Chapter Sixty-Four: The First Stirring of the Literary Star

With lofty ambition in his chest, his pen exuded a heroic spirit.

This was the first time in his life that Song Mu felt the tip of his pen could not keep pace with the thoughts racing through his mind.

When he finally put down his brush, he lingered with a sense of reluctance, setting aside the finished essay with an air of nostalgia.

The sun had just passed its zenith; the hour was still early.

The soldier, who had watched the entire process, could no longer describe his astonishment. In his eyes, the young man before him was nothing short of a prodigy.

Either he was scribbling at random, or he was a peerless genius.

So little time had passed, yet he had already completed two large sheets, and seemed, if anything, to be reluctant to stop.

The soldier glanced sideways at another examination room. There, one candidate was only just beginning his second sheet, his face twisted in frustration and agony.

Such expressions, the soldier had expected to see on the face of the tall, young scholar—yet not so.

He clicked his tongue twice, and as someone came to relieve him, he hurried away for a meal, eager to return and witness what further spectacle might unfold.

Song Mu’s performance had already left the soldier with a sense of awe—as if he had encountered a true talent, a genius.

Should such a genius emerge in the imperial examinations, strange phenomena would surely follow; such a scene, he vowed not to miss.

As the soldier departed, Song Mu unfolded the final sheet, preparing to tackle the last topic.

The entrance examination for scholars was designed with progressive difficulty, and only this final topic could truly be considered worthy.

Song Mu gazed at the question, falling into brief contemplation.

“Not steadfast, not dignified, not awe-inspiring.”

When he first received the prompt, Song Mu had pondered long and hard before finally tracing the six words to their source in the Analects, the opening section, “Learning.”

The original text went: “The Master said: ‘A gentleman, lacking dignity, lacks authority; lacking study, is not steadfast. He upholds loyalty and trustworthiness. He befriends those equal or better than himself; and he does not hesitate to correct his faults.’”

The intent was clear: the qualities a gentleman should possess—dignity, authority, earnest learning, careful friendship, and the willingness to amend faults.

Thus, interpreting these six words was not difficult; the essay should focus on the conduct of a gentleman, explaining how one should be dignified and authoritative, how to approach learning and friendship, how to make choices and corrections.

Such an approach would surely suffice.

The challenge lay first in recognizing the source and understanding the prompt’s meaning; those well-versed in the classics would find this straightforward.

Yet for students still wary of the Four Books and Five Classics, the question, stripped down to just six words, might prove troubling.

Once understood, it was much easier to compose.

Song Mu had intended to follow this path, but as he revisited the question, savoring the words, he hesitated.

The examiner had played a clever trick, placing “not steadfast” at the forefront.

The sentence thus gained new meaning: without firm learning, a gentleman cannot be dignified or awe-inspiring.

It now became a topic advocating study, echoing the theme of “Learning.”

Song Mu pressed his lips together, arching his brow with relief that he hadn’t rushed into writing.

He glanced around, stretched cautiously, then dipped his brush and began.

“The sage said: ‘A gentleman, lacking dignity, lacks authority; lacking study, is not steadfast…’”

This time, he wrote slowly, each phrase carefully considered, his answers methodical and deliberate.

The soldier, returning from his meal to resume duty, saw Song Mu writing again and watched him intently.

The oppressive afternoon heat descended; candidates sweated profusely, some rolling up their sleeves and waving fans, exerting themselves to the utmost.

Outside the examination hall, crowds of citizens peered in, eager to witness any extraordinary events that might unfold.

In the northern pavilion, officials who had just finished their simple meal sipped plum juice and surveyed the scene.

“It’s nearly the hour of Shen; the candidates below must be tackling the final question now.”

“If someone’s quick, perhaps they’ve already finished.”

“I’m rather looking forward to it—even though it’s only the first round, if someone passes by virtue of their essay, admission to the prefectural academy should be assured.”

“Brother Zhang, don’t be hasty. These matters require deliberation. Besides, the prompt this time isn’t easy—‘not steadfast, not dignified, not awe-inspiring.’ Such a topic, these scholars might be scratching their heads right now.”

Several instructors chatted animatedly, while the superintendent, resting inside, remained silent, lips pursed.

The prompt was not only artful in its construction, but its message was excellent—a theme urging study, perfect for aspiring scholars.

Advocating learning was the most universally accepted value.

Yet such topics had been set countless times over centuries; Fan Zhengxiong was eager to see who could craft something exceptional from it.

“I wonder how Xue Kaiwen from the prefectural academy will fare; he’s the strongest in the classics.”

“Gentlemen, shall we wager on how much talent his essay will show, how many times the literary star will tremble?”

They laughed, but suddenly, a light flashed atop the tall altar in the examination hall.

A ripple of azure light spread, a coolness washing over their hearts, silencing their banter in an instant.

All eyes turned toward the hall, scanning the scene.

“The literary star trembles—someone has finished!”

“Yes, though it’s only a single tremor, it bodes well.”

Outside, the citizens sensed an unusual surge from within; storytellers in the tea houses ceased their tales and called out:

“The literary star trembles! Someone has written a work of talent—perhaps a marvel will appear!”

At these words, the crowd was stirred, a brief commotion quelled by the soldiers, as all eyes involuntarily turned toward the examination hall.

The azure light of the literary star drifted like the gentlest silk of the southern rivers, enveloping the entire academy.

Each county’s academic director outside clenched his fists unconsciously.

“Who is the first student to gather talent?”

Master Xun gazed upward at the changes in the sky, murmuring, and in the northern pavilion, the officials watching all wondered the same.

Ouyang Hong also rose, for the first scholar to manifest talent and cause the literary star to tremble was certain to earn the title of xiucai.

Every instructor hoped this first xiucai would hail from their county.

Everyone now peered into the hall, as the light of the literary star faded, replaced by a whirlpool of literary energy forming above the academy.

Literary energy surged, drawn forth by the azure light to form a vortex—this was the unmistakable sign of a scholar becoming a xiucai, gathering literary power.

This xiucai was almost certain.

They soon pinpointed the location of the scholar’s exam room.

“It’s Chen Annan from the prefectural academy!”

A clerk confirmed the spot, and all eyes turned, while Fan Zhengxiong stroked his beard in satisfaction.

Others sighed softly, yet commented:

“With such a vortex, it seems his literary energy will reach Grade C Lower; after tomorrow’s essays and poetry, he may rise higher, perhaps Grade C Upper or Grade B Lower.”

In the imperial examination, the size and movement of the literary energy vortex determined whether a candidate entered the xiucai realm; within it, their cultivation aptitude was ranked: Grades A, B, and C, each divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower.

This rank was set by the first manifestation of literary energy.

Afterward, officials would review the papers, and upon naming the successful candidates, the examiners would draw upon the literary star’s power again, nurturing the student’s newly gathered literary veins.

The final rank would be the candidate’s xiucai realm and cultivation aptitude.

From there, to advance further, the xiucai must study diligently, continue gathering literary power, and compete in the provincial exam to break through to the juren rank.

The higher the initial xiucai rank, the greater the chance of becoming a juren.

Thus, once a scholar gathered a vortex, he must give his all; every exam, each surge of talent and nurturing from the literary star, allowed multiple opportunities to gather literary power—hence the comment that after the academy exam, this candidate might become a Grade B Lower xiucai.

…