Chapter 500 - 189: An Additional Examination of Grace (3)
Chapter 500: Chapter 189: An Additional Examination of Grace (3)
From a great distance, they saw an imperial messenger carrying a bundle on his back and holding a command flag. He rode swiftly toward them, bathed in the burgeoning morning light.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: I, having received the favor of Heaven and inherited the great fortune of the sagely emperors who came before me, rule over all the lands. Day and night, I have diligently devoted myself to the task of nurturing talent and selecting the worthy. Now, blessed by celestial gifts, the Qilin’s hoof brings auspicious fortune, and the imperial line is strong with the birth of a son. This is truly a blessing for the ancestral temples and a joy for all our people. Therefore, accepting the petitions of my court officials, I hereby decree a special examination to gather the brilliant and righteous. May the worthy talents from the four seas all share in this profound grace, and may their literary and virtuous achievements together praise this era of peace and prosperity."
Hardly anyone paid attention to the details of the Holy Decree. All they cared about was one piece of news: a special examination was being held!
The crowd exploded into action. Scholars and commoners alike took off running, scrambling for home or to the houses of their classmates and teachers.
The streets filled with hoarse, cracking shouts of excitement. "A special examination! His Majesty is holding a special examination to select officials! Our chance has come! Our chance has come!"
Special examinations, historically, were mostly of two types: those for the Emperor’s longevity and those for his accession.
The former was held to celebrate the Emperor’s major birthdays, those ending in zero. Court officials would submit memorials requesting a grand amnesty or a special examination, and to display his benevolence, the Emperor would usually grant their request.
The latter, as its name suggests, was held when a new Emperor ascended the throne. It served to cultivate his own cohort of loyal officials by selecting men of talent and vision.
Holding a special examination for the birth of an imperial heir, however, was far rarer, though not entirely without precedent. It typically occurred when an emperor had struggled to produce a successor. In such cases, the birth of a "Qilin son" would spark a nationwide celebration, prompting a special examination.
This time, the Empress had given birth to the Emperor’s eldest legitimate son, who was proclaimed Crown Prince at birth. With the nation’s heir apparent secured, a truly momentous occasion, a special examination was announced to select new officials and share the joy with scholars throughout the land.
The moment the Holy Decree was announced, De’an rushed home.
He wasn’t going home for a holiday; he was going to tell Zhao Jing to get back to the academy and study.
"Mr. Yin said that for these last few months, you need to be where he can see you."
Mr. Yin had added, reluctantly, that while Zhao Jing might be a rebellious student, his exceptional talent and academic prowess were undeniable facts.
The prefectural academy hadn’t produced a top scorer in the provincial examination for two successive terms, and this time, they were counting on Zhao Jing to restore their honor.
Those weren’t Mr. Yin’s words, however. They came from Mr. Sun.
It wasn’t just Mr. Sun. At the mention of the top scorer’s title, all the tutors at the academy were fired up. De’an was there on their behalf, specifically tasked with pleading for Jing to come back.
"I’m definitely not going to pass, but you will. Just becoming a scholar is too easy for you; you should be aiming for top scorer in the provincial examination, at the very least. But that title isn’t easy to claim. Countless prized disciples of great masters have their sights set on it, and plenty of students from other academies are eyeing it like tigers stalking their prey..."
"I’m interested in becoming the top scorer in the provincial examination. I’m not interested in going back to the academy."
"Jing, you’re being ungrateful. The tutors at the academy have all passed the highest imperial examinations to become Advanced Scholars. Guiding you would be child’s play for them."
"Heh."
"If you refuse to listen to Mr. Yin and won’t defer to him, you can ask Mr. Min for help. Mr. Min was personally chosen by the Emperor as the Champion Scholar. His erudition is extraordinary..."
"I get it. You can go now. When it’s time to go back to the academy, I’ll go back."
De’an glared at Zhao Jing, but it was no use. As a last resort, he brought up Chen Wanqing, hoping she could talk some sense into him.
But Zhao Jing had just given the excuse that being near her put his mind at ease and helped his studies. How could she have the heart to send him away after that?
Chen Wanqing came into the room, handed him a cup of tea without a word, and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Zhao Jing softly called out to stop her. "Don’t you worry. I wouldn’t joke about my own future. The academy is good, but in my opinion, being by your side is even better."
Chen Wanqing left the room with a smile. After speaking with De’an for a bit, she sent him on his way back to the academy the next day.
With De’an relaying the message, the academy tutors, sure enough, didn’t show up at the door to drag Zhao Jing back themselves.
Zhao Jing, for his part, kept his routine. He continued to go to the academy when he was supposed to and come back when he was supposed to.
The only difference was that Mr. Yin was clearly displeased. He resorted to his old tricks and started making things difficult for Zhao Jing again.
But Zhao Jing was no pushover, and he effortlessly dismantled every problem Mr. Yin threw at him.
Mr. Yin was simultaneously pleased and frustrated. Finally, he thought of a way to handle Zhao Jing.
He had Zhao Jing substitute teach for him, claiming it was for the noble purpose of "reviewing old knowledge to discover new insights" and "identifying and filling any gaps." He staunchly denied this was a deliberate attempt to give Zhao Jing a hard time, insisting it was all for his own good.
And just like that, Zhao Jing became the instructor for Xiaocheng Hall and Youzao Hall, teaching the students of both halls the classics, histories, and philosophies.
He spoke with substance and eloquence. When it came to deconstructing exam questions and offering clever strategies for answering them, he even showed flashes of brilliance that surpassed Mr. Yin.
At first, the students of Xiaocheng Hall and Youzao Hall had planned to watch him make a fool of himself and pick apart his teaching. But after a few sessions, they were completely won over. They were even more attentive in his class than they ever were in Mr. Yin’s.