment at home had plummeted. In the past, every morning, his mother would have the kitchen heat up a bowl of hot milk.

Lunch was fragrant chicken soup, and dinner was ginseng soup.

During this time, her mother would also show concern and care, demonstrating her considerable attention even though she didn't do anything concrete.

The father and eldest brother would ask a few questions at the dinner table, as would the younger sister Xu Lingyue. Even the youngest sister Xu Lingyin would occasionally call out, "Second brother, you must work hard!"

But ever since the last round ended, the milk, the chicken soup, the ginseng—after everyone asked when the results would be released, no one really paid attention anymore.

At the dinner table, Xu Qi'an asked, "Why does Erlang seem so down? Did you not do well on the last exam?"

Xu Erlang didn't speak. After finishing his meal, he pulled his elder brother into the study and stared intently at him. "Brother, you guessed the question correctly."

Xu Qi'an was both surprised and unsurprised by this result. He nodded and asked, "Patriotism or aspiration?"

"Yongzhi!"

Xu Xinnian asked, "Where are the Yellow River and the Taihang Mountains? 'Leisurely fishing on the green stream, suddenly dreaming of sailing to the edge of the sun,' from which story does this come?"

"Huh? There's a story behind this line? I don't remember it." Xu Qi'an looked completely bewildered.

"I idly fish on the green stream because I love fishing. Suddenly I dream of sailing to the edge of the sun, because... hey, why are you talking so much nonsense? The exams are over, and you're still babbling on."

"Hurry up and tear up the Four Books and Five Classics, your older brother will take you to the Imperial Academy of Music tomorrow."

Xu Qi'an ran away cursing.

Upon returning to the room, they found Zhong Li sitting on the edge of the bed with her head bandaged, and traces of blood were faintly seeping out.

"You fell again?"

"Um."

Zhong Li nodded somewhat aggrievedly and said, "I've discovered that your sister has a very tough life."

"Which sister?" Xu Qi'an asked.

P. S.: I argued with myself today. I spent two hours researching who the chief examiners were in history and what their specific official positions were, only to find that there was only a general classification of official positions online, which was not precise.

I wanted to go to the library, but it was closed. I was so angry.

Although I can make things up, I feel I should be more rigorous, as I'm someone who hates being argued with.

Update first, then revise.