Top Scholar

Chapter 333 Imperial Examinations
The back garden inside the moon gate is the essence of the entire building.

Prefect Jia had truly put a lot of effort into this secluded little world. Several round, broad water lilies floated on the surface of the crescent-shaped pond, their pink and white petals swaying gently in the breeze. Three craggy Taihu rocks stood on the edge of the pond, green moss creeping into the crevices of the rocks, while a few red carp darted about underwater, adding a touch of liveliness to this tranquil scene.

Golden and silver osmanthus trees are planted alternately along the pond, with countless flower buds faintly adorning the branches. Before long, the garden will be filled with fragrance.

Amidst the osmanthus grove stands a four-cornered pavilion overlooking the water, its four fir pillars unadorned, supporting only a gray-tiled roof. Inside the pavilion are stone tables and benches, upon which rest purple clay teaware and exquisite tea snacks. The young members of the Su family sit or stand around the tables, chatting leisurely and relaxed.

Only Su Man frowned slightly and couldn't help but say, "The exam is in three days. Shouldn't we be using this time to study?"

"Relax, senior brother. There are 1,500 places in the imperial examination. You can pass it even with your eyes closed." Zhu Yin had finally seen him and was reluctant to let him go back to his studies.

“Junior sister, the imperial examination is a one-in-ten chance, so we must not be careless!” Su Man said solemnly, “Every step on the path of the imperial examination is extremely difficult, and even if you try your best, nine out of ten people will still not be satisfied. If you underestimate the enemy and become complacent, there is no way you can get away with it.”

"Senior brother is right, it was my fault." Zhu Yin's eyes sparkled, and she thought to herself, "My man is so charming when he's serious! Give me a good scolding..."

"I won't hold you back anymore." But she looked as docile as a kitten.

"Alright, it's not easy to get everyone together, let's sit a little longer," Su Man finally relented.

"Mmm! Senior brother, whatever you say is fine..." Zhu Yin's face was as red as a peach blossom, nodding repeatedly. It was like spring thunder after a harsh winter, a perfect contrast of ice and fire!

Huang E, standing to the side, couldn't bear to watch any longer. She couldn't help but recall what Zhu Yin had once said: "If she met a lover she liked, she would set out tea and snacks, call all her sisters over, and let them see for themselves."

She sighed inwardly, 'My sister really does keep her word; she actually set out tea and snacks for us to see…'

Su Lu was also very embarrassed, thinking to himself, "Do I feel this disgusting when I'm being affectionate with Huang E?"
To ease the awkwardness, he asked the single guy next to him, "Hey Dan, are there rankings for the exams?"

"Brother, it doesn't matter, as long as you pass," Su Dan replied. "So this time you don't need to compete for the top spot, just relax."

"I see..." Su Lu nodded, then asked, "Approximately how many slots are available in Luzhou?"

“Fifty or sixty,” Su Man said. “There are a total of seven hundred students in the prefectural and county schools combined. I’m underestimating the number by saying one in ten.”

"That's really quite cruel." Su Lu also felt a chill run down his spine.

Why is fame and fortune so valuable? It's because it's like a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge, and one single-plank bridge after another...

~~
The provincial examination was a preparatory examination for the provincial examination. It was conducted by the Grand Master of Ceremonies in various prefectures before the provincial examination and was specifically designed to select students to participate in the provincial examination. Only those who ranked in the first, second, or third class were eligible to participate in the provincial examination.

Furthermore, because the Grand Masters had limited energy, the imperial examinations were often combined with the annual examinations. Therefore, those who ranked fourth, fifth, or sixth in the imperial examinations would be subject to corresponding punishments.

According to the imperial court's regulation that "for every successful candidate in the provincial examination, twenty-five candidates should be selected for the civil service examination," the number of candidates participating in the provincial examination in each province should be twenty-five times the quota.

Sichuan has a quota of seventy people for each subject, so the number of people admitted through the provincial examination should be 1,750.

Grandmasters are generally allocated according to the quotas of each prefecture, state, and county. Sichuan has thirteen prefectures, six directly governed states, and one hundred and ten counties. Therefore, each school has only eleven or twelve places available for admission.

Each school typically has between one and two hundred students, making the competition quite fierce.

So the Su brothers sat in the pavilion for half an hour, and then obediently followed Su Man to study.

Even Su Tai was no exception; he also had to go to Chengdu to participate in the provincial martial arts examination...

In the blink of an eye, only the girls remained in the pavilion.

As soon as Su Man left, Zhu Yin said with a sense of loss, "We just met, and he's already studying hard again. He has to go to the provincial capital to take the provincial examination in a couple of days, and that will be for several months..."

"My senior brother is so outstanding, he'll definitely pass the imperial examination and become a scholar. Then he'll have to go to the capital to take the exam, which will take a year or two," she said, her voice filled with resentment.

"Alas, it truly is a case of 'regretting having one's husband pursue fame and fortune'..."

"..." Huang E initially found it somewhat amusing, but as she listened, she also felt saddened, deeply empathizing with the situation!

"Why don't we go to Chengdu to accompany you during the exam?" She Yunluo slammed her hand on the table and said.

“No, that won’t do.” Even Athena Chu disagreed: “Going to the provincial capital with classmates to take the imperial examination is a moment that every scholar dreams of. We can’t cause trouble.”

“Indeed, they also need to visit famous teachers and essay writing clubs in the provincial capital to prepare for the exam with all their might,” Huang E said sensibly.

“But why do I always see plays and scholars going to brothels on their way to the imperial examinations?” She Yunlu asked.

"..." Zhu Yin and Huang E fell silent after hearing this. "Senior brother would never go to a place like that, and those women aren't as good-looking as him..." After a while, Zhu Yin whispered.

“Hongzhi won’t go either,” Huang E echoed.

"Hmph, if you won't go, I will." She Yunlu crossed her arms and said, "Anyway, I have to follow my man wherever he goes. I can't let him be lured away by that vixen!"

~~
After the banquet, the Huang and Zhu families took their leave, and Su Lu and Su Man naturally saw their fathers-in-law off separately.

Huang Ke was in a good mood today and drank a bit more Erlang aged wine. Since it was already dark and he couldn't see who was who, he pulled Su Lu and Huang E and said, "Come on, let's go for a walk by the river with Dad."

The two naturally obeyed, following him on either side.

Su Lu then heard Huang Ke whisper, "Have you seen the latest imperial edict?"

"Where do we go to Longchang Post Station?" Su Lu asked with a wry smile. "Father-in-law, is there something important?"

"Grand Secretary Yang Xindu also offended Liu Jin and was banished to Nanjing to serve as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel," Huang Ke said softly.

"Oh?" Su Lu asked in surprise, "Didn't he just join the cabinet?"

"Yes." Huang Ke nodded and said, "It is true that Grand Secretary Yang joined the cabinet at the beginning of the year, but his dislike for Liu Jin has been going on for more than just a day or two."

He then recounted to Su Lu how Yang Tinghe had offended Liu Jin:
"During a lecture last month, Grand Secretary Yang and Hanlin Academician Liu Yeting used the examples of Li Fuguo forcing Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to relocate and Tong Guan of Song misleading the country to advise the emperor that the interference of eunuchs in politics would inevitably lead to the collapse of the state."

"The Emperor was surrounded by Liu Jin's men, and this news quickly reached his ears. So the next day, Liu Jin forged an imperial edict, demoting Grand Secretary Yang to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in Nanjing, and transferring Liu Yeting to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing."

"Moreover, this transfer did not go through the normal procedures of the Ministry of Personnel. It was decided entirely by Liu Jin's private 'internal approval,' and the cabinet officials were too cowardly to object."

"Has Liu Jin's power become so outrageous?" Su Lu exclaimed in astonishment, "A Grand Secretary can be dismissed with a mere thought. What's the difference between him and the Emperor?"

"So now everyone in the court and the public says that there's one emperor sitting and one emperor standing in the capital." Huang Ke looked up and saw only pitch-black night, unable to see the road ahead at all. He couldn't help but sigh:

"In short, Liu Jin now holds complete power in the court, and it's unclear when this will end..."

"..." Su Lu didn't know how to answer Huang Ke, so he could only say softly, "Father-in-law, please don't act rashly."

Huang Ke knew that Su Lu was worried about him, not that he was afraid of being implicated... If he were afraid of being implicated, he wouldn't have accompanied Wang Yangming, who was ranked eighth on the 'List of Traitors,' to Longchang.

"Don't worry." So Huang Ke was quite pleased and said in a gentle and honest voice, "It's true that I want to be a good official, but I also care about my family."

“You should learn this from your father,” Huang E said in a voice barely audible.

“I’m quite family-oriented too,” Su Lu said with a smile.

"Haha, this is what they call 'birds of a feather flock together'," Huang Ke said, patting Su Lu on the shoulder.
"You don't need to worry too much about your relationship with Mr. Yangming. Liu Jin's reign has only been short. Although he has the power to approve imperial edicts, the actual implementation still relies on the various government offices in the two capitals and thirteen provinces. He can't even control all the government offices in the capital..."

“We civil officials, except for a few shameless individuals, would never collude with eunuchs. Just like Grand Secretary Yang and Scholar Liu, who were both people he replaced after he came to power, they would oppose him just the same.”

"Yes." Su Lu nodded. The civil official group and the eunuch group have always been irreconcilable, and the struggle has run through the entire history of the Ming Dynasty.

"So Liu Jin hasn't extended his reach to the provincial level yet, and provincial officials are actually more opposed to him than those in the capital." Huang Ke continued, "The fact that you are Wang Yangming's student will actually be a plus for you."

"That's good." Su Lu breathed a sigh of relief. "Actually, I was a little worried."

"Then why did you go to Longchang with him?" Huang Ke asked with a smile.

“That’s my teacher, so I had no choice but to go.” Su Lu said matter-of-factly, “I may be afraid, but I still have to do it, otherwise my father-in-law will look down on me.”

"Hahaha, so smooth-talking! No wonder you've charmed my daughter so much!" Huang Ke couldn't help but burst into laughter. In his heart now, this half son was much more important than the whole one.

"Father, please stop joking with me, okay?" Huang E said shyly.

"However, you still need to be careful when writing your essays." Huang Ke then whispered to Su Lu, "Don't attack Liu Jin... All the examination papers of those who passed the imperial examinations must be sent to the capital for review. Liu Jin loves to find fault with people between the lines, and even a meticulous fellow like Wang Zhuangyuan was not spared."

"Therefore, during the exam, you must be extremely careful and not give Liu Jin any leverage, otherwise even if you pass the exam, he will still disqualify you." He continued earnestly:
"Don't think I'm exaggerating—your relationship with Mr. Yangming will definitely be exposed! When that happens, plenty of people will be watching you, nitpicking and finding fault with you! Once they find something, they will definitely not let you off easily!"

"Yes, I understand. I will be careful in the upcoming exam," Su Lu replied in a deep voice.

P.S. The story is finally back to the main plot, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief... Please vote for me with your monthly tickets!!!
(End of this chapter)