Poor but talented scholar

Chapter 62 Registration at the County Government Office

After receiving the certificate stamped with the red seal, Lu Chuan thought that the matter was over for the day. However, he saw Master Zhao stand up, clap his hands, and signal Steward Sun to bring out the prepared attire.

"Today, it's not just about guarantees." Master Zhao surveyed the entire room, his voice booming. "There are twelve students from Qingyang Academy taking the exam this year. Lu Chuan will lead the group; please accompany me to the county government's ceremonial office to formally submit your guarantees."

These words immediately excited all the students in the college.

According to the rules, ordinary students taking the exam in the morning had to wait in the cold wind outside the county government office, and were even subject to exploitation by the yamen runners.

But Qingyang Academy was different. As a senior student, Master Zhao led the team to the county government to register, which represented Qingyang Academy.

"Set off!"

Lu Chuan was ranked first, followed closely by Zhang Ruo.

Twelve young men in blue robes, their backs ramrod straight, marched out of the private school gate in a grand procession, led by Master Zhao.

Along the way, vendors and passersby on both sides of the street stopped to watch.

All dressed in matching blue robes, with steady strides, and Lu Chuan leading the group exuding an extraordinary air, their presence drew secret admiration from many passersby: "See that? Those are the promising talents trained by Old Master Zhao. And the one leading them, isn't that Lu Chuan, last year's champion?"

By this time, the entrance to the ceremonial office of the county government was already completely surrounded by a crowd.

Hundreds of candidates from various towns and villages crowded together.

However, when Master Zhao appeared, everything fell silent.

"The people from Qingyang Academy are here!" someone called out.

The crowd automatically parted to make way, and the originally fierce-looking constables bowed politely when they saw that it was Master Zhao leading the group.

Lu Chuan led his classmates into the ceremony room without looking to the side.

In front of the large investigation table, Lu Chuan presented the thick confession and mutual guarantee agreement with both hands.

The clerk in charge of the ceremony looked up at Lu Chuan, then at the composed Master Zhao, and smiled, "Brother Xiuyuan, you're personally leading the team again this year. It seems there must be some great talents among these twelve."

"Just handle it officially," Master Zhao replied calmly.

The clerk picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and quickly scanned the bright red register.

"Lujia Village, Qingyang County, Lu Chuan, guarantor of the Imperial Academy: Zhao Xiuyuan. Verified." The clerk loudly announced the name, then picked up the county seal and pressed it heavily onto Lu Chuan's name.

This seal is the true mark of a name.

Then, the clerk took out a bronze plaque from the cabinet, which was the official "examination admission ticket".

Lu Chuan took the sign and touched the cool glass.

He turned around and waved to his classmates behind him.

Registration is complete; walk out of the reception room.

"Is he Lu Chuan?"

Not far away, several richly dressed city students were gathered together. The one in the lead was waving a gilded folding fan and staring at Lu Chuan with a gloomy look in his eyes. "He doesn't look like he has three heads and six arms, yet Old Zhao values ​​him so much. The county examination is not like the literary gathering; it's a real battle of the eight-legged essay. Let's see how long he can last."

"Brother Zhou is absolutely right. Country folk are short-sighted. Even if they could solve a problem, they'd probably collapse from exhaustion before they even finished writing it in that cell."

Whispers of discussion could be heard continuously.

Zhang Ruo, who was listening nearby, was annoyed and was about to step forward to speak when Lu Chuan grabbed her sleeve.

"Brother Lu, how could you tolerate such humiliation?" Zhang Ru gritted his teeth.

Lu Chuan remained calm, not even glancing in that direction.

He glanced down at the examination card and said calmly, "Brother Zhang, the Master taught us to 'maintain composure.' Whether an article is good or bad is not something to argue about. Instead of getting angry, you should go back and read 'The Great Learning' again."

Lu Chuan's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the anger in Zhang Ruo's heart.

He looked at Lu Chuan and lowered his head in shame: "Brother Lu is right to reprimand me. I was too impetuous."

Master Zhao stood not far away, taking in the scene. His hand stroking his beard paused slightly, and a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes.

This child is truly a born scholar.

"Registration is complete. Next, we will conduct the final review and fill in any gaps in your knowledge." Master Zhao walked to the front of the group, his gaze serious. "Although the county examination is only 'one day for the test and three days for the final stage,' the success or failure of this one day will determine your performance for the entire year. You will spend half a day in the examination hall and a full day guarding the examination papers. This tests not only your physical strength in a short period of time, but also your composure."

The so-called "three-day process" refers to the fact that everything from registration, entry, and examination to exit and waiting for the results is decided within these three days.

Preparing for an exam is not only about acquiring knowledge, but also about preparing for military supplies.

Lu Chuan walked straight to the back of the counter.

He knew very well that the county examination only lasted one day, and the exam would begin as soon as you entered the examination hall. The papers would be collected in the afternoon, and there was simply no extra time for you to repair a broken pen tip or a smudged ink mark.

"Shopkeeper, bring me three fine-tipped sheep's hair brushes with the 'Small Regular Script' technique," Lu Chuan said softly.

To prevent cheating in the examination room, he specially chose a solid bamboo stalk with a smooth, seamless shaft for the penholder.

He carefully selected the brushes, gently rubbing the tips with his fingertips to ensure that each one was round and sharp.

Next, he selected two excellent "oil soot inks".

This ink dries instantly on paper and has a glossy finish, making it ideal for applications requiring quick submissions while maintaining a clean paper surface.

"Brother Lu, this inkstone." Zhang Ruogang was about to speak.

"Choose this flat bluestone." Lu Chuan pointed directly to a thick, flat stone inkstone with rounded edges. "The county examination is only half a day long, and time is tight. There's no time for you to grind ink on the inkstone. This kind of flat-bottomed inkstone releases ink quickly and steadily. Even if the wooden boards in the examination cell are uneven, the ink won't spill and stain the paper."

Once the exam paper is stained, it's a desperate situation of "guarding the paper all day," beyond the help of even a miracle.

After purchasing writing brushes and ink, Lu Chuan also bought a lightweight exam basket.

Since the exam only lasts one day, we can skip the heavy bedding.

Lu Chuan only prepared a light-weight cover-up to prevent him from getting cold when he entered the venue in the early morning, and also bought a hand warmer.

"Don't eat anything greasy," Lu Chuan instructed Zhang Ruo. "The county exam is only half a day long, and you're not allowed to leave at noon. Just bring a few dried, sliced ​​sweet potatoes and a pot of warm water. Eating too much will make you sweat and even need to relieve yourself. If you waste even half an hour in the examination hall, you won't be able to finish your essay."

Lu Chuan knew very well that this was all about efficiency.

After returning to the academy, Lu Chuan checked everything again.

He began practicing writing in one go at that narrow desk.

He calculated the time precisely, from grinding the ink to solving the problem, and finally binding the strands, requiring himself to complete it within two hours.

Because he knew that on February 20th, under the main hall of the county government office, the county magistrate would sit high, and the bailiffs would be watching him intently. That psychological pressure would prevent him from using even a tenth of his usual strength.

"Half a day to enter the examination hall, a full day to guard the examination papers, and another day to wait for the results."

These three days test courage on the first day, luck on the second day, and destiny on the third day.