Chapter 150: Examination Hall

While thousands of examinees from the provincial capital waited in Haojing City for the Ministry of Rites' metropolitan examination date to arrive,

Inside and outside the imperial capital, after consulting with the Nine Ministers, Emperor Jingwu also confirmed the chief examiner and the three deputy examiners for this examination.

The examination questions for this Ministry of Rites metropolitan examination were finalized simultaneously!

The assistant examiners were selected from fifteen individuals within the Literary and Martial Academy.

Each of these fifteen individuals must have an unblemished background and be appointed from among the young jinshi.

The duties of these assistant examiners were to assist with sealing, copying, proofreading, and so on—a series of tasks as aides to the four chief examiners.

However, after the examination questions were released, these nineteen individuals would be strictly monitored by the court of the Great Qian Dynasty to prevent any actions during this period that might affect the fairness of the court's talent selection.

At this moment, all attention inside and outside Haojing City was temporarily withdrawn from the collapsing southern battlefield and redirected to this spring metropolitan examination.

Many experienced candidates were hastily preparing.

Early spring remained extremely bitterly cold, and spending nine days and six nights consecutively in a sealed examination hall on such a cold night required not only perseverance but also preparation; otherwise, one would easily collapse midway.

Every year there are such unfortunate souls who faint midway in the examination hall and must consequently miss this triennial imperial examination.

The duration of the Ministry of Rites metropolitan examination is actually similar to that of the provincial examination: similarly divided into three sessions, held one session every three days, with three examination venues, each testing different subjects—Four Books essays, five-character eight-line regulated verse, Six Classics texts, and policy questions.

This is a physical endeavor.

Moreover, whether it is the provincial examination or the Ministry of Rites metropolitan examination, candidates enter the venue the night before and must spend a night in a cramped small space, where eating, drinking, defecating, and urinating are all completed inside.

However, this posed no problem for Zhang Jian.

Cultivators would easily surpass others in this regard.

……

However, on the eighth day of the second month, it finally arrived quietly amidst the countless calls and shouts of many examinees.

The night was cold and dark, yet torches blazed like dragons!

Before the Imperial University's examination enclosure, the Dragon Gate was slowly opening.

Before the Dragon Gate, thousands of candidates crowded outside, many wearing padded fur-lined greatcoats, holding small warmers in their hands, with personal attendants beside them carrying examination baskets containing brushes, ink, or some dry rations, kept as neat and simple as possible.

The simpler the preparation, the fewer the procedures upon entry later.

Zhang Jian was no exception; he wore a dark blue padded silk robe on his body, with a jade hairpin binding a coronet on his head, though he had not yet undergone the official coming-of-age ceremony, but at this time who could still question this?

"Zhang brother, how do you feel?"

Beside him, Shi Lun, Zhu Xiong, and several other candidates from the southern commanderies were present, and at this moment Shi Lun was smiling and chatting cheerfully.

The several candidates beside him also turned their gazes toward him.

After spending this time together, everyone knew that although this young candidate before them was younger than all of them, he was full of strategic talent and his literary brilliance shone brightly.

If one were to say who among those in the examination hall had the greatest hope of passing this Ministry of Rites metropolitan examination and entering the palace examination directly, this young candidate before them would undoubtedly rank among the foremost.

Facing the gazes of the multitude of candidates, Zhang Jian merely smiled and said.

"Three-watch lamp light, five-watch cockcrow—ten years of cold window diligent study, just to see today!"

"Not bad, just today!"

Shi Lun and the others were also greatly encouraged.

The many candidates nearby, upon hearing this, also showed smiles on their faces.

At this moment, accompanied by the clamor of several gongs and drums beside the Dragon Gate, the voice of a bailiff rang out loudly.

"The Dragon Gate is open—please, all candidates, form ranks and enter the venue; prepare all items on your person in advance; please, all candidates, must not conceal contraband, otherwise once discovered, you will be dragged to the Haojing Prefecture Office, and I implore the court to strip your official rank and never employ you again!"

Meanwhile, at this moment, squads of elite city defense troops were continuously dispatched from the surroundings to begin garrisoning the examination enclosure.

Zhang Jian also faintly sensed divine power fluctuations from the deities around him.

Before the Dragon Gate, gate officials had long been in position, beginning to inspect the items carried on the persons of the candidates.

Such inspection was actually experienced by every candidate.

This inspection was extremely strict—even dry rations would be split open, each grain examined individually, even rice grains checked for any writing.

Zhang Jian noticed that before the Dragon Gate there were still several Daoists and martial artists from the Cavern Spirit Observatory, each holding several magical implements, seemingly discerning something.

Seeing this, Zhang Jian did not mind either; he could sense that among the thousands of candidates present, there were indeed not lacking internal martial artists, and also a portion of cultivators with spiritual energy flowing within their bodies.

Obviously, the court of the Great Qian Dynasty would not exclude such existences; on the contrary, it was in a state of eagerly seeking virtuous talent.

That belongs to special skills.

If actively revealed, it would actually still be a special bonus item for extra points, not needing to undergo the imperial examination, and one could directly assume some special official posts.

……

The long queue stretched for a very long time; thousands of candidates proceeded to the examination together—what a magnificent sight, yet it would also be especially arduous; many candidates stood in the cold wind before the Dragon Gate for several hours, yet the distance to the Dragon Gate remained long, truly arduous indeed.

The only thing that could alleviate the boredom might be the increasing number of small vendors around, as well as the household scrolls of many wealthy families.

Some small vendors gathering is not hard to understand—whenever this time comes, merchants in Haojing City can sense business opportunities, and will sell brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones around, followed by various kinds of dry rations and exquisite pastries.

There is also a substitute queuing service, provided for those who have queued too long and cannot endure needing to defecate, so as not to really soil their pants just for queuing.

The weather is so cold, and still being surrounded by so many onlookers—that would simply be the ruin of decorum.

But even if there is a substitute queuing service, many candidates, after entering the examination enclosure, rush in and the first thing they do is sprint a hundred meters to seize the limited number of urinals.

When Zhang Jian entered, the sky had already begun to faintly brighten.

He first went to the red list at the examination enclosure to find his own examination hall and examination number; after confirming there was no problem, he then proceeded to queue before the main hall of the Imperial University.

According to regulation, before the spring metropolitan examination opens, there will be a ceremony where examiners lead many candidates to pay respects to the various sages enshrined at the Imperial University.

Before the sages' spirit tablets within the Imperial University, Zhang Jian clearly felt thread after thread of the divine power fluctuation of abundant incense, and besides that, there was also the pure and boundless righteous aura.

Under the leadership of four officials wearing purple robes, at this moment thousands of candidates also gathered in a vast area, beginning to complete the final step before the spring metropolitan examination.

Subsequently, the Dragon Gate would be formally sealed shut.

This examination lasting nine days and six nights also formally began at this moment.

……

Zhang Lu had been standing outside the Dragon Gate all along, watching Zhang Jian enter it, and only breathed a sigh of relief when the Dragon Gate closed.

There was still some hesitation and satisfaction in Zhang Lu's eyes.

He had considerable confidence in Zhang Jian, having personally watched his young master make his way all along the road.

All that remained was to wait quietly for news.

He intended to take the opportunity to return and first write a letter reporting the situation to the clan chief Zhang Yi, to announce his safety.

But just as he was preparing to go back, he saw a beautiful woman walking toward him; the woman's bearing was dignified, clearly from a wealthy and noble family, with an exquisite hairpin on her head, and she smiled as she stepped forward to ask.

"Young sir, is your young master surnamed Zhang, that famous young scholar from Fengyang Prefecture??"