ALL NOVEL Chapter 101 - II
In the end, Jing Xingzhi’s answer sheet was the first to reach Li Yunxi’s hands.
Li Yunxi glanced over it and nodded. At his level, it wasn’t the writing style that mattered most but the thoughts and ideas woven between the lines. What mattered was whether the candidate’s ideas could be utilized, how they could be applied, and to what extent they aligned with the empire’s needs. Over time, Li Yunxi had read so many papers that he could even judge a candidate’s temperament and suitability for specific positions.
Jing Xingzhi’s work reflected a steady and open-minded character. His writing conveyed a sincere intent to “serve the people,” coupled with a long-term vision that skilfully navigated conflicts of interest. His ideas were compelling and his writing engaging.
After finishing the review, Li Yunxi nodded with satisfaction. He turned to the other ministers and said, “You should take a look at this. It’s excellent.”
As he uttered these words, Li Yunxi found himself understanding, for the first time, the mindset of those shameless ministers who endlessly praised their nephews.
He said it was okay, but his face and gestures betrayed him, as if declaring, ‘Look! Look! Isn’t this kid in my family amazing? None of yours can compare to mine!’
Li Yunxi couldn’t help but think to himself that his junior brother was so talented that he could secure the top spot and win the highest honour without relying on any connections.
‘The teacher is the number one scholar, and the disciples he teaches are also number one scholar,’ he mused proudly.
‘The reason I’m not the number one scholar is purely because of my background. If I weren’t the emperor, I’d probably still be the number one scholar.’
The more Li Yunxi thought about it, the more his lips curled into a smug smile.
Su Mingyuan, observing him discreetly, noticed the Holy Emperor’s beard lifting slightly from his grin. Su Mingyuan quickly lowered his head, suppressing his own laughter.
It wasn’t surprising that Su Mingyuan felt amused. The superintendent for each exam was only elected once every three years. Because the Li Dynasty prohibited ministers’ disciples from forming factions, each qualified minister could essentially only serve one term.
Therefore, under Su Mingyuan’s tenure, only the Jinshi of that particular year could be considered his disciples and call him their teacher.
In such a situation, the higher the quality of this batch of Jinshi, the happier Su Mingyuan felt.
Jing Xingzhi, with his talent and potential, was clearly favoured by Li Yunxi, and his future looked promising.
Su Mingyuan secretly felt proud. With Jing Xingzhi as the shining star of this group, Su Mingyuan believed he could dominate the rankings for years to come.
While the two men basked in their private satisfaction, Jing Xingzhi was already outside, dining with a group of would-be Jinshi.
When he stepped out, Wu Mingrui waved him over, preventing him from feeling isolated in the crowd.
As Jing Xingzhi approached, Wu Mingrui asked curiously, “Xingzhi, what did you draw? Did you include me in the painting?”
Jing Xingzhi nodded casually. “You’re in the painting.”
Someone nearby chuckled, suspecting Jing Xingzhi of boasting. “Brother Wu was seated behind you. How could you have drawn him?”
Jing Xingzhi turned to the speaker with a smile. “You were sitting fifth in the last row. You’re included in the painting too. I captured everyone in the palace—no one’s missing.”
The examinee gawked in disbelief, nearly dropping his chopsticks. “I was sitting all the way in the corner! How could you possibly know that?”
“I looked around carefully several times and memorized it,” Jing Xingzhi replied, his tone calm and matter-of-fact.
Though he had memorized the seating arrangements, drawing people into the painting was an entirely different matter, that was why he took so long to complete it.
Thinking that the Holy Emperor helped them “bully” Jing Xingzhi, and that Jing Xingzhi was still willing to include them in the painting dedicated to the Holy Emperor, everyone was immediately convinced of Jing Xingzhi’s character.
No wonder Jing Xingzhi had such a good reputation among the students of Hanbei Prefecture. He turned out to be such an upright gentleman!
The words “magnanimous gentleman” kept coming back from different groups of people, making Jing Xingzhi feel embarrassed whenever he heard them.
The drawing paper was not big, and with more than two hundred people immersed in writing, what could he draw?
Jing Xingzhi drew over two hundred small figures, but none of them had faces. Except for himself, every figure had only the back of their head drawn.
However, for the one he planned to keep for himself, Jing Xingzhi drew Li Yunxi and several ministers who were reviewing the papers, carefully sketching their expressions to match the grandeur of imperial examination.
After finishing their meal, everyone sat chatting for a while. They discovered that Jing Xingzhi was a very easy person to get along with, and they all enjoyed talking with him as fellow Jinshi candidates.
.
Two hours later, Zhang Tong led the group to the steps of the main hall of Kaiyang Hall.
All the would-be Jinshi knew that the real moment had arrived—the rankings of the imperial examination were about to be announced.
They were divided into two rows according to their rankings and stood breathlessly.
Jing Xingzhi stood first on the left, opposite the second candidate, with the third candidate behind him.
The second candidate appeared to be over forty and had a beautiful beard, while the third candidate was a young man, looking about twenty-five years old.
The two of them secretly observed Jing Xingzhi and noticed his calm demeanour. They silently reminded themselves to remain composed. Even if their hearts were racing, they knew they needed to look calm on the outside.
As their hearts surged with anticipation, the great eunuch held the bright yellow imperial edict, stood on the high platform, and raised his voice.
“The No. 1 Scholar in the Imperial Examination: Hanbei Prefecture, Jing Xingzhi.”
.
The name of the number one scholar was announced three times in front of the palace, a unique honour.
Interestingly, the second and third positions were reversed from expectations. The second-place was a young man, while the third-place was the older man with the beautiful beard. This reversal came as a unique surprise to many.
The fourth place was Chuan Lu. This new Jinshi was not so fortunate; failing to secure a spot in the top three, he had to take over the duties of the great eunuch and start calling names. As soon as he became a Jinshi, he was put to work for the emperor.
When Jing Xingzhi’s name was called, he stood on the steps with the second-place and the third-place, two steps below the great eunuch, looking down at the gathered candidates.
Jing Xingzhi spotted Wu Mingrui among the crowd. Wu Mingrui’s face was flushed with excitement, his gaze burning with hope as he glanced at Jing Xingzhi.
He also noticed Li Huasui. The face across from him was familiar; while the features had not changed much, the skin was noticeably darker. Their eyes met briefly before shifting away.
Jing Xingzhi’s gaze then fell on Zheng Juelun, whose expression was filled with a mixture of determination and anticipation. Jing Xingzhi’s lips twitched slightly as he sensed the other’s nervousness.
Suddenly, Jing Xingzhi felt an inexplicable sense of loss.
‘Invincible, so lonely,’ he thought.
‘Why can’t my wife take the scientific examination?’
He imagined how perfect it would be if Xiao Fangfang were there, standing beside him, receiving admiration and envy from all directions. They could even sprinkle in a little playful interaction for good measure.
After more than two hundred names were called, Chuan Lu’s mouth was dry, and he was visibly parched.
Meanwhile, the top three walked out with the superintendent and examiners, chatting amiably.
Su Mingyuan was the closest to Jing Xingzhi and asked, “How is your teacher doing lately? The old man had bouts of poor health the year before last, which was quite worrying.”
Jing Xingzhi froze for a moment. ‘Wait… does this old man know my teacher? Could it be… that they’re truly connected?’
Judging by Su Mingyuan’s familiar tone, Jing Xingzhi deduced that Su Mingyuan and Fang Qichen likely had a good relationship.
“My teacher is in good health this year,” Jing Xingzhi replied. “He can eat two bowls of porridge during meals.”
“That’s good to hear!” Su Mingyuan laughed, his gaze kind and filled with mirth. “I know a bit about you.”
Then, as though shifting to a lighter topic, Su Mingyuan added, “But let’s not dwell on that. Bring your wife over to my house for dinner one of these days.”
His words carried a warmth and familiarity, much like an amiable elder.
As they walked, Su Mingyuan took out a small purse from his robe and handed it to Jing Xingzhi.
“Your wife has given birth. This is my meeting gift,” he said with a smile.
The other ministers, overhearing this, chuckled as they recalled how Jing Xingzhi would rush home every day. They teased him, promising to make up for their own meeting gifts, leaving Jing Xingzhi blushing furiously amidst their good-natured laughter.
Fortunately, after leaving the palace, the old men went back to their homes, and Jing Xingzhi was finally free.
Wu Mingrui came out a little later, and Jing Xingzhi waited for him at the palace gate. After catching up with Wu Mingrui, the two got into the carriage and headed home.