Chapter 296: Do You Like Him?

The first article of the policy essay was selected from "Mencius: Li Lou I".

Mencius said: "Mencius said, 'The skill of Li Lou and the craftsmanship of Gongshu Zi, without the compass and square, cannot form squares and circles; the hearing of Shi Kuang, without the six pitch pipes, cannot correct the five notes; the Dao of Yao and Shun, without the benevolent government, cannot govern the world.'"

It was required to develop an argument based on this topic.

And the first sentence of Duan Xiu's topic-breaking was—"To be happy with the world, to be worried with the world, this is benevolent government; yet, there has never been a case where one does not become a king."

Which meant, to take the happiness of the world as one's own happiness, and the worries of the world as one's own worries; if such a benevolent government cannot make the world submit, it does not exist.

A bit interesting.

Gongsun Ang couldn't help but praise, "Good!"

Su Qingyao also nodded. "Not bad."

Breaking the topic was critical. If the direction was wrong, then no matter how well it was written later, it would all be in vain.

Then he continued to look down.

It had to be said that Duan Xiu really had some skills. The rhetoric was gorgeous, the wording was particular, the logic was clear, from benevolent government to benevolent ruler, and finally, the theme was elevated, and the current Emperor was praised heavily.

And it was praised just right, without a hint of flattery.

It seemed to come entirely from the heart.

Su Qingyao tutted twice. "If this child becomes an official one day, he will definitely rise to the clouds."

He was too good at flattering.

After reading both articles, the two breathed a long sigh of relief.

Gongsun Ang praised, "As expected of the grandson of the old Lord Duan, the writing is truly excellent. Such a magnificent article indeed has the appearance of a Top Scholar."

"In this way, the master doesn't have to be in a dilemma. Appointing Duan Xiu as the Prefectural Top Scholar shouldn't cause any controversy."

Su Qingyao pondered for a moment and then said, "Let's take another look. Maybe there's something better later?"

It wasn't that he didn't want to appoint Duan Xiu as the Prefectural Top Scholar.

Duan Xiu's exam paper, apart from a small stain on the surface, could be said to be impeccable.

However, he didn't really like it.

How to put it? Although he was also an old oil-slick in officialdom, he essentially liked sincere people, while Duan Xiu's lines were filled with hypocrisy, sophistication, and the aura of fawning over superiors.

He was a bit disgusted.

Of course, this was just his personal preference and had nothing to do with the quality of the article itself, and he wouldn't have any prejudice against Duan Xiu because of this.

Just as Old Gongsun said, Duan Xiu winning the Prefectural Top Scholar title was most beneficial to him.

According to the unwritten rules of the exam hall, the chief examiner would personally test the first ten candidates who handed in their papers to determine their ranking.

Su Qingyao signaled the bailiff to call Duan Xiu to the front.

Duan Xiu looked good, a typical Duan family face, with elegant manners and a graceful demeanor.

He stood still in front of the invigilator's desk and bowed deeply to Su Qingyao, his attitude humble. "Student Duan Xiu, I have seen the master."

Su Qingyao nodded slightly and said 'hmm'.

"I have read your article; it is written very well. Go back and prepare for the next exam."

Hearing this, Duan Xiu was stunned for a moment.

Just like that?

Shouldn't he set a question to test him?

This... was too perfunctory.

But thinking about it, it wasn't strange. With his grandfather's face, the Duan family had already greeted Su Qingyao early on, and with the two articles he wrote, the Prefectural Top Scholar title was definitely in his pocket.

Since it was a done deal, what was there to test?

Duan Xiu's heart settled down.

"Thank you, Master. Student takes his leave."

A bailiff immediately led him away. After walking a few steps, Duan Xiu suddenly thought of something and turned his head to look at Jiang Zhan's side.

The young man was sitting upright in the exam stall, writing furiously.

On that jade-like face, those clear eyes were slightly lowered, and he didn't seem to notice his departure.

Duan Xiu smiled.

It didn't matter; it wouldn't be long before you can no longer ignore me...

He turned his head back and continued to follow the bailiff to the entrance of the Prefectural School.

There was only one person waiting there.

Shi Duoduo.

Seeing Duan Xiu come out, Shi Duoduo's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly stood up to greet him. "Young Master Duan, you've come out too?"

Duan Xiu's eyebrows frowned heavily, and he stopped two zhang away from him, turning his face away and ignoring him.

Shi Duoduo squatted down sheepishly again.

He knew he had made a fool of himself before, and it was normal for people to avoid him, especially second-generation officials like Duan Xiu, who would definitely look down on him, so he didn't force it.

He originally wanted to ask how Duan Xiu did, as this related to whether he could win money.

But looking at Duan Xiu's cold face, he decided to forget it, lest he be annoying.

After waiting for about half an hour, ten candidates who handed in their papers were finally gathered.

The bailiff then opened the gate.

Duan Xiu led the way, stepping out of the threshold with confidence, and the others followed one after another.

The last one to come out was Shi Duoduo.

Although the stuff in his pants had dried up, the stench was still there, even becoming stronger. He could only clamp his legs, covering himself and shrinking behind others.

Unfortunately, sometimes the more you want to be low-key, the more the heavens like to play jokes on you.

Shi Duoduo's wife was waiting outside. Seeing that her husband was among the first batch to come out, she was excited and waved her hands, shouting: "Husband! Here, here!"

Everyone looked over curiously.

Immediately, someone discovered the dirt on Shi Duoduo and that unpleasant stench, covering their noses and retreating far away, pointing at him and discussing.

Shi Duoduo really wanted to poison his own stupid wife!

He flushed red and rushed over as if fleeing, pulling his wife and leaving, complaining through gritted teeth: "What are you shouting for? Is it because your voice is loud? How embarrassing!"

His wife was confused.

However, she could see that her husband's face was wrong, and she was so scared that she didn't dare to make a sound.

The couple ran very fast and disappeared without a trace in a short while.

And on this side, Du Ruo and Lao Tietou didn't see Jiang Zhan, but they saw Duan Xiu.

Duan Xiu walked out of the gate slowly, his steps steady, his expression calm. Although he had a smile on his face, his eyes revealed an arrogant disdain for all living things.

Du Ruo curled her lips mockingly.

Pfft, what's so arrogant? Who wins and who loses is not certain yet!

The one who came to pick up Duan Xiu was still that delicate-looking page boy. The master and servant sat straight into a luxurious carriage and left the exam hall swaying.

In the carriage, Duan Xiu leaned against the carriage wall, closing his eyes to rest.

The page boy wanted to ask something, but stopped.

After a long while, Duan Xiu seemed to notice his hesitation and opened his eyes. "Hou Ting, are you trying to ask how I did?"

"No, Young Master." The page boy shook his head. "Hou Ting has never doubted the Young Master's talent. The Young Master must have done very well."

As he said this, his expression dimmed, as if he had gathered all his courage, and he stared at Duan Xiu with his neck raised. "Young Master, are... are you in love with that Jiang Zhan?" ===== CHAPTER 297 =====