The imperial examination was approaching, and business in Chang’an’s inns suddenly improved. Even the vacant rooms in better-located commoner houses were snapped up, making finding accommodation the number one problem for candidates entering the capital. Fortunately, Xiao Jingduo was a native of Chang’an and didn’t need to worry about lodging. Moreover, taking advantage of his local knowledge, he could make some early preparations.
Xiao Jingduo had already submitted his academic credentials and family background to the Ministry of Rites. The academic credentials were certificates issued by the Imperial College, briefly recording his identity, place of origin, and academic performance. The family background was written by Xiao Jingduo himself, listing the names and origins of his ancestors within three generations. After verifying the information, the Ministry of Rites had him and two other candidates vouch for each other and registered his residence in Chang’an. Only after completing these procedures was Xiao Jingduo successfully registered for the imperial examination.
Xiao Jingduo went early, so completing these procedures didn’t take much effort. However, those who had just arrived in Chang’an or were delayed due to tardiness would inevitably have to queue in front of the Department of State Affairs these days.
On New Year’s Day, Xiao Jingduo, along with numerous other candidates, gathered outside the palace gates to be received by the emperor. Standing outside Chengtian Gate, Xiao Jingduo, together with over a thousand students, performed a deep bow to the emperor.
This was the second time Xiao Jingduo had seen the emperor. He couldn’t help but reflect on how, years ago in Zhuojun, he had witnessed the then-Prince Qin leading cavalry sweeping across the plains. At that time, Xiao Jingduo had only felt awe. How could he have imagined that one day he would meet this legendary figure again in such a capacity?
The emperor stood high on the palace walls, seemingly offering words of encouragement. However, Xiao Jingduo didn’t hear these words, or rather, he didn’t need to hear them. He could roughly guess what kind of words they might be.
After the imperial audience, Xiao Jingduo, along with the others, went to pay homage to the statue of Confucius. The ceremony was presided over by the Imperial College, which was Xiao Jingduo’s school. He was very familiar with the Imperial College, so this wasn’t difficult for him at all.
By the time all these activities were finished, it was already mid-January, with less than ten days left until the official start of the imperial examination.
The examination was to be held at the Ministry of Rites’ examination hall and would last for two days. To arrive early on the day of the exam, many people chose to stay nearby. Xiao Jingduo also didn’t want to stay at the Marquis of Dingyong’s mansion, so he had booked an empty room in the area early on, planning to move there in the next few days.
Xiao Jingduo was about to take the exam, and while he remained calm, the others in Qingze Courtyard were as anxious as ants on a hot pan. Qiuju checked Xiao Jingduo’s luggage over and over again, fearing he might not be comfortable staying outside. If Xiao Jingduo hadn’t stopped her, Qiuju would have nearly emptied the entire Qingze Courtyard.
“Young Master, I’ve packed your luggage and put it in the side room. Tomorrow when Xiao Lin arrives, I’ll have him load it onto the carriage.”
Xiao Jingduo couldn’t help but sigh, “Qiuju, I’m only going to stay out for a few days. You don’t need to do all this.”
It was his exam, yet Qiuju seemed more nervous than Xiao Jingduo himself.
“I know, but even for the exam, we can’t let the Young Master suffer… It’s a pity I can’t go with you. I just don’t know if that fool Xiao Lin can take good care of you.” Halfway through her sentence, Qiuju suddenly exclaimed, “Ah! I forgot, the Young Master’s favorite tea set hasn’t been packed yet. I’ll go prepare it right away!”
Qiuju rushed out in a flurry. Xiao Jingduo found it amusing but let her be.
Everyone in Qingze Courtyard understood that this exam was crucial for Xiao Jingduo. Many people in the Marquis of Dingyong’s mansion were waiting to see what would happen. If Xiao Jingduo failed this exam, he would lose his say in many matters, from marriage to career prospects. It was precisely because of the importance of this exam that Qiuju was so anxious, bustling about aimlessly for several days.
While others were nervous for him, Xiao Jingduo himself remained composed. He didn’t go out these days, rising at dawn, practicing martial arts and boxing, then returning to his study to read. He maintained the same routine as at the Imperial College: first reviewing the classics, then writing an essay, and in the evening casually reading anthologies and court gazettes, going to bed promptly at 9-11 pm.
In truth, Xiao Jingduo’s preparation time for the imperial examination was very short. He graduated from the Imperial College in August and was to take the exam in January, barely four months in total. Much of this time was taken up by various procedures. Given the extreme difficulty of the imperial examination, where only one in a hundred might pass, Xiao Jingduo’s chances of success were indeed uncertain, so it’s no wonder others in the mansion didn’t have high hopes for him. Most exasperating was that, despite the time pressure, Xiao Jingduo maintained his usual pace, showing no signs of the intense studying methods traditionally associated with exam preparation. This made onlookers even more nervous.
Qiuju was clearly one of those worried onlookers.
Qiuju rushed hurriedly to the room where the luggage was kept, but paused as soon as she entered. After a moment of blank staring, she seemed to come to her senses and said, “Young Miss, why are you here? These maids are really too negligent, not even informing us that the Young Miss had arrived. This is truly disrespectful!”
After saying this, Cheng Huizhen nodded and smiled at Qiuju, then left with her maid. For some reason, Qiuju felt conflicted. She shook her head vigorously to clear her mind of unrelated thoughts, then hurriedly unpacked the luggage and forcefully stuffed a tea set inside.
“Whether he passes the exam or not, we can’t let the Young Master suffer. Since there will be a carriage tomorrow, it’s better to be prepared and bring a bit more.”
Early the next morning, Xiao Jingduo left the Marquis of Dingyong’s mansion on horseback. Xiao Lin followed behind, driving a carriage packed full of belongings towards the north of the city.
The imperial palace was located in the north of Chang’an, with its outer court and inner chambers being the exclusive domain of the royal family. Outside the palace gates was another wall enclosing the Three Departments and Six Ministries, Nine Courts and Three Directorates, where government officials worked. This area was called the Imperial City. Beyond the Imperial City were the residences of commoners and high-ranking officials. Divided by Vermilion Bird Street, Chang’an was split into the eastern and western parts, with the nobility concentrated in the east and common people living in the west.
Conventionally, the closer to the palace and Imperial City, the scarcer and more prestigious the residences. So the homes built next to the Imperial City were mostly princes’ and princesses’ mansions, followed by prime ministers’ residences and those of favored officials. Second-tier marquis mansions like the Marquis of Dingyong’s could only be built in the third tier of locations.
This was why Xiao Jingduo insisted on moving outside. On the day of the exam, one could imagine how crowded the roads would be. The Marquis of Dingyong’s mansion was quite far from the Imperial City, and being late for the exam would be disastrous.
Many people had the same idea as Xiao Jingduo. The princesses’ and princes’ mansions to the east of the palace were out of the question; they could only rent civilian homes to the west of the Imperial City, and those with good conditions were even rarer. Xiao Jingduo’s advantage was that he acted early and paid generously, so he secured a room early on.
This household was located closer to the inner part of the neighborhood, requiring a bit of a walk to exit the ward, but it was quiet, which made up for the inconvenience. Xiao Jingduo stopped his horse in front of the house, then handed the reins to a servant from the Marquis of Dingyong’s mansion and walked in alone. Small homes naturally lacked space for horses, so he had purposely brought an extra person from the marquis’s mansion to take the horse back.
Seeing Xiao Jingduo arrive, the owner of the house hurriedly came forward with a smile: “Young Master Xiao, you’re here. We’ve prepared your room. Will you be staying tonight, young master?”
“Yes, I apologize for the trouble. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Young master, please don’t say that.” The owner scratched his head with an honest laugh. He meant these words sincerely. Xiao Jingduo had paid the deposit early and was very generous, hardly bargaining at all. This was much more pleasant than dealing with other exam candidates. The homeowner naturally welcomed such a guest warmly, and would have been happy to accommodate ten more like him. Now was certainly the time to put on a welcoming face.
Ever since the imperial court established the examination system, to say nothing else, it had first created a good source of income for the commoners living west of the Imperial City. In the first year of the exams, some clever people saw a business opportunity and prepared their spare rooms to rent to exam candidates, making a tidy profit. With the first group taking the lead, many people followed suit the second year, renting out empty rooms. As more and more students came to the capital for exams, the demand for rentals outstripped supply. Over time, this area in the west of the city specifically set aside empty rooms for rent, remaining extremely popular from the twelfth month to the third month of the following year.
The owner of this house had also joined the trend of renting rooms. These days, their family was all squeezed into one area, while they cleaned out the main room and two side rooms, which had better conditions, to rent to students coming for the exam. Xiao Jingduo had rented the main room and one of the side rooms.
Xiao Lin parked the carriage at the entrance and began unloading items one by one. The owner, seeing this, came over to lend a hand: “Wow, Young Master Xiao, you’ve brought quite a lot!”
While Xiao Lin and the owner were busy moving things, two other tenants in the courtyard noticed and softly sneered.
“Another pleasure-seeking son of nobility.”
The speaker was named Dong Peng, a student from outside Chang’an who had come to take the exam. He came from an ordinary background and had studied hard for years to pass the county and prefecture exams, finally earning the chance to come to the capital for the imperial examination. After arriving in Chang’an, while deeply impressed by the grand and open atmosphere of the capital, he also felt a growing sense of unfairness.
These humble scholars like himself had studied for years just to earn a spot to come to the capital. Yet in Chang’an, there were many noble families whose sons didn’t need to pass the county or prefecture exams, or even the imperial examination, to obtain good official positions and rise through the ranks. How unfair this world was.
Now, an example of this unfairness appeared right before Dong Peng’s eyes. He discreetly observed Xiao Jingduo, who appeared to be around seventeen, with fair and handsome features, traveling with a carriage and servants – clearly a son of nobility, likely from a very good family. In contrast, Dong Peng was twenty-seven, still without any official position, neither married nor established in a career. Now he had to compete in the same exam with a youth ten years his junior. How ironic.
Dong Peng smiled self-mockingly, not wanting to watch anymore. Just then, Wu Tai called him from inside, so Dong Peng turned and went back in.
…
Xiao Jingduo didn’t like sharing accommodations with others. While he had no choice at the Imperial College, now that he had the means, he naturally wouldn’t shortchange himself. So he readily rented two rooms – the main room and a side room. He would stay in the main room, while Xiao Lin would occupy the side room.
As Xiao Jingduo was familiarizing himself with his lodgings for the next few days, he suddenly heard a familiar voice from outside: “Xiao Jingduo, is that you?”
Xiao Jingduo turned at the sound and saw a fellow student from the Imperial College standing at the gate. He smiled and walked out quickly.
“Brother Zhao, you’re staying in this area too?”
“Yes, to get to the exam site early, we have to stay nearby. Brother Xiao, it’s been a while since we parted at the Imperial College. Why didn’t we see you at last year’s classmate gathering?” Although Zhao Lang hadn’t entered the college in the same year as Xiao Jingduo, he had heard of his reputation. He had just been out for a casual stroll and was excited to run into a familiar face, immediately striking up a conversation with Xiao Jingduo.
While Xiao Jingduo was catching up with his classmate outside, Xiao Lin was diligently moving things inside, treading lightly to avoid disturbing their conversation.
As Xiao Lin carried a box from the carriage, he saw a scholarly-looking man standing at the threshold, peering inside.
“What are you doing?”
Startled by the sudden voice behind him, Dong Peng quickly turned around to see Xiao Lin staring at him disapprovingly.
Dong Peng patted his chest and sighed, “Why did you suddenly speak up? How rude.”
Xiao Lin snorted coldly, “Huh, you’re peeking into our young master’s room without permission, and you talk about rudeness?”
“What do you mean ‘peeking’? How extremely rude.” Dong Peng waved his sleeve in disgust and frowned as he stepped back, as if not wanting to be in the same place as Xiao Lin. “Such an uncouth person, not worth talking to.”
Xiao Lin mentally rolled his eyes, not wanting to deal with this person any further. He continued moving things into the room, while Dong Peng stood at the door, seemingly unwilling to leave. “Hey, you’ve taken two rooms? My friend Wu Tai and I are sharing one side room, yet you brazenly occupy two rooms. How unreasonable!”
Xiao Lin, maintaining a straight face, mechanically and flatly said to Dong Peng, “Please move aside, you’re blocking my way to put things down.”
Dong Peng was furious but felt it beneath him to argue with a servant. After Xiao Lin left, Dong Peng contemptuously spat at his back: “Uncouth.”
After this silent curse, Dong Peng felt a bit better. He was about to leave when his eyes suddenly fixed on something: “Hey, what’s this?”
When Xiao Lin returned, Dong Peng was no longer in sight in the main room. Xiao Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was then that he noticed Xiao Jingduo’s book chest had been thrown near the door. He hurriedly put down what he was carrying and very carefully picked up the book chest, meticulously rearranging the books inside.
“The Young Master treasures these books the most. We can’t let them get damaged.”
Xiao Jingduo finally managed to bid farewell to his talkative classmate and return to his room. He found that in the short time he was gone, his room had been filled with many items.
Xiao Jingduo’s brow twitched: “Why are there so many things?”
“I don’t know either. Qiuju told me to bring them all,” Xiao Lin answered honestly.
After a long silence, Xiao Jingduo rubbed his forehead: “I should have stopped her. I’m here for the exam, not for sightseeing. How improper to bring so many things.”
“The tea set and bedding are fine, but why bring hand warmers and incense?” Xiao Jingduo was exasperated. “Leave the books, take everything else away. Put them in your room for now.”
Xiao Lin silently complied, removing the unnecessary items from the main room, while Xiao Jingduo cleared a space, intending to sit down and review his books.
His fingers touched the book chest, and he suddenly frowned: “Xiao Lin, someone has touched my book chest.”
“Yes, I rearranged it a bit earlier when I was moving the books.”
Understanding now, Xiao Jingduo nodded and let the matter drop, focusing on reviewing his books.
With the exam approaching, studying classics and poetry collections was no longer useful. Xiao Jingduo mainly focused on policy essays and current affairs. His years of accumulation were sufficient; he didn’t need last-minute cramming. He picked up the books out of habit and to keep his skills sharp.
Now he finally understood why Master Chu hadn’t told him the exam texts in advance. The imperial examination selected officials based on their writing, aiming to recruit talented individuals to serve in the court, not to make students memorize classics. The exam emphasized accumulated knowledge, not desperate cramming of relevant texts. Obsessing over the latter would be putting the cart before the horse.
In the blink of an eye, the day of the exam arrived.
Xiao Jingduo rose early, walking to the examination hall to the sound of the dawn drums. A group of students had already gathered in front of the hall, chatting quietly in small groups.
As the sun rose higher, more and more students arrived. After a long wait, the doors of the examination hall finally opened slowly. Officials from the Ministry of Rites stood on the steps, calling out loudly: “The imperial examination is about to begin. Called students, please come forward. After identity verification, you may enter. Everyone, please be quiet now. When your name is called, quickly come forward. Su Nuo from Huainan Circuit!”
There was a flurry of movement in the crowd. As one student after another walked forward, the imperial examination of the ninth year of Qiyuan officially began.
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