Chapter 687 - 251: Six Firsts
Chapter 687: Chapter 251: Six Firsts
The Empress Dowager let out a deep sigh. "Yes, it’s time to rest..."
After the Empress Dowager left, the Emperor no longer had anything holding him back. He reviewed the exam papers submitted by his ministers one by one and promptly finalized the rankings.
The fourth day of the Palace Examination was the Grand Roll Call Ceremony.
It was the twenty-fifth of April.
In the early hours before dawn, the sky remained pitch black. Yet throughout the Imperial City, lantern lights already stretched out like glowing dragons. The morning breeze was piercing, carrying a bone-chilling spring frost, but no one felt the cold. At this moment, the blood pumping through their veins ran hotter than usual.
As dawn approached, the two hundred and sixty-nine new Advanced Scholars were guided by the officials from the Ministry of Rites. They crossed the Golden Water Bridge, passed through the Taihe Gate, and lined up below the Dan Chi in accordance with their rankings from the Imperial Examination.
At exactly 5:00 AM, bells and drums sounded in unison.
Time slipped by in a flash. Whether it was the span of a cup of tea or a full quarter of an hour, a sudden, sharp, and resounding voice shattered the tranquility before the hall.
"On the twenty-fifth day of the fourth month in the fifteenth year of Ruicheng, we announce the results of the Palace Examination for the empire’s Advanced Scholars!"
The Minister of the Ministry of Rites stood beneath the eaves of the hall, holding the Yellow Silk Golden List in his hands. His voice was drawn out, as if chanting scriptures, projecting the list of the newly minted scholars far and wide:
"First place of the First Class—"
Zhao Jing’s heart skipped a violent beat.
All the blood in his body rushed to his head, leaving him momentarily dizzy. Even his hands, hidden beneath his wide sleeves, were clenched so tightly that his knuckles protruded pale and white.
Twenty years of relentless, arduous study had all been for this very day. To secure the title of Champion Scholar, he had even resorted to the underhanded methods he despised most.
If he failed—
No, it wouldn’t happen. It had to be him!
The drawn-out voice cascaded down layer by layer, from the eaves of the hall to the imperial steps, then down to the Dan Chi, and finally to the end of the imperial pathway. With each level, the shout grew louder than the last, as if declaring each person’s destiny to the ancient sages and the gods of heaven and earth.
"—Zhao Jing, from Qingshui County, Xinghuai Prefecture, Heyuan Province!"
His mind reeled, and his ears rang. At that moment, the entire world blurred into a haze of light before Zhao Jing’s eyes. Standing on the bluestone pavement, he felt as though he were walking on clouds, completely unmoored and floating.
There seemed to be a commotion behind him, but then again, perhaps there wasn’t. He had neither the mind to distinguish it nor the strength to turn around.
Right then, over a decade of grueling study, of solitary lamps illuminating rainy nights, of desks piled high with papers like snow, of nights suffered through until the faint light of dawn broke—all the suffocating expectations and torments suddenly erupted, before evaporating entirely into the mist of the past. As the world spun around him, Zhao Jing’s heart only grew more resolute.
He had truly passed the imperial exams and emerged at the very top!
Prompted by the ritual official beside him, Zhao Jing finally snapped out of his daze. Following the official’s guidance, he stepped onto the Dan Chi and bowed deeply toward the Jinluan Hall.
Incense smoke curled upwards in the grand hall, and the imperial throne sat high and distant. Kneeling with his head bowed, he listened to the gratified praise and commendations from the ruler of the nation. Though every word rang clearly as if spoken right next to his ear, they also felt immensely distant, floating down ethereally from a celestial palace.
Zhao Jing collected his thoughts, fighting down the surging blood in his veins, and kowtowed in gratitude.
When he stood back up, he had restored his usual cold and composed demeanor. His back was straight, all traces of his previous distraction gone, leaving only the noble and refined air of a youth who had just conquered the highest exams.
Watching from above, the Emperor couldn’t help but nod repeatedly. He joked with his courtiers, "Truly worthy of being the youth I handpicked. With such proud bones and noble elegance, who else could possibly be the Champion Scholar?"
The matter was already settled, and no matter how tactless the courtiers below might be, they certainly wouldn’t throw cold water on the Emperor’s good mood now.
One by one, they offered their flattery. "Your Majesty’s eyes are sharp and your mind clear, selecting the most outstanding candidate straightaway."
"Mr. Xu certainly got lucky, snatching up such an exceptional grandson-in-law for nothing. You’ll have to treat all of us to a drink later."
"The Xu family has found a worthy successor, and Your Majesty has gained another capable minister. Achieving all Six Firsts is a first since the founding of our dynasty—truly a joyous occasion..."
At this time, the runner-up and the third-place winner were successively announced. The top scorer of the second class was also named, and the remaining Advanced Scholars all received their finalized rankings.
The top three of the first class were all officially bestowed the title of Advanced Scholar. By custom, the Champion Scholar was appointed to the Hanlin Academy as a compiler, while the runner-up and the third-place winner were made editors.
There was a saying at the time: "Without being an Advanced Scholar, one cannot enter the Hanlin Academy; without being in the Hanlin Academy, one cannot enter the Cabinet." This "Advanced Scholar" primarily referred to those who passed with the highest distinction. In thirty or forty years, these men would have a far greater chance than anyone else to enter the pinnacle institution of the Wei Dynasty—the Cabinet.
There were about a hundred men in the second class. Aside from the first-place winner among them, the rest were all granted the standard status of Advanced Scholar.
Although standard Advanced Scholars could not compare to those who had passed with the highest honors, they could still take a selection exam to become a scholar for further study, ensuring they would all become valuable talents for the empire in the future.