"No!"
It's not just about connections!
Xu Xing calmed down.
Cheating in the Imperial Examination is no small matter. County Lord Wu is neither a relative nor an acquaintance; he wouldn't risk his official cap over a joke. The reason he accepted my exam paper on the spot must be tied to its content. I'm no Ah Dou who can't be helped up. If my paper truly had no merit, County Lord Wu would have, at most, pulled some strings to get me onto the Sublist, not treated me like this...
After the first session of the County Exam, there were Main and Sublists, each with fifty names. Ultimately, from the two exam sessions, the fifty candidates remaining on the Main List would be admitted to the Picture.
Under normal circumstances, it was difficult for the fifty on the Sublist to advance to the Main List.
Similar to the minor and Big Tests at Weijing Academy, to ensure fairness, all accepted examination papers had to be publicly displayed. This was how favoritism and fraud were prevented.
What shrewd calculation! What a brilliant mind! Truly befitting a county's 'parental official'...
Xu Xing genuinely admired County Lord Wu.
Only about twenty-odd individuals from Weijing Academy had come to Jingyang County for the Imperial Examination. After all, Weijing Academy served the entire Qin Province, and many, like Chen Jian'an, opted to take the exam in their registered counties. Besides official Students, there weren't many local Academy students in Jingyang County. Just twenty or so. Thus, it wasn't difficult for County Lord Wu to remember all of them. This also explained why he had perked up and started reviewing the paper the moment he saw Xu Xing submit his...
To say my "essay was mediocre" was merely a tactic... Combined with the Junior Clerk's earlier words, it's hard not to conclude that County Lord Wu accepted me on the spot out of consideration for Director Liu and Weijing Academy. This way, any naive examinee would surely feel indebted to County Lord Wu. If word of today's events got out, it would be framed as County Lord Wu giving face to Weijing Academy. And if anyone questioned him about favoritism or fraud... well, the Academy students' papers could withstand scrutiny. At worst, he could just say, "One should recommend the worthy, even if they are relatives." With a few simple words, he gained reputation, reaped benefits, and curried favor. A true, seasoned bureaucrat!
"Student Xu Xing, I thank the County Lord for marking me with the scarlet robe today," Xu Xing said respectfully, bowing.
Though a thousand thoughts raced through his mind, in reality, he showed no hesitation.
'Marked by the scarlet robe' meant being noticed by the chief examiner and selected in the Imperial Examination. The 'scarlet robe' itself, according to the Tang System, referred to the scarlet attire worn by officials between the Third and Fifth Ranks. Scarlet, of course, means red.
"Hmm... Not bad. A talented young man indeed," County Lord Wu said, shaking his head. "Our Jingyang County has also benefited greatly from Mountain Leader Liu's efforts in establishing the school. Otherwise... this official's educational assessment scores would have once again been at the bottom among all counties in Jingzhao Prefecture. But enough, I won't burden a Younger Generation like you with these matters..." He gave Xu Xing a few brief words of praise and then dismissed him.
"This is also thanks to the merits of our County Parent..."
"Your Lordship is too modest..."
A few Junior Clerks nearby, quick to understand, immediately chimed in with flattery.
'County Parents' is another term for the county magistrate, the 'parental official.'
「...」
Xu Xing stepped out of the examination hall, his left foot hovering over the threshold of the Dragon Gate. At that moment, a new line of text began to coalesce on Xu Xing's panel.
[Wen Chang (White) ↑]
He focused his gaze on the secondary page of the new Destiny.
[Wen Chang (White ↑): Latent literary star. Exceptionally astute in literary studies; writes fluently without need for correction.]
This white Wenchang Destiny... it doesn't seem to have much use in my real-world situation. However, this Destiny can be upgraded... The County Exam isn't over yet. If I become the county's top examinee, perhaps I can upgrade it to a Red Fate. A Red Fate is more prestigious than a White Destiny and will bring more benefits.
Xu Xing averted his gaze, beginning to ponder how to secure the county's top rank.
Although County Lord Wu had placed him on the Main List, he knew his chances of winning the top rank in this first county exam were slim. Otherwise, County Lord Wu couldn't possibly, with a clear conscience, call the paper of the top-ranked candidate "ordinary and unremarkable." His only chance lay in the subsequent exams. However, typically, once someone became the top examinee in the first exam, they usually remained so in the following ones. Compared to the first county exam, the next two weren't as crucial. The first exam was called the Main Test, which itself highlighted its importance.
"Brother, please make way," an Examinee behind Xu Xing urged, unable to wait any longer.
It was now the Shen Hour, and hundreds of Examinees were densely packed behind the Dragon Gate. Because Xu Xing had submitted his paper early, he had gotten a head start. His brief moment of hesitation had allowed a crowd to build up behind him.
"Please..." Xu Xing nodded slightly to the Middle-aged Confucian scholar behind him and sidestepped to the left.
The next moment, Examinees streamed past him like a school of carp crossing a river.
Dragon Gate! A step earlier, a step later... It's all about carps leaping the Dragon Gate; why fight for a moment's precedence? The rafter that sticks out is the first to rot!
Xu Xing had a sudden realization.
Certainly, achieving the top rank would bring him temporary glory, but after that... dangers would abound. Firstly, he would immediately attract the attention of the Elder Brother Association's leaders, and unforeseeable perils would surely follow. Secondly, if his memory served him right, a major event was due to occur in June of this year—the Hundred Days' Reform! And the reason Kang Liang were able to successfully present their petition and subsequently initiate the reforms was due to the assistance of two individuals: Mountain Leader Liu Guyu of Weijing Academy and Censor Song Bolu...
Wait! Wait a little longer!
Xu Xing waited until all the Examinees had filed out before slowly making his way outside.
Outside the examination hall, the crowd had thinned considerably. Only a few scholars, in twos and threes, braved the chilly night air, discussing the day's exam questions. As he exited, a couple of Examinees casually approached him, asking how he had tackled the Four-Book Questions and the Five Classics questions.
"My talent is mediocre; I only managed to finish my paper by the Shen Hour," Xu Xing replied evasively, not wishing to be bothered but unable to simply shoo them away.
Unlike the Jia Dao Poetry School, whose practitioners might achieve something through arduous effort, most people were of mediocre talent; even after long deliberation, they could hardly craft any brilliant phrases. After all, "Literary works are formed by nature; skillful hands chance upon them."
"Apologies for bringing up a sore subject, Brother," one of them said.
Seeing this, the few Examinees no longer pestered Xu Xing, allowing him to depart. Those who left the examination hall last, while not guaranteed to fail, certainly wouldn't achieve top scores. These Examinees, under the guise of academic discussion, were actually trying to network. Someone perceived as having no value would naturally not be detained by others.
「...」
According to convention, the results would be posted on The Third Day after the Main Test.
During this period, Xu Xing planned to stay in his examination cell, reviewing his texts. Although he had memorized the Four Books and Five Classics and other Confucian Scriptures, he believed in reviewing past knowledge to gain new insights. The key to the Imperial Examination was not rote memorization but the fundamental skill of essay writing. Writing the Eight-legged essay required a profound understanding of Micro-words.
Furthermore, maintaining this diligent posture would create a favorable impression among his fellow students and Academy instructors. Xu Xing hadn't forgotten Master Ma's words about a fortuitous opportunity.
It wasn't that he didn't want to relax properly, to go out and indulge in debauchery. However... if his character was perceived as too flawed, even with the title of Scholar, Director Liu might not acknowledge him as a student of Weijing Academy or a disciple of Guan Learning. Wang Mang was famously humble before he usurped the throne, after all. Besides, under the threat of life and death, Xu Xing could only suppress his restless heart.
However—
An accident occurred.
Xiaoyi Hall had sent a letter, ordering him to kill! To kill an official!