After a long time, Tang Shen lowered his head and said, “This student realizes my mistake.” His voice was muffled, and there was still a trace of dissatisfaction deep in his heart.

“You think this is taken out of context. You clearly don’t mean that way, and the content of your essay is not about that.”

Tang Shen said nothing.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Liang Song looked at Tang Shen and shook his head helplessly. He stepped forward and pulled him, his student, over. Tang Shen raised his head and saw Liang Song looking at him quietly. As people age, their eyes become cloudy. Tang Shen knew that this was due to the accumulation of time. The old man’s eyes were never as bright as the young man’s. This was the case for everyone.

However, at this moment, looking at Liang Song’s cloudy and aged eyes, Tang Shen felt that perhaps some things might be more than just a physical change. These eyes were full of aged and weathered, hiding something that was subtle and silent. He couldn’t understand it at this time, but he knew that every word the elder in front of him said was for his own good.

Liang Song stared at his last and only student in this life and said: “People’s hearts are unpredictable. When you are at the height of power, even if you walked through the city with a knife and acted domineering, it is not a problem. But when you are downtrodden, everything you said and did, will be used as evidence when you are convicted. You have to remember, you can’t trust anyone. The boundary between a gentleman and a villain is just a thought. But before that, Tang Shen, you must be clear-minded and not leave behind any weakness for others to grasp.”

“I know that even if Jia Liangsheng is not the examiner, you should still be able to take the top spot. This essay you wrote is indeed stunning. It is the best essay you have written in these months. However, if someone wants to slander you in the future, just this sentence ‘I don’t believe it’ will be your fatal blow. They could take it out of context and deceive the emperor. This is officialdom.”

“I know, you were never fond of the imperial examination.”

Tang Shen was stunned for a moment and defended: “Sir, that’s not it.”

Liang Song: “We are the only ones in this study, so what can’t you say? Not to mention you, there are so many scholars in the world who don’t like imperial examination, so how do you matter?”

Tang Shen said no more.

The imperial examination and the eight-legged essay were criticized in later generations as feudal dross with no merit whatsoever. Tang Shen really didn’t like it. Putting him aside, how many future generations would like and approve of the imperial examination? But since he traveled through time, he had no choice but to take the exam.

Liang Song said: “However, the imperial examination is the only way for scholars in the world to change their situation. I don’t ask you to score the top spot and become a zhuangyuan. I had one top student who became a zhuangyuan. He died on the wall of Zhuozhou City in the 19th year. He was shot through the heart by random arrows from the Liao people and died. Shen’er, you are talented and intelligent, but you don’t have a world embracing aspiration. This is not a bad thing. But the imperial examination is also officialdom. As long as you participate in the imperial examination and get involved in officialdom, I must require you to be moderate. Even if you cannot win first place, protecting your life and surviving in this world is the most important thing.”

Tang Shen understood what Liang Song meant. After all, Tang Shen was not an ancient person, and he had traveled through time less than a year ago. When he wrote the “I don’t believe it” eight-legged essay, at most he thought that the examiner might feel that what he wrote was wrong and would not agree with his point of view, which was what later generations called off-topic writing. He didn’t expect that someone could use it to hinder him and slander him.

Officialdom was like a battlefield, perhaps even more cold-blooded and ruthless than the battlefield.

Tang Shen: “This student understands, I will definitely think twice before writing or speaking in the future.”

Liang Song: “I suppressed this essay of yours. Are you sure about the prefecture examination in two months?”

Tang Shen: “…Yes?”

“En?”

“Yes!”

Liang Song smiled.

In the study room, the teacher and student carefully read Tang Shen’s test paper again, and Liang Song pointed out several areas that could be improved. After dark, Tang Shen had dinner at Liang Manor. When he returned home, he bumped into someone before leaving the gate of Liang Manor.

When the two saw each other, they were both stunned.

Tang Shen cupped his hands and said, “Cousin Xu, long time no see.”

This person was none other than Xu Hui, Xu Yuzhi.

The first time Tang Shen met Xu Hui met was at a tea shop outside Zhao Family Village, and the second time they met was at Zeng fuzi‘s home. There was some unpleasantness that time. Now more than half a year had passed, Xu Hui looked at Tang Shen steadily, and bowed: “Long time no see, congratulations to the new an shou.”

“Cousin Xu is joking.”

“You are daren‘s student, just call me Yu Zhi.”

“Yu Zhi.”

After a back and forth exchange, the relationship between the two eased. Tang Shen asked: “You seem to be in a hurry, I haven’t seen you in the past few days either, are you very busy?”

Xu Hui nodded and said: “I just came back from Jinling and dealt with some affairs for daren.” After saying that, he thought for a while and took out a rabbit brush from his sleeve: “I got this from Wuxin Stationary in Jinling City when I happened to pass by a few days ago, congratulations on your success.”

Tang Shen accepted it: “Thank you so much, Yu Zhi.”

The two said goodbye.

When Tang Shen returned home, Aunt Yao cooked a table of delicious food and invited Lin Accountant and his family over as well to celebrate happily.

Tang Huang and Yao San were overjoyed, as if they were the an shou themselves.

After Tang Shen was advised by Liang Song, he was no longer so excited. He said: “It’s just a county exam an shou. Your brother hasn’t even become a xiucai yet. Once I do, it won’t be too late for you to be happy then.”

Tang Huang: “No way, my brother is the most amazing anyway. Brother Yao, you were not here this afternoon and didn’t see when that Tang Yun came to apologize, his face looked like he had just eaten a big lump of poop! He seemed a little dazed when he left, and seemed to not understand how my brother got the top spot in the examination, it was so funny.”

Yao San: “It’s not surprising that the little boss passed the examination on the first try. I think it’s not a big deal for the little boss to pass the exam and become a juren!”

Tang Shen thought to himself: Although I feel the same way, we should still be low-key, low-key.

He coughed: “Eat, eat.”

After all, Ziyang Academy was a government school in Gusu City. Of the four students who took the county exam this time, only one failed. Fatty Sun also passed the county exam, but he was not calm and still panicked. As soon as he arrived at the academy in the morning, he pulled Tang Shen and said, “Tang Shen, you are Liang daren‘s student. Did Liang daren tell you any exam secrets? We are good buddies, if you have something good, don’t forget me.”

Tang Shen laughed and scolded: “If I have any good thing, why would I still study? Why don’t I just sleep at home every day and go to the examination hall to use the exam secrets during the exam?”

Sun Yue suddenly wilted: “There are still two months until the prefecture exam. What would I do if I fail to pass the exam?”

Tang Shen waved his hand: “I’ll tell you a way.”

Sun Yue’s eyes lit up and he immediately perked his ears.

“If you don’t pass the exam, take off your clothes, find some brambles and carry it on your back to find your mother. In ancient times, Lian Po bore the bramble to plead guilty, and today Sun Yue pleads with his mother Madam Sun to be soft-hearted on him.”

“…”

“Tang Shen, are you looking for a fight!”

“Ha ha ha ha.”

After half a day, the two reconciled as before and went to the entrance of the academy to eat big meat buns together.

Two months passed quickly, and in April, many candidates who had passed the county exam took the prefecture exam. Not only those who passed the county exam this year took part in the exam, but also all those who had passed the county exam but failed the prefecture exam in previous years. Among them, Tang Shen saw Tang Yun. The two looked at each other from a distance, and Tang Yun depressedly raised his cupped hands to Tang Shen.

After entering the examination hall, under the envious eyes of Fatty Sun and Tang Yun, Tang Shen and nine other people entered a room and took the exam indoors.

Tang Shen held the test paper, feeling very energized, and took a deep breath.

Ah, the air was so good.

Now this was the proper way to take an exam. Next time he must also be in the top ten!

Opening the test paper, it was still the same two eight-legged essays and one test poem structure.

The first question was “A gentleman appreciates the virtuous and loves his family”, which comes from the third chapter of “The Great Learning”. The original sentence was “The superior man treats the worthy as worthy and loves his family. The inferior man enjoys his enjoyment and grabs profit whenever he has a chance. It is in this way that they are not forgotten after their death.” It means that a virtuous monarch had high moral character and cared for his people and relatives. When future generations of monarchs feel the benevolence of the late emperor, they would follow suit and carry forward the benevolence of the late emperor. Then the people could also receive blessings, be happier, and gain benefits.

This sentence referred to a phenomenon in which subordinates followed the example of their superiors, thus the country was peaceful and the people were happy.

Liang Song asked Tang Shen to be cautious in his words and deeds, not to curb his rich imagination or restrict his visual thinking, but to ask him to think twice before acting. Tang Shen thought about it for a while, with countless ideas flashing through his mind, and finally wrote: “With the respect of the forefathers, and the eternal happiness of the future generations, a gentleman would be virtuous and close to the nine-story pagoda.” He broke the topic, and then eloquently wrote the rest of the essay parts.

The second question was a little more difficult. It was an intersecting question, and the title was “As for governing the country, it will be advantageous to be a guest of the king”. The first half comes from “Mencius·King Hui of Liang”, and the second half comes from “Book of Changes·Guan”. Tang Shen thought for a long time and began to write.

After writing two eight-legged essays and a test poem, Tang Shen looked at the other nine people in the room. He took a deep breath and let it out happily.

So refreshing!

After checking the test paper and mistakes, Tang Shen handed in the paper and waited for ten people to gather together and leave the examination hall.

When Tang Huang and Yao San saw him coming out, they immediately ran forward. The little girl said cautiously: “Brother, are you okay?”

Tang Shen raised his eyebrows and said, “Of course your brother is okay. Your brother also wants to get into the top ten!”

Tang Huang beamed with joy.

Tang Shen felt that his performance this time was pretty good, not much different from last time. This time, ten people took the exam indoors. Although the exam lasted a whole day, they were not attacked by biochemical weapons. Tang Shen felt refreshed, had a full meal and went to bed, preparing for the second session tomorrow. Of course he didn’t know that in the Wu County government office, Jia Liangsheng had just finished overseeing the prefecture examination and picked his out of the many candidates’ papers.

“With the respect of the forefathers, and the eternal happiness of the future generations, a gentleman would be virtuous and close to the nine-story pagoda…”

Jia Liangsheng and the academician officials gathered around to read Tang Shen’s exam paper. After reading the two eight-legged essays and a test poem, Jia Liangsheng said: “Using quotations from classics and putting forth unique thoughts, the essay seems to be conciliatory, but it gradually has its roots. It is excellent work. The test poem is not bad either, this Tang Shen wrote an eight-legged poem without any flaws today, but the literary quality of it is not as good as his county examination work.”

An academician official said: “Excellent indeed, but not as unexpected as during the county exam.”

Jia Liangsheng nodded in agreement.

After the marking was over, everyone put together the best test papers. Jia Liangsheng commented: “This time, one first rank essay for Tang Shen of Gusu City and one for Yang Zhifan of Wu County. And as for the test poem Liu Yong of Wu County wrote the best poem, and he deserves the first rank. As for the an shou…”

The first session was also the most important in the prefecture examination. The next four sessions were just extras. Basically, the first day determined the exam results.

Jia Liangsheng looked at the three examination papers, thought for a long time, and said: “These three people have their own merits and it is difficult to distinguish them. However, if Tang Shen wins three top spots in a row for the tongshi this year, it would be this year’s sensation.”

With a stroke of his pen, Jia Liangsheng wrote the words “Tang Shen of Gusu City”.

At this time, Tang Shen didn’t know that he had just taken the first test session and had already won the title of this year’s an shou.

Tang Shen took the exam for four days, and the results were released after seven days. He originally just wanted to be in the top ten, but unexpectedly he saw that he was the an shou again.

This was not the an shou of the county examination. Once you passed the prefecture examination, you would gain the scholar rank of xiucai. This was a xiucai’s an shou!

Tang Shen stared blankly at his name while Tang Huang pulled at him excitedly. Tang Shen asked, “Am I really a genius? What I was best at before was obviously math, physics, and chemistry, while language and literature always pulled me down. Now I can score the top spot after a year of study?” He automatically ignored his golden finger of photographic memory.

Yao San and Tang Huang didn’t understand what mathematics, physics and chemistry referred to. In their minds…

“My brother is indeed the best!”

“The little boss really got the title of an shou!”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Tang Shen even began to suspect whether he was an all-around genius in arts and sciences hidden in the secular world.

“Ai, Heaven has made us talents; we’re not made in vain. A thousand gold coins spent, more will turn up again! I am already a talent, and it’s time to get my money back. Accountant Lin, let’s talk about the logistics price increase reform.” (TN: “Drink Wine”, by Li Bai, a famous poet in Tang Dynasty)

If you would like to show some ♡  then please consider supporting this translator! ლ(⌒εー)ლ