[Various] The Deposed Crown Prince's Survival Story

The imperial examinations were divided into three stages, with one subject tested every five days, which served as a way to give the candidates a break.

The first challenge is the simplest: recite from memory any one of the hundred schools of thought.

Chen Ping took a deep breath, closed his eyes to calm himself, then suddenly opened them again, looked at the bamboo slips on the table, picked up his brush and wrote the Tao Te Ching, which he knew best, in one breath.

Although the Tao Te Ching is only five thousand characters long, it was considered a monumental work at the time. Therefore, when Chen Ping finished memorizing it, many others had already finished memorizing their own articles and were checking for any shortcomings in their content.

Chen Ping was quite confident in his memory. Although he had finished his test, he did not rush to check it. Instead, he took the time to observe the other students.

His Majesty intends to recruit talent through examinations, and any student with good grades can be granted an official position. As soon as this news spread, Xianyang City was in an uproar.

Not only were the students who lacked connections to become retainers excited, but even those who had already become retainers of high-ranking officials were extremely excited, hoping to seize the opportunity to soar to great heights.

Therefore, although there was only a short half-month between the announcement of the exam and the official start of the exam, students from far away could not come to Xianyang to take the exam, and the number of test takers reached 5,000.

With so many people, no room other than the main hall of Xianyang Palace could accommodate them all. Therefore, Li Si, who was in charge of the examination, borrowed a large drill ground from the lieutenant in charge of guarding Xianyang Palace to use as the examination venue.

In the middle of the training ground, there was a long table and cushions with the names and seat numbers of the candidates written on them, so that the candidates could find their seats as soon as possible.

As a test taker, although this era did not require stripping for inspection like in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it would still search for any items you might bring. You could bring your own writing brush, ink, and inkstone, but anything with writing on it, especially bamboo slips and cloth, was absolutely forbidden from being brought into the examination hall.

You disagree? Then keep it to yourself! Either get out or take the exam!

Outside the training ground, Qin soldiers, fully armed and holding spears, sat in three layers. These soldiers served two purposes: first, to protect the training ground and maintain order during the examination; and second, to deter candidates who might try to cheat.

Fortunately, the first exam was very simple; it was basically just a check of everyone's calligraphy and their familiarity with their own books.

The Qin state placed great importance on law, and there were strict rules regarding writing. Basically, as long as you used the Qin script normally and wrote according to the style of Li Si and Zhao Gao, you could generally pass the test.

Why use the handwriting of Li Si and Zhao Gao? Not only because they were close to Ying Zheng and he was most familiar with their handwriting, but also because they were the first and second calligraphers in Qin. So when the new script was introduced before the new year, Fusu specially asked them to transcribe it, compile it into a book, and distribute it throughout the country, requiring all officials to use this script when submitting memorials.

It's been a year since the new script was introduced. If a year isn't enough time for an adult scholar to learn a new script and font, then either you're hopelessly stupid or you're heartbroken for your homeland.

Neither of these two types of people is suitable to serve as an official in the Qin Dynasty.

Therefore, after the first round of testing, the pass rate reached over 95%, meaning that at least 4,000 out of 5,000 people passed.

However, the questions in the second round of exams were not so simple. The second round of exams consisted of comprehensive questions, and the content of the exams was the Six Arts of a Gentleman.

The six arts of a gentleman are rites, music, archery, horseback riding, calligraphy, and mathematics.

Because it was a written exam, archery and horseback riding were removed. Only some general knowledge questions were included in the exam, such as precautions for riding a horse.

The requirement is simply to be a student council member; there's no need for expertise. Basically, any student who has studied the material can pass.

Music was definitely not like modern music, where you are asked to sing a song or dance. Instead, it was tested in conjunction with the Zhou Li (Rites of Zhou).

The ancients referred to "rites and music" as "etiquette" and "music".

The simplest example is that you need to know what song to sing in which mountain and what music to play in which occasion, right?

Even in modern times, you can't play "Today is a Good Day" at a funeral.

Chinese language—that was the content of the first and third exams.

Therefore, after removing these four less important knowledge points, the focus of the second round of exams will be on the "Rites of Zhou" and mathematics.

The questions on the Zhou Li (Rites of Zhou) were set by those old Confucian scholars in the Imperial Academy. They weren't too difficult, but they certainly weren't easy either. Anyone who hadn't seriously studied the Zhou Li couldn't answer them at all.

The math problem was originally intended to be set by the Mohists. It wasn't actually that difficult. To put it simply, it was something like, "A pool has two channels, one for water to enter and one for water to exit. How long will it take to fill the pool?" or "There are chickens and rabbits in a cage. How many heads and how many feet are there in total? How many chickens and rabbits are there?"

If a student from a later era were to take the exam, they would definitely find the "Rites of Zhou" difficult and the math... Did the teacher who set the exam even graduate from elementary school? But if it were an ancient student, the "Rites of Zhou," while somewhat difficult, would be relevant to all aspects of life, so the exam wouldn't be too daunting. But math is a different story. What the hell is all this stuff? You don't need such complicated content when you go to the market to buy groceries.

The students were in tears!

The elimination rate for this exam reached 95%, and the original 4,000-plus people were reduced to only about 200.

But hard work pays off. Once the list of 200 people was released, many previously unknown students suddenly became celebrities.

People vied to curry favor with these promising celebrities, offering them money, land, and even their daughters in marriage proposals.

Why are so many people scrambling to curry favor with you after only passing the second round of testing? Nonsense! After passing the third round, do you think a mere mortal like you can possibly curry favor with a future high-ranking official?

If you ask again, what if I pass the second round of exams but not the third?

That's even more obvious!

The fact that the second round of questions was so challenging proves that this exam was highly valuable. Therefore, those who passed the second round must have no problem with the Six Arts of a Gentleman. With their true talents and learning, even if they don't pass the third round and become officials, they would be more than capable of serving as retainers of high-ranking officials or becoming respected figures in their hometowns.

Chen Ping was the youngest and best-looking among all those who passed the second round of testing. Although many high-ranking officials knew his background and wouldn't target him, that didn't mean others wouldn't.

Since the list was released, Chen Ping's doorstep has been worn down by people trying to pull strings, ask for help, and most of all, matchmakers and go-betweens.

The most outrageous thing is that every day, women would throw all kinds of fruit outside the yard, crying and making a scene, wanting to marry Chen Ping.

Fortunately, Fusu had taken precautions and sent many skilled men to protect Chen Ping's safety. Otherwise, Chen Ping might have been kidnapped by some domineering rich girl and taken to her bridal chamber one night.

He's handsome! But he's also annoying!

As Chen Ping drank the nourishing soup that Fu Su had specially brought him, he said to Fu Su in a particularly smug tone, "Wouldn't it be great if Ping wasn't so good-looking?"

Haha! If you weren't that good-looking, my sister wouldn't even look at you!

Haven't you noticed that nourishing soups are all for beauty and skin care?

Fusu silently turned his head to the side.

Thanks to the nourishing soup, Chen Ping, who had recently been exhausted by the uninvited guests, regained his energy and stepped into the examination hall for the final round of the exam.

It was still the same large drill ground, but the extra long tables had long been removed. The center of the drill ground, which used to be crowded with people, was now empty and desolate, giving it a rather lonely and deserted feel.

At 1:15 AM, the exam questions were distributed.

This round of exams involved writing essays, unlike later exams which drew topics from the Four Books and Five Classics. This time, the candidates came from all walks of life, and teachers who only tested on the Four Books and Five Classics should be careful not to get caught in a trap—even though the Four Books and Five Classics didn't exist in this era.

Therefore, there are a total of ten questions this time. The first nine are multiple choice questions. You can choose one topic to write an essay. The content ranges from military to politics, from history to culture. You can choose whatever you like.

The last question is mandatory. To put it simply, it's about how, if you became an official in the Qin Dynasty, you would teach people how to use their knowledge to serve the Qin Dynasty to the death.

Everyone answered the previous question quickly; after all, everyone has their own area of ​​expertise, so just choose the one you're best at.

The last mandatory question stumped many people, because most of them were mortal enemies of Qin just two years ago. Even if they were to sell themselves into service to Qin, they would still want to show some sentimentality. But now Qin is making them write such a pledge of allegiance. How annoying!

While muttering to themselves, the test takers continued writing on their exam papers, expressing their love for their motherland.

Everyone's bodies are really telling the truth today!

After the final round of exams, only 100 people remained out of 200.

The top scorer in this exam... was not Chen Ping, but a member of the Kong family from Shandong. After all, they were from a prestigious family, and even their leg hairs were thicker than the others.

The second place... was not Chen Ping, but a scholar from the Chu region. Chu was known for its abundance of talent; just think of Li Si, Liu Bang, Xiang Yu, Xiao He, and Han Xin, all of whom were from Chu, and you'll understand.

Third place... It's very fortunate that it's finally Chen Ping's turn.

“Third…it’s actually third…” Chen Ping stared at the name on the list, biting his lower lip hard, his eyes red and filled with tears, his fists clenched and trembling.

Those who knew Chen Ping initially thought he was happy because he was on the list and ranked well, and that it was normal for him to cry tears of joy. But after watching him for a while, they realized that he was really sad because he was not first but third.

This guy who gets the benefits and then acts innocent is so annoying, I want to punch him!

In Xianyang Palace, Fusu sipped a delicious nourishing soup and looked at his younger sister, whose face was flushed but showed no signs of shyness. He sighed and said, "It's true what they say, daughters grow up and leave home; keeping them only leads to resentment. I worry about your marriage, and this is how you treat me."

"Hmph!" He Hua slammed her hand on the long table, her voice trembling with tears, and said, "Let me tell you! This princess will never marry that bastard surnamed Kong!"