Chapter 497
Chapter 497
Ning Yuanxian nodded. He was, after all, an examination enthusiast who loved to show off his knowledge. In just a short while, Ning Yuanxian had devised a policy essay topic and a poetry and prose topic. The policy essay was titled "On Factions." The poetry and prose topic was as follows:
"Give him a table, brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone."
Madman Lan sat properly before the table and, as if he had barely needed to conceive the ideas, immediately put his brush to paper. In less than two hours, he had written a policy essay of over a thousand characters, as well as a poem and a rhapsody. This was all his own work. Although he had related essays and poems in his mind, Madman Lan did not simply copy them. He knew what the King wanted. It had to be impressive, but not excessively so.
A young eunuch presented the written pages to Ning Yuanxian. The King hesitated for a moment. He was reluctant to touch something Madman Lan had handled, wanting no indirect contact with him whatsoever. But this was a man Shen Lang had his eye on, a rare talent despite being a beggar.
*Fine, fine. I'll just touch the paper lightly. I can just wash my hands frantically afterward.*
The King scanned the policy essay in an instant, then read the poem and the rhapsody. Afterward, he couldn't help but marvel once more. He reread the man's writing carefully. It was very well written, but there was a significant gap in quality compared to Shen Lang's work. Nevertheless, Madman Lan's writing, with its ornate and beautiful phrases and precise use of allusions, was still first-rate, even if it lacked a bit of soul. It felt like a piece constructed from fine words, but such writing was common in the examination halls. Most scholars wrote this way.
The King had to re-evaluate Madman Lan's talent. To reach this level in just one month, he was clearly a genius. Based on Madman Lan's own abilities, passing this year's Silver Examination would be no problem. However, placing in the top three would require a great deal of luck. This meant that Madman Lan's talent was such that no one could find fault with it upon investigation, and at the very least, they wouldn't have to worry about someone exposing the examination results as not being his own work.
Any other monarch would have played it safe and placed Madman Lan second. But Ning Yuanxian was different; he liked to pursue perfection in all things. Besides, in his heart, he considered Madman Lan merely a puppet; it was Shen Lang himself taking this Silver Examination. Unwilling to give Shen Lang second place, he gritted his teeth and made his decision.
*I'll give you first place! If this causes a huge storm, then so be it. Do you think I'm afraid of such things?*
The King gestured and said.
"Lan Ling, you may return."
Madman Lan kowtowed and said.
"This humble subject takes his leave!"
After he left, the King made no effort to hide his feelings, pacing his study in excitement. He imagined how astonished the world would be when the examination results were posted. How much face would those censors who used to bite at him daily and those shameless protesting candidates lose? Just imagining the scene was exhilarating and thrilling.
"Lü Yin, go to the examination hall and tell them I am aware of this matter. Also, tell them that the examinations value fairness and impartiality above all else, so they should not consider the candidate's status. Give first place to the one who deserves it, and rank them by their essays and poems."
The meaning behind his words was crystal clear. Lü Yin bowed and accepted the order.
"Yes!"
"This matter must be kept strictly confidential. Not even a whisper must get out before the results are posted, and the Zhu Clan must not find out either. Send the warriors of the Blackwater Terrace to guard the examination hall and ensure no news leaks out."
Lü Yin was at a loss for words. His master had such a wicked sense of humor. Everything was for the sake of humiliating everyone the moment the list of successful candidates was posted. This time, His Majesty was joining forces with Shen Lang to thoroughly embarrass the entire world.
"Yes!"
After Lü Yin departed, the King's imagination ran wild again. Shen Lang had created a miracle in the Silver Civil Examination, but could he also create one in the martial examination? It sounded utterly preposterous. Madman Lan was a scholar with a photographic memory, so he could memorize the policy essay and poems Shen Lang wrote. But for ten crippled beggars participating in the martial examination to create a miracle was harder than ascending to the heavens. Martial arts required a decade of dedication and a long time to master; it could never be accomplished overnight. Yet, for some reason, the King's heart swelled with boundless anticipation. What if Shen Lang created a miracle in the martial examination too? Then the sound of people losing face would shake the world. He would become a king with a discerning eye for talent, and his fame throughout the realm would soar.
"Lü Jun, send someone to the martial examination grounds tomorrow to observe. Ensure there is absolutely no cheating or unfairness."
The Grand Eunuch Lü Jun bowed and accepted the order.
"Yes!"
The hope the King had harbored in his heart burst like a soap bubble just an hour later. The ten beggars under Shen Lang who were to participate in the martial examination returned to the capital, still tied to their horses and screaming like tormented ghosts. This meant that after a month, they still hadn't even properly learned to ride a horse, let alone pass the martial examination. In an instant, Shen Lang once again became the laughingstock of the capital.
Just as the news that Madman Lan might not have submitted a blank paper began to spread, the ten beggars brought shame upon him again. Ning Yuanxian's face turned ashen with anger, and he wished he could drag Shen Lang over to demand an explanation. But despite it all, a sliver of hope rekindled in his heart.
*Perhaps Shen Lang is just acting? Maybe that scoundrel will actually create a miracle tomorrow? That devilish fellow is truly cunning, after all.*
The next day, the Silver Martial Examination officially began.
* * *
They were indeed geniuses. After a month of training, Madman Lan's ten brothers could ride a horse as if they were walking on flat ground. Yet, they still entered the capital tied to their horses with ropes, becoming a joke to countless people. This, of course, was not Gao Duhuan's idea but Shen Lang's decision. What a vulgar man Shen Lang was, to go to such extreme lengths for that moment of ultimate humiliation for everyone else.
Early the next morning, Ning Zheng prepared three carriages, placed Lan's geniuses inside, and headed for the examination grounds. Gao Duhuan had said he would not show his face, so Ning Zheng escorted them personally. There were a total of three thousand candidates for the Silver Civil Examination, and there were also three thousand for the Silver Martial Examination. This alone showed that this was a world where both civil and martial pursuits were held in equal esteem.
However, compared to the civil examination, the number of successful candidates in the martial examination was smaller. The capital's examination grounds would select seventy at most. That was roughly one in forty-five, making the competition even fiercer than in the civil examination. But the State of Yue's army had a fixed number of personnel, and the military could not accommodate too many new officers, so it was unavoidable.
The saying, "The poor study, only the rich walk the path of martial arts," was not wrong. The candidates who could take the martial examination were either from wealthy or noble families, or they possessed such exceptional natural talent that they didn't need to enter a martial academy. Shen Lang's younger brother used to claim he was learning martial arts, but he only messed around with various groups and achieved nothing even after more than a decade.
Like the candidates for the civil examination, those taking the martial examination rushed to the grounds before dawn. The venue was the Tianyue Hunting Grounds outside the city. The martial artists participating in the examination headed out of the city one by one. The wealthy rode their own horses, while those from moderately well-off families had to take the carriages provided by their martial academies.
The same situation that occurred when Madman Lan went to the examination hall happened again today. Upon seeing Ning Zheng's carriage, the martial artists rushing to the venue all spat on the ground and avoided it as if they had seen a venomous snake.
"Pah!"
"Pah!"
"Pah!"
"What rotten luck. To have to take the exam with such crippled beggars. When did our State of Yue's martial examination fall so low as to include beggars? If this continues, the country will cease to be a country."
"This is all Shen Lang's doing. His crimes are so great that neither heaven nor earth will forgive him."
*What a pity. If only Ning Zheng hadn't personally escorted them to the examination grounds, we could have used the cover of darkness to beat those ten crippled beggars to death. Then everything would have been perfect.*
The scholars who had previously taken the civil examination were all useless. They only talked about beating Madman Lan to death but ended up being scared off by a few dozen women, not daring to approach. But these martial artists were more decisive than the scholars, which was why Ning Zheng had personally escorted Lan's ten geniuses to the examination grounds. Otherwise, the martial artists truly would have done anything. No matter how much of an outcast he was, Ning Zheng was still a prince, and as long as he was present, the martial artists wouldn't dare lay a hand on Lan's men.
* * *
After traveling for over two hours, they finally arrived at the Tianyue Hunting Grounds, the site of the martial examination. The hunting grounds were immense, spanning tens of thousands of *mu*. It was not only a royal hunting ground but also a training field for soldiers and even one of the barracks for the various armies stationed in the capital. Over ten thousand troops were garrisoned here at all times.
When Ning Zheng brought Lan's brothers to the hunting grounds, most of the candidates had already arrived. Several thousand pairs of eyes stared daggers at Ning Zheng and their carriage. It seemed they wanted to see the ten crippled beggars disembark from the carriage. The martial examination required the use of warhorses, which candidates could bring themselves. However, those without warhorses could use the ones provided at the hunting grounds. Lan's ten brothers had each brought their own warhorse and had even prepared fifteen more just in case. But they hadn't ridden them, insisting on coming by carriage. So, everyone couldn't help but recall the scene of these ten men returning to the capital yesterday, tied to their horses.
"Halt!"
A martial officer raised his hand, and the line of carriages stopped. The doors of several carriages opened. The candidates widened their eyes, wanting to clearly witness the scene of the beggars struggling to crawl out of the carriages. However, what emerged were tall, well-built men with straight postures. Did they look crippled in the slightest? Not at all. They were all remarkably tall, a head taller than the average person. Each one landed on the ground with a vigorous and powerful leap. They were men with slender waists and broad shoulders, like models. After landing, they stood as straight as spears, each looking like an outstanding talent.
*What's going on? Didn't Shen Lang bring ten half-crippled beggars?*
Suddenly, someone shouted.
"Lord Chief Examiner, someone is cheating and trying to use a substitute!"
Following that, many others echoed the cry.
*That's right, Shen Lang must have found substitutes.*
The chief examiner for this martial examination was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. He was both a civil official and a military general, a man of both letters and arms. Hearing the crowd's shouts, he frowned and gave an order.
"Verify their identities!"