Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 416 - 252: Metropolitan Examination

March 9, today is the first day of the metropolitan examination.

The examination is held in three rounds, one round every three days: the first round is on the ninth day, the second on the twelfth, and the third on the fifteenth, with candidates entering the day before and leaving the day after.

This exam is hosted by the Ministry of Rites, with two chief examiners: Left Imperial Censor Deng Chenghong and Right Imperial Censor Song Shuqing. There are eighteen co-examiners, all from the Hanlin Academy.

In the early spring morning, it is naturally cold. Everyone is shivering in thin layers of clothing outside the examination hall.

The wind is especially strong today. Gu Chengyu, carrying his examination basket and holding his entry token, lined up at the entrance of the examination hall.

There are over four thousand candidates, but only three hundred will be accepted, illustrating the difficulty of the imperial examinations, harder than ascending to the heavens.

To stay in the examination hall for nine days before leaving, Gu Chengyu made thorough preparations, bringing plenty of steamed buns, snacks, and jerky. Not that he was unwilling to spend Silver on meals, but the exam food was truly inedible.

Watching the candidates being stripped for inspection ahead, Gu Chengyu’s expression turned somewhat unnatural. Soon it was his turn. He handed the examination basket to the constables waiting nearby.

A constable held up a portrait and compared it with Gu Chengyu, scrutinizing several times before letting Gu Chengyu proceed to the cloth barrier to undress.

Although somewhat uneasy, Gu Chengyu swiftly undressed completely. After two constables checked his clothes and shoes, he hurriedly dressed again.

During this time, two candidates were caught with cheat sheets and escorted out of the examination hall by constables.

Gu Chengyu shook his head at the sight, unable to understand why they would cheat. Already scholars, cheating and getting caught would waste everything, leading to exile and loss of status, truly unworthy. If worried about failing, they could simply wait for the next exam without taking reckless chances.

With his entry token, Gu Chengyu searched for his designated booth among the many. In the process, he noticed Min Feng standing not far away, seemingly just emerging from a nearby line.

Min Feng naturally saw Gu Chengyu and adjusted his collar, smiling at him. Only after Gu Chengyu responded did Min Feng proceed to find his own booth.

Gu Chengyu recalled Min Feng’s notable reputation in the Capital over the past two years, almost rivaling his own. Min Feng attended countless poetry gatherings, while Gu Chengyu never participated in such events.

Gu Chengyu felt the time spent on poetry gatherings could be better used studying the six noble arts, as these gatherings often involved tedious mutual flattery.

Two years ago, after returning to the Capital, invitations to poetry gatherings arrived daily. Gu Chengyu refused to let such events consume his time; attending one would make declining future invitations difficult.

Rumors soon spread in the Capital, claiming Gu Chengyu’s name did not match his reality or that he was arrogant, disdainful of mingling with common folks.

Later, Gu Chengyu instructed Ming Mo to look into the matter, finding it stemmed from rumors floated by candidates from Jiangnan with obvious intentions.

Gu Chengyu paid no attention, confident that the Provincial Examination held monthly at the Imperial College would dispel the rumors. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

However, he couldn’t determine if the Three Great Scholars of Jiangnan were involved, though he felt Min Feng and Huang Junheng had connections to the issue. As for Liu Haonan, that seemed unlikely.

It wasn’t that Liu Haonan was above such actions, but he simply lacked the capability. Behind Huang Junheng stood someone with ties to Grand Secretary Xia Qing.

As for Min Feng, rumors suggested he had gotten close to Huang Junheng over the past two years. Though being fellow candidates from Jiangnan, their closeness wasn’t entirely surprising.

Gu Chengyu walked a few steps forward, spotting his booth in the fourth row inside. He hurriedly made his way toward it with his examination basket.

Upon reaching his booth, he couldn’t help but curse. It seemed his good fortune had run out, as the booth was right next to the latrine, making it a stinky spot.

Gu Chengyu entered the booth with a bitter face. Following habit, he inspected the booth, then checked the desk and bed boards, finding no issues. He spread the blanket over the bed and sniffed it, noticing it was damp and cold.

Unable to take the blanket outside to sun dry, he spread it open, planning to use a spare blanket from his space once the booth door was closed at night.

Organizing his possessions from the examination basket, Gu Chengyu studied the fellow candidates across from him.

By now, candidates were entering the booth one after another, with Gu Chengyu paying special attention to a man opposite, around forty years old.

Generally, candidates this time were older, having passed many exams to become scholars, as consistently succeeding in each round is rare.

Gu Chengyu recalled Ye Zhiqiu and Sun Xian, with Sun Xian participating for the experience. Gu Chengyu felt Sun Xian had a solid foundation but lacked Spiritual Energy and personal insight, needing experience.

Regardless, even if unsuccessful, he remains a scholar, able to retake the exam in three years.

After a while, the candidates seemed to have all arrived, and the sky brightened. Gu Chengyu awaited the distribution of the exam papers.

The papers came with three candles, which Gu Chengyu placed in his examination basket. With the booth locked, he used the outside light to view the exam questions.

The first round involved historical analysis, with five questions that Gu Chengyu deemed manageable.

He spent an entire day in the booth, initially writing with fervor until the latrine’s stench cleared his mind.

Throughout the day, numerous people used the latrine, and the increasing odor made Gu Chengyu feel sick.

That evening, he ate little, preparing to rest early. While adjacent, the latrine saw candidates coming and going, sympathetically glancing at Gu Chengyu’s booth.

These candidates felt sorry for his misfortune, needing to stay in that booth for nine days, while feeling grateful for their own positions.

Gu Chengyu completed two historical analysis questions but hadn’t transcribed them onto the exam paper. Planning to rest early, he intended to wake early for the exam, considering using an air freshener hidden in his space if necessary.

The sky soon turned dark, and by the light of lanterns overhead, Gu Chengyu noticed the opposite booths had lit candles, likely still writing.

He shook his head at the notion, with five historical analysis questions and three days to complete, there was no need for haste.

Gu Chengyu secretly retrieved a thin blanket from his space, covering himself with it, adding the booth’s original blanket on top to conceal it from sudden checks.

In the dead of night, Gu Chengyu was awakened by a commotion.

"Let go of me, I did not cheat," came a man’s shout from the opposite booth.