Chapter 56 The Autumn Examination

Aside from exceptional circumstances, the Provincial Examination was generally held once every three years, occurring in the August of the years of *Zi*, *Wu*, *Mao*, and *You*. The examinations took place at the Tribute Examination Halls in the capitals of each province, also known as the "Provincial Examinations." Because they were held in the autumn, they were additionally referred to as the "Autumn Examination." Occurring once every three years as a grand assessment, scholars gathered in the provincial capitals in those designated years.

The imperial examinations consisted of two lists. Before the Ming dynasty, among the hundred newly minted metropolitan graduates, ten to twenty were placed on the first list and granted superior official posts, while twenty to thirty were placed on the second list, which merely granted official status. During the Ming dynasty, those who passed the metropolitan examination formed the first list—also known as the "Two Lists" or the "First Rank"—while those who passed the provincial examination formed the second list. Those on the second list attained the scholarly degree of a provincial graduate (*Juren*) and became eligible for alternate official appointments, though generally at lower ranks. A greater number of these provincial graduates served in educational posts, which was how instructors in prefectural and county schools originated.

From the very beginning, the provincial examinations established clear quotas for successful candidates across various regions. To a certain extent, this prevented regional disputes during the provincial examinations caused by uncertainties in quota allocation. During the Hongwu era, the tribute quotas were fixed at one hundred for Northern and Southern Zhili, forty each for Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi, Beiping, Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Huguang, and twenty-five each for Guangxi and Guangdong.

As the number of examinees increased year by year, by the Hongzhi era, the quotas for the two Zhili regions were increased to one hundred and thirty-five, and Fujian's quota was raised to ninety.

For this provincial examination, the number of scholars participating in Fujian alone exceeded three thousand. (The Ming dynasty prescribed that for every single quota slot, twenty-five examinees were permitted to sit for the exam. While these scholars had already undergone screening, the actual number of participants invariably exceeded the set quota.) With Fujian's provincial examination quota capped at a mere ninety, it was truly a case of thousands of armies crossing a single-plank bridge—yielding an acceptance rate lower even than that of later generations' national civil service examinations. By contrast, the acceptance rate for the subsequent metropolitan examination was roughly one out of every thirty examinees: "At that time, three thousand scholars of the realm gathered for the examination, and a hundred were selected to advance." Thus, the saying "A *Juren* is gold, a *Jinshi* is silver" came into widespread circulation.

With half a month remaining before the official commencement of the provincial examination, the majority of the examining scholars had already converged upon Fuzhou City. On this day, after Lun Wenxu arrived in Fuzhou City and settled in, he followed the address previously provided by Li Jie to seek him out. Upon hearing the gatekeeper's announcement, Li Jie set aside the task at hand and went to the entrance to welcome him.

Seeing Li Jie, Lun Wenxu smiled and said, "It has been quite some time since our parting. How have you been keeping lately, Shenzhi?"

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother; this younger brother has been well recently. Might I ask when you arrived in the provincial capital?"

"I arrived just today. Master gave me a letter to bring to you, so I came over immediately after settling in."

As they spoke, Li Jie led Lun Wenxu into the estate. Along the way, Lun Wenxu sighed in admiration at the lavish luxury of the Lin family residence.

Once they were seated in the front hall, Lun Wenxu broached the subject: "Shenzhi, you have resided in the provincial capital for a long time. Do you happen to know which esteemed official is serving as the Chief Examiner for this provincial examination?"

For examinees, knowing the identity of the Chief Examiner for the provincial examination could be considered rather crucial information. Knowing who the examiner was allowed one to anticipate the examiner's customary literary style in advance; if one could cater to his preferences, the chances of passing would increase by at least a fraction. Coincidentally, the Lin Education Intendant had just dispatched someone to inform Li Jie of the examiner's identity the previous day.

In the early Ming dynasty, apart from the Zhili regions where the imperial court appointed the Chief Examiners, all other locations had their examiners selected by the local Provincial Administration Commission. However, beginning in the Chenghua era, provincial examiners were occasionally appointed by the imperial court, though this was not yet standard practice. It was not until the Jiajing era that it was explicitly mandated that the court dispatch two officials to each province to preside over the provincial examinations, with the Chief Examiners mostly hailing from the Hanlin Academy.

Li Jie took a sip of tea and then shared what he knew with Lun Wenxu.

"I learned just the day before yesterday from Education Intendant Lin that the Chief Examiner for this provincial examination has been dispatched by the imperial court. The examiner sent to Fujian is Zhang Yuanzhen, a Hanlin scholar who became a *Jinshi* in the fourth year of Tianshun, and currently holds the office of Senior Compiler in the Left Hall of the Hanlin Academy and Right Counselor. He is a man of unyielding integrity. Unable to stomach the chaotic state of the imperial court during the reign of Emperor Xianzong, he took a sick leave to pursue his scholarship at home for nearly twenty years, and has only just been recalled to office by His Majesty."

Hearing this, Lun Wenxu furrowed his brows slightly. Coming from an impoverished background, he usually did not socialize widely and was somewhat isolated from news; he clearly had not heard of this Chief Examiner. He pondered in silence for a moment.

"Shenzhi, do you have any understanding of this official's scholarly approach? As you know, my sources of information are rather limited."

"I do not know a great deal about this examiner either, but he is extremely rigorous in his scholarship, unyielding in character, and quite fair. I should think that displaying your usual standard will make passing quite feasible."

Hearing this, Lun Wenxu's expression relaxed; as long as it was a fair competition, he had nothing to fear.

Strictly speaking, the provincial examination was considered the initial stage of the Ming dynasty's three-tiered imperial examination system, and the selection of officials under the civil service system truly began at this level. As for the preceding county, prefectural, and academy examinations, they merely served as hurdles to qualify scholars for participation in the provincial examination.

Consequently, the provincial examination was far more rigorous than those before it. The examiners not only had to abide by various recusal regulations, but they also had to enter the examination grounds in advance—entering the Tribute Hall as early as the seventh day—and were forbidden from communicating with the outside world. The examiners were divided into inner and outer curtain officials. The inner curtain officials comprised the Chief Examiner (the capital official dispatched by the court), along with the sectional examiners and paper graders. The outer curtain officials primarily managed the affairs of the examination grounds, such as the surveillance officers, sealing officers, copyists, and search officers. Once the examination commenced, the examination grounds were sealed off, with the Five Cities兵马司 (Military and Police Bureau) dispatching guards to patrol back and forth, while provincial troops were deployed to guard and patrol the perimeter in sections. It could be described as watertight and exceedingly rigorous.

Lun Wenxu produced a letter and handed it to Li Jie, saying, "This is the letter Master asked me to bring to you."

Li Jie stood up, took the letter, and unsealed it on the spot. Chen Xianzhang's letter first offered wishes for his continuous success in the provincial examinations, followed by advice to calmly prepare at home and review the old to understand the new.

If he passed this provincial examination and headed to the capital the following year for the February metropolitan examination, he should take the opportunity to pay a visit to his senior fellow apprentice, Liang Chu, who was currently serving as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. If he encountered any difficulties in the capital, he could seek out Liang Chu; if his senior brother truly could not resolve them, he should seek out Chen's good friend, Wang Shu. The letter concluded with words of encouragement.

After reading the letter, Li Jie felt deeply grateful for Chen Xianzhang's solicitude, while simultaneously marveling at how many friends his teacher had. Aside from Liu Daxia, the current Administration Commissioner of Guangdong (who later became the Minister of War), the present Minister of Personnel, Wang Shu, also shared a deep friendship with his teacher; otherwise, he would not have instructed Li Jie to look him up should he encounter trouble. Next time he had a free moment, he ought to ask if Ma Wensheng was also a friend of his teacher. If so, the "Three Gentlemen of the Hongzhi Era"—the pivotal ministers of the Hongzhi Restoration—would be complete.

Seeing that Li Jie remained silent for a long while after finishing the letter, Lun Wenxu asked, "Shenzhi, what is the matter?"

Hearing his senior brother's inquiry, Li Jie collected his thoughts, smiled, and said, "It is nothing, I was merely feeling a deep sense of gratitude for the profound kindness of our master, and wondering how best to repay it."

"Indeed. Back then, my family was so poor that I had to drop out of the community school and study in seclusion at home. If not for the master disregarding material wealth, not only teaching me but also frequently providing financial support, I doubt I would be the person I am today." As Lun Wenxu spoke, his voice choked with emotion, his eyes reddened, and he let out a long sigh.

"Alas! The master's kindness is as heavy as a mountain. Now that the master cares neither for fame nor fortune, I know not how we can ever repay him!"

"Senior Brother, at present, the only way for the two of us to repay our master's kindness is to propagate Baisha's teachings, pass them down to future generations, and ensure that our master's renown echoes through eternity!"

Hearing this, Lun Wenxu's eyes lit up, and he burst into hearty laughter.

"Very well! Let the two of us encourage one another in this endeavor!"

Watching Lun Wenxu's departing figure, Li Jie resolved to settle his mind and prepare wholeheartedly for the examination. In the days that followed, Li Jie stayed behind closed doors, dividing his time exclusively between reading and practicing martial arts. During this period, Gao Sheng came to invite him to attend a literary gathering, but he declined.

PS: Provincial examination quotas for other provinces during the Hongzhi era: Zhejiang 90, Henan 65, Sichuan 60, Shandong 60, Shanxi 40, Shaanxi 55, Beiping 40, Jiangxi 95, Huguang 85, Guangxi 55, Guangdong 75, Yunnan 13. (These quotas also reflected the local levels of economic and cultural development; at the time, the more developed a region was, the greater its quota.)