Joy of Life: Starting from Teacher Fan Xian

Chapter 32 Official Examination
The peaceful Qing Kingdom now seems to be in a prosperous era. In comparison with twelve years later, the three princes in the palace are still young, and the oldest prince is only over ten years old. It is really difficult to see the intrigue and political drama of the palace.

But in the deep-rooted officialdom, this kind of drama is present all the time.

Kyoto Academy gathers talented people from all over the world, and many of the successful candidates in the imperial examinations have come from there. Perhaps it is because there are many people with profound knowledge, or perhaps there are some other tricks involved.

Lin Ruo could not help dozing off on the way to the academy early in the morning, crossing the white sky of Kyoto. When he woke up unable to bear the bumps on the road, he found that the direction was right in front of him, but it was always a little slower. Lin Ruo frowned, lifted the curtain, and looked for Teng Zijing driving the horse outside the carriage.

"Not here yet?"

"It's stuck. There are a lot of cars ahead."

Lin Ruo wondered, "What day is today?"

Teng Zijing shook his head repeatedly. He didn't know what kind of important day today was for scholars.

Lin Ruo sat back in the carriage and thought secretly that it had been several days since the autumn semester started and the spring imperial examination had not yet arrived. Most of the students lived in the academy and did not have to travel back and forth.

What kind of weird day could that be?

He opened one side of the curtain, stuck his head out, and looked at the busy scene ahead, with carriages and horses everywhere, and then looked at the unique logos on these carriages, all of which were displayed by dignitaries. Lin Ruo finally figured something out.

"How come you don't even know this?" A faint mocking voice came from the carriage next to him, "The Spring Examination is approaching, and officials from the Ministry of Rites are gathering at the academy to inspect and reward students as a sign of encouragement."

"You're new here, right? You're lucky to have just arrived and caught up with such an important event. But you have to be tactful when you go in. If you say something inappropriate and offend some dignitaries, it will be more trouble than it's worth."

Teng Zijing became slightly angry after hearing this. Even a mere warrior like him could guess the trick. How could a prestigious Kyoto university collude with the powerful in broad daylight?

As the person being laughed at, Lin Ruo seemed very calm. He just thought of something that made him really unable to remain calm, so he deliberately kept a straight face.

When Fan Xian presided over the spring examination in the second year after he came to Beijing, the imperial examination system was overhauled and corrupt officials were punished. Many officials, including the Minister of Rites Guo Youzhi, were arrested.

In the history of Qing Kingdom, there was another major case regarding malpractices in the imperial examination system. Twelve years before that spring examination, when the country was just beginning to settle down, the Emperor waved his hand and executed fourteen officials from the Ministry of Rites who were participating in the imperial examination.

After calculating the time, isn't it the spring examination in early February next year? What a coincidence.

Lin Ruo looked at the hazy sky, opened the curtain, and reminded Teng Zijing loudly, "Don't just listen to other people's nonsense. It's going to rain. Be careful. It's not good to be exposed to the inexplicable moisture."

When Teng Zijing heard this, he quickly moved back and couldn't help glancing to the right. The insult was too blunt, how could anyone not hear it.

The man in the next carriage angrily lifted the silk curtain and glared at him, "You are so arrogant! Tell me your name if you dare. I want to see who you are from."

Just as he finished speaking, the sky changed drastically, with flashes of thunder and roars. Water drops as big as soybeans fell from the sky like crazy, carried by the strong wind, and soon the whole world turned white.

The young man from the noble family did not react quickly. After being drenched on the head, he quickly put his head back into the car. Out of shame, he did not make any sound.

Teng Zijing laughed again and again: "Sir, you are very smart. You can calculate this."

Lin Ruo smiled bitterly. He had not expected that his pupils could also be used to observe the weather.

At the soaked academy gate, an official had been waiting for the distinguished guest from Si Nanbo's mansion. Upon seeing the carriage, he stepped forward and pointed the way, "Mr. Lin, please follow me." Lin Ruo got off the carriage and got into the official's umbrella. He said goodbye to Teng Zijing and followed him into the academy.

Teng Zijing felt relieved and drove the carriage to find a place to shelter from the rain, planning to return to Fan Mansion after the weather cleared up.

"It's raining heavily, Mr. Lin, be careful." The official said as he walked, tilting his small umbrella to one side, causing half of his body to get wet.

"Lin is just a guest of the Fan family. Your Excellency doesn't need to be so concerned about him."

"Mr. Lin is joking. Lord Si Nanbo's confidant has told me that since you are just a guest, you should leave quickly."

The rain came quickly and stopped quickly. It gradually subsided after a short distance. As the officials slowed down their pace, they complained, "This rain really doesn't choose the day."

"Is today a good day?" Lin Ruo asked tentatively.

The official smiled slightly and replied, "Mr. Lin, you may not know that many people from the Ministry of Rites and Imperial College came today to examine the candidates for next year."

"Is Kyoto Academy so famous?" Lin Ruo asked again.

Upon hearing this, the official explained in detail, "It's not that big. Our Qing Kingdom values ​​martial arts. In the past, the country was weak in culture, so it was established under the order of the court. The academy is just a place to worship learning. Half a year before the start of the spring examination, many students from other places will come to Beijing to prepare for the exam. The academy is their residence, but the accommodation is expensive. Most of them are children of wealthy families in the Jiangnan area. Today, because of the official's visit, many children of the royal family in Beijing have come. On ordinary days, there will definitely not be so many people."

"So that's how it is. It looks like many people came here alone for today." Lin Ruo concluded.

The official's face darkened, and he was slightly afraid. He advised: "Master Lin, you can't say that. The officials of the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial College are all here for the examination, and the students are also here to ask for advice. This is a great event for scholars."

"Is it really so?" Lin Ruo couldn't help but find the way he deceived himself funny.

"It's not entirely the same. It's a good thing that some talented students can catch the attention of the above."

The official said, appearing polite on the surface, but actually in his heart he was criticizing this outspoken young man. He thought that he came here today with the instruction of Si Nanbo to make friends with officials from various departments, so how could he say such irrelevant words.

What's more, this law has been tacitly accepted in the officialdom for more than ten years. In short, this is an unchanging rule in the officialdom and there is really nothing to discuss.

Lin Ruo seemed to have guessed what the official was thinking, and he straightened his back and said, "A place to study hard, but now it seems that this place is not very suitable."

The official muttered to himself, and suddenly asked curiously, "I wonder how old Master Lin is?"

Lin Ruo heard it clearly. The official's implication was that he was still young and a little kid, and it would be difficult for him to understand things.

Lin Ruo smiled gently: "I am over seventeen years old, and I am taking the spring exam for the first time."

When the official heard this, his heart trembled involuntarily. A 17-year-old juren was rare in the world. Traditionally, most candidates who took part in the spring examinations were over 25 years old, and there were also a few in their 30s and 40s.

It seems that this young man has an extraordinary level of knowledge. No wonder he is so arrogant and speaks wildly. Even if he does not rely on connections, he will surely be able to make a name for himself in the Spring Examination.

Thinking of Si Nanbo's importance, the officials smiled happily and had no choice but to let him come.

　The imperial examination cheating case twelve years ago was not fabricated by me. It really happened in the novel. It was probably mentioned in the chapters where Fan Xian presided over the Spring Examination. It should be in the fourth volume, but it was not written in detail. This gave me an original plot point.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)