Chapter 15: Oral Examination

Chapter 15: Oral Examination

The next day.

Following the conclusion of the written examination, the sealed answer sheets were promptly delivered to a designated room.

All the examiners responsible for grading the written tests were gathered in one place and were not allowed to leave the room until all the answer sheets had been scored.

Even the delivery of meals required passing through three checkpoints, with thorough inspections conducted to ensure no notes or secret codes were being smuggled in.

The stakes were high for the National University's ranking system, which was as significant as the imperial examinations, thus receiving due attention.

Suddenly, an examiner inhaled sharply within the room.

A moment later, he sighed deeply, "This..."

The examiner beside him, assuming something impressive had caught his colleague's attention, paused his own grading and turned to ask, "Have you come across a particularly good essay?"

The examiner lifted the sheet with the candidate's name obscured. A single glance at it caused all the examiners present to frown collectively.

On the sheet, clusters of characters were densely packed together. It wasn't that the writing was too compact; rather, each character appeared as a blob.

The candidate seemed to have approached the task with sincerity, diligently penning their essay. However, even with careful scrutiny, it was impossible to discern what had been written.

The examiner meticulously examined the sheet for a while before sighing, "Utterly incomprehensible! Nonsense!"

He finished grading the paper with evident frustration, flipping to the next page where three turtles were depicted facing a bird laying eggs.

Below the illustration read the caption: "All eggs look the same, who do you think they belong to?"

The examiner nearly dropped the stack of papers.

The other examiners gathered around, bursting into laughter upon seeing the vivid drawing.

Noticing that one examiner was absent, the others called out, "Come take a look. This sheet is quite amusing. We're not here to be curtain officials, so there's no need to be so focused."

The man did not immediately respond but suddenly exclaimed, "Brilliant! Such an essay is rare in the National University these past few years."

This time, Ge Linshi, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was also involved in the grading process, though not as an examiner but rather as a supervisor.

Upon hearing someone's exclamation, he was unsurprised and chuckled, "It must be Ming Zhiyan's work again. His essays are always captivating."

"No, no, no. This isn't his pace. He should have completed most of his studies at the Imperial Academy by now, whereas this appears to be from a beginner's level."

Ming Zhiyan had indeed started his studies early and had progressed to the final stages of his curriculum.

Beginners typically started with the basics.

This piqued Ge Linshi's interest, and he walked over to the examiner, bypassing the illustration of the turtles confronting a bird.

He picked up the sheet and began reading. After glancing at the first few sentences, he let out a soft scoff, "Hmph, he certainly knows a few tricks."

Continuing to read, he pondered for a moment before remarking, "There's some skill here. Yet, these insights clearly demonstrate understanding, but they stop short of delving into the deepest aspects. Is he deliberately holding back?"

The examiner took another look at the sheet, prompted by Ge Linshi's observation. "Indeed, he sees things clearly but doesn't write them through. Still, it's an outstanding piece. The writing is masterful, the composition elegant, and it flows seamlessly."

"Moreover, it's concise and to the point. It seems he's aiming for a good grade, so he's being overly cautious," Ge Linshi couldn't help but lament after finishing his read, "Focusing solely on stability, without any backing, it's difficult to stand out. It's already challenging enough to find someone like Ming Zhiyan."

Their praise indicated that this written test was truly exceptional, securing a solid score for the candidate.

However, there was still a tinge of regret that another prodigy like Ming Zhiyan, a shining example of talent, hadn't emerged.

Yet, the very Ming Zhiyan they praised remained submerged in the National University.

*

The order for the oral examination was determined by drawing lots.

Ji Yanbai drew the third position.

He entered the examination room, bowed respectfully, then turned to stand at the designated spot for the test.

Possibly due to the aura inherent in martial artists, his turn created a gust of wind. Standing before the examiners, he exuded an imposing presence.

His tall and sturdy physique was uncommon even within the National University. With his stern expression, he inadvertently emitted a hint of... murderous intent.

The examiners seated at their desks gradually became uneasy, even intimidated.

After all, he was a young general who had seen battle and slain enemies. His mere presence commanded respect, making the atmosphere in the examination hall tense.

Typically, during exams, the candidates would feel nervous in front of the examiners. In this case, however, several examiners felt extremely anxious in the presence of the candidate, becoming increasingly reserved.

Would this young general become enraged if they didn't pass him?

The examiners began contemplating the simplest questions they could ask, worried that even those might be too difficult for him.

Ji Yanbai, however, wasn't thinking much about it. He simply remembered Yu Jianli's advice: maintain eye contact, remain composed, and neither show excessive humility nor arrogance.

At this point, the examiner posed the first question to him. It sounded unfamiliar, indicating that he didn't know the answer. Thus, he replied clearly and precisely, "I don't know."

The examiner was somewhat at a loss.

Other candidates, even if they didn't know the answer, would usually try to say something, even if it was off-topic, as an attempt to show effort.

This candidate... kept it simple.

Fortunately, he didn't seem angry.

By the third question, Ji Yanbai was surprised to discover that Yu Jianli had indeed predicted the topic accurately.

He recalled how Yu Jianli had specifically emphasized, "Questions like this are the easiest to be asked, especially since they relate to last year's political events. They are likely to be considered a focal point."

Thus, Yu Jianli patiently explained the answer to him three times.

Ji Yanbai did remember part of it and gave his response, albeit in a disjointed manner, not providing the full answer.

Some of the terms he used were peculiar; upon reflection, these words were similar in form to the correct ones, suggesting that he had remembered them incorrectly.

It was precisely because he didn't provide a complete answer that it seemed more like his own attempt rather than receiving external assistance.

However, Yu Jianli's insights were unique from unusual angles, which merited points.

To the surprise of the examiners, the first person to offer such distinctive perspectives was this unruly, spoiled younger imperial uncle!

An examiner made a swift note of this, which somewhat alleviated their tension.

It seemed he did know something after all, sparing them the anxiety of questioning him further.

Unexpectedly, following this, he failed to answer several consecutive questions. In the end, he only managed to answer three questions, one of which was off-topic due to Ji Yanbai's mistaken recollection of the answer.

The examiner noted down that he had correctly answered three questions, making it appear more respectable, but it still fell short of passing.

Ji Yanbai nodded, accepting the result calmly without any emotional fluctuation, and walked out directly.

Just as he left, he turned around and came back in, causing all the examiners to straighten their backs, too intimidated to ask why.

But Ji Yanbai merely offered a belated farewell gesture before exiting again.

"The examination tests him, yet we are the ones being put through trials," an examiner remarked, still shaken.

Then, the five examiners began consoling each other, adjusting their emotions before calling in the next candidate.

*

Yu Jianli's draw placed him far back in the queue.

Moreover, the candidates from the Four Departments who were taking the oral exam for the first time tended to elaborate on their viewpoints repeatedly, resulting in lengthy explanations that extended the duration of the process.

Yu Jianli had been waiting since morning, and by the time the sun was about to set, his turn still hadn't come.

He stood up to stretch his legs, watching another candidate emerge looking disheveled.

The others waiting all looked at him, but the Imperial Academy forbade candidates from discussing questions with each other, so those waiting weren't even allowed to eat lunch until they finished their exams.

Despite this, they could clearly see that the candidates in the afternoon appeared more despondent than those in the morning.

It made sense; the examiners started the day in good spirits, but accumulated disappointment led to growing frustration, culminating in reprimands for the candidates later in the day.

Already nervous, the candidates would freeze under criticism, leading to even poorer responses, creating a vicious cycle.

This made the waiting candidates even more anxious.

In the morning, some candidates had gestured a seven, indicating they had answered seven questions correctly, but few did so afterward, clearly indicating lower grades and no inclination to share their results.

The low pass rate was disheartening.

"Hungry and muddled, how can we perform well? Should I enter and let the examiners listen to my stomach rumbling?" someone complained quietly.

"It seems few have passed. The questions must be difficult. If we get a low grade, it wouldn't be too shameful."

"What defeatist talk is this? We are the Imperial Academy candidates!"

Yu Jianli also felt a twinge of worry, partly due to the long wait and partly due to the uncertainty of the questions.

If the questions were indeed challenging, it would be difficult for him to achieve a high grade.

He needed to accumulate points quickly...

Finally, it was his turn.

He gathered himself, rose, and entered the examination hall, bowing respectfully before standing at the designated spot.

After observing him for a moment, an examiner posed the first question.

Upon hearing the question, Yu Jianli felt a sense of relief—it wasn't a particularly sharp or difficult query.

He responded calmly and methodically, his tone even and his answers precise, leaving no room for criticism.

After answering three questions in this manner, the examiners' expressions softened.

At last, they encountered a candidate who was competent. The previous candidates either appeared timid and hesitant, causing headaches for the examiners, or were overly relaxed, veering off-topic with irrelevant information, forcing the examiners to interrupt and move on to the next question.

When Yu Jianli provided another impeccable answer to the eighth question, an examiner finally commented, "This is the first candidate to reach the superior grade."

Another examiner quietly agreed, "Yes, his reasoning is clear and concise."

An examiner reached for the book at the edge of the table, flipped through it, and asked the ninth question.

With Yu Jianli's oral exam performance already securing him a superior grade, they posed a tricky question. This way, it wouldn't seem like they were deliberately trying to prevent him from achieving the top grade.

Hearing this question, Yu Jianli couldn't help but hesitate.

Although it was a basic scripture, the question pertained to state affairs.

Currently, two opposing voices emerged in the court regarding a proposed amendment to a law. The conservative faction advocated adhering to the original regulations, while some believed the change would infringe upon their interests and thus vehemently opposed it.

Others felt that the law must be revised, as failing to do so would have significant repercussions, leading to widespread suffering among the populace.

The examiner didn't directly inquire about his stance on the reform but instead asked for his perspective on a specific aspect of the law in question.

To him, however, this was indeed a sharp and probing question.

If his words were not sufficiently cautious, he might inadvertently align himself with one of the factions.

He had no intention of getting involved.

Thus, he answered in a proper and orthodox manner, leaving no room for criticism.

The examiners, upon hearing his response, remained unperturbed; they didn't expect him to come up with anything groundbreaking or shocking.

They hesitated momentarily when it came to grading him, unsure if they should even assign a score. Ultimately, they decided on fairness, acknowledging that the question was posed out of personal interest, and Yu Jianli's ability to answer it was commendable enough.

The final question proved to be quite challenging, yet Yu Jianli responded with composure, without any hesitation, delivering an impressive analysis.

"Good," the examiner replied, dismissing Yu Jianli with a wave of his hand while giving his name a deliberate glance.

Yu Jianli bowed respectfully before heading out.

Those waiting outside showed no particular reaction upon seeing him emerge, as he wasn't close to anyone there.

It was unclear whether Yu Jianli was in a good mood today or if he noticed the person who had provoked him previously staring at him, prompting him to flash a "VIII" sign.

Getting eight questions right indicated top-tier performance; the best anyone had achieved before was seven, which was considered average.

As the provocateur stood stunned, Yu Jianli smiled again, mouthing the words: "All correct."

A perfect score of eight in the oral exam was the highest possible mark, and the final grade would only reflect top-tier status.

But "all correct" meant... Yu Jianli knew everything.

He wasn't overly magnanimous; rather, he was confident in his ability to prove himself and knew precisely when to strike back to inflict the most pain.

If one enjoyed novels where the protagonist is someone like Ming Zhiyan, known for his vengeful character, could they really be considered a good person themselves?

The key to maintaining emotional stability was finding joy in the discomfort of those one disliked at the right moments.

Why bother with their opinions and judgments? As long as one was strong enough and chose not to care, they were nothing more than a source of amusement.