Soon, the Weijing Academy exam arrived.
The proctors from Day New Studio were Teacher Wang, whom Xu Xing was meeting for the first time, and another teacher.
Teacher Wang sat on the podium, his gaze fixed on the examinees below.
The other teacher patrolled back and forth in the aisle of the lecture hall. He was around fifty or sixty years old, wearing reading glasses on his nose bridge, with a goatee under his chin, and a withered white braid trailing behind his head. When he walked, he bobbed up and down.
"Get up!"
The old teacher walked over to an examinee and scolded him. With a stern gaze, once the examinee stood up, he grabbed the young man's queue and found a cheat sheet. He loudly ordered the examinee expelled from the examination hall, scolding, "Nowadays, if you cheat in the Academy, the teachers at most will punish you with homework or force you to drop out. But if you are caught cheating in the Imperial Examination, not only will your achievements be revoked, but you will also be exiled to the bitter cold borderland. You would be unable to hold your head up for the rest of your life."
The other examinees witnessed this and immediately fell silent, not even daring to breathe.
Xu Xing, however, was unconcerned. He had experienced countless major and minor tests in his previous life. When it came to Confucian teachings, he might not compare to these ancient people, but in terms of his mentality in the examination hall, he was definitely among the top.
In a short while, the examination hall returned to calm, and the test papers were distributed. One test paper filled with questions and four blank sheets for answers.
The test paper had handwritten questions. The neat, tiny script, of unknown origin, was as immaculate as machine printing.
There were ten practical knowledge questions and three Four-Book questions.
The Academy held a small exam every ten days and a big exam every thirty days.
Today was a small exam. Therefore, it didn't take up too much student time, and the practical knowledge questions and the Imperial Examination essay questions were on the same test paper. For a big exam, they would be tested separately.
In the practical knowledge section, Xu Xing did not cheat and filled in the answers according to his own learning. Although he encountered some difficulties with certain questions, he figured out the answers after careful consideration and filled them in sequentially. He still remembered well what he had learned in his previous life.
As for the three Four-Book questions, he pondered for a while, wrote the arguments for all three, and for the first two, he followed the model essays in "The 30,000 Exam Questions," copying them word for word.
The Eight-legged essay topics were selected from the Four Books, and answers were written in the Saint's voice, expounding on Zhu Xi's The Four Books Chapter and Note Collection. In the Eight-legged essay, the argument is the most important part, the essence of the entire piece.
After a while, a bell rang, signaling the end of the exam. Xu Xing timed himself perfectly, finishing just as he completed the second Eight-legged essay.
By the time they left the lecture hall, it was dusk.
Upon returning to their room, Chen Jian'an excitedly exclaimed, "Brother Xu, the Anran Residence in the county town is excellent! We just finished the exam, so why not go celebrate? My treat!"
Today, when answering the practical knowledge questions, his pen seemed divinely guided.
On reflection, his rapid progress was inextricably linked to Xu Xing's tutoring. It seemed... the methods Xu Xing taught him made problem-solving faster and the calculations easier.
Although basic mathematics hadn't progressed much in a hundred years, the core knowledge remained unchanged. However, problem-solving methods and answering steps had advanced significantly. Modern answering methods were simpler than those from a hundred years ago. Chen Jian'an already had a good foundation; Xu Xing's tutoring provided the final push he needed.
"After today's exam, I feel I still have some shortcomings..." Xu Xing said as he entered his room and lit the oil lamp. "Now is a good time to study. I'll burn the midnight oil. You go ahead."
He believed it wouldn't be long before the Academy teachers questioned him. As for banqueting at the Anran Residence... he knew it was a good opportunity to make friends. But the prerequisite for any friendship was one's own strength. As long as he possessed that strength, and didn't feign airs, making friends would be much easier than it was now. Friendship, in essence, is an exchange of mutual benefits. Of course, confidants exist, but true confidants have always been rare...
"In that case... we'll go to Anran Residence tomorrow then..." Chen Jian'an hesitated for a moment, then changed the invitation time.
Before this exam, his attempts to get closer to Xu Xing were merely a routine effort to befriend a fellow student. But after today's exam, he saw Xu Xing in a new light. He felt Xu Xing was destined for greater things. Though Xu Xing wasn't yet a 'rare commodity' to be hoarded, changing the banquet date for him was a small matter.
"Scoot over, let's study together." Chen Jian'an moved closer to Xu Xing, opened his book satchel, found a copy of "Mencius," and began to read.
The two then studied late into the night by lamplight, until the fourth watch.
Zheng Zhaifu came to their room and knocked.
The wooden door creaked open.
"Teacher Wang asked me to find you. He... seemed a bit angry. What did you do wrong?" Zheng Zhaifu asked.
He had a good impression of Xu Xing. Since Xu Xing arrived at the Academy, besides studying, he occasionally helped Zheng Zhaifu with manageable chores. A good young man.
"We'll know when I see him..." Xu Xing said calmly, offering Zheng Zhaifu a respectful salute.
In ancient times, remaining calm in a crisis—handling matters without chaos or panic—was highly valued. Conversely, if someone panicked and lost their composure when facing trouble, even if it revealed their true nature, ancient scholar-officials would deem them unteachable.
"I'll go too." Chen Jian'an followed them towards the instructor's quarters.
「The Instructor's Quarters.」
"Speak." Teacher Wang said after Xu Xing and the others entered. He first dismissed Zheng Zhaifu and Chen Jian'an. Once only Xu Xing remained, he handed him the answer sheet from today. "What's going on...? Your answers are identical to the model essays in "The 30,000 Exam Questions." Not a single word is changed. For example, the first question's topic is 'The Master said,' and you answered: 'A common man as a teacher for a hundred generations, a word as a law for the world.'"
"This argument is excellent, but it's not something you could have conceived..." He tried to suppress his anger. "Xu Xing," he continued, "considering you're new to the Academy and the hardships of your childhood, I will overlook this. As long as you admit your mistake and promise never to repeat it, today's matter will be closed. It will remain between us. As for your ranking, it will be at the bottom of the list. Do you accept this?"
Everyone makes mistakes. However... as "Zuo Zhuan" in "Spring and Autumn" states: 'To err and be able to reform is the greatest good.' Teacher Wang was willing to give Xu Xing a chance. In his eyes, Xu Xing was indeed a talent worth nurturing.
Xu Xing bowed his head and hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Teacher... When I first encountered the Confucian scriptures, I couldn't fully grasp the Saint's teachings. Therefore, I was unable to answer today's three Four-Book questions..."
Hearing this, Teacher Wang nodded slightly.
If Xu Xing had stubbornly denied plagiarizing, Teacher Wang, even at the cost of his own reputation, would have expelled him from Weijing Academy. One can improve their scholarship over time. But if their character is flawed...
However, at that moment, Xu Xing paused, then continued, "Therefore, I borrowed classics from my roommate to memorize all the Imperial Examination model essays to cope with today's test... If I have erred, please instruct me, Teacher."