Confucianism under Heaven

Chapter 14 Examination Papers for Young Scholars

Chapter Fourteen: Examination Papers for Young Scholars

"To join the Yanhuang clan is a lifelong commitment; to be born a Yanhuang person is to die a loyal Yanhuang soul!"

Ye Ru shouted loudly, which stirred the blood of the other three, making them eager to serve their country.

Ye Ru knew that, because of the deceased Ye Ru, he had a deep sense of belonging to this country.

This sense of belonging will prevent him from betraying his motherland, and at the same time, it will motivate him to work hard and strive for the sake of this nation.

“Excellent. The Analects says: ‘The superior man understands righteousness, while the inferior man understands profit.’ You are a true gentleman. The Yanhuang Kingdom and even the human race may be revived because of you.”

"Since you are unwilling to join my Wei Kingdom, I will lend you a hand. What is the name of this poem?"

Guan Yu nodded and said with a smile.

"Hearing of War!"

The original title of this poem is "Yong Yu Le: Nostalgia at the Ancient Pavilion North of Jingkou," a poem about reminiscing about the past written by Xin Qiji, a poet of the Song Dynasty. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Ye Ru did not reveal the original title of the poem.

"What a fine poem, 'Hearing of War'! You are not yet famous for your literary talent, but you have already produced a war poem that will be known throughout the world. If this poem is published, I fear that demons will infiltrate our ten kingdoms to kill you. I will give this poem to Su Wenmo, the half-sage of your Yanhuang Kingdom, and seal it in the Academy of Saints. When you obtain your literary rank, you can announce it to the world."

A glint flashed in Guan Yu's eyes, and with a flick of his sleeve, a sheet of Xuan paper appeared in the air, the green characters falling into it.

However, the words, once written on the paper, drifted onto the table, instantly shattering it.

A single sheet of paper weighs a thousand pounds!

"On the day you become a saint, may you utter holy words, wield an ink brush, and slay all the invading demons. Remember, if humanity desires peace, there are only two words: resistance!"

Guan Yu's voice echoed throughout the world, causing the four of them to look up solemnly, their hearts pounding with excitement.

"To resist..."

Ye Ru murmured to himself, then suddenly looked up, let out a clear laugh, and said with his head held high:

"If I become a saint one day, I will surely wield the Demon-Slaying Pen to judge the life and death of demons, lead the charge, and use my words to inspire and guide the nation!"

The resounding voice echoed for a long time as the three of them savored the eight characters: "exuberant words, pointing out the landscape."

"Fang Zifeng, you have truly taken on a good student. I am completely convinced of your abilities today. I will take my leave now."

He Shengming glanced at Fang Zifeng with jealousy, then smiled slightly and left with Tong Xiao.

"Mr. Fang, now that I've helped you with this matter, could you grant me the title of 'student'?"

Ye Ru smiled and said to Fang Zifeng.

"If I don't give it to you, other private schools might snatch it up. You can stay in the Wilderness class. I've already replaced Teacher Xu. The school exam is in two days. All four classes, Heaven, Earth, and Wilderness, will participate. I'm really curious to see what ranking you can achieve."

"Remember, don't be too ambitious. This is the previous Children's Examination paper. You can take it and try it out. However, this Children's Examination paper is the most difficult in the last ten years. The pass rate for the Children's Examination is only five percent. I don't know how many questions you can answer."

"The preliminary examination for students lasts for three days. Within those three days, students must present their knowledge of the classics, the history of great Confucian scholars, and poetry."

Fang Zifeng nodded, handed Ye Ru a test paper, and said seriously.

"Okay, I'll take a look first. Thank you, sir."

After taking the exam paper and walking outside, Ye Ru breathed a sigh of relief. Only by truly entering Wenxing Private School could he participate in the imperial examination, pass the preliminary examination, and gain literary fame.

Thinking that he should share the good news with Tong Yao, Ye Ru walked towards the side room where Su Tong Yao lived.

"Young Master Ye Ru, you're back."

"Yes, Xiao Yao, I've officially become a student of Wenxing Private School. Here's nine taels of silver, buy yourself a new outfit, and then we'll go out for a nice meal!"

Ye Ru took out the ten taels of silver that Tong Xiao had given him and handed it to Su Tongyao.

"How did you manage to do so many?"

Su Tongyao's beautiful eyes widened when she saw the ten taels of silver.

"A gentleman loves money, but he acquires it in a proper way. Don't worry, this is what I won. Let's go to a restaurant for a meal!"

"A gentleman loves wealth, but he acquires it in a proper way." What does that mean?

Su Tongyao tilted her head, lost in thought. Ye Ru chuckled, grabbed her wrist, and walked outside.

This intimate gesture made Su Tongyao blush.

……

Tiange Restaurant is the second largest restaurant in Qingyun County. Although it is large, the prices are affordable.

This is unlike Hongxiang Restaurant, which is a place for the wealthy to spend their money.

The economy of the Confucian and Taoist continent also develops according to productivity. Qingyun County attaches great importance to agriculture, but its economic development is slow. Last year's floods and frost disasters caused a significant reduction in grain production.

The Tiange Restaurant always maintains its original prices, one tael of silver for two dishes, which is why its business is so booming.

“Young Master Ye Ru, aren’t we worried about wasting our time coming here? I’ve often heard them say things like ‘cultivating virtue through tranquility’ and ‘nourishing health through frugality.’”

Su Tongyao looked at the plate of roast chicken, the plate of roast vegetables, and the two bowls of white rice on the table, and then looked at Ye Ru with her chin in her hands.

"Tranquility nourishes the body, and frugality cultivates virtue," as Zhuge Liang said in his "Letter to His Son."

"Eat up. These past few years you've had to work at the private school, take care of Grandpa Su, and wash my clothes. When we have money in the future, we'll make sure you eat well and fatten you up."

Ye Ru smiled, patted Su Tongyao's head, and said softly, then couldn't help but think of two years ago.

"This blockhead... I'm happy no matter what I do with you..."

Su Tongyao bit her red lips lightly and murmured in a voice only she could hear. Her face flushed red, and she quickly lowered her head, afraid of being noticed.

She still remembers that incident two years ago, which made her fall in love at first sight, and since then, she has had someone else in her heart.

After that, no matter who they forget, they will never forget that clumsy yet somewhat broad shoulders and figure from two years ago.

"Why aren't you eating? The food will get cold soon."

Seeing that Su Tongyao's face was slightly flushed, Ye Ru paused for a moment and urged her on.

"Young master, please eat."

Su Tongyao quickly put a chicken leg into Ye Ru's bowl, and the two then ate while chatting and laughing.

After lunch, Ye Ru and the other person returned to their respective residences, and Ye Ru began to study diligently.

Two days later, a mock imperial examination, equivalent to a midterm or final exam, was held. The exam papers were almost identical to those for the children's examination. The mock imperial examination tested students' knowledge of poetry, history of various Confucian scholars, commentary on the classics of the sages, and calligraphy.

The history of various Confucian scholars, the classics of sages, and poetry account for a large proportion of the score, while calligraphy is an additional point option.

Ye Ru spread the exam paper on the table, took out the Three Perfections Literary Brush, laid out the Xuan paper, and began to ponder the classics of all beings in the Siku Quanshu.

When Ye Ru opened the exam paper and saw the few words written on it, his head seemed to swell up considerably.

The scroll reads:

"The superior man follows the mean, while the inferior man goes against it. The superior man follows the mean because he is always in the right place at the right time. The inferior man goes against the mean because he is unscrupulous."