Chapter 309: The Fierce Jin Wangfei

The time was already enough pressing to begin with, yet Le Cheng Emperor at this time even had a sudden impulse to want to cause a bit of trouble. He disdained that one set of exam questions was too few, letting the officials divide into a few groups, and under the circumstances where they weren't allowed to reveal the exam questions to each another, a total of three sets of exam questions were drafted, afterwards preparing to let his son randomly pick one from within to use, all under the glorified excuse of striving for fairness and strict impartiality.

Each and every one of the officials silently cursed at him for purely looking for trouble out of nothing. Just one prefecture's provincial exam, that's all. Even for the metropolitan exam, they have never once gone through this much trouble before either. Was there a need to go this far? Moreover, at this current point in time, there really won't be anyone interested in those exam questions, taking the enormous risk to get it out and leak to the people below.

If someone really did this, that wasn't 'the skills high, the guts big', but rather, purely having a hole in the brain, a complete moron!

That's why, Le Cheng Emperor's current behavior, for a certain few, that was just like looking at an idiot, while Le Cheng Emperor himself felt he was very wise.

Because in a special period, Jin Qinwang making such a move was also pardonable, but you, as the ruler of a country, having the originally relatively important matter viewed as the most important, to the extent of overlooking the other matters, wasting too much manpower and time, it's simply just the gains not making up for the losses. Quite a few old officials inwardly sighed.

Le Cheng Emperor sent the Black Clad Guard Commander to personally take along people to deliver the exam questions, rushing to Jiangnan Chongzhou Fu in the quickest speed, and at the same time, have those two large gold and silver yuanbao brought back.

By the time the Black Clad Guard Commander reached Chongzhou Fu, having the exam questions delivered onto Li Hong Yuan's hand, it was just two days from the scheduled exam time. And at this time, they've already entered the sixth month.

Li Hong Yuan also just met with this commander once when receiving the exam questions, and afterward just had him thrown to his direct subordinate, Li Su Yan.

Speaking of which, as a commander, to not even have as high of a presence as a captain, and towards one's subordinate, even have to respect somewhat, it was also quite something. Fortunately, this one's mentality was relatively mild, knowing that right now, he was just helping to occupy the position, and sooner or later will have to roll down. As such, never mind Le Cheng Emperor assigning, even if not assigning, the important and major matters that belonged to the Black Clad Guards were for the most part all handed over to Li Su Yan, happily being an arm-flinging shopkeeper. And Li Su Yan himself was also very perceptive and clear. Towards the assignments handed to him, he earnestly handled, and the awareness and respect towards seniority that he should have, he also didn't overstep in the slightest.

Afterwards, Li Su Yan took his superior to the front of the Confucius House to look at those two gold and silver yuanbao, more or less having the same expression as the others that saw that scene for the first time, very much unfathomable.

Jing Wan also went to see those two yuanbao before, practically unbearable to look straight at, painful to the eyes! If placed somewhere else, the out of sorts feeling won't be that strong, but that place, truly was...........

Although knowing that Jin Qinwang had special reasons, Jing Wan still saw those old academicians and old scholars shaking their head and sighing.

Jing Wan very much wanted to tell them, the hell with special reasons, that bastard simply was just being deliberate.

The Black Clad Guard Commander, towards those exam questions, perhaps cared very much, but Li Hong Yuan simply didn't take them seriously, having the seal casually ripped open, opening it up and randomly looking over.

Jing Wan although has never seen official exam questions before, but sorted out excerpts, she nevertheless has seen quite a few of. Considering the imperial exam's time limit, one would know, this question amount definitely won't be few.

This first round was 'pasting classics' and 'inking meaning'. In Jing Wan's eyes, this 'pasting classics' was a bit similar to her past life exam's fill in the blank problems. The exam questions were generally a verse extracted from the classics[1] that had a few words covered up, and the exam candidate needed to fill in the missing words. As for 'inking meaning', it was some questions pertaining to the scriptures. The abundance of the questions actually made Jing Wan tremble somewhat from looking.

The second round was one poem of five words and eight rhyming verses[2], four sets of classics argumentation[3], also selecting three works from several important works, writing an essay for each, and furthermore testing one of zhao(imperial order), pan(judgement), biao(expression), and gao(persuasion) each[4]. These generally all have a word limit. The minimum all won't be lower than two hundred. That was writing in the classical style, and not in the vernacular. Two three hundred words, translating it, perhaps would be more than a thousand words.

The third round was policy essays, combining classical theories, and expressing one's view or understanding towards current governmental affairs. This wasn't like the court exam, having just one question. This thing had five questions, and in Qi Yuan, the grade of this third round, the proportion it took up was was relatively heavy. Of course, following the passing of time, compared to during the beginning when the country was founded, it has already lessened.

Jing Wan also didn't avoid, looking over along with, "In this kind of weather, staying in the testing site for that many days, truly is suffering hardship."

"This is Wan Wan's benevolence greatly showing again, preparing to privately dip into one's own pocket and give them a bit of ice or something?"

Jing Wan lift her brow, "The idea is not bad, but perhaps don't need to dip into one's own pocket. Just let the high officials and nobles of Chuanzhou Fu offer as tribute, assisting the country in selecting the best pillars of talent. Just a piece of ice that's all. It's all what one ought to do, no?"

Li Hong Yuan lightly chuckled, "In certain people's eyes, probably already have Wan Wan viewed as the number one black-hearted. During this trip in Jiangnan, this reputation of yours is probably even more like the midday sun[5] than this prince's."

"I'm helping wangye, you, attract hostility here, so that it's easier for you to work. However, speaking of this reputation, it certainly won't surpass yours. No matter how many things I accept, and regardless of how the people sending those things curse inside, on the surface, they will still stay silent and not utter a word. To the ordinary commoners, I'm still the 'high and noble' Jin Wangfei."

Li Hong Yuan's eyes carried a smile as he nodded. As for the implied meaning within, no need to deeply look into.

Afterwards, Jing Wan thought of an important question. According to her knowledge, generally speaking, in the two days prior to the exam, the examiners will be entering the gates, first holding an 'entering the screen' banquet, and all inner and outer screen officials all have to attend. After the banquet, the inner screen officials enter the rear hall where the inner screen is located, supervising the exam and sealing the gates. The inner and outer screen officials don't have contact with each other, and the inner screen officials, aside from grading the exam papers, cannot take part in other things.

However, at present, never mind Jin Qinwang, who don't know if still considered the main examiner or not, still being very far away from the exam site, the exam questions that originally should have copies made for every exam candidate, right now, just have the three copies of the original. One has to know, in the entire Jiangnan region, the number of exam candidates every year, for the most part, all reached above twenty thousand, the average of one fu exceeded five thousand. A copy of questions for each, this workload definitely wasn't small.

Even if heading out right now, still need until tomorrow to be able to reach Chuanzhou Fu. Are you certain that you can have the exam questions delivered into the hands of the exam candidates by the day after tomorrow?

Jing Wan raised her doubt, "...........Ah Yuan, on this matter this time, you seemingly aren't very reliable." Jing Wan teased.

This while, the examiners of Chuanzhou Fu, each and every one, are probably all like ants on hot iron, frantically running in circles.

Li Hong Yuan was completely unconcerned, not anxious in the slightest, "Just adjust the order of the exam, and have the first round set last. How simple of a matter."

Jing Wan opened her mouth, unable to respond. Going by his words, indeed, with the contents that needed the most transcribing placed last, and by picking up the pace in the first few days of the exam, don't need to worry that in the end, they won't be able to produce exam papers. As for whether or not it conformed with the rules? Heh, the living Enma was just born to break rules. Or should say, the living Enma just didn't conform with the rules to begin with.

The Black Clad Guard Commander had just caught his breath, and the things originally packed for Le Cheng Emperor still haven't been sent off, so this while, were given to him altogether. Afterwards, Li Hong Yuan and them flung their sleeves and boarded the boat, heading to Chuanzhou Fu. When Li Su Yan came to bid this superior farewell, the Black Clad Guard Commander finally learned the situation, and could be said to be completely dumbstruck. He also didn't know the specific exam time, else he probably wouldn't have been this relaxed either. And now, finally aware at last, his entire forehead filled with cold sweat, inwardly blaming himself, wondering whether or not he'd held up the time.

This time, leaving Chongzhou Fu, rather, wasn't like last time leaving Kaiming Fu, carrying 'anger'. As such, the people that should be taken away naturally all got taken away. The people left in the villa in the end were just lacking the two strangled to death in the very beginning by Li Hong Yuan. The rest, what it was like when Jing Wan and them entered was what it was still like.

The madams whose family wealth has shrunk by more than half, at this time, wasn't in the mood to care about these. Right now, their impression towards Jing Wan was, gentle on the surface, appearing kind, but in fact, mouth of buddha, heart of snake, ruthless and black-hearted, greedy by nature, a bottomless pit unable to be filled, and not only so, even easily jealous, not allowing any other women near Jin Qinwang. This kind of person, how did she marry into the imperial family? As expected, still because of pretending too well, deceiving too many people?!

Additionally, Jin Qinwang actually being henpecked, this bit, truly was very surprising. ————-Otherwise, how come he would just stay by such a woman and ignore other beauties? Jin Qinwang prior to marrying, wasn't he infamous for being loose and lustful? Such a change, can it even be because of suddenly wanting to cultivate the heart and nurture the character? Definitely impossible, precisely the so called 'the mountains and rivers susceptible to change, the inherent nature hard to alter'. That's why, it can only be that Jin Wangfei was too fierce that even Jin Qinwang, this kind of person that's known as the living Enma, was all able to be 'sorted out' by her.

The matters in regards to the money can't be said, but matters in this aspect can be. Didn't it precisely match completely with certain rumors from Kaiming Fu.

On the canal, as they were just preparing to set sail, someone below came to report that the illustrious Min clan had a young master and young lady out visiting relatives, currently wishing to return home. Learning that Jin Qinwang was just about to head to Chuanzhou Fu, don't know whether or not, they can travel together, so as to keep safe.

Li Hong Yuan indifferently waved his hand, can be considered agreeing. After all, the Min clan can also be considered to have contributed quite a bit to Qi Yuan.

However, Jing Wan nevertheless saw the ridicule flash across Li Hong Yuan's eyes, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just, on that boat, there isn't just people of the Min clan."

[1] The classic texts in reference to Confucian works refer to 'The Book of Changes', 'The Book of Documents', 'The Book of Songs', 'The Rites of Zhou', 'The Book of Rites', 'The Analects of Confucius', 'Book of Mencius', 'Annals of the Spring and Autumn Period', 'The Doctrine of the Mean' and 'The Great Learning'. I linked to the wikipedia page for each of these if you want to read up more on them.

Students would generally have to memorize these text verbatim. There's a reason why the imperial exam was known to be astronomically difficult and this is merely just the provincial exam. The later metropolitan exam and court exam are much harder.

[2] I don't plan on translating this poem, but this is an example of a 'five word eight rhyming verse' style poem. You can see how each verse is composed of five words, and there's a total of eight verses. This particular one is an exam practice work. This was Bai Juyi's work from when he was sixteen. It's called 'The Grass of the Ancient Field's Farewell', describing weeds on an ancient field, expressing the feeling of reluctance and regret when bidding farewell to a friend.

[3] Using the classics' verses as the question, the exam taker has to write an essay explaining the meaning and arguments within, and need to be 300 words and above for each.

[4] Tbh this part is the one I'm the most unsure of because I can't find an explanation for it. So the best I can do is my very under qualified interpretation of it. I'm fairly sure it's about discussion essays, but I'm not sure if zhao, pan, biao and gao are referring to a style of writing that the essay needs to be in, or specific types of work in this style that the essays need to be about.

[5] 如日中天 - 'Like the midday sun', an idiom referring to very heated development, or kinda like saying something is very resounding.

T/N: Btw all the things regarding the provincial exam problems aren't made up by the author but were actually exam courses in the actual imperial exam, mostly taking after the model used in the later dynasties. Most of the author's research is actually from the baidu page about it, which I also use a lot, so I literally came across the section the author used, some of it is literally word from word from baidu. Translating those three paragraphs about the exam already took half my life.

Also found this that was pretty interesting, it's the imperial exam (specifically the finally court exam) results of the Yuan dynasty, which list the year of the exam, the month (all in the third lunar month), and how many successful candidates, as well as the top three scorers. Out of the hundreds of thousands of people who take the imperial exam, according to this record, less than a hundred pass every three years. There was that one year in 1360 where only 35 people passed the imperial exam. There are still essays and works of exam candidates during the exam preserved from the later dynasties, mostly ones from the top scorers.