Chapter 51: Top Scorer

"The second-place runner-up is…"

As the yamen runner announced the runner-up’s native place, Wu Song and the others held their breath.

"An…"

But as the yamen runner uttered the first character, Wu Song and the others’ hearts sank.

Because Zhang Jie’s native place was Yanggu County—meaning the runner-up was still not Zhang Jie.

"Master…"

Pan Jinlian looked dazed; she gripped Zhang Jie’s hand tightly, fearing he could not bear the blow.

Even Chen Wenyun, who had had great faith in Zhang Jie, furrowed his brow.

He had faith in Zhang Jie, yes—but Zhang Jie’s name had not appeared from second to seventy-second place.

Thus, Zhang Jie’s chances of passing the provincial exam were extremely slim.

The probability that Zhang Jie would become the top scorer was no greater than him passing the palace exam next spring and being personally appointed by the Emperor as one of the top three Jinshi.

"Younger brother Renjie, waiting three more years is no hurry.

I myself plan to study a few more years before taking the palace exam.

Let us brothers first take the provincial exam together, then the palace exam,

and finally the imperial examination together—would that not be splendid?"

Chen Wenyun comforted Zhang Jie.

"Master, we’ll come back in three years."

Pan Jinlian forced a smile and clutched Zhang Jie’s hand tightly.

"Master, in three years I’ll escort you to Jinan again."

Wu Song, a warrior who rarely knew how to comfort others, patted his chest and vowed.

Wang Lao, the owner of Hao Ke Lai, took it in stride—he’d seen too many fail.

He had grown up in Hao Ke Lai, established by his ancestors, and had witnessed over a dozen provincial exams.

Hundreds, if not a thousand, juren had stayed at his inn.

Yet how many among them had passed the provincial exam?

The answer, even counting the newly passed Chen Wenyun, was fewer than ten.

In every provincial exam, among the dozens of juren staying at his inn, not one might pass.

And the top scorer—the jieyuan—since the founding of the Great Song, not one had been awarded to any single inn in Jinan in a hundred years.

After all, Jinan had over fifty century-old inns, yet only thirty-odd jieyuans in total.

Though he knew Zhang Jie had little chance of becoming jieyuan, Wang Lao said nothing sarcastic.

He was a merchant, who valued harmony for profit; he never spoke words that would offend.

He was a merchant who believed in harmony bringing wealth and never spoke words that would offend others.

Zhang Jie still smiled, patting Pan Jinlian’s hand with his right hand.

Under Zhang Jie’s calm demeanor, Pan Jinlian and Wu Song relaxed.

Under Zhang Jie’s calm demeanor, Pan Jinlian and Wu Song also grew relaxed.

Both Chen Wenyun and Wang Lao nodded at Zhang Jie’s composure.

It is not hard to remain calm at the peak of success,

but only when one remains calm at the lowest point of life does true manhood shine.

Chen Wenyun recalled his own anxiety, despair, and avoidance of reality after his first failure.

Compared to his former self, Zhang Jie’s character was exceptionally resilient—he raised his estimation of Zhang Jie another notch.

"The top scorer of the provincial exam, the jieyuan, is…"

As the yamen runners began announcing the first-place name,

the crowd fell silent; all ears strained to listen.

Though it is said "in martial arts there is no second, in literature there is no first,"

to be chosen by the chief examiner and all vice-examiners,

to surpass all other juren, the jieyuan was undeniably prestigious.

Of course, those who cheated or relied on connections did not count.

Like the Tang Dynasty’s Zhang Shi, the so-called "blank-paper zhuangyuan" who allegedly could not even write his own name.

In the second year of Tianbao under Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (743 AD), Zhang Shi took the imperial examination,

and Chancellor Li Linfu assigned Miao Jinqing and Song Yao to oversee it.

Because Zhang Yi was favored by Emperor Xuanzong, Miao and Song sought to curry favor with him,

and despite Zhang Shi’s lack of learning, they ranked him first among the jinshi—a move that provoked outrage.

An Lushan seized the opportunity to report this to Emperor Xuanzong, who personally retested candidates at the Huae Pavilion,

and Zhang Shi submitted a blank paper, earning the nickname "Yebai"; Zhang Yi was later demoted to Prefect of Huaiyang Commandery.

One could only say this blank-paper zhuangyuan was profoundly ignorant and utterly lacking in self-awareness.

…

"The jieyuan is Zhang Renjie of Yanggu County!"

After stringing the audience along for a long while, the yamen runners finally announced the name.

"Master, you’re the jieyuan?"

Pan Jinlian was instantly stunned by overwhelming joy, her body frozen in shock.

She knew Zhang Jie was a celestial being descended from heaven, but aside from the Literary Star and the Kuixing,

she had never heard of any immortal excelling so greatly in the imperial exams!

"Master!"

Wu Song’s face glowed with excitement.

He rejoiced not only that his brother-like friend Zhang Jie had become jieyuan,

but also that the Wu brothers had found a powerful patron.

This was no fault of Wu Song or Wu Dalang—it was simply that in the Great Song,

without official backing, you could not even run a decent business!

"Congratulations, Younger Brother Renjie."

Chen Wenyun congratulated Zhang Jie as joyfully as Zhang Jie had congratulated him earlier.

Yet a flicker of complex emotion crossed his face.

He had taken the provincial exam six or seven times before finally passing today with a middle rank.

Yet Zhang Jie had only passed the xiuren exam in May—just three months ago—and now he was already a juren.

Did this mean Zhang Jie might pass the palace exam next February?

More astonishing still, Zhang Jie had already topped the county, prefectural, and provincial exams—

winning all three first-place rankings, earning the title "Little Three Firsts."

Now, with the jieyuan title, did this mean Zhang Jie had a chance

to win the huiyuan and the zhuangyuan, becoming a "Great Three Firsts"?

The last person in the Great Song to achieve all three was Feng Jing, Feng San Yuan.

He passed the imperial examination under Emperor Renzong, ranking first in the provincial, ministry, and palace exams.

Later appointed Hanlin Academician, Prefect of Kaifeng, then pacifier of Shaanxi and Prefect of Taiyuan.

When Emperor Zhezong ascended, he was made Jiedu of Baoning Army, Prefect of Great Ming Prefecture, then transferred to Zhenzhang.

Later appointed Lecturer, then Minister of the Southern Imperial Court, and finally retired as Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince.

In the first year of Shaosheng (1094), Feng Jing died of illness at age seventy-four.

Emperor Zhezong personally visited his home to mourn, posthumously promoted him to Situ, granted him the posthumous title "Wen Jian," and bestowed a spirit road stele inscribed with "Jide."

Feng Jing served under four emperors—Renzong, Yingzong, Shenzong, and Zhezong—

and was praised by the world as "serving four reigns, steadfast to the end."

The thought that Zhang Jie might also achieve the Three Firsts filled Chen Wenyun with excitement;

he felt as if he were witnessing history unfold.

If the ultimate goal of a scholar was "to establish the heart of heaven and earth,

to secure the fate of the people, to continue the lost learning of the sages, to open peace for ten thousand generations,"

then achieving the Three Firsts was their ultimate ambition in the imperial examinations.

Even Wang Lao, who had been cold moments ago, now rushed to congratulate Zhang Jie.

"Brother Chen, you flatter me—I was merely lucky."

Zhang Jie’s expression was humble, not arrogant.

For him, with his golden finger, passing the exam was as easy as reaching into a pocket—nothing to be surprised by.

The only thing that surprised him was that the chief examiner had chosen him as jieyuan.

It seemed his essay had struck the examiner’s sweet spot, perfectly pleasing him.

Yet since Zhang Jie had no intention of serving the Great Song, but planned to start his own path,

what great significance did the Great Song’s jieyuan title hold for him?

Chen Wenyun now respected Zhang Jie even more: unyielding in victory, unbroken in defeat—this was the bearing of a great general or chancellor.

“The Jieyuan is here! The Jieyuan is here!”

A villager spotted Zhang Jie.

The crowd instantly surrounded Zhang Jie and his companions.

“Jieyuan, bestow some blessings upon us, let us share in your fortune!”

An old man with white hair and beard, leaning on a cane, clearly a man of great local prestige, stepped forward from the crowd,

approached Zhang Jie, and bowed slightly with a smiling face.

“Old sir, you honor me too much—this is only right and proper.”

Zhang Jie helped the old man up and replied gently.

The old man’s gesture was not an act of extortion or a demand for money, but a long-standing custom:

People believed that Jieyuan and Zhuangyuan were celestial Wenqu Stars incarnate,

possessing a “literary aura” that brought good fortune and enhanced children’s intelligence.

Thus, after every provincial examination, villagers eagerly sought to absorb a bit of this literary aura from the Jieyuan.

This was no different from scholars bowing to Confucius before the exam, consecrating their brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone,

or even rolling down the steps before the Confucian temple—all to invoke good fortune.

Zhang Jie pulled out his money pouch and scattered its contents—dozens of copper coins and a few qian of silver—into the crowd.

“Mine!”

“Mine, not yours!”

“I got a qian of silver!”

The crowd erupted into a frenzied scramble.

“Jieyuan, this is too little—not enough!”

“More! Give us more!”

After the scramble, someone in the crowd shouted out.

“Hmph—is it much? No, not much at all.”

Holding his now-empty money pouch, Zhang Jie suddenly recalled the famous line of Mr. Kong Yiji.

“Young master.”

The considerate Pan Jinlian offered him her embroidered money pouch, adorned with delicate lotus flowers.

Zhang Jie took the pouch, still faintly scented with Pan Jinlian’s body fragrance, and emptied all its copper coins into the crowd.

Finally, faced with the enthusiastic crowd, even Wu Song and Chen Wen contributed their own money pouches.