The Imperial Examination

The streets in front of the examination hall were packed with people.

Most of them were young adults in their early twenties or early thirties, and sometimes you could see teenagers. You could also occasionally see elderly people with gray beards. They were all different kinds of people, shoulder to shoulder.

"My goodness, how many people are there?"

A young man from the Xu family, who was taking the imperial examination for the first time, was startled by the scene before him.

Even excluding relatives and friends who accompanied the examinees, there were at least one or two thousand people.

Only about twenty or thirty people pass the imperial examination at the county level each year.

Just seeing this display of force completely shattered my confidence.

Xu Tuo and Zhong Xuan stood in the crowd, much calmer than the young people behind them.

Xu Tuo didn't need to refer to anything, while Zhong Xuan had come so many times that he had become desensitized.

Although there is more than one way to get ahead than entering officialdom.

For those seeking to learn both literary and martial arts, apprenticing under an emperor is undoubtedly the best option.

"Master Zhang?"

Zhong Xuan saw a wealthy and imposing middle-aged man being escorted by guards to the entrance of the examination hall, accompanied by Zhang family relatives.

"If I remember correctly, Master Zhang has more than a dozen sons. Although they are not as outstanding as Zhang Linchun, they were all made with money. Maybe another scholar will emerge from among them."

The Zhang family patriarch always valued the imperial examination system.

It's not surprising that the whole family came to watch the exam, since all of the sons were taking it.

Besides the Zhang family, Zhong Xuan also saw many people from Baisha County, most of whom were either rich or noble.

I just looked away.

Zhong Xuan then heard Xu Tuo's voice from the side: "The Ma family has arrived as well."

Following Xu Tuo's gaze.

Sure enough, Ma Lei was spotted in the crowd.

Simultaneously.

Ma Lei also noticed Zhong Xuan and the others.

"Is it him?"

Ma Lei completely ignored Xu Tuo and focused his gaze directly on Zhong Xuan.

There aren't many people in Xiahe Village that he can be wary of, and Zhong Xuan is one of them.

Only he knew that Zhong Xuan had killed two skin-training martial artists from the Sand Gang that day.

Zhong Xuan felt Ma Lei's gaze and his heart stirred slightly.

Just then—

A melodious bell rang out from the examination hall.

"The test has begun!"

Those students who were familiar with the situation were already tense and their faces were taut.

As the bell rang, the tightly closed gates of the examination hall were flung open with a loud crash.

Under the supervision of Yongning Prefecture soldiers, students from various regions filed in.

Both the civil service examination and the military examination consisted of six subjects, and the examination lasted for three days and two nights.

The first day consisted entirely of written tests.

More than a thousand students, under the supervision of soldiers, came to a narrow cubicle with two wooden planks placed across it. This was where they would stay for the next two days and one night.

Zhong Xuan was already very familiar with this.

The two wooden planks were set up early on.

During the day, the higher plank serves as a desk, and at night when it's time to rest, it is removed and inserted into the groove below, which is flush with the plank for sitting, thus becoming a bed.

Thinking back to the first time I took the college entrance exam, I was quite flustered and overwhelmed.

Take a seat.

Zhong Xuan listened calmly to the chaotic noise around him.

Not long after.

Two proctors, one old and one middle-aged, walked in.

Zhong Xuan recognized the old man in the blue official robe as the prefect of Yongning Prefecture, a high-ranking official of the fifth rank, and also the chief examiner of this year's provincial examination. Normally, Zhong Xuan would not even have the chance to catch a glimpse of such an important figure from afar.

As for the middle-aged Confucian scholar, this was the first time Zhong Xuan had met him.

The old man's stern gaze swept across the lecture hall, and he only spoke after the candidates had risen and greeted him:

"The imperial examination is of paramount importance to our Qing Kingdom. Today, I will be the one supervising the examination. If anyone attempts to engage in favoritism or cheating, they will be severely punished once discovered by me."

Then.

The middle-aged scholar explained the rules of the provincial examination.

After that, Zhong Xuan could recite it by heart.

After the clapperboard was struck four times in quick succession, the soldiers finally distributed the test papers.

"The first day's exam covered classics and law, the second day's exam covered mathematics and practical strategies, and the last day's exam covered swordsmanship and internal energy cultivation..."

As Zhong Xuan pondered this, he picked up his brush and dipped it in ink.

Throughout history, scholars have always revered the past and belittled the present.

Furthermore, after the Grand Secretary who saved the nation a century ago, the imperial examination system was completely abolished, and the "ancient people" who participated in the examinations were simply a devastating blow to him, a college student majoring in classical Chinese literature.

On the contrary, Ming Suan's grades have always been good.

He has participated in the imperial examinations more than ten times over the decades, and he has not made no progress at all.

For example, writing neatly often leads to better grades, and so on...

The examinee in the room next to Zhong Xuan stood up, flipped over his toilet card, and was led to the outhouse by a soldier.

"Still too young."

Zhong Xuan shook his head.

Although going to the toilet was not prohibited during the provincial examination, once the examiner flipped over the toilet card, the examiner would stamp a black mark on the exam paper, which was called a "poop stamp".

The examiners would find it unlucky to see such a paper, and even if the writing is excellent, the score would definitely not be good.

Experienced students would choose to urinate directly in their pants.

Zhong Xuan had already cultivated to the mid-stage of skin refining, so he could control his muscles and no longer had this concern.

In short.

There are many intricacies involved.

Two days and one night later.

The four written examinations for the civil service examination were now complete.

After spending another night curled up in their cubicles, the group of examinees were led by soldiers to a martial arts training ground in the examination hall.

The location next door is where the martial arts examination was held.

The saying "the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts" is evident at this moment.

Spectators are not prohibited from attending martial arts competitions.

So the training ground was surrounded by onlookers.

The military examinations were mostly attended by wealthy merchants and powerful figures, while the civil examinations were mostly attended by ordinary farmers dressed in hemp clothing.

"It's him?"

There is a high platform outside the training ground.

This place offers a perfect view of both the martial arts and civil service examinations. In addition, it is thoughtfully equipped with a sunshade thatched shed. Anyone who can sit here must be someone of high status.

Cui Yi, a young girl from the academy, stood beside an old man with white hair, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him in the examination hall.

She had a strong impression of Zhong Xuan.

Unexpectedly, someone who looked to be almost sixty years old actually came to participate in the imperial examination.

However, he only stayed for a moment before turning his head away.

She made that intuitive judgment.

It was unlikely that Zhong Xuan would become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the county level).

Great talents mature late... those are just legends told by storytellers.

at the same time.

Ma Lei's gaze also fell on Zhong Xuan.

"I'd like to see just how good Flying Eagle Martial Arts Academy's instruction really is."

......

After one incense stick has burned.

When the sound of a gong echoed through the training ground, the two subjects of Wenju swordsmanship and internal strength training were announced to have begun.

The martial arts test lasted one day.

Morning is for internal energy cultivation, noon is for swordsmanship.

"Literature is for gentlemen. Even the martial arts test is not like the military examination which requires fighting. The swordsmanship subject tests more on the techniques and the individual's comprehension. Therefore, the swordsmanship subject is also called sword dance..."

Zhong Xuan was assigned to Team T.

They waited outside the training ground for a full hour before a bearded commander led his men and shouted, "Team T, follow me!"

Upon hearing this...

Zhong Xuan took a deep breath, tightened his grip on the sword hilt, and followed the group of students into the training ground.