21 First Pass (Part I)

As expected, the topic was the county examination.

Xie Zhongyuan listened along with his colleagues. After the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture finished outlining the key procedures, he swept his gaze across the room and stated firmly, "Though there are rules to follow, the county examination is the threshold for selecting talent for the imperial examinations. Even members of the royal family participate in the process themselves, willing to offer their assistance. As chief examiners, you must exert your utmost effort to select talented individuals capable of governing the country! You must exercise great care and judgment when setting the questions."

Officials from the five continents and nineteen counties nodded in unison.

After observing their respectful demeanor, the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture added a few more instructions before looking directly at Xie Zhongyuan. "Daxing County has always been a sacred place for scholarship, both in the capital and throughout the country. Since some individuals have already registered, you must maintain the composure of a 'parental official' and treat them fairly."

Xie Zhongyuan bowed. "I will certainly keep your teachings in mind, sir. However... there is another matter. As I am new to this post, I must ask you and my colleagues for guidance in establishing a protocol."

Without waiting for a reaction, Xie Zhongyuan quickly voiced his dilemma: "The number of candidates admitted to the county examination has traditionally been one-tenth of the number of applicants. But looking at the current registration numbers, I fear this figure will increase. If the established quota remains unchanged, it may lead to unrest."

The children of military officials had flooded the registration, inflating the numbers. If the old quota rules were applied, it would undoubtedly favor the children of civil officials. But if not a single child of a military official made the list, the imperial court would surely be in an uproar. After all, every father hopes for his son to succeed and believes his own child is the best.

Yet, if they were to set separate quotas, it would be unfair to the civil officials' children who had studied so diligently.

As soon as these words were spoken, the other magistrates fell silent, not daring to breathe. The Magistrate of Wanping County, in particular, felt immensely relieved. While his jurisdiction had some officials, most were the sons of wealthy merchants. Thus, he was safe and would not be dragged into these entanglements.

Unlike Daxing County.

Usually, there was nothing going on, but when something did happen, it was a life-or-death matter.

The Governor of Shuntian Prefecture: "..."

What sins did I commit in my past life to end up as a 'parental official' in the capital in this one?

While muttering to himself, the Governor scanned the magistrates, whose expressions had all shifted, and signaled for the others to leave. He then looked at the Magistrate of Daxing with a half-smile, speaking with brutal frankness: "I fear we are grasshoppers tied to the same rope in this matter."

Those aristocrats were arrogant and would certainly not bother with a mere seventh-rank magistrate; instead, they would hold the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture directly accountable. When Cui Enhou got into a fight and ended up beaten, even a reasonable military veteran like Cui Zhen did not go to the Daxing County office; he bypassed them and demanded justice directly from the Shuntian Prefecture.

How many governors of Shuntian Prefecture had been innocently dragged into court struggles and exiled to the northern frontiers? It was said that the northern frontier even had a labor camp exclusively for former governors of Shuntian Prefecture.

Though shocked for a moment, Xie Zhongyuan bowed even lower. "You are right, sir. That is why I had to bring this matter up in public. Otherwise, we would be even more passive after the examination."

"Let us see if the Censor-in-Chief submits a memorial to remonstrate tomorrow," the Governor said, ignoring the bowing Xie Zhongyuan and looking toward the direction of the Imperial City with deep meaning. "After all, for a noble of the highest rank to personally take the examination—searching through history, he is the only one."

Because of his distinguished military service, Cui Zhen had been granted the title of a Duke of the highest rank, enjoying the substantial benefits of a Prince of the Second Rank, including a taxable fief of five thousand households! After Cui Zhen’s death, it was said that for various reasons, Emperor Mingde eventually issued a decree allowing Cui Enhou to inherit the title. Thus, Cui Enhou was also a Duke of the highest rank with a fief of five thousand households.

Even if Cui Enhou claimed he was taking the exam under imperial decree, the Censor-in-Chief would still find cause to remonstrate.

Xie Zhongyuan understood. He needed to drag a few other government offices into the water to probe the true intentions of Emperor Mingde.

Yet, he never expected that when the Censor-in-Chief submitted his memorial, the Emperor would "keep it in the palace and not respond."

To keep it in the palace meant the Emperor would neither approve nor respond to the memorial, nor would he allow the court to discuss it. To put it bluntly, Emperor Mingde was acting like a rogue, employing the tactic of procrastination!

After all, the date for the county examination had already been set!

Xie Zhongyuan sat in silence for a long while before finally making a decision: he would determine the number of successful candidates based on the total number of applicants, and also based on the quality of the papers. He would ignore the storms outside the examination hall.

Other officials, restless over the Emperor's ambiguous attitude, made vastly different decisions: some urged their children to register, others had their children "catch a cold" to miss this round of exams, and still others waited to see if the Zhao family's children would participate before making a move.

The Zhao family, who were the center of attention: "..."

Zhao Bin wanted nothing more than to beat his good-for-nothing son, but his reason told him not to resort to violence. Instead, he glared fiercely at Zhao Jinglin: "If you cannot secure a spot in the center of the 'Circular List' in this county exam, I will be a laughingstock for the rest of my life and have no face to remain an official!"

Madam Zhao trembled at these words.

The Circular List was the roster posted by the county office after the main examination. The names were written in concentric circles, and when the list was complete, it resembled a round cake—hence the name "Circular List." The "center of the list" referred to the first-place candidate!

Given Zhao Jinglin's level, he might have taken first place in another county, but Daxing County was filled with talent, and most candidates came from families with deep foundations. No one dared guarantee they could take the top spot!

"My lord, please do not be angry. Jinglin will try his best. The county exam is only the first hurdle; the ranking is not important. As long as he is on the list for the palace examination, only then will things be settled," Madam Zhao said, carefully observing Zhao Bin’s expression. "Many who show early talent do not necessarily succeed in the end. We must see who can make it to the final stage."

Hearing this, Zhao Bin’s livid expression softened slightly. He glared at Madam Zhao and barked, "It is you who have spoiled him into such arrogance! Even if the Cui family has fallen, they are still a ducal house. Is that something a young pup can offend?"

Seeing this, Zhao Jinglin clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with hatred.

Even Dukes have been raided and their clans wiped out!

The Duke in question was currently learning how to dress and eat with his four-year-old nephew.

"You must pay attention to the warmth this spring. When the inspection begins at dawn, it will be freezing. You must dress quickly and keep a firm grip on the hand warmer. And these dry rations are easy to digest..." Nanny Yu instructed in detail, terrified that her young master would be cold or hungry.

Cui Xiu listened quite earnestly. After all, no one had ever instructed him with such detail like a mother before. However, it was perhaps a bit too thorough.

"Nanny Yu, I... I am a grown-up now," Cui Xiu said, his face turning red as he covered his trousers and shook his head like a rattle.

Nanny Yu and the maids had actually come up with the wild idea of having him wear split-crotch trousers and diapers!

"Young master, you do not understand. They say the examination stalls are stinky—not like home at all, even stinkier than the open-air latrines in the countryside. And not only are they stinky, they are high!" Nanny Yu gestured to indicate Cui Xiu’s height, her brows knitting together. "I’ve heard of people drowning in there... phew, phew, phew!"

After spitting three times to ward off bad luck, Nanny Yu continued, "We must be prepared. Wearing split-crotch trousers is not shameful. At your age, crouching in the bushes is understandable. We must put safety first!"

Even though her words made some sense, every time Cui Xiu thought about doing *that* in public, he felt he was failing his studies. "I am a scholar now; I must keep propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame in my heart!"

"But..."

"Enough, Nanny Yu, don't try to persuade him. This little pedant is cut from the same cloth as Cui Qian霆." Cui Enhou rolled his eyes and pointed to the food basket. "Why don't you just have a carpenter turn the bamboo basket into a simple, modular chamber pot? Do you expect me to bring my brushes, ink, paper, and leftover food back home?"

Nanny Yu was shocked. "But... but bamboo baskets have been used for food and tools since ancient times. How can you compare that to something so filthy?"

"Don't try to fool me. When we went to the estate, I saw you guys throwing manure into..." Cui Enhou seemed to remember something, clutched his chest, and began to dry-heave.

Cui Xiu watched Cui Enhou leave, not daring to think about what he hadn't finished saying.

He looked at the diapers, then at the food basket, raised his hand to measure his own height, and after a long silence, sighed and raised his hand: "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, whichever one I point to is the one I choose!"

Nanny Yu looked at the suddenly crimson-faced Cui Xiu and smiled helplessly. "Alright, it is decided. No changing your mind!"

"You should also sharpen your sword at the last minute and practice reading so you can find your seat later."

Cui Xiu watched Nanny Yu go off to busy herself with the maids, sighed, and went back to reviewing the characters for numbers.

Amidst the busyness, the day of the county examination arrived.

At the fourth watch, the night watchman struck the gong with extra vigor, his shouts louder than usual, reminding candidates to depart promptly so as not to miss the time. The court's emphasis on the examination could be glimpsed from this detail. In Daxing County, because the students lived in grand mansions, the county office even set off cannons. The sound was like thunder, resounding through the heavens!

Cui Xiu was awakened by the "thunder."

"Young master, it is still early. Let us sleep for another two sticks of incense," the maid on duty said, her voice soft as she saw him sitting up. "We will carry you to the carriage, and you can wash up inside."

Cui Xiu quickly refused, pretending to be excited. "I am so excited for my first time. I can sleep when I get back." According to the plan, Cui Xiu, who was just there to make up the numbers, could leave with those who handed in their papers early, so he didn't have to sit until the very end.

As he spoke, he hurried to dress himself.

Seeing this, the maid said nothing more and hurriedly lit every lamp in the house.

After Cui Xiu finished dressing, she carefully checked him over. Once everything was in order, he took a small lantern and rode a donkey cart to the main courtyard.

The night wind carried a chill that stung his face. Cui Xiu touched his cheek and gripped the lantern, which was protected by a glass cover.

The flame burned brightly, never flickering. Compared to the past, having enough to eat, warm clothes, and an oil lamp that wouldn't blow out was already a luxury. A little cold was nothing.

With this thought, Cui Xiu arrived at the main courtyard to find it as bright as day. Cui Enhou, usually a sleepyhead, was holding an ice cube in his mouth, his eyes uncharacteristically clear.

Seeing this, Cui Xiu let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

If his unreliable uncle could be this reliable, there would be no problem with their examination.

Musing on this, Cui Xiu looked at Cui Hu and Cui Cong, who had already arrived. Since being mocked, the two had been working harder and harder, even studying during their breaks. Today, he noticed they both looked quite nervous.

"Older brothers, are you nervous?" Cui Xiu tilted his head, looking curious as he poked at their composure. "Didn't the teacher say it's just like doing exercises at home?"

Cui Cong met Cui Xiu’s curious, slightly nervous eyes. Thinking of this poor kid having to take an exam at four years old, he sighed and hastened to reassure him: "Not nervous at all. If our Xiu-ge can do it without crying or fussing and has even learned to write, what is there for your brothers to be nervous about?"

"Exactly, not nervous," Cui Hu said with a carefree air. "At worst, we’ll just throw a few iron certificates of merit at them to play with."

Cui Xiu: "..."

Cui Enhou spat out the ice cube and spoke with grand, thick-tongued bravado: "Exactly, what is there for the men of the Cui family to be nervous about? Failing is expected; passing would just be pure luck!"

Hearing the head of the family describe it this way, Cui Hu and Cui Cong exchanged a look and laughed.

That was true. Given their family's educational level, they were already the best of a bad bunch.

Cui Qian霆, listening to this "divine" conversation, couldn't be bothered with the candidates. He carefully checked the items in the bamboo baskets and looked at everyone's attire. He frowned slightly. "Add another layer. It will likely be cold today. Cui Enhou and Cui Xiu, hand in your papers and leave with the first batch. If Cui Hu and Cui Cong..."

He paused, then said in a deep voice, "If the questions are too difficult or obscure, come out early. Don't wait until dark and freeze."

The county examination began at dawn and ended at dusk. Those were the coldest times of the day.

Cui Enhou, seeing this, was uncharacteristically obedient and put on another layer, then picked up a lantern to light the way.

The group boarded the carriage, picked up Gao Feng at the Princess Changping’s mansion, and headed to the County Examination Hall.

The road to the hall was filled with carriages. The closer they got, the more the streets were guarded by Royal Embroidered Uniform Guards every few steps. These men were solemn, but they held lanterns to help the students on their way.

Bailiffs were at the street corners, directing traffic to prevent congestion and keep the young, hot-blooded students from arguing and wasting time.

Cui Xiu, adhering to his philosophy of speaking little and observing much, peeked through the corner of the curtain, watching the county exam of this dynasty with curiosity, wishing he could record every detail. After all, if he were lucky enough to become a county magistrate in the future, he would need to organize the exams himself.

As they arrived, Cui Xiu was shocked. There was a massive parking lot here, allowing servants to wait for their young masters, and a separate exit road to allow those dropping off students to leave without causing a bottleneck.

"As expected of the elite-filled Daxing County," Cui Xiu thought to himself. He declined Cui Cong’s help; it was already bright, so he didn't need the lantern. He carried his own bamboo basket—it wasn't light, but it wasn't heavy either.

He stepped out, determined to walk steadily toward the hall.

An incense stick later, Cui Xiu looked at the bold, dignified characters of the "Daxing County Examination Hall" and silently admired the calligraphy.

Then he set down his basket and joined the line.

Behind him, Cui Enhou yawned, leaning on a cane he had pulled from somewhere: "Xiu, are you sleepy? Let’s take a nap after we find our seats."

Cui Xiu nodded in agreement. In any case, they wouldn't be in the same exam stall, so he could sleep to his heart's content.

As they chatted, it was their turn to be inspected.

Cui Xiu stood on his tiptoes to place his basket on the table, letting the bailiff search it, then respectfully handed his credentials to the refined-looking clerk.

Unexpectedly, the bailiff searching the basket let out a horrified shout: "Cui Enhou, are you serious? The kid is still wearing split-crotch trousers, and you’re sending him into the exam hall to be blown by the wind and freeze all day?"