Chapter 506 - 191: Settling In and Signing Up
It is worth noting that the Provincial Examination was not something any scholar could take just by wishing it.
First, one had to hold the title of a Scholar.
Furthermore, because there were many students and limited space in the examination halls, a screening process was necessary before the Provincial Examination to prevent candidates from making a fruitless journey.
The county and prefectural schools would hold an examination, and the results were divided into three grades. Only students who placed in the first and second grades, or in the top few of the third grade, were qualified to participate in the Provincial Examination. This was known as the qualifying selection.
Those who placed in the third grade and those who did not participate in the initial examination could take a single makeup test one month before the Provincial Examination. Those who passed were permitted to take the exam, a process known as the supplementary selection.
For the past six months, De’an had been studying with utmost diligence. Zhao Jing had also privately coached him on clever ways to answer questions and even helped him predict what topics might appear. But De’an’s luck was terrible; he came down with a bad cold during the first qualifying examination.
Throughout the entire test, he was dizzy and his vision blurred. Even the alertness-boosting medicine he took had no effect. He had to pinch his thigh until it was bruised just to keep from falling asleep in the examination hall.
The moment he left the examination hall, he fainted. By the time he was carried onto a carriage, his body was scorching hot to the touch.
Under such circumstances, he naturally failed the first examination.
Fortunately, his luck wasn’t completely out. He managed to pass the supplementary selection examination.
Passing was a stroke of luck, but as for whether he could actually become a scholar... well...
De’an himself was not optimistic, but he had to take the exam regardless, if only for the experience.
On the fifth day of the seventh month, the candidates went to the Confucianism Bureau to register and complete the mutual guarantee procedures.
For the Provincial Examination, five Scholars were still required to form a group and mutually vouch for one another. If any one of them were caught cheating, all five would be held equally responsible. Additionally, a government-stipend student had to act as a guarantor. The overall process was nearly identical to that of the county examination.
By this time, Huang Chen and Ding Shutian had also arrived in the Prefecture. Along with Zhao Jing, Wang Jun, and De’an, they had just enough for a group of five and immediately registered their mutual guarantee.
When Chu Xun arrived, it was already the last day for registration. If he’d come any later, he wouldn’t have needed to worry about the exam at all.
"We thought you weren’t taking the exam this time, so we didn’t wait for you."
Chu Xun waved a hand, lacking even the strength to speak.
He had already been running late when he set out for the Prefecture.
He hadn’t departed until the middle of the sixth month, traveling all the way from the Southeast coast to Xinghuai Prefecture. On the way, he was caught in a torrential downpour. The boat he was on struck a reef, tearing a hole in its hull, and the entire vessel began to sink.
Luckily, it was a merchant vessel carrying cargo, and it wasn’t traveling alone but as part of a fleet. It was also a good thing that the others rescued him promptly; otherwise, his life would have been forfeit.
Though his life was saved, he came down with a serious illness.
He should have gone ashore at a port along the way to find a physician and get proper treatment. But after calculating the time, he felt it was too tight. Afraid he wouldn’t make it for registration, he didn’t dare delay and pressed on toward Xinghuai Prefecture.
He did manage to arrive in time for registration. The five-person guarantee, however, proved difficult. Unable to find anyone he knew, he finally had to seek out a few other latecomers from Qingshui County who had yet to register, and they formed a group together.
Recalling the hardships of his journey, Chu Xun’s pale face was etched with exhaustion. "Let’s not talk about it. It’s a long, sad story."
Chu Xun was truly exhausted and in no mood for idle chatter. He just wanted to find a doctor for treatment as soon as possible, then return to his inn and rest properly.
Zhao Jing, De’an, and Wang Jun were worried he might collapse in his inn room with no one to know, so they insisted on taking him home with them. But Chu Xun said, "I’ve already booked the inn..."
"Are you really going to worry about a few coins now? Come on, your life is more important. We can’t have you frying your brain with a fever before the Provincial Examination even begins."
In the end, Chu Xun went with Wang Jun.
It was a familiar area, and since Huang Chen and Ding Shutian were also staying over there, they would all have company and wouldn’t be lonely.
After parting ways at the Confucianism Bureau, Zhao Jing returned home to find that Wang Chengde had just arrived.
Wang Chengde had failed the previous Provincial Examination and was back to try again.
Zhao Jing had anticipated his arrival and sent someone to wait for him at the city gate. The moment Wang Chengde was spotted, he was brought directly to Zhao Jing’s home to get settled.
Wang Chengde was touched by his nephew’s sincerity but refused the kind offer.
His reasoning was that Zhao Jing still had to return to the prefectural school after registering, leaving only women and children at home. It would be improper for him to stay there.
Wang Chengde had actually come over this time to ask something. "Nephew, have you been able to find out who the examiners are for this session?"
Wang Chengde figured that since Zhao Jing studied at the prefectural school, and its instructors and professors were all influential figures who had become Advanced Scholars, they would have extensive connections in the Capital City. They were bound to be well-informed and would surely be the first to know as soon as His Majesty personally appointed the examiners.
And in fact, Zhao Jing did know.
He didn’t hide it, stating directly, "The chief examiner is Mr. Gong, a Reader-in-waiting at the Hanlin Academy. There are two co-examiners: one is from the Imperial College, Dean Cai; the other is from the Ministry of Personnel, a secretary."