Di Ming

Chapter 168 I am an ancient person
Who?
Zhu Yin, of course, didn't believe in any exam hall ghosts. When he saw the dark figure slip into the cell, he instinctively bent his knee and thrust it upwards hard.

This is a deadly move when lying down.

Zhu Yin's physical strength is comparable to that of an ordinary thirteen-year-old boy. In addition, he was a former special agent and practiced martial arts every day after arriving in the Ming Dynasty, so his reaction speed is far beyond that of ordinary people.

The dark figure groaned, trying its best to suppress the sound, but Zhu Yin's knee struck its lower abdomen, causing unbearable pain.

Upon hearing the other party's groan of pain, Zhu Yin immediately determined the approximate location and posture of the other party, and habitually struck out with his elbow, hitting the dark figure squarely in the head.

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Yin struck with his elbow, sprang to his feet, and, taking advantage of the moment, headbutted the ground like a ram!
"Ugh..." The dark figure was hit in the chest again, and after being hit three times in a row, it could no longer hold on and collapsed.

Zhu Yin was young and far weaker than an adult, so his knees, elbows, and head were the most suitable weapons for close-quarters combat. These three areas were the best way to compensate for his lack of strength.

With a knee, an elbow, and a thrust, his movements were swift and ruthless, subduing the enemy in the blink of an eye. The darkness, ironically, became his cover.

Zhu Yinyi immediately used a reverse twisting grappling technique, followed by a kneeling press, and finally switched to a sitting press to control the opponent.

The entire set of movements was fluid and skillful, without disturbing the candidates in the adjacent cells.

The shadowy figure never expected that he would be beaten unconscious as soon as he entered Zhu Yin's cell and before he could even plant a frame.

When he slowly woke up, he found that his hands and feet were tied.

A candle was lit in the cell, and in the flickering candlelight, the young boy's face was as cold as ice.

The young boy was playing with a snake in his hand, hissing and flicking his tongue, its emerald green eyes staring at him.

He was immediately horrified, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

Zhu Yin was looking at the examination admission ticket found on the man and knew that the man's name was Chen Gui, also from Yingtian Prefecture, and a student of the prefecture.

He looked down at Chen Gui and asked in a low voice, "Chen Gui, who sent you? Confess now, and you'll still have a chance."

"Otherwise, it won't just be a matter of being expelled from the examination hall and losing your academic title."

With that, she stretched out her hand, and the beautiful snake's head was only inches away from the man, flicking its tongue.

"No...no..." Chen Gui was terrified, his face ashen. He thought the snake was venomous and said in a low voice, "I...I'm...sent by a man wearing a straw hat...to frame you in the examination hall..."

He dared not raise his voice, for fear of waking the other candidates.

Now that things have come to this, he dares not keep the secret from that person in order to protect himself.

It turned out that Chen Gui had been bribed by a man in a straw hat to sneak into Zhu Yin's cell in the middle of the night and secretly place the cheating device in the cracks between the tiles of Zhu Yin's cell.

Zhu Yin was too short to see the gap in the roof tiles, but the adults outside could.

The exam is tomorrow, and the invigilators will be patrolling the cells multiple times; they'll definitely spot it.

Once discovered, Zhu Yin would be unable to explain himself no matter how hard he tried.

Even if there is insufficient evidence to imprison them, at the very least they will be disqualified from the exam and expelled from the Imperial Academy.

In such cases, the principle of "presumption of guilt" applies.

Who would do this without a deep-seated grudge?
Chen Gui didn't recognize the man in the straw hat, nor did he know who was behind it.

Chen Gui was a swineherd and a regular at gambling dens. He owed more than a hundred taels of silver in gambling debts, which he simply couldn't repay.

The man in the straw hat first gave him thirty taels of silver, saying that he would pay another one hundred taels after the matter was settled to pay off his gambling debts.

Chen Gui knew his chances of passing the imperial examination were slim, and that would make it even harder to pay off his gambling debts. But for the sake of the money, he gritted his teeth and agreed.

So, the other party gave him Zhu Yin's examination room number. That night, he found Zhu Yin's room according to the examination room number.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yin was so vigilant and far more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.

Although the swineherd's words were not to be trusted, Zhu Yin knew that Chen Gui was not lying.

He was indeed bribed and instructed by someone. However, he himself knew nothing about the man in the straw hat or the mastermind behind him, and didn't even know the man's name.

The other party was very cautious, and even if Chen Gui was caught by mistake, he posed no threat to them.

The valuable information Chen Gui could provide was that the man in the straw hat must be very lecherous, because he looked like someone whose body had been drained by women, and he still had the scent of high-end cosmetics on him, as if he had just come from a brothel.

Secondly, the man had an ordinary appearance and was easily overlooked in a crowd. However, he had a habit of fidgeting with his fingers, as if he had something in his hand.

Other than that, nothing is surprising.

Unable to extract anything of greater value from Chen Gui, Zhu Yin forced him to write a confession, which he then personally signed, whispering in his ear:

"Just pretend nothing happened. After the exam, that person will definitely come looking for you and question why you didn't make a move. As long as you're not stupid, you can only say that I was on high alert and it was difficult for me to make a move."

"It's also possible that he won't show up again and give you thirty taels of silver for nothing."

Chen Gui said in a low voice, "As long as you spare me, I'll help you lure him out."

Zhu Yin could only release Chen Gui temporarily; he couldn't very well kill someone in the examination hall, could he?

If we don't release Chen Gui and directly expose this matter, wouldn't that be like stirring up a hornet's nest? The mastermind behind it would then know that Chen Gui has failed.

As for Chen Gui, we'll settle accounts with him after we leave the exam hall; for now, we can only "forgive" him.

The two spoke in hushed tones, almost like whispers. Zhu Yin was unwilling to publicize the matter, and Chen Gui dared not make a sound.

Zhu Yin gave Chen Gui a warning and a reprimand before finally releasing him from control.

Chen Gui held his breath and tiptoed back to his cell. However, due to his injury, he was unable to move easily when he returned.

None of the other candidates knew that Chen Gui's attempt to frame someone had backfired, and he was instead interrogated by Zhu Yin.

As soon as Chen Gui left, Zhu Yin fell into deep thought.

He has offended quite a few people. But the most important ones locally are the forces behind the Ju Society, and the Zhang and Liu families in Qingqiao.

The other royal family has been completely wiped out and cannot possibly deal with me.

Although the Liu family did not know that the Zhu family had stolen the goods at sea, it was normal for the Liu family to retaliate because Zhu Yin forced them to sell their property at a low price and poached their tenants.

However, the Liu family still has spies within Tiger Fang, and their intelligence gathering is very thorough. If any member of the Liu family were to make a move, they would definitely have received intelligence about it.

Similarly, the Zhang family is the same.

After the Zhang family's downfall, the patriarch Zhang Xianyi was impeached by Tian Yi, Qiao Bixing, Wang Yongji, and others, and resigned from his position as Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commissioner to live in seclusion in his hometown.

Zhang Xianyi was also unaware of the relationship between the pirates and the Zhu family. Even if he sought revenge on the Zhu family because of the tenant issue, once he returned to the Zhang family, he couldn't avoid Huya's well-established intelligence network within the Zhang family.

With the Zhang and Liu families ruled out, it should be the powerful Suzhou-Songjiang clans behind the Ju Society.

Although the powerful families of Suzhou and Songjiang, such as the Wang, Dong, and Xu families, did not know that they were behind Wang Ruifang's imprisonment and Xu Jinyuan's dismissal, they did know that Wang Ruifang's Chrysanthemum Society and their own Propaganda Society were rivals.

He also knew about the bet between Wang Ruifang and himself. He knew that after the Chrysanthemum Society was disbanded, the Propaganda Society would be the biggest beneficiary.

Perhaps it was also because they didn't want to see an eleven-year-old scholar pass the imperial examination in Jiangning.

These reasons alone are enough for those big shots to make a move.

Moreover, Huya's intelligence gathering and surveillance of these bigwigs in Suzhou and Songjiang is still immature, and its current network of informants cannot reach core secrets.

This also explains why I didn't receive any intelligence.

The Su-Song aristocratic clan was a very large political and economic group. Many powerful families within this group, such as the Wang, Xu, and Dong families, could potentially be the masterminds behind the scenes.

They haven't openly attacked me, so they must already know about the relationship between Tian Yi, Hai Rui, and me.

So they resorted to such underhanded methods to frame themselves for cheating and ruin their future.

They can easily obtain their exam registration information and know which room they are in.

As for the man in the straw hat, Zhu Yin guessed that he might be a frivolous monk who frequented brothels, or perhaps the other party was deliberately misleading him.

This is a calculated move. Even if Chen Gui fails, it will make him extremely anxious and unable to sleep at night.

If you have poor mental fortitude and can't sleep well every night, your chances of passing the exam will be even smaller.

Mentally distracted and under immense pressure, it's easy to make laughable, elementary mistakes during exams, such as saying, "Sister (Meimei), I've thought about it, brother, you're wrong."

Having thought this through, Zhu Yin simply stopped thinking about it.

The most important thing now is to rest.

Zhu Yin quickly demonstrated remarkable mental fortitude. He actually fell asleep again.

I slept until dawn, and had a good rest.

"Boom boom boom boom boom!" As soon as the drums sounded, just as dawn was breaking, three more cannon shots rang out.

The No. 1 soldier from the No. 1 dormitory, wearing the morning sun, reappeared in each candidate's room.

The exam has officially begun.

Because it was not yet fully light, the candidates lit candles.

Zhu Yin lit a candle and immediately stood on tiptoe to check the gaps in the tiles and the grooves in the brickwork, searching carefully to prevent anyone from hiding cheating devices.

No.

But we still can't be careless tonight. Who knows if there's another Chen Gui? It's also possible that Chen Gui will come again tonight: to frame someone again or to steal back the confession.

He has to take exams on one hand, and guard against the underhanded tactics of others on the other. It's really tough for him.

"Young Master!" Hao Jun Yuanzhao, full of energy, came over with his hand on his sword. "The exam questions are about to be announced. Young Master, you will surely be blessed by the God of Literature and your thoughts will flow like a spring."

Zhu Yin cupped his hands and smiled, "Thank you for your kind words, Brother Yuan. Whether I pass the exam or not, I will treat you to a drink when I go out."

Just then, another drumbeat sounded, followed by someone announcing in a drawn-out tone, "The list of candidates has been announced! The list of candidates has been issued!" Immediately, one after another, minor officials appeared, holding up wooden plaques with white paper pasted on them.

Each official holding a sign was accompanied by two soldiers carrying torches to illuminate the wooden sign. The candidates craned their necks and saw that the signs bore the exam questions.

There are a total of twenty-three questions, from top to bottom.

The three questions are on the meaning of the Four Books, which are mandatory for everyone. The remaining twenty questions are on the meaning of the Five Classics, with four questions on each classic, and only one classic will be selected for the exam.

Immediately, everyone's eyes turned to the first question: the very first question of the first round!
That is, the most important question.

Zhu Yin was delighted when he saw it, for it was indeed from the Doctrine of the Mean, and the title was: "There are nine classics for governing the world and the state."

Hao Yunlai, who was in a nearby cell, saw that the first question was based on the Doctrine of the Mean and wanted to burst out laughing three times.

I'm so lucky.

Previously, Zhu Yin was predicting the Analects, and in order to do the opposite of Zhu Yin, he deliberately predicted the Doctrine of the Mean, and to his surprise, he guessed correctly!

Upon seeing that the first question was based on the Doctrine of the Mean, most test takers felt a sinking feeling.

Oh no, I bet on the wrong thing!

Many people immediately sighed, felt annoyed, complained, and some even beat their chests in frustration.

Someone else said indignantly, "We made the wrong bet again! If we fail this time, we might as well follow the donation system, pay 250 shi of grain, and be granted a ninth-rank official position!"

Some even shed tears, saying, "Wrong! Wrong! Alas... I've endured ten ditches and been cut off from all news for half a year. My hair is white as frost and my heart is dead, yet I remain a failed scholar in Chang'an."

I'm already scared when I see the questions before the exam even starts.

"Quiet!" the clerk holding up the plaque shouted. "Hurry up and copy the questions! Finish copying them within a quarter of an hour!"

Everyone quickly took out special copy sheets and copied down the exam questions.

There are 23 questions; you only need to copy seven, and don't need to copy the rest.

Zhu Yin calmly and patiently copied down the three questions from the Four Books, and then copied down the four questions from the Book of Poetry.

Hao Yunlai copied four questions from the Book of Changes.

Yes, he studies the Book of Changes.

Fifteen minutes later, the time for copying the questions ended, and three more cannon shots rang out.

"Boom boom boom!"

This is the sound of gunfire signaling the start of the formal exam.

Immediately afterwards, firecrackers went off from both sides of the examination room, crackling and popping.

As soon as the firecrackers stopped, the examiner shouted:
"Stop copying the questions! The exam begins! From this moment on, no one is allowed to make a sound! No talking! No signaling to each other! No peeking! No leaving the cubicle! Violators will be treated as cheating. Don't say you weren't warned!"

"Anyone needing to use the toilet must inform the guard and be accompanied. Using the toilet alone is strictly prohibited!"

"The national talent selection ceremony is not to be disrespected in the slightest! Gentlemen, please be extremely careful!"

After the examiners finished speaking, the entire examination hall fell silent. The only sounds were the rustling of paper, the grinding of ink, and heavy breathing.

The smell of gunpowder from firecrackers mingled with the fragrance of ink, creating a refreshing and invigorating atmosphere.

Five thousand candidates, five thousand soldiers, and more than ten thousand people in the entire examination hall—suddenly, an eerie silence descended, and a tense atmosphere instantly filled the entire examination hall.

Zhu Yin remained calm and composed, showing no impatience whatsoever, his mind focused solely on tranquility.

He didn't even grind ink, nor did he begin studying the exam questions; instead, he started eating.

That's right, he's going to have breakfast.

Zhu Yin slowly opened the food box, took a sip of water, and began to eat braised meat, boiled eggs, pancakes, cucumbers, and milk candy.

These are all dishes carefully prepared by Ning Caiwei. Each meal consists of a different dish.

After finishing his breakfast, Zhu Yin was still not satisfied, so he opened Zhuang Shu's food box and ate a sour plum.

Yuan Zhao watched Zhu Yin leisurely eat his breakfast and couldn't help but admire Zhu Yin's demeanor as a general.

This young man is not to be underestimated.

After breakfast, it was just getting light.

Zhu Yin then pondered the exam questions.

According to the rules, the first three days require writing seven essays in the traditional eight-legged essay style. Each essay is about three to five hundred words long, totaling around three thousand words. It seems quite easy.

That's completely wrong.

These are seven essays written in the traditional eight-legged style. Putting aside the fact that each essay requires a lot of time to think about its theme, structure, and diction, the act of writing itself is a challenge.

It's supposed to be over three thousand words, but you have to write it down on a draft first, and then copy it out yourself. The draft is a must, and it has to match the content of the official exam paper.

The grade will be invalid if no draft is submitted.

In other words, it's at least... twice, doubling the length by more than six thousand words.

Why at least two times? Because if there's even a single ink splatter, a little stain, a wrong stroke, a poorly written character, or a forgotten taboo on the official exam paper, you have to rewrite it.

It is conceivable that even when copying, one must be careful with every stroke and not be careless in the slightest.

Of course, it also had to be written in a very neat and formal style. Moreover, the ancients used traditional characters.

As you can imagine, the copying work alone would be difficult to complete in a single day.

The margin for error is very low; one mistake could ruin everything.

As for the text itself, every sentence and every word must be used correctly and conform to the meaning of the scriptures. Moreover, it must strictly adhere to the format, requiring utmost care and time for careful thought and contemplation.

As the saying goes, "If one word is out of tune, the whole piece is flawed. If one phrase is discordant, the entire work is lost."

This test goes far beyond mere understanding and familiarity with the Four Books and Five Classics. Calligraphy, perseverance, rigor, mindset, physique, resilience... all must undergo a severe test.

To be fair, those who fail the exam aren't necessarily untalented. But those who pass based on their abilities are definitely talented.

Zhu Yin looked at the questions, the most important of which was the first question: "There are nine classics for governing the world and the state."

This means that governing the world requires nine principles.

Upon seeing this question, Zhu Yin couldn't help but chuckle. Professor Shen's method was truly both crude and simple, yet incredibly effective.

He analyzed this sentence from the Doctrine of the Mean.

The opening statement of the eight-legged essay is the key to a successful essay. It greatly influences the examiner's first impression, and can even determine a candidate's fate based on a single sentence.

After becoming Shen Yiguan's student, his ability to analyze problems became incredibly refined. He could quickly grasp the essence of any sentence in the Four Books and Five Classics.

I have already mastered it.

It could be said that Zhu Yin was a candidate who used sensationalist headlines.

Then, inspiration struck him immediately, and he naturally came up with the solution:
"When the Way of Heaven reaches its nine meridians, the virtue of Earth reaches its nine parallels."

This approach to the topic is elegant, well-balanced, and original, while also conforming to the current style of topic-solving. The topic and the theme of the chapter are interconnected, like doors facing each other.

Having figured out a solution, Zhu Yin didn't rush to write on the draft paper; instead, he began grinding ink.

The ink was top-grade Huizhou ink, and the inkstone was an excellent Duan inkstone, warm and fragrant when ground. Zhu Yin listened to the beautiful sound of grinding ink while pondering the topic.

His extensive training and deep understanding of the classics stirred his literary thoughts, transforming him into an ancient philosopher who traveled to the imperial court, the common people, and various states, teaching and instructing them in refined music…

At this moment, he is not Zhu Yin, but an ancient man of great virtue who carries all things.

Thus, the poem continues: "The sky is vast and blue, so without following the nine meridians, one cannot know the nine virtues. The earth is boundless and vast, so without traversing the nine latitudes, one cannot form the nine provinces. The nine virtues are to the heavens, and the nine provinces are to the earth. Heaven and earth interact, and all things are born, and then all things flourish, and then education and enlightenment are abundant."

Zhu Yinwen's thoughts flowed freely, and he calmly began to write, producing exquisite characters from his brush. His youthful, handsome face, bathed in the morning light, carried an indescribable sacredness, and his gaze held a hint of sorrow.

I am an ancient person.

He was unable to articulate his own thoughts, completely forgetting the mindset of a time traveler, and writing with the consciousness of an ancient person.

The narrative unfolds smoothly and naturally, without any harshness, progressing step by step, linking the topic, beginning the discussion, and getting to the point.

At this moment, Zhu Yin was completely absorbed in the profound meaning of the ancients, oblivious to the passage of time.

I don’t know how long it took.

It seems like many years.

It seemed like a moment.

Zhu Yin suddenly came to his senses, and the draft paper already contained four or five hundred words.

He finally finished writing "Nine Classics for the State and the World".

While each sentence may seem unremarkable, it is flawless and without any faults. The entire piece is filled with reason, making it deeply relatable to the reader.

It's done.

Zhu Yin breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed his sore wrists and eyes, and looked up as if waking from a dream, only to find that the sun was already high in the sky.

It's already past 9 AM!

P.S.: The eight-legged essay is just too difficult, I'm sorry, I can't do it. So I can only write a brief introduction and a continuation of the topic; I can't actually write a full eight-legged essay, can I? Writing an eight-legged essay is like practicing cultivation, haha. Exams are over tomorrow, exams are so annoying! You guys don't like reading this, and what I wrote was difficult too, and I can't even cut corners. Thank you, goodnight! Please help me out!

(End of this chapter)