Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 298 Without having likes or dislikes, without creating distinctions

"All candidates! Remain in the same queue as before and wait for your names to be called and you to be searched! No noise! ​​No crowding! Violators will be disqualified!"

Stern commands rang out one after another, and the column began to move forward with difficulty.

Lu Beigu took a breath of the crisp air, lifted the heavy bedding roll on his back, and then gripped the heavy basket handle tightly in his hand.

He glanced at Cui Wenjing behind him, then swept his gaze over the familiar faces of the Three Sus, Two Zengs, Two Chengs, and Two Zhangs not far away.

These names will shine in history for centuries to come, but at this moment, they, like him, are just candidates in this vast crowd, bearing immense pressure, about to step into that small space and fight for their future.

The line moved slowly forward, and it wasn't long before it was Lu Beigu's turn, as he was near the front of the line.

After examining the iron plaque in his hand again, a clerk with an expressionless face, holding the register, asked.

"Name? Place of origin?"

This is obviously to prevent someone from intentionally or unintentionally taking the wrong metal plate.

“Lu Beigu is from Hejiang County, Luzhou, Zizhou Road,” Lu Beigu replied.

The clerk carefully examined the descriptions of appearances on the register. These descriptions were copied from the official documents and then compared with Lu Beigu's.

After confirming that everything was correct, the clerk crossed out a name on the register.

"The examination room number is Zhou 17."

Then, the clerk handed him a bronze plaque engraved with "Zhou Zi Shiqi" (周字十七), while the iron plaque was confiscated.

After thinking about it for a moment, Lu Beigu understood why the Ministry of Rites was doing this seemingly redundant operation.

The iron tags used for queuing were issued by the Ministry of Rites Examination Hall after the candidates arrived in Beijing, so the serial number of a person's iron tag was not a secret at all. The serial number of the iron tag was different from the serial number of the bronze tag that represented the actual examination room. This was to prevent anyone from bribing people in the Ministry of Rites Examination Hall to tamper with the examination rooms in advance.

Lu Beigu even felt that the examination room number was likely randomly assigned on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

After receiving the bronze medal, he was led inside the gate of the Ministry of Rites Examination Hall.

There are two rows of houses, about twenty in total, and each candidate must be checked in one of the houses.

Following the clerk's guidance, Lu Beigu waited until the people in front of him came out before entering one of the rooms.

The brazier inside was burning quite hot; it wouldn't freeze you in a short time.

Two old men were standing inside. When they saw Lu Beigu come in, one of them said something.

"Take off your hat and undress."

Lu Beigu did as instructed, taking off his hat and untying the sash of his outer robe to reveal the inner lining. The cold wind that seeped in through the crack in the door made his skin tingle.

Then, one of the old men, who was probably a former coroner, carefully searched his hair, collar, armpits, cuffs, waist, and even his inner hips and shoes and socks to check for any hidden notes.

Another old man opened his examination basket. The sesame cakes wrapped in oil paper were broken open and crumbled for inspection, the salted jerky was torn open to check the inside, the gourd containing water was uncorked and smelled, the small copper hand warmer was opened to check the charcoal cakes, and the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone were checked one by one.

"bedding!"

He finally pointed to Lu Beigu's bedding roll.

Lu Beigu untied it and placed it on the ground. He untied the ropes, shook out the thick quilt, and carefully patted and felt it inside and out. He even cut some places to make sure there were no items hidden inside before roughly sewing it back up with a needle.

The entire inspection process took almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and it was incredibly meticulous.

After the inspection was completed, the old man waved his hand, indicating that he could go in.

Lu Beigu silently tidied up his scattered belongings, tied up the bedding, picked up the examination basket, and, guided by the clerk outside the door, prepared to head towards the examination hall.

However, before he could take a step, he suddenly heard a tearing sound coming from the house across the street.

The clerk guiding Lu Beigu slowed his pace as if on cue and looked in that direction as well.

From the doorway of the house opposite, as the cloth was torn open, several pieces of paper, folded to the size of a fingernail and as thin as cicada wings, drifted out like withered leaves and landed outside the door.

This is what they saw; the little pieces of paper inside are probably falling down like rustling leaves.

"How dare you!" the old official in charge of the search shouted sternly, his voice booming like thunder. "How dare you smuggle these things in! Who gave you the audacity?"

Now, everyone in the two rows of houses being inspected, and even the candidates waiting in line outside the examination hall, heard it.

There are really people who aren't afraid of death!

The candidates in line were in an uproar, craning their necks to look inside, their faces filled with shock or disdain.

"No! This isn't mine! Someone gave it to me! I didn't know!"

The candidates inside were rambling incoherently as they tried to explain themselves.

Seeing that it was no use, he knelt down with a thud, his voice sharp and distorted, tinged with sobs.

"Please! Spare me this time! I've studied hard for ten years! Ten years! All for this one time!"

Tears streamed down his face, his voice shrill and desperate, as if all his bones had been removed. His body trembled violently, and he clung tightly to the leg of the old official who had announced his disqualification, like a drowning man grasping at his last straw.

"I can't be removed from the list! Please have mercy! I beg you! I'll never do it again!"

The wailing echoed in the cold early morning air, heart-wrenching and filled with endless regret.

His face was covered in tears and snot, and his expensive robes were stained with dust from the ground, making him look utterly disheveled.

The old official whose leg he was holding looked only disgusted and pulled away without any mercy.

"If you want others to know, you have to do nothing unless you do it yourself!"

Two burly constables who had been waiting outside immediately stepped forward and grabbed the cheating candidate's arms like iron clamps, lifting him off the ground.

"No—! Let me go! I won't go! I need to take the exam! Let me take the exam—!"

The candidate completely broke down, kicking his legs in vain and twisting and struggling wildly.

His cries were dragged away and gradually faded into the darkness outside the examination hall gates, leaving only a few trampled pieces of paper on the ground, stained with mud and tears. These pieces of paper were quickly collected and destroyed by the yamen runners.

The Ministry of Rites officials in charge of the queue at the entrance of the examination hall also took the opportunity to speak loudly.

"Did you all see that clearly? Cheating is punishable by immediate expulsion! Never allowed to take the exam again! Next!"

The line behind them was deathly silent. If they were just tense before, now they were gripped by a deep-seated fear.

Every candidate about to be inspected subconsciously checked their clothes and examination basket again, afraid of getting anything that shouldn't be there on them.

After watching the spectacle, the clerk in charge of guiding them quickened his pace, and Lu Beigu followed.

The passage leading into the examination hall was not long. The light from the lanterns was dim and unclear due to the pressure from the high walls on both sides. Soon, rows of examination rooms, densely packed like a honeycomb, came into view.

These examination rooms are divided into zones based on the numbering system of "Heaven and Earth, Dark and Yellow, Universe and Vast Wilderness".

"The character '宙' is number seventeen, this way!" The clerk leading the way pointed to one of the rooms.

Lu Beigu walked to his assigned examination room. The room was surrounded by mottled brick walls on three sides, with no door at the front, only a thin curtain made of reeds hanging there, rustling in the cold wind.

The space inside was extremely small, barely enough for one person to turn around. Two long, narrow wooden boards were placed at different heights on the wall, serving as the examinee's desk and seat.

Apart from that, there is nothing.

Lu Beigu first removed the board from the desk and put it aside, then placed the heavy exam basket on the ground. He then used his free hand to carefully spread the bedding on another board before going to sleep.

Yes, I need to rest.

It's still a long time before dawn, and there are still more than two thousand candidates in line. Just searching them to get them into the examination room will take two or three hours.

If you don't take the time to catch up on sleep and are still anxious, you're just wasting your time and it could even lead to a poor performance in the exams over the next few days.

Lu Beigu wrapped himself tightly in the thin blanket that had been laid out and curled up on the cold, long, hard board.

The cells were so small that one could not even fully stretch out their legs.

From the direction of the examination hall gate in the distance, the clamor of the search, the calling of names, and the occasional arguments and shouts could be faintly and intermittently heard through the many courtyards and high walls.

This feeling is like the tide crashing against the rocks.

Lu Beigu forced himself to close his eyes and adjust his breathing.

The physical fatigue and drowsiness caused by staying up late are real, but his mind is very excited and he has difficulty falling asleep immediately.

The success of the hot air balloon, the hustle and bustle of the Lantern Festival, and the fateful examination hall before me—all sorts of thoughts rushed through my mind.

He tried to dispel these distracting thoughts, leaving only one idea.

—Take a nap, even if it's just for an hour.

After all, conserving energy in advance is essential to gaining an advantage in the upcoming battle of wits.

The chill was like fine needles. The cell was drafty on three sides, and the reed curtains rustled softly in the night wind. Lu Beigu finally managed to fall asleep after an unknown amount of time.

As soon as he closed his eyes, it seemed like only a moment had passed when the sound of a clapper echoed in the air above the examination hall.

"Thump—thump-thump—thump—"

Lu Beigu suddenly opened his eyes.

Before dawn, the cell remained dark.

"It gets light late in early spring, but I guess I only slept for an hour or two."

The atmosphere in the entire examination hall suddenly tensed up with the sound of the clapper.

The sound of the clapper is meant to remind the test takers to wake up quickly, to eat and drink as usual, and to relieve themselves, because the exam will start soon.

In the distance came the sound of orderly and heavy footsteps, as the Imperial Guards began to patrol along the passage between the examination rooms.

Lu Beigu sat on the mattress, wrapped the quilt around himself, and moved his limbs, which were stiff from the cold.

After confirming that he hadn't lost too much body heat, he put the table back on. After sitting against the wall overnight, the cold wooden board even felt chilling to the touch.

He opened the basket, took out the small copper hand warmer, lifted the lid, and carefully struck it with a flint and steel. Sparks flew into the tinder he had placed beforehand, and he carefully blew on it to ignite the charcoal cake.

A faint orange flame flickered inside the bronze stove. He tucked the hand warmer into his sleeve, and his exposed, icy fingertips finally felt the warmth.

After wrapping his hands in the blanket and letting them warm up completely, Lu Beigu took out a sesame seed cake from the exam basket and slowly ate it while drinking the cold water from the gourd.

The cold food slid into my stomach, bringing a strange sense of clarity.

After finishing the cakes and tidying up, he then practiced introspection according to the meditation techniques taught by Zhou Dunyi.

He closed his eyes and tried to "receive feedback".

I stopped listening to the lingering sound of the clapper, the footsteps, and even my own slightly rapid heartbeat, and focused only on myself.

This narrow and cramped examination room seemed to be temporarily isolated from the world.

Lu Beigu did not deliberately pursue deep breathing, but simply inhaled naturally and evenly, feeling the coolness seep into his lungs, and then slowly and deeply exhaled the stale air in his chest caused by the pressure.

And the thought is only lightly tied to the flow of breath, neither urging nor holding on.

At first, my breathing was still a little short, and my mind was wandering and hard to control.

Gradually, with a few rounds of breathing, his breathing really began to become more steady and long, like a gently flowing stream. The little waves that were churning in his heart seemed to slowly calm down in this gentle breathing rhythm.

He wasn't pursuing absolute "emptiness," that's too difficult.

He simply tried to be like a stone sinking to the bottom of the water, letting those turbulent thoughts drift by like fallen leaves on the surface, without trying to retrieve them or letting them rise and fall with him, which is to say, "not giving rise to likes or dislikes, and not making distinctions."

Time passed quietly in this focused introspection, and his anxiety was greatly relieved, his mind gradually calmed down.

Lu Beigu no longer worried too much about the exam questions, nor did he think about the possible gains and losses.

At this moment, he focused solely on adjusting himself, preparing both his mind and body for the impending battle of destiny.

The obsession with success or failure fades, leaving behind a purer mindset of enjoying the exam process.

He didn't know how much time had passed, perhaps only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, or perhaps half an hour, when he heard a clear "clang" of a gong.

"Silence, students!"

"The provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites in the second year of the Jiayou reign has begun, and the papers have been distributed!"

Lu Beigu opened his eyes, his gaze now completely calm.

Immediately afterwards, a dense and rapid sound of footsteps rang out.

There were many patrolling officials working in groups of two, one carrying a lantern and the other holding a thick stack of exam papers, quickly moving between the exam rooms along the narrow passage.

Before long, the footsteps stopped in front of Lu Beigu's examination room.

"Zhouzi seventeen!"

A clerk's voice rang out from outside the reed curtain.

“The student is here!” Lu Beigu responded immediately.

A rough hand lifted a corner of the reed curtain, and another hand brought in the exam paper and draft paper.

The clerk lowered the curtain and quickly moved to the next examination cell, and a tense atmosphere began to spread throughout the entire examination hall.

Lu Beigu held his breath and slowly unfolded the top sheet of paper with the exam questions written on it.

The blank white paper was unfolded in the dim light, and on it were regular script characters printed with movable type.

The moment Lu Beigu's gaze fell upon the ten questions from the classic texts, his honed exam skills reached their peak.

(End of this chapter)