The Autumn Examinations were nearing, and it started to drizzle. The autumn rain brought with it a chill that pierced through the heart. Pei Zi Yun stayed in his room to revise and put on a new set of clothes.
Pushing open the window, he saw a flight of stairs in front of the loft. A few servants were sweeping the fallen leaves. Further away, there were green tiles on the roof. Raindrops dripped onto the tiles and landed on the green stone floor.
The Elementary Scholars who stayed in the courtyard had been going out less recently. The courtyard was filled with the sounds of people reading, especially in the morning.
'Tomorrow is the Prefecture Examinations.' Pei Zi Yun was also revising and reading the essay. It was different from the last time. This time, he was full of confidence. Just by reciting the essay, he could feel the essence of the scripture circulating in his mind. 'Today, I finally understand what it means to be confident and calm.'
He put down the book and picked up a local chronicle from the bookshelf.
Local chronicles were books that recorded the history, culture, famous people and geography of a region. Usually, it was a record of a province, county, or county.
In his previous life, Pei Zi Yun had been focused on reading when he entered Free Cloud Sect. When he entered Free Cloud Sect, he wanted to revive Free Cloud Sect. Hence, he did not read up on the local customs and practices. The local chronicles in his hands recorded the events of the previous dynasty.
He flipped through a few pages.
'The ambition of a man in a county is not just for show. Because of the revolution, the gains and losses are tested.'
'The essence of the book is simple and concise, but complicated. If the matter is not examined, there is no way to reflect on the past. If the speech is not complete, there is no way to wait for the future. It is a must to read, to make one feel as if he had grown up in the land, to be familiar with the state of the land.
Just as he was about to take a closer look, he heard a knock on the door. It was Yi Zhi Quan.
Putting the book back on the shelf, Pei Zi Yun opened the door. Yi Zhi Quan's hair was messy, and he held a scroll in his hands. His eyes were red, as if he had not slept well the night before.
Entering the room, Yi Zhi Quan immediately asked about the meaning of the scripture.
These days, he had interacted with these few Elementary Scholars. They all had mixed feelings towards Pei Zi Yun. According to Pei Zi Yun, they were filled with jealousy and hatred.
Jealousy and hatred were the majority of people. Only a few people could suppress their jealousy and hatred and seek guidance from Pei Zi Yun. Yi Zhi was already thirty-two years old, and yet he frequently sought guidance from Pei Zi Yun. Even Pei Zi Yun could not help but admire his attitude.
Yi Zhiquan forced a smile and said, "I have been thinking about this scripture for half the night but I still couldn't figure it out. That's why I came to ask for your guidance."
Pei Zi Yun received the book and looked at the words written on it. He then pondered for some time before saying, "This sentence means that, in literature, one's innate talent is rare!"
As he spoke, he started to explain in detail. When Yi Zhi Quan heard this, he was enlightened and praised him, "Many thanks brother Pei. Words cannot express my gratitude."
Inside the room, Pei Zi Yun did not close the windows. It was raining, and the autumn wind was chilly. Pei Zi Yun was brewing some tea, and they drank it together.
Yi Zhi Quan understood the meaning of the scripture and felt much better. He then said, "Tomorrow is the Regional Examinations and I've been feeling uneasy. Luckily, I've met brother Pei this year. You've answered many of my questions. I shall remember your kindness."
Yi Zhi Quan said, his expression was a little gloomy. As he spoke, he seemed melancholic.
Pei Zi Yun was about to speak when he heard Yi Zhi Quan continue, "The last two examinations were not satisfactory. The reason why I'm here this year is because I still have a sliver of hope in my heart. If I try, who knows, I might pass."
Pei Zi Yun sighed as well. If he did not have the Plum Blossom, he did not know how long it would take for him to become a High Scholar. The original owner of the body was a country bumpkin, and his talent was considered good. He only managed to become an Elementary Scholar at the age of twenty-one, what more a High Scholar?
But with the Plum Blossom, he was able to steal other people's thoughts. This time, he was confident that he would be able to pass the Regional Examinations. Looking at the despondent and hopeful scholar before him, Pei Zi Yun could only remain silent, unable to speak.
The room was silent. Pei Zi Yun then heard a knock on the door. He opened it and saw Yu Guang Mao and a few others looking for Pei Zi Yun. As soon as they entered, they saw Yi Zhi Quan in the room, holding a book in his hands. The few of them knew that Yi Zhi Quan was here to ask about the scriptures.
They then saw the few of them smiling as they walked in, "I was looking for brother Yi to invite brother Pei to queue up tomorrow, but I couldn't find him. Brother Wang said that brother Yi must be upstairs asking about the scriptures. Indeed, brother Yi is here."
Yu Guang Mao then said, "I wonder what you have to do in the queue tomorrow?"
"Everyone, I'm the oldest here. Although I'm not good at literature, I have some experience in the examinations." Yi Zhi Quan stood up and bowed before saying, "For tomorrow's examination, we must bring something simple and clean. Remember to bring two more blankets. The weather is cold now, and there are no blankets in the examination room. We need to be careful."
"Bring a few more clothes as well. However, the blankets and clothes must be old, as the examiners will cut them open."
"There's no need to bring a brush and ink, there's plenty inside."
"Prepare some food. Although the meat buns inside are not bad, I can't stand eating them for three days straight."
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, he understood, "I'm the only one who is taking the first round. Everyone else has already taken a few rounds. Even Yu Guang Mao is on his second round. That's why they're purposely saying this to me."
"They're here to repay me after listening to my scriptures."
Pei Zi Yun was secretly thankful. However, in his previous life, he had taken the examination before. He knew that the state examination was different from the capital examination. The examination would last for three days straight, and the officials would only prepare flatbread and clean water. If he only ate flatbread for three days straight, he would definitely get bored.
If he wanted to eat something, he could prepare it himself. However, if he ate something bad, he would have to be responsible for it.
Yi Zhi Quan did not know that Pei Zi Yun had experience with this, and was still earnestly explaining the taboos and precautions of the state examination. With these preparations, the state examination would be more stable.
"These Elementary Scholars are really united!"
The Mistress of the Cloud Cloud smiled as she looked at the images on a water mirror.
Tomorrow was the state examination. As Mistress Cloud looked at the Elementary Scholars, she had a rough idea of who they were. Among these Elementary Scholars, Pei Zi Yun's literary talent was the highest, followed by Yu Guang Mao and Yi Zhi Quan. The others might have a chance, but the state examination was 70% human and 30% God.
"It all depends on your luck." Mistress Cloud thought to herself.
The next day
The sky was cold and the rain was drizzling. The sky had not yet brightened, but the small courtyard was already brightly lit. All the Elementary Scholars had woken up and were preparing for the state examination.
Fu Mansion was not far from the examination hall, and could be seen from the opposite side of the street. Outside the examination hall, a large canopy had been erected to block out the rain. The torches were lit in a brazier, illuminating the place.
Several armed guards stood guard in front of the steps. The state government's bailiffs and soldiers had been mobilized to seal off the roads near the examination hall. Wooden planks were used to separate the roads, preventing peddlers, soldiers and random people from getting close to the examination hall.
Neat rows of soldiers dressed in straw raincoats and wielding long spears stood guard at the entrance of the examination hall. From time to time, there would be cavalry patrolling the perimeter of the examination hall. This was to prevent cheating and to protect the candidates.
Pei Zi Yun woke up and lit up the lamp. The windows were already closed, and he changed into the green robes that were in his bag. He then took out his handkerchief and put it on. He then used all the things that he had prepared yesterday and walked towards the examination venue according to the notice given to him when he had registered.
Yi Zhi Quan and the rest gathered together and set off.
As he neared the examination hall, Pei Zi Yun heard the sound of hooves. A group of cavalrymen galloped past him. These cavalrymen were all dressed in straw raincoats and wielded long swords. The rain continued to fall, dripping onto their raincoats.
Although these cavalrymen were not wearing armor, they all carried a murderous aura. As they passed by, the scholars who were chatting on the street all quieted down. Only the sound of hooves and rain hitting on umbrellas and straw raincoats could be heard.
"The Xu Dynasty is newly established and has a strong military presence. They also place a lot of importance on literary matters." Pei Zi Yun looked at these cavalrymen and thought back to his previous world, where they used machine guns to supervise the examination hall. He could not help but laugh, "In a few years, or even a decade, even the provincial examinations will not be as grand as this."
Examinations Hall
The Prefect, who was in charge of the Regional Examination, as well as the chief examiner, who was dressed in bright red official robes, sat on a tall building in the examination venue, looking down from above. Torches were lit in the surroundings, and there were quite a number of officials at the side, all of them wielding long sabers, guarding the officials.
Slightly further away, there were soldiers holding long swords in their hands and wearing straw raincoats. They stood under the rain, surrounded by a platform that was specially used to light torches. The light from the torches shone on these soldiers, and the eyes of these soldiers flickered with a murderous aura.
In front of these officials, there was a table with tea and some dried fruits on it. At this moment, they did not speak, but quietly looked down at the Elementary Scholars who were holding umbrellas and entering the examination hall.
In front of the shed, there were different entrances. Each prefecture was located in a different area. Pei Zi Yun, Yu Guang Mao and Yi Zhi were all Elementary Scholars of Dong An Prefecture.
At the entrance of the shed, there were several scribes and an official checking the Elementary Scholars who were entering. An Elementary Scholar entered and reported his name. The official looked at him and shouted, "Why do you look different from the portrait? You have a mole between your eyebrows."
The Elementary Scholar was speechless. The official then waved his hand, "Take him away and verify his identity. Those who have Scholarly Honors shall be removed immediately."
Immediately, several bailiffs rushed forward, grabbing one of the Elementary Scholar's hands and dragging him away. The Elementary Scholar then reacted and shouted, "Your excellency, I won't do it again. I won't do it again. Please let me go!"
Screams rang out one after the other, as the Elementary Scholars all stood in awe. Under such an atmosphere, Pei Zi Yun entered the tent. There was a torch burning in front of him, illuminating the entrance as if it was daytime. There were a few large tables set up, and a few armored soldiers stood by the side, with a feather in their hair.
At this point, Yi Zhi Quan approached, "It's the Imperial Guards. They are soldiers sent by the Imperial Court to supervise the examination. Do not offend them. If you do, it will be seen as cheating and your Scholarly Honors will be removed."
The bailiffs poured out all the things that the Elementary Scholars had brought out and scattered them on the table. The brushes, ink stones, and inkstones were all checked. The brushes had to be opened to check if there was anything hidden inside. After they were done, they had to be thrown into the basket. Apart from food and clothing, they were not allowed to bring anything else.
These bailiffs were like bandits. They searched the Elementary Scholars' belongings and chopped them up. Finally, they threw them into the basket and mixed them together.
All the Elementary Scholars had to untie their robes and strip down to their undergarments. They allowed the bailiffs to check their clothes and shoes before returning them. Fortunately, there were torches, and the clothes were bright red from the heat. They were not cold, but it was a disgrace to them.
Pei Zi Yun suddenly had a thought, "In my previous world, when I read novels, there were women who would dress up as men and enter the examination hall. Hehe, this kind of examination is done under the watchful eyes of everyone. Only women can enter if they have the aura of cerebral palsy."
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