Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 167 The Shuntian Prefecture Provincial Examination (First Update)
The tenth year of the Jiajing reign.

The seventh day of August.

A large crowd gathered outside the examination hall.

As is customary, candidates in Shuntian Prefecture were required to identify their assigned examination booths and familiarize themselves with the venue the day before the provincial examination.

Thousands of students gathered here, creating a spectacular scene.

There were elderly scholars with white hair, young men with childlike innocence, sons of officials dressed in fine clothes with their pageboys and servants, and members of the Yixin Society, led by Hai Yue, including Hai Rui, Lin Daqin, and Yan Shifan, who were taking the imperial examination this year.

Hai Yue and the others remained calm and talked quietly, except for Yan Shifan, who seemed somewhat dazed.

Long queues had already formed in the square in front of the examination hall, with officials holding rosters and verifying the identities of the candidates.

"Hai Yue, a student of the Imperial Academy".

A clerk quickly checked the information and immediately put on a fawning smile: "Young Master Hai, number twenty-three in the Xiwen examination hall, wishing you success in the imperial examination!"

"Thank you."

Haiyue took her number and continued to wait.

The clerk treated every member of the Yixin Society with utmost respect. Now, the society's reputation was well-known in the capital's official circles. Taking advantage of this opportune moment, he offered his blessings with a beaming smile.

At this moment, everyone wanted to hear a few auspicious words, and Hai Rui and the others nodded in greeting.

"Young Master Yan, number 79 in the Xiwenchang examination hall, wishing you success in the imperial examination!"

"Humph!"

However, when they arrived in front of Yan Shifan, they saw that he had a sour face and looked sullen.

The clerk, unaware of what was wrong with this person and not daring to provoke him, hurriedly moved on to the next one.

After a flurry of activity, the students finally checked their exam room locations, and the crowd stirred.

A group of soldiers escorted several official sedan chairs as they slowly approached. The curtain of the foremost sedan chair was lifted, revealing a dignified face.

"The Great Capital City has arrived!"

"No, today he should be called the Supervisor!"

In the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination, in addition to the chief and deputy chief examiners, there were also supervisors, co-examiners, examiners, and supervisors. There were also officials responsible for sealing, copying, reading aloud, receiving papers, patrolling the gates, and searching for concealed items. Each of them performed their duties and was responsible for every aspect of the entire examination to ensure that the examination process was rigorous and interconnected.

The supervising official was appointed according to the Ming system. The prefectural governors of Shuntian and Yingtian prefectures were appointed for the provincial examinations, while the provincial officials were appointed for the provincial examinations. They were in charge of all affairs outside the examination hall, including sealing the inner and outer gates. They were responsible for inspecting and sealing all matters related to sending examination papers, supplying materials, sealing, and copying.

Therefore, the official in charge of this provincial examination was Huo Tao, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, whose term was about to expire.

Compared to last year, he had aged considerably, but his face remained solemn and his eyes were sharp. He loudly reprimanded the students about the examination discipline, then ordered the gates of the examination hall to be opened, allowing the students to enter in batches to claim their examination cells.

Haiyue and her party entered the Dragon Gate. Before them was a straight passageway with towering walls on both sides, and soldiers stood at attention every ten steps.

Passing through the passageway, two examination halls stand symmetrically on the east and west sides. Each examination hall is further divided into several sections, with the examination cells arranged densely like a honeycomb.

"The Xuan-character section is located at the north end of the West Wing."

The clerk pointed out the direction. Hai Rui and Lin Daqin were in the East Examination Hall and headed in that direction, while Hai Yue and Yan Shifan walked towards the West Examination Hall.

They weren't the first group. Along the way, many students were already familiarizing themselves with their surroundings. Some were sweeping the dust off their cells, some were chatting with the students in the next cell, and some were still muttering to themselves, reciting scriptures.

An atmosphere of tension and anticipation filled the air.

Haiyue and Yan Shifan found their respective cells and discovered that they were relatively clean and tidy, with intact tables and chairs, so they wouldn't shake during the exam and affect their answers.

Shuntian Prefecture was, after all, a strategically important area surrounding the capital. The examination hall there was the most prestigious examination venue in the country, and its environment was far superior to that of other places. So, they felt reassured and walked out together.

Along the way, noticing Yan Shifan's gloomy face, Haiyue comforted him, "Donglou, in the imperial examinations, literary talent is paramount, but mental fortitude is even more fundamental. You must avoid being preoccupied with gains and losses and letting your mind wander!"

"It's not that I don't understand this principle..."

Yan Shifan smiled wryly: "But who would have thought that the chief examiner could be changed at the last minute?"

He had already found out that the chief examiner for the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign (1548) was Han Bangqi, the Right Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat at the time.

Han Bangqi was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the third year of the Zhengde reign. He authored books such as "Hong Fan Tu Jie" and "Yu Gong Xiang Lue". He was a highly influential scholar of the Ming Dynasty who studied the Book of Documents. The specific questions in his examination were taken from the Book of Documents.

The chief examiner for the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination this year is Zhang Bi, a secretary in the Ministry of Rites, who is well-versed in the Book of Changes. Needless to say, the amount of the Book of Changes in the examination questions will be greatly increased.

Yan Shifan even managed to get his hands on Zhang Bi's collected works. He not only studied them diligently at the Imperial Academy, but also consulted Yan Song when he returned home. Yan Song, despite his busy schedule, also tutored his son, hoping that he would make a name for himself and soar to great heights.

However, unexpectedly, Zhang Bi's elderly mother passed away, and he returned to his hometown for the funeral. The chief examiner of the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination was changed to Li Mo, a secretary in the Ministry of Personnel and a compiler in the Hanlin Academy.

Yan Shifan was stunned when he heard the news.

I studied the examiners' writings for so long, and you're telling me they changed people at the last minute?
Seeing his sighing and lamenting expression, Haiyue secretly shook her head. Trying to understand the examiner's preferences and avoiding their dislikes is nothing shameful.

However, one must be strong oneself to succeed; placing all one's hopes on the examiner is a bit too risky.

Putting aside other things, the chief examiner is not the only one grading the papers.

After being sealed and copied, the papers were first submitted to the examiner for preliminary evaluation. The examiner would then add blue ink to recommend the papers he considered good to the deputy examiner. This process was generally called "leaving the room." Then the deputy examiner would write the character "取" (take), and the chief examiner would write the character "中" (pass), which marked the official admission.

The general process involves three rounds of review. Of course, unless the essays are among the top-ranked ones, the chief examiner will rank them. Those that are merely passable may be decided directly by the examiner and the deputy examiner.

Yan Shifan was well aware of this, but he never underestimated his talent. As long as his writing was eloquent and beautiful, he would definitely be among the top students. If he could also please the examiners, he would definitely have a place at the very top of the list.

Even now, he sighed deeply and said with great regret, "I had hoped to win the title of top scholar in the provincial examination, but now it seems that it is impossible!"

'You really dare to dream!'

Haiyue chuckled inwardly, but replied aloud, "That is indeed a pity, but Donglou, don't be discouraged. Just do your best tomorrow!"

Back in the dormitory at the Imperial College, no one studied anymore. There was no need to cram at the last minute. Instead, they went to bed early to recharge.

However, during the night, one person in a bed tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, and got up the next day with dark circles under their eyes.

After washing up, Haiyue led the team towards the examination hall.

This time, it wasn't just them who arrived; Xu Jie, Zhao Shichun, Yu Dayou, Wang Shenzhong, Chen Shu, Xiong Guo, and others all arrived at dawn.

Even as autumn dew clings to our brows, it should also reflect our unity.

Zhao Wenhua stood at the very front, bowed deeply, and said with anticipation: "A journey of ten thousand miles begins today, and when the osmanthus blossoms, you will surely be the best! May your pens move the winds and clouds, and may your achievements shine like the sun and moon!"

The crowd returned the greetings outside the examination hall, then, carrying their examination baskets, passed through layers of checks before arriving at their assigned examination cells.

"quiet!"

After waiting for a full quarter of an hour, all the students were seated. Suddenly, a gong sounded, and the question paper was brought out with a rustling sound. Haiyue took it and began to silently examine the question.

“It flows eastward to become the Ji River, then into the Yellow River, overflowing to become the Ying River; it flows eastward to the north of Taoqiu,” this sentence comes from the “Yu Gong” (Tribute of Yu).
"Within the four seas all admire my virtue, and the times are favorable," from "Shuoming Xia";
"The words of the Supreme Rule are the guiding principles and instructions, and are the teachings of the Emperor," from the "Hong Fan" (Great Plan).
“The king’s virtue is used to pray for Heaven’s eternal mandate… He is diligent and compassionate to both the ruler and the people. He said, ‘I have received Heaven’s mandate. May the Xia dynasty last for many years, and may the Yin dynasty last for many years.’” This is from the “Announcement of Zhao.”

Is the Book of Documents still dominating the discussion?

Haiyue went through the test questions once and already understood them.

Not all chapters of the Four Books and Five Classics were suitable as questions for the imperial examinations. Only those with profound themes, rich meanings, and elegant language were chosen for the questions. This is why the Cheng Wen and Cheng Mo (a literary style) existed, allowing students to pay homage to them.

Haiyue went through three preliminary examinations: the county examination, the prefectural examination, and the provincial examination.

If one's own level is insufficient, one should refer to model essays; this is what is meant by citing classics and allusions.

Of course, this testing method will vary depending on the examiner's preferences when it comes to the three main exams.

Some examiners don't take it seriously, believing that as long as the essay has a solid foundation, flows smoothly, and is logically sound, it is harmless to use other people's articles.

However, some examiners care a lot about the candidate's own level. Even if the essay is slightly inferior, as long as it has substance and its own viewpoint, it can be favored. On the contrary, they are very disgusted by those who recited Cheng's text and then quoted it.

Fortunately, after a year of being influenced by many talented people, Haiyue now possesses both qualities and can handle things with ease.

Having finished reading the question, the answer is already clear to me.

With a clear plan in mind, I picked up my pen to answer the question!
at the same time.

In Room 79, Xuanzi, Xiwenchang.

The tip of the brush hovers above the inkstone, the ink droplet about to fall.

'Oh no! What was the context of this passage again?'

Yan Shifan's mind went completely blank for a moment, and he couldn't recall the context of the "Yu Gong" chapter.

'Stop arguing! Stop arguing!'

A cough came from the cell next door, followed by the light tapping of a pen against an inkstone. Each sound felt like a blow to his temple, making Yan Shifan increasingly irritable.

"Calm down! Calm down! Mingwei taught us those exam techniques: don't get stuck on one question, do the later ones first!"

Yan Shifan forced himself to calm down when he suddenly heard the sound of tearing silk coming from the nearby examination cells. A disheveled examinee tore his exam paper to shreds, ran out barefoot, and shouted, "Hooray! I passed! I passed! I saw the God of Literature descending from the eaves!"

The officials supervising the examination were not surprised. They went up and grabbed his belt, but the man was incredibly strong. He dragged the two officials and crawled on the ground, his fingernails scraping the blue bricks with a creaking sound.

Yan Shifan stared blankly, a sudden sense of unease washing over him. The confident arrogance in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by the demeanor of Gui Zai's former lackey, as he muttered to himself:

"This time, will I... will I fail the provincial examination?"

(End of this chapter)