Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 82 County Examination
The fifth watch clapper had just struck for the third time when the area in front of the county school was already packed with people.

Outside the gray brick wall, yamen runners stood in a human wall, holding water and fire sticks, and shouted at any bystanders who tried to approach.

The acrid smell of tung oil torches floated in the morning mist, mingling with the scent of invigorating sachets carried by examinees. Patchouli, borneol, mint, and various other medicinal aromas clashed in the chilly air.

Although they weren't allowed to bring it in, that didn't stop them from smelling it to perk themselves up and suppress their early morning drowsiness.

No one drinks cold water, because they're afraid of getting an upset stomach and not getting the desired effect, so they all use this method.

"Take off your hat! Loosen your belt! Put your shoes and socks in the basket!"

The bailiffs who searched the body had hoarse voices, like a dull knife scraping rough tree bark.

Inside the guardhouse at the main gate of the county school, there were two people specifically responsible for body searches: one was a yamen runner randomly selected by drawing lots from the county government, and the other was an old coroner.

First, they were dressed in short undershirts and gaiters and allowed the bailiffs to search them from head to toe. Then, the old coroner would use his hands to examine special areas.

In short, cheating is impossible.

As the candidates moved slowly along with the line, Lu Beigu, who had just arrived, saw the tall, thin scholar at the front being ordered to open his mouth, while a yamen runner used a bamboo stick similar to a tongue depressor to examine his oral cavity and teeth.

"That's really strict!" Lu Beigu thought to himself.

However, this strictness is obviously a good thing. The exam is fair and just, and everyone competes based on their abilities. No one can cheat.

"Come in quickly."

Pei Yan straightened his headscarf one last time: "We've been waiting for you."

She paused, perhaps afraid of putting psychological pressure on Lu Beigu, and swallowed back the words "passed the exam," replacing them with something simpler.

"Go home and eat."

"it is good."

Lu Beigu waved to his sister-in-law and two children, then joined the queue.

When he entered the county school's duty room to search him, he could still hear Lu Yanxi calling out from behind, her voice trembling with tears, "Uncle, come out soon!"

Why does it sound like he's going to jail?
However, the experience of taking the county-level examination was indeed similar to being in prison.

After being thoroughly searched by two people, Lu Beigu was finally able to take a randomly assigned number and queue up to find his seat.

After walking through the corridor, the examination room is located at the very back of the county school, a place where no one usually comes.

Lu Beigu quickly found his examination booth according to the number he had drawn. He lifted the bamboo curtain and went inside, only to find that the booth was very small and cramped, about three feet wide, four feet deep, and no more than six feet high.

Some corners of the ceiling still let in light like scattered snowflakes, and the three brick walls were covered with years of mold, making the environment quite terrible.

The cutting board was made of two thick wooden boards, each with one side fixed to the wall on either side, and could be opened in the middle for access. The so-called "seat" was a long board placed on the toilet.

Soon, all two hundred-plus candidates from the county school were in place.

Lu Beigu lowered his head slightly, adjusted his breathing, and calmed himself down.

Policy writing is his forte; he can simply improvise on the spot.

He had thoroughly read Zhao Bian's notes and insights on poetry and prose, and would have no problem preparing for the county examination.

He has been studying and memorizing the Analects diligently for the past two months, and he is already very familiar with it. As long as there are no extremely difficult questions, he is confident that he can get full marks.

Mo Yi found the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Book of Rites to be truly profound and extensive. He had studied the Book of Rites twice, and was not having any problem with the county examination. Even if he couldn't get a perfect score, he could still get a high score. However, the Spring and Autumn Annals was different. There were many different interpretations, and the reference books required were too numerous to read. He didn't have enough time to read it, and there were many parts that he hadn't fully understood.

However, Lu Beigu believed that with his current abilities, passing the county examination would definitely not be a problem.

The only remaining question is whether they can secure first place with a commanding lead.

Meanwhile, the faint sound of chanting could be heard from the side; clearly, the examinee next door was extremely nervous. "Silence!"

The examination room was shaped like the Chinese character "回" (hui). There were about fifty people on each side of the examination room, and they were divided into two rows of examination rooms, with less than thirty people in each row. They were all facing away from the middle of the examination room.

Because the distance was roughly the same, the shouts made in the middle of the examination hall could be clearly heard by all the candidates in the examination booths.

The teacher with the loudest voice in the county school was loudly announcing the exam rules.

"During this county examination, all candidates are strictly prohibited from talking to each other, looking around, submitting their papers early, or leaving their seats without permission! Anyone found cheating will be expelled from the county school on the spot and will never be allowed to take the exam again!"

As soon as he finished speaking, yamen runners began patrolling the alleyways of the "回"-shaped examination hall, their sharp eyes sweeping over each examination shed.

As dawn broke, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the bamboo blinds, casting dappled patterns of light on the cutting board.

Lu Beigu looked up calmly and saw a sparrow land on the examination shed in front of him, tilting its head to look at him before fluttering away.

"clang--"

The gong in the center of the examination hall was struck, and the exam papers were finally distributed.

The order of the exam subjects is fixed; the first subject is the "Book of Classics".

Lu Beigu unfolded the mulberry paper, glanced at the question, and felt somewhat relieved.

Confucius said: "The superior man is _____, does not seek comfort in his dwelling, _____, and is cautious in his speech, seeking guidance from those who possess the Way and correcting himself accordingly. _____."

There were no particularly difficult questions; he already knew the Analects by heart and answered them easily.

"There's still plenty of time, no need to rush."

Lu Beigu said to himself in his heart, and then continued to answer the questions with his head down.

He picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and steadily wrote the first line of characters.

Confucius said, “A gentleman does not seek to be full when he eats, nor does he seek comfort when he dwells. He is diligent in his work and cautious in his speech. He seeks guidance from those who possess the Way and corrects himself accordingly. This can be called true learning.”

The examination room was completely silent, save for the slight rustling of paper in the wind and the occasional cough.

Lu Beigu quickly finished answering all ten questions in the sutra and checked them several times.

After confirming that all of his answers were correct, Lu Beigu closed his eyes to rest. There was no other way; they wouldn't let him hand in his paper early.

At that moment, the sound of boots stomping on the ground could be heard from the alleyway of the examination hall.

In this quiet environment, the sound seemed exceptionally loud.

In this era, those who can afford boots are no ordinary people. Lu Beigu opened his eyes.

It turned out to be someone I knew.

—Li Pan.

When Li Pan saw Lu Beigu, he saw that Lu Beigu had finished answering and did not make any special statement. In this environment where everyone was watching, he could not make any statement either. Although he was the county magistrate and the nominal head of the county school, he still had to avoid suspicion.

However, Li Pan's expression clearly showed that he was quite relaxed, feeling that this kind of question would not pose any obstacle for Lu Beigu.

But Lu Beigu wasn't really at ease, because the difficulty of the county exam was not high, which often meant that he couldn't widen the score gap with others. Others who studied well might only get one question wrong at most.

A quarter of an hour later, the yamen runners began collecting the papers one by one in order. Whether the papers were finished or not, everyone had to stop writing when the gong sounded.

Soon, the exam paper for the second subject, Mo Yi, was handed out.

Lu Beigu, who was still a little sleepy, immediately woke up when he saw the first question!
(End of this chapter)