Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 34: Child Scholar (Part 1)

Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and in no time at all, August had arrived.

The Autumn Imperial Examination, held once every three years, was one of the few ways for those at the bottom to break through the rigid ranks of society—its importance was self-evident.

Anyone who wanted to participate in the Autumn Examination would come, no matter how far away they lived.

The four gates were already teeming with crowds.

The sides of the streets, restaurants, and residential houses were all filled with unfamiliar faces.

Early in the morning, Lu Chang’sheng went to the Black Mountain Prefecture’s yamen, and passed the name registry process.

Unlike the Imperial Examinations he remembered, in this world there was no need for ’guarantors’; instead, one had to get through the name registry procedure.

The requirements for registry were not high—one just needed to correctly recognize a text supplied by the examiner to pass.

Beyond this basic test of reading literacy, the registry process also required verifying one’s background information.

The preparations for registry lasted a full five days.

On the sixth day, the first round of the Child Examination began.

That morning, after eating breakfast under the watchful eye of Li Nangua, Lu Chang’sheng walked into the examination hall at Jixia Academy.

"Lin’Er, don’t be too nervous. Your father is a scholar with academic honors—just do your best on the exam and you’ll be fine!"

"That’s right, young master!"

A vaguely familiar voice drifted over, and Lu Chang’sheng turned slightly, spotting a group of people not far away.

A few women were accompanied by a row of attendants, and at the front strode a visibly anxious young boy.

The boy had red lips and white teeth, his brows resembled Zhao Qing’s by sixty or seventy percent; yet in this moment, he seemed absent-minded and restless.

Zhao Xinghua stood nearby, helping her aunt to comfort him.

"He really is still a bit too young!" she thought to herself.

At the same time, a wave of emotion welled in her heart.

To be only eleven or twelve and already taking the Child Scholar examination—only these elite families could afford such a thing.

As for peasant children from the countryside, most could only follow their parents into the fields.

She grew ever more grateful that she had come to Black Mountain Prefecture with her aunt, though she still didn’t understand why no upper-class family had taken a liking to her.

At first, there had been one or two prospects; if they’d approached her back in the village, she’d have been overjoyed.

But now, having seen better, she looked down on families of that scale, and so turned them down in subtle ways.

"To marry into the Xun Mansion—that is true fortune!"

After being here so long, Zhao Xinghua knew just how strict the social hierarchy was in Black Mountain Prefecture. Had she not been born female, she might never have set foot inside Xun Mansion in her entire life.

As she was thinking this, suddenly she saw a boy about the same age as Chen Lin walk past.

"Which influential family’s son is that?" she wondered to herself.

Indeed, only by marrying into a wealthy household could she succeed in life.

Right then, her eyes suddenly brightened, her whole body warming with excitement.

Not far away, a group of noble sons strode by—all of them carried themselves with striking confidence, with the grace of dragons and the step of tigers.

"Xinghua, make way!"

Such a commotion could not escape Zhao Qing’s notice. Seeing the group of young men approaching, his face shifted, and noticing Zhao Xinghua standing dumbstruck, he hurriedly tugged at her.

Back in the countryside, Mr. Chen was considered wealthy, but in the eyes of these youths, he and the villagers were pretty much the same.

Even among the wealthy, there were vast distinctions.

And leading the group was none other than Xun Zimo—the Xun Mansion’s favored son, the famed descendant of the Champion Scholar Xun Zi—whom Zhao Xinghua had been dreaming of.

"Aunt, is Young Master Xun also here to sit the Child Examination?" Zhao Xinghua snapped back to her senses.

"It’s no surprise. In families like Xun’s, teachers are never lacking, but talent’s another matter, and teaching style too. If you ask me, Young Master Xun might not have as good a shot at passing as my own Lin’Er!"

Zhao Qing said this aloud, but inwardly her words had an edge meant as a reminder to Zhao Xinghua.

In the past two years, Zhao Xinghua’s horizons had grown, and so had her ambitions—she’d sometimes even use the Xun family’s name to put down the Chen family, speaking as if she already belonged to the Xun Mansion.

While this was technically true, Zhao Qing could not help feeling some resentment.

Fortunately, Zhao Xinghua at least still remembered who had helped her.

"Master!"

Soon, several richly dressed elders in their late fifties or sixties approached.

Zhao Qing quickly pulled Zhao Xinghua over to pay their respects.

Mr. Chen, his face pale, waited for news that Chen Lin had entered the exam; after checking, he finally took a seat at the Champion Scholar Pavilion nearby.

The Champion Scholar Tower and Pavilion were famed landmarks outside the exam ground; the Tower itself was reserved for nobles—only the elite could enter.

Inside, the furnishings were elegant, sandalwood scent floating in the air. The threshold for entry was high—someone like Mr. Chen, an old Child Scholar, couldn’t get in even if he scraped together all the silver coins he owned.

The Pavilion was a notch less exclusive.

Getting a spot here meant better luck, not to mention first-hand information from the exam grounds.

By comparison, a few coins were nothing.

"By the way, Mrs. Zhao, I heard from my people that a while back one of your relatives wanted you to arrange for a young boy to come study at the academy?"

Mr. Chen suddenly brought it up.

"Ah? Master, that was more than a year ago!" Zhao Qing was surprised; she hadn’t expected Mr. Chen to mention this now.

He’d surely known about it all along!

"If Lin’Er fails to pass as a Child Scholar this time, have that boy come over for a look. If it works out, let him serve as Lin’Er’s attendant."

"Master, how could Lin’Er possibly fail?" Zhao Qing chided playfully, a hint of charm in her eyes.

"One must prepare for both outcomes! This year’s test is unusually hard—I doubt many will pass."

Zhao Qing’s heart sank.

She never doubted his word; Mr. Chen had contacts at Jixia Academy, and his information was usually accurate.

"If that’s how it goes, we’ll just have to wait until next time. Lin’Er is young—he can afford to wait."

As they chatted, the first round drew to a close.

One by one, students emerged from the hall, each with a different look!

Some were grim-faced, some howled in despair, some sobbed uncontrollably, and some even knelt down and smashed their foreheads on the ground till they bled, feeling they’d failed their loved ones, their elders, and even the heavens and earth!

The full range of human emotions was on display!

Lu Chang’sheng walked out and at once spotted Li Nangua waiting for him under a large tree.

Unlike others, she didn’t ask how the exam went—she just handed him a steamed bun she’d prepared.

"Here—eat! You must be starving after missing lunch!"

Lu Chang’sheng nodded, took the bun, and stuffed it in his mouth.

To prevent cheating, candidates couldn’t bring anything in.

Still, it was only one meal—it wasn’t too hard to endure.

Once he finished, she handed him water. Only then did she ask, "How was the exam?"

"It was alright," Lu Chang’sheng said, glancing back at the imposing gates of the exam hall, his heart full of anticipation.

He was getting closer and closer to being able to learn martial arts!

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The first day’s test was on The Book.

The second day, The Classics.

The third day, Poetry.

The fourth day, Essays.

Four days straight—nothing earth-shattering, just the endless procession of human hopes and sorrows.

Perhaps many realized all hope was lost and left quietly; the backs they turned had the look of those abandoned by the world.

Lu Chang’sheng was moved, and his resolve to pass the Child Examination only grew firmer.

"Scholarly honors could give me a toe-hold here in Black Mountain Prefecture—my family won’t be so easily ruined by the likes of the Three Red Gang."

So, even if his heart wasn’t in the exams themselves, he threw himself in, forging a path so he could grow strong in martial arts!

Now, the time had come—the results would soon be revealed!

On the fourth day, after the last exam ended, Lu Chang’sheng left the hall and returned straight home to wait.

Five more days passed before the results of the Child Examination were finally announced!

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