Whether among commoners or officials, it seemed that Kang City had made the most thorough preparations for the flood of exam candidates. Restaurant and inn owners had used every possible resource to the fullest. City patrol guards had tripled in number to maintain order in the capital.
Energetic examinees full of ambition and friendship made the city lively, bringing extra joy to citizens watching from the sidelines. In short, Kang City was once again bustling with activity.
At the imperial court, Zhaoye wore a smiling face and looked coldly at the ministers below, who were furiously arguing and spitting in their fight for more exam supervision roles. He silently admired how they had been arguing non-stop for a whole hour without pause.
If it were him, his throat would have gone dry by now. Of course, not everyone was involved in the argument. His four grown sons, the Prime Minister, the six ministry heads, and the military officials uninterested in such matters had all remained silent.
Clearly, the meeting had started as a discussion on who would supervise and manage the imperial exams. But now, the ministers had divided into factions and begun revealing each other's faults. It was time to end it.
"Enough," said Zhaoye with a smile. Though his voice was not loud, the ministers all immediately went silent. "I know all of you wish to serve the country, but if everyone gets involved in the exams, who is going to handle the rest of the matters? Are you expecting me to do everything?"
"We are ashamed, Your Majesty." All the ministers, whether involved or not, responded in unison. "There is nothing worth arguing about here," Zhaoye continued with a smile.
"As usual, the Ministry of Rites will handle Rites and Music, the Ministry of War will oversee Archery and Defense, and the Ministry of Works will take care of Writing and Numbers. As for Classics and Strategy, there will be a slight change."
At first, no one had objections to the usual arrangements since it had always been done that way. But his final statement made everyone's ears perk up.
"The four exam halls will be overseen by my four sons, each in charge of one."
Everyone was surprised, but after thinking it over, it seemed reasonable. All four princes were of age and should gain experience.
"Prime Minister, General Caelen."
Upon hearing their names, the two men stepped forward. "You two will oversee the entire examination process. The Prime Minister will supervise all officials, including my sons. General Caelen, you are responsible for maintaining order in the exam halls and ensuring no disturbances occur."
"Yes, Your Majesty," both men answered together. Whether it was Lord Edgar's calm expression or Caelen's stoic face, it puzzled the court officials. But they had to admire Zhaoye's wisdom.
They were under supervision by the Prime Minister and General Caelen, and it was likely the two were also meant to watch each other. Even though the Prime Minister outranked Caelen by two levels, it seemed carefully arranged.
"I will send the sequence of the eight exam subjects to your residences the day before the exam," Zhaoye's smile faded. "I trust you all understand how important these exams are to Kang. I despise cheating, and if I find anyone breaking the law knowingly, do not blame me for showing no mercy when your entire household is punished."
Everyone was filled with fear, especially those directly responsible. They knew this warning was aimed at them. Once they received the exam schedule, their homes would be under strict surveillance by the emperor.
With such careful planning by the emperor, even those who had once thought of helping their own family members now gave up on the idea.
Still, not cheating did not mean they could not try to befriend the most promising examinees before or after the exams using their information and judgment.
Soon, the talented and well-known scholars in Kang City were all identified clearly. Their social calendars filled up fast, and the restaurant owners were thrilled by the ongoing banquets.
Since the Qiaoqiao Festival, Caelen had spent the first two days unsure if that day was a dream. At night, he would dream of that scene again.
If he was not worried she would think he was unstable, he really wanted to confirm it again. Fine, he admitted he also just wanted to see Xylira.
Caelen spent his days between training troops and missing her and was doing relatively well. Until the emperor suddenly tasked him with keeping exam hall order, he suddenly panicked.
Xylira did not like other men touching her. Could she really be taking the exam?
The moment he thought of Archery and Defense among the six skills, he jumped up from his seat, scaring the servant Xue Yi, who was pouring his tea. She spilled it but calmly wiped it up with a cloth.
Caelen wanted to check the candidate list but hesitated. A general checking that list would definitely raise suspicion.
More importantly, the registration was already over. If Xylira had signed up, her status would have caused a huge stir. There was no way it would have gone unnoticed.
Thinking of this, Caelen felt a little relieved, but also slightly disappointed. He sat back down slowly. Xue Yi was no longer surprised by this behavior. Ever since his young master met the lady from the Yue family, he had not been acting normally.
After signing up, Xylira never left the house again and stayed in her study every day. Even she had to admit that the exam design in Kang had its own unique structure.
No one knew the exam subject order before the test. The key point was, after each session, a large number of candidates with lower scores would be eliminated.
This meant if someone lacked comprehensive talent, they were in danger. Who knew if they would get their weakest subject first and be eliminated right away?
There were four exam halls in total, each selecting only one hundred people. Looking at her exam number 4444, she did not think this test was any easier than the modern college entrance exam.
Especially the Classics section. Ever since Xylira decided to escape the fate of marrying three husbands and bearing at least seven children, she had focused on studying this topic.
She worked hard to understand the history and culture of Kang. Her effort over time even made Xiyan feel heartache.
The baby fat that had just appeared on her face had faded again.
Xylira had no idea how effective last-minute studying would be. But her constant effort confused even the servants Awen and Awu, who reported it to the chubby steward.
At the Prime Minister's residence, Lord Edgar was busy not only with state affairs but also guiding his son and preparing his daughter's wedding. He had no time to look after the Yue siblings.
On July 20th, the long-awaited imperial exams began and would last for eight days.
Despite all the prayers the day before, hoping to avoid getting Classics as the first subject, when Xylira packed her things and picked up her number card, the number 4444 made her feel uneasy.
"Xylira, it's okay. Don't push yourself too hard." Sitting in the carriage after sneaking out of the Prime Minister's mansion, Xiyan looked at his sister who stared tightly at her exam number.
He was speechless. Because of this number, Xiyan had even gone to Kanglong Temple outside the city and spent a thousand taels of silver to ask for a protective charm.
Thinking she was just nervous, even his normally cold expression softened, and he smiled to comfort her.
"Mm," hearing her brother's words, Xylira felt she had overreacted. Three days ago, she had already learned she would be taking the test at the western exam hall.
She had done her best. She did not believe she would be eliminated just because of the Classics section.
Her goal was to be in the top three. Even if her Classics score was weak, she was confident in the other subjects. As long as she was not eliminated, the total score mattered most.
"I know, Brother. It's just... are you really okay being here with me like this?" Though moved by her brother's insistence, she was still worried. His restaurant must be very busy during this time.
"It's fine."
Though Xiyan never believed his sister could make the top rank and even thought she might fail after the first test, for some reason, as they neared the exam site, he felt a nervousness as if he were the one taking the exam.
The West City examination courtyard was crowded at this hour. Carriages lined the street while cheerful soldiers stood guard, holding weapons with blank expressions.
They looked so cold and stern, as if anyone who failed to follow the rules would be met with the sharp edge of their blades. "So many people," Xylira said as she pulled open the curtain of the carriage.
She looked at the sea of dark-haired heads. Thankfully, they were all scholars.
Everyone respectfully dismounted at the designated distance from the entrance and lined up properly. The twenty examiners checking candidates worked swiftly, their sharp eyes scanning thoroughly.
The process of entering went quickly. "Yes," Xiyan nodded.
They had also reached the dismounting point. He looked at his sister with concern.
"Xylira, I'll wait for you outside." Seeing the rising sun, he added, "Today is another hot day.
I don't want to discourage you, but if you really don't know how to answer, don't force yourself." "Come out early.
It'll get hotter soon, and with so many people, there probably won't be any shade inside." "If you feel even a little unwell, don't push through, okay?"
He was worried that his sister would care too much about her pride and get hurt. He even prepared her a way out just in case because he didn't want her to suffer.
"Okay," Xylira nodded obediently, finding it amusing how her usually calm brother was repeating the same things he had said throughout their journey. "But you too, once I go in, it'll be two hours."
"Don't just wait outside doing nothing." "You can come back later."
"It'll be the same." "Alright."
Xiyan agreed, but he had already decided to wait at the tea stall set up nearby. It was directly across from the exam gate.
If his sister came out early, he would see her immediately and could comfort her. Xylira took the basket holding her writing tools and gave her brother a bright smile.
Then she got off the carriage and joined the line. Just watching her made Xiyan feel a twinge in his heart.
His soft and lovely sister was lining up with a bunch of sweaty men, what a hardship. Still, he couldn't help feeling proud.
Even if she failed in the first round, she had the courage to take part in something like this. In all of Da Kang's history, she might be the only one.
Xylira didn't know what Xiyan was thinking. Even though she had been the beloved child of the Yue family in her past life and came from a military and political family, with her own experiences, she wasn't some delicate flower from a greenhouse.
Even with a long line ahead, she stood calmly and waited. Finally, inside the exam courtyard, Xylira walked past rows of red-walled rooms with matching decorative windows along a wide two-hundred-meter corridor.
The scene suddenly opened up. A large open field was divided into four sections by soldiers wearing different colored uniforms standing in two intersecting rows.
Each section was filled with single desks, spaced half a meter apart. Each block held five thousand examinees.
Xylira twitched her lips. Twenty thousand people and only a hundred would be chosen.
That was tough. Maybe some real talent would be overlooked but the winners would definitely be elite.
Many scholars had already found their seats. To ease their nerves, some gathered with familiar faces, chatting and laughing.
Xylira found her assigned area. The seat numbers were well organized so it wasn't hard to find.
But then… "Hey, little brother!" A loud voice called out.
Xylira knew it wasn't for someone else. Of all the people here, she only vaguely knew two brothers from the Prime Minister's family and they weren't in this courtyard.
"Hey, I'm talking to you! You, the unlucky-looking little brother with seat number four-four-four-four." Xylira, who always considered herself calm, paused briefly.
Then, with slightly stiff movements, she kept walking. When she saw the tall, dark-skinned man with thick brows and big eyes grinning at her with bright white teeth, her relaxed expression turned a little awkward.
"Why are you standing there? Hurry up. Your seat's over here."
The man waved enthusiastically. His companions also looked at her with smiles that weren't mocking but seemed genuinely amused.
Xylira instantly regretted not signing up earlier or later to avoid this guy. "Thanks," she said, sitting down.
As expected, her seat had a glued-on note with 4444 written on it. Even she could hear how forced her thanks sounded.
Of course, the others noticed too. But the man didn't seem to mind.
He leaned over and asked cheerfully, "So, little brother, which of the eight subjects are you worst at?" Xylira was confused but answered honestly.
"Classics." "Haha," the man laughed.
"With your luck, I bet today's exam will be Classics." Though it wasn't the nicest thing to say, the way he said it made it hard to dislike him.
He had a kind of straightforward charm. The others nearby also laughed.
Xylira didn't get angry but had no intention of chatting with this guy. However, she underestimated how persistent this group was.
Before the exam began, she already knew the man's name was Loran, which sounded scholarly and refined. But it didn't match his big, rough appearance.
She couldn't tell if he was overly confident or just too relaxed. He didn't seem nervous at all.
The sun grew hotter and finally, the gong sounded. The once noisy exam field instantly fell silent.
The two hundred proctors looked strong and sturdy, clearly picked to endure the heat. They sat in their assigned areas watching their group of students with sharp eyes.
Then, a banner embroidered with the words "Classics" was raised high on all sides of the four sections. Loran and his friends couldn't help but glance at Xylira with the clear message in their eyes: jinx.
Xylira glared at the nearest banner. Besides sighing about her own bad luck, she stayed calm.
In charge of the West City exam site was Ziyan. In front of officials sent by the Prime Minister and General Caelen, he handed out the sealed exam papers to the four section leaders.
Once the exam topic was announced, papers were distributed. Under the scorching sun, twenty thousand scholars began writing.
As time passed, the heat became more intense. Some collapsed from exhaustion.
The proctors immediately signaled the guards to carry them out. No matter how brilliant or talented a person was, without a strong body, how could they serve the emperor?
Outside, from the moment the first scholar was carried out, Xiyan's heart tightened. He stared at the exam gates, afraid he'd see his sister come out like that.
But he also feared she'd push herself too hard and get hurt. So caught up in this worry, Xiyan didn't notice someone approaching him.
"What are you doing here?"