Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 199 Ode to the Sweet Dew of Jicui Palace
Two days after the results of the preliminary examinations were announced, the second round of the miscellaneous essay examinations began.

With the groundwork laid by the previous exam, Zhang Dai was much calmer. Moreover, compared to the exam classics that required rote memorization in a short period of time, Zhang Dai already had a wealth of knowledge and the advantage of prior knowledge in the field of miscellaneous essays, and he could make more adjustments. Therefore, he was much more relaxed in his mindset for this exam.

Zhang Dai got up very early again that day. Even his grandparents got up early to call him to the inner hall for breakfast. Breakfast consisted of a large bowl of thinly sliced ​​soup noodles, accompanied by a plate of honey-preserved lotus root, probably to symbolize a person with a long literary career and a clear mind.

"In the fourth year of the Kaiyuan era, you took the imperial examination. You ate these kinds of food before leaving home early in the morning. Now you are preparing them for your son. He will surely make a name for himself and succeed!"

Lady Yuan of Yan watched her grandson devour the soup noodles and encouraged him with a smile. Although she couldn't say for sure how much her son's success in the imperial examinations was related to this bowl of soup noodles, she still hoped that this way the family's literary tradition and good fortune could be passed down.

Compared to the superstitious Lady Yan, Zhang Shuo's advice was more practical. He looked at Zhang Dai and said in a deep voice, "Yan Ting's approach to matters is often in line with the general principles yet different from old customs. The topics he proposes are always novel and unconventional, not following the usual rules. Although the matters may vary greatly, they all ultimately return to one principle."

While your mastery of classical Chinese poetry may not be considered complete, it is still quite remarkable. You can handle any topic with ease. If you feel no immediate inspiration, don't panic. You can simply relax at your desk, lie down, or write by candlelight late into the night; that's perfectly acceptable.”

The essay exam was much more difficult than the written exam, so the time allotted was more flexible. After entering at sunrise, one could stay in the examination hall until dark, and could even request candles to continue answering questions at night. One to three candles were usually provided, and only those who had not finished answering after the candles had burned out would be expelled.

Zhang said that as a literary master, he could easily come up with any topic, but now that his grandson was taking the exam, although the boy was quite talented in his daily life, he couldn't help but nag a bit more at this crucial moment that concerned his future career.

Zhang Dai wasn't particularly nervous at first, but after the elderly couple gave him some instructions, he started to feel a little anxious. To avoid further affecting his mood by staying any longer, he quickly finished his noodles, put down his chopsticks, stood up, and said with a smile, "Grandfather and Grandmother, please stay home and await good news. I'm off!"

As they stepped out of the back hall, before dawn, Ding Cang and the others had already lit torches and lined up in front of the house. They waited for Zhang Dai to leave before leaving together.

"Zhang Liulang will surely succeed in the imperial examinations and achieve the highest honors!"

Although the curfew had not yet been lifted, people in the neighborhood were already free to move around. Some idlers had already found out which family's son was taking the imperial examination, so they waited in the neighborhood early on. As soon as Zhang Dai came out, they all shouted and flattered him.

"reward!"

Hearing these auspicious words, Zhang Dai's mood brightened. With a wave of his hand, his servants threw copper coins at the people behind him, and they made a ruckus all the way to the gate of the neighborhood.

The guards were already waiting there, and they opened the gates for Zhang Dai early. Of course, they also offered him a reward. So Zhang Dai and his party passed through the city with money scattered all the way, and arrived at the Ministry of Personnel in the eastern part of the palace.

It was barely dawn, but the candidates were already waiting there. Upon seeing Zhang Dai approach, Wang Changling and the others greeted him with clasped hands and smiles, saying, "Congratulations, Zhang Bixian, on your first successful examination!"

"Bi Xian" was a term of flattery among candidates, implying that they would pass the imperial examinations before their peers. Upon hearing this term, Zhang Dai followed suit and used "Bi Xian" to address everyone.

The entry checks for today's exam are much stricter than those for the first exam, which focused on the classics. A large circle of thorny fences has been erected outside the exam hall to isolate the inside from the outside and to prevent the candidates from gathering and causing trouble.

There were even cangues set up next to the door, so if cheating was discovered again, it wouldn't be as simple as just carrying water as the punishment in the last game.

In addition to the examiner Yan Ting, there were two other officials on site to supervise the process: an imperial censor and a judge from the Court of Judicial Review. If cheating was discovered again today, it would be treated as a criminal case for violating the law.

Seeing these changes, the candidates became serious. Some who had originally planned to cheat secretly threw away their cheat sheets before it was their turn to be checked.

Zhang Dai, standing in the queue, noticed that there were indeed fewer people taking the exam today, but not significantly. This suggested that the examination system had a limited effect on eliminating candidates; he just wondered how many would remain for the next round after today's exam.

With increased oversight today, the inspection process has been slowed down, and each candidate now has to undergo an inspection that can take several minutes.

In addition to thoroughly checking their person, all their luggage and belongings were also inspected. Even their rhyme books had to be handed over, carefully examined to ensure there were no smuggled items, and then returned to them.

Despite the rigorous inspection, Zhang Dai was not spared as he had been last time. Because of the cold weather, he had worn several layers of clothing, and the censor stripped off his outer robe and squeezed it for quite a while. As a result, Zhang Dai stood there shivering in only his underwear and a brocade half-sleeved garment, waiting for a long time before he was finally allowed to take back his outer robe and enter the examination hall.

Today's exams were no longer conducted by students according to the scriptures they had studied, but rather by their respective registration records. Just as the students of the two prisons had proudly emphasized the registration system of the students, all the seats in the corridors near the prison hall were occupied by these students.

Zhang Dai originally thought this was some kind of generous treatment, but it turns out it just meant that being closer to the examiners made it easier to be caught cheating!

"It's still early. Let's go into the shop first, light a fire, and brew some tea to warm ourselves and refresh ourselves!"

A seasoned examinee, not a first-timer, glanced at the queue behind him and wisely offered a suggestion. Zhang Dai, hearing this, quickened his pace and entered his examination booth according to his assigned number. He was the head examinee from the Jingzhao Prefecture, conveniently separated from the candidates from the Chang'an West Examination Hall. To his left was a wall, and looking further east, he saw none other than the former head examinee, Du Mengyin.

That guy had already entered the area and was now bent over in the test area, blowing air to start a fire. However, he was clearly a lazy fellow, as his face was red from blowing air and he was almost out of breath, but he still couldn't start a fire.

"Liu Lang, quickly bring out the charcoal stove! I have some charcoal here to bring you!"

Wang Changling had arrived earlier and was now using tongs to bring Zhang Dai a glowing red charcoal.

Seeing this, Zhang Dai quickly took out his charcoal stove. After Wang Changling put the charcoal in, he carefully added the charcoal he had brought. Soon, a rich and refreshing aroma wafted from the smoke.

"It's truly a luxurious place, while my place is just smoky and unbearable!"

Wang Changling smelled the aroma of charcoal and was immediately filled with envy. He simply squeezed into Zhang Dai's test stall to squat down and warm himself by the fire.

"I have plenty of supplies for my family here, so it's fine for Wang Da to take them."

Zhang Dai rummaged through the examination box for a while and found several boxes full of charcoal.

He really didn't want to bring so much. Although it was still chilly in early spring, he would only need to warm himself by the fire and make tea around sunrise. But the charcoal his family had prepared for him was enough to set up a barbecue stall in the examination hall.

Upon hearing this, Wang Changling did not refuse. He picked up two boxes of charcoal and went back to try setting it up himself, intending to smell fragrant before starting the exam.

"Wang Da says there's good charcoal here!"

Not long after Wang Changling left, Zhang Dai was still taking things out of the examination box when he heard a voice from the outer room. He turned around and saw Chang Jian standing in the outer room with a pottery jar of water in his hand, grinning and asking him.

"That's all, not much left, and there's nothing left even if someone comes!"

Zhang Dai tossed two more boxes to Chang Jian, took the water, and peered out of the examination hall. Seeing others happily walking towards him, he waved his hand repeatedly, saying that he really had no more.

At the same time, he sighed inwardly that Wang Da was a big mouth. No wonder he drank Meng Haoran to death. If he ever had the chance to see Meng Haoran again, he should at least remind him to beware of Wang Da.

By the time all the candidates had entered the examination hall, it was already bright daylight. The sun had risen from the opposite corridor and was shining directly into the examination shed in the west corridor, making everyone feel warm and comfortable.

Next came the routine court hearing. This time, in addition to more stern admonitions and encouragement, an incense table was set up in front of the hall, where the candidates and examiners bowed to each other.

After everyone returned to their examination halls, the exam papers were distributed again. Zhang Dai took the exam paper and looked at it, and found that his grandfather had indeed been right. Yan Tingzhi's exam questions this time were not a poem and an essay, but a eulogy and an essay.

The scope of the miscellaneous essays in the Tang Dynasty's imperial examinations initially included practical writing styles such as eulogies, memorials, and admonitions. It was not until the Tianbao period that it was fixed as two miscellaneous essays: one poem and one rhapsody.

In this year's provincial examination, the questions set by Yan Tingzhi were "Ode to the Sweet Dew of Jicui Palace" and "Ode to the King's Respect for the Worthy" which states, "He who can obtain a teacher will achieve the kingly way."

After receiving the exam questions, Zhang Dai began to ponder them seriously. Meanwhile, outside the examination hall, some candidates began to exercise their right to "inquire" and asked Yan Tingzhi about the meaning of the exam question, "Ode to the Sweet Dew of Jicui Palace".

"Last year, drought was followed by floods and torrential rains caused disasters. This year, as the New Year approached, auspicious signs appeared. Sweet dew condensed at night in the West Garden's Jicui Palace, nourishing all things. Students, take this as your theme and compose a poem about this event. Those with lofty words and profound reasoning will be selected!"

When the candidates came forward to ask questions, Yan Tingzhi stood in front of the examination hall and answered loudly. To make sure the candidates behind him could hear him, he walked south to the two corridors and called out several times.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seemed that the natural disaster of the previous year had left the Tang emperor and his officials with lingering fears. So much so that if the dew in the Western Garden palace was even slightly heavy, they would call it sweet dew and regard it as an auspicious omen. They even mobilized the candidates to praise the event to make everyone happy.

In ancient society, which emphasized the interaction between heaven and humanity, such practices were understandable. After all, the angle from which one interprets information from mysterious and ethereal celestial phenomena is crucial.

After a brief moment of reflection, Zhang Dai began to seriously consider how to approach the topic and formulate his writing.

(End of this chapter)