Chapter 52

"Top provincial scholar, Chief Examiner Li and the prefecture government office invite you."

After the commoners gradually dispersed, a yamen runner came to inform Zhang Jie.

Zhang Jie understood: after the provincial exam results are posted, the prefecture government office inevitably has to hold a banquet to celebrate the new provincial graduate.

The banquets held after passing the imperial examinations are called the "Four Imperial Examination Banquets"—the Deer-Calling Banquet, the Qionglin Banquet, the Eagle-Raising Banquet, and the Martial Banquet.

In the Great Song, the Deer-Calling Banquet is divided into two types: one is a banquet held for the new Jinshi,

and the other is a banquet set for the new Juren.

Although both are called the Deer-Calling Banquet, the scale and level of importance for the Jinshi far exceed those for the Juren.

The Juren's Deer-Calling Banquet is attended by the provincial examiners and officials of the prefecture,

while the Jinshi's Deer-Calling Banquet is attended by high-ranking central officials, imperial relatives, and even the emperor.

After delivering the message, the yamen runner lingered and did not leave.

Pan Jinlian, who had not dealt much with the yamen, was a bit puzzled.

However, Wu Song, who had once injured a clerk in Qinghe County, was clear about it:

This yamen runner wanted to ask for a "tip," meaning he wanted some benefits.

Just as he was about to pay out of his own pocket for Zhang Jie, whose money pouch was already empty,

he discovered that his own money pouch was also empty.

Zhang Jie, who also understood the runner's meaning, had a somewhat stiff smile on his face.

By the rules, giving some benefits to those who come to report good news is an unwritten rule.

Moreover, since the runner is looking at you with such a smile, you can't possibly show nothing, right?

But now, his money pouch is so empty that even if a mouse went in, it would have to write an "Inscription on My Humble Abode" overnight!

While Zhang Jie was thinking about whether to just be thick-skinned

and try to muddle through, Wang Laoban of the Haoke Lai Inn stepped forward.

He took five taels of silver from his sleeve and handed them to the yamen runner:

"The weather is quite hot; this is for the brothers to drink tea and cool off, courtesy of the Jieyuan."

"Many thanks, Jieyuan."

The yamen runner, having weighed the silver, thanked him with satisfaction.

These five taels of silver were equivalent to three or four months of his salary.

Even if he had to share it with a few brothers, it was still a significant extra income.

"Wang Laoban, you have really done me a huge favor!

I will certainly return the silver to you after I go back."

After watching the yamen runner leave, Zhang Jie said to Wang Laoban,

whose face was round and who always wore a smile, looking like a Maitreya Buddha who values harmony as the key to wealth.

"Not at all, not at all. That the Jieyuan can stay at my humble inn makes it shine with glory!

How could I let the Jieyuan spend his own money?"

Wang Laoban waved his hands repeatedly to refuse.

"That won't do."

Zhang Jie did not want to owe Wang Laoban a favor.

The bowl of "favors" is very difficult to swallow.

"Then I would trouble the Jieyuan to leave some calligraphy at my inn for me to admire in the future."

Seeing Zhang Jie's firm attitude, Wang Laoban's eyes rolled, and he spoke up.

"Fine."

Zhang Jie nodded and agreed immediately.

A few pieces of calligraphy and painting could offset this favor, which was undoubtedly very cost-effective.

"Hehe! This time I've made a huge profit!"

Having obtained Zhang Jie's promise, Wang Laoban's eyes squinted into slits.

He had not expected that for this provincial exam, his ancestral grave would be smoking with good fortune!

Not only did a Juren emerge, but even a Jieyuan emerged.

As long as he goes back to tidy up and decorate the room Zhang Jie stayed in, and hangs up a few of Zhang Jie's calligraphic works,

next time the provincial exam comes around, wouldn't the silver come pouring in like water?

There are so many Xiucais going to the Confucius Temple to worship Confucius; how could the old gentleman Confucius possibly protect them all?

It would be better to come to his Haoke Lai Inn and stay in the room that has absorbed the Jieyuan's literary Qi.

For a room where a Jieyuan has stayed, wouldn't it be reasonable for him to charge fifty or a hundred taels of silver a night?

Wang Laoban: This Xiucai, you wouldn't want to fail the Juren exam yourself, would you?

If you come, I will let the Jieyuan's room bless you;

if you don't come, I will have to let the Jieyuan's room bless your competitors, oh~

The happier Wang Laoban became, the more his eyes closed completely.

If Zhang Jie knew Wang Laoban's thoughts, he would definitely give him a thumbs up:

"Hey! You really are a talent!"

Arriving outside the Jinan Prefecture yamen where the Deer-Calling Banquet was being held,

Zhang Jie let Pan Jinlian and Wu Song go back first, while he took Chen Wen to attend the banquet.

"Brother Zhang."

As soon as Zhang Jie entered the yamen, the new Juren who came to greet him were endless.

Although Zhang Jie's age was quite young among the Juren, who averaged over thirty,

according to custom, Zhang Jie, as the Jieyuan, was the leader of their cohort of Juren.

Although there were arrogant Juren who looked down on Zhang Jie, a junior who "hadn't even grown all his hair,"

since Zhang Jie was standing there, it meant that Zhang Jie had the ability to stand on equal footing with them, or even surpass them.

Almost no one who can pass the Juren exam is a fool; they would only silently curse Zhang Jie in their hearts,

"A child prodigy may not necessarily be great when grown."

Naturally, no one came out to directly belittle or mock Zhang Jie.

This made Zhang Jie, who had never had the chance to show off and slap faces, feel a bit regretful:

Where did those stupid, brain-dead supporting characters who were born just to let the protagonist show off and slap faces go?

"Renjie is here, come over and sit."

As soon as Zhang Jie entered the banquet hall, the chief examiner of the provincial exam, sitting in the main seat, greeted him.

"Many thanks, Master."

After Zhang Jie thanked him, he sat down generously to the lower left of the chief examiner.

Unlike the Ming and Qing dynasties, which honored the right, the Northern Song honored the left.

For example, in the official rank system, positions like Left Prime Minister and Left Vice Director were higher than Right Prime Minister and Right Vice Director.

The Left Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel was the primary prime minister, and the Right Vice Director was the secondary prime minister; left-side officials were greater than right-side officials.

Similarly, the Left Vice Minister in the Six Ministries was also higher than the Right Vice Minister.

This system of honoring the left over the right became the mainstream convention from the Eastern Han through the Sui, Tang, and two Song dynasties.

As the Jieyuan, Zhang Jie naturally had to sit in a more honorable place compared to the other Juren.

And Zhang Jie calling the chief examiner of the provincial exam "Master" was also an unspoken rule.

Compared to the political groups formed by blood ties among the aristocratic families of the Han and Tang dynasties,

after entering the Song Dynasty, the imperial examination system systematically replaced the aristocratic system.

And compared to other things, intelligence is difficult to pass down from generation to generation.

In *The Legend of Flying Daggers*, apart from Li Xunhuan's flying dagger that hits the mark as soon as it's thrown,

the most talked-about thing is the Li family's seven Jinshi in one generation and three Tanhua among father and sons.

This led to the impossibility of imperial examination officials forming cliques based on blood ties in the imperial court.

But where there are people, there is a Jianghu, and where there are people, there is factional strife.

In order to resist the encroachment of other power groups, officials had to form cliques.

And to form cliques, they needed common ground, interests, and favors,

so relationships like fellow examination cohorts, masters, and room examiners were born.

Juren must respectfully call the chief examiner "Seat Master," "Master," or "Gate of Grace," while the chief examiner calls the Juren "Disciple."

After the provincial exam results are posted, the new Juren must perform the ritual of thanking the chief examiner,

such as submitting a "Master-Disciple Post" and performing the kowtow ritual, to formally establish the master-disciple relationship.

This master-disciple relationship often developed into interest groups in officialdom,

with "Seat Master and Disciple" supporting each other, influencing officials' promotions and careers.

At the same time, this relationship became an important factor in the formation of official factions.

……

"Renjie, do you have any plans to participate in the spring exam next year?"

The banquet had not officially started yet, so the chief examiner began to chat with Zhang Jie.

"This student has that intention."

Zhang Jie gave a positive answer.

Before the Shared Space arrived, he would naturally have wanted to settle down for a few years,

but now that the Shared Space has arrived, his already formidable memory

has been further strengthened, so he must certainly strike while the iron is hot.

Moreover, by completing the small plan of the imperial examinations earlier,

he can devote himself to a larger plan sooner, such as overthrowing the Great Song or something.

The chief examiner, unaware of the terrible thoughts Zhang Jie was planning in his heart, stroked his beard and smiled:

"Good, young people should have this kind of drive!"

"I will return to Bianliang after the provincial exam ends; you can come to see me during the spring exam next year."

The chief examiner continued.

He appreciated Zhang Jie very much and didn't mind helping him more.

"This student understands." Zhang Jie nodded.

Zhang Jie and the chief examiner talked happily, and some narrow-minded candidates couldn't stand it:

"Could this person be the illegitimate son of some prime minister in the court?

If not, why would Chief Examiner Li look upon him with such favor?"

"Watch your tongue!"

The friend that this candidate had just made hurriedly stopped him.

It's not that they fear this sentence is a rumor, but that they fear it might be the truth!

They are all aiming to become Jinshi, enter the Han Lin Academy, and become high officials.

If they offended some prime minister, wouldn't their careers be cut short?