Chapter 152: Grading Papers

Early spring in Haojing saw several days of snowfall.

Auspicious snow foretells a bountiful year.

After the first examination concluded.

Many examinees had half a day of rest, yet still had to queue in the evening to enter the examination hall through the Dragon Gate.

However, for this half-day of respite, many examinees preferred to wait in the cold night.

Zhang Jian also stepped out.

Zhang Lu had long been waiting at the examination hall's entrance and came forward to greet him.

Besides, a soft-spoken old eunuch waddled over, bringing many delicacies.

"May I ask, sir, why you bring so much food? We should not know each other!"

At this moment, Zhang Jian looked at the eunuch, his expression somewhat surprised—of course, this surprise was mostly feigned.

As the eunuch approached, he had already vaguely guessed the man's identity.

Earlier, he had seen this old eunuch delivering messages at the Qi residence.

Indeed, the old eunuch wearing a steward's cap said gently: "Young master, do not worry—we are servants of the Long Princess's manor, sent by order to bring you warming food and drink to dispel the chill."

"Ah, so it is the princess's household—please, steward, convey my gratitude to Her Highness for her kindness!"

Zhang Jian then smiled and accepted the food basket.

The old eunuch, seeing this, gave a slight nod.

He was pleased that Zhang Jian addressed him as steward, especially since Zhang Jian's eyes were clear and free of the slightest prejudice, which made him feel at ease; he took a liking to this young man.

Soon after, they arrived before a small sedan, where he respectfully bowed.

At that moment, the person inside the sedan gave a faint nod, and immediately the attendants lifted the sedan and turned away.

"Princess Qingfeng!"

Zhang Jian thought to himself.

It seems his maternal uncle truly managed to win over that princess from Shuangju.

This prince consort is as good as secured.

He smiled faintly, then set aside such thoughts, found a place, and enjoyed a fine meal before entering the examination hall early to rest.

The second examination began punctually the next day.

This time, Zhang Jian began to employ his righteous aura according to his plan—his righteous aura moved his brush as he wrote, infusing the xuan paper in his hand; the otherwise ordinary essay now seemed to gain a spark, as if it had come alive, carrying a force that repels all evil and causes deities to retreat.

The righteous aura manifested, as if true righteous light had formed above the examination hall, thread upon thread of bright light piercing the void, causing the gods above the examination hall to retreat.

This scene was immediately noticed by the Daoist priests of the Shen Guan Guan surrounding the examination hall, who promptly sought to report it to the Qintian Tai.

One who bears righteous aura is precisely the kind of special talent the Great Qian court needs to prioritize recruiting.

Zhang Jian's guess was correct—this is indeed a bonus item in the imperial examinations.

……

Within the palace, the young Emperor Jingwu soon received the news; at this moment he was handling state affairs before the camphor table, and upon hearing it, he merely smiled and said to the eunuch who came to report:

"Continue the investigation!"

"Yes!"

The eunuch received the imperial decree and hurried away.

Emperor Jingwu pondered briefly, then immediately flipped through a memorial on the camphor table for a moment, took it out—this was precisely the memorial previously sent in secret by Wu Hongqiao, the governor of Jixian Commandery.

Besides introducing the specific situation of the bandit suppression campaign in Jixian Commandery, it also recorded commendations for two young examinees.

Among them were Shi Lun and Zhang Jian.

Emperor Jingwu glanced at it, and following the conclusion that one who bears righteous aura must have an open mind and harbor no hidden wickedness, he felt somewhat pleased.

"Indeed, loyal and righteous men!"

The young emperor smiled faintly, yet his mood had been quite good lately.

After dispatching Yang Gonghu of Changming Commandery to replace Cai Hengxing as Grand General for Pacifying the Rebellion in the south, the southern commanderies, which had been continuously erupting with rebel bandits, gradually saw them suppressed.

The Daoist priests of Shen Guan Guan also dispatched several lofty adepts to emerge into the world and suppress the arrogant aura of the Xuandu Sect.

And there is hope to capture alive the one called the Ming Wang's descent into the world, the Xuandu Sect's chief, Chang Li.

Good news came one after another, finally giving the young emperor a sense of solace.

However, Emperor Jingwu also knows that the Great Qian court, in its current state, is already burdened with deep-rooted ills; suppressing a single Xuandu Sect rebellion cannot solve the fundamental problem.

This requires capable ministers and diligent officials to continue sustaining the Great Qian court, to renew its vitality.

Emperor Jingwu at this moment is indeed yearning for virtuous talent as if thirsty.

Emperor Jingwu let out a slight sigh, then turned his gaze to the mountain of memorials piled before him, took a brief rest, and could only once again bow over the camphor table to review them.

The eunuch beside him watched this scene, having long grown accustomed to it.

Emperor Jingwu is extremely self-disciplined.

Strict with himself, naturally also strict with others.

……

The nine-day, six-night spring examination of the Ministry of Rites concluded amidst the rustling snow.

When the Dragon Gate first opened, many examinees could not help but exhale deeply, feeling as if they had transcended worlds.

Zhang Jian was the first to step out from the Dragon Gate, wearing a blue long robe; at this moment his posture was tall and upright, his body showed no fatigue, but rather radiated vigor.

"Young master!"

Seeing Zhang Jian emerge, Zhang Lu had already prepared hot water and towels for washing up, while nearby several attendants carried warm food and drink, ready to come over.

Not only Zhang Lu, but also many family members of official and gentry households had come personally to welcome them.

Zhang Jian glanced at it—this scene in the snow was truly heartwarming.

There were also jinshi who forced themselves to walk out of the examination hall, only to faint at the entrance.

As for this kind of situation, the Imperial Academy seemed to have been prepared for it long ago, and immediately the waiting langzhong stepped forward to help with medical treatment.

Some were happy, some were sad.

Some were full of confidence, while others wore faces full of disappointment.

Zhang Jian did not wait for his other good friends to come out together, but instead first washed up, and only then went to the restaurant where everyone had agreed to meet.

Zhuangyuan Ju.

This is a rather cliché name, but at this time it was extremely popular among the jinshi, and it was already packed to capacity.

When Zhang Jian stepped inside, Shi Lun, Zhan Xiong, and others hurriedly greeted him.

"Zhang brother, how did you do in the exam?"

This was the first thing the jinshi said to Zhang Jian upon seeing him; Zhang Jian merely smiled slightly, and he noticed that Shi Lun also had a smile on his face, looking as if this time had gone very smoothly.

He knew that being too ostentatious at this time was not good, but being too humble was also not acceptable; in the eyes of these young and spirited jinshi, he feared leaving behind a reputation for hypocrisy.

This would not be beneficial for his future official reputation.

"Not bad!"

Zhang Jian merely chose a moderate and proper answer, yet this also caused other jinshi to glance sideways at him, even more so with envy in their eyes.

The many jinshi celebrated together in the restaurant for a day, and then dispersed; the announcement of the results would take place in ten days, and moreover they could not relax, for if they were fortunate enough to enter the tribute list, they would still have to compete in the palace examination.

However, the palace examination of this dynasty basically only determines names, and basically no one is eliminated.

But the order of ranking still matters greatly for one's official career.

Even those who strive for half a lifetime in the third rank may not necessarily catch up to the middle stage of a first-rank jinshi who has passed the examination.

Moreover, the mental effort, resources, and risks required in between will only be greater.