C159. Imperial Examination Ranking.

C159. Imperial Examination Ranking.

While the candidates anxiously awaited the results, Yuan Li and the officials from the Ministry of Civil Affairs were busy grading the papers.

A total of 6,400 papers were spread out in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, a sight never seen before. The officials were both intrigued and eager to start grading, sitting upright and waiting to begin.

To ensure fairness, Yuan Li implemented a system of pseudonyms to prevent any biases. He also ordered the officials grading the papers to stay and dine with him until the results were revealed, prohibiting them from returning home until then.

Following the examination methods of future imperial exams, each reader had a separate table where the papers were rotated for evaluation. If a reader found a paper satisfactory, they would mark it with a circle. Each paper underwent scrutiny by several officials to minimize grading errors, and the ranking was determined based on the number of circles awarded.

With time running short, the officials wasted no time in commencing the grading process. Acting as a reader for the first time, Zhou Gongdan, Liu Jixin, and others meticulously evaluated each paper, occasionally discussing outstanding submissions with their peers.

Yuan Li also participated in the grading process, thoroughly examining each paper.

After a while, he set down his brush, took a sip of tea, relaxed his shoulders, and turned to Guo Mao beside him, saying, "Correcting papers is much more tiring than reviewing official documents, isn't it?"

Guo Mao chuckled, "Indeed, but grading these papers is much more interesting than handling official paperwork."

Yuan Li smiled, taking another paper after quenching his thirst.

At first glance, he sighed inwardly. What a beautiful script!

Neat and stylish, the impeccable layout of the paper easily evoked a favorable impression.

Yuan Li carefully read through the content, nodding approvingly as he finished.

The candidate had not made a single mistake in the classic texts or arithmetic questions. More impressively, the policy response was insightful and grounded, avoiding empty rhetoric. From the content of the policy, one could tell this was a diligent, capable, and clever young individual.

He marked a circle on the paper and gently set it aside with the other graded papers.

*

While waiting for the readers to finish grading the papers, the candidates found it to be the most excruciating time.

For the first time, the students of Northern Zhou competed with numerous others to showcase their knowledge, making it impossible not to feel nervous about the results. Claiming not to care about the outcome was simply deceiving oneself.

While they were used to not being ranked first academically, now they found themselves vying for positions, causing immense anxiety among the candidates.

Even the well-informed elite offspring couldn't help but feel anxious as they secretly hoped for the best. They desired to see their names at the top of the list while silently dreading being surpassed by others. The complex and multifaceted emotions were indescribable in mere words.

During this time, peculiar scenes unfolded across Ye County in Jizhou.

The candidates unknowingly headed to the government office, only to realize upon arrival that the results had not yet been posted. They hurriedly left with disappointment written on their faces.

When the candidates gathered, conversations inevitably turned to the imperial examination, with lighthearted exchanges and mutual probing to gauge each other's confidence and anxiety. Within the Zhou residence, Xu Kang and others found themselves in a similar situation.

As the time for the results drew nearer, Xu Kang and the brothers Xiang Feijin and Xiang Feizhang became increasingly restless. When they sought comfort from Wang Qianzhi, they found him leisurely fishing in Zhou's pond.

Xu Kang and the Xiang brothers exchanged glances and asked, "Brother Wang, aren't you nervous?"

"What's the use of being nervous?" Wang Qianzhi calmly adjusted his fishing rod to a new spot, speaking unhurriedly, "The exams are over now, and our fate has been sealed. No matter how anxious we are, it won't change a single word on our papers. So why be nervous?"

Xu Kang and his friends were left speechless, admiringly remarking, "Brother Wang, we wish we could be as composed as you. Did you do well in the exams? You seem so confident."

Wang Qianzhi smiled faintly, affirming inwardly.

Indeed, he felt confident in his performance, certain that he wouldn't fail even if he didn't rank highly.

His calm demeanor infected his three friends, who sat beside him watching his fishing. After a quarter of an hour, the fishing rod in Wang Qianzhi's hand twitched, causing the group to perk up in anticipation of what he would catch.

As Wang Qianzhi prepared to reel in, his servant hurriedly approached them, eyes lighting up upon seeing them as he exclaimed, "Young Master, the results of the imperial examination have been posted at the government office!"

The four of them were stunned, Xu Kang and the brothers Xiang Feijin and Xiang Feizhang jumped to their feet, their hearts pounding in their chests. Taking a step forward, their legs turned weak, nearly causing them to stumble.

Xu Kang took a deep breath to steady himself, turning to his friends and saying, "Let's not rush. The results are already posted, we can go see them at any time. We should learn from Brother Wang's composure, don't you think, Brother Wang?"

Turning to look back, they noticed Wang Qianzhi seemingly frozen in place. After calling out to him, he abruptly stood up as if in a trance. The fish in the pond thrashed about, causing Wang Qianzhi to forget about his fishing rod and fall into the water!

Xu Kang and his friends were dumbfounded, exclaiming, "Brother Wang!"

*

A chaotic scene ensued.

After changing into dry clothes, Wang Qianzhi and his friends hurried to the government office, while several of his clan brothers, unable to wait, had already rushed ahead.

Upon their arrival at the government office, they found it crowded with students. Arriving late, they stood at the back, straining to see over the heads in front of them, unable to catch a glimpse of the entrance.

The nervous students anxiously conversed and fidgeted, their voices blending in with the crisp autumn air, sweat beading on their foreheads.

Anxious, Xu Kang jumped up to try and get a better view, "Oh, I can't see anything!"

Meanwhile, Wang Qianzhi, although still damp from his earlier mishap, appeared calm, "No rush. Once those ahead of us have finished looking, we can take our turn."

His friends, however, found it hard to believe his reassurance. They chuckled teasingly, "Brother Wang, are you really not in a hurry to see?"

About to explain, Wang Qianzhi heard someone calling out, "Qianzhi, Xu Kang?"

It was the voices of his clan brothers.

Excited, Xu Kang promptly responded, "We're here!"

"Come over quickly," the clan brothers shouted from the front, "we've saved a spot for you. Hurry, the officials are coming out with the results!"

In a hurry, Xu Kang and the Xiang brothers pulled Wang Qianzhi into the throng of people.

As they squeezed their way towards their clan brothers upfront, the disheveled group showed signs of distress, their hair unkempt, clothes wrinkled, no longer presenting the dignified appearance of scholars.

But at that moment, none of it mattered. Each of them eagerly scanned the dozens of papers posted on the wall, searching for their names.

As they looked at one paper after another, they couldn't find their names on the list. Even Wang Qianzhi, who was usually very confident, couldn't help but feel uneasy. His fingers clenched, sweat beading on his forehead as he focused intently, afraid of missing his name.

People around him pushed and shouted, scanning the list from left to right and right to left. Soon, someone ecstatically shouted, "I made it, I made it!"

"Quick, look, I found my name! Haha, I'm going to be an official from now on!"

The lively atmosphere made those who hadn't found their names yet even more anxious. Wang Qianzhi even heard the sounds of students who had failed crying inconsolably, their wailing piercing his heart, furrowing his brow in worry - could he have failed as well?

At the thought of this possibility, Wang Qianzhi pursed his lips.

Suddenly, he heard his clan brothers cheering nearby, "We made it, we made it!"

Turning to look, Wang Qianzhi saw his clan brothers jubilant, having found their names in the four hundred positions on the list. Concerned that Wang Qianzhi hadn't found his name yet, they approached and asked, "Youngest brother, have you not found your name yet?"

With a wry smile, Wang Qianzhi nodded, starting to doubt if his earlier assumptions about the military strategy question had been incorrect, "Perhaps I have failed after all."

His clan brothers comforted him, "This is just the interim rankings, there are still a dozen more papers ahead. We'll search together. Don't worry, with your knowledge, you won't fail."

Wang Qianzhi composed himself, thanked his clan brothers, and resumed his search.

As they moved forward, the number of students decreased, with many already knowing their results. Those who succeeded either laughed joyfully or smiled quietly, while those who didn't seemed lost and defeated.

The number of posted lists dwindled, but Wang Qianzhi still hadn't found his name. However, he did spot the names of Xu Kang and Xiang Feijin - ranking ninety and one hundred and thirty-six respectively - both achieving impressive results. Xiang Feizhang also made the list, albeit at the bottom, narrowly avoiding falling off the list, a close call.

With his friends and clan brothers all finding their names, Wang Qianzhi was the only one left without a result. His heart grew heavier as he approached the last list, almost afraid to look.

If one's name was not on the list...

His friends who followed him patted his shoulder and looked at the last paper. After a brief silence, everyone gasped in shock, exclaiming, "First place, Wang Qianzhi..."

Wang Qianzhi's eyes widened abruptly as he saw his name boldly placed at the top.

Disbelief gave way to sudden joy. Wang Qianzhi stared fixedly at the line that read "First place, Wang Qianzhi, Xiangyang Scholar from Jingzhou," his smile spreading ear to ear.

The indescribable feeling of joy overwhelmed him in that moment. If not for this imperial examination, Wang Qianzhi might never have experienced such immense happiness in his entire life.

With a spring in his step, he exuded confidence and vitality!

The other students who hadn't left yet looked over, their eyes fixated on Wang Qianzhi, the top scorer.

"So this is the first-place winner of the imperial examination? He's so young."

"It's truly enviable..."

Some even came forward to congratulate and befriend Wang Qianzhi, extending their greetings and admiration.

"Bravo!" His clan brothers, their faces flushed with excitement, vigorously patted Wang Qianzhi on the shoulder. "Well done, well done, you did great!"

More and more people gathered around, his clan brothers expressing gratitude on his behalf as everyone joyfully bid farewell to each other, returning to Zhou Manor filled with cheerful spirits and smiling faces.

By evening, there was a lively procession approaching, drumbeats and gongs sounding the arrival of Wen Manor's officials, drawing the curious onlookers in the vicinity together. These young people in their twenties had never witnessed such a spectacle before and excitedly rushed to the manor gates to catch a glimpse of the Wen Manor officials, basking in the admiring gazes of the people around them and feeling a deep sense of satisfaction and achievement.

The Wen Manor officials disclosed their rankings and presented them with Wen national official attire. They instructed them to visit Wen Manor the next day to meet with Duke Wen, and after that, they would participate in the "praising officials" ceremony.

Perplexed, Wang Qianzhi asked, "May I ask what 'praising officials' entails?"

The people from Wen Manor chuckled, "This 'praising officials' is an honor reserved for the top two hundred scholars. As for what it entails, you will find out tomorrow!"

With that, they departed amid drumbeats and gongs.

Seeing the enthusiasm, it was clear that this "praising officials" ceremony was something special. His clan brothers, Xu Kang, and Xiang Feijin were both curious and envious - being scholars outside the top two hundred, they couldn't participate. They urged Wang Qianzhi, as well as Xu Kang and Xiang Feijin, to reveal the details of the ceremony the next day.

The three of them nodded in agreement.

The next morning, the one thousand scholars admitted to Wen Manor arrived early, dressed in Wen official attire, and entered Wen Manor.