The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

Three days later, in the examination hall's examination room.

The atmosphere here was even more eerie than the previous two events, with a suffocating, acrid smell permeating the air, mixed with the stale smell of paper and ink and the candlelight from staying up all night.

The examiners this year have had a truly grueling few days. They have to grade thousands of papers in a short period of time, and they also have to endure a barrage of bizarre "Imperial Academy style" essays—those essays filled with obscure characters and written like chewing wax, which are practically mental pollution and make people dizzy.

But at this moment, the examination room was so quiet that even the crackling of the lamplight seemed particularly jarring. All eyes were fixed on the chief examiner, Ouyang Xiu.

This leading figure in the literary world is currently holding a paper in his hand, his brows furrowed tightly, as if he were holding not a thin sheet of Xuan paper, but a hot potato.

He had been staring at the phrase "In the time of Yao, Gao Yao was the Minister of Justice. When someone was about to be executed, Gao Yao said to execute him three times, and Yao said to pardon him three times" for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.

"Shengyu, come here for a moment."

Ouyang Xiu finally spoke, his voice tinged with a rare hesitation, even a hint of self-doubt, "You've read countless books, earning the title of 'bookshelf.' Help this old man figure out, from which ancient text does this dialogue between Yao and Gao Yao originate?"

Deputy Chief Examiner Mei Yaochen quickly put down his teacup, leaned over, squinted, and carefully read it three times, his brows furrowing more and more tightly, as if it were a book written in the heavens.

Finally, he scratched his head awkwardly and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

"This... I am ashamed. Having read through countless classics and historical texts, it seems... I have never seen this record before."

"You don't remember either?"

Ouyang Xiu was not angry at all; instead, the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if he had discovered a huge luminous pearl in the sand, and even his breathing became a little rapid.

"I've never seen it before either. But the use of this allusion... is truly brilliant!"

Ouyang Xiu slapped his thigh suddenly, his voice trembling slightly with excitement:

"Although this statement has no known source, it aligns with the principles of sages and the rationale of benevolence! It perfectly explains the relationship between 'legal principles' and 'human sentiments'! Used here, it's like the finishing touch, its power penetrating the very page!"

"This article is insightful and skillfully written. Unlike others who rigidly adhere to legal provisions, he discusses punishment and reward from the perspective of 'Heaven's benevolence towards life.' This compassionate spirit is far beyond the reach of those pedantic scholars who only know how to spout pedantry!"

Mei Yaochen hesitated for a moment, then whispered a reminder: "Sir, since the source is questionable, what if the candidate fabricated it... should we lower the grade by one? After all, this is the imperial examination. If we take first place, some people may object and say that we did not grade the papers strictly enough."

"Lower? Why lower?"

Ouyang Xiu's eyes widened, and he suddenly stood up. In that moment, he displayed the boldness and magnanimity of a literary master.

"Writing is an eternal affair, its merits and demerits known only to the heart! If we, due to our own lack of reading or unfamiliarity with this allusion, bury a great talent, then that would be the examiner's dereliction of duty! If this is a record from a rare book, it demonstrates the person's extensive knowledge and strong memory; if it is fabricated... then that is even more remarkable, indicating that he has grasped the mind of the sages and possesses the ability to establish his own words!"

After saying that, he picked up the vermilion pen and glanced at another paper next to him.

That was Zeng Gong's exam paper.

"This one is well-written and rigorously argued. It discusses the principle of 'balancing leniency and severity' from an institutional perspective, making it a rare and excellent piece of work, reminiscent of the style of an ancient gentleman. In previous years, it would undoubtedly have been the top choice."

Ouyang Xiu's gaze swept back and forth between the two papers, and he pondered to himself:

"This composure excels in its strict adherence to rules; but this unrestrained spirit (of Su Shi) excels in its dazzling brilliance and its courage to break conventions. The literary world of the Song Dynasty is stagnant today, and it desperately needs such a breath of fresh air to blow away the stale atmosphere!"

Moreover, looking at the familiar brushstrokes, Ouyang Xiu suddenly remembered the young man he had met in Runzhou half a year ago.

"This unrestrained spirit is just like Jiang Lin's; this steady approach is just like Jiang Lin's logic. It seems these two must be from the same school!"

"Since they are all talented, let's judge them solely on the quality and style of their writing!"

Without further hesitation, Ouyang Xiu wrote three characters heavily on the scroll that quoted the "fake allusion":

[First Place]

"Whoever you are, this fund is yours!"

……

The night before the results are released.

The Gaosheng Inn outside the examination hall was brightly lit and filled with noise.

Although the results won't be released until tomorrow, tonight is destined to be a sleepless night. Students gather in small groups, some praying for divine intervention, others drowning their sorrows in alcohol; the air is thick with anxiety and anticipation.

Inside the top-tier room, Su Shi and his two companions, though not drinking, were still somewhat restless.

"Brother, do you really think that story will pass the test?"

Su Zhe shrank back in his chair, clutching the hem of his robe, and asked in a low voice, "I heard that the grading this time is extremely strict. The other day, a candidate was disqualified for quoting a line from the Book of Documents incorrectly. Ours is... fabricated out of thin air."

Su Shi lay on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the dark rafters, a straw dangling from his mouth, and chuckled.

"Don't worry. As the master said, Ouyang Xiu is a true scholar. A true scholar judges a piece of writing by its 'spirit,' not its 'form.' If he didn't even have that much courage, he wouldn't be the leader of the literary world."

"Besides, even if that allusion is discovered, with the momentum of that article, getting into the top ten shouldn't be a problem. Once we get into the palace examination, that's our home turf."

Zeng Gong carefully wiped the Duan inkstone beside him, his expression calm: "Zizhan is right. Do your best and leave the rest to fate. We've done what we should do. The rest is up to Lord Ouyang and the destiny of the Song Dynasty."

Su Shi turned over, closed his eyes, and Jiang Lin's lazy, smiling face appeared in his mind.

"Sir, sir, we'll find out tomorrow whether your 'creating something from nothing' trick works or not."

"If it works, we'll go back and build you a shrine, and burn incense for you every day; if it doesn't... then the three of us will have no choice but to slink back and farm and raise pigs with you."

As night deepened, the lights of Bianjing gradually went out, leaving only the echoing sound of the night watchman's clapper.

But within the high walls of the examination hall, lists that determined the fates of countless people were being copied overnight.

On it, three names from Runzhou were radiating a light that was about to shock the world.