xymnovel Chapter 40: The First Official Examination Revealed
Chapter 40: The First Official Examination Revealed
"Yes, Your Majesty! I will make the arrangements immediately," Xu Shu replied solemnly.
He knew the significance of this weapon. If it were leaked, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Watching Xu Shu's departing figure, a cold glint flashed in Li Zhao's eyes.
With this Shenji Battalion, along with his ever-growing cavalry and infantry, he finally had the resources to compete with top warlords like Yuan Shao and Cao Cao.
He looked up and gazed northward.
Yuan Benchu, it's time to settle our score.
In the spring of the fifth year of the Chuping era, the ice and snow melted in Qingzhou, and all things began to revive.
Along with the vibrant spring, came the day when the results of the first large-scale official selection examination, the "Spring Examination," was announced after Li Zhao, the Prefect of Pingyuan, implemented the new policy of "appointing only the talented."
On this day, the city of Linzi was deserted. The square in front of the Prime Minister's Mansion was packed with people, so crowded that it was impossible to move.
Thousands of candidates from Qingzhou and even surrounding prefectures and counties waited anxiously or looked around nervously, their eyes fixed on the high wall where the list of successful candidates would soon be posted.
Among them were well-dressed scions of wealthy families and impoverished students in tattered clothes. At this moment, they were all placed on the same starting line, awaiting the judgment of fate.
Among the crowd, a young scholar named Wang Xiu clenched his fists nervously, his palms sweating profusely.
He came from a poor family in Beihai, where his family had been farmers for generations. To support his education, his elderly father worked himself to the bone and sold the family's last few acres of meager land. Carrying the hopes of his entire family, he walked hundreds of miles to Linzi to take the imperial examination.
If he fails this time, he will have no choice but to go home and farm, failing his father's expectations and burying his own ambitions.
"They're here! They're here!"
A sudden commotion erupted in the crowd.
Several officials, escorted by a group of soldiers, carried out several huge red notices.
They painted the red notice with paste and pasted it high on the wall.
"Look! Look, is my name on it?"
The crowd erupted in a frenzy, surging towards the list like a tidal wave. If it weren't for soldiers maintaining order, the list would likely have been torn to shreds.
Wang Xiu was jostled about by the crowd, finally managing to reach the front. He stared wide-eyed, searching through the densely packed names.
First Class A... No.
There was no second-class A...
Wang Xiu's heart sank deeper and deeper. Was he really useless?
Just when he was about to despair, his gaze stopped at the end of the third class.
"Third place, ninety-eighth... King Xiu of the North Sea!"
Wang Xiu was stunned; he couldn't believe his eyes. He rubbed his eyes hard and looked again.
That's right! It's his name!
"I won! I won!"
Wang Xiu suddenly screamed like a madman, tears streaming down his face. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times heavily in the direction of his hometown.
"Father! Mother! Your son passed! Your son has made something of himself!"
In stark contrast to Wang Xiu's ecstasy were the disappointment and anger of some scions of prominent families.
"How is this possible? I didn't win?!"
A young man in a brocade robe stared in disbelief at the list; his name was not on it. He was Kong De, a cousin of Kong Rong. He had been well-versed in literature since childhood and considered himself exceptionally talented. He had only come to take the exam as a formality, but he never expected to fail.
Beside him, Wang Xiu, the poor scholar whom he usually looked down upon, actually passed the exam.
"Cheating! There must be cheating!" Kong De shouted angrily. "How could those peasants possibly do better than us? Li Zhao must be favoring the poor and suppressing our aristocratic families!"
His words resonated with many scions of wealthy families who had failed the imperial examinations. They echoed his sentiments and clamored to demand an explanation from Li Zhao.
"quiet!"
A sharp shout, like a thunderclap, rang out in the sky above the square.
Zhang Fei arrived, riding his black horse and accompanied by a group of guards. His eyes were wide open, and he pointed his whip at the troublemaking scions of noble families.
"Who dares to make a fuss here! If you dare to spout nonsense again, don't blame me, Old Zhang, for being ruthless with my whip!"
Zhang Fei's fearsome reputation spread far and wide, and the scions of noble families were immediately terrified and fell silent, daring not to utter another sound.
Although the storm has subsided temporarily, the conflict between aristocratic families and those from humble backgrounds has intensified.
……
A few days later, at Zuixianlou, the largest restaurant in Linzi City.
Inside a private room on the second floor, several heads of prominent families from Qingzhou were gathered together, plotting something.
"Gentlemen, that Li Zhao is absolutely outrageous!"
Kong Rong's cousin, Kong Yu, said angrily, "This year, he actually admitted 80% of the candidates from poor families, while most of our aristocratic families failed! This is clearly a blatant provocation against the dignity of our aristocratic families!"
"That's right!" another family head chimed in. "What do those poor scholars know about governing a country? They're nothing but bookworms who only know how to study! Letting them govern the region would be a disaster for the country and its people!"
"In my opinion, Li Zhao is trying to use this opportunity to support those from humble backgrounds and suppress our aristocratic families, so that he can seize power in Qingzhou!"
"We absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait to die!" Kong Yu slammed his fist on the table and roared, "We must unite and put pressure on Li Zhao! Let him know who really calls the shots in Qingzhou!"
"What insightful opinion does Brother Kong have?" everyone asked.
A sinister glint flashed in Kong Yu's eyes as he said, "We will jointly submit a petition protesting the unfairness of this examination! We demand a re-examination, and that the questions and grading must be conducted by renowned scholars recommended by our aristocratic families!"
"If Li Zhao doesn't agree, we'll go on strike! We'll strike! We'll throw the whole of Qingzhou into chaos! Let's see what he does then!"
Upon hearing this, everyone cheered.
"Alright! We'll follow Brother Kong's plan!"
"We'll go back and contact everyone right away. We must show Li Zhao what we're capable of!"
……
The following day, a letter of protest, jointly signed by more than a dozen top families in Qingzhou, was delivered to the Prime Minister's residence.
The book uses strong language to criticize the imperial examination for being "unfair in its selection of candidates, biased towards those from humble backgrounds, and a disgrace to scholarship." It demands that Li Zhao abolish the examination results, hold a new examination, and have a renowned scholar recommended by aristocratic families preside over it.
Otherwise, they will take "all necessary measures" to protect the interests of the aristocratic families.
Inside the study, Li Zhao looked at the threatening letter of protest and a playful smile appeared on his face.
"Okay, you finally couldn't resist jumping out."
He handed the letter of protest to Xu Shu and Liu Bei, who were standing nearby.
"Look at these powerful families. They talk about benevolence and morality all day long, but when it comes to their interests, they show their true colors."
After reading it, Liu Bei frowned: "My lord, these powerful families are deeply rooted in Qingzhou. If we let them cause trouble, it will be difficult to handle."
Xu Shu, however, looked relaxed: "My lord, do not worry. These scions of noble families are nothing but bluster and cowardice. Since they want to cause trouble, let's play along."