Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 207 An Unsolvable Overt Scheme!
Inside the Imperial Examination Hall in Luoyang, the examination rooms with their blue bricks and gray tiles were neatly arranged, like stars on a chessboard. The candidates entered their assigned rooms, each marked with a wooden plaque.

Jiang Xingzhou pushed open the wooden door of the examination room, and a cool spring breeze carrying the scent of drizzle brushed against his face.

He glanced up at the raindrops dripping from the eaves before stepping inside and gently closing the door behind him.

Although the examination room was only half a zhang square, it had already been tidied up very neatly by the minor officials of the Ministry of Rites who were in charge of the spring examinations—a low elm wood table, a tung oil lamp, a stack of plain white Xuan paper, and not a speck of cobwebs or dust in the corners.

He took down the examination basket and placed it on the desk. He then took out the Yin-Yang Fish Inkstone from it, picked up a piece of top-quality pine soot ink, and slowly ground it with sweet spring water.

The ink stick touched the inkstone, making a faint "shush" sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet examination room.

The rain outside the window grew thicker, pattering on the tiles like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

Jiang Xingzhou gazed at the ink gradually spreading in the inkstone, patiently waiting for the chief examiner, Tang Xiujin, the Minister of War, to announce the examination questions.

At this moment, in the three thousand examination rooms of the Imperial Examination Hall, ten thousand candidates must all be doing the same thing—grinding ink, meditating, and waiting for the examination question that will determine their fate.

Inside the examination hall.

Song Chuwang, the top scholar of Jingchu, sat upright like a pine tree, his fingertips lightly tapping the edge of the table, his eyes seeming to surge like the waves of a river.

He recalled his decades of diligent study by the shores of Dongting Lake, and how his well-worn copy of "Collected Annotations on the Songs of Chu" was still in his luggage at the inn.

Liu Chun, the top scholar in the Sichuan-Chongqing region, dipped his brush in ink, the tip of the brush hovering half an inch above the paper.

The morning bells and evening drums of Qingcheng Mountain still echo in my ears. As I travel by boat away from Sichuan, the chanting I heard day and night on the boat gradually resonates with my heartbeat.

Cao Jin, the top scholar of the Central Plains region, suddenly chuckled and took off the jade pendant from his waist, placing it next to the inkstone.

This jade tablet, once worn by the academy's headmaster and a disciple of a great Confucian scholar, will today be either stained with the fragrance of ink or...
He shook his head, his gaze sharpening like a knife once more.

The successful candidates in the imperial examinations of the ten provinces of the Great Zhou Dynasty all sat upright in their examination rooms, their expressions solemn and dignified, holding their breath and concentrating fully.

They all knew what kind of monster was sitting in the nearby examination hall—Jiang Xingzhou, the top scholar of Jiangnan Province, the most powerful enemy in the history of the Great Zhou Dynasty, who inspired despair and shook the literary world of Luoyang.

Many less capable candidates who went to Luoyang for the imperial examinations have already submitted to him, praising him as "a literary genius descended to earth, a talent beyond compare."

but--

These proudest top ten scholars of the Great Zhou Dynasty, how could they have wasted their twenty or thirty years of hard study?
How can someone who has traveled thousands of miles to take the exam return empty-handed?

They would never admit defeat until the very last moment!
In case Jiang Xingzhou underperforms.

Or perhaps they will perform exceptionally well and happen to encounter exam questions that they are most familiar with and good at; they might just become the top scorers in this year's imperial examinations.

As the rain pattered against the eaves, their expressions seemed to ignite—

at this point,
At the same time, towards that invincible opponent,
It has shown its true colors!

"Clang~ Clang~ Clang~!"

The sound of the gong shatters, signaling the start of the battle between the ink-producing forces!
"The exam is about to begin!"

Before the echoes of the three clapperboards had faded, a hoarse shout from the head constable suddenly rang out from inside the vermilion walls of the examination hall.

The gong rang out with a loud bang, startling the swifts that were perched on the eaves.

Thirty low-ranking clerks from the Ministry of Rites filed out, each holding a sandalwood examination plaque.

The freshly printed exam questions gleamed bluish-green in the rain, casting flowing shadows among the tens of thousands of examination rooms as the examinees hurried along.

The chief examiners of the spring imperial examination had already conceived and written the exam questions in their minds, but in order to prevent anyone from spying on them and leaking the questions in advance.

The chief examiner would write down the examination questions on the spot in the examination hall, in front of the deputy examiners and the five proctors from the Hanlin Academy, just before the exam.

Then the clerks of the Ministry of Rites were ordered to copy the questions onto the examination board, which they then carried around the examination hall to show the candidates to the examinees.

"How can one govern a country if one does not understand it?"

The first question of the sixteenth year of the Great Zhou Heavenly Decree's imperial examination was: "Write a poem or essay on the theme of 'Central Plains, Jingchu, and Jiangnan,' which are the ten circuits of the Great Zhou."

Jiang Xingzhou's pupils contracted slightly—the exam question was actually named after the Ten Circuits of the Great Zhou Dynasty!
Suddenly, the image of the surging waves of the Qiantang River, like ten thousand horses galloping, appeared before his eyes when he left his hometown;
I recall that when we crossed the Yangtze River, the students from Jiangnan who were traveling with me stood at the bow of the boat and recited "The road ahead is long and arduous."
On the day I entered Luoyang, I happened to encounter several elderly Confucian scholars from the Central Plains lecturing on the Spring and Autumn Annals to the young scholars in the countryside. Their white hair and yellow earth were almost one with each other.
"Great topic!"

Jiang Xingzhou couldn't help but smile.

This requires all candidates to write down their vision of their hometown within a short poem or essay.

"Snapped!"

A drop of ink fell from the suspended tip of the brush, blooming on the inkstone a magnificent and imposing map of the Great Zhou Dynasty's territory.

"what?
Write a poem or essay on any topic, using the names of the Ten Circuits of the Great Zhou Dynasty as the theme.

And there is no limit to the number? (The same topic cannot be chosen repeatedly)

In that case, I have no choice but to write about 'Jiangnan'!

Gu Zhimian froze, the wolf-hair brush in his hand hovering above the Xuan paper, the ink condensing into a full drop, yet it hesitated to fall.

He was born and raised in the water towns of Jiangnan, and was accustomed to the small bridges, flowing water, and misty pavilions of Jiangyin County. He wrote countless lines about "apricot blossoms in spring rain" and "sleeping on a painted boat listening to the rain".

Naturally, I must write an article about "Jiangnan"!
But at this moment, those two most familiar words made his fingertips tremble slightly.

That's too fair.

It's fair to the point of being cruel.

There are no tricky "problem-solving angles", no obscure "classical allusions", and not even any restrictions on "literary style".

These were the fairest imperial examination questions he had ever seen!

There is absolutely no room for shortcuts or favoritism!

However, it is often the most difficult. This means that all candidates can bring out their best and most genuine talents and skills, and give their all on this small exam paper.

"despair."

The drop of ink finally fell, spreading a hazy, smoky blue-green across the paper, much like the morning mist of Jiangnan.

Gu Zhimian suddenly smiled.

He recalled standing outside the Nanjing Examination Hall three years ago, watching as the results were announced, with some people ecstatic and others weeping.

He then realized that the most terrifying thing in the imperial examination was never the tricky questions—but the opponents who were just as talented as him.

His opponents were the other 1,500 candidates from Jiangnan Province!

The wolf-hair brush finally fell.

Inside a certain examination room, Liu Chun, the top scholar from Sichuan, was so excited that his face turned red. He slammed his hand on the table, his knuckles striking the table heavily!

"boom--"

A muffled thud echoed across the bluestone bricks, startling the examiner who frowned and looked over.

"Wonderful!
This is an excellent test question!

Chief Examiner Tang is truly fair, impartial, and completely selfless!

He was completely oblivious, his eyes burning with a scorching light.

opportunity!

These exam questions are practically tailor-made for ten candidates!

The ten regions of the Great Zhou Dynasty were all places where they lived.

Each of them, a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, was familiar with his own local area.

Others, unless they have traveled long distances or lived there for a long time, simply do not understand other customs and traditions—so how can they write good articles?

This requires an extremely strong life experience!

Even if Jiang Xingzhou, at sixteen, was exceptionally talented, he had only ever lived in Jiangnan! Even if he traveled abroad and only saw things for a few days, he would have no real-life experience.

How could they possibly understand—

How does the north wind at Jianmen Pass tear apart the clouds that resemble Shu brocade?
What kind of dragon roar will the waves of Dujiangyan emit at midnight?
When the Taoist bell of Qingcheng Mountain shatters the morning mist, the dewdrops throughout the entire mountain forest tremble.
"Ah"

"How can one understand these wonders without experiencing them firsthand?"

How could Jiang Xingzhou, a mere scholar from Jiangnan, possibly understand the magnificence of the mountains and rivers of Sichuan and Chongqing?
Jiang Xingzhou, you've never been to Sichuan. Do you really think you can write a top-tier poem or essay about Sichuan, even one of the highest national or regional caliber?!
impossible!

Only I can write this!
This means I have a real chance to be on equal footing with Jiang Xingzhou!

Liu Chun laughed excitedly, but accidentally bit his tongue, the taste of blood mixed with pine soot ink filling his mouth.

This means that his strength and Jiang Xingzhou's strength have been significantly leveled!

When he dipped his brush in ink, his wrist was held extremely steadily, as if he were holding the bronze sword that guarded the Golden Summit of Mount Emei.

Sichuan on paper should possess the spirit of a sword!
The moment the ink touched the Xuan paper, he heard the unhurried sound of grinding ink coming from the examination room of a candidate from Jiangnan next door—the rhythm was so leisurely, it was just like the pipa being casually plucked by a singing girl on a painted boat on West Lake, a slow and gentle melody.

Liu Chun was writing a draft on Xuan paper when he suddenly wanted to burst out laughing. Jiang Xingzhou, oh Jiang Xingzhou...
Do you know—

In this game of chess for the imperial examination, fate finally gave me the opportunity!

As he wrote, he seemed to see his magnificent poems about Sichuan and Chongqing transform into a beam of blue light that shot straight into the sky, shattering all those misty, rainy tunes from Jiangnan!
"sand--"

As the final stroke was drawn, like a sword sheathed, Liu Chun suddenly looked up.

In the rain, the lights in the ten examination rooms flickered, much like the swaying fishing lights on the boats on the long river that he had seen when he spent the night at Kuimen.

This battle—

The sons and daughters of Sichuan should teach the world to recognize the spirit of Sichuan!

The examination hall and examination rooms were drenched in a light drizzle.

"It seems I really misunderstood Lord Tang!"

Song Chuwang looked at Minglun Hall with admiration at the tall and imposing figure standing before the jade steps of the examination room—the chief examiner, Tang Xiujin. Suddenly, he felt the weight of depression in his chest vanish.

So this is what Lord Tang is—a truly just, selfless, and magnanimous man!
Rumors are circulating in private.

Lord Tang Xiujin has already personally selected Jiang Xingzhou as his disciple and is preparing to promote him to the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Although he wasn't jealous of Jiang Xingzhou and considered him a brother, he was still a little unhappy about it!

Looking at the exam questions now, it's clear that this isn't the case at all.

If you were to write about the mighty Yangtze River flowing through the "Jingchu" region!

He was absolutely confident that he would be second to none—not even Jiang Xingzhou!

Song Chuwang recalled the day he crossed the river to the north, when the boatman pointed to the opposite bank and said, "Young Master Song, look, that is where Qu Yuan threw himself into the river." The muddy river water lapped against the boat planks, giving him the illusion that it was a lament that had never ceased for a thousand years.

At this moment, his pen is the best eulogy for "Jingchu"!

The raging waves of Yunmeng Marsh!

The embers of the battle at Red Cliff on the Yangtze River!
The tenacious new grass on the ruins of Yingdu!
Only he, the top scholar from Jingchu, truly understands!
"As expected of the Minister of War, a well-known lone minister in the court!"

Song Chuwang suddenly chuckled softly.

He finally understood—

Those rumors that Lord Tang was going to give Jiang Xingzhou some pointers are a joke, just slander from a bunch of petty people!

This Minister of War clearly wants every candidate from the ten circuits of the Great Zhou Dynasty to use their hometown's mountains and rivers as weapons and compete fairly and squarely in the imperial examination!
His brushstrokes grew increasingly rapid, and he seemed to see—

Jiang Xingzhou's brows furrowed slightly as he wrote about the misty rain of Jiangnan!

The veins bulging when Liu Chun wrote about the Sichuan-Chongqing plank road!

And the towering waves of the Miluo River that he depicted with his pen are shattering all doubts about him, Song Chuwang, the Daoist scholar of Jingchu!

"Great topic!"

Song Chuwang threw down his pen and chuckled, startling the swallows that were taking shelter from the rain under the eaves.

The most enjoyable imperial examination,
Nothing is better than being able to carry on the spirit of one's hometown.

Along with the unparalleled talents of the ten major circuits of the Great Zhou Dynasty—

A fair fight!
now--

All the examination halls were quiet, and tens of thousands of candidates were quickly composing drafts of poems and essays.

Inside the examination room, Liu Chun, the top scholar from Sichuan, had already broken through the paper three-tenths of an inch with his pen. A chilling aura, like that of the snowy mountains of Mount Emei, crept up his wrist and up to the tip of his pen.

Before the examination, Song Chuwang, the top scholar from Jingchu, kept frowning and thinking hard. He even broke half of the ink stick, and the raging waves of the Miluo River roared in his blood.

Beside the low table, Cao Jin, the top scholar from the Central Plains region, suddenly tore off the first sheet of draft paper, the smoke and dust of the ancient land of Heluo rustling between his fingers.
No!

The idea still isn't good enough, I need to rewrite it!

In the remaining 10,000 examination halls, candidates from the Central Plains region are writing the magnificent story of the Yellow River's surging flow.

The talented scholars of Jingchu poured out the indignation of Qu Yuan's "Li Sao" in their writings.

The ink of the students from Sichuan and Chongqing embodies the rugged grandeur of the Jianmen Pass.

Gu Zhimian wrote furiously, his "Jiangnan" had to be more ethereal than misty rain, more tender than spring water, and more like Jiangnan than the Jiangnan in everyone's memory.

Amidst the rustling sound of writing, Gu Zhimian suddenly heard a very soft sigh coming from the next examination room—as if someone was troubled.

too difficult!
The 1,500 candidates who wrote about "Jiangnan" must have significantly surpassed the talents of others!
Gu Zhimian continued writing, but a knowing smile appeared on his lips.

This imperial examination.

There is no room for luck, only—

Using ink as a sword, let's fight with talent!
Inside the Minglun Hall, in the chief examiner's room, candlelight flickered.

The chief examiner, Tang Xiujin, the Minister of War, lightly tapped the table with his fingertips. The candlelight reflected in the teacup was shattered by his knuckles, turning into a cup full of floating stars.

He suddenly smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes concealing the memory of the imperial examination thirty years ago that made him famous throughout the land.

In the imperial examination that year, the late emperor gave the topic "On the Frontier".
He remembered that year he was only twenty-three years old, and he wrote on the exam paper with great skill, turning the northwest wind and sand into a battlefield of iron horses.

The late emperor praised him, writing in vermilion ink, "This young man should be a talent for the Ministry of War," which led to his current position as Minister of War.

And now.
His gaze pierced through the rain, as if he could see the slender figure of the examinee in the examination room in Jiangnan.

Jiang Xingzhou must be writing right now—

He wrote about how the osmanthus blossoms of autumn bent the eaves of the painted boats in Jiangnan, how the bright moon over the Twenty-Four Bridges permeated the sound of the flute played by a beautiful woman, and about the most tender essence of Jiangnan that even he, the Minister of War, had never fully appreciated.

Jiang Xingzhou's abilities guarantee at least one "Jiangnan" poem of the [National Defense] level! If he can also secure a few more [Mingzhou, Dafu] level articles from other regions, then it will be a sure thing.

"what
Scholar Zhao thought—how many people could write a "national treasure" essay in this year's imperial examination?

Tang Xiujin gave a cold smile and glanced at the chief examiner, Zhao Mingcheng, a senior scholar from the Hanlin Academy.

He knew that although Zhao Mingcheng of the Hanlin Academy was a senior, refined, and scholarly man from a prominent family, he was actually an "ally and younger brother" of Chen Shaoqing, the Grand Secretary, and had deep ties with many powerful families in Luoyang.

They harbored deep hostility towards scholars from poor families.

The powerful forces behind Zhao Mingcheng have probably already decided to place their own foes in this department.

The scions of noble families and the talented individuals of powerful clans—aren't they all "jade artifacts" meticulously crafted by their families?
However, what Tang Xiujin wanted was the most outstanding talents outside of aristocratic families!
Was this exam really fair?
It seems fair.

But it was an open scheme of his!
Based on his understanding over this period of time, he was all too aware of Jiang Xingzhou's monstrous strength, which could not be understood by ordinary standards.

Jiang Xingzhou's strength was outrageous, completely overwhelming all the candidates, leaving everyone speechless!
He was very satisfied with Jiang Xingzhou as his student and intended to appoint Jiang Xingzhou as the top scholar in the imperial examination!
However, everyone must be silenced and rendered speechless!

Therefore, after much consideration, he came up with this open-ended question, allowing Jiang Xingzhou to fully demonstrate his abilities.

If he were to use unconventional methods or impose restrictions, he might actually exploit Jiang Xingzhou's weaknesses—so he simply abandoned unconventional methods and adopted a more aggressive, all-out approach.

He wanted to make Jiang Xingzhou—

On this fairest battlefield,

With the most overwhelming force,
To win an undisputed and impeccable victory, thus paving the way for Jiang Xingzhou's meteoric rise in the Great Zhou court!

"Humph!"

Chief examiner Zhao Mingcheng paused slightly as he stroked his beard.

He could certainly hear the veiled meaning in those words—it wasn't asking "how many people," but clearly asking "that person."

"Lord Tang, I'm going to inspect the examination hall!"

He walked out of the examination room and strolled towards the various examination rooms. His official boots trod across the bluestone path, and the splashing water reflected the cold light in his eyes.

—Tang Xiujin, do you really think that this imperial examination is a one-man show for you, the Minister of War?
Zhao Mingcheng was annoyed, his fingers unconsciously twisting the jade pendant at his waist. The Hetian jade pendant was a gift from Chen Zhongshu last year, and it felt cold to the touch now.

He was going to check on the candidates' answers and supervise everything.

Under no circumstances should Jiang Xingzhou be allowed to pass the imperial examination with top honors—if he does, he will most likely achieve the "Triple Crown" and threaten the position of Chen Shaoqing, the Grand Secretary.

The examination hall was the only place that could stop Jiang Xingzhou.

Once the palace examination begins, His Majesty personally oversees all the roles of chief examiner, chief proctor, and chief grading officer!

No one else had any say in the matter, let alone try to stop Jiang Xingzhou from becoming the top scholar!
Minister of Rites Wei Shili immediately gave a wink to Vice Minister Xu Shiheng, who then followed the examiner Zhao Mingcheng five steps behind silently, like a lurking snake.

Inside the examination room, no official can act alone; two or three people from different departments must be present at the same time—to prevent cheating and false accusations.

Invigilators, in particular, need to supervise each other!
The Ministry of Rites has always been responsible for overseeing the entire Spring Examination. Although they are not the chief examiners or chief proctors, they are responsible for all matters, big and small, in the examination hall. No mistakes can be made in the examination hall—otherwise, if trouble arises, the blame will definitely fall on the Ministry of Rites.

(End of this chapter)