Chapter 36: First Glimpse of the Imperial Examination

The matters at home had a significant impact on Wang Xuezhou, prompting him to return to the academy and immerse himself in diligent study every day.

Originally, the primer was supposed to take a full year to learn, but he compressed it into three and a half months. He had already begun formally studying the Four Books and Five Classics under Master Zhou, starting with the Analects.

At this point, his pace slowed down.

Unlike the primer, studying the Four Books and Five Classics required not only rote memorization of all the content and interpretations but also a deep understanding, as the exams would be based on these texts.

Although he had some prior knowledge from his past life, he had never fully mastered the Analects, which contains sixteen thousand words across twenty chapters and four hundred ninety-two sections, so he dared not be careless.

Unconsciously, he began rising early and retiring late, joining the ranks of those who studied obsessively.

A year passed in the blink of an eye.

With the change of seasons, Lü Dasheng began to have a runny nose again. Before Wang Xuezhou even stepped into the academy, he could hear Lü sniffing loudly.

“Guess what I saw just now at the gate?!” Lü exclaimed loudly as soon as he entered.

“What’s so special about a carriage? You’re making a big fuss over nothing. You’re the landlord’s dull son; haven’t you seen such a thing before?” Zheng Guangyuan and Xia Qianli teased him when they arrived earlier, having also seen the carriage at the academy gate and amused by Lü’s overreaction.

Lü Dasheng wasn’t angry. “It’s not just any carriage—it’s the magistrate’s! And I saw him bringing a young master to see the teacher. You don’t think he’s here to study, do you?”

“Ah?”

Everyone was stunned.

Their teacher was decent but only a scholar who had passed the imperial examination! The magistrate, Zhu, was a genuine graduate of the highest rank. At worst, he could have used his influence to sneak his son into the county school as an auditor. There were plenty of successful candidates there; why would he bother otherwise?

“Rumor has it, Magistrate Zhu was transferred here to Baishan County two years ago, around the same time our teacher arrived. They probably knew each other before,” someone explained.

“Also, I heard that Zhu's youngest son passed the preliminary exam at eight and has already taken the provincial exam at ten! He studied with a scholar in their hometown until this year and only came here after the provincial exam,” Lü added.

Wang Xuezhou looked at him curiously. “How do you know that?”

Lü wiped his nose on his sleeve. “Eavesdropping on my father.”

Zhao Xing gasped. “Ten years old and already that impressive!”

“Then why would he come here to study? You’re just making things up!” Xia Qianli thought Lü was daydreaming.

“Well, if not to study, then what? Just visiting!” Lü retorted stubbornly.

“Maybe he’s here for fun! Instead of chatting, you’d better study more so you don’t get smacked later,” Xia said, just as Master Zhou approached with the young master.

Quickly, they all stood and opened their books. “The teacher is here!”

Wang Xuezhou looked outside and immediately spotted the young master following Master Zhou.

He wore a pale moon-blue scholar’s robe, his face stern as he walked this way.

Feeling his gaze, the boy glared back.

So it was him!

Wang Xuezhou recalled their earlier bet and calmly turned his head away.

Just a defeated rival.

Master Zhou entered with the group and briefly introduced, “From today, this young master will be studying with you here at the academy. Introduce yourself.”

Zhu An stood with hands behind his back, glancing downward. “My name is Zhu An, ten years old. My father sent me here. I’m reluctantly putting up with it.”

His words immediately caused displeasure on the others’ faces.

What did he mean by that? Disrespecting their teacher?

Master Zhou’s expression remained unchanged as he pointed toward the back. “Sit there for now. Later, I’ll have someone set up your desk.”

Zhu An didn’t even look at the spot. Instead, he pointed to Wang Xuezhou’s seat. “I want to sit there!”

Lü Dasheng nearly lost it. “That’s the loser’s seat! Don’t you see it’s taken?”

The other classmates looked unhappy.

Though they hadn’t interacted much, they could tell this boy was difficult from just a few moments.

“So what if it is?” Zhu An replied.

Wang Xuezhou looked straight at him. “Zhu, you’re just picking a fight because of last year’s grudge, aren’t you?”

Lü stared at him in astonishment, eyes shining with curiosity.

“Heh, I’ve long forgotten that. I just want to sit where the view is better. Master Zhou, you won’t disagree, right?” Zhu An looked directly at Master Zhou.

Wang Xuezhou immediately understood—this was aimed at the teacher.

Master Zhou turned to him. “If the young master disdains me and feels aggrieved, he may leave on his own. No need to make things difficult for my students.”

Zhu An replied haughtily, “My father says the teacher is exceptionally talented, which is why I agreed to come and try. As a man, I don’t go back on my word. But if you want me to listen, you’ll have to earn my respect!”

Master Zhou, towering over him, looked down with interest. “I won’t claim to be exceptionally talented, but teaching you should be no problem.”

“You’re all talk!” Zhu An scoffed, unconvinced.

Master Zhou tapped his head with his fingers. “If you want to know why you failed this time, first go sit down!”

At these words, Zhu An shuddered and immediately became obedient.

Xiao Wu entered to set up the desk, and Master Zhou surveyed the room before beginning the lesson.

“Today, no formal teaching. I’ll first talk to you about the imperial examination.”

Everyone except Zhu An perked up.

They had been studying for years with this path in mind, yet they still knew little about the imperial examinations.

“The first exam you take is called the ‘tongshi,’ or preliminary test. Only by passing it can you qualify for the ‘yuanshi,’ the provincial exam. Passing the provincial exam then qualifies you for the imperial exam.”

They were stunned.

Xia Qianli raised his hand. “Teacher, after becoming a scholar, you’re only then qualified for the imperial exam?”

“Exactly!” Master Zhou nodded. “Only after passing the preliminary and provincial exams are you officially a scholar and eligible for the imperial exam.”

“First, the preliminary exam involves county and provincial tests. The county exam is overseen by the magistrate and usually held in spring and autumn, depending on the circumstances...”

Wang Xuezhou listened carefully. He had only heard about this before; now Master Zhou was explaining it firsthand.

No wonder everyone sought out famous teachers—this kind of experience was priceless.

“Zhu, tell us about the questions you faced this time.”

Zhu An had been bored, listening to the discourse with disdain.

When called upon, he reluctantly recited the questions from this year’s provincial exam.

The rest were tolerable, but when it came to the final essay question, he seemed utterly disheartened.

The topic was only four characters: “Three Hundred Poems.”