CH 122

Zhulan definitely had a basis for saying that because such a gorgeous carriage was rare in the county, and Wang Ru’s family lived on this street. So it was most probably the Shi family’s carriage.

The carriage was faster than Zhulan and Zhou Shuren. Before Zhulan reached the door of Fourth Wang’s house, the carriage had already stopped. When Zhulan was about to reach Fourth Wang’s house, the gifts of the carriage were moved into the yard, and Wang Ru was sending the steward out enthusiastically.

The carriage was blocking the road, so Zhulan and Zhou Shuren stopped and waited for the carriage to turn around before moving on.

Wang Ru didn’t go into the yard either and stood quietly at the door. She was ignored and couldn’t help but pinch her palms. It wasn’t until the cheap sister Wang Xin ran out and shouted that Wang Ru turned around and asked, “Is there anything important today in this village?” 

Wang Xin is not like Wang Ru, unwilling to interact with the village girls. With the improvement of her family’s condition, she also had a few friends. “Today is the Zhou family’s clan school enrollment ceremony.”

Wang Ru lowered her gaze for a moment. After Zhou Xuehan got engaged, she paid little attention to the Zhou family. Later, with the Lunar New Year approaching and all the festivities, she had not thought about the Zhou family for a long time. She was even starting to forget about Zhou Changzhi.

Seeing that her younger sister’s expression was not good, Wang Xin didn’t know how she had upset her, so she hurriedly shut her mouth and followed step by step.

Even if Wang Ru was relieved about Zhou Xuehan, she still didn’t want Zhou Xuehan to leave this village. Only if Zhou Changzhi became an official, will the whole family prosper. If she could eliminate the possibility of Zhou Xuehan and the male lead completely, then she can not only step on Zhou Xuehan but also avenge Sanya.1

Zhulan and Zhou Shuren came back home, Zhou Shuren reads while Zhulan practiced copying the copybooks. Zhulan didn’t like traditional Chinese characters, but in order not to be despised by her grandson, and for the dignity of the former school topper, she wrote two big characters every day, becoming an ancient cultural person.

In the days that followed, the eldest grandson who was the noisiest entered school, and the second grandson, Ming Teng, had no one to take the lead. So he was less noisy, and the family calmed down quite a bit.

The winter days in ancient times were colder and longer than in modern times. When the children entered school, Zhou Shuren’s daily exercise was also moved from indoors to outdoors. Zhulan, who was afraid of the cold, also accompanied Zhou Shuren to exercise outside every day, mainly to adapt to the outdoor temperature and prepare for the Yuànshì2 exam.

Every day, Zhulan accompanied Zhou Shuren as they walked around the village, circling it twice in the morning and evening. The results were remarkable. After a week, even Zhulan, who was sensitive to the cold, became more resistant to the freezing weather, and Zhou Shuren felt the benefits of regular exercise too.

In fact, Zhulan also wanted to make some warm covers for Zhou Shuren, so as not to be too cold in the exam, but Zhou Shuren directly vetoed it. It was better to just make the cotton clothes thicker. Cotton bags were not allowed, and there were regulations on what the candidates can carry.

Zhou Shuren went to take the exam for xiùcái3, and the only people who knew were the people from the clan who were taking the same exam. Considering that Zhou Shuren was quite old if he didn’t pass the exam, he would be ashamed in front of the younger generation. So no one said anything about it, and the village didn’t hear anything about it.

Every time they saw Zhulan and Zhou Shuren strolling, the village spread the word that Zhou Shuren was very kind to Zhulan and worked out with Zhulan. That’s right, Zhulan was blamed. Everyone knew that Zhulan was in poor health last year.

Whenever Zhulan hears gossip or malicious words, she always maintains a smile, thinking to herself, “Wait until Zhou Shuren comes back; he will scare away all you gossiping women.”

In this alternative dynasty’s regulations, the achievements of scholars who obtained the title of “Tongsheng” during the previous dynasty were not recognized and did not count in the new examination system. Thus, in the new dynasty, all candidates, including those who were previously Tongsheng, were required to start from scratch and take the three stages of examinations again.

The county government maintains a list of all the previous Tongsheng awardees from the old dynasty. This list cannot be forged or manipulated, ensuring the integrity of the process. As a result, even though Zhou Shuren earned the title of Tongsheng in the previous dynasty, the new official authorities did not acknowledge it. However, out of respect and recognition from the village, they still refer to him with the honorary title. Nevertheless, Zhou Shuren must still go through the three stages of examinations like any other candidate to prove his qualifications under the new dynasty’s rules.

In the ancient imperial examination system, the process of becoming a successful scholar consisted of three stages: the county examination, the provincial examination, and the metropolitan examination.

The county examination took place in the second month of the Lunar calendar, where candidates were tested at the county level. Those who passed the county examination would proceed to the provincial examination, which was held in the fourth month of the lunar year and overseen by higher-ranking officials, such as the Zhīfǔ4.

If a candidate passed both the county and provincial examinations, they would then qualify to participate in the metropolitan examination, which was conducted at the national level. The metropolitan examination was presided over by Gè shěng Xuézhèng5 and was typically held at the end of the fourth month.

Success in the metropolitan examination was the highest achievement, as it allowed the candidate to become a Jinshi and gain a position in the imperial bureaucracy, marking the pinnacle of the ancient Chinese examination system.

In this alternative dynasty, the registration and procedures for the academy examination were similar to those for the county examination. During the county exam registration, candidates were required to fill out documents known as personal introduction, mutual recommendation, and official endorsement. They were:

The purpose of these procedures was to ensure the authenticity and credibility of the candidate’s qualifications and identities, thus upholding the fairness and reputation of the examination. Only after completing these registration procedures could candidates proceed to participate in the subsequent academy examination.

One month before the county examination, during the lunar New Year, the official announcement of the examination date was made. Zhou Shuren registered for the exam, and Zhulan watched as he wrote his “Personal introduction”. It was only then that she realized how meticulous the ancient registration process was, even though they didn’t have photographs.

In the “Personal introduction”, candidates had to provide detailed and precise information about their full name, age, place of origin, physical condition, and even physical characteristics. Not only that, but they were also required to provide clear records of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, including their life and death status. Even information about the biological parents of adoptive children for three generations had to be stated. The requirements were incredibly strict and left no room for vagueness.

In the “Mutual recommendation” process, candidates formed a group of five individuals who vouched for each other’s integrity during the examination. This mutual support served as a form of assurance that they would not engage in cheating. If any one of the five individuals in the group was found cheating, all five would be held collectively responsible.

For Zhou Shuren, his “Mutual recommendation” group consisted of trusted individuals from within his clan. Having a close-knit group from the same family increased the level of trust and familiarity among the members, as they knew each other’s backgrounds and characters well. This helped to strengthen the credibility and reliability of their recommendations during the examination process.