bestfiction Chapter 329 Imperial Examination
Chapter 329 Imperial Examination
Before long, it was Chen Xuan's turn. Chen Xuan calmly and methodically began to remove his clothes. He first unbuttoned his outer garment and gently pulled it off, setting it aside. Then he rolled up the cuffs of his inner garment, revealing his strong, muscular forearms. Throughout the entire process, he remained expressionless, but his eyes conveyed a sense of determination and composure.
After the last piece of undergarment was removed, the guard in charge of the inspection carefully examined it and, after confirming that there were no problems, said, "Alright, you can put your clothes back on now."
Having received permission, Chen Xuan quickly picked up his clothes and methodically dressed himself again. However, just then, a commotion suddenly arose from nearby. It turned out that a student had been found to be smuggling contraband and was being sternly reprimanded by the guards. The student was terrified, crying and begging for mercy; his cries echoed across the open space, sounding particularly pitiful.
Hearing the sound, Chen Xuan turned his head and looked in the direction of the crying. He saw a student with tears streaming down his face, looking utterly desperate, while the people around him were talking amongst themselves. Some people expressed their pity for the student's plight, shaking their heads and sighing, "Alas, how careless of him! This is a huge problem!" Others were secretly relieved that the student had been caught, otherwise their own ranking might have been taken.
Looking at the chaotic scene before him, Chen Xuan was deeply moved. He shook his head slightly and sighed to himself, "As expected, there are still people who want to take risks and smuggle in their own agendas. This kind of behavior is really unacceptable..." After saying that, he stopped and turned to continue walking towards the examination hall, his steps firm and composed.
Chen Xuan took a deep breath and stepped into the gate of the examination hall. As soon as he entered, he could feel a tense and solemn atmosphere permeating the air.
Inside the examination hall, there was a special area for verifying candidates' information. Several serious and meticulous examiners sat upright at their tables, awaiting the students who came to take the exam. When it was Chen Xuan's turn, he respectfully handed over his identification and relevant documents. The examiners carefully examined every piece of information, comparing it from time to time with the records in the book to ensure there were no errors.
After a thorough check, the examiner confirmed that Chen Xuan's identity information was accurate. He then looked up and clearly and loudly announced Chen Xuan's examination booth number and seat number. Chen Xuan carefully memorized these two important numbers, thanked the examiner, and turned to walk in the designated direction.
Relying on his memory, Chen Xuan easily found his examination booth and seat. He first looked around, taking in his new little space. The booth wasn't particularly spacious, but it was adequate, and Chen Xuan wasn't too picky about the environment. After all, what truly determined his results wasn't external conditions, but rather his own knowledge and talent.
Meanwhile, the other students gradually found their seats according to their assigned numbers. Soon after, several staff members entered the examination hall carrying a stack of brand-new white paper and distributed it to each candidate. Chen Xuan took the paper and gently touched its smooth surface. Then, he took out his prepared pen and inkstone from his basket, neatly arranged them on the table, and quietly awaited the unveiling of the exam questions.
Time ticked by, and finally, the long-awaited exam questions were presented to everyone. It turned out that this first exam tested knowledge of the Four Books and Five Classics, including Confucian classics such as the *Classic of Poetry* and the *Analects*. Chen Xuan knew these books intimately, having studied them countless times. Seeing the familiar questions, the knowledge he had once memorized instantly flooded his mind. After a moment's thought, he began writing without hesitation.
Chen Xuan's pen flew across the paper, producing neat and beautiful characters. He would sometimes furrow his brow in thought, and at other times a confident smile would appear. In no time, the answer was taking shape. Next, he carefully copied the draft onto the new sheet of paper, neatly writing his name and address. With the last stroke, Chen Xuan let out a long sigh of relief—this part of the classical studies assessment was now complete.
As time ticked by, the clear, resonant sound of a gong slowly began to ring out, echoing throughout the examination hall. The invigilators, expressionless, began collecting the candidates' exam papers one by one.
At this moment, the candidates were in the middle of waiting for the next exam. Some leisurely took out the food and water they had prepared in advance and began to eat heartily; others sat quietly in their seats, adjusting their breathing and calming their nerves; and still others needed to go to the toilet to relieve their physical discomfort due to tension or other reasons.
Unlike in the past, this exam did not allow candidates to bring chamber pots into the examination room. After all, the smell of chamber pots is far too strong, and if placed in the examination hall, even with some distance between candidates, it could still negatively affect their performance. That would be counterproductive.
Ying Wuyou had already considered this problem, and she specially built several toilets in the examination hall for the candidates' use. When a candidate needed to use the toilet, he only needed to raise his hand to signal the invigilators. Then, two soldiers would follow and guard the candidate until he finished using the toilet and returned safely to the examination hall.
Chen Xuan was one of the many candidates who needed to use the restroom. After raising his hand to the invigilators, he was escorted to the restroom by two soldiers and quickly relieved himself. Afterward, he returned to his examination booth and sat down quietly, waiting for the next exam to begin.
About half an hour later, the familiar sound of the gong rang out again. Hearing this, Chen Xuan knew that a new round of exams was about to begin. The afternoon exams were in history, covering two important classics: the *Book of Documents* and the *Spring and Autumn Annals*. It should be noted that the "Book of Documents" mentioned here refers to the classic work *Shangshu*.
The afternoon sun streamed through the windows into the examination room, softly illuminating Chen Xuan's exam paper. After carefully reviewing the questions, he already had the answers in mind. A slight smile played on his lips as he thought to himself, "These questions aren't so difficult after all!"
His pen moved swiftly and fluidly, and answers appeared one after another on the paper. Time passed quietly, and Chen Xuan completed all the questions at an astonishing speed. After confidently checking his answers, he stood up without hesitation to submit his exam paper and walked briskly out of the examination room.