bestfiction Chapter 646 Encounter
Chapter 646 Encounter
For the next three years, Zheng Qing continued to bury himself in his studies, not only to reassure his parents, but also to pursue that unrealistic fantasy in his heart.
Although I know I have absolutely no chance of passing the imperial examination, what if I am?
After studying for more than ten years, it's impossible to just give up like this, after all...
Reading was the only thing Zheng Qing knew how to do; he had no other choice but to study and become an official!
Besides burying himself in his studies, Zheng Qing gradually developed some interest in martial arts.
At 20, he was still a young man, and he couldn't help but yearn for the powerful and unrestrained martial artists.
Unfortunately, his family's circumstances did not allow him to learn martial arts. His parents had already exhausted all their efforts to support his education, and he could not ask them to spend money to buy him expensive martial arts manuals and medicinal herbs.
Therefore, Zheng Qing could only suppress his interest in martial arts deep in his heart and bury himself in reading one obscure and difficult book after another.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye. Zheng Qing was 23 years old that year. His knowledge had become more and more profound. Although he knew that his hope of passing the provincial examination was very slim, he still embarked on the road to Qingzhou Prefecture with a glimmer of hope to participate in the triennial provincial examination held there.
However, the imagination is beautiful, but the reality is so cruel.
Unsurprisingly, even though Zheng Qing performed very well in the exam, he still failed.
Zheng Qing stood blankly on the street, feeling lost and confused about life, when she didn't see her name on the list.
At 23, with almost no other skill besides studying, he really didn't know what else he could do besides taking the imperial examinations.
He didn't know how to farm, and his father hadn't taught him how to make breakfast. Apart from the knowledge in his head, he had almost no means of making a living...
At this moment, Zheng Qing felt that his future was full of unknowns. He stood on the streets of the prefectural city, feeling that all his efforts over the past ten years had turned into a dream.
"Young man, are you here in the prefectural city to participate in the provincial examination?"
Just then, a voice from beside him woke the bewildered Zheng Qing. Looking up, he realized that he had somehow arrived near the city gate. The person who had woken him was a middle-aged man, accompanied by a young boy. The two looked travel-worn, as if they had just arrived in the prefectural city.
"Young man, are you here in the prefectural city to participate in the provincial examination?"
Seeing that Zheng Qing hadn't spoken for a long time, Li Mingyuan, who was still middle-aged, repeated his question.
"Yes, sir."
Zheng Qing nodded. Although Li Mingyuan was still a middle-aged man, in Xia Kingdom, where forty years old was considered old, it was not inappropriate to call Li Mingyuan "old man".
Upon hearing Zheng Qing's answer, Li Mingyuan's face showed an expression of having expected it. Zheng Qing was wearing a long gown, a common attire for scholars, and given that the triennial provincial examination was recently underway, he was able to recognize Zheng Qing as a candidate.
Furthermore, Li Mingyuan could guess that the student in front of him had failed the exam, which could be seen from his previous dejected behavior.
Of course, the most crucial point is... Zheng Qing's long robe is made of hemp, and scions of noble families obviously wouldn't wear hemp. Therefore, it can be basically determined that Zheng Qing is a scholar from a poor family, and a scholar from a poor family...
The probability of passing the imperial examination and becoming a scholar was almost zero.
"Did you fail the provincial examination?"
Although he had already guessed that Zheng Qing had failed the exam, Li Mingyuan still asked this question.
"Yes."
Seemingly wanting to vent his frustration, or perhaps because Li Mingyuan possessed a convincing aura, Zheng Qing spoke frankly: "Father-in-law, I am very confused. I consider myself to be quite knowledgeable, yet I have spent five whole years trying to obtain the title of Xiucai (a lower-level scholar), and now I have failed the provincial examination. Everyone says that the imperial examination is the fairest, but in the examination halls of the prefectural and provincial examinations, I have never seen a single act of fairness."
Zheng Qing felt a deep sense of dejection as he said these words. He believed that his talent and the effort he had put in far surpassed those from aristocratic families.
While those scions of noble families were drinking and making merry in brothels, he was studying diligently; while those scions of noble families were visiting prostitutes, he was studying diligently; while those scions of noble families were indulging in extravagance and debauchery, he was still studying…
He put in far more effort than the scions of noble families, and his talent was in no way inferior to theirs. Yet, simply because of his different background, he failed the exams time and time again, while those scions of noble families passed with ease and rose to high positions...
"Old man."
Zheng Qing looked up and stared directly into Li Mingyuan's eyes, asking each word clearly, "Is there really any fairness in this imperial examination system?"
Ugh!
Li Mingyuan sighed inwardly. Although he was in Qingzhou, he knew the darkness in the imperial examination hall. Whether it was the provincial education commissioners (officials in charge of the provincial examinations) or the examiners in charge of the spring examinations in the capital, they were all from aristocratic families. Under such circumstances, how could students from poor families stand out?
This is also why Li Mingyuan was able to guess the reason why Zheng Qing failed the exam at a glance.
"Young man, the world is dark, but it is not without a glimmer of light!"
Li Mingyuan comforted Zheng Qing, saying, "As long as you don't give up, there will always be hope."
"hope?"
Zheng Qing shook his head, "Father-in-law, I see no hope in the current imperial examination halls."
"So what are your plans for the future?"
Li Mingyuan did not deny Zheng Qing, but asked this question instead.
"I have not decided yet!"
Zheng Qing looked confused: "Perhaps I will learn my father's craft and help him run the breakfast shop, or perhaps I will find a job as an accountant to make a living..."
As he spoke, Zheng Qing couldn't continue. Neither inheriting his father's breakfast shop nor becoming an accountant was what he wanted.
Having studied for decades, he did not develop the spoiled nature of a scholar due to his family background, but he still harbored a dream of becoming an official and governing a region.
"young people."
Li Mingyuan patted Zheng Qing on the shoulder with a smile and said, "You still want to pass the imperial examination and become an official, don't you?"
Zheng Qing remained silent.
Of course he wanted to be an official. If he didn't want to be an official, why would he have traveled thousands of miles to this prefectural city to participate in the provincial examination?
The darkness of the provincial examination hall shattered his last glimmer of hope.
"After talking for so long, I still don't know your name!"
"My name is Zheng Qing, and what's yours, sir?"
"My name is Li Mingyuan, and this is my nephew, Li Qiao."
"So it's Elder Li and Brother Li."
For some reason, Zheng Qing felt that the name Li Mingyuan was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had heard the name before.
"Young Master Zheng, if you trust my words, you might as well come back to participate in the provincial examination in three years."
Li Mingyuan glanced at the high-hanging sun and said, "If you truly have real talent and learning, you will surely achieve your goal in the provincial examination three years from now!"
After saying this, Li Mingyuan had to leave with Li Qiao. Today was the day he was to take up his post as the prefect of Qingzhou, and it was not advisable to linger too long.