Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 164 Going to the Capital for the Imperial Examination, the Whole City Sees Him Off!
The painted boats that gather fragrance on the Qinhuai River.

Governor Wei Guanlan looked around at everyone and announced loudly: "This year's Qixi Festival literary champion is Jiang Sima Jiang Xingzhou!"

The title of "Literary Champion of Qixi Festival" is a significant honor in the literary world of Jiangnan.

Anyone below the rank of Hanlin Academician can compete, regardless of whether they are Jinshi or Juren. Anyone with talent and ambition can vie for the top spot.

This is completely different from the title of "Four Great Talents of Jiangnan"—that title was used to encourage scholars who participated in the triennial autumn imperial examinations. Those who passed the provincial examinations or higher did not participate in the selection of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan.

"Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

Jiang Xingzhou put away the "Magpie Bridge Fairy" scroll, which had already transformed into a [Half-Step Nation-Suppressing] treasure.
He then bowed and accepted the gilded tray, upon which—the [Yin-Yang Fish Inkstone] with its deep, rich ink, the [Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Brush] with its inner radiance, and the [Gentleman's Pendant] with its warm, smooth texture—seven or eight exquisite scholar's treasures shimmered under the lamplight.

The four scholars and those who had passed the imperial examinations couldn't help but swallow with envy.

Although these are the writings of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), they are extremely rare.

Unless one is a Hanlin scholar, it is extremely difficult to obtain these exquisite literary treasures! Ordinary scholars and Jinshi (successful candidates in the provincial and metropolitan examinations) may never even get a glimpse of them in their entire lives.

At the Qinhuai River Night Banquet, thirty-six painted boats were brightly lit, as if it were daytime.

The scholars held jade cups, struck sandalwood clappers, and even improvised a song and dance piece based on "The Magpie Bridge Fairy: Delicate Clouds Weaving Clever Patterns".

This drew cheers from the crowd, and the song was sung by many.

"Gulu~!"

Especially the envoy from the Niu Man Kingdom, whose eyes, like copper bells, were wide open, wine beads still hanging on his beard, and whose large palm-leaf-shaped hands slammed heavily on the table, making the glass cups clink.

"Excellent! Excellent is the phrase 'surpassing countless others in the mortal world'!"

Its voice was like muffled thunder, and its whole body reeked of alcohol. "Jiang Sima's poem for the Qixi Festival truly speaks to the hearts of us cattle!"
"I, Old Ox, will definitely bring this phrase back to my Ox-Barbarian Kingdom and make it the national treasure!"

Having said that, it picked up the wine jar, which was half a person's height, and poured the amber-colored liquor down its throat, its rim rippling in the moonlight: "Today we won't leave until we're drunk! Whoever backs down is a coward!"

It insisted on pulling the boat along the river to drink three large vats of fine wine.

"it is good!"

Jiang Xingzhou did not refuse, picked up a jar of fine wine on the table, and drank it down in large gulps.

Immediately, cheers erupted from inside the pleasure boat!
As night deepened, the Milky Way hung low, and wine stains stained their blue robes, the scholars finally staggered, drunk, off the painted boat.

Amidst the sounds of oars and the flickering lanterns, one can still hear scholars supporting each other, murmuring drunkenly: "You are the golden wind, I am the jade dew!"

Come, brother, let's drink another cup of wine!

Do not show me any pity!

That night, on Jiangnan Road, countless young women and married women from prestigious families were sleepless.

A poem titled "Magpie Bridge Fairy - Delicate Clouds Weaving Clever Patterns" by [Banbu Zhenguo] has stirred up the Jiangnan region and is already the number one love poem for Qixi Festival!

This caused the young ladies of noble families, secluded in their chambers, to toss and turn on their beds, holding copies of poems in their hands.

"Father!"

In the Chen family mansion of Jinling, Chen Qiaoyan, the daughter of Scholar Chen, clutched a piece of poetry.
Her eyes reddened, and she pleaded with a tearful gaze: "Sima Jiang is not yet married. Could you please send a matchmaker?"

My daughter will marry no one but Jiang Lang in this lifetime!

"Idiot!"

The old father slammed his teacup down and sighed, “Didn’t you see who the line ‘a golden breeze and jade dew meet’ in the poem describes? — It’s the apple of the eye of the Duke of Xue’s family!”
What ability does your father possess to rival the Xue family?!

Candles burst.

Which powerful family in Jiangnan wouldn't want to snatch this top scholar in the Jiangnan provincial examination, the number one talent in Jiangnan, and a promising young man to take back as their son-in-law?
Unfortunately, the Duke of Xue's family got the upper hand; otherwise, he would have sent a matchmaker to propose marriage long ago.

That was the most meritorious nobleman who fought alongside the founding emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty to conquer the world.

Although the Xue family is not as powerful as before, this hereditary Duke's mansion is still far superior to ordinary aristocratic families.

Unless there is a mansion of higher status than the Duke's mansion, this ideal son-in-law is ultimately just a mirage, something one can only dream of.

Deeper leaks and remnants,

Jiang Xingzhou returned to the Jinling Inn under the moonlight.

Having drunk quite a bit of wine, his face was slightly cold, and he was slightly tipsy. He loosened his clothes, and the scent of perfume and wine from the banks of the Qinhuai River still lingered on his garments.

Back in the No. 1 room, he casually took off his jade crown, letting his black hair fall over his shoulders as a gentle breeze blew in through the window.

I became much more sober in an instant.

He then placed the newly arrived [Yin-Yang Fish Inkstone] on the table.

Pour in half a cup of water and gently swirl the ink stick inside the inkstone.

really,

A clear fish breaks out of the water, its scales reflecting the moonlight.
A squid followed, its tail swaying, like night mist taking shape.

When the two fish intertwine, a hazy talent arises spontaneously, and a clear and melodious sound faintly emerges.

"What a fine spirit inkstone! It truly is a top-grade literary treasure for a scholar who has passed the imperial examination!"

Jiang Xingzhou's eyes brightened slightly, and he couldn't help but admire.

Then, he picked up the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Brush, and as he dipped it in ink, the tip of the brush emitted a faint glow. He then began to copy the classic text "Zuo Zhuan".

He has spent an hour each day copying books, a routine he has maintained for five years without ever changing.

Ink falls on Xuan paper, each character shines with brilliance.

The text of Zuo Zhuan flowed from his pen, his jade-like talent appearing like smoke and mist, yet it only consumed a fraction of his own talent.

The remaining nine-tenths of talent can be provided by the ink from this [Yin Yang Fish Inkstone], greatly conserving talent.

This is extremely beneficial for him in writing long poems and essays!
Time flies like water.

Years are like a shuttle.

In the days that followed, Jiang Xingzhou followed the same routine every day without fail—

At the very beginning of the morning, he set off for the governor's mansion to report for duty, his feet still damp with the morning dew.
In the morning, I would wander around the streets and alleys of Nanjing for an hour or two, observing the local customs and the everyday life of the people.

He spent the rest of his time locked in the Jinling Inn, reading behind closed doors.

The veteran officials in the government office all knew that

This young man, who held the official title of intern Sima, was adept at the usual officialdom and nothing could test him. At this moment, his mind was entirely focused on the imperial examination next spring.

They naturally stopped passing those important official documents and ledgers through his hands, thus wasting his time.

Although there are often various literary and poetry gatherings in Jiangnan.

However, Jiang Xingzhou also used the excuse of staying home to study to avoid participating anymore—he had already received too many titles, and he should leave some for others; taking them all would only make him more hated.

In response, no scholar in Jiangnan dared to utter a single word of criticism or utter any falsehoods about Jiang Lang's lack of talent.

They have thoroughly experienced Jiang Xingzhou's strength—there is no strongest poem, only stronger poems!

Jiang Xingzhou's poetry and prose always surpass his own achievements! And behind him, no one in the entire Jiangnan region can even come close to his level!
This is an overwhelming advantage that is almost overwhelming!

No one dares to issue a challenge!
Even some scholars from Jiangnan lamented their plight—

"If you don't study poetry, you'll see Jiang Lang like a frog at the bottom of a well gazing at the bright moon!"

If you study poetry, seeing Jiang Lang will be like an ant seeing the blue sky!

As long as Jiang Xingzhou participates in literary gatherings, they will certainly not be among the winners of these gatherings.

They were terrified of being beaten, and their only hope was that Jiang Sima would not come to the literary gathering.

In this way, they can get a share of the literary titles from the literary society.

Shake.

Several months have passed in the blink of an eye, and it's already the Frost's Descent season.

The north wind, carrying frost, crossed the Yangtze River and entered the Jiangnan region, turning Nanjing into a pristine white city.

On the green tiles, eaves, and steps of the governor's mansion, the white dew had turned to frost. Jiang Xingzhou began packing his bags and books, preparing for his journey north to Luoyang, the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, to take the imperial examination.

The spring imperial examination is imminent—held every three years, the metropolitan examination, which determines the fate of all scholars in the Great Zhou Dynasty, is scheduled after the beginning of spring.

However, he knew that if he waited until after the New Year to set off, he might be delayed by wind and snow along the way, or by other unexpected events, which could easily cause him to miss the exam.

The old scholars often said, "When going to the capital for the imperial examination, it's better to be three months early than one day late."

Typically, scholars from various circuits of the Great Zhou Dynasty would arrive in Luoyang more than three months in advance.

However, living in the capital is not easy!
The innkeepers in Luoyang knew best how to raise prices during the spring imperial examinations—the room rates increased day by day right after the winter solstice.

Those poor scholars who were short of money couldn't afford it and would often wait a month or so until the end of the year before setting off, saving the rent for one or two months, enough to buy several cartloads of charcoal.

Those from wealthy families who passed the imperial examinations would mostly choose to set off north before the onset of winter, when the wild geese flew south.

They would rent a fine house in Luoyang three months in advance, brew wine over a red stove, study by the snowy window, and even the sound of firecrackers on New Year's Eve was leisurely.

Jiang Xingzhou naturally planned to set off early to avoid rushing on the journey.

Jiang Xingzhou received an internship certificate from the governor's office.

On the document with a blue silk cover, the governor's vermilion seal was as red as blood, and the four characters "[Intern Sima]" were written with force that penetrated the back of the paper.

This thin piece of paper, the "Internship Observation" document, is actually the key to entering the imperial examinations—

Without this official seal, no matter how talented you are, you cannot gain entry to the imperial examination hall.

When Governor Wei handed him the internship certificate, the vermilion ink was still warm.

The old man tapped the document lightly with his knuckles, a hint of expectation hidden in the smile lines at the corners of his eyes: "Jiang Sima, please keep this safe."

"When you go to the imperial examination this spring, I will be waiting in Nanjing to hear you succeed."

He served as the governor of Jiangnan Circuit, where he quelled the Taihu Lake demon court and exceeded the tax collection targets, achieving exceptionally outstanding political achievements.

Perhaps he might be transferred back to Luoyang and meet Jiang Xingzhou there.

"I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Jiang Xingzhou accepted the document with both hands; it was cool to the touch. He bowed respectfully and took his leave.

Jiang Xingzhou returned to the Jinling Inn, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote four letters under the lamp.

The letter, carrying the scent of burning charcoal, flew in all directions:
A letter was sent to the Suzhou Prefectural Government, inviting Han Yugui, who was serving as an intern magistrate there.

A letter was delivered to the Jiangyin County government office, requesting an appointment with Cao An, the acting clerk.
A letter was sent to the Taicang County government office, requesting an appointment with Lu Ming, the acting county magistrate.

The furthest letter was for crossing the river to Zhouzhuang Town, and it arranged for Gu Zhimian, who was in charge of teaching in the town, to come to Jinling City to meet the four of them.

This year, about twenty or thirty candidates from Jiangyin County went to take the imperial examination. There were quite a few candidates, and those with great ambitions would go to the capital to take the exam.

However, these four were all classmates of Pei Jingyi, a renowned scholar from the Xue family private school in Jiangyin. Their relationship was naturally incomparable to that of other scholars from the county.

Three days after the letter arrived, all four men set off.

Han Yugui received his internship certificate from the Suzhou government office, and together with his maid Qingfei, he set off in a carriage and boarded a ship to head to Jinling.
When Cao An bid farewell to Jiangyin County, the old county magistrate gave him a packet of ginger tea to keep warm.

Lu Ming had the lightest luggage, carrying only a volume of the Taicang County Gazetteer;
Gu Zhimian rode a blue donkey. When he was about to leave, the young students of Zhouzhuang Town School chased after his blue donkey for five miles.

At the ferry crossing south of Jinling City, the four men's boats arrived almost simultaneously, their carriages shattering the thin frost on the official road.

"Brother Gu, a dignified scholar who has passed the imperial examination, why are you riding a blue donkey to the capital to take the exam?"

Han Yugui was taken aback when he saw Gu Zhimian riding a blue donkey off the boat, and then he chuckled.

The donkey seemed to understand human speech and suddenly snorted in dissatisfaction.

"Brother Han!"

Gu Zhimian patted the donkey's ears and laughed, "I work as an instructor in Zhouzhuang Town and often travel between rural private schools. It's inconvenient to travel by carriage, so I bought a blue donkey as a means of transportation."

This foolish creature followed me all over Zhouzhuang's thirty-six schools, traversing paddy fields and paths.

Surprisingly, it was quite comfortable to sit in.

Gu Zhimian wasn't embarrassed at all. He took out half a wheat cake from his satchel and said, "When I was about to leave, it ran after me to the ferry. It was even more reluctant to part with me than the schoolchildren."

I couldn't bear to leave this stupid donkey in the countryside, so I had no choice but to take it with me on the road!

The donkey chewed on the wheat cake, its tail swishing happily.

This donkey was much cheaper than a luxurious carriage; a few wheat cakes were enough to feed it, which saved him a lot of money on a daily basis.

"Brother Gu really does spend a lot of time in the countryside; his face is all tanned! He's gotten much stronger, though, and doesn't look like the pale-faced scholar he used to be!"

Cao An and Lu Ming also laughed. Gu Zhimian rode the blue donkey without restraint, which was quite carefree.

Frost descends in Jiangnan

Jiang Xingzhou's letters have flown to various prefectures and counties in Jiangnan Circuit like swallows in spring.

He also wrote letters inviting Tang Yanqing, Xu Canming, and even dozens of other top-ranking scholars, including Xie Qihe and Wang Moqing, to go to the capital together for the imperial examination.

Although they did not study together, they passed the imperial examination in the same year;
Having already been granted the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination), he was now in the "official register" and awaiting a vacancy in the Ministry of Personnel of the Imperial Court.

Whether they pass the imperial examination with flying colors or not, they will meet again in the officialdom of the Great Zhou Dynasty when the Ministry of Personnel selects officials in the future.

Instead of wasting time traveling through wind and snow, let's forge a bond of friendship first.

Soon, the people responded enthusiastically and boarded a boat together to travel north along the Grand Canal.

On the day of departure.

When Jiang Xingzhou and the other candidates boarded the ship, the city of Jinling was still shrouded in morning mist.

Jiang Xingzhou originally intended to leave quietly.

I had intended to simply wave my sleeves and drift away like a thin cloud over Jiangnan, leaving without taking a single trace behind.

but,

Somehow.

Just as the boat was setting sail, suddenly the sound of flutes and pipes rose from the shore.

But see—

The courtesans on the painted boats of Qinhuai River, with their flowing sleeves, poured out from the streets and alleys, singing and dancing as a farewell song;

The yamen runners held aloft congratulatory plaques bearing inscriptions such as "Passing the Imperial Examination," "Winning the Imperial Examination," "Winning the Top Three Scholarships," and "Standing Out from the Crowd," as they lined up in the morning light.

Governor Wei's sedan chair crunched over the dew, Du Xuezheng's carriage startled roosting crows, Zhou Dunshi led the students of the literary society to stand respectfully, and the officials of the prefectural government followed in a long procession in scarlet robes and jade belts.

People from Jinling City rushed over upon hearing the news, spreading the word and carrying freshly steamed osmanthus cakes, candied dates, and roasted peanuts onto the ship.

"Jiang Lang, on your journey, you will soar like a swan spreading its wings and achieve the highest rank in the imperial examination!"

With his wide sleeves billowing in the wind, Wei Guanlan's voice booming like a bell, he bowed respectfully in the morning light: "May you all ride the long wind and break through ten thousand miles of waves, and when your names are inscribed on the golden list, do not forget your old friends in the misty rain of Jiangnan!"

"Jiang Lang!"

Cheers erupted from both sides of the river, and the red silk ribbons in the hands of the singers fluttered in the wind, seemingly chasing after the departing ship.

A sudden warm breeze swept across the river, scattering fragments of gold across its surface.

"Farewell, everyone!"

Jiang Xingzhou stood on the ship, looking at the crowds of people seeing him off on the dock, and his eyes welled up with tears.

Would you say that Jiang Sima's blue robe is soaked with sweat?
His heart stirred slightly.

With a slight movement in his throat, Jiang Xingzhou finally bowed deeply.

do not!

Jiangnan Road!
When he returns to Jiangnan in the future, it will surely be a day of triumph and glory for him!

(End of this chapter)