Top Scholar

Chapter 268 Will Convince You

On the fourth day of the fourth lunar month, the preliminary results of the prefectural examination were released, and another thirty students were selected. Among them were Ma Qianli and Tao Cheng.

The remaining classmates are still on the supplementary list of two hundred people.

On the seventh day of the fourth month, the results were reviewed again. Another twenty students were admitted to the top tier. This time, Cheng Wanfan and others also made it to the top, leaving only Li Qiyu and a few classmates, barely surviving on the list of one hundred students on the supplementary list.

They can only compete for the last ten spots during the interviews on the ninth day of the lunar new year...

Seeing that his ranking on the supplementary list wasn't even high, Li Qiyu was on the verge of tears. After returning to the government office, he leaned his head on Su Lu's shoulder and whispered, "Uncle, why is it like the county exam again? I've already asked for calligraphy and paintings."

"Is it possible that if we hadn't asked for calligraphy and paintings, we would have failed the exam long ago?" Su Lu pushed his head away and said softly, "Instead of crying here, you should put down your burden and focus on preparing for the interview."

"Will you help me?" Li Qiyu asked pitifully, pulling at Su Lu.

"Nonsense," Su Lu said. "Since you few haven't even made it ashore yet, shouldn't I try my best to get some of you?"

"Dad, you are our real dad." Li Qiyu and several classmates said in unison.

"I've figured it out now. Our kinship is directly proportional to how much you need me," Su Lu said irritably.

"No, no, a teacher for a day is a father for life. We will take care of you for the rest of our lives," Li Qiyu and the others said, their filial piety evident.

"Enough talk, let's begin the intensive training!" Su Lu then led his classmates, who had temporarily been promoted to 'favorite sons', into a one-day intensive interview training session...

In just one day, Su Lu certainly couldn't improve their knowledge level, but as a top-notch lecturer, he could teach them interview skills so that they could give full play to their abilities.

Afterwards, I even made up a mnemonic for them so they wouldn't forget everything when they got nervous.

"Hands and courtesy should be measured to show respect; one should avoid using local accents when speaking official language. Loyalty and filial piety must be distinguished in terms of importance; public and private matters should be handled with discretion and principle."

When questioned, do not panic and quote classical allusions; in your response, avoid being overly confident and strive for a balanced answer. Use common allusions while avoiding obscure ones; cite examples from your neighbors to reveal the truth…

Lin Zhihong and the others who served as sparring partners were stunned. Enzhang's ability to summarize and generalize was truly unparalleled. He could grasp the essentials of everything and make everything clear and logical.

Not to mention Li Qiyu and the others, even they benefited greatly...

~~
Before I knew it, it was the ninth day of the lunar month, the day of the interview.

Just like in the county examination, not only the top 100 candidates on the supplementary list will be interviewed, but the 90 candidates who have already passed the preliminary examination will also be subject to face-to-face review by the Grandfather to ensure that no one is a fraud.

The interview was held in the main hall of the state government office.

At the third quarter of Chen hour, the bronze gong in front of the hall rang. The clerk of the rites department led ninety students who had just emerged from their studies, in order of their rank, to enter through the ceremonial gate in single file, and to perform three bows to the ancestral master in front of the main hall.

In the center of the main hall, Prefect Jia sat upright in front of the screen depicting the sea and the rising sun. He wore the official robes of a fifth-rank official with a white pheasant insignia. His gaze swept across the hall below, where most of the students were fresh-faced young men, with only a few older, less experienced ones among them.

He nodded in satisfaction. The list of candidates showed that the youngest was fourteen and the oldest was thirty-eight, which was not much different from what he had actually seen.

It seems that none of the three county magistrates wanted to face execution in the future, and they had already undergone a rigorous investigation within the county.

Prefect Jia, thus saving himself the trouble of inquiring about the age and appearance of each candidate, kindly addressed them:
"You have been selected through several rounds of screening by the prefecture and county governments, and you are already the best in the prefecture. This interview is not to be harsh, but because I am afraid that I might recommend someone who is not up to par and offend the eyes of the Grandmaster."

His conversation revealed the relaxed demeanor of a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations twice and was a protégé of a high-ranking official, unlike the rigid and inflexible Magistrate Lu.

Then he said more relaxedly, "Before we officially begin, let me clarify something... Some people say that the first candidate in this prefecture took Su Sheng's top spot based on just a draft, treating the national imperial examination like a joke. Others say that I am just trying to show off, and I am prepared to take this to the provincial level?"

Although his tone was light and casual, the candidates all fell silent. Those who had spoken rudely before were especially terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Don't worry, you are all students who are inexperienced in the ways of the world, and I will not pursue the matter with you." Then, Prefect Jia changed the subject and said, "I am bringing up this matter today to clarify things for Su Sheng."

As he spoke, he looked at Su Lu, who was sitting in the center of the front row, and said gently, "It is also my fault for not considering things carefully, which has caused you to suffer."

"You flatter me, Your Excellency." Su Lu hurriedly stepped out of the classroom, clasped his hands in a respectful manner, and said, "Your Excellency posted the article in time that day and has already clarified things for me."

“Yes, Your Excellency.” The other candidates quickly chimed in, “We have already read Su’s magnificent essay, and we were all moved to tears and filled with shame. We would never question him in the slightest.” “That’s more like it.” Prefect Jia nodded slightly, then asked with a smile, “Aren’t you curious why I didn’t let him copy it onto the exam paper, but insisted on his draft?”

"Please enlighten us, Ancestor." The candidates were indeed curious, but Ancestor was being far too impatient; it was completely unnecessary.

"Because what I took was his draft," Prefect Jia said in a deep voice. "If he actually copied it onto the examination paper, he would be greatly disappointed!"

"Why?" The candidate was even more puzzled. He had never heard of an article being diminished after being copied.

"Today I'll show you all what I'm trying to do, so you can understand my good intentions!" Magistrate Jia waved his hand and said solemnly, "Please present the 'Difficulty in Finding Beauty in the Calligraphy'!"

Two clerks carried a long table, slowly emerging from behind the screen. Their movements were so steady, as if they were carrying the prefect's mother…

A long table was placed in the center of the hall, and two clerks stood on either side of the table to protect the law.

"You shall line up and come forward in turn. You may only look, not touch," Prefect Jia instructed solemnly.

This piqued the candidates' curiosity, and they all wanted to see what kind of draft it was that their grandfather regarded as a priceless treasure.

The crowd then lined up before the long table to examine the "Letter on the Difficulty of Finding Color." All who saw it were mesmerized; the running script was mottled and blood-stained, the brushstrokes flowing with a sorrowful intensity.

The author's final stroke of the character '殁' suddenly trembled, the dry brushstrokes conveying a sense of profound grief; when writing '北堂萱萎', the spacing between lines abruptly increased, like tears falling. The lower left part of the character '萎' was blurred by water, and upon closer inspection, it appeared as tear stains layered with ink…

It is precisely because of this that the beauty of nature is achieved—the pen follows the tears, the words flow from the heart, the whole piece is like weeping and lamenting, sometimes somber like surging blood, sometimes lingering like breathlessness! It breaks through the shackles of technique with true feelings, making every word a silent regret, striking the heart directly without feeling ugly!
Viewers were all deeply moved, immersed in the powerful charm of this calligraphy, unable to extricate themselves for a long time. They did not know what they would experience in the future, but they all knew that no matter where they went, they would never forget this "The Difficulty of Coloring" calligraphy.

"I've always heard that Wang Xizhi's *Letter of Mourning* and Yan Zhenqing's *Draft of a Eulogy for My Nephew* were written when the authors were in the deepest sorrow, and the words flowed from their hearts. Because the authors had no intention of practicing calligraphy, the handwriting appears all the more natural, and the emotions are so intense that they bring tears to one's eyes and are unforgettable." Xiao Tingjie, the chief scholar of Naxi, said with deep emotion after reading them:
"I am unfortunate to have never seen the original works of the two great masters, Wang Xizhi and Yan Zhenqing, but after appreciating Su Shi's 'Letter on the Difficulty of Coloring' today, I can finally imagine the splendor of those two timeless masterpieces!"

"Indeed, Su Shi's 'Letter on the Difficulty of Finding Beauty' can be called the 'Letter of Mourning and Chaos' of this dynasty," Xu Chengye, the top scholar from Jiang'an, also exclaimed in sincere admiration.

After saying this, the two bowed deeply to Su Lu, saying, "Chief Su, we are very sorry that we did not recognize your greatness."

"You two are too kind," Su Lu said with a wry smile. "I didn't think that much at the time. I was just immersed in the emotions of the article when I was drafting it."

“You can’t write it well if you try to write it deliberately.” Governor Jia said seriously, “It is precisely because you did not write it as calligraphy, but let your overwhelming grief guide your brushstrokes, that the corrections can all reflect your true feelings.”

"This unpretentious use of brushstrokes has actually elevated the already powerful expressiveness of the article to a new level!" He paused, then continued, "This prefecture values ​​both the writing and the calligraphy; neither can be dispensed with. Therefore, I can only ask Hongzhi to suffer some injustice and submit the draft..."

"So that's how it is! We are completely convinced!" All the candidates exclaimed in unison, "Our ancestor was truly insightful! Only after reading this 'The Difficulty of Finding Beauty in the Book of Calligraphy' can we truly appreciate our ancestor's painstaking efforts and the culmination of Su Shi's hard work!"

After saying this, they bowed to Su Lu again and apologized, saying, "Brother Hongzhi truly deserves the title of top scholar!"

"Thank you, Grandfather, thank you everyone." What else could Su Lu say?
"Haha, alright. Now the misunderstanding is completely cleared up, and the interview is successfully concluded!" Governor Jia waved his hand happily and said, "You all follow Chief Su to the back hall for the final bar. I still have a second round of interviews to conduct."

"Thank you, Grandfather!" The candidates were naturally overjoyed to have passed so easily, and under the guidance of the clerk, they followed Su Lu to the back hall to wait for the wine.

Prefect Jia then ordered the long table to be removed and the "Letter on the Difficulty of Finding Beauty" to be carefully preserved. Only then did he summon the one hundred candidates from the supplementary list to the court for an interview. He would use various methods, such as brief discussions, comparisons, and moderate assessments, to verify their true abilities.

Unlike Magistrate Lu, who was cautious and afraid of making a mistake, he asked each person one question and that was it, choosing whoever he liked.

This is the carefree spirit of those who passed the imperial examinations and entered the civil service; in such trivial matters, they can act with abandon, and no one will criticize them. Instead, they'll be praised: "A true scholar is naturally elegant!"

Ultimately, thanks to their adoptive father's intensive training and their superior stage presence, Li Qiyu and his friends all successfully broke through and secured one of the final ten spots.

Afterwards, as was customary, Prefect Jia hosted a banquet for all the examiners and the one hundred candidates who had qualified for the provincial examination, encouraging them to continue their efforts and to change into their official robes. He also rewarded each of them with a set of formal attire, a set of writing implements, and ten taels of silver as funds for the provincial examination.

After accepting the toasts from the examinees, Prefect Jia and his assistants withdrew from the banquet, allowing the examinees to connect with each other on their own.

Meanwhile, the clerk in charge of the ceremony had already prepared a long table, publicly listing the names of the one hundred outstanding individuals according to their scores!

The Luzhou provincial examination of the first year of the Zhengde reign was successfully concluded.

P.S. I haven't checked the next chapter yet...

(End of this chapter)