Chapter 62: The Announcement of Results

Inside the Hall of Supreme Justice, after finishing reading the examination papers on his desk, Zhang Yuanzhen asked the clerk standing nearby, "Have the top papers from all the examination wards been delivered?"

Upon hearing this, the clerk bowed and replied, "Reporting to Your Honor, the top papers from all seven wards were delivered this morning. The top papers from all eighteen wards are now complete. Would Your Honor like to review them now?"

Zhang Yuanzhen nodded. Seeing this, the clerk went to retrieve the top papers from the eighteen wards.

According to customary practice, Zhang Yuanzhen first read the comments provided by the co-examiners and the assistant chief examiner. The examiners' comments were mostly short phrases of two or four characters; the more characters a comment contained, the more highly the examiner regarded the paper. After reviewing the top papers from the eighteen wards, one of them immediately caught his eye, bearing the most extensive commentary.

"The principles and artistic flavor are seamlessly integrated, perfectly capturing the sages' intent to fathom the cosmos and fulfill human nature. The phrasing is economical yet the meaning reaches the profoundest depths. Top paper of the ward."

"Pure, refined, and elegant, standing uniquely above all other works, completely cleansed of vulgarity. This is the product of a mind dedicated to scholarship with genuine comprehension. It should be recorded as a model. A brilliant scholar! A brilliant scholar!"

Seeing such high praise from the co-examiners and the assistant chief examiner, Zhang Yuanzhen's interest was piqued. He picked up Li Jie's examination paper and began to read it closely. After finishing all seven questions, Zhang Yuanzhen picked up his brush and wrote:

"Twisting and turning through subtle transformations, leaving no trace to follow. Like clouds drifting with the wind, naturally expanding and contracting. A careful study reveals the purity of its logical thread and the meticulousness of its guiding lines, each reaching the utmost perfection. Truly the brushwork of a master creator!"

After finishing his comments, Zhang Yuanzhen meditated for a long time, savoring the examination paper he had just reviewed. Barring any unexpected circumstances, this candidate would undoubtedly be the *Jieyuan* (the top scorer) of this year's Fujian Provincial Examination.

Zhang Yuanzhen prepared to review the next examination paper, but suddenly remembering that he had been too excited and had forgotten to write the character "Zhong" (Passed) on the paper, he smiled, shook his head, and wrote the character "Zhong" on the paper. With this, Li Jie's paper had gathered the three marks of "Recommend," "Select," and "Pass," officially securing his status as a *Juren* (provincial graduate).

On the twenty-eighth day of the eighth month, the official ranking list was compiled.

Before the compilation of the official ranking list, there was another preliminary compilation commonly referred to as the "draft list," which usually took place on the twenty-fifth or twenty-sixth. During the draft compilation, representatives from all the wards were present. The list was personally handwritten by the assistant chief examiner. Candidates ranked below the eighteenth place were entered into the draft list, while those ranked in the top eighteen had to wait until the compilation of the official list, where they were evaluated under the supervision of everyone present.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Justice, the Ministry of Rites officials in charge of tribute examinations, supervisory officials, and dispatching officials had all arrived at the inner curtain to supervise the process. The chief examiner Zhang Yuanzhen and the tribute examination official sat in the seats of honor, while the assistant chief examiner, co-examiners, and supervising censors were seated in order along both sides.

Ninety vermilion-inked papers lay quietly on the desks. The unsealing of the papers began from the nineteenth place onwards, and only after all of them were unsealed were the top papers of each ward unsealed. From the twelfth to the twenty-sixth, in the short span of fourteen days, the examination papers of three thousand candidates—amounting to tens of thousands of individual test papers across all sessions—had been reviewed. The examiners in the Hall of Supreme Justice all looked weary.

The examiners were currently debating the examination papers of the top scholars from the eighteen wards. From time to time, examiners would argue until their faces turned red. Unexpectedly, there were no arguments regarding the *Book of Documents* (Shangshu) ward, because the top paper from the *Book of Documents* ward had won the unanimous approval of everyone.

Zhang Yuanzhen rubbed his temples to slightly alleviate his fatigue. Seeing that the sounds of debate below the hall had ceased, he asked the people below:

"Gentlemen, have the top papers of all the examination wards been evaluated and finalized?"

The assistant chief examiner replied, "Reporting to Your Honor, they have all been finalized."

"Good, then let us begin unsealing the papers!"

In accordance with Zhang Yuanzhen's instructions, the clerks unsealed the examination papers one by one. With each paper unsealed, they chanted the candidate's name aloud so that the assistant chief examiner could record them on the ranking list. At this moment, nothing could be heard in the Hall of Supreme Justice except for the echoing voices reading the names.

"Scholar Lin Ting'ang from Min County (namely Fuzhou), designated as the top scholar of the *Spring and Autumn Annals* ward!"

Upon hearing Lin Ting'ang's name, the assistant chief examiner sighed with emotion: "The Lin family of Liandian has passed down the Classics and histories through generations. His father, Master Lin Heng, studied under Peng Hua, yet unlike his master, he refused to collude with Wan An and Li Zisheng. As a master of the *Spring and Autumn Annals* in the present day, this young man truly does not disgrace his family's reputation."

Hearing this, Zhang Yuanzhen nodded and said, "In the study of the Classics, this young man has indeed deeply inherited his father's true teachings. Whether in the meaning of the Classics, or in the Four Books questions and policy essays, he is outstanding. It is only a pity that compared to the top scholar of the *Book of Documents* ward, he falls slightly short; otherwise, this young man would have been the *Jieyuan*. If father and son were both top provincial scholars, it would have been quite a legendary tale."

It was immediately the turn of the top paper from the *Book of Documents* ward to be unsealed. This paper had won the unanimous praise of all examiners. Furthermore, aside from being ranked first in the first session, his essays, judgment writings, and memorials in the second session surpassed all others in the entire examination hall. The entry point of his policy essay in the third session could be said to be breathtakingly brilliant, causing the assembled examiners to confess their own inferiority.

The clerk continued to chant the name: "Candidate number Gengzi, designated as the top scholar of the *Book of Documents* ward."

*Gengzi* was the serial number of the examination paper. Before the papers were unsealed, the candidates' names were unknown, so serial numbers were used instead.

"Scholar Lin Pingzhi from Min County, designated as the top scholar of the *Book of Documents* ward!"

Yuan Xin, the co-examiner who had recommended this paper, said, "It is him? The widely celebrated 'Little Three-Yuan' Lin Pingzhi! I never expected this young man's mastery in studying the *Book of Documents* to be so profound. He is truly a brilliant disciple of the renowned Confucian scholar Chen Xianzhang!"

Zhang Yuanzhen said, "Oh? This young man actually studied under Master Baisha? No wonder... No wonder..."

Once the top scholars of the Five Classics were determined, the ranking process began. Zhang Yuanzhen addressed the assembly in the hall:

"The *Jieyuan* of this provincial examination is Lin Pingzhi, the *Yayuan* (second place) is Lin Ting'ang, and the top ward scholars are Lun Wenxu, Zhang Wei, and He Menglun. Do you gentlemen have any objections to this sequential ranking?"

The crowd replied in unison:

"No objections!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yuanzhen heaved a sigh of relief. With this, the provincial examination had essentially come to an end, with only the release of the results remaining on the following day. He could finally lay down the heavy burden on his shoulders. Having just been reinstated and immediately appointed as the chief examiner of the provincial examination, the countless intricate matters had proven a bit too much for his aging physique.

As the day for releasing the examination results drew closer and closer, many out-of-town scholars still lingered in Fuzhou City. These scholars all wished to learn whether they had passed the examination as early as possible, rather than waiting until the official notices were dispatched to each county and the local government officials came knocking on their doors to announce the good news.

The provincial examination, held once every three years, also brought tremendous economic benefits to Fuzhou City. Needless to say, the enormous sums spent by the government during this period were substantial; the daily living expenses of the examining scholars alone allowed local farmers and merchants to reap huge profits. Among the examining scholars were no shortage of wealthy families, so every provincial examination allowed the local residents to enjoy a wave of policy-driven dividends.

Sweet osmanthus filled the air with fragrance. The twenty-ninth day of the eighth month was the day the provincial examination results were released. Because of the seasonal flowers, the ranking list was also called the "Osmanthus List."

Outside the Tribute Examination Hall, the crowds surged like a rolling sea of humanity. Among them were both examining scholars and ordinary citizens who had come to watch the spectacle. The triennial release of the results was a rare and magnificent sight. The various reactions of the scholars—ranging from wild ecstasy to heartbreaking grief when their names were chanted—would later become hot topics of conversation throughout the city over tea and meals.

The scholars still lingering in Fuzhou City all arrived early at the gates of the Tribute Examination Hall today to await the posting of the results. Those who knew they had little hope in this imperial examination still clung to a sliver of hope. Having endured the torment ever since the examinations concluded, they could finally find release today.

Seeing the bailiffs walking toward the notice-posting board, the crowd erupted into an abnormal commotion. At this moment, countless scholars abandoned their usual poise, pushing and shoving one another in an attempt to squeeze into the front row and be the first to confirm whether they had passed the imperial examination.

Zhang Yuanzhen led a group of officials toward the nearby Scripture-Chanting Tower. Officials would read out the names of the top scholars of the Five Classics in order. Only the top scholars of the Five Classics were granted the honor of having their names called. For a scholar, being privileged enough to have one's name chanted from the Scripture-Chanting Tower was the dream of countless men, a supreme honor, and a feat worth boasting about for a lifetime. Every time the name-chanting concluded, the named candidates would gain fame far and wide, becoming idols for countless future generations of scholars.