Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

Just as Jia Cong had stopped at the entrance of the martial arts arena, he saw several officials in their robes moving back and forth, checking the names and tokens of the candidates entering the arena.

He dismounted, handed the reins to Li Rong, straightened his robes, and slowly stepped forward. The clerk, seeing his elegant white robes with subtle patterns and distinguished bearing, and noticing the words "Rongguo Mansion" and other documents on the recommendation list, immediately wore a respectful smile and quickly stepped aside to guide him.

"So it's the Third Master of the Rong family. A shed for resting has been prepared inside. Please come this way."

Jia Cong was known for his generosity. With a single glance, Li Rong understood and slipped him a large sum of money. The clerk was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly. As a minor official, he was not willing to risk losing more than he gained by having someone sabotage his exam.

Then, following the official, they arrived at the teahouse on the east side. Inside, there were tables and chairs, as well as chilled plum juice and fruits. It was much more elegant and cool than other resting places. Naturally, the treatment of scions of noble families was better than that of commoners.

Not far from the shed were the archery range and the training ground. At this time, candidates had begun to take the stage to practice, first on horseback and then on foot. The sound of bowstrings and cheers rose and fell, creating a lively atmosphere reminiscent of the examination hall.

Before long, the chief examiner and several deputy examiners arrived. The chief examiner, surnamed Chen, was originally a vice-commander in the Five Military Commands, a fourth-rank military officer. He had a solemn face and wore a brocade robe with a belt, which made him look quite dignified.

Behind him were three deputy examiners, all of whom were mid- to low-ranking military officers from the Five Military Commands. One was an experienced officer from the Experience Department, and the other was a garrison commander from the Garrison Command. They were all seasoned veterans with extensive military experience.

After the examiners were seated in their assigned positions, the clerk announced loudly that the provincial military examination had officially begun, and the candidates took the stage in order of the roster.

It was around 7 a.m. when it was Jia Cong's turn to go on stage. He stood up, straightened his robes, and took a hard bow with a draw weight of ten strength from the clerk. Ordinary candidates would have to exert all their strength to draw it fully, but Jia Cong remained calm.

He first tried horseback archery. He mounted Ba Hongchen, spurred his horse to gallop, and when the horse reached the target, he raised his hand, drew his bow, and fired three arrows in quick succession. Every arrow hit the bullseye, drawing cheers from the crowd on the sidelines.

The official in charge of supervising the examination was Feng Tang's prized student, surnamed Wang. Seeing Jia Cong's superb archery skills, a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

"Jia Cong of the Rongguo Mansion, shot three arrows from horseback, hitting the target completely; first-class achievement!"

Jia Cong reined in his horse, turned around, and landed steadily. He then moved to the archery range, where he had to shoot nine arrows at a distance of fifty paces from the target. Jia Cong focused his mind, drew his bow, and shot the arrows with fluid movements. Of the nine arrows, seven hit the bullseye and two hit the target circle, far exceeding the passing mark.

Next came the skills and courage test, starting with drawing a hard bow. The officials brought in three bows, one with eight strength, one with ten strength, and one with twelve strength. Jia Cong first drew the eight-strength bow to its full strength without changing his expression. Then he took the ten-strength bow and drew it to its full strength with ease. Finally, he picked up the twelve-strength bow, concentrated for a moment, exerted force in his arm, and drew the bow to its fullest extent. He held it steadily for a moment before slowly releasing it.

The officer surnamed Wang clapped his hands and laughed, "What strength! To be able to draw a bow of twelve strength at such a young age, truly remarkable!"

Next came the broadsword dance. Jia Cong gripped the handle with both hands, wielding it with great force. The broadsword moved as if it were his own arm, slashing, chopping, cutting, and parrying with precise and powerful moves. At the height of the dance, the wind howled, and the crowd on the sidelines watched with rapt attention, applauding and praising him in return.

After finishing his swordplay, Jia Cong remained calm and composed, without blushing or embarrassment. He placed the broadsword steadily to the side, his expression still serene.

The last task was lifting the stone. He bent over, grabbed the stone block on both sides with his hands, shouted loudly, and steadily lifted the stone block. He paused for a moment after it was about a foot off the ground before slowly lowering it. His movements were steady and showed no sign of strain.

Chief Examiner Chen, seated in the examiners' section, nodded slightly upon seeing this scene and smiled at the deputy examiner beside him.

"The sons of the Rongguo Mansion do not seem to be spoiled playboys who only know how to live a life of luxury. Their physique and technique actually resemble those of experienced martial artists."

The clerk from the Department of Experience also chimed in, "What Master Chen said is absolutely right. It is truly rare to have such strength and composure at such a young age. He must have already entered the second threshold."

After the skills and bravery assessment was completed, the internal debate began, which was not something the common people could watch. Jia Cong followed the officials into the inner hall and saw that the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone were all provided by the Ministry of War, so there was no possibility of cheating.

The written test consisted of two major questions. The first was to recite the military classics from memory. A page from a military book was randomly selected, the left and right sides were covered, and only one line was left in the middle. Three characters were then covered with paper, and the test taker was asked to fill in the blanks.

The second item is the most difficult policy essay, which is set directly by the Ministry of War and allows students participating in the military examination to express their opinions freely. The questions are mostly about military strategy, border troubles, or current affairs.

Jia Cong was momentarily stunned. He wasn't good at studying and had only read those martial arts manuals so-so. Fortunately, the first question wasn't too difficult, and he managed to get by.

The second essay question asked candidates to use the analogy of Sun Tzu's saying, "Use orthodox methods to engage, and unorthodox methods to win," and given that in this peaceful era, border conflicts occasionally arise, how should a general combine orthodox and unorthodox methods to pacify the borders? Please present your strategy.

Jia Cong's eyes went black as he looked. Although the military examination did not require candidates to have their own examination cells in the examination hall like the civil examination, the candidates were still far apart, and even the best eyesight could not see the examination papers of others.

This policy essay is not a plagiarism; otherwise, Sun Tai wouldn't have remained just an instructor his whole life, all because he suffered from a lack of education.

Just as he was completely bewildered, Chen Qianshi, the proctor, strolled over and smiled as he examined Jia Cong's blank exam paper.

"Nephew, did you sprain your leg while taking the skills test? I see you haven't even picked up your pen yet..."

Jia Cong was overjoyed. This Chen Qianshi was an old friend of General Feng Tang, whom Feng Ziying had told him about long ago. He immediately pretended to be in pain, rubbed his shoulder, stood up, and bowed.

"In reply to your question, sir, I am unworthy and my skills are lacking. I suppose I injured my arm and the pain was unbearable, which is why I am writing so late."

Seeing Jia Cong's quick wit, Chen Qianshi chuckled, stroked his beard, and called over a nearby clerk.

"In that case, someone, take this student to get some treatment and then come back. Don't delay, lest the illness become chronic."

Jia Cong bowed respectfully and then quickly followed the clerk out of the examination hall. After going to the outhouse on the side, the clerk winked and pulled out a brand-new examination paper, handing it to him.

"My lord, take a good look. These are the examination papers for this year's provincial examination..."

Jia Cong understood perfectly; the paper was already completely filled with writing, leaving only the space for the name's signature. Without hesitation, he pulled out a three- or four-tael coin and stuffed it over.

Thank you for your trouble!

After going to the toilet and lingering for a while, Jia Cong sneakily returned to the examination room with the exam paper in his pocket, just as the invigilator, Chen Qianshi, was taking a sip of tea and exchanging a few casual words with the assistant invigilator next to him.

Jia Cong hurriedly put his blank exam paper into his sleeve, then wrote his name on the one the clerk had given him and replaced it with the one he had written on. Only then did he begin to wait for the time to run out, completely satisfied.

This inevitably creates two more favors to owe, not only to Chen Qianshi, but also to Feng Tang, who will have to prepare an extra generous gift.