My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 61p2

Chapter 61p2: The Palace Examination

A month passed in a flash. When Xu Zhizhou was packing a small amount of luggage and getting on a carriage to go to the capital with Xie Huaichuan and Xu Zhici, the palace examination also began.

This time, they were going to the imperial palace. Although Song Changxu was a little curious about it, he was led forward by a palace attendant, and he had no mind to think of anything else. He was completely awed by the magnificent architecture.

The palace attendants and eunuchs walking in the imperial palace made no sound. The rules were carved into their bones.

As successful candidates, they were all very proper. They first took a bath, then put on the clothes prepared by the palace, and went with them to the Jiying Hall.

“Pay your respects to His Majesty,” a eunuch’s sharp voice called out.

Song Changxu and the others knelt down. “We pay our respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live.”

It was their first time seeing the emperor and they had to perform a grand ceremony. Song Changxu knelt by the side of a desk. He had knelt gently. He could still hear the sound of knees hitting the floor.

Although he had knelt, he still had to be good to himself.

“Get up. You are this year’s successful candidates. You look like good seedlings. Take your seats and prepare for the exam,” Emperor Pingjing said.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

They took their seats in order. A palace attendant distributed the exam papers. Emperor Pingjing sat at the top, with the court ministers and nobles on either side.

Song Changxu sat down and calmed himself. He first looked at the exam question.

“Geng requested the restoration of the village drinking ceremony, while Xin said that the ancient rites were not to be followed.” Use this sentence as the opening to write a policy essay.

When Song Changxu got this exam question, his heart skipped a beat. This sentence was from the time when the Song Dynasty’s Emperor Zhenzong’s minister, Tian Xi, had submitted a memorial to request the restoration of the village drinking ceremony, and the other ministers had opposed it.

It seemed that His Majesty’s choice of this sentence this time was to find someone who could reform, at least not a conventional person.

Song Changxu weighed the pros and cons in his heart. By the time he came back to his senses, only a quarter of an hour had passed. This essay could be written all day.

At noon, a palace attendant brought them food. Seeing the exquisite food, Song Changxu’s mouth watered.

He finished his lunch, rested for a while, and continued to write.

This was the first time Emperor Pingjing had presided over the imperial examination after he had taken over the government. Empress Dowager Xiao was not by his side, so he didn’t have to guess her thoughts. Of the people below, he could choose whoever he liked as the top scorer.

He sat in his chair without moving. In the afternoon, he got up and went for a walk in the examination hall. As the emperor, he did not look around, but only observed their posture and expression.

Then he returned to his high seat. Until the evening, all the candidates had handed in their papers. Emperor Pingjing was a little tired and had everyone go back.

Song Changxu only handed in his exam paper when the sun was about to set. After all, this paper was to be presented to the emperor. He had naturally thought it over and over and did not dare to relax.

After he had finished writing and had left the imperial palace, a patch of his back was wet.

“It’s very scary to be in the imperial palace and face the emperor in person.” If it weren’t for his good upbringing and courage, Song Changxu was afraid that his hands and feet would have been trembling as soon as he had entered.

The power of life and death, the power in his hands. When the son of heaven was angry, a million corpses would fall.

Song Changxu returned to the inn, washed up, ordered a bowl of noodles, and went to sleep.

The next day, when he woke up, he was much more relaxed. He just had to wait for the results. The tension in his mind had eased.

“I wonder what Zhizhou is doing at home. He’s probably on his way to the capital with my brother-in-law and the others now,” Song Changxu thought of Xu Zhizhou’s gentle features, and a sense of urgency arose in his heart. He wanted to tell him the good news.

It was a rare day of good weather when Song Changxu went out. He looked at the vendors on the street and at the bustling capital.

“Brother Song, we’ve finally run into each other,” Cheng Maoxue said, patting Song Changxu’s shoulder.

“Brother Cheng, it’s been a long time,” Song Changxu was also a little surprised.

“I saw you were nineteenth in the metropolitan examination. You’re a good boy,” Cheng Maoxue said with a smile.

“Come, I’ll treat you to a drink,” Cheng Maoxue was also relaxed after the exam. No matter what the result was, it was good to have a good time now.

It was the first time they had taken the exam and had reached the palace examination. It was already very good for their families.

Cheng Maoxue found a tavern and had a drink with Song Changxu. The two of them had two bowls of wine and then opened up.

“Xie Feng has gone to his main family. Luo Shuang is still sleeping. I’m the only one out for a walk. I don’t think we can get into the first class. We should strive for the second class, and then stay in the Shuchang Hall as a Shujishi, and then plan for the future.”

Song Changxu had no thoughts at the moment.

“Brother Song, if we’re still together in the future, we should still help each other,” Cheng Maoxue said with a smile, holding his wine bowl.

“You’re right, Brother Cheng. No matter what, we’re friends.”

Cheng Maoxue was stunned for a moment, then he smiled. There were many people coming and going around him. His most fixed friends were Xie Feng and Luo Shuang.

Because the three of them had similar thoughts, and they all had the ability to pass the exam to go to the capital. Now with Song Changxu, Cheng Maoxue also sincerely wanted to be friends with him.

When they entered the officialdom, they would meet even more people, all sorts of ghosts and monsters.

The two of them raised their bowls and continued to drink.

After drinking, they went back to the inn. Song Changxu fell onto the bed and fell asleep.

After the exam, the candidates were either at home waiting for the news, or they had gone to attend literary gatherings.

The people in the imperial palace who were grading the exam papers were also working non-stop. In the end, there were ten essays presented to Emperor Pingjing.

Liu Wangsheng said, “Your Majesty, these are the essays that we have selected. What do you think?”

The first class depended on the emperor’s will. They only pointed out the essays they thought were good.

They could not see the names, and the exam papers had also been transcribed, so they could not be recognized at all. Liu Wangsheng was very satisfied with one of the essays, so he had placed it at the top.

Emperor Pingjing was very satisfied with the first essay. He then looked at the ones below, but none of them were as stunning as the first, until the last one.

[The drinking ceremony was prevalent in the past, but now it is clearly out of date. To cling to the old rites, is that not to spin a cocoon around oneself? The system of a thousand years has been changed from generation to generation. If the old rites were truly without flaws, why would they need to be changed so often? Times have changed…]

Emperor Pingjing saw the sharpness of this essay.

[Rites are like water. Water has no fixed shape and changes with the measure. Rites have no fixed form and change with the times. Without the old, the new has no foundation. With the old but without change, things will surely stagnate. … The debate in the world today is not about change versus no change, but about how to handle the relationship between the new and the old. The old rites contain the essence, which should be inherited well. What is out of date should be changed. Follow the law of development, move with the times, and act according to the opportunity, like the seedlings of spring, the trees of summer, the fruits of autumn, and the roots of winter. Thus, the dynasty can be prosperous, the world can be governed, and the people can be at peace.]

Emperor Pingjing was very shocked by this essay. He read it once, then again, and did not speak for a long time.

It was not about change versus no change, but about how to handle the relationship between the two. Emperor Pingjing repeated this sentence in his mind, and was enlightened.

Seeing that Emperor Pingjing was silent, Liu Wangsheng did not dare to speak or urge him.

Emperor Pingjing had been looking for so long, and he realized that he had not yet asked Liu Wangsheng to sit down. He came back to his senses and quickly said, “Please sit down, Minister Liu. Laifu, why didn’t you remind me to have Minister Liu sit down first?”

The emperor’s scapegoat, Eunuch Laifu, cried out “aiyo” and quickly said, “It was this servant’s oversight. Please forgive me, Sir Liu.”

Laifu was the chief eunuch by the emperor’s side. Liu Wangsheng also treated him with respect. He said, “You’re too kind, eunuch.”

Liu Wangsheng sat on the stone stool and finally felt that his legs were not sore anymore. He saw that His Majesty was still looking at the essay at the bottom and understood.

It seemed that His Majesty preferred that essay. When Liu Wangsheng had first seen this essay, he had felt that it was too sharp and showed off too much. He preferred another essay that was told in a gentle and unhurried manner, simple and unadorned, and reading it was like tasting a cup of tea, with the reasoning going from shallow to deep.

Emperor Pingjing held the essay and said, “This person should be the new top scorer.”

Liu Wangsheng said, “Your Majesty is right.”

Emperor Pingjing then chose the second-place graduate. When it came to the third, he was a bit hesitant, but after thinking for a moment, he still chose one.

The top three had already been chosen. The rest would just be in descending order.

Liu Wangsheng left the pavilion.

Emperor Pingjing paced, his expression inscrutable.

Laifu said, “Congratulations, Your Majesty. After the imperial examination, there will be many more talented people for Your Majesty to use.”

A trace of a smile appeared on Emperor Pingjing’s face. “This time, I’ve chosen them all myself. I hope they don’t disappoint me.”

The top scorer he had chosen when he was thirteen had ended up benefiting the Xiao family, a slap in the face. If the top scorer he had chosen this time were to let him down again, Emperor Pingjing would not be merciful.

His eyes turned cold.

Laifu also knew about this past event and was apprehensive. He thought that His Majesty had treated Sir Bie so well, but in the end, he had still abandoned him for his future and had gone to the Xiao family. How could His Majesty not be angry?

Emperor Pingjing had someone go and inquire about the identity and family background of the top three.

He returned to the Panlong Hall to rest.

On the other side, Liu Wangsheng had someone post the list. The next morning, a clerk would go and inform them.

Liu Wangsheng said, “Thank you for your hard work this time. You can go back now.”

“Yes, Sir Liu,” everyone said, and went back to their residences with a sigh of relief.

Liu Wangsheng was a bit regretful to see that his favorite essay had been placed second. This Shen Liang was the top scorer he had chosen when he was the chief examiner for the metropolitan examination. Their writing styles were so compatible. He should have been under his wing.

He could not act rashly now.

Liu Wangsheng also left the imperial palace.

The list had not yet been posted here. The capital was still a bustling scene. The Ningxing Dynasty did not prohibit night markets. Sometimes, the night markets were even more prosperous than the day ones.

Song Changxu bought a snack and returned to the inn. There were many fewer people in the inn. In the past, he couldn’t even find a seat.

Some of them had left after failing the metropolitan examination. The only ones left were the successful candidates. He saw a few scholars drinking together. Song Changxu went back to his room. He held the purse Xu Zhizhou had embroidered for him and felt a sense of longing.

He didn’t know where they were now.

The group of people Song Changxu was thinking about had already reached Mingzhou Prefecture. The small courtyard in Jinhe County had not yet been given up. He was afraid that if his husband didn’t pass, he would have to go back and continue to prepare. He had to have a backup plan.

Xu Zhizhou had passed through several prefectures. He was curious about everything and would lift the curtain to look out.

Xu Zhici was looking with him.

Xie Huaichuan would usually ride a horse and only take a carriage when it rained. The group of three traveled at a leisurely pace.

This was their first time traveling so far.

When Xu Zhizhou thought of being able to see his husband, his heart was always filled with anticipation.

***

Author’s Note:

Little Song: Policy essay expert. [Laughs]

Little Xu: Going to the big city. [Sprinkles flowers]