Chapter 53
Sheng Jia's diligent studies had spurred on the learning atmosphere within the civilian courtyard. Apart from that one day when he shared a cup of tea with Li Yun and Ji Yunlu, Fang Yu hadn't ventured out for leisure during his stay at the civilian family's courtyard. He diligently followed Sheng Jia in reviewing their studies until the examination began.
On the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, the triennial Autumn Provincial Examination began.
Long before dawn, when the sky was still pitch black, Sheng Jia woke Fang Yu.
"Let's go early to queue for the identity verification and body inspection. That way we can enter the examination compound earlier, get settled, and avoid a last-minute rush."
Fang Yu agreed. Once they had packed their things, they hurried out the door. Outside, dawn had yet to break; the night watchman making his rounds passed slowly through the streets.
The prefectural city at this hour was neither as noisy as daytime nor as lively as the night market. It was quiet, the wind exceptionally cool. Only the main road leading to the examination compound was brightly lit with red lanterns. Viewed from a high tower, it looked rather spectacular, as if illuminating the path ahead. Scholars, in groups of three or five, silently hurried towards the examination compound, carrying or shouldering their belongings.
The walk took only the time it takes an incense stick to burn; taking a carriage was even faster. With the streets empty at this hour, the two arrived outside the examination compound in a quarter of an hour. Fortunately, they arrived early. There was already a line, but it hadn't grown very long yet.
Carrying all their luggage, the two queued together for the inspection process. It was painfully slow, and everyone grew somewhat anxious.
"Don't crowd so close! In this heat, don't press up against others, it's uncomfortable."
Fang Yu was craning his neck, counting how many people were ahead before his turn, when suddenly Sheng Jia, who was behind him, shoved him aside, pushing away a scholar with a handlebar mustache who had stepped back and was about to press against him.
"The person in front shoved me back! Why are you yelling? And I wasn't even crowding you. Mind your own business!" The mustached scholar, who had just been on the receiving end of Sheng Jia's glare and sharp tongue, shot back just as fiercely.
"The person ahead is my sworn brother! Crowding him is crowding me!" Sheng Jia cursed and grumbled, "Go on, get away! You're making me sweat, and there's no water for a bath inside the examination compound."
Just as Fang Yu was about to stop Sheng Jia, an inspection officer ahead of them spoke first: "What's all this racket! Silence in the examination compound! This is not a place for idle chatter and amusement. If you have things to say, go outside and say them to your heart's content!"
The patrolling officer, twirling an iron rod, had a very rough voice that carried an imposing authority among the crowd of pale-faced scholars. After this scolding, no one dared speak loudly again.
Fang Yu glanced at Sheng Jia, puzzled. He wondered why Sheng Jia was so irritable today, though usually talkative, his nature was very gentle. Why did he get so angry over being jostled?
Sheng Jia seemed to sense his confusion. He leaned in and whispered, "Brother Fang, look at that man's sleeve cuff ahead."
Fang Yu followed his gaze and saw that the man's cuff seemed to contain some slips of paper. He frowned, a cold light flashing in his eyes. Suddenly, a stern voice rang out from ahead: "You dare to smuggle notes! Such audacity! Show me your scholar's registration token! Let this official see which candidate from where is so shameless, publicly undermining the fairness of the examination!"
"M-misunderstanding, my lord! This humble student did not smuggle anything!"
"Then what are these paper slips! Caught red-handed! Guards, take this candidate away!"
Fang Yu turned his head and saw a thin scholar being escorted by the patrolling officers towards a side gate, still crying out his injustice. His heart skipped a beat. When he looked again at the candidate now standing ahead of him, his pupils contracted.
"It's better to be seen as arrogant and rude than to let those with unclean tricks get close. Otherwise, even with a hundred mouths, you couldn't explain yourself clearly."
Fang Yu took a deep breath and took a step back. On the way here, he had heard Sheng Jia say the prefectural city was a thorny thicket; he had listened to it as an interesting anecdote. Having holed up in the civilian alley the past few days without going out, he had avoided much trouble. Now, right at the examination compound, he had still witnessed such a scene.
Fortunately, he had met the experienced Sheng Jia, who helped him dodge many of these foul practices. He shot a grateful look his way.
Sheng Jia just waved it off.
About the time it takes an incense stick to burn later, both had successfully passed the inspection, received their exam compartment tokens, and entered the examination compound.
Fang Yu said, "I wonder how that person ahead managed to hide those smuggled notes without being discovered."
"Probably a trick prepared to frame someone else, not really meant to be brought in. I suspect he swallowed them while queuing; I saw him drinking water."
Fang Yu shook his head: "Harmful to others and of no benefit to oneself."
Sheng Jia nodded. "Brother Fang, we're not in the same section. For the next three examination sessions, we likely can't look out for each other anymore. Be cautious and careful in everything. Brother Fang, you are kind-hearted and righteous. I wish you great success!"
Perhaps having encountered too many ill-intentioned people, Sheng Jia offered his heartfelt wishes to Fang Yu.
Fang Yu returned the wish: "Brother Sheng, your integrity is rare and precious. May your name appear on the golden list!"
The two bowed and exchanged salutes at the main gate.
"Do not linger here! Hurry inside and find your compartment immediately!" barked a patrolling officer. Fang Yu and Sheng Jia shrugged their shoulders, shared a quick smile, and headed off in opposite directions—one south, the other north—each carrying their belongings
Fang Yu walked past rows of narrow, cramped examination compartments. He had known they were small, but he hadn't imagined they'd be quite this shabby and cramped. Against the window was a stone slab serving as a long desk and a stool. Directly behind, snug against it, was a wooden plank bed, with no extra space at all.
He had just placed his bedding on the plank bed when he heard a clang—the compartment door was pulled shut and locked by a patrolling officer.
After making his bed, he had to bend his legs slightly to lie down. Thankfully, he wasn't particularly tall. If a burly fellow over six feet came, his head probably wouldn't even fit. Having grown accustomed to the comfort of home and his sweet, soft fulang to hold... to be honest, he missed his fulang terribly.
Fortunately, they had successfully entered the examination compound. The first session ran from the afternoon of the ninth to the afternoon of the tenth. The second from the afternoon of the fourteenth to the afternoon of the fifteenth. The third from the afternoon of the seventeenth to the afternoon of the eighteenth. The first session tested poetry, fu (rhymed prose), and the meaning of the classics; the second tested argumentative essays; and the third tested policy analysis.
Today's first session was just the appetizer. Master Zhang had said that for parts testing rote memorization, as long as one studied diligently, there should be no problem; it wasn't where points were lost. The policy essays later were the main event.
At three quarters past weishi (1-3 PM), the examination papers were distributed on time. Seeing the papers, Fang Yu smiled. He had previously practiced past provincial examination questions. For the classics and poetry/fu in this first session, questions used to directly ask candidates to write out which poem or which passage from the classics. This year, however, they played a little trick with the questions. Instead of straightforwardly telling the candidate to write out the poem, they first gave a scenario, requiring the candidate to extract keywords and answer based on the implied meaning.
The classics section had changed too. Previously, they gave the first half or the second half, and the candidate filled in the rest. This year, they quoted famous allusions and also played with question traps.
Fang Yu first simulated the answers in his mind, then silently picked up his brush to respond.
Earlier, while having tea with Li Yun, Fang Yu had learned from him that this year's number of candidates was higher than in previous years. So many had registered that not enough exam compartments had been built, forcing the authorities to set up numerous temporary ones. Furthermore, according to information Li Yun had obtained through his father's connections, not only were there more candidates, but the pass rate was also set to be lower this year, and the exam questions would be more challenging than in previous years.
At the time, Ji Yunlu was worried, and Li Yun had changed the subject to console him. Now, seeing the exam papers, the information seemed true. Starting off with a show of force to intimidate candidates, Fang Yu believed what followed wouldn't be simple either.
The question volume wasn't excessive. Fang Yu wrote most of it during the good afternoon light, planning to finish the rest tomorrow morning. He didn't want to light a candle at night. With the wind blowing outside, the candle wouldn't be bright, would strain his eyes, and worst of all, he might accidentally burn his examination papers.
So as it grew darker, he packed away his papers. Afraid that eating too much would make trips to the latrine inconvenient, he only ate a few bites of dry rations and drank very little water. Then he lay down on the plank bed to rest.
In the middle of the night, a startled cry followed by a commotion jolted him awake. Groggy and unsettled, he opened his eyes, sat up, and peered out the window. The compartment across from his was actually emitting light from a fire—someone really had burned their papers while writing an essay by candlelight at night! Patrol officers rushed to the scene upon hearing the noise, barking sternly, "What are you looking at! Mind your own business! Close your windows!"
The candidates watching the spectacle timidly closed their windows. Fang Yu didn't know how the scholar who burned his papers was dealt with; the noise over there soon ceased. He went back to sleep. The next day, when he got up to continue writing, he noticed the window of the opposite compartment remained shut. He surmised the candidate had been disqualified and couldn't help but sigh quietly to himself.
Fang Yu's days in the examination compound were uncomfortable. Meanwhile, back home in Yuncheng, Qiao Hezhi was even more troubled.
After managing the autumn harvest affairs, Qiao Hezhi heard from a servant that Madam Chen, who had gone to Lingxuandong Mountain to pray for blessings, had come back.
"Master is to take exams until the afternoon of the eighteenth. I thought mother-in-law would also return then. Did she just donate incense money and come back now?" Qiao Hezhi handed the account books to the steward and asked the maid who came to deliver the message, "Does mother-in-law want me to go greet her?"
The maid looked troubled and whispered, "The Old Madam didn't specifically say she wanted Zhengfu to greet her... it's just... just..."
Qiao Hezhi frowned. "Say what you have to say. Why hesitate?"
"The Old Madam… she brought back a young woman and a young ger from who-knows-where. She said… she said the Zhengfu must return to the residence at once to receive them, so the two can serve you tea."
"Serve me tea?"
Qiao Hezhi’s eyes turned cold. He forced down the anger rising in his chest. He had actually believed she went to the temple to sincerely burn incense and pray for Fang Yu’s success. These past few days of peace—it turned out she had been quietly preparing this move, waiting for him right here.
"Young Master, what… what do we do? The Master isn't home now. If the Old Madam insists on using this chance to bring two concubines into the household…"
Qiao Hezhi steadied himself. "Even if I’m labeled jealous, this will not go her way. If concubines are to enter, the Master must at least agree to it himself."
"Let’s go. We’re heading back now."
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