Chapter 91: Provincial Examination “One Hundred Votes Bonus”

Chapter 91: Provincial Examination "One Hundred Votes Bonus"

The provincial examination is held every three years, and scholars with the title of Xiucai who are free from crimes and major mourning obligations can register to take the exam. The examination is divided into three sessions, each lasting three days, and is presided over by Hanlin scholars personally appointed by the emperor.

Passing the provincial examination grants the title of Juren, which qualifies one to become an official, allows the use of servants, and comes with monetary rewards and land grants, as well as exemption from taxes on fifty mu of land.

For many scholars in ancient times, achieving the title of Juren was already considered a significant accomplishment.

This is truly an examination that can be described as a carp leaping over the dragon gate. Xiangping Prefecture is the capital of Liaozhou, and the city is home to numerous scholars. As July approaches, the streets and alleys seem to be filled with the tense atmosphere before the exam.

Many scholars who live far away or have ancestral roots in Liaozhou have already arrived in Xiangping Prefecture in advance, preparing for the provincial examination in August.

When Qiu Huanian goes out for a stroll, he often sees small vendors on the roadside selling items for good luck. Bookstores and publishers have also reprinted the splendid essays from past provincial examinations across various regions, making a hefty profit.

Zhu Jingwei is now somewhat of a free spirit and has bought a bunch of useful and useless items. He took advantage of Du Yunse's day off to visit, claiming to be handling serious business.

"People in the market are betting on who will be the Jieyuan of this year's Liaozhou provincial examination, and many betting pools have been opened."

Qiu Huanian asked with interest, "Who has the most bets on them?"

"Brother Yunse is naturally one of them. Besides him, there is also a scholar from Liaozhou, aged twenty-eight, named Qi Yazhi, who has a decent academic reputation."

"Currently, the two most favored candidates for Jieyuan are them."

Qiu Huanian looked at Du Yunse.

"Who is this Qi Yazhi? Have you met him?"

Du Yunse nodded, "He came to Xiangping Prefecture in early July and visited Headmaster Min at Qingfeng Academy. He also had some academic exchanges with the students of Class A."

"How was he?"

"He is a solid and practical scholar."

This was quite a high evaluation. Qiu Huanian nodded, not overly concerned.

Qi Yazhi is impressive, but he also has great confidence in Du Yunse's abilities. Having a worthy competitor is actually a good thing.

In officialdom, there is the concept of being from the same examination cohort or hometown. If Qi Yazhi is outstanding in ability and character, they could support each other when serving in the court in the future.

Qiu Huanian asked Zhu Jingwei, "You didn't place a bet, did you?"

Zhu Jingwei looked troubled. After Su Xinbai became pregnant, Zhu Jingcheng's attention was almost entirely focused on his own husband, and as a younger brother, he had much more freedom and inevitably went out more often.

If his elder brother found out, he would surely be scolded again.

"I only placed a small bet of five taels of silver, just for good luck. Besides, I believe Brother Yunse won't let me lose money."

Qiu Huanian advised, "In any case, gambling is not the right path. Addiction often starts with small bets. Go get your money back and stop gambling."

Zhu Jingwei, afraid of being scolded by Zhu Jingcheng and not caring much about the small profit, nodded in agreement.

Qiu Huanian then said, "I thought Yu Min would also be a strong contender."

Zhu Jingwei had gathered clear information these days.

"Some people also bet on the genius of the Yu clan, but compared to Brother Yunse and Qi Yazhi, he is far behind."

"The provincial examination gathers the best scholars from the entire Liaozhou, unlike the academy exam. People tend to favor older and more experienced candidates."

"If it weren't for Yun Se's reputation as a scholarly envoy, he wouldn't have garnered so much favor."

On the eve of the 22nd year of Yuanhua, all the scholars from Liaozhou who were confident in their careers gathered in Xiangping Prefecture, preparing for the test that would allow them to leap over the dragon gate.

As the focus of public opinion and the favored candidate for Jieyuan, Du Yunse remained calm and composed as usual.

All those who tried to approach him with invitations before the exam were rejected. Du Yunse continued to study diligently at Qingfeng Academy, returning home early every five days during his breaks to sit and chat with Qiu Huanian, embracing each other in sleep.

Inspired by his unshakable demeanor, the rest of the family also relaxed, quietly counting the days, waiting for the arrival of the provincial exam.

The location of the provincial exam was also at the Xiangping Prefecture Examination Hall, where the staff had already prepared a suitable number of examination cells in advance.

Since the exam lasted for three days and candidates were not allowed to leave their cells during the exam, the cells were slightly larger than those used in the academy exam.

However, due to limited space, the increase in size was minimal. Inside, there were still two wooden boards, one high and one low, with the low one serving as a stool and the high one as a desk. For sleeping, the two boards were combined.

In addition, a basin of charcoal, two candles, and bedding had to be brought by the candidates themselves, and no interlining was allowed to prevent cheating.

Qiu Huanian inquired about many experiences and started preparing the items Du Yunse needed for the provincial exam early. Now that the family's conditions had improved, he didn't seek to save money but aimed for the best quality items.

Since no interlining was allowed for items brought into the exam hall, Qiu Huanian bought two large pieces of solid-colored fox fur to make a lightweight and warm mattress, which could be placed on the hard wooden board or used to keep warm in the cold and damp cell.

Clothes also couldn't have interlining, so multiple layers were made. As the weather turned cooler, the concern was more about cold than heat. If necessary, the layers could be removed during the day and worn again at night.

Thinking of his own experience with modern exams, Qiu Huanian made the clothes very loose and even ingeniously crafted a pair of "slippers."

Sitting all day without changing shoes would definitely cause swelling.

And the joy of wearing loose pajamas to an exam is something no college student would forget once experienced.

Qiu Huanian showed each item to Du Yunse, who cooperated throughout, trying them on when asked and praising them when prompted.

"If they work well, maybe we can sell them."

After Qiu Huanian said this, Du Yunse's face darkened momentarily, as if displeased.

Qiu Huanian raised an eyebrow, "What? Are you jealous of this too?"

Du Yunse paused, "No."

Qiu Huanian laughed, "Then I'll have more made quickly and sell them at Qiu's Six Staples. We can make some money."

Du Yunse gave a shallow "hmm."

Qiu Huanian boldly lifted his chin, examining him closely.

"Why do I feel like I can smell a hint of perverse jealousy?"

"..."

Qiu Huanian quickly kissed Du Yunse on the cheek.

"Just kidding. Some things, I only want to give to you."

"In matters of the heart, I am very selfish."

Unable to resist, Du Yunse reached out and pulled him into his arms, responding with a deep kiss.

When the kiss ended, he was slightly breathless, whispering in Qiu Huanian's ear.

"You have been selfless enough. Be a little more selfish on me."

...

In the blink of an eye, it was August, and the two chief examiners, one principal and one deputy, responsible for the provincial examination in Liaozhou had arrived in Xiangping Prefecture.

The principal and deputy examiners, along with the education commissioner of Liaozhou and the officials of the examination hall, formed the invigilation body, which was further divided into inner curtain officials and outer curtain officials. The inner curtain officials were responsible for grading the examination papers, while the outer curtain officials were in charge of monitoring cheating.

On the sixth day of August, all the examiners arrived at the examination hall, a process known as "entering the enclosure." The two chief examiners presided over the "mounted banquet."

After the mounted banquet, the inner curtain officials entered a separate courtyard, and the gates were locked, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving to communicate. They could only come out after all the examination papers were graded and the laureate list was posted.

This was to prevent anyone from colluding with the graders to engage in favoritism and corruption, thereby undermining the fairness of the provincial examination.

On the ninth day of August, the first session of the provincial examination officially began.

Du Yunse had returned home a few days earlier, and on the day of the formal examination, Jin San drove the carriage to take him and Qiu Huanian to the outside of the examination hall.

The sky was not yet fully bright, but the streets near the examination hall were already bustling with carriages sending students to the examination. Fortunately, they had set out early; otherwise, they might have been stuck on the road.

Qiu Huanian handed a large basket to Du Yunse.

"The two fox furs are inside, along with three days' worth of food, all carefully selected to be delicious and not too strong in flavor. There is a charcoal fire in the examination room; you can heat it up before eating."

Du Yunse got off the carriage, nodded to Qiu Huanian, took the basket, and turned to queue for entry.

Qiu Huanian watched his tall and straight figure, like a pine tree, step forward. The officials of the examination hall, already familiar with his reputation, did not give him too much trouble. After checking the basket and his attire according to the procedure, they let him in.

Only after Du Yunse's figure was completely out of sight did Qiu Huanian sit back in the carriage seat, leaning against the carriage and letting out a sigh of relief.

Jin San chimed in beside him, "Our young master is widely regarded as the reincarnation of the literary star. The Township Lord should prepare rewards and wait for the good news."

Qiu Huanian smiled, but his thoughts were on Du Yunse having to stay in that narrow and damp examination room for a full three days, tackling eight major questions and writing nearly two thousand words of flawless, splendid prose.

This was only the first session, with just one night's rest in between before the second and third sessions.

The ancient imperial examinations not only tested literary talent but also placed considerable demands on physical endurance.

Those with poor physical health simply could not endure the intense three sessions over nine days.

The first session of the examination primarily tested the Four Books and Five Classics, consisting of three questions from the Four Books, four questions from the Classics, and a five-character, eight-rhyme poem.

This session tested the students' foundational skills. In ancient times, regardless of the field of study, the Four Books and Five Classics were essential orthodox texts.

While Du Yunse was inside taking the examination, Qiu Huanian could not sleep peacefully outside. Not only him, but Jiu Jiu, Chun Sheng, Meng Yuanling, and Yun Cheng were also very nervous. Only Cream Frost remained carefree, playing with her ball of yarn.

Three days later, in the afternoon, Qiu Huanian took the carriage to the entrance of the examination hall to wait. In the evening, the gates of the examination hall opened, and students began to pour out. Qiu Huanian immediately spotted Du Yunse.

Amidst the crowd of those either elated or dismayed, his calm demeanor, as if strolling in a leisurely garden, stood out remarkably.

Du Yunse got into the carriage, and Qiu Huanian immediately handed him the prepared hot sweet soup.

Du Yunse took a few sips and leaned against Qiu Huanian, closing his eyes to rest.

Qiu Huanian touched his forehead; thankfully, his temperature was normal.

"How was it?"

"Everything went as usual."

Qiu Huanian felt relieved, "Take a quick nap, I'll wake you up when we get home."

On the morning of August 12th, the day after the first session ended, the candidates for the provincial examination had little time to rest and returned to the examination hall for the second session.

With the experience from the first session, Qiu Huanian still sent Du Yunse to the examination hall early.

The second session required the writing of an edict, a judgment, a memorial, and a proclamation, which in modern terms would be equivalent to practical writing.

An edict is a command document issued by the emperor; a judgment is a ruling document issued by an official on a case; a memorial is a formal document stating major events; a proclamation is a document of appointment or conferment by the emperor.

In ancient times, being an official required a firm grasp of the pen. Knowing only the Four Books and Five Classics without the ability to write practical documents would not make a good official, and the four styles of writing in the second session covered most practical scenarios.

Each style not only had different format requirements but also different stylistic requirements. It was very difficult to excel in all of them.

The second session lasted another three days, and Qiu Huanian noticed that some candidates had already fainted at the entrance of the examination hall. Those who hadn't fainted mostly looked exhausted and dazed.

In comparison, Du Yunse's condition was the best. After all, he was not just a scholar who sat in a room studying hard; his physical fitness was much better.

Qiu Huanian caught a glimpse of Yu Min from afar, who was immediately picked up by the Yu family as soon as he left the examination hall. Qiu Huanian withdrew his gaze, not looking further, and gently massaged Du Yunse's temples.

"How was this session?"

"Still as usual."

Du Yunse's "as usual" could be automatically translated as "very good" in Qiu Huanian's ears.

"At home, we have prepared Four Gods Soup for you and stewed a pot of tender lamb. Go back and have a good rest."

The next day was the third session of the examination. The number of candidates queuing in front of the examination hall had noticeably decreased, and some were even supported by their families.

The provincial examination was held only once every three years. After years of hard study, unless absolutely necessary and unable to continue, no one was willing to give up.

The third session tested real practical skills, with five policy questions requiring candidates to comment on current political affairs, express their views, and propose solutions based on the essence of classical studies.

Du Yunse naturally excelled in the first two sessions, but it was in the third session that he truly stood out from everyone else.

His years of travel, his keen observations rooted in the countryside, his wit and intelligence honed in the struggles of power, all combined to make him exceptionally astute in political affairs, as if divinely aided.

After reading the five policy questions, he quickly drafted his answers in his mind, and they flowed onto the examination paper like a smooth stream.

After finishing, Du Yunse was in no hurry to transcribe. He read through his answers again, polished and revised them, and only in the afternoon of the third day did he leisurely copy them onto the official answer sheet in neat official script.

When everything was done, he let out a long sigh, packed his belongings from the examination cell into the basket, and waited quietly with downcast eyes for the outer curtain officials to collect the papers and seal the names.

As the examination ended, the bell rang, and everything was settled.

Du Yunse stood up, waved his sleeves, picked up the basket, and walked through the crowd of anxious, despondent, and heartbroken faces, ignoring any attempts at conversation, and headed straight for the examination hall gate.

The family's carriage and Qiu Huanian were still waiting for him in the same place.

This time, Qiu Huanian didn't ask how the examination went. Instead, he handed him a large bouquet of osmanthus flowers tied with yellow silk, their faint fragrance wafting around.

Du Yunse placed the flowers on his lap, leaned against Qiu Huanian, and fell into a deep sleep, like a person who had exhausted all their strength walking in the rain and finally found a warm, safe place.

Qiu Huanian was still saying something when he turned his head and saw Du Yunse's peaceful sleeping face.

He was momentarily stunned, then gently kissed his lover's forehead.

He lowered his voice, the end of his sentence lifting slightly, "You've worked hard, have a good sleep, Du Yunse."