No matter what thoughts people outside the examination grounds harbored, once one entered the examination cubicles, candidates could neither see nor hear anything else.
Inside each cubicle there was only a wooden desk, a wooden stool, and a straw mat in the corner for the examinee to rest on. Zhao Baozhu set down his things and immediately frowned after glancing around.
This examination cell was truly rather crude.
His own skin was rough and thick, so he did not mind much. But he wondered whether Ye Jinghua could endure it. Walking to the desk, Zhao Baozhu began taking out the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone from his bundle while secretly feeling puzzled.
Why had Young Master looked as though he had no idea Zhao Baozhu was here to take the examination? Yet if one said Ye Jinghua had been extremely shocked, his expression had not quite seemed that way either,
Zhao Baozhu was full of confusion, but before he could dwell on it for long, the examination papers were distributed.
The academy officials handed them out one cubicle at a time. Zhao Baozhu took his own copy, and the moment his eyes landed upon the first policy question, every stray thought vanished from his mind.
Written boldly upon the examination paper in vigorous calligraphy was the sentence:
“Vast indeed was he, none among the people could adequately praise him. Lofty indeed was his achievement.”
Looking further down, the second policy essay topic consisted of only four words:
“Extravagant expenditures ever increasing.”
The moment Zhao Baozhu read them, cold sweat burst across his back.
These two questions… were truly vicious!
The first line came from the Analects, praising the greatness of Yao and Shun’s governance and the wisdom of their rule. If this question appeared alone on an imperial examination paper, it would actually be simple enough. One merely needed to list all the wise policies and benevolent acts of the current Emperor, cite the classics liberally, flatter him thoroughly, and produce a splendidly written essay.
But paired immediately afterward with “Extravagant expenditures ever increasing,” the entire examination paper took on a different nature.
That phrase referred to the current problem of bloated military and bureaucratic expenditures, the court’s financial deficit, and excessive spending. On its own, the topic would not be unusual. But if one spent the first essay lavishly praising the Emperor’s wisdom, only to immediately begin dissecting the flaws of current governance in the second, the contrast would make it seem like insincere flattery.
And if one argued that these extravagant expenditures were a lingering illness left behind by previous reigns rather than the fault of the current Emperor? Then it became a matter of criticizing the father while praising the son, a grave violation of filial principles.
Holding the examination paper, Zhao Baozhu crumpled the edge of the xuan paper in his grip.
He did not know which court official had set these policy essay questions, but if fate ever allowed him to meet that elder in the future, he would certainly “properly greet” him!
Fortunately, it seemed he was not the only one who found the questions devilishly difficult. From nearby examination cubicles, Zhao Baozhu faintly heard sighs rising one after another, sounding almost like the mournful cries of apes.
Seeing that everyone else also thought the questions difficult, Zhao Baozhu no longer panicked.
Fortunately, during this period Ye Jinghua had lectured him extensively. While explaining the Four Books and Five Classics, he had also occasionally inserted discussions of current affairs and even spoken a little about the temperament of the current Emperor.
Thus, upon seeing these two questions, Zhao Baozhu did not feel completely helpless.
Zhao Baozhu took two deep breaths, grinding the ink while composing in his mind. The fragrance of the guisong ink commonly used in the Ye residence spread through the exam cell, exactly the same as the scent in Ye Jinghua’s study. Zhao Baozhu’s heart gradually calmed, and his thoughts quickened. He paused briefly, then lifted his brush and set down the first stroke on the paper.
***
Several hours later.
An essay for the metropolitan examination naturally had to be written with the utmost meticulousness. Zhao Baozhu was completely focused, not even sparing a moment to drink water. When the first draft was finished, he let out a long breath. Only when he looked up did he realize that the sky outside the exam cell had already grown dim.
It was already this late…
Zhao Baozhu took out the red candle distributed by the academic official and lit it. Once the dim yellow candlelight illuminated the small exam cell, he only then belatedly felt the hunger in his stomach.
Zhao Baozhu rubbed his rumbling belly, pulled over the food box, and as soon as he opened it, a wisp of fragrance drifted out. Inside the first layer of the box were neatly arranged half a portion of eight-treasure cakes and half walnut-sesame thin biscuits, all nourishing foods that replenished qi and blood.
The familiar aroma filled the exam cell, and Zhao Baozhu’s eyes immediately reddened. The food he had brought himself was only ten face-sized coarse yellow flour pancakes, unpalatable and tough to chew, and even harder to digest. At most, they could only keep him from fainting from hunger over these nine days… If not for the young master, how could he possibly eat such good things?
Zhao Baozhu picked up a jade-white eight-treasure cake and took a bite; a rich milky fragrance spread across his tongue. Such delicious food could not be ruined by tears. As he ate, he forcibly held his tears back. Ye Jinghua’s kindness toward him was as deep as the sea. He must use everything he had learned in his lifetime to achieve success in the examination; only then would he not fail the young master’s painstaking care!
Zhao Baozhu made up his mind, raised his hand to wipe his eyes, bit into half a sesame biscuit, and continued polishing his essay.
***
Nine days, neither short nor long. On the day the examination compound opened, Deng Yun, Fang Qin, and the others arrived outside the Confucius Temple early in the morning. The area outside the examination grounds was packed with servants and family members waiting for the candidates to come out, all craning their necks for their young masters. Some had even brought physicians from their households, along with fine ginseng, fearing that after enduring nine grueling days, once the candidates relaxed upon coming out, they might collapse.
Deng Yun and the others stood outside the examination grounds watching. At last, when the gates opened and people were released, they saw that the candidates all had pale, ashen faces, shuffling out like walking corpses. Some fainted the moment they saw their parents. Deng Yun grew increasingly anxious; looking left and right without seeing Zhao Baozhu, he worried aloud: “Ah, why isn’t he out yet… He didn’t faint inside, did he?”
Fang Qin frowned and immediately spat at him: “What are you saying? Don’t speak such inauspicious words.”
Then he added, “What are you so anxious about? Baozhu went in later, so naturally he’ll come out later too.”
Deng Yun was sweating profusely with anxiety. Hearing this, he raised his brows and said, “How can I not be anxious?! Look at how terrible their complexions are. What if something happens to him and he’s lying in there? The doors to the exam cells are closed, who would even see him?”
In just the short time they had been waiting, they had already seen three candidates carried out on stretchers, their faces looking as if they had been dead for three days!
Annoyed by his noise, Fang Qin grew irritated as well: “Idiot! The exam cells are inspected at set intervals. If anything had happened, he would have been carried out long ago.”
Just as they were about to start arguing, Fang Li, who had not joined in, kept his eyes fixed on the crowd and suddenly said, “He’s out!”
Deng Yun and Fang Qin both stopped mid-sentence and turned their heads. Sure enough, at the back of the line was a dusty figure, head drooping as he walked out, it was Zhao Baozhu.
“Baozhu!”
Deng Yun called out first, and the three of them pushed through the crowd together.
After nine days of exhausting effort, Zhao Baozhu was utterly fatigued. Each step felt as though he were walking on clouds. In a daze, he suddenly heard someone calling him. Lifting his head, he saw the three of them gathered before him and was genuinely startled: “Deng Yun… Qin Gege, Li Gege, you all came.”
Zhao Baozhu’s voice was somewhat weak, but he looked alright. Seeing them, a faint smile even appeared on his lips.
Deng Yun sighed in relief at the sight, then immediately raised his brows and scolded him: “Why are you walking so slowly! You’re making us worry to death. Everyone else is already out, and you’re still dawdling at the back.”
Zhao Baozhu gave an embarrassed smile at his words. He had indeed dawdled a bit. The truth was, after being cooped up in the exam cells for nine days and nights, the other candidates smelled quite unpleasant. Zhao Baozhu didn’t want to squeeze out with them, so he deliberately waited until most people had left before trailing out at the end.
Fang Qin glared at Deng Yun and said, “Why are you talking about him like that?” He motioned for Fang Li to take Zhao Baozhu’s belongings, then asked, “Baozhu, how did the exam go? How were the questions?”
With his bundle removed from his shoulder, Zhao Baozhu let out a long breath and said, “The policy essay was somewhat tricky, but I answered it as best as I could. It’s just that the final regulated five-character rhyme poem was truly troublesome, I didn’t write it very well.”
Zhao Baozhu knew he had no talent for poetry; writing such constrained rhyme poems was even more difficult. On the final day in the exam cell, he had chewed through two brush tips before barely completing that poem. He could only hope that his earlier policy essay was written well enough to make up somewhat for his crude poetry.
Fang Qin frowned at his words but quickly adjusted his expression and comforted him: “It’s fine. I just heard the candidates ahead complaining bitterly, it’s certainly not just you who found it difficult.”
Zhao Baozhu nodded. The papers had already been submitted; thinking more about it now was useless.
Hearing their conversation, Deng Yun suddenly remembered that Zhao Baozhu was a juren… and might even pass to become a jinshi. His expression drooped slightly, and he glanced at Zhao Baozhu somewhat awkwardly: “Come to think of it… should we be calling you Juren Zhao now?”
Zhao Baozhu turned his eyes upon hearing this. Seeing Deng Yun’s awkward look, he burst out laughing: “Sure, why don’t you call me that once so I can hear it? I’ve already taken the metropolitan exam now, so no need to call me juren, just call me Master Zhao!”
Deng Yun immediately knew Zhao Baozhu was teasing him and raised his brows, pretending to pinch him: “Oh? I see you’ve gotten quite full of yourself–”
Fang Qin quickly stopped him and glared: “Baozhu is so tired, and you’re still fooling around with him.”
Deng Yun had only been joking, so he sheepishly lowered his hand. Zhao Baozhu looked at him with a smile, then suddenly thought of something and turned to look around: “Where’s the young master?”
Not seeing Ye Jinghua, he turned back: “Is the young master already in the carriage?”
Fang Qin answered, “As soon as the young master went out, he was taken away by people from the palace. Hurry back to the residence with us and get cleaned up.”
“The palace?” Zhao Baozhu froze upon hearing this. Then he felt a bit disappointed. He still hadn’t figured out the commotion at the gate before entering the exam and had planned to ask Ye Jinghua about it. And… he hadn’t seen him for a full nine days, and didn’t know how he was.
Zhao Baozhu silently pressed his lips together, suppressing the slight ache in his heart. Looking up at the three of them, he became a bit happy again: “Then did you come just to pick me up?”
At this, Deng Yun’s cheeks flushed slightly. He gave a light snort and turned his face away. Fang Li also looked a bit embarrassed. Fang Qin, however, smiled and teased him: “Naturally we came to pick up Master Zhao. Why aren’t you getting in the carriage with us?”
Zhao Baozhu had been joking earlier, but when he actually heard Fang Qin call him “Master,” he became bashful and flushed red, stammering. Seeing this, the others burst into laughter and escorted him toward the carriage.
Once inside, Deng Yun teased him again: “Look at you, wanting us to call you ‘Master.’ You blush from just one call. If you become a high official in the future, we’ll have to kowtow to you, what will you do then?”
Zhao Baozhu glared at him: “Are you talking nonsense again? When Lord Cao comes, I’ve never seen you kowtow!”
Deng Yun chuckled. In truth, in the capital, even household servants of powerful families could rank above minor officials. In their own residence, there was a steward who did not need to kneel even before the masters, much less before other officials. But Deng Yun liked Zhao Baozhu, and knowing he had earned scholarly status, he now regarded him with a bit more respect than before.
When they arrived at the Ye residence and entered the courtyard, the three of them suddenly lined up together and bowed to Zhao Baozhu, saying, “We have been neglectful toward Master Zhao in the past, please forgive us.”
Zhao Baozhu was immediately startled and hurried to pull them up: “Hey, what are you doing?” Helping each of them up, he said, “How have you ever neglected me? On the contrary, I’ve received much kindness from you, please don’t do this.”
They didn’t go overboard and rose with his help. Deng Yun looked at him and grinned: “Who would’ve thought you had the patience to do rough servant work with us. You have scholarly status, why didn’t you say so earlier? If we had known, we definitely wouldn’t have made you work.”
Zhao Baozhu smiled: “It’s not that precious. Besides, I didn’t really do much work.”
At this point, Zhao Baozhu paused and asked with some confusion: “I didn’t say anything at first because I couldn’t find my name card and was afraid you wouldn’t believe me… but a few days ago at the temple fair I found it again. Didn’t the young master tell you?”
Deng Yun was also taken aback: “The young master? He didn’t say anything.”
Zhao Baozhu immediately frowned. Strange, by all rights, after reading his letter, Ye Jinghua had no reason to hide it from them.
Just then, Fang Li, who had been standing to the side, seemed to recall something and suddenly spoke: “After you all entered the examination grounds, Steward Li returned to the main household.”
Zhao Baozhu was startled: “Steward Li?” Then, as if catching onto something, his expression changed slightly. But after several days without rest, even thinking made his temples throb.
Seeing his poor complexion, Fang Qin said, “Don’t talk anymore for now. Take him to wash up and get clean, and let him have a good sleep first. Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
*The imperial examination questions are all sourced from the internet
