Chapter 94: The Exam Begins

“We will not disappoint you, Mentor.” Even though their mentor was quite unreliable, Ouyang Zhi and the other two still felt deep gratitude toward Fang Jifan in their hearts.

This was a mentor’s kindness.

“If you pass…” Fang Jifan said with a smile, “You must have a conscience.”

“…” Ouyang Zhi and the others obediently bowed and said, “We will remember your teaching.”

“And one more thing…” Fang Jifan said, “You must work hard!”

“Yes…” Ouyang Zhi and the others couldn’t hold back their tears.

“The Crown Prince bet fifty thousand taels of silver that you would win; he asked me to bring you a message. If none of you three can match Tang Yin, he will break your legs.”

“…” The gratitude on Ouyang Zhi and the others’ faces instantly turned into bitterness and resentment.

Fang Jifan sighed. “Don’t worry. I won’t give His Highness the Crown Prince that chance.”

“…” Phew… Ouyang Zhi and Liu Wenshan let out a sigh of relief.

Fang Jifan gritted his teeth and continued, “Because I also bet two hundred thousand taels of silver. The odds were high—three to one—that you would rank at the top. If you lose, I won’t give His Highness the Crown Prince the chance to break your legs. I will break them myself.”

“…”

…

Tang Yin’s leg was still a bit lame. He limped out of the inn, feeling as if he had been given a new lease on life.

But when he stepped out of the inn, Tang Yin was stunned.

Outside, a huge crowd had gathered. The moment they saw Tang Yin, they erupted into cheers.

“Study hard!”

“You must do your best!”

“Do not let the northerners bully us!”

“Make way, make way…”

Dozens of strong servants pushed the crowd aside, revealing a sedan chair behind them. A steward eagerly stepped forward and said, “My two masters have long admired Provincial First Place Scholar Tang. Since Provincial First Place Scholar Tang is entering the exam today, the masters have specially instructed us to ask Provincial First Place Scholar Tang to ride in the sedan chair.”

Tang Yin’s eyes welled up with tears.

He was deeply moved. He never expected there were so many kind-hearted people in the world. It seemed Heaven wanted to destroy that scoundrel Fang Jifan. Otherwise, why would thousands of people be so passionate?

Looking at the sea of people, Tang Yin felt a warm current rise within him. There is true kindness in this world, and one should repay even the smallest favor with gratitude. He lifted his head, straightened his chest, and was about to say a few words.

But then he heard people chattering, “The Marquis of Shouning and the Earl of Jianchang made such a big bet—they put down a hundred thousand taels of silver and even mortgaged their land—betting that Provincial First Place Scholar Tang would definitely win.”

“Yes, yes. Provincial First Place Scholar Tang is the Provincial First Place Scholar from Yingtian Prefecture. What does someone like Ouyang Zhi, a Provincial Graduate from Shuntian Prefecture, amount to? I also bet ten taels. Although Provincial First Place Scholar Tang is sure to win and the odds aren’t high, it’s practically free money.”

“Provincial First Place Scholar Tang, I stole my wife’s dowry money and placed all my hopes on you. Study hard.”

“Provincial First Place Scholar Tang will surely win!”

“…” Tang Yin’s face turned as purple as a pig’s liver, and he was momentarily speechless.

…

The Examination Hall was tightly surrounded by personnel from Shuntian Prefecture and the Five City Military and Horse Command, layer upon layer.

Countless examinees filed into the examination grounds one after another.

In the twelfth year of Hongzhi, the Metropolitan Examination, which would decide the fates of countless individuals, finally began.

Ouyang Zhi had already entered his assigned Examination Shed.

He felt quite emotional inside. He believed he ought to be grateful to his mentor. Without his mentor, there would be no Ouyang Zhi today.

But… sometimes his mentor really left him not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

What could he do about it? One cannot choose their parents, nor can they decide who their ruler is. Even with a mentor, once you’ve entered their tutelage, you cannot change it.

He took a deep breath and cleared his mind.

Although it was early spring, the wind was still chilly. Judging by the weather, it might snow again in a few days. The unpredictable weather was truly hard to foresee.

Ouyang Zhi rubbed his hands together, then took out his brush and ink from the Examination Basket.

When the auspicious time arrived, a yamen runner shouted, “The Chief Examiner has issued the command: Open the questions!”

“Open the questions…”

Many yamen runners set out from Minglun Hall, holding high placards, and began moving toward the various examination areas.

When the placard bearing the question moved in front of Ouyang Zhi,

Ouyang Zhi looked at the words on the placard: “There is a beautiful gem here.”

There… is… a… beautiful… gem… here…

Ouyang Zhi shuddered.

It was actually this question…

He was truly all too familiar with this question.

Among the practice questions their mentor had given them was this very one—”There is a beautiful gem here.” He had practiced this question countless times. Back when his mentor assigned it, Ouyang Zhi thought it would be a waste of effort.

Because ordinary examiners would never pick such a question. They preferred topics like “To learn and,” “The noble person helps others,” “Governing with virtue,” or “Those who wish to govern their state must first regulate their family.”

After all… questions like these, no matter how tricky or truncated, were still safe and conventional.

Moreover, earlier speculations had suggested that the conventional Wang Ao would be the Chief Examiner. The questions Lord Wang would set were bound to be righteous, illuminating, and imbued with great principles.

Who could have guessed that the Chief Examiner this time would be Li Dongyang?

Not only that, but the question was “There is a beautiful gem here.” This question was too obscure. It was said that Lord Li was highly intelligent and excelled at setting odd and unconventional questions. Today… that indeed proved true.

Was this a case of a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse?

Or had his mentor known the questions in advance?

No, that was impossible. His mentor’s temperament made him incompatible with the Qingliu Faction. Lord Li was a Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat—why would he leak the questions to him? As for other examiners like Cheng Minzheng, it was even less likely they would have any dealings with his mentor.

The only explanation was that his mentor had managed to guess correctly again.

He had guessed right during the Provincial Examination, and now, in this Metropolitan Examination, he had done it again.

People outside said his mentor was the reincarnation of the Literary Star and that his family’s ancestral grave was well placed… This… Ouyang Zhi was almost starting to believe it.

He took a deep breath, and suddenly, Ouyang Zhi was filled with ambition and confidence. He quickly ground his ink, then calmly began writing his opening: “Raising the beautiful gem to establish the argument, as if one cannot treat its existence lightly…”

…

The Metropolitan Examination consisted of three consecutive sessions. By the fifteenth day of the second month, it finally concluded.

The exhausted examinees streamed out of the Examination Hall like a flowing river.

Outside the Examination Hall, the crowd was even larger.

Countless people waited anxiously.

When Tang Yin finally emerged from the examination grounds, the crowd erupted into cheers.

“Provincial First Place Scholar Tang, how was the exam?” someone immediately crowded around to ask.

Tang Yin fell silent for a moment, then smiled and said, “Not bad.”

The words “not bad” instantly eased the tension on many faces.

Ancient people were humble. Humility meant that when someone said “not bad,” in modern context, it was equivalent to saying, “I’m not being modest, but in this round, if I say I’m second, no one dares claim first. To put it immodestly, all the other examinees were rubbish.

Provincial First Place Scholar Tang was immensely talented and full of knowledge. If he dared make such a bold claim, who would dare disbelieve him?

Thus, countless people cheered and leaped for joy. Some were so excited their eyes turned red. “I bet three hundred taels of silver! I bet three hundred taels!”

Although Tang Yin disliked these people using him for bets… after these three examination sessions, he had performed exceptionally well. Especially after studying hard behind closed doors before the exam, he felt his problem-solving skills had improved significantly. So, his mood was quite good.

He limped forward a few steps, and someone behind him called out, “Bohu.”

It was a very familiar voice. Tang Yin turned around and immediately smiled, quickly bowing to the young man. “Brother Xu.”

This person was Xu Jing, a very close friend of Tang Bohu. They had come to the capital together for this Metropolitan Examination. Xu Jing said, “Are you feeling better? Ah, I heard you were beaten and went to see you that very night, but I was stopped. They said you were seriously injured and needed treatment, and they absolutely refused to let me see you. After that, I tried several times to ask about your condition. Thank heavens, it’s good that you’re alright.”

Tang Yin smiled wryly. He knew all too well that the other guests in the inn had been forcibly driven out by the ruthless Fang Jifan. Instead, many of the Fang Family’s lackeys had moved in. Under the pretense of medical treatment, they prevented anyone from visiting. Feeling ashamed, he said, “I’ve made you worry, Brother Xu. I deserve to die ten thousand times.”