Top Scholar

Chapter 462 The Emperor Arrives (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
The day's grading brought Wang Ao double joy.

Firstly, he was greatly pleased to have encountered this excellent scroll that resonated with his own beliefs; secondly, after reviewing all the recommended scrolls today, he found not a single one containing any suggestive or illogical wording.

'Could it be that they have truly heeded my warning?' Wang Ao couldn't help but wonder, yet he dared not be too optimistic, thinking to himself:

'Or are they planning to wait until the very last moment to ambush me?'

Liang Chu, who was standing nearby, also had the same thought, so he held back and remained silent.

However, even after three days, when all the recommendation letters had been submitted, not a single one was suspected of involving connections!

Looking at the stacks of recommendation letters on the table, Wang Ao was moved to tears.

Liang Chu, who was standing to the side, was also deeply moved and finally couldn't help but say, "I never expected this, I really never expected this. The younger generation is truly formidable!"

"Indeed," Wang Ao said with emotion, "People say that the righteous path is declining and all voices are silent. But today's situation shows that the younger generation still has many backbones! There is still hope for the court, and everything can still be done!"

The examiners blushed and quickly replied, "We are unworthy of such praise."

Everyone knows their own situation best. If it weren't for the frighteningly large number of people trying to pull strings, they would probably have chosen to cooperate.

Duke Zhang Mao of England observed coldly, then chuckled and said, "It's hard to say."

~~
At the same time, the final bell rang from the outer curtain of Mingyuan Tower, announcing the completion of the three examinations of the third year of Zhengde's reign!

After handing in their papers, the candidates, exhausted, couldn't wait to leave the cells that had tormented them for nine days.

Many wealthy young men simply threw their bedding into the cell to show their determination to pass the exam this time!
If I fail the exam, I can just prepare the ceremony three years later...

Unlike them, Su Lu was not wasteful. Although his family had some money now, he could not forget his roots, so he took everything he could and fled with the crowd like a refugee.

Before leaving the Dragon Gate, he looked back at Mingyuan Tower in the twilight and couldn't help but sigh deeply, wondering if he would come back again in three years.
Before he could express his feelings further, he was urged on by the people behind him and left the Shuntian Examination Hall...

After leaving Gongyuan Street and arriving at the agreed meeting point, Su Lu was surprised to find Zhu Shou and Eunuch Zhang standing next to his father.

Seeing Su Lu's surprised expression, Zhu Shou said smugly, "Didn't expect that, did you? Our family has come to pick you up!"

"I really didn't expect that." Su Lu nodded.

"Tell me, wasn't it touching?" Zhu Shou asked, eager to take credit.

"It has moved the entire Ming Dynasty," Su Lu said with a smile.

"Oh, you still have the energy to talk so much. Looks like you can tell another story today," Zhu Shou said happily.

"So you've come here to catch up on the latest chapters?" Su Lu laughed and scolded, "I knew you weren't that kind."

"Yes, yes, both." Zhu Shou chuckled and put his arm around his shoulder, saying, "Come on, I've booked a private room at Fuxinglou Restaurant to celebrate your good luck after the exam!"

"No. I need to take a shower first, I'm all smelly," Su Lu said, shaking his head.

"I was wondering where that smell of fermented mung bean juice was coming from." Zhu Shou suddenly realized, "Oh, it's from your clothes."

"Nonsense, am I the only one among all the scholars on the street who smells bad?" Su Lu said irritably.

"Then let's go to Huaqing Pool for a scrub first," Zhu Shou said with a smile. "We've never been to a bathhouse before."

"Does your father-in-law go to the bathhouse too?" Su Lu joked. "Does it bring a touch of sadness?"

"How annoying..." Zhang Gonggong understood immediately and spat upon hearing this.

"Hahaha! What a pitiful sight!" Zhu Shou burst into laughter. "Nonsense, can't I take a bath in my underwear?"

Eunuch Zhang couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Since Su Lu entered the examination hall, this young master had never smiled so openly. All the eunuchs had tried their best to amuse him, but it wasn't as effective as talking nonsense with Su Lu.

Looks like this young man has really reached the age where he needs friends...

~~
Inside the examination hall.

The official in charge of the outer curtain also anonymized and copied the ink scrolls from the last two performances, and sent them into the inner curtain one after another.

Wang Ao led the examiners, working tirelessly from dawn till dusk to grade the papers. Finally, on the 24th of February, they finished grading all three exams and selected the top five scholars.

The 25th was the day to determine the rankings. The officials in charge of the inner curtains would first decide on the candidates for the supplementary list of the metropolitan examination at the Ju Kui Hall, and then rank the successful candidates in the main list.

Yes, in addition to the main list of successful candidates, there was also a supplementary list for the imperial examinations, usually with twice the number of successful candidates. Among those who passed the examinations, older candidates were directly granted teaching positions and assigned to various prefectures and counties as educational officials.

Young people could either study at the Imperial College or return home to study with their relatives.

Regardless of which one, they are eligible to participate in the next imperial examination, so it can be considered a consolation prize, at least saving them from the Ministry of Personnel's selection process.

Of course, the one who gets the consolation prize is always the loser.

The only successful candidates in the imperial examinations are those who pass the official list and become successful candidates in the provincial examinations. Therefore, the focus today is to rank the 350 successful candidates.

The rankings are naturally arranged from highest to lowest, and the first step is to decide the champion from among the top five!
Generally speaking, the main examination covers the *I Ching* and the *Book of Documents*, while the secondary examination covers the *Book of Poetry*, the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, and the *Book of Rites*. However, the examiner who passes all the examinations is ultimately the chief examiner. Therefore, the probability of producing a top scholar (huiyuan) is higher from the *I Ching* and the *Book of Documents*.

But this time, Wang Ao deliberately chose Liang Chu's top scholar.

All the examiners had no objections...

Then the remaining four champions were ranked, and so on, up to the 350th.

By the time all the rankings were finalized, it was past noon. The examiners copied down the admission exam paper numbers according to the rankings determined by the chief examiner; this was called the 'filling list'.

While the servants were filling out the draft list, Liang Chu couldn't help but ask Wang Ao in a low voice, "Grand Secretary, shouldn't we reconsider the selection of the top scholar?"

"What?" Wang Ao glanced at him.

"It's nothing..." Liang Chu smiled.

"I know what you mean," Wang Ao said calmly. "The younger generation is so brave; how can I allow them to look down on me?"

“The burdens we bear are different,” Liang Chu said softly.

“It’s the same,” Wang Ao laughed. “Everyone is just ‘doing one’s part and leaving a glimmer of light.’”

"I understand." Liang Chu understood immediately and smiled, "It seems this article has given the Grand Secretary confidence."

“Not just this article, but everyone’s performance this time,” Wang Ao said softly, “I can’t tarnish all of this.”

He then said with a mischievous smile, "As for the rest, let the Grand Secretary worry about it."

"Oh? Hahaha..." Liang Chu couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"What are you two laughing about?" The old man turned around and asked with a smile, "Tell me and I'll have a laugh too."

"Your Excellency, Grand Secretary Wang said he would like to invite everyone to dinner after leaving the examination hall," Liang Chu said with a smile.

"That's wonderful!" the old man said happily. "It's been so many years, and Grand Secretary Wang has never invited me to dinner."

"Please, please, everyone!" Wang Ao gritted his teeth and said generously, "I'll treat everyone to Tongzhou tribute mutton!"

"Is it the big black sheep that the emperor gave you last year?" Zhang Mao was overjoyed upon hearing this and said, "It must be delicious."

"You're still keeping him?" Liang Chu chuckled. The legend of the Sheep Knight had already spread widely throughout the court.

“Of course, I didn’t even have the heart to kill it during the New Year,” Wang Ao said.

~~
As dusk fell, the examiners finished filling out the draft list in triplicate, sealing and stamping each copy with their seals, with one copy kept for future reference.

Without even having dinner, the two chief examiners, along with the British Duke, took the other two draft lists, led the examiners and the imperial examination papers out from behind the inner curtain, crossed the Flying Rainbow Bridge, and headed to the Zhigong Hall to meet with the supervising official and the supervising official.

The hall was brightly lit, and the officials in charge of the imperial examinations, including those in charge of supervising and overseeing the examinations, had already ordered the officials in charge to retrieve the examination papers and were waiting there for a long time.

After exchanging greetings, both parties began to retrieve the corresponding ink scrolls according to the numbers on the vermilion scrolls.

Once all the Chinese-style ink scrolls had been found, the official in charge transported and preserved all the failed ink scrolls together.

Only 350 Chinese-style scrolls in vermilion and ink remained in the Zhigong Hall.

Then, the officials inside and outside the curtains together opened the seal at the beginning of the Chinese ink scroll to confirm the name of the admitted candidate.

After this step is completed, the next step is to fill in the imperial admission list on the spot according to the rankings already determined on the vermilion scrolls...

Inside the courtroom, everyone was relaxed, as the list and rankings had already been finalized. The rest was just a matter of going through the motions and happily revealing the answer.

So we'll finish the work tonight, even if we work through the night, so tomorrow the messengers can go out and deliver the good news...

Just as the examiners were excitedly speculating about who would be the top scholar and who the five best candidates would be, a drawn-out announcement rang out from outside the courtroom:

"His Majesty has arrived..."

Zhang Mao, the two chief examiners, the newly appointed Minister of Rites and the Director of the Imperial Examinations Tian Jingxian, and a host of other officials, hurriedly dropped what they were doing and went out of Mingyuan Tower to greet the emperor.

Sure enough, a large contingent of Imperial Guards carrying torches surged in, standing in pairs along the long corridor.

Subsequently, the emperor's entourage entered the Dragon Gate in a grand procession and arrived at the Hall of Supreme Justice.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome your presence!" The Duke of England hurriedly led his men to kneel in welcome.

"Your Majesty, please rise, Mr. Wang." Zhu Houzhao, dressed in a yellow robe and wearing a winged crown, stepped down from the imperial carriage with Zhang Yong's help.

"Your Majesty's arrival has been an unfortunate failure for us to greet you properly." The Duke of England's eyesight had improved, his legs were no longer sore, and he no longer acted like an old man. In short, all his ailments disappeared the moment the emperor arrived.

He asked respectfully:
"It is late at night, and His Majesty, whose health is of utmost importance, has personally gone to the examination hall. We, your subjects, are filled with trepidation. We wonder what imperial decree he has issued?"

"Your Majesty, don't be nervous. When Grand Secretary Wang and the others bid farewell to me, I said I would come to see them." Zhu Houzhao then said with a smile, "If I don't come tonight, they will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. Wouldn't that be breaking my promise?"

"Your Majesty, we thank you for your concern." Wang Ao and the others quickly bowed in gratitude.

"No need to thank me, just don't scold me later." Zhu Houzhao laughed and entered the Zhigong Hall surrounded by Zhang Yong, Gu Dayong and others.

Zhang You and Zhang Zhong hurriedly set up a throne for the emperor in the hall. Zhu Houzhao casually leaned on it, one foot on a bright yellow satin cushion, and smiled at everyone, saying:

"Oh, by the way, the Western Depot also received a report that someone secretly bought the exam questions and codes. I don't know if that's true."

As he spoke, his face darkened, and he said, "So today, I'm going to thoroughly investigate this matter and see who dares to disregard my words!"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

P.S. This is a post I'll edit later. Please vote with my monthly tickets!!!

(End of this chapter)