Beauties in Simulation Cross over into Reality

Chapter 39: Chapter 36: Xiao Mo? This Person Is Quite Interesting

After entering his examination cubicle, Xiao Mo waited for the test to formally begin.

The Qi Kingdom’s provincial examination was divided into three sessions.

The first session tested classical exegesis.

The Four Books section usually consisted of three questions.

Candidates were required to select and expound upon passages from the *Great Learning*, the *Doctrine of the Mean*, *The Analects*, and *Mencius*.

The Five Classics exegesis corresponded to the *Classic of Poetry*, the *Book of Documents*, the *Book of Rites*, the *I Ching*, and the *Spring and Autumn Annals*. One question was posed for each classic, and candidates could choose four out of the five to answer.

Indeed.

The history of the Qi Kingdom was actually quite similar to that of Huaxia on Blue Sea Star. It also had a Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period, as well as figures like Confucius and Laozi.

The only difference was that these ancient sages were rumored to be Cultivators who had surpassed the Ascension Realm, having already ascended to godhood.

This wasn’t entirely impossible.

After all, cultivation was possible in this world.

Founders of entire schools of thought like them might have truly reached an unimaginable Realm.

After the preliminary county-level examinations, the rigid eight-legged essay format was no longer strictly enforced.

Candidates could write more freely.

Xiao Mo wasn’t very confident about the first session.

He didn’t consider himself a genius.

Although his teachers had some renown, their fame was limited to a few nearby towns.

They weren’t what you would call true master teachers.

Meanwhile, many other Scholars had hired famous tutors from the state and commandery for one-on-one instruction.

Therefore, for the first session, Xiao Mo was only hoping not to fall behind.

The second session was on practical writing, such as discourses, judgments, edicts, mandates, and memorials.

Discourse: One question, typically requiring the candidate to express their views and arguments on a historical event, figure, or a political or ethical proposition.

Judgments: Five questions, presenting five simulated legal or official cases, requiring the candidate to draft a verdict based on the Great Qi Law and relevant codes of conduct.

Edicts, mandates, and memorials each had one question.

Xiao Mo was quite confident about the second day’s examination.

He could draw upon the various cases he had learned about on Blue Sea Star, giving him a broader perspective and more novel angles than the scholars of this world.

The third session was on policy essays.

There were usually five questions for the policy essays.

The topics covered an extremely wide range.

Critiquing the successes and failures of historical events and figures and summarizing historical lessons.

Proposing analyses and policy recommendations for current national issues, such as politics, the economy, taxation, canal transport, military border defense, military systems, social edification, disaster relief, and culture.

The final policy essay question was about one’s views on the Vassal Princes of the Qi Kingdom.

’The Vassal Princes of the Qi Kingdom…’

Xiao Mo’s brow furrowed as he looked at the question.

Xiao Mo wasn’t one to ignore the world outside his studies.

He knew that His Majesty’s desire to reduce the power of the Vassal Princes was not a recent development. The calls for it among the officials of the Imperial Court were also very loud.

However, he hadn’t expected the chief examiner of Jiangnan State to put the “Vassal Prince” issue so openly on the examination paper. This must have been done with His Majesty’s tacit approval.

’This is a blatant slap in the face to the Vassal Princes…’

Xiao Mo definitely had to support reducing their power; it was the politically correct stance.

’But how to do it…’

After a long period of contemplation.

Xiao Mo wrote three words on his examination paper: “Edict of Propagation.”

At 7 a.m. on the fourth day, a bell rang. The candidates stopped writing, and the examination papers were collected one by one.

The scholars filed out of the Imperial Examination Hall.

Some felt certain they would pass this time.

Others felt they had failed miserably.

Still others asked the scholars around them for their thoughts and opinions on the various questions.

Amid the crowd, Xiao Mo immediately spotted a woman wearing a veil.

Her embroidered shoes were perched on a stone as she gazed into the distance, searching for someone.

The moment the woman saw Xiao Mo, her beautiful eyes lit up with immense joy. “Xiao Mo, over here, over here…”

Bai Ruxue jumped down from the stone and ran toward Xiao Mo.

“Are you done?” Bai Ruxue asked.

“Yeah, I’m done.” Xiao Mo nodded and gently patted Bai Ruxue’s head. “Let’s go. Time to go home.”

“Yay! Let’s go home!”

…

「Imperial Examination Hall, Grading Pavilion.」

The grading period for the provincial examination was five days in total.

Each set of examination papers had to be graded three times by different officials.

According to the latest rules of the Qi Kingdom, if all three officials deemed a paper acceptable during the three readings, the candidate could be selected as a Scholar, and the character for “Accepted” would be written on it.

If two officials found it acceptable, it would be passed to the chief examiner for a final review to decide on acceptance.

If only one official deemed it acceptable, the candidate would have to wait another three years to try again.

On the third day of grading, an official named Yang Zifang came across a particular examination paper.

The calligraphy on the paper was good, the reasoning was clear, and the thinking was even somewhat novel and expansive.

By the time he was halfway through, Yang Zifang felt this scholar would likely pass.

But when he saw the answer to the final question, he shot to his feet.

“Old Fang, stop what you’re doing and take a look at this paper!” Yang Zifang said to his colleague beside him.

“What’s wrong with this paper?” Fang Yue took it and began to read. “The calligraphy is good. Though he’s a bit weak on the Four Books and Five Classics, the rest is well-written. The policy essays are even better. He can be accepted. Hmm???”

When he saw the final question, Fang Yue shot up just like Yang Zifang, his eyes wide as he read the answer again and again.

“Why are you two acting so strange? Let me see that paper.”

“I’ll take a look too.”

The other officials in the room all put down their papers and walked over to the pair.

When they saw the last question on the paper, they were all stunned, reading it over and over.

An incense stick’s time later, Yang Zifang took the paper and hurried into the chief examiner’s room.

“Lord Zhang, there is an examination paper here that requires your attention.”

Yang Zifang bowed to Zhang Qianzhi.

Zhang Qianzhi was a Hanlin Scholar and the head of the Hanlin Academy.

Although Hanlin Scholar was an honorary position, this Lord Zhang had an immense reputation, was of a very senior generation, and was held in high regard by His Majesty.

The current Prime Minister of the Imperial Court was one of Lord Zhang’s students.

Zhang Qianzhi had come to Jiangnan Province to be the chief examiner mainly because he had nothing to do in the Capital City and wanted to get out for a bit.

“Just leave it there,” Lord Zhang said coolly. “I’ll finish this one first.”

“Lord Zhang…” Yang Zifang organized his words. “This paper has been reviewed by the five colleagues in my room, and we all believe it should pass.”

“Hm?” Zhang Qianzhi looked up.

An examination paper only needed to be graded by three people, yet six examiners had seen this one.

Furthermore, once three examiners passed a paper, it didn’t need to be sent up to him, yet Yang Zifang had brought it anyway.

“Is there a problem with this paper?” Zhang Qianzhi asked.

“There is no problem at all. It is just that regarding this candidate’s answer to the final essay on ’reducing the Vassal Princes,’ your subordinates all believe it requires your personal review, Lord Zhang,” Yang Zifang said respectfully.

“Bring it here.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Zhang Qianzhi took the paper and read it from beginning to end, not skipping directly to the final essay.

But when he reached the final essay, Zhang Qianzhi’s eyes narrowed.

Zhang Qianzhi directly tore off the sealed strip of paper covering the candidate’s name. Yang Zifang gasped. ’Only Old Zhang would dare to do something like that…’

“Xiao Mo.”

“This one is rather interesting.”