Xie Lanzhi finally understood what it felt like to be alone in an empty bed; so this was it... The loneliness was unbearable, and her arms were cold.
It's almost midnight.
She had to say, "Go to sleep, there's no need to rush."
"This is the first batch of official test takers, and I have to finish this tonight." Si Xitong was just like a teacher rushing to finish the college entrance exam. Xie Lanzhi knew she couldn't stop her, so she got up, put on an outer robe, and sat down next to her.
"Let me see which exam papers are giving you a headache?"
Si Xitong handed her an exam paper, which included classics, policy essays, and poems; it was quite difficult.
She added, "The elimination process is still not challenging enough."
Xie Lanzhi's eyes widened: "This is already difficult. Wouldn't it be a waste of talent to increase the elimination rate further?"
“I need to raise the bar for the imperial examinations to improve the capabilities of current officials,” Si Xitong said. “Also, I feel something is missing?”
Xie Lanzhi quickly pointed out: "It is too biased towards humanities, with a small proportion of science. Nowadays, the Ministry of Finance has a large number of talents. Although there are many, they are not valued."
Si Xitong suddenly realized: "I see. I will conduct another random test tomorrow. If there are any outstanding candidates, they can be given a special test."
Xie Lanzhi said, "You need to invest a lot in the early stages of developing in this direction, and the results will be less in the short term, so you must have a pillar that can support your science studies from the start."
What is a pillar of a platform?
She quickly explained to her the importance and significance of science for people's livelihood and economic development. Since the Great Jin Dynasty was primarily agricultural, using agriculture as a foundation would allow for faster implementation.
Si Xitong was in a dilemma after hearing this.
"I don't have enough money."
Xie Lanzhi said, "I can give you an advance."
"No need." Si Xitong didn't want to use Xie's funds. She suddenly remembered her father's 100 million taels, but unfortunately, there was no trace of it.
Si Xitong finally put down her pen, pinched the bridge of her nose, and said, "It's time to go to bed."
Xie Lanzhi picked her up and carried her to the bed, laid her down inside, covered her with a blanket, and then lay down beside the bed herself. With a burst of energy from her left palm, she extinguished the candles in the hall.
Si Xitong snuggled into her arms; she was exhausted and almost fell asleep. Her right hand touched the jade pendant on Xie Lanzhi's chest again—the one she had given her.
She perked up a bit: "Lanzhi, the results of the imperial examinations in Tianjing are better than I expected. Compared to Jiujin, its influence is more than ten times greater. Tianjing is indeed better."
“I know you won’t allow the Xie family to advance to the next level of the imperial examinations.” Xie Lanzhi patted her back: “I will cooperate with you.”
Si Xitong puffed out her cheeks and blew on them: "Mmm."
Xie Lanzhi couldn't help but poke her cheek, knowing that when she wanted to act cute, she liked to blow bubbles like a frog.
The two embraced, warm and fragrant, and drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, in Tianjing City, students who were studying diligently by lamplight, though dressed in rags, were able to get through the hardships of eating and sleeping outdoors because someone in the school was there to boil water and cook porridge.
These schools were all contracted by the Xie family, who had done a great deal to support the imperial examinations. Because of the imperial examinations, the schools were obligated to give up their places to provide basic support for these students who came from afar.
Of course, the Xie family students were also unhappy that their mistress restricted them from skipping the exams, forcing them to compete with a bunch of peasants. But what good was their dissatisfaction? If they uttered a single word of dissent at home, they would be slapped by their elders.
The matriarch of the Xie family seemed to be very popular with the elders of the Xie family, as well as the younger generation in Xie Meixiang. Even those who harbored resentment dared not cause trouble.
Tomorrow is the day the results will be released.
That night, everyone, regardless of their social status or background, shared the same feeling: fear of being rejected.
After Si Xitong fell asleep, Xie Lanzhi quietly got up to help grade the papers, only to find that they had already been finished. Little Phoenix had stayed up so late last night to check for any omissions.
She attached great importance to this imperial examination, so she insisted on doing everything herself.
Xie Lanzhi picked out a few papers to look at. They were all excellent, whether in policy essays or poetry. But there were only so many official positions available, and the Little Phoenix would have to be eliminated. It seemed that she was now focusing more on practicality.
These poems are well-written, and anyone who writes them, regardless of whether they hold an official position, will become a local celebrity. While celebrities certainly have a great influence, Little Phoenix prefers to be pragmatic and realistic.
In chaotic times, food production is of course the top priority; restoring production is paramount. The spirit of poetry is important, and aspirations for beauty are important, but simply having enough to eat and wear is the first step towards a better life.
Xie Lanzhi added three more questions to raise the bar, prioritizing those with high overall abilities. Those who excelled in specific subjects were classified as special test takers, and their treatment wouldn't be bad either.
She did three questions and then went back to bed.
The next morning, Xie Lanzhi skipped the morning court session.
Si Xitong had already gone to court.
She now presides over the Golden Palace alone.
She wasn't intimidated at all and directly announced the three test questions set by Xie Lanzhi. This was the palace examination.
The fifty selected students entered the hall and immediately began answering questions, with only two hours allotted. Those who could not answer the questions were automatically disqualified.
The fifty students' clothing revealed their family backgrounds—poor or rich—but they were all dressed in long robes.
The examiner lit incense.
The atmosphere immediately became tense. The students were given a stack of Xuan paper and began to write down their questions.
Unexpectedly, if this first question hadn't been logical, many people would have thought it was utter nonsense.
The first question asked: "If a ruler orders a subject to die, should he die or not? How should he conduct himself according to propriety and law?" Note: Be cautious with written answers; this has the highest elimination rate.
It means to tell the truth.
Second question: How many drops of water are in the sea? How many feet? [This is not a joke, but to exercise your thinking.]
The third question: Zhang San broke into a house to steal, but was poisoned by the owner's tea. The next day, the owner was arrested and was to be beheaded. How can you overturn the wrongful conviction and clear his name? Please simulate the details of the incident and calculate them in detail.
Students: ......
Who was the bastard who came up with this question?
The examiner couldn't help but glance at him, then immediately shook his head. Oh no, these bookworms actually encountered a marshal setting questions for them.
The marshal is known for being unpredictable. The questions she asks are neither too difficult nor too easy. Anyone who doesn't get close to the answer she has in mind will be eliminated, no matter how talented they are.
Li Ling and Zhao Gongming glanced at the test questions, then started working on them themselves.
Si Xitong clearly gave the answer.
The students had never seen a question like this before. They could answer it, but they didn't know which answer was closest to His Highness's. So many students began to frown.
Only one student finished answering the questions and handed in their paper, regardless of whether it was close to the answer.
Because this student was the first to finish, Si Xitong specially asked for his paper to compare answers. The first question this student answered was: "If the ruler orders his subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die even if he doesn't want to."
The second question: One drop. A foot in front of me.
The third account is written in great detail. It states that Zhang San's theft did not warrant death, yet he was poisoned by the host's tea. The account then imagines a power struggle within the household, with Zhang San being killed innocently. The host might have poisoned the tea to simulate a murder, again involving a power struggle, such as the host killing the wife to seize the family property. Or, the host might have framed the wife for having an affair, intending to poison Zhang San, but instead poisoned the lover.
Si Xitong thought to herself: Interesting.
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 12:14:58 and 19:05:32 on December 13, 2021!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Catman Langes (1);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 69 What was the dowry given by the father-in-law?
Zhang San is somewhat innocent.
The third question had no crime scene; it only contained a few lines. Xie Lanzhi's main purpose was to encourage people to actively deduce various possibilities based on the clues. Therefore, whatever the reasoning on paper was, as long as it was reasonable, it was acceptable. This also fully demonstrated whether the respondent had a broad perspective.
As for the first two dishes, Si Xitong could only helplessly comment: Mischievous!
The last question is the key.
The students of the Xie family were going crazy, but some of them managed to do it.
In less than two hours, everyone had handed in their papers for these three questions.
Li Ling and Zhao Gongming, however, were curious about the answer and asked Si Xitong, "Your Highness, how exactly should we answer the third question?"
Si Xitong said, "As long as it makes sense."
Actually, the two adults answered similarly. It was just a bit difficult for students who had never dealt with legal cases before. Most of them had only been exposed to the Four Books and Five Classics, and were not very good at applying theoretical principles to practical matters in the third question.
Xie Lanzhi specifically eliminated students who only knew the Four Books and Five Classics, so the three questions varied from person to person and were not difficult.
Li Ling and Zhao Gongming went through three rounds of approvals before Si Xitong finally left only ten people.
The first student to hand in his paper was Bao Youtian.
In the afternoon, the list of successful candidates was posted, and Bao Youtian was named the first top scholar in the imperial examination. Dressed in a red robe, he rode a white horse belonging to the Xie family and began his parade through the streets adorned with flowers. Similarly, as expected, Xie Ying became the top martial arts scholar in the martial arts examination.
The martial arts competition was dominated by the Xie family, leading to fierce competition among them. In the end, Xie Ying still stood out.
The people of Tianjing also had their sons participate, so the people talked about the imperial examinations with great interest in the streets and alleys.
Because one of the ten selected was a commoner, ranked third, and his name was not pleasant to hear, Wang Ergou, Li Ling disliked it as vulgar and renamed him Wang Fei.
Wang Fei grew up eating food from many families. He was able to study only because of the childless old scholar at the entrance of Hu Zi Lane. The old scholar died during the Tianjing Incident, so he made a living by writing to exchange for some food.
Now that the imperial examination is being held for the first time, he is lucky enough to take the exam and achieve good results among three thousand people.
People everywhere knew Wang Fei and still called him Er Gou (Second Dog).
He responded with a smile, "Thank you so much for taking care of me all these years, Uncle and Auntie."
The people surrounded him, looking at him with curiosity, and praised the fairness of the imperial examination, saying that this was the golden house that all scholars in the country longed for.
For a time, Wang Ergou and Wang Fei were more popular than the top scholar, simply because he entered officialdom from humble beginnings.
Bao Youtian was a wealthy man born out of wedlock to a concubine. His stepmother always looked down on him and wouldn't even let him go to school. Fortunately, his wet nurse knew how to read and taught him basic literacy, and he was able to keep up with others by studying on his own as he grew up.
He was grateful for his wet nurse's kindness at that time, but unfortunately she passed away last year.
Then I thought of that master in the Golden Palace.
Bao Youtian realized: "There have been too many men who have been emperors throughout history, and they are of varying quality. It's time for a female sage ruler to emerge."
The second-place winner was an elderly man who had studied diligently for forty years, passing the imperial examination at the age of fifty and being assigned to a position in a small county town. This old man was a poor scholar who had endured decades of hardship, finally passing the exam when his family was almost wiped out. Now his grandson is twenty. Because of his age, he was respected by the villagers and had a greater presence than Bao Youtian.
In an imperial examination, the top scholar, who should have been ranked first, was surprisingly overlooked.
Si Xitong noticed this person and specially sent Li Jin to receive this talent. He placed him in the Hanlin Academy step by step, because anyone who entered the Hanlin Academy would have the opportunity to go to the Grand Council and the Cabinet.