Chapter 152
In the past, the ranking list did not display names, only the candidates' examination numbers. However, the common people who followed along to see the excitement would look at a string of numbers and not understand who had passed, who was first, where he was from, or how old he was. They understood nothing.
Scholars took the imperial examinations for various reasons. The noble aspiration was to become an official who served the people, repaid the state, and dedicated oneself to the country. However, speaking plainly, many were driven by the desire for personal prestige and recognition—to make a name for themselves and bring honor to their family. After all, if no one knew who you were, how could you achieve fame?
Furthermore, how could one's ambition and pride be fulfilled by a list of anonymous numbers? This system was ultimately impractical, so it was later reformed to display the candidates' names.
Detailed information followed the candidate's name. Those from academies were followed by the name of a certain academy. For independent scholars like Fang Zichen, naturally, there was no academy to list.
In such cases, it was common to write the registered place of residence.
Xie Xiaoyu was extremely shocked: "Brother Sheng, Fang Zichen is ranked first."
Li Yisheng put Xie Xiaoyu down: "You hold me, and I'll take a look."
Xie Xiaoyu was happy and didn't mind. He squatted down to lift Li Yisheng. A snort of laughter suddenly came from beside them.
"First place? Truly a case of 'idle dreams'," Second Aunt Li said with a scornful laugh, her eyes filled with contempt.
In her view, the only one who could contend with the Qinghe Academy students was her own son.
Li Yixing had said he had no hope of making the list this time. If even her son couldn't pass, then that young man certainly couldn't either.
Li Yisheng's mind was now completely focused on the red ranking list; he simply had no mind to pay her any attention. Xie Xiaoyu easily lifted him up.
The red list only had three columns of names.
Arranged from left to right, Fang Zichen's name was the most conspicuous. Li Yisheng spotted it almost at a glance.
"He really is first! Good heavens! Now I can bask in reflected glory!"
Second Aunt Li's eyes widened: "Impossible, how could it..."
Just at that moment, commotion broke out at the front.
"Fang Zichen? Who is this?"
"I don't know, never heard of him! He's not from the Qinghe Academy."
"What..." Someone who hadn't seen the list yet exclaimed upon hearing this: "The top scorer isn't from the Qinghe Academy?"
"How is this possible! Are you seeing things?"
"See what? So many pairs of eyes are looking at it!"
"No, this person... the information after his name lists a village name!!!"
Everyone was stunned.
The top scorer not being from Qinghe Academy, breaking the Academy's decades-long monopoly on first place, was shocking enough. But then...
There was an even bigger surprise.
A village name written after him, what did that mean?
It meant this person had never attended an academy, never received a formal education. A village fellow, probably someone who learned a few characters by himself while resting on the ridges between fields during farm work.
Someone like that defeated all of them.
Unbelievable.
Simply unbelievable.
Someone muttered under their breath: "Could he have... cheated?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" someone scolded him: "Not to mention how strict the examination hall is, how could a village bumpkin possibly know the official who set the questions?"
"Maybe he really does know!" that person said, unwilling to let it go.
"Did you leave your head at home today? Or have you been so shocked you've gone stupid? If he had the ability to know the official setting the questions, had the silver to buy the exam, would he still be stuck in a village? Why wouldn't he go to Qinghe Academy?"
Qinghe Academy was a place aspired to by the vast majority of talented scholars in Yuanzhou. Anyone who recognized a few characters desperately wanted to squeeze their way in.
The Daxia imperial examination regulations stated that the Palace Examination was personally set by the Emperor. The first selection, the County Examination, was set by the local Prefect. The questions for the Prefectural, Academy, Provincial, and Metropolitan Examinations were set by the current Prime Minister or Hanlin Academicians.
Within the Hanlin Academy, not all members possessed this qualification; typically, only senior officials possessing both scholarly attainment and political experience were eligible.
Their Yuanzhou was a hundred thousand miles from the capital. The examining officials, shortly before the examinations, were placed in seclusion and kept under close surveillance
When the examination papers were dispatched to the various prefectures, they were escorted and monitored throughout the entire journey by the Imperial Guard.
From the moment the examination papers entered the examination compound, every single step of the process was closely watched by twenty to thirty people. Who would possibly dare to tamper with them?
And who would even possess the capability to do so?
Second Aunt Li stood dumbfounded, her face a picture of shock.
Li Yisheng finished scanning the list, a smile on his face, his eyes nearly disappearing: "Ah, Second Aunt, I just looked for you, but I didn't see my cousin's name. It seems you've made a wasted trip today."
Second Aunt Li: "..."
Li Yixing didn't speak.
Although he had expected this, when the day actually came, he couldn't help but feel disheartened.
Though they were cousins from the same family, Li Yisheng offered no words of consolation. Instead, he kept adding insult to injury: : "Some people are simply born with sharp wits. Even when they approach things casually, as if it were all a game, they still come out on top. Others burn the midnight oil, enduring all manner of hardship, and Heaven rewards the diligent—they too earn their place on the list. But then there are those who still fail. Never mind comparing them to the truly gifted; even among their fellow hard-workers, some pass while they do not. What is the reason for that? Ah! It must be that they are simply too dull-witted. For that sort, even if they neither ate nor drank and strapped the books right to their faces, it would be utterly useless."
Li Yixing: "..."
Li Yixing's chest heaved violently. Xie Xiaoyu looked at him; he just felt utterly humiliated.
Li Yisheng kept adding, as if he wanted him to die of shame.
"Cousin, don't you agree? Do you think what your elder brother says makes sense?"
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