Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 133: Entering the Examination Hall
Just before dawn, the sky once again fell into darkness.
However, the inn was brightly lit, with scholars and students rising one by one, washing up, packing their belongings, and preparing for one of the most crucial battles of their lives.
“Brother Zhu, Brother Zhu, are you done washing up? Hurry up, hurry up…” The loud voice of the chubby Xue Chi reached them even before he arrived.
Panting heavily, Xue Chi arrived at Zhu Ping’an’s room. Just as he raised his hand to knock on the door, it opened.
“Let’s go,” Zhu Ping’an said as he pushed the door open.
Zhu Ping’an walked ahead, and Xue Chi followed closely behind, panting. Being overweight, he could not walk very quickly. Both were empty-handed. Xue Chi had not even brought the gold lock or the two rings he normally wore. The academy and prefectural examinations were alike in one respect: all necessary writing materials were supplied at the examination site to enforce the rules and make cheating more difficult.
Along the way, they occasionally encountered other scholars heading toward the Jiangnan Gongyuan in groups of two or three. The atmosphere was solemn, with little laughter or lightheartedness.
“Cough, cough, cough, Zhi’er, wait for us!” A voice called out from afar.
Zhu Ping’an stopped in his tracks and looked in the direction of the voice. On the bridge connecting both sides of the Qinhuai River, several panting scholars were approaching. Among them was Zhu Ping’an’s uncle, Zhu Shouren, and following him were his fellow villagers, including his uncle’s chubby friend.
Zhu Ping’an watched as his uncle and the others crossed the bridge from the opposite side, feeling at a loss for words. Even with the exams looming, his uncle still didn’t forget to deal with his daily affairs!
Given the urgency, Zhu Ping’an did not stop to introduce Xue Chi to his uncle and the others. They simply continued together toward the Jiangnan Gongyuan.
When they reached the entrance of the Jiangnan Gongyuan, the rising sun stained half the eastern sky blood-red, as though foreshadowing an exceptionally fierce battle for the scholars that day.
At the entrance of the Jiangnan Gongyuan, nearly a hundred stern-faced guards maintained order, while dozens of armored soldiers stood on either side with drawn blades, making the atmosphere extremely solemn. The examinees lined up according to their prefectures, with the candidates from each prefecture divided into two lines under the guards’ direction.
Several tables had been set up at the entrance, with two officials behind each one checking the rolls and verifying the candidates from each prefecture.
The register recorded each candidate’s birthplace, age, appearance, and family background for three generations. All of this had been verified beforehand, and sponsoring linsheng had personally guaranteed the candidates, making the checks even stricter than in the prefectural or county examinations in order to prevent impersonation and cheating.
The chief examiner sat in a chair at the center of the gate, with two rows of sponsoring linsheng standing nearby.
The officials called names from the register, and each candidate stepped forward and loudly identified the linsheng who had sponsored him. The relevant linsheng then stepped out to verify the candidate’s identity. If he was not the right person, the sponsor would immediately object and the chief examiner would treat it as attempted fraud, with severe punishment on the spot. If the identity was correct, the linsheng would loudly confirm his guarantee, completing the roll call and allowing the candidate to enter.
“Zhu Ping’an of Xiahe Village, sponsored by Sun Hongzhi, Liu Chuanwen, and Zhang Fangweng.”
When it was Zhu Ping’an’s turn, he stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and loudly called out his guarantee.
Soon he heard his teacher, Master Sun, and the other two sponsors answer in turn: “Student Sun Hongzhi guarantees him.” “Student Liu Chuanwen guarantees him.” “Student Zhang Fangweng guarantees him.”
Once the guarantees were complete, the official nodded and signaled for Zhu Ping’an to enter. Only then did Zhu Ping’an have time to exchange a few words with Master Sun and the others.
This time, Old Master Sun’s gaze was filled with approval.
After briefly meeting Old Master Sun’s eyes, Zhu Ping’an quickly glanced at the examination official. The examination official was a man in his fifties with a strong aura of authority. His square face and long beard gave him an air of justice.
After just one glance, Zhu Ping’an was urged forward by the guide, a junior official.
The entrance to the Jiangnan Gongyuan was a three-gate wooden structure. The central gate opened into the passage, while the side gates remained closed. Above the central doorway hung a plaque reading “Jiangnan Gongyuan.” The inscriptions and memorial arches around the entrance spoke of opening the way to talent, selecting scholars through the classics, and seeking worthy men for the state.
Led by a junior official, Zhu Ping’an entered the Jiangnan Gongyuan. Less than two meters beyond the main gate stood two stone pavilions, one inscribed “Orderly” and the other “Solemn.”
The junior official led Zhu Ping’an a short distance further, and Zhu Ping’an was struck by the grandeur of a large building. This was a three-story square structure, with the horizontal plaque above the door reading “Mingyuan Tower” in golden characters. The first floor had walls on all four sides, each with a circular door, and four columns rising to the top. Every floor had numerous windows, ensuring a clear view from inside, offering unobstructed surveillance of the entire examination hall. The examination official and invigilators would oversee everything from this building during the exams.
This truly was a venue worthy of holding the provincial examination. It was nothing like the shabby examination sheds used for the county and prefectural examinations.
“Stop gawking and follow me to the examination cells. There are people behind you,” the guide urged. He was long accustomed to first-time examinees marveling at the grandeur of the Gongyuan, but he could not afford to let anyone delay the examination schedule.
“Oh.” Zhu Ping’an snapped back to reality and followed the guide toward the examination rooms.
The examination rooms were where students would take their exams. Zhu Ping’an followed the guide around Mingyuan Tower to the western side; the eastern side also had examination rooms, but Zhu Ping’an’s room was located on the west side.
When Zhu Ping’an saw the examination rooms, he could only think of two words. The rooms were about 1.8 meters high, 1.2 meters deep, and about 1 meter wide, with walls over 2 meters tall and no doors. Each examination room held nearly a hundred rooms, all facing south, separated by brick walls. The name of each room was written in large characters above the entrance, with the order determined by the sequence of the “Thousand-Character Classic.”
“Stop looking, go inside,” the guide urged, leading Zhu Ping’an to the door of an examination room.
Zhu Ping’an entered the room at the guide’s urging, and as he surveyed the space, he saw the walls made of brick about a foot or two off the ground. The bricks were arranged in two layers, with wooden boards placed on top and below. The upper boards were set forward, and the lower boards were set back. The lower boards served as benches, while the upper boards served as desks. The setup was very simple.
“For the academy examination, you’re still lucky. Each session lasts only a day. During the provincial examination, a session lasts several days. At night, candidates take down the upper board and lay it across the lower one to make a bed,” the guide explained briefly before leaving.
Sitting in the examination room, Zhu Ping’an felt only two things: frustration and fairness.
The cramped cell was frustrating: there was no room to stretch his legs or relax his back, and even standing required care to avoid hitting his head. Yet it was fair. Whether one was the son of a county magistrate or an impoverished commoner, rich or poor, everyone had to sit the examination in the same narrow cell.
Thinking of frustration, he couldn’t help but think of the fat guy, Xue Chi. He’d definitely suffer a lot in the examination room.
Soon, someone brought over the examination supplies in a basket. Zhu Ping’an thanked them and began setting up, quickly arranging the ink, paper, and brush.
Everything was ready, now only awaiting the favorable wind.