Chapter Eighty-Eight: The County Examination Results Are Announced

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the academy examination results had arrived.

Song Mu rose early. After his morning reading, he returned to his room to bathe and change, then ate breakfast with Kong Zong. Together, they set out at once.

The day was bright and clear. Autumn was drawing to a close, and the air was crisp beneath a cloudless sky.

"Brother Song, I think today’s posting of the results will be most interesting. As for the top rank, I believe it will belong to you," Kong Zong said as he walked beside Song Mu. Both of them wore plain robes, their hair bound only with simple bands.

Today was not only the day the academy examination results were posted, but also the day when the newly appointed licentiates would don their cap and robe.

Once the rankings were announced, the most gifted among them would undergo another baptism by the stars of literature.

After that baptism, the licentiate degree would be formally conferred. From that moment on, Song Mu would be a registered licentiate of the Great Zhao Dynasty.

He would also be entitled to wear the scholar's garments, wrapped in a black cap and wearing the proper headpiece.

Thus today was a day of utmost importance for every candidate.

Those who had already attained licentiate standing waited eagerly for this baptism by the stars of literature, for the scholar's rank at their waist, for the privilege of not bowing before officials, for the honor of being addressed by all as Master Scholar.

As for the boys who had not yet reached that level, they too harbored hopes. They longed to find their own names among the list of reserved papers, to receive a baptism by the stars of literature, and, if fortune favored them, to step at last onto a new rung of the ladder.

Each man had his own thoughts, yet all shared the same solemn expectation.

So every scholar put on his finest and cleanest attire, adjusted his appearance, and walked toward the prefectural academy with his best face presented to the world.

The posting of the results was also an occasion watched closely by the common people. When the proclamation was made, countless townsfolk would cheer the young talents.

For the scholars who had spent years in cold windows studying hard, it was an opportunity to witness such a scene with their own eyes. And now that they themselves were part of it, their hearts stirred even more fiercely.

Some even imagined how magnificent it would be to ride through the streets of the capital on horseback in triumph.

Song Mu and Kong Zong walked all the way toward the prefectural academy, meeting several friends on the road, and even Zhang Yiqi, still as spirited and impressive as ever.

The group chatted and laughed as they quickened their pace toward the academy.

Yet when they reached the vicinity of the prefectural academy, they were stunned to find the place packed shoulder to shoulder, a vast sea of people.

Countless townsfolk crowded the street, smiling and talking among themselves, all eyes fixed on the academy gates in the distance. Vendors' cries rose and fell without end.

One who did not know better might have thought they had stumbled into a market.

Seeing this, Song Mu could not help clicking his tongue in wonder, and Kong Zong and the others looked equally puzzled.

"How... how can there be so many people here?"

"Exactly. The posting of results should not be nearly as lively as the examination itself. Why would so many gather here?"

Everyone was full of questions, but there were simply too many people ahead, and among them many vendors were weaving back and forth. The street was in utter disarray. All of them wore new clothes, and none dared force their way through for fear of soiling their garments and making fools of themselves at the academy gate.

So they stood where they were and waited a while. Seeing the crowd only grow thicker, Song Mu gave up the idea of pushing forward. Just as he was about to move in, a voice suddenly came from the side.

"Brother Song, Brother Zhang, Brother Kong, you came early?"

Song Mu and the others turned at once and saw the elegant and graceful Cui Kexing approaching.

He looked entirely at ease, and behind him followed several other students, presumably all scholars from Taihe County.

Cui Kexing came forward to greet them, and Song Mu turned and returned the salute.

"Brother Cui, you came as well. We only just arrived ourselves. I did not expect it to be so crowded today."

As he spoke, Song Mu gestured toward the packed street before them.

Cui Kexing folded his fan and revealed a knowing smile.

"Brother Song may not be aware, but there are reasons for such a scene."

"Indeed," said one of the students nearby. "I've seen result postings in years past. There were crowds then as well, but never anything like today."

Cui Kexing continued, "In truth, everyone came because they heard of the arrival of the semi-sage the other day. They rushed here wanting to witness the brilliance of the writing for themselves."

As he spoke, the students around them could not help turning their eyes toward Song Mu.

That day, when the semi-sage of the Du family descended, he not only lavished praise on Song Mu's poetry, but even granted him an opportunity. Such an event had already spread among the students.

Over these past few days, some had even gone to the Kong residence, either claiming they wanted to befriend Song Mu, or demanding that he produce the essays he had written for the academy examination so they might compare them and determine which was superior.

Of course, they were all turned away in the end by the old servant at the Kong residence. Song Mu himself had not paid it much mind, spending these two days immersed in the study of the cultivation method known as Literary Power.

Hearing Cui Kexing say this, Song Mu merely grinned and said nothing.

Yet what Cui Kexing said was indeed true.

After three days of spreading rumors and retelling, the various wonders of the academy examination had already swept across the entire city of Jizhou. Even the nearby counties had heard something of it.

Most of all, the scene of the semi-sage's descent that day had spread everywhere. All over the city people were saying that this examination had produced an extraordinary genius.

Because of that, more and more people came flocking here, eager to see who had written the work that could draw down a semi-sage, and eager as well to discover just how earthshaking the genius's essays and poems truly were.

And even now, many more townsfolk from all across the city were still on their way.

Song Mu and the others waited where they were for a while. Then, from the street, there came waves of orderly footsteps. Song Mu looked up and saw line after line of soldiers advancing with swords and spears in hand.

They wore neat armor and carried their weapons in hand. Upon entering the noisy street, they immediately began clearing the area.

All the townsfolk were asked to stand along the sides, leaving a road wide enough for carriages, while a large open space was cleared before the academy gate.

Seeing this, Song Mu and the others breathed a little easier. With the way open, they all stepped forward.

The soldiers, seeing a group of scholars bearing the tokens of student status, let them come on, only urging them to quicken their pace.

Before long, Song Mu and the others had reached the gate of the prefectural academy.

What stood there now was completely unlike what Song Mu had seen before.

The gate had become even taller, and above it had been erected a bamboo archway. Several hooks hung from the arch, evidently meant for posting the results.

When the red list was placed there and the crimson cloth uncovered, what would be revealed were each person's golden name.

Everyone who came here could not help stopping in place and looking up, their eyes filled with deep longing.

This was the moment every scholar yearned for most: to stand before the world and shine, to fulfill the glory of letters, and to be praised by all under heaven.

Song Mu also looked up at the lofty archway, his heart stirring.

A large space before the academy gate had already been cleared. Everyone stopped here, and the educational officials and registrar scholars from each county were all present. Song Mu and the others stepped forward to salute Master Xun and the instructor Ouyang Hong, then took their places in the rows behind them.

Master Xun was also unusually dressed today in a red robe, one hand clasped behind his back and the other held in a fist against his chest. He looked somewhat tense as well.

After all, this posting of the academy examination results was also a test of the teaching achievements of these educational officials.

At that moment, the street in the distance filled with the sound of gongs and drums, followed by loud cries:

"The Prefect has arrived! The Superintendent of Learning has arrived!"

Song Mu gathered himself at once and turned to look.