Chapter 208: Imperial Birthday Opens Grace Examination

The 13th Year of Emperor Jia Zhao, the 8th day of the fifth month.

For the thousands of students in the Great Zhou, this year was a rare year of imperial grace.

To celebrate the Retired Emperor's 65th birthday in the fifth month, the Emperor not only issued an edict for a grand celebration of the Retired Emperor's birthday but also opened a special Grace Examination in the fifth month of this year.

The Great Zhou provincial examination was originally held once every three years. According to the normal schedule, it would not be held until the eighth month of next year. If one failed, one would have to wait three years for another chance, wasting six years in the back-and-forth.

And how many six-year periods are there in a life? The provincial examination was already the midpoint of the imperial examination. Only those who passed could have the qualifications to be selected as officials; it was truly entering the official class, which was no easy task.

Many scholars were defeated repeatedly, having to go through several provincial examinations to pass, and ten-plus years would pass in a snap of the fingers.

Therefore, this Grace Examination in the fifth month was nothing short of great good news for the scholars waiting for the Autumn Examination.

Because, if one failed this Grace Examination, one could still participate in the regular provincial examination in the eighth month of next year, saving half the time compared to the normal situation, and the probability of passing would also be greatly improved.

But because the Grace Examination was sudden and could not be predicted long in advance, students participating in the Grace Examination would have insufficient preparation, mostly serving as a warm-up for the regular examination.

Even so, encountering a Grace Examination on the road to the imperial examination was also great luck for a student.

After Jia Cong returned from Jin Ling, Liu Jing'an formulated a meticulous curriculum for him. Writing essays and policy papers became a necessary daily task for Jia Cong, which could be called hellish pre-exam drilling.

Last year, the Emperor settled the dispute over the etiquette of the Empress Dowager and built a temple for his birth mother, Empress Xianxiao, to settle her spirit.

By the last month, Jia Cong discovered that the topics and trends of the essays and policy papers Liu Jing'an gave him were increasingly fitting the current situation and the Emperor's heart, and he gradually realized the risks involved...

His teacher had served as the Minister of Rites for many years, had been the chief examiner for several provincial and metropolitan examinations, had participated in the review of imperial examination questions many times, and was himself a top scholar.

He also listed detailed books, let him take them to Jin Ling, and let him not be lazy in his studies during his time in Jin Ling, because he anticipated the possibility of the Emperor opening a Grace Examination the following year.

Many people were only wise after the event, or could only understand the truth after the incident.

The dignity of the imperial system, balancing the situation without being overly negligent, was the way of balance and power. After the consecration of the Daci'en Temple, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao celebrated the Retired Emperor's 65th birthday, and his original intention lay in this.

That day, when Liu Xiaoping asked Jia Cong to read the essays and policy papers annotated by Liu Jing'an, he had an extra thought and gave him ordinary practice works from a few months earlier.

And Jia Cong's mentor, Liu Jing'an, had served as the Minister of Rites for more than ten years, had floated and sunk in the official sea, had deep wisdom, and had presided over many provincial and metropolitan examinations in the Great Zhou.

Liu Jing'an's wisdom was respected even by Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao. How could he not infer and guess what the Emperor could think of?

It was truly the luck of a lifetime for Jia Cong to be able to worship such a famous teacher.

His immersion in the study of literature and imperial examinations was so deep that ordinary people could not reach it. Otherwise, how could he have the name of a Master of Learning?

Compared to amnesty, the Grace Examination could win the hearts of scholars all over the world, while at the same time giving the Retired Emperor enough honor and filial piety.

This was also why he would seize the time to teach him before Jia Cong went to Jin Ling, sorting out the key points of the provincial examination subjects for him.

He had a much higher cognition and judgment of the connection between the court changes and the imperial examination than ordinary people.

And the two ways to show imperial power to the world were amnesty and the Grace Examination.

Although it was a move to manifest imperial power and weigh the world, it always caused some impact on the Retired Emperor and Empress Dowager Yizhang who were being honored in the Chonghua Palace.

The slight etiquette flaws brought about by the Empress Dowager's matter last year were also eliminated by the Grace Examination opened for the Retired Emperor's longevity.

But Liu Jing'an vaguely guessed the subsequent connection when the Daci'en Temple began construction last year and the news of the Retired Emperor's 65th birthday came out of the palace.

And Liu Jing'an's essay topics in the last month, he did not take out a single one. It was not that he was taboo about Liu Xiaoping and others seeing Liu Jing'an's annotated articles and thus surpassing him in the examination field.

It was that three people make a tiger, and many people have many mouths. If Liu Xiaoping had unexpected gains because of these annotated essays and policy papers, and thus passed the Autumn Examination, and inadvertently spread rumors, that would cause trouble.

Liu Jing'an's essay topics in the last month were just discussed and commented on with one of his own disciples, which was a harmless matter.

But if it spread and everyone knew, and finally it was unexpectedly similar to the exam questions, then it would be unclear.

The imperial examination was the country's grand ceremony for selecting talents. The control over the malpractice of all dynasties was very strict. They would rather kill the wrong than let it go. There were countless people with overflowing talent who were innocently implicated.

Therefore, at this juncture, even if the fellow students were close, Jia Cong was extremely cautious and did not hold any luck.

Early in the morning, before dawn, Daiyu had already gotten up.

Zi Juan hurriedly got up to serve, helping Daiyu comb her hair and tie her bun while saying, "I heard the Miss tossing and turning all night, refusing to sleep, and getting up so early today, not taking care of her body."

"Today is the first session of the Third Brother's provincial examination. I'm going early to see him off, fearing I'll miss the time, so I didn't sleep well. I'll make up for it when I get back. What does it matter?"

The Qingzhi Studio was also busy early in the morning. Wu'er went to prepare breakfast, Zhi Shao was helping Jia Cong wash, and Qingwen and Zhen Ying Lian were tidying up the things for the exam.

Daiyu brought Zi Juan over, checked the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, various dry food and food in Jia Cong's exam box to see if anything was missing, and also looked at the lined jacket and cotton quilt he was carrying.

The provincial examination was divided into three sessions, each session for three days, and one had to spend two nights in the exam shed.

It was still the fifth month, and the Divine Capital was located in the north. At night, the temperature was far lower than during the day, so lined jackets and cotton quilts were indispensable.

Daiyu worried that the partitions in the exam shed were too hard and Jia Cong wouldn't sleep well, so she asked Qingwen to add a mattress and prepared a few white candles in the exam box to prevent insufficient candlelight for answering questions at night.

Jia Cong saw Daiyu acting unlike her usual young lady self, doing these subtle things in an orderly manner, and watched her busy back and forth with great interest.

At this time, Yingchun and Seeing Tan Chun also rushed to see him off. Seeing Daiyu's appearance, Yingchun laughed, "Sister Lin is the most meticulous."

Daiyu blushed upon hearing this.

She said, "These exam matters were all heard from my father since I was a child. It's a pity I am a girl and have no chance to break the laurel in the toad palace. Today, I'll just use them all on the Third Brother."

Lixiang Courtyard, the lights were on early in the morning.

Xue Yima Xue was advanced in years and was used to going to bed early and getting up early. She saw the maids and old women in the house already shuttling through the corridors outside at this hour.

She hurriedly left her room and found the lights in her daughter's room were bright. When she went in to see, she saw her daughter dressed neatly and about to go out.

"It's not dawn yet, where are you going so early?"

"Mom, today is the first session of Brother Cong's provincial examination. I'm going with the sisters in the garden to see him off and wish him good luck."

Xue Yima Xue was, after all, somewhat sophisticated and knew some things, so she asked, "Isn't the provincial examination always in the autumn?"

"Mom, this year is the Retired Emperor's 65th birthday, and the court opened a Grace Examination in the fifth month. It's a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity. Brother Cong might pass this time."

These days, when the sisters were together, the topic could not be separated from Jia Cong's provincial examination. Among them, Daiyu was most familiar with the rules of the examination field because her father was a top scholar.

But the Xue family had not produced a scholar for two generations, and Baochai was originally somewhat unfamiliar with the imperial examination. During this period, she heard the sisters talk about it more, and she paid extra attention to it, becoming familiar with it.

Xue Yima Xue saw the joy on her daughter's face, and her eyebrows couldn't help but frown slightly. Fortunately, she wasn't going alone; there were those sisters from the Jia manor, so that was it.

When Baochai came, she brought a box of ginseng and poria cakes, which were still steaming. The food for the three days of the exam was self-prepared. This thing could satisfy hunger and boost energy, which was just right for the exam shed.

Baoyu naturally wouldn't appear on such an occasion. He would hide if he could; why would he find trouble for himself?

A group of sisters sent him to the second gate of the garden. There were already carriages and horses prepared by Jia Zheng in advance, and two clever little servants were sent to follow.

Daiyu and the other sisters watched Jia Cong board the carriage. The morning breeze blew his scholar's cap and gown, as if he were walking on the wind.

In the early morning of the fifth month, the darkness gradually faded, and the first ray of dawn burst forth in the distant sky.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 209 =====