Chapter 471
Chapter 471
Generally, the Provincial Examinations were held in the autumn, while the Metropolitan Examinations were held in the spring. If there was a major national celebration, a Special Grace Examination would be added. The previous king had never held a single Special Grace Examination during his reign of over twenty years, but Ning Yuanxian, in his twenty years on the throne, had held them three times, including this one. The first was to celebrate his ascension, the second to commemorate his tenth year on the throne, and the third was planned to mark his twentieth anniversary.
Everyone had initially thought that this year's Special Grace Examination was off the table. After all, the State of Yue was facing crises on all fronts. There were conflicts and battles with the State of Wu to the north and the State of Chu to the northwest, the Su Clan had rebelled in the west, and they were at war with the Nanguo Kingdom to the south. With the king having been repeatedly humiliated this spring, what mood would he be in to celebrate his long reign? He was more likely to wish he could erase the events of his twentieth year entirely. Thus, the Special Grace Examination was indefinitely postponed.
But who could have predicted such a swift turn of events? In less than half a year, the tables had turned completely. The State of Yue had once again achieved a brilliant victory, annihilating Su Nan's rebel army, forming an alliance with the State of Qiang, and forcing the King of Wu to the north to admit defeat and forge an alliance. The State of Chu to the west had dejectedly withdrawn its forces and was now in negotiations over the aftermath. Ning Yuanxian's reputation had soared to its highest point in an instant.
Just fifty days ago, when the great news arrived, this capricious king immediately announced that the Special Grace Examination would proceed as planned. Furthermore, once a Special Grace Examination was held, it included not only the civil service exam but the martial exam as well. The Provincial Examination would be held this autumn, and the Metropolitan Examination next spring. As a result, the scholars intending to take the examinations were overjoyed. A Special Grace Examination was another opportunity, saving them two years of waiting.
***
After hearing Shen Lang's words, the king’s brow furrowed deeply. This damned scoundrel was once again pushing his limits. Who was this madman, Lan? A notorious beggar in the capital with a reputation that was rock bottom.
*You made him the Steward of the Marquis of Changping's estate, and I let it slide. But now you want him to take the Special Grace Examination? How will the world see me?*
To sit for the Provincial Examination, one needed qualifications. Students of the Imperial College or the National University were now a dime a dozen; even many merchants held such qualifications. But was he now supposed to bestow the status of a National University student upon a beggar? No, not one beggar, but eleven of them. Tianyue was the capital, governing several provinces with a population of millions. It was a place overflowing with talent, and every Provincial Examination held here was considered a trial by fire. The civil exam was difficult, and the martial exam was even harder. Yet in such a difficult examination, Shen Lang claimed he would get eleven beggars to pass all at once. It was utter madness.
"Are you being serious right now?"
The king asked, staring at Shen Lang. Shen Lang nodded.
"Of course. I have never been more serious."
The king still found him completely unreliable.
"Your Majesty, from last year until now, has not everything I said, which at first sounded like shameless boasting, ultimately come to pass?"
That was true, but this was simply too absurd.
"Furthermore, I am willing to write a formal pledge."
The king stared at Shen Lang for a long moment before speaking slowly.
"Fine. Then so be it. Write it."
Shen Lang picked up a large brush and, with a flourish, wrote out the pledge.
After writing it all, Shen Lang signed his name with a grand flourish.
"That Madman Lan only needs to pass, not place in the top three."
Looking at the pledge Shen Lang had written, the king still felt it was like child's play. Yes, it was definitely like child's play, and Ning Zheng participating in the struggle for the throne was preposterous beyond measure. If Madman Lan and the ten beggars failed to pass this civil and martial examination, Ning Zheng's declaration would be reduced to a farce. Their passing was a miracle more unlikely than finding a needle in a haystack. But if they did pass the Special Grace Examination, it would truly be the first step in creating a miracle.
"The candle is right here. If you say you want to quit, I will burn this right now, and we can pretend nothing happened. And if you get rid of those beggars, I will send men to fill the posts of steward and centurion in Ning Zheng's estate."
"I thank Your Majesty for your grace, but I am a man who most enjoys creating miracles, especially those that seem impossible."
The king now thought Shen Lang was truly insane.
*You want to make eleven beggars pass the examinations in just over a month? Do you think the civil and martial examinations of our State of Yue are so easy? Do you know how many talented individuals fail every year?*
The examinations in the states of Yue, Chu, and Wu were all exceedingly difficult. In the capital, about three thousand people took the Provincial Examination each year, but how many of them passed? Even in the best years, the number of successful candidates never exceeded one hundred and thirty, making the pass rate less than five percent. Moreover, apart from the pampered sons of the Imperial College and the National University, most of the three thousand candidates were outstanding talents. The Metropolitan Examination was slightly better. Out of the nearly twenty million people in the State of Yue, about a thousand participated in the Metropolitan Examination each year, with about a hundred passing to become Presented Scholars, a pass rate of ten percent.
There were five regions in the State of Yue that held Provincial Examinations: Tianbei Province, Tiannan Province, Tianxi Province, the Capital, and Yanzhou. Among them, the examination in Tianxi Province was the easiest, while the one in the capital was the most difficult. It was unavoidable, given the sheer concentration of talent in the capital. It was even said that passing the Provincial Examination in the capital was harder than becoming a Presented Scholar. Some had studied the *Book of Odes* and the *Book of Documents* for decades, while others had practiced martial arts for ten or twenty years, yet still failed to pass the Provincial Examination in the capital.
"I will add one more thing. If they fail to pass, I will have them all secretly killed. Because your ruckus will have caused me to lose face."
Shen Lang's mouth fell open in feigned surprise.
"Then it is settled! Li Jun, to that Lan..."
"Lan Ling!"
"Grant Lan Ling the status of a National University student, allowing him to participate in the civil service exam of the Special Grace Examination this autumn. Grant the other ten the status of martial academy students, allowing them to participate in the martial exam. Also, dismiss the Blackwater Terrace masters and spare the dog-like lives of those beggars for now!"
The Grand Eunuch Li Jun accepted the order.
"Yes!"
Shen Lang bowed to the king in gratitude.
"Your Majesty, if I succeed and truly work a miracle, what then?"
The king thought for a moment and asked, "What do you want?"
"I wish to expand His Highness Ning Zheng's private army to two thousand men."
A private army of two thousand was not a large number, but it wasn't small either. The king frowned.
*Shen Lang, you are the only one who dares to bargain with me like this. Anyone else would have been beaten to death long ago.*
"Fine! If you succeed, you may choose the source of the soldiers yourself. But if you fail, I trust you know full well what the consequences will be. I will not repeat myself."
***
As soon as Shen Lang left, the king was filled with regret and struck his own head forcefully.
*Have I gone mad, to agree to Shen Lang's absurd conditions? Bestowing the status of civil and martial academy students upon eleven beggars of unknown origin and allowing them to participate in the Special Grace Examination. This time, I will truly become a laughingstock for the entire world. That damned Shen Lang!*
***
In Ning Zheng's Marquis of Changping's Estate.
The Blackwater Terrace masters stationed outside had left, so the eleven beggars were temporarily safe from the threat of death. Moreover, someone from the royal palace had delivered their eleven identity documents, bestowing upon Madman Lan and the ten beggars the status of civil and martial academy students. The person who brought them was a junior eunuch; the Grand Eunuch Li Jun was too embarrassed by the situation to come himself. What the king had issued was neither an edict nor a verbal command.
Madman Lan and the beggars had already been thoroughly scrubbed clean. How could they not be? They had been given the kind of bath used for dehairing pigs; they were nearly scraped raw, and some had even bled from the vigorous scrubbing. Except for Madman Lan, the other ten had their heads shaved clean. They had bathed, brushed their teeth, washed their hair, and changed into new clothes. The eleven of them were transformed, but they still looked gaunt and withered.
But Madman Lan was different. When his face was covered in grime, he had looked extremely ugly, but after being cleaned up, he turned out to be a handsome middle-aged man—a strikingly handsome one at that. Unfortunately, his gaze was still too shifty, and his expression too sleazy. As for the other ten, nearly all of them were half-crippled, so even after being cleaned and dressed in new clothes, their crooked and bent figures remained.
"Only Madman Lan will stay. The rest of you, go to sleep!"
***
Only Ning Zheng, Shen Lang, and Madman Lan remained in the study. Shen Lang began.
"I have written a formal pledge to His Majesty. In a month and a half, Madman Lan will take the civil service examination, and the other ten will take the martial examination."
"All eleven must pass, and you must place in the top three. If we succeed, your official positions will be secured as they are now."
"His Majesty will also grant us an army of two thousand. If we fail, His Highness the Fifth Prince's bid for the throne will be over, I will return to the Count of Xuanwu's estate in despair, and all eleven of you will be secretly put to death!"
Upon hearing this, Ning Zheng was greatly alarmed, and Madman Lan trembled all over, staring at Shen Lang in disbelief.
*How is that possible? Master Shen, who is the madman here, me or you?*
"Madman Lan, didn't you pride yourself on your overflowing talent? You can't even place in the top three in the capital?"
"I, of course, will have no problem. I possess an extraordinary talent unparalleled in this world. But those ten... it's impossible. It takes at least ten years to master martial arts. For all of them to pass the martial exam in just a month and a half would be harder than ascending to the heavens."
Ning Zheng asked solemnly, "Master Lan, no more jokes. Tell me, can you do it or not?"
Madman Lan pounded his chest and said, "I can. Why wouldn't I be able to? If there is nothing else, this subordinate will take his leave. Your Highness the Fifth Prince, Master Shen, I wish you a good night."
With that, Madman Lan departed. After he left, Ning Zheng said, "Shen Lang, I don't think that man is reliable."
"We shall see."