Chapter 13: Upper-Upper

"The Minor Heat assessment has concluded. The content was 'Grain-Eating Bird Disaster.' This round's score is determined by the extent of damage to each clerk's assigned farmland."

"Those whose primordial rice suffered damage of one-tenth or less shall be graded Upper."

"Those with damage of two-tenths or less shall be graded Second."

"Those with damage less than half shall be graded Third."

"Those whose damage exceeds half shall receive no grade for this assessment, and shall be punished by replanting. Use the Acceleration Art to hasten growth. If one can endure the weight of making amends, a Third-grade may be awarded as a make-up."

"The Minor Heat assessment grades have been posted publicly. Clerks may check for themselves. Regardless of results, remain diligent, guard against pride and impatience."

After Chen Shijie finished speaking, the clerk in charge of documents on the flying vessel waved a hand, and a yellow sheet drifted through the air, precisely affixing itself to the nine notice boards at the public-field grassland.

The clerks cupped their hands in salute toward the flying vessel, and once the drifting-cloud flying vessel floated away, they swarmed over with a great whoosh.

"What? Only thirty people on the Upper-grade list, and just five on the Upper-Upper?!"

"We're done for — only two hundred fourteen names on the board. Doesn't that mean half the clerks failed?"

"Brother ahead of me, please help me look — is the name Liang Bai on there?"

"Yes, Ninth on the Third-grade list, Upper-Third. Congratulations, Brother Liang."

"Sigh, only Third-grade? Last time I made the Second-grade list…"

"If the Minor Heat assessment is already this hard, how will we survive the Autumn Moon evaluation? Next spring only a handful can be taken into office anyway — screw the make-up exam! I'm out of here, going drinking!"

"Ah, fair enough. Worst case, I quit too!"

The Minor Heat assessment was considerably harder than the previous few, so the area before the board was shrouded in gloom.

Those who rejoiced were few — everyone felt they had done poorly.

Among them, a small portion couldn't care less.

Because only three to five are taken into office each year, and the assessments only grow harder from here, weeding out clerks who are neither diligent nor talented.

They were never in the running to begin with, so what's the rush? They simply gave up, not even planning to take the make-up.

What? You say getting dismissed? Let it happen. The pay was never much anyway. In this peaceful age, would quitting as a clerk actually starve anyone to death?

Of course, the vast majority still cared. Otherwise why choose this path in the first place? Besides, they'd worked so hard for so long — the sunk cost was there — so naturally they still held onto hope.

Chen Ziyu and Qian Dong were also squeezing forward desperately.

Soon, they pushed their way back out, looking utterly lost.

The two of them had gotten a Lower-Third — barely passing.

Just out of the crowd, Chen Ziyu slapped his forehead: "Right! Qian Dong, how did Big Brother do? Did you check for him just now?"

Qian Dong's drooping head lifted, hesitant: "I didn't see Big Brother's name on the Third-grade list just now. Could it be…"

"What do you mean 'could it be'? Are you saying Big Brother failed? Didn't even make the Third-grade list? He worked so hard before — if he didn't even make Third, how upset must he be? No wonder he's nowhere to be seen. Could he be taking it too hard?"

Qian Dong hurriedly shook his head: "N-no, it wouldn't come to that. Big Brother's usually so carefree — how could he let something like this… Still, he's bound to be hurt."

Chen Ziyu said worriedly: "I'll go check the board again. Qian Dong, you go search around for Big Brother first. We'll meet up at the Triangle Field later."

A quarter-hour later, at the Triangle Field.

Qian Dong saw Chen Ziyu looking utterly lost. Seeing his state, he assumed something bad had happened — why did he look even more grim than before?

"I haven't found Big Brother yet. What's wrong with you now?"

Chen Ziyu raised his head blankly: "Big Brother's name isn't on the Third-grade list."

"So what if it isn't? Failing isn't anything strange…"

Qian Dong trailed off, then couldn't help stopping: "On the Second-grade list?"

Seeing Chen Ziyu not answer, Qian Dong's mouth gradually fell open: "Could it be…"

"Yes. Big Brother is on the Upper-grade list, and ranked Upper-Upper. Tied with Wen Nanxing, Li Chengfeng, Zong Zong Shichang, and Xiao Ze."

"…"

Qian Dong's expression became just like Chen Ziyu's.

Not far from the Upper-grade list, Li Chengfeng was surrounded by people, catching the breeze on a rock.

He naturally had no need to go check in person — he had enough confidence that he would be at the top of the list.

What he enjoyed wasn't the moment the results were posted, but the adulation from the crowd right now.

"Congratulations, Brother Li, on once again making the Upper-grade list — Upper-Upper!"

"Brother Li truly lives up to his outstanding talent. How many times has this been Upper-Upper now?"

"The sixth time!"

"By next spring, we'll probably have to address him as Lord Li."

Li Chengfeng smiled and cupped his hands to those around him: "Gentlemen, don't jest. What lord or not — we're all brothers here. Besides, the Upper-Upper grade isn't mine alone. I'm far inferior to Brother Zong… Brother Zong! Brother Zong! What are you looking at?"

The burly youth beside him, Zong Zong Shichang, hearing Li Chengfeng call out, came back to himself with mild curiosity: "I'm looking at the list. Brother Li, there are five on Upper-Upper. Apart from you and me, Wen Nanxing, and Xiao Ze — this fifth person, I've never heard of."

"Oh?" Li Chengfeng couldn't help stepping forward to look. Upon seeing the unfamiliar name Zhao Xing, his brow furrowed: "Indeed never heard of him. In the Seventh Yard of the Agricultural Office, I know almost everyone. Where did this fellow spring from?"

"Could he be one of the old Agricultural Chief's people?" Zong Zong Shichang said.

"No need to overthink it. We'll pay him a visit another day and find out." Li Chengfeng narrowed his eyes.

At the same time, Wen Nanxing, Xiao Ze, and the others on the Upper-grade list also noticed the name Zhao Xing.

The Agricultural Office takes in only three to five officials each year. Other lists aside, everyone on the Upper-grade list is a competitor.

If someone else makes it, you can't — and they might even become your superior. How could one not pay attention?

It's just that Zhao Xing had always kept too low a profile, unremarkable. Asking around among acquaintances, almost no one had heard of him — at most they only knew he was a clerk under the old Agricultural Chief, which only made people more curious.

Zhao Xing didn't yet know he had drawn the attention of so many clerks. He hadn't gone to look at the list at all.

Because once Chen Shijie announced the rules, he immediately knew he was bound to be on the Upper-grade list. Why squeeze into a sweaty crowd in this heat? Better to head home early, take a bath, change clothes, and eat.

If he got back too late, Madam Cai might just hide the meat — she was exactly the sort of person who'd do something like that.

"Counting Minor Heat, this year's evaluations have had six rounds already. By convention, there are still six minor assessments tied to the solar terms to come."

"My previous five attempts: one B-middle, three C-upper, two C-lower. Quite mediocre."

"But it doesn't matter—rapid progress is itself a kind of standout. These minor exams don't look solely at results; those with good potential also have a chance of being recommended."

"If I can make the top list in every minor exam before the Winter Assessment, I'll surely catch the eye of those above. As for the old Director of Agriculture, I don't know how much effort he'll be able to put in for me by then." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

"The old Director of Agriculture, Xue Wenzhong, is famously a good man. He doesn't fight or scramble, and he's very incorruptible—never accepts gifts from anyone. Suppose that by then I'm roughly on par with the others; the crucial moment will depend on whether my superior is willing to fight for me."

"Sizzle sizzle~" The aroma of meat suddenly drifted into his nose, interrupting Zhao Xing's train of thought. He had already arrived home—the smell of meat was wafting out from the kitchen.

"Hm? Seems like they're stewing mountain ginseng and black-bone chicken soup… heh, better to arrive at the right moment than to arrive early!"