A Poor Man's Son-in-Law: He Picks Up the Daughter of a Duke's Mansion at the Start

The eighth day of the eighth lunar month was the day of the provincial examination.

Before midnight, Lu Qingyan woke up. He lay in the darkness, listening to his own heartbeat—steady, slightly fast, but not excessive. Zhang Zhiqing's breathing beside him was also regular, while there were rustling sounds coming from Du Wei's room next door, indicating that he had obviously gotten up.

At the beginning of the morning, the three of them, dressed neatly, met in the kitchen. Du Wei's face was pale, and his hands trembled slightly. Zhang Zhiqing patted him on the shoulder without saying anything. Lu Qingyan checked their respective examination baskets: writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, water pouches, dry rations, cushions, and even sachets of mugwort to repel mosquitoes—all specially prepared by Zhao Shi.

"Let's go," Lu Qingyan said.

Many scholars were already hurrying along the street, all heading towards the examination hall in the southeast of the city. The sky was a pale gray, the morning mist still lingering, and the light from the lanterns cast hazy yellow glows through the fog. No one spoke; only the sound of scattered footsteps could be heard.

A long line had already formed in front of the examination hall. A constable, standing on a high stool, gruffly maintained order: "Line up for inspection! Those who sneak in will be severely punished!"

The line moved slowly. Lu Qingyan stood in line, watching as each person in front of her was inspected. The yamen runners checked everything thoroughly: they searched the examination baskets, checked clothing, and even demanded that people take off their shoes for inspection. One scholar was caught red-handed with a hidden cheat sheet and was dragged away.

"Wang Gui, a candidate from the fifteenth year of Yonghe, was found guilty of cheating. He is hereby stripped of his title as a student of the Imperial Academy and is permanently barred from taking the imperial examinations!" the yamen runner announced loudly.

The scholar collapsed to the ground, crying and screaming as he was dragged away. The procession fell into a deathly silence; everyone's face turned even paler.

Du Wei's legs went weak, and Lu Qingyan supported him.

"I...I didn't bring any cheat sheets, did I?" Du Wei's voice trembled.

"No," Zhang Zhiqing said. "None of us brought any."

Finally, it was their turn. The bailiffs searched their examination baskets, felt their collars and cuffs, and ordered them to take off their shoes for inspection. Du Wei's shoes were examined thoroughly; sweat beaded on his forehead, but he dared not wipe it away. Only after confirming everything was in order were they allowed to pass.

Upon entering the courtyard, they lined up according to their county. There were more than thirty people standing under the sign for Yongning County. Lu Qingyan saw Zhou Wenyuan—he stood ramrod straight, but his lips were tightly pursed.

At 3:45 AM, roll call and card dealing took place. Lu Qingyan received number 73 (Earth), Zhang Zhiqing received number 68 (Earth), and Du Wei received number 42 (Heaven). Zhou Wenyuan received number 15 (Heaven).

After receiving their tokens, they were led into the examination hall by yamen runners. Rows of cells lined both sides of the long corridor, each three feet wide and four feet deep, without doors, only a coarse cloth curtain hanging from it. The air was thick with the smells of mildew, old ink, and a faint stench of urine—the cells closest to the latrines smelled even stronger.

Lu Qingyan found his examination cell and lifted the curtain to go inside. Inside, there was a table and a stool, with candles and a water bottle on the table, and a chamber pot in the corner. He put down his examination basket, arranged his paper and pens, and lit the candle. The candlelight was dim, barely enough to see.

A cough came from next door, and someone in the opposite cell was quietly reciting their lessons. Lu Qingyan took a deep breath and calmed himself.

At the exact hour of Chen (7-9 AM), the drum sounded. The examination papers were delivered to each cell by the yamen runners. Lu Qingyan took one and unfolded it.

First round: Three essays from the Four Books, and one poem for the examination.

The poem is titled "Climbing High on an Autumn Day." The titles of the Four Books are: "The superior man understands righteousness," "The people are the most important," and "Learning without thinking is futile."

He closed his eyes for a moment, clearing his mind. He would start by composing a poem. Most poets before him, when climbing mountains in autumn, wrote of desolation and sorrow; he decided to go against the grain, writing of a bountiful autumn harvest, imbued with hope. With the theme set, the poem found its direction.

After composing the poem, I checked its tones and rhymes. Then I began writing the essay.

In his essay "The Gentleman Understands Righteousness," he begins by distinguishing between righteousness and profit. Instead of engaging in empty rhetoric, he uses examples of upright officials from the past refusing bribes and people in modern times upholding integrity in business to demonstrate that righteousness is found in everyday conduct. His writing is steady and his arguments are solid.

By the time he finished writing the third piece, the sun was already setting. The cell was dimly lit, so he lit a candle. Mosquitoes buzzed around, so he lit a sachet of mugwort; the smoke repelled the mosquitoes but also stung his eyes.

As evening fell, suppressed sobs drifted from the next cell—someone was unable to continue writing. Across the way, someone muttered to themselves, seemingly delirious. Lu Qingyan remained unmoved, focusing intently on checking the essay and revising the wording.

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), the drum sounded to collect the exam papers. The yamen runners went from cell to cell collecting the papers. No one was allowed to move around inside the examination hall; candidates could only move within their respective cells. Lu Qingyan ate some dry rations, drank some water, and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes to rest.

At night, the examination tent was filled with the sounds of snoring, coughing, and tossing and turning. The stench of chamber pots wafted through the air, and mosquitoes kept biting. Lu Qingyan was half-asleep, conserving his energy.

The next day at dawn, the drums sounded. The second act began.

The assignment sheet arrived: one essay on the classics and one policy essay.

The question on the interpretation of the classics required an explanation of the concept of "Five Elements" in the "Hong Fan" chapter of the Book of Documents. Lu Qingyan not only explained the meaning of the words, but also extended it to governance—the Five Elements generate and restrain each other, just as governance requires balancing all parties.

The essay topic was "On Border Defense." He was well-prepared, discussing the issue from four aspects: manpower, provisions, weaponry, and generals. Combining this with the current situation in the north, he proposed a strategy of "prioritizing defense and consolidating the foundation." The essay was well-structured and progressed step by step.

In the afternoon, his wrist ached and went numb. He stopped writing and moved his fingers. Suddenly, the sound of vomiting came from the next cell, followed by the shouts and dragging sounds of the bailiffs—someone had fallen ill. A sour, putrid smell filled the air.

Lu Qingyan composed himself and continued writing the last paragraph. He emphasized that while border defense was important, people's livelihood was even more important. The people's strength should not be exhausted for the sake of border defense, and a long-term balance should be sought.

At Shenshi (3-5 PM), the drum sounded again to collect the exam papers. The yamen runners collected the papers and announced the end of the exam.

The curtain was lifted, and the candidates emerged from their cells one after another. Each one was disheveled, with sunken eyes. Some collapsed to the ground as soon as they left their cells, while others laughed and cried, appearing almost insane.

Lu Qingyan packed up his examination basket and stepped out from behind the curtain. The sunlight was blinding, and he squinted. Zhang Zhiqing emerged from the next examination cell, his steps unsteady, and nodded to him. Du Wei was helped out by the yamen runners; his face was ashen, and he could barely stand.

The three met in silence. Not far away, Zhou Wenyuan stood alone, his back straight.

As the sun began to set, the shadows cast by the examination hall stretched long. Lu Qingyan took one last look at the cell where he had spent two days and one night, then turned and left.

The journey back to their lodgings felt unusually long. Aunt Li had prepared hot water when they entered the courtyard. The three of them quickly washed up and went straight to sleep.