Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Examination Ch. 139

Chapter 139

The Hanlin Academy was hurrying to deliver the examination papers to the Crown Prince. As soon as the examiners received the papers sent by the Imperial College, they immediately began grading them. The results were released the next day.

Since the Ming Dynasty did not have a tradition of scoring by individual questions, the examiners still categorized the scores into four levels: circles, dots, tips, and verticals. Among the selected students from the Imperial College, none achieved the top two levels of tips and verticals. Most had circles, with a few dots here and there. The Hanlin scholars counted the number of circles and dots on each paper to rank the students.

Among the nine students, four had papers full of circles, while the remaining five had only minor inadequacies in the final questions, resulting in three or four dots amidst the sea of red circles.

The examiners were quite pleased with these results, saying, “Our questions were detailed and thorough, and these students have shown that their knowledge is indeed strong enough to be able to do this. The Crown Prince will surely be inspired by seeing such talented peers and will strive even harder in his studies to emulate them.”

At that time, there was no concern for a student’s psychological wellbeing. Those who lectured and served the Crown Prince were expected to be the best talents; those who were not up to par had no place before him and were not worthy of his attention. As for the Crown Prince’s own performance, that was secondary…if he did well, it was because of his natural intelligence; if not, it indicated that even someone as gifted as him needed regular lectures and extensive learning. As for being reprimanded for poor performance, that was something that might happen in an ordinary prince’s household but never to the Crown Prince.

In the early years, Imperial lecturers had to kneel while teaching the Emperor, so being able to stand was considered a privilege. When serving the Heir Apparent, they could at most offer gentle admonitions. When could they still take the authoritative stance typical of regular teachers?

The examiners graded the papers, presented them to the Eastern Palace after the daily lectures, and awaited the Crown Prince’s review.

Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parents, and Teacher — but it is the relationship between sovereign and subject that bears the heaviest weight.

The examiners graded the papers, presented them to the Eastern Palace after the daily lectures, and awaited the Crown Prince’s review.

When the Crown Prince looked at the papers, he first asked, “Which one is Cui Xie’s?”

Xu Pu pointed to the top one, saying, “This is Cui Xie’s. The others are from young scholars and graduates selected through examinations at the Imperial College. There is also a paper from a sixteen-year-old jieyuan. They all did well.”

The Crown Prince first picked up Cui Xie’s paper, noting his neat handwriting and beautiful script, which matched Cui Xie’s personal appearance. He could not help but nod in approval and continued to flip through the paper, seeing precise and concise answers marked with red circles. The other papers were similar, all written in the elegant ministerial script, with well-answered questions marked mostly with circles and a few dots in the latter sections.

The Crown Prince himself had some mistakes in his own examination papers. Seeing these almost flawless papers, the Crown Prince could not help but sigh, “Gu thought Gu was doing well, but seeing these scholars’ papers, Gu realizes Gu still has much to learn.”

Academician Li advised, “The studies in the Eastern Palace emphasizes broadening one’s horizons and understanding the changes from ancient to modern times, learning the ways of sages. How can they be the same as the studies of ordinary scholars? These students aim to assist a wise ruler. If they do not thoroughly study the classics, how can they serve the court and relieve the Emperor’s worries? Seeing these talents should make the Crown Prince happy for the Emperor and Great Ming.”

The Crown Prince, respecting his lecturer, immediately changed his expression and thanked, “The gentleman is right. These students did well and Gu will reward them.”

The Eastern Palace could only grant items like brushes, ink, and new books. If they were lecturers, they might also be given silver or new banknotes. However, this new position of companion exam-taker did not  have established precedents and also could not be equated with lecturers. So, they were rewarded with a few banknotes and several brocade flowers from the Imperial palace.

Cui Xie, among the top scorers, along with Fei Hong, Wang Chen, and Qu Shen, each received ten palace flowers. The slightly lower scorers received five each. Chancellor Qiu personally handed out the rewards, encouraging everyone to continue studying diligently and not to let down the Emperor’s and the Crown Prince’s kindness

The nine students immediately wore the flowers on their caps, proudly displaying their honor. They were young and not unattractive; the flowers actually looked good on them.

After the Chancellor, Vice Director and other officials left, the students, seeing the flowers on their heads, laughed and joked with each other, complimenting how the flowers made them look like newly minted jinshi. They laughed and chatted as they walked out. Passersby saw the row of students with their new fashionable flowers and rewards in their embrace, all looking proud and spirited, and could not help but feel envious of their good fortune.

Unfortunately, these passersby were either too old or lacked the necessary knowledge to genuinely envy this honor.

The nine of them left Biyong Hall and each headed back to their respective study halls. As they were about to part ways, Fei Hong called out to Cui Xie, asking him to step aside under the corridor. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke up, “I have not had much chance to talk to you in the past, and the matter you asked me to handle was not quite resolved, so I did not bring it up…”

What matter did I ask him to handle? Cui Xie blinked, looking puzzled.

Fei Hong glanced at Biyong Hall and whispered, “A while ago, your classmates approached me, asking if I could inquire with the Director Fei da-ren about allowing the Peace of Mind Study to publish his lecture notes…”

Oh…it was that! Cui Xie had forgotten all about it since he knew he would be the one copying the notes anyway, and it would only benefit others, but he had forgotten about it, so he didn’t follow up!

Cui Xie slapped his forehead with such force that it almost knocked off his square cap. Seeing that Cui Xie seemed to remember, Fei Hong continued, “I asked the Director about it. He did not refuse outright, but he has been teaching for so many years without using written outlines. He usually lectures spontaneously, and it would take him some time to compile and edit the notes properly for publication. Even if he agrees, it might take a few years.”

As long as he agreed, waiting was no problem! Cui Xie immediately felt invigorated and enthusiastically discussed with Fei Hong, “I have already compiled quite a few notes from the Director’s lectures on 《Mencius》 this year. If we use those as a base and supplement them, it could save a lot of effort. Could you pass these on to the Director for me?”

Fei Hong had heard about Cui Xie’s thorough note-taking but had not had the chance to see it himself. Intrigued, he replied, “Hezhong is indeed a diligent and warmhearted person. I will take your notes to my uncle first and let him decide whether he wants to use it or not.”

Cui Xie warmly shook his hand and said, “I will gather the earlier notes and give them to you tomorrow! When it’s finally published, let’s call it 《Essential Notes for the Provincial and Metropolitan Examinations, Volume Four: Mencius Lectures by the Esteemed Director Fei》. How about that?”

Essential Notes Volume Four… Does that mean there will be volumes on 《The Great Learning》,《The Doctrine of the Mean》, and 《The Analects》? But The Great Learning》and《The Doctrine of the Mean》were taught by the Chancellor, and they had not formally started 《The Analects》 yet. Would publishing 《Mencius》first seem out of order?

And why call it ‘Essential Notes for the Provincial and Metropolitan Examinations’? Should it not be ‘Essential Reading for Imperial College Students’?

Fei Hong, filled with questions and doubts, returned to his study hall. Meanwhile, Cui Xie, now fully energized, was already planning a new blueprint for his academic pursuits—

Coincidentally, 《Romance of the Three Kingdoms》 was only five volumes away from completion, and both Shopkeeper Ji and Cui Qi were asking him about the next book to publish. He had initially planned to release the 《Anthology of Graphite Poems》 by Lu Juren and their poverty alleviation and education support group; then a set of 《Journey to the West》 opera scripts. After that, he would have to spend money on buying manuscripts, marketing, and promoting their own intellectual properties…however, Fei Hong’s arrival provided him with a new direction for their business!

The Peace of Mind Study should take a different path from Zhirong Bookstore. Instead of just making money from romance novels, they should publish refined, high-end, academic review materials aimed at students preparing for the Imperial examinations! Not only should they release the 《Essential Notes for the Provincial and Metropolitan Examinations》, but also sets like 《New Provincial Examination Papers XX Sets》, 《New Metropolitan Examination Papers XX Sets》, 《Guozijian Study Experience Guide》, and 《Interpretation of Provincial Exam Questions by Jiangxi’s Jieyuan》.

Maybe even publish 《Yongping Prefecture Little Tertiary Winner Scholar’s Review Notes》 and 《Yongping Prefecture  Little Tertiary Winner Scholar’s Imperial College Collection》?

With the ambition to serve all the students in the country, he handed over his previously compiled 《Mencius》 lecture notes to Fei Hong. When the holiday at the Imperial College came, Cui Xie took on the task of meeting his elders, and personally invited Xie Ying to his home for the Old Patriarch’s birthday celebration.

To his surprise, Xie Ying agreed immediately.

Cui Xie had prepared a lot of persuasive words, but Xie Ying’s simple ‘alright’ left him speechless, the words stuck in his throat for a long time.

Xie Ying smiled and said, “I’ve been meaning to visit your residence for a while, but never found the opportunity. Your grandfather’s birthday is the perfect occasion, with all the relatives and neighbors invited, I will blend right in. I will not even bring an invitation, just a gift. You just need to inform the gatekeepers not to block me.”

“How could I let that happen…” Cui Xie looked at him, suddenly smiling for some reason, “With how you look, you’d stand out no matter where you go. Even if I invite a lot of people, you will still be the most eye-catching one.”

Xie Ying touched Cui Xie’s cheek, mirroring his smile, and shook his head, “Doesn’t the Imperial College have many young and handsome scholars? And those noble family students there by Imperial grace too. Compared to them, I am not that outstanding. Anyhow, just do not mention I’m from the Jinyiwei.”

Cui Xie narrowed his eyes, staring at him, “Too late. When I invited people, I already mentioned I have a savior who’s a colonel in the Jinyiwei. I told them you were upright and kind, treating me well and befriending me even when I was a commoner. I also said I would definitely invite you for my grandfather’s birthday…”

“Now everyone knows and they all want to see what this loyal and righteous Jinyiwei hero looks like.”

Xie Ying was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, his brows and eyes lighting up as if illuminated, revealing a bright and clear expression: “If I continue to be constrained by my status, it would indeed lower others’ opinions of me. Very well, it seems I need to perform more acts of loyalty and righteousness in the future, to match the reputation you’ve given me.”

He collected his thoughts and then asked about the main event: “Your grandfather’s birthday celebration should be lively. Have you arranged for a theater troupe? If you are inviting guests to your residence, you must have some entertainment to accompany the wine; otherwise, it will seem dull and boring. If you cannot book one, I can ask Commander Gao for help. He is quite respected at the Imperial Entertainment Bureau now, and the troupes outside all acknowledge him. They would rather turn down others than offend him.”

Cui Xie raised his eyebrows, half surprised: “I have not heard any news about Commander Gao lately, but has he really become so famous? Our Shopkeeper Ji can also arrange for people, so I had not thought of asking him…”

The Peace of Mind Study had also helped popularize many theater troupes and performers, and there was no one Shopkeeper Ji could not invite when the older man took action and would not be a big deal. However, Xie Ying further advised him to formally send an invitation to Gao Su. Whether he comes or not is secondary, but given their friendship, such a significant event should not exclude him.

“He was raised by Gao gonggong since childhood, and has developed the typical temperament of the old taijian, similar to a cat’s. You have to stroke his fur in the right direction. If you treat him well, he will purr and be close to you; if not, and you go against his will, he might show his claws.”

Oh… it turns out that both Gao gonggong and Commander Gao have such a temperament. The arrogance of the Ming dynasty is indeed off the charts!

Xie Ying’s temperament is really good; no wonder he was worthy of catching my eye from the start!

Given that the academy examination was approaching, Xie Ying, fearing it might interfere with his studies, did not keep Cui Xie for lunch and had someone escort him back home early. When Cui Xie got home, he wrote a full page of invitation on the newly printed beauty stationery, added a few drops of freshly brewed floral dew, and had Shopkeeper Ji deliver it to the Gao residence.

These days, Commander Gao, enjoying Imperial favor, was busy with several stage design tasks for different plays, and indeed had no time to attend the birthday of a mere fourth-rank official’s family. However, remembering Cui Xie’s talents and character, he had someone prepare a four-piece gift, which his steward delivered to the Cui Residence in advance.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was the day of the academy examination.

In March, people were supposed to wear lined and padded clothing, but those taking the exam could only wear single-layer garments and thin-soled shoes. They had to wait outside the examination venue from the third drum in the early morning. During the inspection for hidden, cheating materials, they had to strip down to a single-layer robe, holding their shoes and socks, and stand barefoot on the cold ground, enduring the chill.

Even worse, the examination booths in the hall were old ones built for the prefectural exams. They were hastily put together, with tables and chairs procured after going through numerous corrupt hands, making them rickety from past users. The candidates’ bottoms trembled when touching the seats and if they sat down firmly, they might end up on the ground.

The only good news was that this academy examination required only one session, with fewer questions.

As the examiner, Imperial Censor Chen, had to evaluate the papers of more than 1,000 candidates himself, he simplified the process by setting only two questions from the Four Books instead of choosing questions from the Five Classics. One from 《The Analects》- ‘Great indeed was Yao as a sovereign!’ and another from 《Mencius·Teng Wen Gong I》- ‘It is said in the Book of Poetry, Although Zhou was an old country’.

The academy examination for candidates was conducted based on a ratio of 1:25 from the overall quota of students from the two capitals. In the populous Shuntian Prefecture where there were tens of thousands of scholars, only around 2,300 candidates could pass the provincial exam to qualify for next year’s Shuntian metropolitan examination. With over a thousand candidates gathered in the examination hall, most were there just to accompany the main candidates for the provincial examinations, and only a few, about one in ten or twelve, could make it to the first or second rank. Even in a large county like Daxing County, only seven or eight candidates were expected to pass the provincial examination.

Chen Tixue stood at the head of the hall, with his hands behind his back, his eyes sharp as he surveyed the sea of scholars, stating firmly: “This official is not like the previous examiners who would be swayed by tears or pleas. If you perform well, you will be rewarded accordingly; if not, you will be relegated to the lower tiers, and those who deserve punishment will receive it. Those who do not study diligently should not expect me to compromise my standards and shove you all into the third tier just to inflate the pass rate!”

---

TN: Have a good rest of your week everyone and enjoy the chapter! Had my first week of classes for grad school after being gone for break!

Update 12/23/24: I just updated it so that all my advance chapters for TMD are up on patreon (and will be continually updated)! Sorry for being so lazy with it and apologies for taking so long to do so. I had to organize a lot of my random documents after a long hiatus last year.

Announcement: We have set up a kofi and patreon account! If you would like to support us or get early access to advance chapters for Blood-Sucking Empress OR TMD, those options are available for you (in support us page)! I have just added a patreon tier for Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Examinations in which patreons can have access to a google document with ALL of my advanced translated chapters for the novel. Since I am a grad student, there should usually be at least 10 advance chapters in the document at a time, but depending on my schedules, there may be fewer or more. I’m currently extremely busy, but I have translated out some new chapters for you all! But, I will still post each week with the same schedule. Thanks!

< Previous | TOC | Next >