Chapter 101

The imperial court's clerk evaluation system has the Temple Examination as the final hurdle.

At the Mao hour on February 3rd, Zhao Xing left his home and rushed to the Agricultural Official's office.

At the third quarter of the Mao hour, all fifteen people taking the exam arrived. Including Zong Shichang, Xiao Ze, Wen Nanxing, Ding Shan, and others.

Chen Shijie and other assistant officials of the Agricultural Official's office had also been waiting here for a long time.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Chen Shijie spoke: "Whether you can be appointed depends on today."

"You all have hope of passing. Don't be nervous in a while, keep a normal heart, and just perform normally."

"I and the other lords wish you all success."

"Thank you, my lord." All the clerks bowed and thanked him.

After the polite words were finished, Chen Shijie continued:

"In the washroom at the back, there is a set of special clothing for the exam."

"Remove this set of clothes; no external objects are allowed to be carried."

"There are still three quarters of an hour; go inside and change your clothes first."

The clerks were already familiar with the rules of the Temple Examination, so they all walked inside one after another and began to change clothes.

Zhao Xing also walked in and changed into a long gown.

He didn't bring any external objects at all; even the sixth-grade soul armor had been removed and hidden in the Great Dream Academy, kept by the mechanical beast Xie Zhi.

Originally, the Great Dream Academy didn't provide this function, and other things were generally allowed to be taken out but not brought in, but the soul armor was special and allowed both.

As for other items, such as the ominous-avoiding almanac and the thousand-mile transmission token, they were borrowed at the time and had been returned to the Agricultural Official's inner treasury after the Profound Heaven Sect incident.

The wind crystal earrings were left at home, so he could be said to be alone.

After changing clothes, Zhao Xing came out with the other clerks to wait.

At this time, everyone was not whispering but waiting silently.

At the sixth quarter of the Mao hour, a cloud-rain building ship came from the south and landed at the Gucheng Agricultural Official's office.

Four officials came down from it.

Among them were two temple masters, holding four statues of the Commandery Prince.

There were also two seventh-grade proctors.

After reading the rules as usual.

At the exact hour of the Chen hour, they led the fifteen clerks of the Agricultural Official's office into the temple of Gucheng.

Under the guidance of the temple master.

The clerks first worshipped the halls of the temple, such as the East Lake True Person Hall, the Caoxi True Person Hall, and the All-Saints Hall.

This process is to thank the Yin gods for passing down the Dharma.

Zhao Xing mainly worshipped Caoxi and Zheng Lun.

Most of his spells were passed down by these two Yin gods.

The process of worshipping the gods ended.

The fifteen clerks then came to the Tianxin Square in the center of the temple and stood still.

At the third quarter of the Chen hour, the two temple masters from the prefecture city placed the Commandery Prince statues in the four corners of the square.

"Hum~"

With the shining of golden light, a new palace suddenly appeared at the location of Tianxin Square.

The fifteen candidates, who were originally standing in the center of the square, suddenly appeared in this new palace the next moment.

The Tianxin Hall is dedicated to the Founding Emperor of the Great Zhou.

It is only activated during major festivals such as the Temple Examination and the Son of Heaven's sacrifice once a year.

"Worship!"

The temple master led the candidates to burn incense and worship the statue of the Founding Emperor.

Thanking him for establishing the temple and passing down ten thousand laws, and setting up the clerk evaluation system, giving the bottom-level small clerks a path to rise.

At the fourth quarter of the Chen hour.

The temple master threw the yellow paper representing the clerks' names into the red copper incense burner before the Founding Emperor's spirit platform.

"Hum~"

The next moment, fifteen tables and chairs emerged from the ground.

"Please clerks, take your seats according to your numbers."

Zhao Xing found the long desk with his name and sat down.

"Clatter~"

As soon as he sat down, brush, ink, paper, and inkstone appeared.

Looking up, the figures of the other candidates and officials faded away.

The theoretical part of the Temple Examination officially began.

It lasted for a total of thirty-six hours.

Leaving the seat area counts as submitting the paper early.

Once the time is up, you cannot answer anymore.

"It's finally here."

Zhao Xing slowly let out a breath, then picked up the test paper on the table and began to review it from beginning to end.

There were forty sheets in total.

Among them, thirty were exam questions, and ten were blank.

Just like the White Dew solar term assessment at that time, it was the questions Chen Shijie set according to the imperial court's standards.

The first ten sheets were basic questions, which belonged to questions that could be scored by rote memorization. Compared with the White Dew assessment, this kind of basic question was reduced by one-third.

The Temple Examination involves official appointment, so the freebie questions will be fewer.

Zhao Xing looked at it roughly and began to answer the basic questions.

["The Heavenly Timing Hundred Solutions" was written in which dynasty, which year, and which month, and by whom? What rank does it hold in the All-Saints Hall of this dynasty?]

Zhao Xing quickly wrote down the answer: [Qian Dynasty, 149th year of Zhiyuan, July, written by Grand Agricultural Official Chen Yi, ranked 27th in the All-Saints Hall of this dynasty.]

On the day of Great Heat, rotten grass turns into fireflies. ________ Five days later, heavy rain falls in time.

Answer: Five days later, the soil is moist and the heat is humid.

Rotten grass does not turn into fireflies, and the grain falls fresh. ________

Answer: The soil is moist but not humid, and things do not respond to punishment. Heavy rain does not fall in time, and the country has no grace.

Zhao Xing answered fluently, and soon the basic freebie questions were finished.

He arrived at the advanced scenario questions that screen candidates.

["In the land of Nanzheng, one wants to take its soil, but the soil-loosening is powerless, and instead, it helps fire to produce soil; using metal to drain the beauty, the dry soil makes the metal brittle, making it difficult to use. How to solve it?"]

Seeing this question, Zhao Xing frowned slightly.

He didn't expect the first scenario question on the eleventh sheet to be so intense.

["This question tests the method of taking and using soil, but why does the situation of using metal to drain the beauty and dry soil making the metal brittle occur?"]

There is a method to taking soil, so this question should be answered according to the way of taking and using spring soil, summer soil, autumn soil, and winter soil in "The Monthly Method of Taking and Using Soil."

The soil-loosening is powerless, and instead, it helps fire to produce soil, proving that what is taken is "summer soil."

Using the metal-element power in the earth veins to drain the beauty is supposedly the method mentioned in "The Monthly Method of Taking and Using Soil." How could the situation where the earth vein power "dries the soil and makes the metal brittle," making it difficult to use, occur?

Zhao Xing's eyes scanned the question back and forth, landing on the two words "Nanzheng." Two seconds later, he suddenly realized.

Then he picked up his pen and answered: ["The land of Nanzheng is the ancestral land of this dynasty, and it only has two seasons: summer and autumn."]

["Without the harmony of spring and winter yin cold, it causes excessive summer fire. To take summer soil, one needs to take water from the source. The earth vein power is weak but not cut off. Using water-element earth veins to moisten the soil and control the fire, supplemented by metal-element earth veins to drain the beauty, then the merit of completion can be achieved."]

After writing, Zhao Xing finally relaxed his brows.

The monthly taking and using of soil belongs to the content in "The Benefits of the Five Elements of Earth Veins."

But the question has more than this one difficulty; it also tests the clerk's understanding of world geography.

What kind of land is Nanzheng? That is the Founding Emperor's hometown!

You don't even know that such a famous place only has two seasons, summer and autumn, and you still want to be an official?

Go back to your hometown to feed pigs!

If the clerk doesn't understand the situation in Nanzheng, they will definitely scratch their heads.

But knowing the situation in Nanzheng, this question is much easier to answer. Remembering the method of adapting to the five-element earth veins, you can answer it.

For the following scenario questions, Zhao Xing carefully examined the questions and answered them, basically answering them very fluently.

When it came to the last big question, his fluent thinking was hindered.

["There is an island in the North Sea. On the day of the start of winter, the water begins to freeze. Five days later, the sea begins to freeze. Five days later, a giant whale breaks through the ice and turns into a black bird, and a pale bird enters the water and turns into a purple snake. Five days later, the earth fire at the bottom of the sea erupts."]

["There are ten million islanders, and there are only two departments: Agricultural Official and Heavenly Work. If you are the main Agricultural Official, how should you resolve this natural disaster?"]

Zhao Xing looked at this question and couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. He thought he had misread it.

As the last big question of the advanced scenario questions, it is indeed difficult.

But Zhao Xing was stunned not because the question was difficult.

It was because he had done it when he was a player.

And the impression was very deep.

Because he did it wrong back then, and he didn't change his profession just because of this question.

["The last island natural disaster question has become a freebie question." Zhao Xing was happy.]

This is a "phenology question," and what is mentioned in the question is a niche hundred-year phenology.

The giant whale breaking through the ice and turning into a black bird, and the pale bird entering the water and turning into a purple snake. Five days later, the earth fire at the bottom of the sea erupts, these are all hundred-year phenological phenomena.

The natural disaster caused by hundred-year phenology asks how you, as the Agricultural Official on the island, should respond.

There are three difficulties in the question: one is to recognize that this is a hundred-year phenology and confirm the intensity of the natural disaster.

The second is to calculate the strength of one's own side in the scenario of the question through existing conditions.

The third is to provide a proper method to solve the natural disaster.

First point, although hundred-year phenology is niche, it is not difficult for a well-read clerk to know. The black bird and the purple snake are both sixth-grade exotic beasts. At the same time, hundred-year phenology will only cause changes in a single number of species, which means there is only one black bird and one purple snake here.

Second point, through the existing conditions in the question, derive the power you can use.

The scale of "ten million islanders," the specifications of the Agricultural Official's office, the Heavenly Work workshop, and their internal treasuries must not be lower than the fifth grade.

This is to test the clerk's understanding of the Great Zhou official system.

Other departments are not required, but the Heavenly Work workshop and the Agricultural Official's office are strongly related departments and must be understood.

In addition, the question does not mention other institutions, so when answering, you cannot involve other imperial court departments.

Otherwise, just answer "one hundred thousand troops come out together, kill the black bird and the purple snake, and have a barbecue," and that's it.

There is another trap in the second point, which is "there is an island in the North Sea" in the first sentence.

["The North Sea is a key border area, and its islanders exceed ten million. The specifications of the Agricultural Official's office and the Heavenly Work workshop treasury must be raised by one level. Sixth-grade treasures can be used to fight the enemy. You can choose from large divine weapons such as dragon-bone building ships and mysterious giant crossbows, as well as divine weapons worn by individuals such as 'Wind-Thunder Straw Raincoat,' 'Hundred-Flower Bamboo Hat,' and 'Wind-Evil Bead.'"]

["However, these treasures cannot be used indiscriminately and must be reasonably matched."]

["This also involves the third point, giving a proper solution."]

Zhao Xing didn't rush to write, but sorted out his answering ideas in his mind.

After confirming that there was no problem, he picked up his pen.

["The giant whale breaks through the ice and turns into a black bird, and the pale bird enters the water and turns into a purple snake. This is the hundred-year phenological change of the North Sea."]

["The black bird and the pale bird are both sixth-grade exotic beasts."]

["The North Sea key area has ten million islanders, so a sixth-grade treasury must be set up."]

["When the natural disaster is about to arrive, quickly order the Heavenly Work workshops all over the island to open the large sixth-grade divine weapon 'Boundary of Ink Defense' to protect the people."]

["After that, go to sea with dragon-bone building ships, accompanied by dragon-head building ships, and release cloud-flowing flying boats to save the people outside the island."]

["The main Agricultural Official should activate the sixth-grade 'Wind-Thunder Straw Raincoat' in the treasury to move with divine speed."]

["The sixth-grade hundred-flower bamboo hat enhances its method."]

["Request the two books 'Hou Tu' and 'Four Seas' to calm the earth veins and return the four seas to the ruins."]

["Cast the 'Solar Term Order' to reverse the three phenological changes of the start of winter, cycle back and forth, and make the black bird turn back into a whale and the purple snake turn back into a pale bird..."]

Because he knew the answer, Zhao Xing wrote very smoothly and finished the question in one breath.

In order not to lose points on this question, he also provided multiple plans, including follow-up appeasement measures.

Of course, these are all minor details. Even without a backup plan, it is enough. As for appeasing the people, just mention it in passing, because this is not the duty of the Agricultural Official.

The question itself mainly tests the clerk's understanding of phenology, the North Sea, the official system, and treasures.

It is a comprehensive assessment of the clerk's quality to see if you are really prepared to be an official.

If you can answer one or two of the problems encountered by sixth or seventh-grade officials, then it is basically no problem to let you be a ninth-grade official.

This is the thinking of the question setter.

Time passed slowly. After the advanced scenario questions, Zhao Xing's answering became smoother and smoother.

He also saw familiar questions many times.

Unknowingly, only one sheet of paper was left in front of him.

There was only one question on it.

["Please match the five elements, heavenly stems, and earthly branches with the four seasons, and explain the matching thinking."]

["The teacher guessed the exam question."]

Zhao Xing smiled slightly.

The theoretical question of the White Dew assessment was set by Xue Wenzhong.

The last big question was exactly the same as the one in front of him.

["The old Agricultural Official is really a good teacher. These fifteen people in Gucheng will all benefit from him today."]

He had tested it before, and after the event, he made his standard answer public for everyone to ponder.

This will give the clerks of Gucheng an advantage on the last big question.

Zhao Xing sighed in his heart and then began to answer.

This time he didn't intend to make any changes and just answered according to the standard of the last time.

The last answer could make Chen Shijie, the Earth-Benefit school examiner, meow like a cat. This Temple Examination is also completely enough.

["The current mainstream is the theory that earth is king in the late summer. If I answer the theory that earth is king in the four seasons, it would be too advanced, and it might even be counterproductive."]

Having made up his mind, Zhao Xing began to answer.

He was not afraid that other clerks would surpass him, because the difficulty of the previous questions was already high enough. Furthermore, only the people in Gucheng saw his standard answer, and the Temple Examination selection is conducted by the imperial court as a whole.

Being colleagues, it doesn't matter if others get some light.

["Of the five elements, none is more precious than earth. Earth has no command over the four seasons, and it does not share merit with fire."]

["Wood, fire, metal, and water each govern one season, while earth resides in the center, holding the rope to control the four directions."]

["The theory that earth is king in late summer says..."]

After writing, Zhao Xing reviewed all the answers twice.

Confirming that there was no omission, he stood up and left his seat.

"Hum~"

As soon as he stood up, he immediately saw the other clerks and the proctoring officials again.

At this time, there were Yin gods patrolling outside, and no one could cheat through external force.

"Clerk Zhao Xing, can you confirm that you have finished answering?"

An official asked.

"Reporting to my lord, I confirm." Zhao Xing bowed.

"Hu~"

As soon as the words fell, the test paper flew up automatically and entered the incense burner of the Tianxin Hall to be burned.

He saw the answer sheet jumping in the golden flame, but it was not burned. After rolling a few times, it disappeared.

"You are the first to submit the paper. You can choose to rest for half an hour or immediately proceed to the second half of the Temple Examination." The proctor said expressionlessly.

"I choose to proceed to the field assessment immediately."

As soon as Zhao Xing's words fell.

Hum~

The statue in the Tianxin Hall emitted bursts of golden light.

Then Zhao Xing found that the other clerks were gone, the sky was dark, and he appeared on a golden field.

Zhao Xing knew that this was entering the internal assessment space brought by the Tianxin Hall.

It is refined from fragments of small grotto-heaven worlds.

Although it is a small world fragment.

But the place is still very large.

Zhao Xing looked with his bright eyes and couldn't see the end at all.

"Hum~"

Just as he was looking around, a golden document floated over from the sky and landed in front of Zhao Xing, opening automatically.

["Clerk Zhao Xing, the spatial range of this assessment takes the standard of a lower county."]

["The assessment time is twelve hours."]

["You need to observe the heavenly timing, geographical advantages, and time yourself."]

["And complete the assessment according to the following requirements."]

Zhao Xing took the document and looked at the assessment requirements:

["Spread clouds at the Chen hour, send thunder at the Si hour, rain at the Wu hour, and have enough rain at the Wei hour, for a total of forty-eight points of rain? And it must cover the entire assessment space?"]

Zhao Xing frowned and found that things were not simple.

["The sky is dark. If you haven't practiced the general spell of Bright Eyes, you can't even see, which greatly increases the difficulty of casting spells. This is the first difficulty."]

["Spread clouds at the Chen hour, send thunder at the Si hour, rain at the Wu hour, and have enough rain at the Wei hour, lasting a total of four hours, testing the clerk's endurance. This is the second difficulty."]

["To cover the range of a lower county, the realm in the four laws of heavenly timing cannot be too low. This is the third difficulty."]

["Forty-eight points of rain, accurate to the exact amount, testing the ability to control spells. This is the fourth difficulty."]

["The clerk didn't bring an almanac, and it is in a dark environment, making it very difficult to judge what time it is from the outside. If you miss the time, you will be deducted a lot of points! This is the fifth difficulty."]

There are five difficulties in total, and none of them are simple.

For a clerk to be regularized and appointed, it is really like thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge.

And the field assessment accounts for a heavy proportion.

No matter how excellent the theory is, if the field assessment score is too low, it is absolutely impossible to be an Agricultural Official.

If you can't even pass, and you really become an Agricultural Official, you might cause the people under your command to be displaced and suffer major disasters.

How can you be assured to let people be officials? Isn't that harming others and yourself?

["The literary Agricultural Official is already like this, which shows the difficulty of the military Agricultural Official." Zhao Xing sighed. "But this can't stump me."]

The Bright Eyes spell is at full level, and the dark night is not an obstacle for Zhao Xing. He quickly jumped to a high place and looked at the surrounding environment, finding that they were all plains and fields, and there was no big difference.

According to the humidity and temperature in the air, and observing the plant growth in the fields, it can be concluded that this is early summer.

The rainwater in heaven and earth is at a relatively balanced level.

For a clerk, it is a neutral condition for casting spells.

The examiner finally didn't make a fuss about the terrain and landforms, otherwise, if there were extreme terrain and extreme weather, the clerks taking the exam would really be worried to death.

Covering the range of a lower county, four hours of endurance, precise spell control, these are not difficult things for Zhao Xing.

The only thing that is a bit troublesome is accurately calculating the time.

["No almanac, no sunrise, even the dark night is deliberately set, obstructing most of the clerk's methods of judging time."]

["Walking clouds, spreading rain, and sending thunder must all start and end on the hour. Even a little error will lead to point deduction."]

["If you don't know the time, you can't start. You must first judge what time it is now."]

Zhao Xing thought for a while and immediately squatted down to touch the soil under his feet.