AWB Chapter 502 The Second Imperial Examination of the Great Qin Dynasty Officially Begins
Chapter 502 The Second Imperial Examination of the Great Qin Dynasty Officially Begins
Long queues formed in front of the Ministry of Rites' registration point. The students from Yan were thin and bony, yet they clutched their household registration documents tightly. The scholars from Chu, speaking in broken Qin dialect, carefully filled in their family backgrounds, their handwriting crooked but extremely earnest. The clerk in charge of registration, who had initially worried about chaos, breathed a sigh of relief seeing everyone behaving properly.
The inspections in the West Market were swift and decisive. Officials from the Household Tax Bureau, carrying bamboo slips of the Qin Law, checked prices at each shop. When they saw the shopkeeper who had been inflating ink prices being pinned to the ground by the officials, and the fine he was fined equal to three months' worth of his usual revenue, the surrounding merchants shrank back. In less than half a day, wooden signs reading "Ink sold at fair prices, two ingots per person" were hung in front of the writing brush and ink shops, and the grain shops also changed their price lists back to the original prices. When bold students went to buy ink, the shopkeepers smiled apologetically and said, "I was confused before, please forgive me."
As soon as the millet from the official granary arrived at the supply point, it was immediately surrounded by impoverished scholars who had heard the news. Among the line of people receiving rice was a young man from the former territory of Korea, who was holding a heavy bag of rice with reddened eyes: "I thought I would have to beg for food when I came to Xianyang, but I never expected..." Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Guozi, who was next to him, patted him on the shoulder: "Study hard in the exam, don't let this kindness go to waste."
As for those who were still spreading rumors in secret, seeing that the students were all busy preparing for the exams and there was no one to talk to, they gradually fell silent. A few who wanted to incite a fight between the Qin people and the scholars from other places had just said, "The Qin people are ostracizing outsiders," when they were glared at by the surrounding students and told them, "What are you shouting about? The court that allows us to take the exams is a good court!"
On the evening of the third day, a sudden rainstorm washed over Xianyang City, and the air was filled with the scent of earth and grass. Lü Zhi stood in front of the newly built dormitory in the East Courtyard, watching the students reading under the lamp, when she suddenly heard a low recitation coming from the shed next door. It was the line from the Book of Songs: "Though Zhou is an old state, its mandate is renewed."
She looked up at the sunset on the horizon and felt that Xianyang in August, though hot, was full of vitality—just like the shacks under construction, simple yet brimming with the heavy hopes of countless people.
Meanwhile, in the distant examination hall, Wei Zhuang was looking at the newly compiled roster, the number of whom had exceeded eight thousand, but the anxiety of the day before was gone. He picked up a pen and wrote on the title page of the roster: "The talents of the world should serve Qin."
Outside the window, the sound of the night watchman's drum drifted from afar, steady and powerful, as if playing the prelude to the upcoming imperial examination.
On the day of the imperial examination, before dawn, the four gates of Xianyang were already bustling with people.
The officials in charge of the inspection, dressed in neat court robes, stood on both sides, holding rosters. At the east gate, an unfamiliar clerk was carefully checking a Chu student's token—a jade pendant engraved with the character "Chu." The student's palms were sweating with nervousness. Only when he heard the clerk say, "Verification is correct, enter," did he breathe a sigh of relief and quickly walk through the city gate.
The longest queue was at the South Gate, mostly filled with students from the former territories of Wei and Han. Among them were elderly men with white hair and boys as young as fifteen or sixteen, all quietly waiting in line for inspection. A Han student looked at the plaque on the city wall that read "All the talents of the world are within our grasp," his eyes gleaming with excitement. His father had once been a minister of Han, but after the fall of his country, he had gone into seclusion in the countryside. Now, hearing that Qin was holding imperial examinations, he had specially sold the few acres of land his family owned so that he could try his luck in Xianyang.
Outside the West Gate, a bustling crowd gathered. Several students from the State of Zhao stood together, conversing in Qin dialect with heavy accents.
"I heard there's tea and water provided in the examination hall, and soldiers patrolling around. It's even more peaceful than back home," one of the students said.
"Yes, I hope I can pass the imperial examination and become a minor official this time, so that my family can live a better life," another student chimed in.
Their words were filled with both unease and anticipation for the future.
Not far away stood a group of Qi students dressed in splendid attire. Their bright and beautiful clothes contrasted sharply with those of the other students.
The queue at the North Gate was relatively short, consisting mostly of local Qin scholars. These scholars seemed to know each other well; some had taken the imperial examinations the previous year and were now sharing their experiences with their fellow townsmen.
"Don't panic once you're inside. Write down your name and place of origin clearly first, so you'll have to look carefully when they're covering the names..."
Not far away, there was another group of several hundred people, students from the State of Yan. Although there were many of them, their group appeared somewhat disorganized and out of place compared to students from other countries.
The chief examiner stood on the high platform of the Biyong Hall, the scroll of imperial edict he held in his hand seemingly carrying the dreams and hopes of countless people.
His voice was loud and powerful, penetrating through the layers of people and clearly reaching everyone's ears: "The Great Qin Kingdom governs the world by law. Now, we are holding an imperial examination to select officials, regardless of their background or nationality, only the virtuous will be chosen..."
The sound was like a spring breeze, blowing through every corner of the examination area. The wind swept across the examination area, fluttering the hems of countless young and old clothes, and stirring the expectations buried deep in their hearts.
The students of Chu set aside their reserve, their eyes sparkling with a thirst for knowledge and aspirations for the future; the students of Zhao straightened their backs, their faces radiating confidence; even the most nervous teenagers raised their heads, their gazes fixed on the Qin banner fluttering in the wind.
Standing atop the corner tower of the examination hall, Lü Zhi's gaze pierced through the crowd and landed on the Qin banner. She looked silently at the serene crowd below, a profound sense of emotion welling up within her.
Suddenly, she remembered the young scholar from Yan who had been added to the roster. In the "Aspiration" column, he wrote: "I am willing to guard the border for the Great Qin, so that the land of Yan and Zhao will never again be engulfed in war."
His ink was still wet when Lü Zhi looked at the line of writing, and her heart stirred. She looked up and saw the Yan scholar scratching his head somewhat embarrassedly, smiling as he said, "My writing is not good; please forgive my poor handwriting, sir."
However, Empress Lü thought the writing was excellent. It not only demonstrated the student's aspirations and ambitions, but also conveyed his longing for peace.
She looked down at her hands; calluses had formed on her palms from supervising the craftsmen these past few days, but now she felt a sense of peace. Kui Zhuang had appeared beside her at some point, holding a newly compiled roster: "Nine thousand seven hundred and twenty-six people." His voice was weary, yet filled with undisguised satisfaction, "Nearly five times more than last year."
Lü Zhi nodded, gazing at the surging crowd in the distance. These students, who had come from all directions, each carrying their own accents and scars, had gathered together for the same goal. They might have once been subjects of enemy states, but now they were all examinees of the Great Qin.
As the sun gradually rose, golden sunlight shone on the arrow towers of Xianyang City and on the dense crowds. Suddenly, a clear gong sound came from the center of the city, one sound, two sounds, three sounds... As the last gong sound fell, the once noisy city gate instantly fell silent.
The official in charge of the examination stood on a high place and announced loudly: "The second imperial examination of the Great Qin Dynasty has officially begun!"