Chapter 27: Decadal Test

In the following days, Lu Beigu rose early each morning to read aloud outside the Academy courtyard.

Before the morning dew had dried, his low chanting echoed through the courtyard, accompanied by birdsong.

This diligence gradually spread, drawing a few other students to join the morning reading; it even became a notable sight at the County Academy, and the Academy Director had heard of it.

"The Master said to Yan Yuan, 'When employed, put it into practice; when not employed, keep it hidden. Only I and you possess this!' Zilu said, 'If you were to lead the three armies, whom would you take with you?' The Master said, 'I would not take one who attacks a tiger bare-handed or fords a river without a boat, risking death without regret. I would take one who, when facing a task, is apprehensive and good at planning to achieve success.'"

The Academy Director, on his way to the communal dining hall for breakfast, stopped to listen closely. He recognized Lu Beigu's voice; though low in tone, every word rang clear and resonant, as if he had drawn forth the sound of metal and stone.

He remembered this student, who had shone brilliantly in the policy essay exam before the Cold Food Festival, yet performed terribly in all other subjects. Now, hearing this recitation, he found it quite methodical. Without sufficient familiarity, one could not recite it so smoothly, without a single stumble, in one breath.

The Academy Director stroked his beard, pondered, and then turned to walk inward.

In the morning light, Lu Beigu paced while holding a book scroll. He read so intently that he did not even notice his sleeve caught on a bamboo branch.

Only upon hearing a clearing of the throat did he realize the Academy Director stood three paces away, the old man's blue cloth garment fluttering slightly in the wind.

"This student greets the Academy Director."

The Academy Director took the book from Lu Beigu's hands and glanced at the dense markings along the edges of the bamboo paper, likely used for practicing the Text Exegesis.

Without showing emotion, he opened the "Wei Zheng" chapter and suddenly asked, "What is the meaning of the chapter 'Examine what they do'?"

Lu Beigu thought for a moment and replied, "The Master taught the method of observing people: observe their actions, examine their motives, and understand what brings them joy; then the human heart has nothing to hide."

The Academy Director nodded. This was not mere rote memorization; he was a different person from the youth who could only recite by the book a month ago.

Afterwards, he tested him on several more questions.

These were not only the passages from the Analects requiring rote memorization, but also questions on the principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Book of Rites. Clearly, while Lu Beigu's recitation of the Analects had become increasingly proficient and he had gained considerable understanding of the Spring and Autumn Annals, he was still very unfamiliar with the Book of Rites.

"Which commentaries have you read recently?" the Academy Director suddenly asked.

Lu Beigu truthfully told him which books he had been reading.

"Merely reading the Zhengyi Commentary on the Book of Rites is not enough. Although it is orthodox, there are still many differences between it and the current exam content."

The Academy Director placed a hand on his shoulder. Feeling the sharp shoulder bones beneath the coarse cloth, he said, "Fang Que's Precise Meaning of the Book of Rites is likely too late to read in detail. For now, come to my place later and take three scrolls of the Book of Rites: Key Points to Read. If you have spare time, you may also go to a bookstore to buy and read the Overview of Ink Meaning in the Book of Rites."

"Yes, thank you, Academy Director."

The old man waved his hand and walked away on his own.

As for the Precise Meaning of the Book of Rites mentioned just now, it was a massive exam-preparation book totaling fifty scrolls. Its content mainly excerpted passages from the Book of Rites, appended with essential commentaries from past dynasties, and included "Ink Meaning Question Solutions," essentially a comprehensive collection of simulated exam question types. It could be fully understood as the equivalent of "Five Years of Gaokao, Three Years of Simulation."

This massive work had been reprinted multiple times during the current reign of Emperor Renzong and was listed by the Imperial Academy and the Grand School as a key recommended reading for exams. Without several months of full-time dedication, one simply could not master it, so Lu Beigu, pressed for time, could not consider it.

The Book of Rites: Key Points to Read was its simplified version, excerpting only the frequently examined passages and providing corresponding templates for Ink Meaning answers. It was a quick method for grasping key points, very suitable for a last-minute boost in scores.

Of course, such good things were sold at extremely high prices in the market.

As for the so-called Overview of Ink Meaning in the Book of Rites, its content was even more advanced and sold for an even higher price. It was essentially a collection of annotated real exam questions on Ink Meaning from provincial exams in past years. Generally, only Jinshi candidates traveling to the capital for the imperial exam would buy it; he did not need it yet.

Lu Beigu reopened the Analects; the page happened to stop at the "Shu Er" chapter.

"His character: he worked so hard he forgot to eat, and found joy that made him forget his worries."

He shook his head. Forgetting to eat was not quite the case; he had to prepare to go to the communal dining hall for breakfast. The Analects, used for reviewing Text Exegesis, were only read during morning recitation and squeezed in during meal times. The rest of his time was mostly spent on the complex and vast Spring and Autumn Annals and Book of Rites, which required great effort for reviewing Ink Meaning.

As for poetry and fu, to be honest, he had not yet had time to prepare. He hoped to find time to read relevant books during the rest stops on the journey to Chengdu Prefecture.

After breakfast, the entire morning passed.

When the glaring sunlight pierced through the window paper, Lu Beigu had already been sitting at his desk for a full two double-hours.

The pages of the Book of Rites: Key Points to Read, borrowed from the Academy Director, were frayed from being turned. With a "pat," he gently closed the volume and rubbed his aching temples.

The clamor of students outside the window made him realize he should go to the lecture hall.

Today was the day of the Decadal Test; the desks had already been arranged into single seats.

Lu Beigu, who had just arrived, had hardly sat down before the Academy Director entered with several teachers carrying exam papers.

"Forty Text Exegesis questions, twenty Ink Meaning questions."

The Academy Director distributed the hemp paper scrolls to the students in the front row: "Collection begins at the first quarter of noon; early submission is permitted."

The Decadal Test was a small assessment, intended mainly to let students understand their own level, so the students did not attach great importance to it. Having taken it many times, they felt a numbness akin to routine duty.

Lu Beigu unfolded the exam paper; the scent of ink greeted him.

The first question was a fill-in-the-blank from the Analects, "Ba Yi."

"The Master said: 'The 【____】 【____】, sorrowful yet not 【____】.'"

This was an easy question. Having read the Analects aloud every morning, although he had not yet reached the point of reciting it backwards, even the obscure "Xiang Dang" chapter could no longer stump him; this he could answer casually.

After answering all forty Text Exegesis questions, there were indeed two or three that were quite tricky, leaving Lu Beigu, who had not yet memorized the Analects perfectly, somewhat unsure if his answers were entirely correct.

However, overall, a correctness rate of over 90% could be guaranteed, which was a world apart from his previous level.

Of course, even when testing Text Exegesis, the difficulty of the County Exam Text Exegesis was simply incomparable to that of the Prefectural Exam, and this section usually did not create much score difference among top contenders.

When it came to the Ink Meaning section, the opening question on the Spring and Autumn Annals made Lu Beigu's pen hover in mid-air.

"In the twenty-fourth year of Duke Xi, the Son of Heaven went out and resided in Zheng. How is this recorded?"

Lu Beigu thought for a moment and wrote the answer, "The Son of Heaven is not said to 'go out'; here, 'go out' is used to criticize the King's lack of virtue." Then, changing his brushstroke, he added an alternative interpretation: "Although he lost his position, he was still within the borders."

After the twenty Ink Meaning questions were tested, although he did not break into a cold sweat, it was indeed far more headache-inducing than the Text Exegesis fill-in-the-blank questions on the Analects.

"Huff."

Handing in the paper, Lu Beigu let out a long sigh of relief.

Next came the moment to verify the results of his learning over the past ten-plus days.

Because there were standard answers and several grading teachers present, the grading speed was very fast; basically, the results were out shortly after submission.

Not long after waiting, the rankings and scores began to be announced.

Everyone already knew their own levels, so no one was surprised when He Cong and others continued to rank at the top.

However, when a name suddenly squeezed into the top ten, a murmur of surprise rippled through the lecture hall.

"—Lu Beigu, Text Exegesis: Yi Shang, Ink Meaning: Yi Xia, ranked ninth!"

(End of Chapter)