The Red Mansion

Chapter 76 Jiang Nian passed the imperial examination?

In the first year of Taishun, the Shuntian Prefecture Provincial Examination consisted of three special examinations. Each examination was a double test of the candidates' talents and determination. It was like three towering mountains waiting for the candidates to climb one by one. The candidates were also like rushing to a difficult battle.

The first round will test essays on the Four Books and test poems. The entrance is scheduled for the 8th day of April at 3:00 pm, the exam will start at 5:00 pm on the 9th day, and the exit is on the 10th day.

The second session will test the Five Classics. The entrance is scheduled at 3:00 pm on April 11, the exam will start at 5:00 pm on the 12th, and the exit is on the 13th.

The third round is a policy test, which is scheduled to start at 3:00 PM on April 14th, 5:00 AM on April 15th, and the final round will be on April 16th.

The Shuntian Prefecture Provincial Examination, along with the Jiangnan Provincial Examination, was known as the "Two Great Examinations of the Nation." Both had a large number of admissions, each admitting over a hundred students, but competition was fierce. Candidates for the Shuntian Prefecture Provincial Examination included both students from the Shuntian Prefecture and tribute students from the Imperial Academy, and the invigilation was particularly strict.

The chief examiner of this year's Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination was Wang Tingyu, an important official of the imperial court.

The examination was held at the Shuntian Prefecture Imperial Examination Hall.

The Shuntianfu Imperial Examination Hall was located in the eastern part of the capital, not far from Chaoyang Gate and the homes of Qu Tai and Qu Jishan. The hall was massive, with numerous buildings and an area comparable to that of Prince Zhongyi's palace.

From south to north, the buildings of the Imperial Examination Hall unfold in sequence.

The first thing that catches the eye is a towering memorial archway with four large characters "Seeking Talents for the Country" inscribed on it. The characters are written in a bold and majestic manner, as if declaring the sacredness and solemnity of the Imperial Examination Hall.

Passing through the archway is the South Gate, with a towering lintel, welcoming every candidate with dreams.

Entering the South Gate leads to the Second Gate, and beyond that, the Dragon Gate. This gate served as the entrance for examinees to the examination hall, symbolizing the "carp leaping over the Dragon Gate." Every examinee who passed through the Dragon Gate held the hope of leaping over it, hoping to achieve the honor of passing the imperial examination and the glory of a successful candidate.

After passing through the dragon gate, you will reach the examination hall.

The examination halls consisted of rows of buildings, each consisting of seventy rooms. Each room, just one square meter in size, was cramped and simple, accommodating only one person. These rooms were called "haoshes." Candidates sat for their exams, answered questions, ate, drank, defecated, urinated, and slept in these rooms. These rooms were numbered according to the sequence of the Thousand Character Classic: Heaven and Earth, the Universe, the Undying. Sun and Moon wax and wane, the constellations lined up...

Deep within the examination halls stands a locust tree planted during the Ming Dynasty, known as the Wenchang Locust Tree. This ancient tree, lush and leafy, resembles a wise figure, quietly guarding the examination hall, symbolizing a prosperous academic career. Many examinees, upon passing by, would gaze up at the tree, praying for its protection.

Behind the Wenchang Sophora japonica tree is Mingyuan Tower, where invigilators could go up to overlook the examination hall to prevent cheating.

Going further north is Zhigong Hall, where the chief examiner works and marks papers.

The Imperial Examination Hall also had a transcription office and a review office. The transcription office was responsible for transcribing the examinees' examination papers, while the review office was responsible for verifying the transcribed examination papers to prevent examiners from identifying the examinees by their handwriting.

……

……

At the time of Shen on the eighth day of April, the sun, which was about to set, enveloped the numerous examinees who were gathered like a tide outside the Shuntian Prefecture Imperial Examination Hall with its sunlight, dyeing this bustling world with a golden halo.

The candidates carried necessary items such as examination tools and bedding, and their faces showed some tension, some anticipation, and some indifference.

Jiang Nian squeezed in the crowd, holding the examination tools tightly in his hands, the bedding on his shoulders was slightly heavy, and his expression was indifferent.

He slowly moved forward with the crowd, underwent a search, and entered the small, shabby cell according to his number. He put down his belongings, sorted himself out, and settled down in this small space, waiting for tomorrow's exam.

As night fell, the Imperial Examination Hall, though crowded with examinees, seemed quiet. The night wind blew through the examination halls, bringing a cool, even chill, feeling to the examinees.

Many candidates were unable to sleep peacefully, and some even had a sleepless night.

Jiang Nian, however, slept soundly.

The next day, April 9th, at the hour of Mao.

Jiang Nian completed matters such as roll call and topic assignment according to the procedures.

This exam tests the Four Books and examination poems.

There are three questions on the Four Books and one question on the examination poem.

Jiang Nian first looked at the first question on the Four Books essay test, which read: "A gentleman takes righteousness as his foundation, conducts himself with propriety, speaks with prudence, and completes his mission with trustworthiness."

His eyes suddenly lit up and joy surged in his heart.

This exam question, which came from "The Analects of Confucius: Duke Ling of Wei", was guessed correctly by Qu Tai!
Jiang Nian hurriedly looked at the other two Four Books essay questions, feeling even more excited. One of them had also been guessed correctly by Qu Tai, and the other by Qu Jishan!

It seemed as if a warm current was surging in Jiang Nian's chest.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the warm feeling in his heart, and looked at the test paper. The title was: "Fu De Jiu Gong Wei Xu (De 'Tong' character, five words, eight rhymes)."

Qu Tai actually guessed the answer to this question!

Moreover, Qu Tai personally wrote a model poem for him.

Even though Jiang Nian has always been calm, his heart couldn't help but beat faster at this moment.

Jiang Nian had memorized all the test questions and answers or abridged answers given by Qu Tai and Qu Jishan by virtue of his exceptional memory.

At this moment, Jiang Nian clearly did not cheat, but it felt like he was cheating.

However, if you think about it carefully, it can be considered cheating. It's not him who is cheating, it's his luck that is helping him cheat...

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Nian no longer hesitated. He picked up the pen and dipped it in ink, and began to write in the official script according to the answers or excerpts of the answers given by Qu Tai and Qu Jishan.

In the Daqing Imperial Examination, candidates were required to use the official script to write their answers.

The Guan Ge style is a neat, rigorous, standardized and unified regular script font, characterized by clear strokes, symmetrical structure and square character shape. It conforms to the official standardization requirements for documents and examinations, and also conforms to the imperial examination system's pursuit of fairness and standardization.

If a candidate does not write his/her answer sheet in the official script, he/she will be deducted points at best and eliminated directly at worst.

The original owner had been practicing the official style since he was a child, and Jiang Nian has also been practicing the official style since he traveled through time, and he is good at writing the official style.

The tip of his pen slid across the paper, and every stroke was as smooth as flowing water, yet as neat as carving.

……

……

It was April 16th. On this day, a gentle rain fell, like a thread, gently sprinkling every corner of the capital, including the Shuntianfu Imperial Examination Hall in the east city.

Jiang Nian finished the three exams and also ended his journey in the Shuntian Prefecture's special examination.

Although this long journey had caused him suffering and pain, he was excited.

There are two reasons for excitement.

First, this Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination included three questions on the Four Books, one question on poetry, five questions on the Five Classics, and five questions on policy questions. Surprisingly, all of these questions were correctly predicted! Either by Qu Tai or Qu Jishan!
Secondly, this provincial examination had given Jiang Nian a profound sense of the wonders of destiny, a feeling even more vivid than any previous one. With such wondrous luck, his confidence in the future had increased considerably, and he felt that even a humble prince like him, who had originally had no chance of ascending the throne, had a great chance of succeeding.
In the evening at 5:00 p.m., a light rain was falling.

After handing in his paper and leaving the examination hall, Jiang Nian didn't go home directly. Instead, he took a carriage and meandered towards the Qu family home, not far from the Imperial Examination Hall. The sound of the wheels rolling over the wet bluestone pavement seemed to accompany his fluctuating mood.

Qu Tai and Qu Jishan had already eaten dinner, and the father and son were chatting in the study.

Jiang Nian, holding a green cloth umbrella, walked across the wet ground as he entered the Qu family's main gate. Raindrops slid down the umbrella, dripping onto the ground, creating tiny splashes. He passed through the hanging flower gate and entered the inner courtyard. Inside, flowers and trees grew lushly. A few crabapple trees still bloomed vibrantly in the rain, their fragrance still lingering, invisibly intertwining with the rain.

Following the scent of crabapple blossoms, Jiang Nian arrived at the door of Qu Tai's study. Although the carved lattice door was half open, he still knocked gently on the door after putting away his umbrella. Only when he heard Qu Jishan's voice from inside, "Come in," did he step into the study.

"Jiang Nian greets the old gentleman, greets the gentleman."

Jiang Nian bowed respectfully to Qu Tai and Qu Jishan.

Qu Tai greeted him warmly, "Brother Nian is here, sit down and talk."

As soon as Jiang Nian sat down, Qu Jishan couldn't wait to ask, "How was the third round? Among the five questions, are there any that my father and I have asked?"

Qu Tai and Qu Jishan had previously learned from Jiang Nian that in the first two exams, three questions on the Four Books, one question on examination poetry, and five questions on the Five Classics were all predicted correctly by the father and son.

Jiang Nian maintained a respectful demeanor. "There are five policy questions, all of which have been set by the old master and the master. Three of them were set by the old master, and two were set by the master. For this provincial examination, all the questions, without omission, have been set by the old master and the master!"

Then, Jiang Nian explained the five test questions in detail one by one, with a steady tone and clear words.

As he continued to narrate, the atmosphere in the study became solemn.

Qu Jishan frowned, his face full of astonishment and confusion.

Qu Tai, a cabinet scholar over seventy years old, was stunned and muttered, "How could this be? Such a strange thing..."

Both father and son gave Jiang Nian some test questions and gave him the answers or abridged answers.

How could the two of them have imagined that all the questions in the Shuntian Prefecture County Examination were answered correctly by this father and son without missing a single one!

This matter was unprecedented, and it was like a myth. It seemed as if there was an invisible force driving all of this, making Jiang Nian's participation in the provincial examination incredible.

In other words, Jiang Nian was not taking the provincial examination alone this time, but was in the examination room with Qu Tai and Qu Jishan. Qu Tai and Qu Jishan were guiding him in the examination, and some of the examination questions were even taken by the two of them for him.

Qu Tai and Qu Jishan were stunned for a long while, and had not yet recovered from this incredible fact.

Outside the study, the sound of rain was dripping, and it felt like it was raining in the hearts of the father and son.

Finally, Qu Jishan spoke, anxiously and nervously asking Jiang Nian, "Brother Nian, you haven't told anyone else about this except my father and me, right? Do the servants at home know about this?"

His eyes were fixed on Jiang Nian, as if waiting for a crucial answer.

Jiang Nian answered decisively, "Teacher, I know this secret very well. How could I dare to pass it on easily? So far, only the old master, the teacher, and I know it. No one else knows."

Upon hearing this, Qu Jishan breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to look at Qu Tai and said anxiously, "Father, this matter must be kept secret! This fact is bizarre. If it gets out, even if we clearly didn't cheat, people will think we did. We won't be able to defend ourselves!"

Qu Jishan was well versed in the ways of the world and was adept at seeking advantage and avoiding disadvantage.

Qu Tai stood up and stood in front of the study window, looking at the drizzle outside the window, feeling depressed.

He was a loyal and upright minister, and also a trusted minister of Emperor Taishun.

However, now he felt as if he had participated in a cheating in the imperial examination. It was as if a huge rock was pressing down on his heart, so heavy that it made him breathless.

He also knew that his son Qu Jishan's argument was valid. While this incident wasn't cheating, it could easily be mistaken for it. If Emperor Taishun believed that he and his son had participated in cheating in the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination, even if he was a trusted and trusted minister of Emperor Taishun, given Emperor Taishun's temperament, the Qu family would suffer, and the bright futures of both father and son would be ruined.

Thinking of this, Qu Tai sighed, turned to look at Qu Jishan, nodded slowly, and said in a low and solemn voice: "You are right. This matter is of no small importance and must be kept secret."

Seeing his father nod, Qu Jishan said solemnly to Jiang Nian, "Brother Nian, although you are young, you are steady and prudent, and you are also very tight-lipped. My father, I, and you must keep this matter a secret. Even the Thirteenth Prince should not be informed. Otherwise, if it is mistakenly believed that we are cheating, we will all be in trouble."

Jiang Nian nodded decisively, his eyes firm: "Don't worry, sir, I will never tell anyone else about this. Old Master and you have done me a favor, how could I harm you?"

Qu Jishan felt much more at ease and couldn't help but sigh: "It seems that Brother Nian will most likely pass the imperial examination this time!"

Qu Tai nodded with a complicated expression.

Of all the questions in the Shuntian Prefecture County Examination, Qu Tai and Qu Jishan only answered three, including the test poem. For the other questions, they only gave Jiang Nian an abbreviated answer, rather than the complete answer.

Even so, Jiang Nian's chances of passing the exam are very high.

After chatting for a while, Jiang Nian said goodbye and left.

The drizzle was still falling. Jiang Nian, holding a green cloth umbrella, walked out of the Qu family's gate and headed for the carriage. Dong Liang, who was waiting in the carriage, saw Jiang Nian approaching and hurried forward to take the umbrella. He extended his hand to help Jiang Nian into the carriage. A faint fragrance filled the carriage.

Dong Liang whipped the car, the wheels rolling over the wet road, heading towards Chaoyang Gate. After Chaoyang Gate, he would return to the old little house in the eastern suburbs.

Jiang Nian sat in the car, looking out the window at the street scene in the rain, and his mood calmed down.

As soon as Jiang Nian left, Qu Tai said to Qu Jishan, "Brother Nian's background is mysterious. He is very close to the Thirteenth Prince, has an exceptional memory, and is both civil and military. This time, when he took the provincial examination, the exam questions were actually given to him by my father and me... I guess this boy has an extraordinary origin, or maybe he was sent down from heaven, and he is blessed by heaven!"

People of this era were generally superstitious. Even though Qu Tai was an old Confucian scholar, he was also superstitious.

Qu Jishan was also superstitious. When he heard this, he nodded and agreed with his father's statement.

His expression was filled with awe, as if he sensed some mysterious power from Jiang Nian...

(End of this chapter)