Di Ming

Chapter 198 This boy is extraordinary!

As soon as the candidates entered the examination hall, three cannon shots rang out, followed by a cacophony of firecrackers. All the streets around the examination hall were sealed off. The four watchtowers were filled with soldiers.

It was already early evening, and with the rain, the sky was quite gloomy.

Some candidates began to light their lamps. In the rows of examination cells, candles were gradually lit.

The scholars who passed the imperial examinations were certainly much more presentable than the lower-level scholars, and they were all dressed warmly. But how could they not feel cold sitting motionless in their small cells, where the cold wind was blowing in and the rain was pouring down?

During the Little Ice Age, Beijing in early February was still bitterly cold.

Zhu Yin wore a short fox-fur jacket underneath, a snow fox fur coat over it, a black fox fur collar around his neck, and a silver rat fur hat on his head.

He was dressed in warm clothes and hats worth several hundred taels of silver, but he still felt cold. Fortunately, he was only faking illness; if he were really sick, taking the exam in the cell for nine days in this weather would be a gamble with his life.

The imperial examination was deliberately scheduled for the cold beginning of February.

Only those scholars who could withstand the cold and had good physical fitness could take the exams for nine consecutive days in harsh conditions and still achieve good results.

This is itself a form of screening, a disguised physical examination.

If you can't pass this hurdle, it means you're physically weak; even if you're academically gifted, you won't pass the exam. If you pass, you'll be physically strong and able to handle the drudgery of paperwork and the pressures of officialdom.

Outside each cell was a stove and a small basket of coal.

But nobody uses it for heating. This stove is for cooking, heating food, and boiling water. If you use it to warm yourself, the coal will run out quickly, and you'll only have cold water and cold food to drink.

The guards outside Zhu Yin's cell saw Zhu Yin's sallow face, smelled the medicine on him, and realized that he was very young. They immediately knew that this was the child prodigy who was taking the exam while ill.

Zhu Yin smiled at the bugle, a smile as fragile as a piece of blue and white porcelain about to shatter.

"Brother, you've worked hard. I'll be taking the exam for the next nine days. I'll be grateful if you could keep me company," Zhu Yin said weakly, looking like he was still recovering from a serious illness and lacked energy.

"The cell may be small, but at least you can sit down. But you, my brother, can only stand in the wind and rain. I just can't bear it, cough cough!"

The soldier wearing a straw raincoat was immediately moved, feeling flattered and flattered. He felt a sense of goodwill and pity for Zhu Yin.

"Young Master is unwell and should not be taking the exam while ill," the officer said respectfully, bowing. "This awful weather, with the exam lasting nine days, would be unbearable even for a healthy person, let alone someone as unwell as Young Master."

"Although the young master is a child prodigy and will surely excel in the imperial examinations, what if he loses his vital energy..."

He hesitated, unable to speak, feeling a pang of pity.

He feared that Zhu Yin would die in the examination hall and become a new ghost of the imperial examination.

Such an approachable and kind child prodigy must have been a good person. It would have been a blessing for the people for him to become an official. It would have been a real pity if he had died young.

He was just a soldier, a far cry from the status of a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations. Yet, this renowned child prodigy and top scholar treated him with such courtesy, which truly moved him.

Zhu Yin said, "Life and death are predestined, and wealth and honor are determined by fate. Now that I have come all the way to Beijing, how can I give up? I can only go into battle despite my illness and fight to the death, cough cough."

Seeing his pitiful state, the soldier felt a pang of sympathy and said:

"In that case, young master, you should only focus on the exam. I will take care of all the chores, such as starting the fire, cooking, fetching water, and boiling water, so as not to distract you from your work."

Zhu Yin nodded: "I'm currently ill, so I won't stand on ceremony with you, elder brother. Please don't call me 'Young Master,' just call me Brother Little Tiger. May I ask your honorable name, elder brother?"

"My humble name is Zhang Tiezhu," the soldier said with embarrassment. "I am a lowly soldier and dare not address you as my brother, sir. I fear it would shorten my lifespan."

Zhu Yin said, "All men are brothers, and those who are destined to be friends are friends. There is no distinction between noble and lowly. Brother Zhang is too formal. Just call me Little Tiger. If I can make it out safely, I will definitely treat you to a drink."

Zhu Yin wasn't just making empty promises. Last year, during the provincial examination, Yuan Zhao, the officer who had helped him at the Nanjing examination hall, was originally just a low-ranking officer in the Imperial Guard, not even a captain. Zhu Yin later simply gave Tian Yi a word, and Yuan Zhao was promoted to captain.

Zhang Tiezhu's eyes were a little moist. "Then I wish Brother Little Tiger good luck and a smooth exit from the exam hall."

The scholar in the next cell couldn't help but give Zhu Yin's cell a cold look upon hearing this.

How could a crude soldier be so friendly with a scholar? That's utterly disgraceful.

Zhu Zhihu, despite being a top scholar in the provincial examinations, ingratiated himself with soldiers, displaying a complete lack of self-respect. If all the gentry in the land acted with such a lack of propriety, what distinction would remain between the noble and the lowly? Where would the dignity and integrity of the gentry be? Where would the prestige of civil officials be preserved?

That makes sense, though. Zhu Zhihu was taking the exam while ill and was very young. He might die in the examination hall if things went wrong. Apart from this soldier, there was no one else he could rely on.

Zhang Tiezhu was indeed simple and honest; having agreed to take on the chores, he immediately began fetching and boiling water for Zhu Yin.

Because it was raining, it was difficult to start a fire in the stove. But he persevered, trying again and again, until the tinder he had on him was almost gone, and he finally managed to get a fire going.

Then, he used his rain gear to shield himself from the drizzling rain and boiled water for Zhu Yin. Once the water boiled, he filled it with water from the tin kettle Zhu Yin had brought and respectfully handed it to him, saying:
"Little Tiger, quickly warm your hands. It's not too late to drink it when it's not so hot."

Zhu Yin was somewhat moved and accepted the tin pot, saying, "Brother Zhang, you've worked hard."

Zhang Tiezhu rubbed his rough hands together with an honest expression. "Brother Little Tiger, you're too kind. I can only do these odd jobs and rough work. Brother Little Tiger is sick, so don't be so polite with me. Just rest and relax."

Then he heated up Zhu Yin's meal, showing great attentiveness.

In this way, Zhu Yin became the first person in the huge examination hall to drink hot water and eat a hot meal.

Many scholars, unable to lower themselves to the status quo, ignored the buglers who were supervising the examinations, and had no choice but to light their own fires or simply celebrate the Cold Food Festival early.

The proctors are invigilators, but they have no obligation to do odd jobs for the candidates.

After finishing his dinner, Zhu Yin didn't even light a candle before putting down his examination tablet and resting. Because he could only bring in a limited amount of things, he only had a blanket.

However, this blanket is made of expensive Lanzhou cashmere, which is extremely warm and comparable to a cotton quilt.

The exam doesn't officially start until after midnight, so it's still early. I should get a good night's sleep.

A patient should at least look like a patient.

His sallow complexion was actually a mask for illness. For a skilled agent adept at disguise, makeup was a basic skill. Even without later materials, creating a sickly appearance would have been easy for him.

Coupled with his sickly expression and demeanor, anyone could tell he was seriously ill. What doctor would dare say he wasn't? Even if someone in later generations feigned illness, and all tests came back normal, doctors wouldn't dare say he wasn't sick. How much more so would traditional Chinese medicine in ancient times?
……

In a cell several examination halls away from Zhu Yin, Zheng Guowang was drinking hot soup.

He merely revealed his identity to the guard who was monitoring him, and the guard served him with utmost respect, helping him fetch water and start a fire.

It wasn't out of a desire to curry favor; it was simply because they dared not offend this brother-in-law of the emperor.

Zheng Guowang was actually quite confident about the provincial examination. Although his title of Juren was somewhat dubious, he had made progress through six months of diligent study.

The imperial examination was extremely rigorous, with virtually no loopholes. Trying to pull strings would be very difficult and risky. This time, we could only rely on our own abilities.

Passing the exam would be ideal, but even if you don't, your status as a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations) means your sister in the palace can help you secure a lucrative position, ensuring you're not worse off than a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest-level imperial examinations).

From a young age, a famous doctor said that although he had male characteristics, his private parts were different from other men, suggesting that he might be a woman.

He doesn't believe it!
I clearly have it too, how could I be a woman? That damned doctor spouted nonsense, he deserves to die, so I really did die.

But the older he got, the more afraid he became; he felt something was wrong with him. He couldn't have sex!

But it was a secret; no one knew he was impotent.

Sometimes he dreams that he has become a woman, and he wakes up in a cold sweat.

He studied both books and martial arts, vowing to become an official, to wield power, and to do the great things a true man should do. He was a real man!
He suddenly thought of Zhu Yin.

Today, he personally witnessed Zhu Yin enter the examination hall looking sickly, swaying precariously, his body barely able to support him. In such a wretched state, not only would it be difficult for him to pass the exam, but he might also die suddenly in the examination hall, adding another soul to the list of those who perished in the examination hall.

Ten days ago, the Imperial Guards sent to monitor Zhu Yin had not yet found any grounds for Zhu Yin's criticism when they were arrested by the patrolling censor sent by Hai Rui and sentenced to exile in Liaodong.

When one plan failed, he then planned to bribe the innkeeper to give Zhu Yin croton seeds in his food.

They then planned to have someone lure Zhu Yin to a brothel, get him drunk, and then freeze him overnight, causing him to fall ill and never recover.

They also planned to lure Zhu Yin onto a pleasure boat and then stage a drowning accident.

...

Anyway, there are many methods, just try them one by one, and there will surely be one that can trick this damn prodigy.

However, before he could implement all these plans, Zhu Yin fell ill and stayed in his room for days, simply recuperating.

It is said that he fainted several times and became mentally confused, so his attendants had to keep a close watch on him.

Zhu Yin himself was bedridden, so many of his strategies were neither feasible nor necessary.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yin still insisted on taking the exam, risking his life for his future.

Throughout history, many people have taken the imperial examinations while ill, and many have died there, their bodies carried out of the examination hall. Otherwise, where would all these eerie ghost stories and legends come from?
Ah, I hope Zhu Yin dies of illness in the examination hall, then all this trouble will be saved.

Even if he doesn't die, there's no need to worry that he can still pass the imperial examination while seriously ill.

As long as no child prodigy of twelve years old becomes a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in the court, those meddlesome and irresponsible officials will lose their excuse, and Zhu Changluo's departure to study can be delayed for a few more years on the grounds of his young age.

Thinking of this, Zheng Guowang smiled slightly, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. "Cough cough..." Suddenly, Zheng Guowang's throat itched, and he couldn't help but cough a few times. With each cough, his nose felt stuffy again.

Hmm? Zheng Guowang's bright, starry eyes narrowed. Could it be that he caught a chill from being caught in the rain?
I practice martial arts regularly, so I'm not weak at all.

Thinking of this, Zheng Guowang raised his hand to touch his forehead, and it was indeed a little hot.

She suddenly shivered and coughed a few times, unable to suppress it. Her face, which was usually as delicate as a good woman's, suddenly took on a pitiful and sickly look.

The guards watching him couldn't help but glance at him, thinking to themselves, "This imperial brother-in-law, could he have caught a cold and is about to fall ill?"
These pampered young masters from wealthy families are all quite frail; they probably couldn't withstand such terrible weather.

Thinking of this, Hao Jun suddenly felt a bit smug.

However, this Zheng Guojiu is really handsome, like a beautiful woman. No wonder he is the brother of Consort Zheng.

"What are you looking at?" Zheng Guowang suddenly looked at Hao Jun with an icy expression. "What are you thinking about?"

Zheng Guowang's biggest pet peeve is men staring at him.

The soldier was startled and quickly said, "I didn't see anything. The Emperor's brother-in-law is like a god. How dare I be presumptuous?"

Zheng Guowang snorted coldly, then suddenly felt an itch in his nose and couldn't help but sneeze.

Oh no! Could I have fallen ill like Zhu Yin?

……

When Zhu Yin woke up, it was already past midnight.

It was cold in the middle of the night, but thankfully the rain had stopped. The soldiers returned to their barracks to rest.

Despite the rain, fire prevention teams of water trucks and water cannons continued to patrol the examination sites as usual to prevent another tragedy of students being burned to death.

"The examination hall is a sensitive area; be careful of fire!" The shouts of the waterwheel soldiers rang out, waking many examinees.

Zheng Guowang suddenly woke up, feeling burning hot all over and dizzy.

I'm really sick!

Zheng Guowang gritted his teeth and said, "I am a man! I must persevere. Zhu Yin is only twelve years old. He is very ill, but he can persevere. Why can't I?"
We cannot give up halfway!

At this moment, Zhu Yin unexpectedly became an inspiration to him.

...

Zhu Yin woke up refreshed after a nap, lit a candle, and felt as if he had illuminated the whole world.

In the flickering candlelight, the boy's eyes shone like stars, as blue as the dawn sky.

Everyone thought he was seriously ill, but he was actually full of energy and vitality.

"Caiwei," Zhu Yin murmured to himself, "How are things going in Xuzhou? I have my exams coming up soon."

"I am now on one side of the Dragon Gate. Once I leap over this Dragon Gate, I will be qualified to stand in the imperial court..."

Just then, three cannon shots rang out from the examination hall, and a group of examiners appeared, guided by rows of lanterns and torches.

A minor official at the examination hall, holding up a wooden sign displaying the exam questions, shouted loudly:

"The exam questions are over! The exam questions are over!"

"All candidates, you have 15 minutes to copy the exam questions!"

Under the lamplight, everyone stared intently and saw that the first of the seven exam questions on the paper was "Meng Xianzi said about integrity"!
Zhu Yin almost burst out laughing when he saw the crucial first question.

It really is "Meng Xianzi said 'follow the rules'"!
I've been preparing for this article for almost half a year.

This question is easily mistaken by those unfamiliar with it as originating from Mencius, but it actually comes from The Great Learning.

The original quote from The Great Learning is: "Those who raise horses for riding do not concern themselves with chickens and pigs; those who harvest ice do not keep cattle and sheep; and those who own a hundred chariots do not keep ministers who amass wealth."

The translation is: Those in positions of power should not compete with those in lower positions for profit, and wealthy families should not compete with commoners for profit. A ruler should not appoint ministers skilled at accumulating wealth.

The purpose of the examiner Xu Guo in setting this question was actually to satirize and advise Emperor Wanli not to be greedy for money and not to compete with the people for profit.

And then what? Jiao Hong, Tao Wangling, and Wu Daonan, who dared to write articles criticizing the monarch's pursuit of wealth and profit, all ranked among the top ten in the imperial examination.

Although Emperor Wanli was greedy, he couldn't admit it himself, so how could he possibly take it personally? He could only suffer in silence and couldn't openly retaliate.

Not only could he not lash out, but to avoid suspicion, he also pretended not to be a greedy and profit-driven ruler, and like Lord Ye who loved dragons but feared them, he selected three people as the first class in the palace examination, thus passing the imperial examination.

It is evident that Wanli Emperor at this time still cared a lot about his image, and would often engage in hypocritical behavior, unlike later when he gave up on everything.

Emperor Wanli, as the emperor, had no choice but to accept this test question, which was tinged with personal bias. If Zhu Yin wrote according to the wishes of the examiners, including Xu Guo, he would surely be favored.

In the past six months, he had repeatedly studied and pondered Xu Guo and Zhao Nanxing's articles and personalities, and his articles were very easy to cater to their tastes.

The other six questions on the interpretation of the classics were as expected. Although not as important as the questions on the origin of the righteous cause, Zhu Yin had done his homework in advance and prepared the best answers for them.

The article was already in my mind; I was just waiting to write it down.

……

Just as Zhu Yin was overjoyed, Hao Yunlai, who was also in the examination room, was also pleasantly surprised.

A few days ago, he went to see Zhu Yin, who said he was betting on "Mencius", so he bet on "The Great Learning" instead.

So he abandoned his previous bet on Mencius and instead focused on The Great Learning, buying a copy of contemporary essays on the text and studying it for five days straight.

When he saw the quote "Meng Xianzi said" in the Great Learning, he suddenly remembered that he had previously bet on Mencius, and Zhu Yin had also bet on Mencius.

Meng Xianzi and Mengzi differ by only one character.

This similarity suddenly sparked a series of thoughts in Hao Yunlai, who believed in fate. He then paid special attention to the passage "Meng Xianzi said," and specifically studied related famous contemporary articles and commentaries by ancient sages.

Who would have thought that the most important topic of the first righteous cause would be "Meng Xianzi said about integrity"!
Hao Yunlai was so excited that he could hardly contain himself, and his body trembled slightly.

He wasn't very confident about passing the imperial examination. But now, he was certain he would succeed!
That's what luck is all about.

Haha, Zhihu, you didn't expect that, did you? You guessed the wrong Four Books, but you guessed the right one for me!

You're such a good person.

I hope you don't die young, and that you'll see me pass the imperial examination with flying colors.

Hao Yunlai felt a surge of heroic spirit, as if he were drinking fine wine.

After passing the imperial examination, he quickly brought ruin upon his enemy family, father and son, avenging his wife's blindness.

Once you pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, then it goes without saying.

My wife, I've finally passed the imperial examination! I'll definitely earn you the title of Lady of the Imperial Decree!
Just wait and see, the Hao family is truly going to become rich and powerful.

……

Zheng Guowang, who was not far away, saw the exam questions and his vision went black.

You guessed wrong; the first art exam wasn't about "The Doctrine of the Mean"!

But at this point, guessing the wrong exam questions was a minor matter; the more important thing was that he was sick.

Should I continue taking the exam?

Zheng Guowang thought of Zhu Yin's still-ill condition, gritted his teeth, and said, "I'll keep taking the exam! I'm a man, I can't give up easily!"

While Zheng Guowang was forcing himself to start thinking about the exam questions, Zhu Yin was leisurely beginning to write his essay.

He wrote with great difficulty, as if the pen in his hand was very heavy and he might collapse to the ground at any moment.

Zhang Tiezhu, the commander of the No. 1 Army, was very worried, fearing that Zhu Yin might suddenly collapse.

Even the proctors, more than one of them, came to see Zhu Yin and found that he was in very poor condition, yet he still insisted on taking the exam, which made them sigh with regret.

Regardless of whether this prodigy's academic achievement was genuine, his perseverance and fighting spirit alone are awe-inspiring.

Knowing that he would have little chance of passing the exam due to his serious illness, he still risked his life to take it as scheduled.

This is the spirit of a steadfast and unyielding ancient minister.

This boy is extraordinary!

(End of this chapter)