Chapter 46

Jiazi Examination Hall, Number 9.

Ning Wuxie walked in the direction pointed by the constable. The so-called examination hall was a series of small, individual rooms made of wooden boards, each just large enough for one person to sit.

Ning Wuxie found his seat. This exam was much stricter than those in the modern world, he thought to himself. Inside the room were a desk and chair, with ink and a brush on the desk. Apart from the examination paper, no other items were allowed inside.

The Jiazi Examination Hall had twenty small rooms, arranged in two rows with a corridor in between, about four to five meters apart, to prevent cheating. The candidates added water to their inkstones and ground the ink, and the examination hall was quiet, filled only with the sound of ink being ground.

Ning Wuxie added a little water to his inkstone and began to grind the ink. The rhythmic sound of grinding ink could calm the mind, but despite having taken countless exams in his previous life, Ning Wuxie still felt nervous in the examination hall.

Listening to the sound of grinding ink, Ning Wuxie calmed down, finding it somewhat amusing. It was just a county-level exam, he thought, but deep down, he still hoped to achieve good results and not fall behind others.

Often, people say they don't care, but in their hearts, they care more than anyone else. For students, grades are everything. Whenever the exam results are announced, a large group of people gather around, those who did well are overjoyed, while those who did poorly are secretly distressed, forcing a smile and saying it's just one exam, but they are deeply upset inside.

Perhaps, everyone is like this, full of expectations, making the future even more exciting.

At the third hour of the morning, the examiner entered, checked each candidate's identification, and thoroughly searched them. He then announced the consequences of cheating, stating that any form of cheating, such as bringing in hidden notes or copying, would be strictly punished.

He then explained the examination rules. The Jiazi Examination Hall had three examiners: two officials and an old man in a Confucian robe. The first two were government examiners, while the old man in the Confucian robe was a professor from the LanTai Academy in Jiangnan.

This "professor" was not the same as a modern professor; in ancient times, it referred to a respected scholar who taught and imparted knowledge.

Soon, the examination papers and questions were distributed. There were two sheets of high-quality four-fold rice paper, with the questions listed on a separate sheet.

Ning Wuxie focused and quickly scanned through the questions. As in previous years, the exam was divided into three parts: poetry, classics, and policy essays. The questions on the classics took up most of the paper, all derived from the Analects, the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Xunzi, and the Four Books and Five Classics, which were mainly about memorization.

After awakening his bloodline, Ning Wuxie had an almost photographic memory, making it easy for him to answer the questions on the classics. In ancient exams, there was no set order for answering questions; you could start with the policy essay or the classics, but once time was up, you had to stop writing.

From the Analects to the Book of Documents, Ning Wuxie quickly finished writing the classics. There were two questions on obscure classical terms that he had not seen before, so he had to give up on them.

He paused, shook his wrist slightly, and noticed someone behind him. It was the old scholar from the LanTai Academy, who stroked his beard, nodded slightly, smiled at Ning Wuxie, and then moved on.

After a brief rest, Ning Wuxie looked at the poetry section. The topic was simple; he had already seen it and had a rough idea in mind.

The poetry topic for this county-level exam was "Three Kingdoms." The entire poetry question was just these two black characters.

The end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period was one of the most fascinating periods in Chinese history, with many heroes emerging. There was the Prime Minister Cao Cao, who controlled the emperor, the cunning strategist Jia Xu, the talented but short-lived Guo Jia, the great strategist Zhuge Liang, who died before his mission was complete, the fallen Phoenix Pang Tong, the fierce brothers Sun Quan and Sun Ce, the elegant Zhou Yu, and the poet Cao Zhi, who could write a poem in seven steps...

These and many other figures left their mark on history, and even after a thousand years, they are still remembered and admired.

The county-level exam using "Three Kingdoms" as the poetry topic was both broad and narrow. You could write a poem about a single figure from the Three Kingdoms, a story from the Three Kingdoms, or the entire period. However, the broad scope made it difficult to grasp, and it was easy to write a good poem or a bad one.

In Ning Wuxie's mind, there were countless poems and lyrics from the modern world that praised the Three Kingdoms. Borrowing from one of them was not a problem, but choosing which one to borrow from was a challenge. Sometimes, having too many options made it hard to decide.

After some thought, Ning Wuxie picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a "Linjiangxian" poem, with a style that was both elegant and powerful, and words that were timeless.

After two hours, he had completed the poetry section. He then looked at the policy essay question, which was "Learning and practicing regularly, is it not a pleasure?" from the first chapter of the Analects, discussing the attitude and methods of learning.

The policy essay in the county-level exam did not count for much, mostly consisting of quotes from the Four Books and Five Classics, asking students to debate. Ning Wuxie considered his wording carefully, making it as precise and well-structured as possible, and completed a thousand-word essay on "Debating Learning."

During this time, Zhang Qing, the chief examiner, toured the examination halls. He passed by Ning Wuxie without paying him any special attention. Although Zhang Qing was somewhat flexible, he was a rare good official, fair and strict.

Being too rigid and inflexible was not always the best approach. As the saying goes, "Water that is too clear has no fish." Zhang Qing understood the art of governance, knowing when to be flexible and when to stand firm. Otherwise, he would not have been appointed as the inspector of Jiangnan.

"Time is up, all candidates stop writing and leave the examination hall!"

As the two large incense sticks in the examination hall burned out, the examiner announced the end of the exam. Ning Wuxie stopped writing and stood up, and the other candidates also left one by one. Some who had not finished their answers were sweating and nervous, but were driven out by the constables, looking regretful.

The candidates displayed a variety of emotions: some were calm like Ning Wuxie, some were delighted, some were bitter, and some were even sobbing. Each had a different reaction.

As Ning Wuxie walked out, he saw Li Gongtai waiting at the door. Seeing him, Li Gongtai quickly approached with a smile, "Ha, Brother Zhongyuan, how did the exam go? From your look, you have a good chance of making the list. Come, I owe you a favor from that day, so I'll treat you. Let's go to the Fuxian Wine House and have a few drinks."

Ning Wuxie wanted to refuse, but Li Gongtai wouldn't hear of it, pulling him along as he said, "The dishes at the Fuxian Wine House are as good as the courtesans at the Yixiang Garden, the best in Qingyun County. Third Brother, go to the Yixiang Garden and bring a few courtesans over."

"Sure thing, Young Master, I'll be right back..." Third Brother, who had been running errands, ran off again.

"Brother Zhongyuan, don't refuse the beautiful women, fine wine, and delicious food. While we're at it, let's talk about our aspirations and how you won over Rulan."

Li Gongtai chuckled, and his last sentence revealed his love for gossip. As a playboy, fine wine, beautiful women, and fine horses were his greatest interests.

With no choice, Ning Wuxie was pulled by Li Gongtai into the Fuxian Wine House.

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