Chapter 56: The Examinations at the Mansion

All the scholars lined up in an orderly fashion to be searched, while Li Su and his three companions each made their way to their assigned examination cells.

Lin Ze clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and relaxed slightly. He comforted himself inwardly—there was nothing to worry about; after all, merely reaching the prefectural exam meant he had already surpassed many of his fellow students.

Qin Ming and Ren Shuhua were also rather nervous, though not on Li Su’s behalf—they worried more about themselves. If, when the results were announced, Li Su was named top of the prefecture, but the three of them, his sworn brothers, remained absent from the list, it would be a terrible embarrassment for him.

The prefectural exam consisted of four sessions: the main round, the first review, the second review, and the final round. Each session’s paper was submitted on the same day, with a day or two between each, so the entire process could last around ten days; the results would be posted about ten days later as well.

Generally, most candidates waited for the results before leaving the city, unless there was an urgent matter at home or they were certain they had no hope of passing—in which case they would leave immediately after the exam. During the ten days or so before the announcement, examinees would usually participate in gatherings and events. Some, like Li Su and his friends, might not attend any before the exam, focusing instead on their studies, but once the exams were over, nearly everyone would engage in discussions together.

After all the candidates were seated, the prefect began distributing the exam questions, and the scholars commenced their answers.

Li Su first read through all the questions, forming a general impression of them. Lin Ze, Qin Ming, and Ren Shuhua also reviewed the questions and became increasingly alarmed. If they hadn’t known for certain that Li Su came from an ordinary farming family, they might have suspected he had some hidden connections.

Many of the questions covered content that Li Su had specifically told them to memorize.

The three of them were stunned—if they couldn’t answer these well, they might as well go bang their heads against a wall in shame!

Their excitement was hard to contain. Each pinched himself several times, the pain in their legs helping to steady their nerves as they began grinding ink and preparing to write.

Li Su also readied himself to begin.

To him, the prefectural exam questions were much like those of the county-level exam—just more concise, still focusing mainly on the eight-legged essay and poetic compositions. So far, whether at the county or prefectural level, the policy essay topics had not been difficult—though, of course, this was in comparison to those set by his master.

As long as one adhered to the structure and parallelism required for the eight-legged essay and made no substantive errors, one could do well.

Which made sense, really—the imperial examinations always involved policy essays. If even the simplest county and prefectural levels made them excessively difficult, how would candidates cope with the later rounds? It was akin to modern essay topics: the county and prefectural policy essays could be likened to elementary school compositions, with difficulty rising gradually.

Li Su’s pen moved as if guided by inspiration. Writing such essays gave him little sense of achievement, but he still treated the task with utmost seriousness.

With so many competitors, he could not afford to take any exam lightly. If he lost points out of carelessness and missed the coveted first place, he could not forgive himself.

Li Su considered himself a highly ambitious person. If he chose to do something, he would do it to the best of his abilities; he could only accept being first.

Whether this was a good trait or not, he wasn’t sure, but it was simply who he was—a person who could not bear to be second.

…

After four consecutive rounds of exams, Lin Ze and the others felt much more at ease. To their surprise, they actually thought they’d performed quite well.

Qin Ming, catching sight of Li Su, said excitedly, “Li Su! Did you predict the questions? You were spot on!”

Ren Shuhua looked puzzled. “You can use fortune-telling to guess exam questions? That can’t be right…”

Li Su pushed his head away, looking somewhat exasperated. He really was the foolhardy son of a landlord. “What do you think?”

Qin Ming blinked and nodded vigorously. He was convinced this was exactly the case.

Li Su sighed. “If you review enough previous questions, you can spot patterns.” If he truly had the power to divine the entire exam, he’d have done so before the test.

Qin Ming’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Is that so?” He hadn’t noticed any patterns, nor had he ever heard of anyone who could. Perhaps he simply hadn’t reviewed enough.

Li Su was being honest; after reading enough past papers, he could build a model in his mind and predict the general direction of the questions. Of course, he couldn’t foresee every question in full—he wasn’t inside the examiner’s head—but he could certainly anticipate the major themes and some of the specifics.

Ren Shuhua and Lin Ze looked at Li Su as though he were a deity. When someone was so outstanding, those around him felt no trace of jealousy—only awe, for he was simply in a different league.

“Now all that’s left is to wait for the results,” said Qin Ming, who, for once, was looking forward to the announcement—he felt he had a real chance this time.

“Li Su, what should we do during these ten days of waiting?” asked Ren Shuhua.

Li Su considered a moment. “It’s not good to shut ourselves off completely. We should interact with the other candidates—exchange ideas.” This was especially beneficial for Lin Ze and the others; engaging with fellow scholars would do them good.

The three of them were at similar levels, but compared to Li Su, the gap was still noticeable. Interacting with other candidates would be valuable for them.

“I also want to buy some local specialties to take home to my family and my master,” Li Su added. Even while taking the exams, he was thinking of his family, wondering how their new house was coming along.

“I’ll bring some specialties home too!” Qin Ming chimed in. He hadn’t thought of it himself, but since Li Su had suggested it, he was quick to follow.

Lin Ze and Ren Shuhua agreed—it would be nice to bring something back for their families. This was their first time away from home, and it felt fitting to return with gifts.

Previously, it was always their families sending them things. Now, the roles were reversed.

Li Su nodded. “Let’s rest tonight, and tomorrow we’ll go out and explore.”

The three nodded in unison, already looking forward to their families’ reactions.

In truth, they hadn’t thought of this on their own. When Li Su brought it up, it suddenly seemed like a wonderful idea. They were filial at heart, but left to themselves, might not have thought of it—caring, but not overly so.

…

The next day, the group, accompanied by several guards, began their shopping spree in the city.

They bought food, toys, clothing, and accessories—anything that caught their fancy.

Seeing how readily Li Su spent money, Lin Ze remarked, “Li Su, it seems compared to you, we’re downright stingy…”

“Money is only valuable if you spend it,” Li Su replied, deadpan. In truth, he simply wasn’t short of funds at the moment; if he’d been broke, he wouldn’t have been so generous.

Qin Ming scratched his head. “I’ve never earned any money myself.”

Lin Ze and Ren Shuhua echoed, “Neither have I.”

They’d always relied on their families for their studies and daily expenses—never earning a coin themselves.

“Are you boasting?” Li Su asked.

The three burst out laughing. “Of course not.”

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s earned or given—as long as you have money to spend, that’s what counts,” Li Su said. He didn’t believe everyone had to earn their own way. If one was fortunate enough to be born into comfort, there was no shame in enjoying it—every person had their own destiny.

In his previous life, he’d never earned a cent himself, living entirely off his family.

After a whirlwind of purchases, their goods carried by the guards, Li Su said, “Let’s go put these things away, then I want to visit the city’s bookstores to see if there are any books we can’t find back in the county.”