Volume One: A Farmer at Dawn Chapter 60: Overreaction

The county examination was an elimination process; only those who passed the main round were qualified to participate in the review round.

With so many candidates, the results would not be announced for five days. On the sixth day, the three master and disciples buried themselves in study at the inn.

“Xie Shuxian!”

A clear, melodious voice rang out, sending ripples through Chu Liu’s heart, making him drop the book in his hand.

He didn’t bother picking it up, but rushed outside.

Yue Xi had already reached the door, her smile blooming like a flower, her parents Chu Zhaonan and his wife following close behind.

The family of three was warmly welcomed into the room, seated and served tea. After a few greetings and reminiscences, conversation naturally turned to the county examination.

Doumiao, with his awkward tongue, barely spoke and busied himself pouring tea for the guests.

When the topic of the exam arose, he couldn’t help but complain, “Such an important event as the county exam, yet they didn’t even bother to clean the chamber pots! Poor Chu Liu nearly choked to death on the stench...”

Chu Zhaonan, unaware of the situation, turned to Chu Liu for explanation.

Chu Liu recounted the incident with the filthy chamber pot, then smiled wryly, joking that it was merely a trial on his path through life.

Chu Zhaonan was troubled. The current Emperor placed great importance on the imperial examinations, and the court allocated funds for every exam; such things shouldn’t have happened. He made a mental note to send Li, the Chief Inspector, to investigate upon his return.

When Li revealed his official status, Prefect Zhang Shiqi turned ashen and was gripped by fear. The Shadow Guard were the Emperor’s personal agents, capable of overturning everything in an instant.

Though it seemed a minor matter, once in their hands, it became a major one.

Zhang Shiqi dared not neglect the affair in the slightest. He personally led Li to investigate and eventually uncovered that it was Luo Jie, the assistant magistrate, who was behind the mischief.

It turned out that Jin Ruizhe had been struck from the county exam results by Chen Liangbin. Jin Buhuan, frantic with worry, begged Li Yiyuan to intercede with the magistrate, only to be refused outright by Chen Liangbin.

Whether Li Yiyuan was a licentiate or his cousin an assistant magistrate in Qingzhou, Chen Liangbin was unmoved.

Jin Buhuan vented his anger on Chu Liu, asking Li Yiyuan to have his cousin sabotage Chu Liu as well, ideally getting him disqualified from the county exam.

Luo Jie couldn’t reach that far, but having taken a bribe, he couldn’t simply do nothing. Instead, he decided to disgust Chu Liu by placing a filthy chamber pot in his examination booth.

Luo Jie knelt, sobbing and begging for forgiveness, vowing to severely punish Jin Buhuan and Li Yiyuan, and even to penalize Li Yiyuan’s son, Li Ke, who was also sitting for the exam.

Li, the inspector, was amused. How to deal with these people was for the Emperor to decide once informed.

But first, he gave Li Yiyuan a taste of his own medicine.

He hinted to Luo Jie to use the same trick on Li Ke by putting a filthy chamber pot in his booth.

Naturally, Luo Jie, eager to save himself, did his utmost.

The tainted chamber pot found its way into Li Ke’s booth unnoticed.

Meanwhile, several cases of food poisoning had occurred at the inn, all affecting top candidates from various regions.

An official investigation revealed that some had secretly added laxatives to others’ meals, using despicable tactics to eliminate competition.

Suddenly, every candidate became wary, and a sense of suspicion spread among them.

...

Once again, the results brought a gulf of joy and despair.

The two main essay questions of the first round were devastating; many grizzled old students wept uncontrollably, some even fainting from grief.

Every results announcement was the same—there were always those who could not bear defeat and took their own lives.

Toiling away a lifetime for fame.

Their black hair turned white, yet still they achieved nothing.

Not only did they fail themselves, but they also burdened their families with heavy financial strain.

Such a blow was hard to endure.

Chu Liu sighed softly.

In this world, where all trades are base except for the scholar’s, if a student lacked the courage to change course, he had no choice but to follow this path to the bitter end.

Out of more than a thousand participants in the main exam, only 386 made the list—a glimpse of the brutality involved.

Chu Liu once more claimed the top spot.

Wen Lancang was third, Su Biao seventh, Zhao Shao and another tied for eleventh.

Of the forty-one students listed from Xuanyi County, twenty-six ranked near the top, most of them from the county school.

Li Shuo continued to grumble that the examiners had no discernment.

How could his flawless paper be ranked dead last?

To Wen Lancang, Li Shuo had simply lucked out.

A paper that strayed from the topic still made the list—a miracle indeed.

“Gongsun Tao, give us your opinion,” Li Shuo called out as Gongsun Tao tried to slip away.

But Gongsun Tao pretended not to hear, lowering his head and hurrying off.

He was deeply afraid to face Xie Shuxian.

His grandfather had gone personally to make peace with Chu Liu at the county school, but halfway there, they were intercepted by black-clad men and ordered to turn back.

Any further attempt, and there would be severe consequences.

...

The remaining candidates for the review round were either young prodigies, academic stars, or seasoned veterans.

When Chu Liu received his exam paper, he found only one essay question—a most unusual topic.

The subject came from “Xunzi.”

Though scholars were well-read, most devoted their studies to the Four Books and Five Classics; who had energy to read other texts?

Naturally, this gave county school students an advantage.

In the county school, they studied all the masters; students from private or communal academies were much less fortunate.

After copying out his answers, Chu Liu carefully checked his paper. Yet he took no secret delight in its perfection.

He was pondering the road ahead.

If even the licentiate exam was this difficult, how much harder would the imperial examinations be for a farmer’s son with no family foundation?

After the county exam, he must enroll in the prefectural academy.

The prefectural academy had a larger library, and most teachers held the degree of licentiate.

Moreover, Yue Xi’s family was there, and he could learn martial arts with them.

...

When Chu Liu exited the exam hall, he saw Li Ke sprawled on the ground, vomiting and weeping as if he had lost his parents.

Curious, Chu Liu joined the crowd.

“Father, the chamber pot was unbearable—the lid was half rotten, half a bucket of filth left uncleaned. The stench was overwhelming. I doubt I’ll pass this round...”

Li Ke had ranked 240th in the main round, but if he performed poorly now, he would never make the list.

“What? The filth in the chamber pot...” Li Yiyuan was stunned.

Wasn’t the chamber pot meant as a surprise for Xie Shuxian? How did it end up in his own son’s booth?

“My chamber pot last time wasn’t clean either, but I didn’t react so dramatically. He’s so delicate—if he can’t bear this bit of hardship...” Chu Liu, not recognizing Li Ke, remarked casually and was overheard by Li Yiyuan, who immediately called out, “What did you just say? Your chamber pot wasn’t clean either?”

“That was last time. This time the chamber pot was scrubbed spotless—a new one, not a hint of odor...” Chu Liu replied honestly.

“What’s your name?” Li Yiyuan asked.

“Xie Shuxian.”

“Xie Shuxian?” Li Yiyuan exclaimed, startling Chu Liu, who couldn’t understand the strong reaction to his name.

At that moment, Doumiao and Su Laibao came running over.

Seeing Su Laibao, Li Yiyuan cast a fierce glare his way.

He sensed something was amiss and resolved to question his cousin soon.

...

It would be three days before the results were posted.

The students, relieved of pressure, went off together to enjoy the mountains and rivers or to frequent the pleasure quarters.

Some classmates from the county school invited Chu Liu and Su Biao, but both declined.

They had already agreed with Yue Xi to visit the prefectural academy.

At last, the day for the results arrived.

Fearing a crush, the exam office posted the lists in four separate locations, but still the crowds were immense.

Squeezing their way in, Chu Liu and his companions saw the top name leap before their eyes.