Chapter 58

"Amidst the bustling crowd, the talent is abundant; this year's literary examination is truly unprecedented in scale!"

On the rooftop of the Wen Hall, three chief examiners dressed in green stood side by side. One of them, with long willow-like whiskers and a refined demeanor, gazed at the "students" entering the city in a steady stream and sighed.

"Yes, with the involvement of 'Master Shi,' the rewards far exceed those of previous years. But it remains to be seen whether the successful candidates will meet 'Master Shi's' expectations."

Another examiner chimed in, and the atmosphere on the rooftop of the Wen Hall immediately turned somber.

"Master Shi," surnamed Shi, is respectfully called "Master Shi." He is a renowned literary scholar from Pingchuan and has served as a "Literary Master" in the capital of the Great Han Dynasty for over twenty years. Now sixty-eight years old, he has taught countless princes and princesses.

In the Great Han Dynasty, martial prowess is highly esteemed, and although the status of a "Literary Master" is far below that of a military general, Master Shi still wields considerable influence due to his teaching experience.

This time, Master Shi has retired to his hometown of Pingchuan, hoping to find a successor in his later years.

The court has even taken notice of this, showing respect for the "Literary Master" who has served the imperial family and taught the royal children for over twenty years.

However, Master Shi is known for his strictness and high standards, and he prefers quality over quantity in his disciples. Even the children of the nobility in the heart of the empire often fail to meet his standards, let alone those from a small place like Pingchuan County.

"Difficult! Nowadays, martial arts are revered, and the literary path has declined. Most people focus on martial arts, and those who do study are often driven by the desire for fame and fortune, not truly understanding the essence of literature. How many true scholars are left?"

A square-faced examiner with a slightly dark complexion and a resolute demeanor said, his words tinged with sorrow over the decline of the literary path.

Looking down from the rooftop of the Wen Hall, the "students" gathered below were bustling, but most of them looked either nervous or dull, lacking any spiritual vitality.

The examiners on the rooftop also felt a sense of loss, recalling the golden age of literature when scholars were upright and their minds radiated spiritual light.

During each literary examination, millions of scholars would gather, and the vast righteousness of their studies would form a mighty river of righteousness, capable of reviving withered trees and making all flowers bloom, bringing vitality and spring to every corner.

But now, despite the same literary examination and the gathering of students, such a scene is nowhere to be found.

"This is not something we can force. I've heard that Master Shi, while teaching in the imperial capital, gathered many clues about the era of the Literary Sages. Master Shi is learned and respected, but he is now advanced in age, and no one knows how much longer he will live. We can only hope that this year's candidates will meet his standards; otherwise, his knowledge will be lost, which would be a great loss to the literary path!"

The examiner with long willow-like whiskers and a refined demeanor said.

"Yes! Let's hope so..."

Everyone sighed.

...

In a corner of the third floor of the Wen Hall, Yang Ji took out an ink stick and slowly ground it on an old inkstone. The surroundings were filled with rustling sounds, but compared to the other nervous students, Yang Ji was much calmer.

"Clang!"

After the sound of a bell, the examination officially began. The clerks distributed the test papers one by one.

Yang Ji flipped through the paper and found that it was indeed divided into three parts: "Classics," "Scriptural Interpretation," and "Policy Essays." The first part was "Classics," which was very simple, testing the students' familiarity and memory of the literary classics.

This part would eliminate about half of the candidates, leaving only those with exceptional memory, which was not particularly difficult.

The second part was "Scriptural Interpretation," testing the understanding of the sages' texts. Although the language had changed over time, the sages' texts were profound yet not obscure, and with effort, they could be understood.

About half of the remaining candidates would be eliminated in this part, leaving only the true "scholars."

As for the final part, that was the real key!

After the first two parts, only those with spiritual insight would remain. To stand out among thousands of "students," one must possess the wisdom and talent to impress thousands of others!

The top three "scholars" would have their policy essays publicly displayed, and there could be no cheating!

The "Child Scholar Examination" is the first test for all "students," and many lack experience, so it's not uncommon for nervousness to affect their performance.

The court's intention is to select talented "students," and they do not strictly require speed, so the "Child Scholar Examination" lasts longer than the "Scholar Examination," a full day and a half, providing ample time to answer the questions.

However, most of the truly excellent "students" submit their papers on the first day.

Yang Ji took a deep breath and then opened the paper.

The first part of the exam was from the "Book of Rites," one of the "Five Classics." It includes the saying, "A scholar without proper attire is no different from a beast," which is about "propriety."

"The questions aren't too difficult. However, the 'Book of Rites' is not usually a main focus in the exams, so choosing it as a topic is quite unusual."

Yang Ji was inwardly surprised.

Yang Ji had long memorized the contents of the "Three Classics" and "Five Classics," so this was not a problem. He immediately began writing.

Although the first part of the exam seemed to only test rote memorization, Yang Ji knew that it was not that simple. There was also an implicit test of the neatness of the answer sheet and the quality of the writing.

Yang Ji had heard many failed "students" in Jin'an City gather in groups to discuss their regrets, and he knew that the chief examiners placed great importance on writing and penmanship. So, he had started practicing writing from a young age.

Scribble, scribble~

The exam room was filled with the sound of writing, mixed with low murmurs and the sobs of those too nervous to control their emotions. Not everyone could memorize the contents of the "Three Classics" and "Five Classics."

Some spent a lot of time memorizing large amounts of scriptural texts, only to find that the exam questions were not what they had memorized, leading to instant despair. Others found that they could not recall the texts they had memorized, breaking out in cold sweat and drenching their clothes.

This is the literary examination. No matter how much effort one puts in, only the top three will be honored on the golden list, while the rest are destined to be eliminated.

Yang Ji sympathetically glanced up and then quickly focused, immersing himself in the exam.

The second part was "Scriptural Interpretation," consisting of five passages, all excerpted from the "Three Classics" and "Five Classics."

"A gentleman's way has five hundred aspects, but it can be summed up in one word: 'The Four Hearts of a Scholar.' What are the 'Four Hearts of a Scholar'?"

Yang Ji dipped his brush in ink and pondered. This phrase is not from the "Three Classics" or "Five Classics" but is said by someone else.

The "Three Classics" and "Five Classics" contain many sayings about the principles of being a gentleman, and someone tried to summarize them in one phrase: "The Four Hearts of a Scholar."

Historically, most attempts to reinterpret the "Three Classics" and "Five Classics" have been rejected as heretical. However, this phrase has become widely accepted among scholars and even by the mainstream of the court, due to the significant status of the person who said it—a renowned "Literary Sage."

Any words spoken by a "Literary Sage" are considered sacred, even if they are not from the "Three Classics" or "Five Classics," and are regarded as the holy scriptures of scholars.

The "Four Hearts of a Scholar" were not explicitly stated by the Literary Sage, but their content is found throughout the "Three Classics" and "Five Classics," explaining the concept in detail.

This question tests each person's understanding and interpretation of the "Three Classics" and "Five Classics." Different people will have different interpretations of the "Four Hearts of a Scholar," and their answers will vary.

Yang Ji paused for a moment and then wrote:

"The Four Hearts of a Scholar are: the heart of compassion, the heart of right and wrong, the heart of shame, and the heart of humility!"

This was not a random answer but a result of Yang Ji's years of study and understanding of the "Three Classics" and "Five Classics."

"A person must have a heart of compassion to understand righteousness. Otherwise, they would not help the elderly or the weak, and what would that mean for righteousness?"

"A person must have a heart of right and wrong to understand loyalty. ..."

"A person must have a heart of shame to understand trust. ..."

"A person must have a heart of humility to understand propriety. ..."

Yang Ji wrote four lines, which together represent the Confucian values of "propriety, righteousness, loyalty, and trust." This was another interpretation of the "Three Classics" and "Five Classics" by Yang Ji.

The exam paper had five pages, and there were four more questions. Yang Ji finished answering all the questions, and it was already evening. Many clerks on the third floor of the Wen Hall had lit large candles, making the room brightly lit.

Yang Ji looked up and saw some baked cakes and steamed buns on the table, simple food prepared by the court.

The clerks who brought the food were so quiet that Yang Ji did not even notice.

Yang Ji smiled slightly and then refocused. He was not hungry yet, so he used the bright candlelight to review his answers.

"Interesting, the first part tested propriety, and the second part, despite having five different questions, all revolved around propriety, righteousness, loyalty, and trust. What is this literary examination trying to achieve?"

Yang Ji pondered.

The questions in the literary examination are not very secret and are often published by students after the exam. Yang Ji had paid attention to this before.

While previous literary examinations were also divided into three parts, the content was more random and did not give the same strong sense of a hidden message as this one.

"I wonder what the last question will be!"

Yang Ji suppressed his thoughts and then turned to the last page.

This was the final and most important part of the literary examination!...