We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

The imperial examination was a major national event, and after such a long period of publicity, curious citizens of the capital had long been gathering on the streets to watch.

Meanwhile, soldiers maintaining order had placed the streets of the capital under martial law.

They stood guard every five steps and sentry every ten steps, forming two human walls along the street.

Armor gleamed, spears stood like a forest pointing to the sky, and a chilling aura filled the air, separating the onlookers and leaving a wide and unobstructed path for the students.

In the crowd, Zhang Qian tightened his faded old robe, took a deep breath, and felt the cool morning air.

It's about to begin.

For others, this is just one attempt in life.

For Zhang Qian, there was no way out; this was his only chance to confront his destiny.

If that doesn't work out, he can only go home and farm, spending his life as a rural farmer.

As he moved forward with the crowd, his gaze was involuntarily awestruck by the magnificent scene before him.

Looking at the students around him hurrying along like him, and then at the silent soldiers standing like statues on both sides of the road, an indescribable emotion surged in his chest.

Zhang Qian was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses, his eyes hardening.

This is the capital city, this is His Majesty's grandeur!

Such a large-scale operation, with such disciplined military bearing, was all for the sake of ensuring the smooth conduct of an examination.

He never imagined that scholars and soldiers could get along so harmoniously.

Zhang Qian, you've spent your whole life searching for a mentor, but you never realized that the real mentor is the most powerful person in the world today.

If you still can't get ahead this time, then go home as soon as possible and stop daydreaming.

Not far from Zhang Qian, Lin Qingyuan walked side by side with his several junior brothers in white robes.

They possessed a refined and elegant demeanor, standing out prominently in the chaotic crowd. They calmly observed everything around them, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones.

Seeing Zhang Qian in the distance, Lin Qingyuan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, which the latter quickly returned.

In the past few days, Lin Qingyuan has been a great help to Zhang Qian. He not only helped Zhang Qian consolidate his knowledge of the Four Books and Five Classics, but also exchanged a lot of ideas from their school of thought. Zhang Qian has benefited a lot from this.

Some students, dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited horses, arrived in carriages surrounded by servants, but obediently disembarked and walked when they reached the checkpoint set up by the soldiers.

No one dared to put on airs at this time; they all restrained their usual arrogance and obediently joined the crowd.

"Look, so many soldiers are protecting them!"

"That's right, I heard they're all veterans from Feng State, His Majesty's personal guard!"

"Goodness, this spectacle is no less impressive than His Majesty's imperial procession..."

"What do you know? This is about selecting pillars of the nation. How can we not take it seriously?"

The civilians on both sides of the road were kept out by the soldiers, craning their necks to look and discussing among themselves. Their faces were mostly filled with curiosity and envy, but they showed no dissatisfaction at being blocked.

Some of the bolder children tried to squeeze through the crowd to take a look, but were immediately pulled back by their parents, who slapped their bottoms a few times and scolded them in a low voice.

Occasionally, a student would drop their luggage due to the crowd, and a soldier would immediately step forward, silently pick it up, and hand it back.

With swift and decisive movements, before the students could even express their gratitude, he retreated to his original position, reverting to his silent, statue-like state.

As the sun rose higher, golden rays shone on the gray cement road, on the excited faces of the students, and on the blades of the soldiers' guns.

Zhang Qian clenched his fist, his gaze piercing through the throng of people ahead, settling on the increasingly clear outline of the examination hall, and silently recited in his mind:

"Father, your son... has arrived."

The first imperial examination in Daqing was held in the square outside the palace.

There was no other way; tens of thousands of students came from all over Daqing for this imperial examination. Although the capital was large, every inch of land was extremely valuable.

Even if all the schools, government offices, and even large temples and Taoist monasteries in the city were vacated, it would still be difficult to accommodate the number of candidates, which far exceeds ten thousand.

Only this vast square at the foot of the imperial city could accommodate this nationwide examination.

The exam venue was outdoors, which was unavoidable given the large number of test takers.

Moreover, even in later generations, county-level examinations were sometimes held outdoors.

Even in some relatively wealthy counties that can provide sheds for students, these sheds are dilapidated and cannot even provide basic shelter from the wind and rain.

If it rains, then the test taker is out of luck and will have to hold an umbrella in one hand and answer the questions in the other.

If the rain wets the exam paper and smudges the writing, then I'm sorry, please come back next time.

After all, there was no shortage of candidates for the imperial examinations in later generations. There were plenty of students who knew how to take the exams. Each exam was a selection process, and those who were careless or unlucky could only be eliminated.

Fortunately, the weather is quite warm now, and the exams were specially scheduled for the morning and afternoon, avoiding the hottest part of the day, which can be considered a kind gesture from the heavens.

As Zhang Qian squeezed through the crowd to the edge of the examination area, he heard a heated argument coming from ahead.

Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw several stern-faced bailiffs stopping a group of students and speaking sternly to them.

The students were red-faced and seemed to be arguing their point, which drew stares from those around them.

Zhang Qian had no time to think about anything else and silently followed the group forward.

When it was his turn, a bailiff stepped forward and said in a flat voice, "Take off your shoes! Untie your belt! Place your shoes and socks in the basket, then raise your hands and come to me."

Zhang Qian then noticed that several large bamboo baskets were placed next to each entrance passage, and they were already piled with clothes.

Many students looked ashamed and indignant as they underwent the examination.

The earlier commotion must have been caused by some proud and arrogant students who couldn't bear such a humiliating inspection.

Zhang Qian, however, felt completely at ease.

Driven by his ideals, he has traveled from his impoverished hometown to this place, enduring hardships and experiencing all kinds of joys and sorrows.

Why would we give up so easily because of this little humiliation?

Moreover, in his view, such strictness was a good thing, at least it meant that His Majesty had placed the word 'fairness' at an unprecedented level, leaving no place for anyone who tried to cheat.

Zhang Qian did as instructed, taking off his outer robe, shoes, and socks and putting them into the basket. Immediately, another constable stepped forward and began to conduct an extremely thorough body search on him.

From the scalp and hairline to the ears and mouth, then to the armpits, waist, trouser legs, and even the soles of the feet, nothing was spared.

They might even be ordered to open their mouths so that a bamboo stick could be used to examine their tongue and oral cavity.

Its rigor was almost harsh, with no semblance of scholarly decorum, so it's no wonder that the candidates felt humiliated.

After the constable checked Zhang Qian's identity information and confirmed everything was correct, he nodded and said, "Let him pass!"

He then took out a wooden examination token from behind his back and handed it to Zhang Qian.

Seemingly moved by Zhang Qian's cooperation and simple attire, the constable spoke up to remind him:

"Although this exam card is made of wood, it is extremely important. You must keep it safe until the exam is over."

Zhang Qian straightened his posture and bowed respectfully: "Thank you for the reminder."

The constable nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Lin Qingyuan and others, who were not far away, were also being examined. As expected of a disciple of a master, they showed no signs of the arrogance expected of scholars.

They faced the body search with composure, even exchanging smiles and glances at each other from time to time. Their detached attitude actually earned them higher regard.

Just as Zhang Qian was about to retrieve his clothes, a panicked cry rang out beside him: "This...this isn't mine! Who put the note in my clothes?!"

A student was pale and incoherent, while the constable opposite him held a piece of paper in his hand.

"Please help me, everyone. I really... I was just confused for a moment. You can take this note. I promise I won't do it again."

The constable's eyes were sharp and cold, giving him no chance to explain, and he simply gestured slightly to the side.

Two soldiers, who had been standing with their hands on their swords, strode forward and, without saying a word, lifted the student who was limp as mud, one on each side.

The constables quickly recorded his name and place of origin, and the soldiers immediately dragged him away from the examination area without any mercy.

Immediately afterwards, an academic official in official robes ascended to a high place and announced in a loud voice: "Zhai Tianlin, a student from the capital, has been found guilty of cheating in the examination! The evidence is irrefutable!"

"In accordance with His Majesty's decree of the Imperial Examination Regulations, his eligibility to take the examination is hereby revoked, and he shall never be employed again!"

Upon hearing this, all the students' expressions changed slightly, and the previously somewhat noisy queue instantly quieted down.

I thought that being caught would at most result in being expelled from the exam room, but who would have thought the punishment would be so severe?

This is tantamount to directly cutting off this person's career path.

A person with a stigma of cheating would be unlikely to be employed, let alone become an official. Even if they wanted to work as a staff member or accountant, no one would dare to hire them.

Zhang Qian happened to witness this scene and was also deeply moved.

Beyond the shock, I felt a deep admiration for His Majesty's meticulousness.

He recalled that when he was in the Recruitment Hall, some students did talk privately about how to smuggle cheat sheets and were hoping to get away with it.

Fortunately, I knew at the time that this was a wrong path, and because I had been associating with upright gentlemen like Lin Qingyuan, I was influenced by them and never had such crooked thoughts.

He took a deep breath, expelling all the distracting thoughts from his chest.

He then straightened his back, strode through the imperial city gate, and officially entered the examination hall.

However, before he could even feel any emotion about stepping into the imperial city for the first time, the scene before him completely overwhelmed all his thoughts.

The vast square was precisely divided into dozens of huge squares by lime lines, resembling neat and uniform chessboards laid out under the sky.

Each square formation contained hundreds of simple desks and couches, which, when viewed from a distance, resembled a dense military formation, stretching endlessly to the horizon.

At the front and four corners of each formation, several examiners dressed in official robes sat upright with solemn expressions.

Furthermore, soldiers in bright armor patrolled the examination hall, their sharp eyes scanning the students who were gradually entering.

Unlike outside the examination hall, the air here was thick with a somber atmosphere, and even the wind seemed to move cautiously through the area.

Zhang Qian stood there, stunned, unable to come to his senses for a long time.

This is where your fate is decided.