FIMA Ch51: County Examination

Because Tongzhou was geographically close to the capital, the living conditions of the commoners were relatively good. Although its literary atmosphere was not as flourishing as that of the Jiangnan region, there were still about four hundred people participating in the County Exam in the small Wuqing County this time.

Everyone was divided into ten lines. Carrying their exam baskets, after the clerk at the front called their names, they followed the guidance of the sign lanterns and gradually entered the venue to undergo inspection.

Gu Siyuan was positioned in the middle of a line. After waiting for an unknown amount of time, just as the sky was fully bright, he finally heard his name.

He calmly stepped forward carrying his exam basket. Because each session of the County Exam only lasted a single day, he had only placed two flatbreads in his basket besides his brush, ink, and exam permit.

The inspecting yamen runner first held the register and verified his name, native place, appearance, and so on.

Next, pushing aside the brush and ink in the exam basket, he directly picked up the two flatbreads and broke them into pieces to check for any hidden notes.

After checking that, he was led into a small room on the side, where he had to take off all his clothes for a piece-by-piece inspection.

Under such minute scrutiny, dignity simply did not exist.

As a result, Gu Siyuan was also very curious about how the women disguised as men taking the imperial exams in storybooks managed to pass this entrance inspection hurdle.

Finally, with all inspections passed without error, Gu Siyuan finally walked through the main gate of the examination hall.

Behind the main gate was a short transitional courtyard, and through the courtyard was the central hall. Standing in the hall were the county magistrate and several Xiucai stipendiary students (Linsheng) acting as guarantors for the candidates of this session.

At this moment, Gu Siyuan had to sing out loudly, “Student Gu Yang from [xxx] Village, guaranteed by Stipendiary Student [xxx].” Then, the stipendiary student acting as Gu Siyuan’s guarantor would stand beside the county magistrate and loudly respond in confirmation.

…The level of shame was off the charts; it was like singing mountain folk songs back and forth.

After this, he finally successfully obtained a blank exam answer sheet from the county magistrate. In the top corner of the paper was written the number ‘One Hundred and Eighty-Two’; this was his seat number.

In the future, when all five sessions of the County Exam were completed and the rankings were posted, the candidate’s name would not be written on the notice board, but rather this seat number.

Gu Siyuan smoothly found his seat. After sitting down, ignoring everything else, he first forcefully rubbed his hands and limbs to restore sensation.

Tongzhou was located in the North, and mid-February was still a time of freezing weather. However, to prevent candidates from sneaking in notes, the county office stipulated that no one was allowed to wear lined jackets, cotton-padded clothes, and the like.

Even with Gu Siyuan’s body, which he had exercised for a long time since last year, he still found it quite unbearable at this moment.

A moment later, he heard several more guarantee-and-response calls with no unexpected incidents occurring. This indicated that the candidates this time were all very honest, with no one serving as an impostor or sneaking in notes to cheat.

Suddenly, a copper gong clanged three times with a kuang-kuang-kuang, and the main gate of the County School closed with a creak. The examination officially began.

A yamen runner walked in holding a wooden board and began patrolling the room.

All the students in the examination hall simultaneously looked up. Glued to that wooden board were the exam questions for this first session.

As per usual convention, it tested two passages from the Five Classics and required composing a regulated eight-line poem.

The first session was intended to let the majority of people pass so they would have the opportunity to participate in the subsequent Prefectural Exam, so the questions were always the simplest, and the number of people accepted was also relatively generous.

Gu Siyuan pondered for a moment, then spread out the blank answer sheet he had just received and prepared to put pen to paper.

The questions for the two passages from the Five Classics were very simple.

Gu Siyuan only needed to find the corresponding passage answers to these two questions within the original texts of the Five Classics, which he had memorized fluently. Then, following the format of an eight-legged essay, he had to fill them into the previously red-lined formatted answer sheet using the tone of the ancient sages.

His writing speed had always been fast, and these exam questions had already turned over in his mind several times. Before noon, he had completely answered the two Five Classics questions.

Gu Siyuan organized them and set them aside, lest he accidentally soil the answer sheets later.

Just then, a copper gong sounded at the front of the examination hall. It turned out that the county magistrate, sympathizing with the cold weather, was gifting each candidate a bowl of hot soup; those who needed it could raise their hands to indicate.

Gu Siyuan immediately raised his hand. Even if he didn’t drink it, just holding the hot soup to warm his hands would be good.

However, this soup was actually not bad. It was a radish and tofu soup with quite a few ingredients inside.

Gu Siyuan immediately took out the crumbled flatbread from his exam basket and dropped it in. Just like eating paomo (pita bread soaked in soup), a bowl of hot soup went down, making both his body and mind feel much more comfortable.

Almost everyone in the examination hall asked for a bowl, and some also followed his example, soaking flatbread or steamed buns in the hot soup to eat.

They rested for a moment at noon.

In the afternoon, Gu Siyuan finished writing the final regulated eight-line poem, basically concluding the first session of the County Exam for him.

When evening approached and the sky showed signs of turning dark, another strike of the copper gong sounded from the front, and candidates began handing in their papers.

The content of the first session wasn’t considered difficult, and the volume of questions was small, so basically everyone had finished.

After all answer sheets had been collected, the main gate of the examination hall suddenly opened.

All candidates were let out batch by row according to their seat numbers, a process known as “releasing the rows.”

Gu Siyuan’s seat number was towards the back. By the time he walked out, the entrance to the examination hall was already crowded with people, carts, and horses.

However, he was tall and possessed a strong aura; his tall, straight, and upright posture was extremely conspicuous amidst a crowd of shivering, frail scholars.

“Husband…”

From outside the crowd, Xie Changyue’s voice drifted over faintly.

Gu Siyuan pushed through the crowd and walked toward where his family’s ox cart was located.

The ox was bought at the end of last year, and the cart was built by Gu Er under Gu Siyuan’s guidance. Not only did it make it convenient for him to transport some of the family’s small goods to the county town to sell, but it also picked Gu Siyuan up from the academy every evening on the way.

Now that it was winter, Gu Er had made a simple curtain for the ox cart. Although it couldn’t keep them warm, it could provide simple shelter from the wind.

This morning, Gu Er and Xie Changyue had accompanied Gu Siyuan to the county town together.

As soon as Gu Siyuan reached the ox cart, a cup of warm ginger soup was thrust into his hand. Xie Changyue said urgently: “Husband, take a sip quickly.”

As he spoke, he took down an extremely large padded coat from the cart and draped it over his back.

Gu Siyuan wrapped the padded coat tightly around himself, climbed onto the ox cart to sit down, and drank several cups of hot soup in succession before having the mood to speak: “Let’s go home. I must go back and roast on the kang (heated brick bed) before I can recover my senses.”

Sitting on the cart shaft, Gu Er smiled upon hearing this: “This studying is truly bitter work. In this freezing weather, they only let people wear two layers of clothes; mouths are frozen crooked.”

Right at this moment, a servant-looking person came to the front of their ox cart and opened his mouth, saying: “Eldest Master Gu!”

Gu Siyuan poked his head out to look and saw it was someone from Wang Xu’s side.

He spoke up to ask: “How is A’Xu?”

The servant smiled: “Young Master is fine. He sent me to see if Eldest Master Gu is well?”

Gu Siyuan nodded: “I am also well, tell him not to worry.”

The servant acknowledged and continued: “Young Master asked this lowly one to remind you that the rankings for the first session should be revealed in about two days, and the second session of the County Exam will be in about three days. Eldest Master Gu, do not miss the time.”

“I will not.”

Gu Siyuan thanked him for his kindness and poured a bowl of ginger soup for him to drink. Having waited outside the examination hall all this time, the servant was quite frozen. After downing the ginger soup in one gulp, he happily ran off.

After the servant left, Gu Er drove the ox cart away.

Xie Changyue reached out his hands, which he had rubbed warm, and cupped them over Gu Siyuan’s face, wanting to lend him some warmth.

Gu Siyuan simply pulled the person into his arms to sit, using him as a hand warmer.

After bumping along on the ox cart for about three quarters of an hour, they entered their house.

Mu Xia and the other two had a tacit understanding; none of them asked him how he did on the exam. They just urged him to quickly get onto the heated kang to rest. Even dinner was brought to him on the kang by Xie Changyue.

Gu Siyuan couldn’t help but chuckle. In his own original life, during the college entrance exams, he had seen many candidates being meticulously cared for like this outside the examination halls. It was just that his parents had passed away when he was young, so he couldn’t enjoy that treatment. He never expected that after arriving in this world, he would actually have the opportunity to experience it.

After eating dinner, Gu Siyuan routinely held his little husband in his arms and slept on the warm kang.

When he got up the next morning, he had restored his usual cold, stern, and energetic appearance.

The County Exam required taking a total of five sessions, one per day. Yesterday was only the first session.

After one session was completed, the answer sheets would be graded immediately, and the rankings would be posted about two or three days later. Only those who passed the first session could proceed to take the second session, and the same applied to the subsequent third, fourth sessions, and so on.

Consequently, the further it went, the fewer candidates there were.

Among them, the first session of the exam was the most crucial, also known as the primary session. Those who passed the first session were permitted to participate in the Prefectural Exam.

Whether to continue taking the subsequent four sessions was entirely up to the candidate’s personal will, but generally, students confident in their scholarship who sought a good ranking would continue.

Since Gu Siyuan wanted to take first place in the County Exam (Xian’anshou) and later aim for the Xiao Sanyuan, naturally he participated without missing a single session.

Thus, after resting briefly at home for a few days, he stepped into the familiar examination hall once again.

Except for the 3-day gap between the first and second sessions, there was only a 2-day gap between each subsequent session.

After the rankings for the first four sessions were revealed, Gu Siyuan’s seat number ‘One Hundred and Eighty-Two’ unsurprisingly appeared in the innermost circle—that is, the first position—all four times. Those paying attention had already faintly guessed that this seat number would very likely be the Xian’anshou this time.

By the time Gu Siyuan finished all five sessions of the County Exam, time had already moved into March.

Between heaven and earth, there were no longer bitter winds, cold rain, or gloomy darkness, but rather harmonious spring warmth and verdant grass.

Inside the Wuqing County Government Office, the County Magistrate and the Educational Commissioner were gathering and unsealing all the answer sheets of the candidates who had passed starting from the first session, in order to determine the final list. The one ranked first among them would be the Xian’anshou of this County Exam, and the Xian’anshou could directly skip the Prefectural Exam and participate in the Academy Exam.

Magistrate Du looked at the five or six answer sheets and candidate profiles specifically compiled by Advisor Lu, saying coldly: “Are these the most outstanding individuals of this session?”

Advisor Lu hurriedly replied: “They performed exceptionally well in all five sessions of the County Exam and possess quite a good reputation among the academies and the countryside.”

Magistrate Du nodded, then looked at the Educational Commissioner sitting opposite him: “I wonder if Brother Qin has reached a final conclusion?”

Educational Commissioner Qin stroked his beard and nodded: “In past sessions, I had to expend quite a bit of effort. But this time, there is one person who is exceptionally outstanding; this old man is willing to guarantee him.”

A trace of a smile curled on Magistrate Du’s serious face: “Oh… let this official guess, is it Number One Hundred and Eighty-Two?”

Educational Commissioner Qin also laughed: “Since Your Honor has also reached a conclusion, we can begin ranking and posting the list.”

Thinking of the student registry profile of Number One Hundred and Eighty-Two, Advisor Lu’s eyes lit up: “Reporting to Your Honor, speaking of which, this child actually has quite a connection with Your Honor.”

“Mm…” Hearing this, Magistrate Du’s expression darkened somewhat: “If that is the case, then the ranking will need to be reconsidered.”

At this time, officials were extremely particular about avoiding suspicion.

Advisor Lu’s expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said: “Your Honor misunderstands. This person is none other than the son of the Gu family from Huangyang Village who created the ‘Filial Son Machine’.”

“So that’s how it is,” Magistrate Du mused, pointing at Advisor Lu: “You nearly ruined a major matter.”

Educational Commissioner Qin smiled: “Good things take time. This child’s talent was already extraordinarily outstanding to begin with, and he is a person of such filial piety and righteousness. He fully deserves to be the Xian’anshou of this session.”

…

Meanwhile, back in Huangyang Village, the bright spring sunshine over the past few days finally made Xie Changyue unable to suppress the urge to go out and have fun.

Standing before the desk by the window, Gu Siyuan continued his usual daily calligraphy practice and policy essays.

Just as he finished writing one and set down his brush, a familiar warm softness pressed against his back.

The corners of his lips hooked up slightly. Turning sideways, he pulled the person onto his lap to sit and stroked Xie Changyue’s puffed-out cheeks: “What are you doing?”

Wrapping his arms around his husband’s neck, Xie Changyue began to act coquettishly: “You’ve been writing for a long time. Shouldn’t we go out for a walk?”

Gu Siyuan looked at him: “What do you want to play?”

Xie Changyue’s eyes lit up: “How about going to fly a kite? I think the wind is very good today.”

Gu Siyuan gently pinched his petite, exquisite nose: “You thought of this long ago, didn’t you?”

Xie Changyue hummed and kissed him on the cheek.

The kite had been bought back from the county town a few days ago when the final session of the County Exam concluded.

After arriving home, Xie Changyue found the kite’s pattern too simple and had picked up a brush himself to paint quite a few exquisite designs on it.

The spring sunshine was just right, and the dam outside the village was covered in green grass. Many children were lying on the ground digging for bugs or gathering in groups to play.

Near the river, a large yellow ox was leisurely drinking water.

Looking at the lush, green grass, Xie Changyue flew straight into it like a bird diving into a forest.

When Gu Siyuan and Xie Changyue came over, they immediately attracted everyone’s attention.

Mainly, the kite in Xie Changyue’s hand made this group of children somewhat envious.

Having little interest in flying kites, Gu Siyuan said to the group of children: “Go help Brother Changyue.”

Initially, this group of children was somewhat afraid of Gu Siyuan’s cold face, but after watching for a while, they ultimately couldn’t hold back and dawdled over to Xie Changyue’s side.

Sitting on a small slope to the side, Gu Siyuan watched Xie Changyue running after the kite with a few children, a faint smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

A group of energetic people played for an entire morning. It wasn’t until a child’s mother came looking for them that they reluctantly left for home.

Xie Changyue was also very loyal, stating that whenever they wanted to play again, they could come find him at the Gu house. This immediately drew a chorus of cheers from the little kids, who surrounded Xie Changyue, constantly calling him “Brother this” and “Brother that.”

Before leaving, the child’s mother smiled: “Changyue likes children so much, and you two have been married for almost a year now. You should have one of your own.”

Xie Changyue’s expression slightly restrained. Gers were not easily impregnated, and he knew many Gers could never have their own children in their entire lives.

Observing his expression, Gu Siyuan asked: “What are you thinking about?”

Xie Changyue murmured dumbly: “Children.”

Gu Siyuan furrowed his brows and said coldly: “The matter of offspring depends entirely on fate; there’s no need to force it.”

Xie Changyue looked at him: “You don’t mind at all?”

Gu Siyuan shook his head: “Why should I mind? Perhaps the problem lies entirely with me, that I cannot father children, and it has nothing to do with you.”

Xie Changyue frowned, hurriedly covering his mouth: “Don’t spout nonsense.”

Gu Siyuan chuckled lightly: “You want a child? If we have a child, I might not like you the most anymore. Whenever there’s something good, I won’t think of you first anymore, and the one I hold and hug in my arms every day will be the child…”

Xie Changyue’s expression changed, his eyes full of disappointment.

Just the thought of someone taking up his place in Gu Siyuan’s heart, no matter who it was, he couldn’t accept it.

He looked at his husband and acted coquettishly: “Then… let’s not think about it for now.”

“Right, you’re still young, no need to think about children too early,” Gu Siyuan rubbed his head: “Alright, let’s go home.”

Xie Changyue nodded: “Mm.”

“Hmph, there are three forms of unfilial conduct, and having no descendants is the worst! You two actually don’t want to have children; truly unworthy of being sons!”

Right then, a teenage boy’s voice drifted over.

Gu Siyuan and Xie Changyue looked up and saw Xie Dong and Xie Qiu standing not far away. The one who spoke was naturally that little idiot Xie Dong. It seemed he hadn’t been scolded enough last time.

Gu Siyuan shot him a glance and asked casually: “It seems you also participated in the County Exam. Where might your ranking be? You won’t have to shout ‘Xie Dong is the number one fool under heaven’ a hundred times at the village entrance, will you?”

Xie Dong’s expression changed drastically: “What nonsense are you spouting? I never agreed to it! Besides, how well do you think you could have scored?”

Gu Siyuan gave a cold laugh: “Since you think I’m no good, why don’t we restart the bet?”

“Hmph… who cares about you!”

Meeting his cold gaze and face, Xie Dong guiltily cursed a sentence and hurriedly ran off cursing and swearing.

Xie Qiu gave the two a complicated look and quickly followed.

Early on the morning of the day the County Exam results were to be posted, Mu Xia got up early to make breakfast.

After eating and packing everything up, Gu Er hitched up the ox cart, ready to head out, while Mu Xia stood at the doorway to see them off.

Gu Siyuan looked at Mu Xia and said flatly: “Is Papa not coming to the county town together with us? There’s nothing to do at home right now.”

Mu Xia paused, a smile curling at his lips, and then nodded vigorously.

Because he was mute, Mu Xia rarely went to the county town on regular days.

Accompanying his son to see the posted results this time held a very different significance.

Sitting at the doorway holding a bowl, Li Xiangtao couldn’t help but mock upon seeing this: “Those who didn’t know would think you took first place! Going to see a ranking, yet the whole family has to run off together, what are you showing off for?”

This time, Gu Siyuan and Xie Changyue didn’t even need to step in; Mu Xia was the first to shoot her a fierce glare.

By the time the family of four arrived at the county town, the usually spacious streets were packed tightly inside and out.

And upon reaching Book Market Street, it was even harder to move an inch.

Gu Er led Mu Xia, weaving through the crowd: “Good thing we listened to A’Yang and left the ox cart outside the city, otherwise we probably wouldn’t be able to move at all right now.”

Mu Xia nodded; Yang-er was just smart.

Xie Changyue was more direct: “Husband is just smart.”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

Although he had been in this world for almost a year, this experience of having his entire family be his brainless fans was still quite novel.

Right then, a familiar call was heard from above: “Brother Gu, over here!”

Gu Siyuan looked over and saw Wang Xu leaning out the window of a teahouse on the left, waving at him. He immediately nodded.

He turned to Gu Er and Mu Xia: “That’s my classmate. Father, Papa, let’s head toward that restaurant.”

Gu Er had some impression of Wang Xu. In the winter, when he went to the academy to pick up his son, this young man had followed his son around.

The four of them slowly squeezed their way against the tide of people toward the teahouse entrance. What was normally a distance covered in the blink of an eye now took a long time of dawdling before they broke free.

Under the guidance of the waiter, they reached the private room. On the table in front of Wang Xu, four cups of tea had already been poured: “Everyone quickly have a sip, there really are so many people…”

Halfway through his sentence, Wang Xu stared wide-eyed at Xie Changyue: “Why is it you?”

Xie Changyue also recognized the person in front of him: “You… you’re that one from the Wang family?”

Gu Siyuan wasn’t surprised by this at all. Having stayed in the capital for sixteen years, Xie Changyue naturally knew quite a few peers.

He simply pulled Xie Changyue, his father, and his Papa to sit down: “Take your time speaking.”

Wang Xu waved a hand: “What ‘this one’ or ‘that one’? I am the Sixteenth Young Master of the Wang family.”

Rolling his eyes, Xie Changyue leaned close to Gu Siyuan and said in a very small voice: “Husband, you don’t know, when this guy was in the capital, he was fighting and causing trouble with people all day.”

Gu Siyuan cast a glance at Wang Xu, clearly very surprised by this.

Wang Xu spat a “Bah“: “That was because some people couldn’t keep their mouths shut, can you blame me?”

After speaking, he looked at Gu Siyuan again: “Brother Gu, so you actually married this guy! I was wondering who in the countryside could catch your eye, but you’re in for it in the future, this little Ger is very hard to deal with.”

Xie Changyue glared at him angrily and hugged his husband’s arm even tighter.

Gu Siyuan pinched his cheek to soothe him.

This was Gu Er and Mu Xia’s first time in a teahouse, and they found it somewhat novel, their gazes constantly looking out the window.

The teahouse Wang Xu booked was also very special, situated right across from where the notice board would be posted.

Later, when the auspicious time arrived and the yamen runners tore off the red silk covering the board, someone with good eyesight like Gu Siyuan wouldn’t even need to go downstairs; they could see everything clearly just standing by the window.

Just as they were thinking this, several consecutive strikes of a copper gong sounded from outside the window.

Following the gong strikes was a burst of firecrackers sounding in unison.

Gu Siyuan and the others stood up one after another and walked to the window.

Wang Xu asked: “Brother Gu, what is your seat number?”

Gu Siyuan replied: “One Hundred and Eighty-Two.”

Wang Xu nodded and had the servant beside him run downstairs to tell another servant who was already waiting in front of the notice board.

Just then, the sound of firecrackers ceased. They saw a yamen runner below grab a corner of the red silk cloth and pull it down fiercely, simultaneously shouting: “The thirty-first year of Qingjia of the Great Zhou, the posting of the Wuqing County Exam results!”

As his voice fell, the crowd subsequently boiled over.

However, that squad of yamen runners guarding the board was still there. No matter how noisy it got, no one dared to cross the line into the area right in front of the board.

Xie Changyue excitedly gripped Gu Siyuan’s shoulder: “Husband, I wonder what your rank is?”

Gu Siyuan nodded: “Not bad, I’ve already seen it.”

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