Chapter 60

Chapter 60

It was mid-spring. The farther they traveled from the Huainan region, the more pronounced the dry, withered chill in the air became.

The spring scenery in Capital City was nowhere near as bright and vivid as it had been in Xuzhou.

At the Emperor’s feet, the imperial city stood solemn and imposing. There were no mountains or rivers to be seen, only towering buildings, flourishing commerce, and pedestrians hurrying to and fro along the streets. No small number of them wore fine brocade robes, and amid the clamor, the crowds flowed like woven threads.

Only one month remained before the Spring Imperial Examination.

Sheng Zhaoning had no time to admire the sights or go wandering about.

She rented a residence in a quiet spot on the outskirts of the capital. The courtyard was not large, but it was peaceful. Since it was far from the busy markets, there were few households nearby, and one could go an entire day without seeing another person.

Then she shut herself away again.

Although Zhou Wei lived under the same roof as her, he rarely saw her.

He could hardly imagine Sheng Zhaoning with a book always in hand, sitting at a desk and studying day and night. His impression of her and of Sheng Zhaoning as a person seemed somewhat… disconnected.

Still, Sheng Zhaoning was a genuine Jieyuan. Presumably, she did possess some real learning.

The only thing that displeased him was that Sheng Zhaoning truly did treat him like a servant. Washing clothes and cooking were one thing, but from time to time, he was even forced to knead her shoulders and pound her legs. If he refused, she would use her kindness to pressure him, loudly accusing him of being an ungrateful wretch.

In this life, Zhou Wei hated nothing more than those who were disloyal and unrighteous. Having spent many years wandering the martial world, he believed most firmly in repaying even a drop of kindness with a gushing spring. And so, whenever she used that debt of gratitude against him, he could only accept his fate and back down.

Before they knew it, the March Spring Imperial Examination quietly drew near.

Because this was a Grace Examination, this year’s Metropolitan Examination had been moved up by one year from the usual once-every-three-years schedule, leaving many preparations rather rushed.

The Metropolitan Examination was supposed to be held in three separate sessions: upper, middle, and lower. Yet for some reason, the rules had been changed this year, and it had become three sessions tested consecutively.

In other words, the Four Books Essay, Five-Character Eight-Rhyme Poem, Five Classics Essay, Policy Question, and other components would all be completed within nine days, and no candidate would be permitted to leave midway.

This undoubtedly made the imperial examination far more difficult.

Nine days was not especially long, but it was by no means short, either.

At present, the spring cold still bit sharply. Though the weather had warmed somewhat by March, the chill in the mornings and evenings remained piercing. The examination cells were crude and cramped. When many candidates taking the Metropolitan Examination heard the news, it struck them like a bolt from a clear sky. Their vision went dark, and some had even begun thinking of withdrawing.

Sheng Zhaoning remained quite calm about it.

After all, she was not truly a frail scholar who could not even truss a chicken. To her, having a place where she could eat and sleep was already an immense mercy.

On the day of the Spring Imperial Examination, Zhou Wei drove the carriage and brought Sheng Zhaoning to the examination site.

Because there were too many candidates, carriages and horses were not allowed to stop in front of the Examination Hall. Zhou Wei parked the carriage outside the street, then walked in together with Sheng Zhaoning.

“Have you heard? For this year’s Spring Imperial Examination, the Crown Prince will serve as chief examiner together with Grand Scholar Meng.”

The candidates had gathered outside the examination site, waiting to be inspected.

With so many people clustered together, and all of them successful candidates from the Provincial Examination, conversation was inevitable.

“Of course I know about such major news. It’s just that the chief examiner for the Metropolitan Examination has always been a Hanlin Academician. Now that the Crown Prince is personally serving as examiner, who knows what variables may arise?”

“What variables could there be? Who doesn’t know that the current Crown Prince is the most benevolent of men, and that he places particular importance on the people’s livelihood and the state? As long as one writes more about policies concerning the people’s livelihood in the Discourse Essay, would there still be any worry of failing?”

Everyone felt his words made perfect sense and began complimenting him one after another.

Sheng Zhaoning stood to the side and had yet to speak when Zhou Wei let out a scoff first. “Grandstanding.”

If everything could be answered according to an examiner’s likes and dislikes, what candidate under heaven would ever worry about failing?

Sheng Zhaoning glanced at him, her gaze revealing a rare hint of agreement.

It was the Mao hour, and the sky had yet to fully brighten-the coldest part of the day.

The crowd stood shivering outside the Examination Hall. At last, just as dawn was about to break, a loud call rang out from within the examination grounds.

“Candidates, please enter the examination grounds!”

“Candidates, please enter the examination grounds!”

The moment the words fell, the people around them began pressing forward in a noisy crush.

Zhou Wei glanced at Sheng Zhaoning’s clothes. No matter how he looked at them, they did not seem warm enough. After a brief hesitation, he still untied the fur cloak from his own shoulders and draped it over hers.

Sheng Zhaoning felt a sudden weight settle on her shoulders. Warmth had only just begun to seep in when another bundle was placed in her hands.

“Aside from brushes, paper, and ink, there is water and dry food inside. The box beside them holds a few common medicines. If you get cold, there are knee warmers at the bottom,” Zhou Wei instructed, unable to stop worrying.

Sheng Zhaoning had not expected Zhou Wei to be capable of such thoughtfulness. Surprised, and even a little gratified, she was just about to praise him when Zhou Wei added, “These things cost quite a bit. Remember to reimburse me afterward.”

Sheng Zhaoning: “…”

Smiling, she gritted out a single word. “Fine.”

The candidates filed into the examination grounds one after another.

As soon as they reached the main gate, yamen runners came forward to search them.

Though the imperial examinations required cautious and thorough inspection, it was not so strict as to make people strip. The search focused mainly on whether anyone had smuggled in cheat sheets or similar items.

After being searched and having her belongings checked, Sheng Zhaoning made her way into the inner grounds, where a yamen runner directed her to her seat.

People gradually filled the stalls around her.

Every candidate taking part in the Metropolitan Examination had already endured the trial of the Provincial Examination. Faced with the narrow, cramped examination booth-walled on three sides and open on one-they were more or less mentally prepared.

Only after the final group entered and the main gate of the Examination Hall was locked did the exam papers begin to be distributed in order.

All around her, silence fell. The only sound by her ears was the constant rustle of turning pages.

Sheng Zhaoning flipped through the question sheets and gained a general grasp of the contents. The vast majority were within her capabilities, so her heart remained largely undisturbed.

By the time she finished answering on the Four Books and Five Classics and the other Confucian classics, two full days had passed.

After night fell, the candidates beside her gradually put out their lamps. Sheng Zhaoning was in no hurry to answer the remaining questions, so she also extinguished her candle, lowered the desk, and fitted it into a narrow square bed. Half curled up, she lay down.

She slept poorly those two nights.

The wooden boards were cold and hard, and the bitter wind cut through the booth. On top of that, Sheng Zhaoning had an instinctive wariness of crowded places, so she spent almost the entire night drifting between sleep and wakefulness.

After that, Sheng Zhaoning spent another five days answering the Poetry and Rhapsody, Discourse Essay, Judgment Writing, and Policy Question sections.

Among them, the five Policy Questions involved farmland, taxation, rule of law, ancient sages, and military affairs-a wide range of topics. Many candidates found them extremely difficult, and waves of groans could often be heard from all around.

Questions on farmland and taxation were old, familiar topics. Sheng Zhaoning’s answers were proper and conventional, nothing extraordinary, but they would not fall behind others either.

For the three questions on rule of law, ancient sages, and military affairs, however, she took an unconventional path and did not answer according to ordinary reasoning.

It was a risky move. If her answers were brilliant and happened to strike the examiners’ fancy, she would leave everyone else far behind. If they ran contrary to the examiners’ views, she would fail completely, with no hope of making the list.

Those who could reach the Metropolitan Examination were mostly inclined to play it safe.

Since Sheng Zhaoning had come aiming for the very top of the rankings, she had no choice but to take this risk.

But the question on rule of law was her strength, something she had devoted herself to studying.

The question on ancient sages was something she had mastered through day-and-night reading.

The question on military affairs was familiar territory from her frequent time in the army.

For these three questions, Sheng Zhaoning was determined to succeed.