Chapter 79 Provincial Exam

Chapter 79: The Provincial Examination

On the eighteenth day of the eighth month, all the Xiucai Masters of Fengtian Prefecture gathered outside the Examination Hall. The sky was still pitch black, and the soldiers outside the hall held torches, encircling the hall and the open ground before its gate in an impenetrable cordon.

At the hour of Yin—the instructors, clerks, and gatekeepers of each prefecture called out names and verified identities before the gate of the Examination Hall, ensuring that the examinees were who they claimed to be, with no fraudulent substitutions.

Soldiers specifically tasked with searches stood at the main gate and the Dragon Gate. Examinees had to undo their garments, belts, shoes, and socks, remove their headgear, jade hairpins, and hairbands, and stand disheveled for inspection.

Even their ears, nostrils, and mouths were pried open and examined.

If, after passing through this gate, any hidden cheat sheets were discovered, the examinee would not only have their scholarly titles revoked and their school records canceled, but they would also be permanently barred from taking any examinations. The soldiers who had searched them would also be arrested and punished.

Thus, these search soldiers dared not shirk their duties; they conducted their inspections strictly, showing no leniency or favor.

If anyone’s clothing was not single-layered, it would be cut apart to check for concealed compartments. Even if none were found, layered garments were not permitted into the Examination Hall.

Inkstones were to be thin, not thick, to prevent hollow interiors for hiding cheat sheets. Brush handles had to be made hollow for ease of inspection.

Carried baskets had to be woven with open latticework, leaving nothing hidden.

Dry provisions, such as steamed buns, flatcakes, and pastries, were broken into small pieces to guard against hidden paper slips.

Even self-prepared candles and oil-paper umbrellas—everything brought into the Examination Hall was subjected to meticulous scrutiny.

If any examinee appeared nervous or acted oddly, they were immediately apprehended for interrogation.

"Your Honor, I, I..."

"Take him down for a thorough examination! And grab that one over there too."

"Your Honor, I am wronged! I was just looking around a bit more."

"Silence! If you have no hidden items, I will let you in."

"Zhang Zhishu from Yongping County—something melted in his candle. Take him away!"

"Spare me this once, Your Honor! I was merely bewitched by greed!"

Even Ze Ning, who had experienced the prefectural examination, was not used to the scale of the commotion at the Examination Hall. He whispered to Song Tingzhou, "I can't believe there are actually people this bold?"

Song Tingzhou, standing ahead of him with his head slightly lowered, replied, "Wishful thinking, lured by gain."

Ze Ning was about to say more, "But..."

The teacher beside them shot them a stern glare. "Silence."

Ze Ning lowered his head and dared not speak further.

Naturally, more than just the three of them had come from the Changping Prefecture School—there were a full one hundred and four examinees, along with thirty-three Linseng teachers from the prefectural school who had come specifically to vouch for them, preventing a repeat of the perilous situation Song Tingzhou had faced during the prefectural examination.

This scene was not unique to the Changping Prefecture School; many other prefectural schools and renowned academies were likewise led by their teachers.

Song Tingzhou’s eyes flickered. The incident at the trial grounds in Changping at the beginning of the year was unforgettable. Zhang Jizu and those former classmates were not forgotten.

The imperial examination of the Yu dynasty required three sessions, each lasting three days, for a total of nine days.

Once the examinees successfully entered the Examination Hall, they had to answer questions in tiny cubicles, unable to leave for three days. All eating, drinking, and relieving themselves took place within these cubicles. Soldiers would collect the waste buckets daily.

The first session tested on the Four Books and Their Meanings: questions were drawn from *The Analects*, *Mencius*, *The Great Learning*, and *The Doctrine of the Mean*. Examinees had to write three essays based on the content of the questions, which was the most crucial part of the provincial examination. The writing had to be neat and meticulous, allowing no room for error.

On the first day, while his condition was at its best, Song Tingzhou wrote a rough draft of all three essays, working until late into the night.

The cubicle was not too cold at night. He carefully extinguished his candle and placed it back in his basket, then took off his single-layer garment to use as a blanket. The wooden board was too hard to allow sound sleep, and he could faintly smell the stench of urine wafting from afar.

At the first light of dawn, Song Tingzhou used the hot water brought by the soldiers to force down a few small pieces of broken dry flatcake. He drank only a sip of water, not daring to take more.

He spent the rest of the morning polishing the essays he had written the previous day. By noon, he ate two more pieces of dry flatcake, enduring a dry throat without drinking, then carefully copied the polished essays onto a fresh sheet of paper, continuing until nightfall again.

After burning only one candle, Song Tingzhou stopped writing. He sighed and ate a couple more bites of flatcake without any appetite.

After being stored for two days and a night, the flatcake had become rock hard. After a few bites, he gave up and took out a piece of pastry from his basket, which was also broken, and looked even less appetizing than the flatcake.

Chewing on the pastry without tasting it, Song Tingzhou suddenly thought of the thousand-layer cake that Meng Wan loved—it was not allowed into the examination hall; otherwise, he would have brought some.

By the last day, the smell in the cubicle had grown unbearable. Song Tingzhou could no longer eat anything. Fortunately, by then, he had finished copying all his essays, leaving only one five-character, eight-line poem to compose.

At a quarter past the hour of Shen, he finally finished polishing the poem. He carefully checked the content and presentation of his paper several times, then rang the bell in his cubicle. A soldier approached with a tray, and Song Tingzhou placed his paper on it.

Once the paper was submitted, he could not stay. Another soldier watched him pack his belongings and escorted him out of the Examination Hall.

Song Tingzhou was among the earlier ones to leave. Xue Sheng was waiting outside. He had no energy to wait for Ze Ning and Wu Zhaoyuan, so he instructed Xue Sheng to drive him back. The first thing he did upon returning to his side room was bathe and change clothes, then he ordered Xue Sheng to prepare some congee and light side dishes.

As he was drinking the congee after washing, the other two also returned. None of them had the energy for pleasantries. Each bathed, ate, and then fell into a deep, endless sleep.

The next day, Song Tingzhou indulged in sleeping in, not rising until the sun was high. Wu Zhaoyuan, however, was the earliest to wake. His complexion, already poor, looked even worse after those three days.

"Brother Song, finally awake."

As Song Tingzhou finished washing, Wu Zhaoyuan came to find him. "Ze Ning hasn't gotten up yet. I came to discuss the essays with you, Brother Song."

Song Tingzhou had a large appetite and had been severely hungry this time. He couldn't care about decorum, eating and chatting with Wu Zhaoyuan as they went.

The Zhu family's tableware was exquisite and delicate. Song Tingzhou ate five bowls of noodles before putting down his chopsticks. He was still not full, but the noodles were gone.

"Master, when I came, your husband instructed me that after you come out of the examination hall, you should eat only until half full to allow your stomach to adjust," Xue Sheng said expressionlessly as he took away the empty bowls.

Wu Zhaoyuan said admiringly, "Brother Song has a good appetite. I can't eat anymore; I've been anxious all along about the essays I wrote yesterday."

Song Tingzhou didn't know why, but even hearing news related to Meng Wan from someone else's mouth brought an inexplicable sweetness.

He chatted with Wu Zhaoyuan for a while. Ze Ning slept until afternoon. When the three gathered, none of them looked well. They rested that day, and the next morning they would again head to the Examination Hall for the second session.

On the twenty-second day of the eighth month, the same procedures repeated before the Examination Hall. Carrying his basket, Song Tingzhou entered the narrow cubicle again. He cast aside distracting thoughts and gently let out a turbid breath.

The second session tested on the Five Classics and Their Meanings: one question was drawn from each of *The Book of Songs*, *The Book of Documents*, *The Book of Rites*, *The Book of Changes*, and *The Spring and Autumn Annals*. Examinees had not only to be familiar with the Five Classics but also to analyze their meanings and add their own interpretations.

The examination further required the ability to think independently, drawing inferences from classical literature and historical events, citing ancient texts and precedents to support arguments.

Next came judgments: the examiners presented four cases based on the laws of the Yu dynasty, requiring examinees to write the relevant legal provisions and accurate verdicts.

This was also Song Tingzhou's strongest area. He guessed that most of the examinees merely memorized all the provisions to cope with the exam, focusing more on the Four Books, Five Classics, and policy questions. Only he, starting from the time at Sanquan Village, had sought out numerous cases and pondered the meanings behind the laws.

The process went unexpectedly smoothly. The second session covered topics he had mastered. Song Tingzhou felt a glimmer of confidence—this provincial examination would not be in vain.

They left the examination hall on the twenty-fourth day of the eighth month and rested heavily for another day. In his mind, Song Tingzhou either recalled the essays he had written in the examination hall, pondering if there were any oversights, or thought about Meng Wan at home and what novel things he could bring back that Changping did not have. He did not spare a single thought for someone he seemed to have forgotten.

Uncle Yi had been busy tending to Ze Ning these days, not even seeing Song Tingzhou once. Xue Sheng still remembered that matter, but even he knew that during this tense period, he should not distract Song Tingzhou with other concerns.

On the twenty-sixth day of the eighth month, they entered the Examination Hall again for the third session: policy questions. This part better revealed the examinee's breadth of knowledge and their wisdom and strategies for handling affairs. Simply put, it assessed whether the person was fit to be an official.

If passing the exam to become a xiucai (licentiate) was considered an entry into officialdom for commoners, then passing the provincial exam truly meant crossing the threshold into becoming an official. However, those without connections might wait a lifetime without being assigned a post, leaving them no choice but to continue climbing and passing the imperial exam.

On August 28th, the gates of the examination hall were crowded with candidates driven crazy by the exams, some even collapsing to the ground and weeping.

When Song Tingzhou and the other two met, they could only exchange bitter smiles. If not for the dignity of scholars, who wouldn't want to yell to vent their frustrations?

Before boarding the carriage, Song Tingzhou spotted Feng Jinzhang, who was laughing and chatting with a few others. Though pale and disheveled, his spirits seemed high, indicating he had done well in the exams.

However, Song Tingzhou noticed that two of those men didn't seem to be from their prefectural school—likely acquaintances Feng had made in Fengtian in recent days.

As he climbed into his carriage, Feng Jinzhang's carriage passed by. He must have seen Song Tingzhou too, but they had gone separate ways, and it was better to pretend not to know each other.

Only upon returning did the three truly relax. After a good night's rest, Uncle Yi came calling the next day. "Mr. Song, we've already received Lady Fan a few days ago. To avoid distracting you, we didn't report it."

Upon seeing Uncle Yi, Song Tingzhou immediately remembered the matter of Wu Zhaoyuan's birth mother. He quickly asked, "Is she properly settled?"

Uncle Yi presented a letter. "All settled, in the small courtyard on the west side. The broker also left a letter for you, which I haven't dared to open."

Song Tingzhou recognized Meng Wan's handwriting and was tempted to open it immediately, but noticing how thin it was, he understood.

"Uncle Yi, come with me to find Brother Wu. It's time to tell him the truth."

Wu Zhaoyuan was still recuperating when he suddenly received this news, jolting upright from his chair. "My mother is in Fengtian! Why is she in Fengtian?"

Song Tingzhou stood before him and handed him the letter. "Before the exam, my husband sent me a letter mentioning this. He said that while choosing servants at the brokerage, he unexpectedly encountered your mother. But the broker had received orders from above and refused to release her. My husband could only ask the broker to send her to Fengtian. As we were about to enter the examination hall, I feared this would distract you, Brother Wu, so I took the liberty of not telling you. I hope you won't hold it against me."

Wu Zhaoyuan didn't have time to read the letter; he first clasped his hands in a bow to thank Song Tingzhou. "Brother Song, what are you saying? Setting aside your husband's great kindness in saving my mother, the fact that you were so considerate of me fills me with gratitude beyond words. How could I possibly blame you?"

Zhu Zening teased from the side, "Brother Song kept this quite secret, not even telling me, the host of this house."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Yi quickly stepped forward to apologize. "young master, this old servant also feared it would affect your exam, which is why I concealed it."

Song Tingzhou explained on his behalf, "I asked Uncle Yi to keep it confidential at the time."

Zhu Zening said lightly, "Ah, I'm not blaming you. You did well. Both Brothers Song and Wu are my close friends; I'm just glad my servant could help."

Wu Zhaoyuan's eyes were filled with gratitude. "I won't elaborate on brotherly bonds, but Uncle Yi helped settle my mother, and I must also express my thanks."

"I wouldn't dare accept."

Song Tingzhou reminded him, "Your mother is currently settled in the courtyard by Uncle Yi. Brother Wu, you should go see her first."

So Wu Zhaoyuan, clutching the letter, hurried away with Uncle Yi to see his mother.

After they left, Song Tingzhou was about to depart when Zhu Zening called him back. "Brother Song, now that we've finally finished the exams, we've been cooped up in this mansion for so long—we ought to go out and relax a bit. What do you say? I'll have the servants find out some good spots, and we can go listen to some singing!"

Song Tingzhou wasn't interested in listening to singing, but he did want to go out.

The list of successful candidates would be posted on September 15th, and they had to stay in Fengtian and wait for the results. If they passed, they would also need to attend the subsequent Deer Cry Banquet.

Since they couldn't return to Changping in the short term, he might as well use this time to buy some local specialties from Fengtian to take home.

Quite a few others had the same idea, but more, like Zhu Zening, were indulging themselves after the exams.

"Brother Feng, this time at Shuixian Pavilion, we must drink till we drop!"

"With Brother Feng's talent, having climbed to Class Yiyin in just half a year, you'll definitely pass this provincial exam."

"Yes, we'll accompany Brother Feng for a grand drunk!"

"You gentlemen flatter me too much—I really don't deserve such praise."

Song Tingzhou's gaze swept over Feng Jinzhang, surrounded by three or four scholars, with a slight look of confusion in his eyes. The Feng family were just ordinary farmers, and all the money Feng spent came from his wife Chunfang's earnings, just enough for his own daily expenses.

If these people were truly eager to befriend him because they admired his essays, Song Tingzhou found their attitude a bit too ingratiating.

Zhu Zening followed his gaze and, through the carriage window, saw the group on the street.

"Those men are all sons of merchants."

In the Yu Kingdom, descendants within three generations of a merchant's family were barred from official careers. Except for imperial merchants, whose children had quotas for the imperial exams, ordinary merchants racked their brains to have promising children legally adopted out of the three-generation restriction, then support their education—a clever exploitation of legal loopholes.

Yet even passing the exam to become a xiucai (licentiate) was an achievement among thousands. To pass the provincial exam required not only rote memorization but also quick wit and talent. Among the over eight thousand candidates who entered the Fengtian examination hall, only about 140 to 150 were ultimately selected, demonstrating the difficulty.

"Some merchants, seeing their own sons as useless, seek to recruit promising talents. Poor scholars with humble backgrounds, forced to beg and thin-skinned, are the easiest to manipulate."