"With snow falling like this, how can the imperial examination even be held?"
You Chu lifted the curtain and entered the room, cursing as he did.
But once inside, a wave of heat rushed toward him, and he could feel his nearly frozen face slowly regaining sensation.
He used a small broom by the door to carefully brush the mud and snow from his shoes before sitting down with a groan.
"I'm alive again!"
He was not the only one in the study dormitory, but everyone was already familiar with him. No one paid him any attention, each continuing with their own business.
You Chu was not shy. He directly leaned over to the young man on the neighboring bed.
"Master Zhou, reading the Analects again?"
The young man shook his head and laughed helplessly.
"Brother You, how many times must I say it. My surname is Zhou, my given name is Shenglie. It is not surname Zhou, given name Shenglie."
You Chu chuckled. After lowering his head to take a closer look, he understood.
"So today it's the Zuo Commentary. Looks like even if you fail the exam, this trip won't be for nothing, Master Zhou."
Zhou Shenglie was not annoyed. He nodded with good grace and even advised him.
"Brother You, the examination is tomorrow. Are you really not reviewing old material today?"
You Chu slapped his chest boldly.
"For this examination, what I rely on is not the words of the sages, but the million troops stored in my chest."
A gentle smile appeared on Zhou Shenglie's face.
"Brother You has great talent. You will surely win the favor of the Left General."
Not everyone agreed with Zhou Shenglie. A voice from across the room cut in.
"Hmph. Those million troops may not even defeat a single examination question. In the end, you may still have to beg for money to return home."
This was a man about forty years old, sitting there holding a bamboo scroll, carrying himself with a certain imposing air. The books borrowed by students of the Imperial Academy and examination candidates were all paper. Bamboo scrolls could only be self brought. From this alone, it was clear he was not from a poor household.
You Chu curled his lips and muttered softly.
"Heh. Dog lackey Xu."
The man immediately grew furious and was about to erupt. But just then, a clear voice cut in again.
"Next year is the imperial examination. The Left General is opening the first such system in four hundred years of Han. If you cause trouble on the day before the examination, are you not afraid of angering the owner of this place?"
Thus, the man mocked as "Dog lackey Xu" glared at You Chu and finally sat down resentfully, turning his body away to keep himself from seeing him.
You Chu did not care. He spat lightly toward the man's back, then leaned over toward the source of the clear voice with a grin.
"Thanks, Brother Ma Zhong, for helping me out. But with the snow not stopping, will the examination really not be postponed?"
Although his face was still youthful, Ma Zhong already carried a steady air in how he dealt with people. He nodded lightly.
"I have heard news. There will be no snow tomorrow. The examination can proceed."
You Chu nodded and did not ask further. He returned to his own bed and swept his gaze over the dormitory.
He was originally from Fengyi. Nineteen years ago, his father You Yin was falsely accused and executed by Hu Zhen, Dong Zhuo's Inspector of the Capital. Their already meager family fortunes completely collapsed.
Fortunately, before his death, his father had once received minor kindness from Zhang Ji, a maocai from the same hometown. Zhang Ji was also a loyal and good man. You Chu then went to follow Zhang Ji, and the two addressed each other as brothers.
You Chu had once vowed to take revenge. Unfortunately, one year after his father's unjust death, Hu Zhen suddenly died of illness, and Dong Zhuo also died in the same year. His great hatred was somehow repaid without his own hand, and You Chu, having no more burdens, wandered the land with Zhang Ji.
His elder brother's official career went fairly smoothly. After becoming Magistrate of Xinfeng County, his governance earned praise. In the seventh year of Jian'an, he strongly urged Ma Teng to suppress bandits to protect Guanzhong, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wushi Pavilion. Later, he persuaded Ma Teng to enter Xudu, won the favor of Chancellor Cao, and entered Chang'an to command troops.
Then came this year. After the disastrous defeat at Weihe Valley, Zhang Ji was captured. You Chu, who remained in Chang'an, made many inquiries before finally confirming that his elder brother was safe. After that, he wandered around Chang'an. Fortunately, the rebuilt city had plenty of places that needed labor, so he was not short of food.
Then he heard that Xuande had publicly opened the imperial examination. After careful thought, You Chu decided to use what he had learned to rescue his elder brother from prison.
More importantly, the treatment for examination candidates was quite good. At least there was a place to live. And with his smooth talk, he had basically gotten to know all the other candidates in the same dormitory.
Zhou Shenglie, style name Wenyi, was from Dunhuang. He loved reading the classics and histories. After traveling far to Chang'an, he studied diligently without pause. No matter when one looked, he was always reading.
Another who got along well with Zhou Shenglie was named Jiao Xian, from Hedong. His family was extremely poor. According to people from his hometown, when he heard of the decline of the Han, he cried until he coughed blood. He secluded himself to avoid Cao's officials. Now that the Left General had restored Guanzhong and opened the examination, he came in response to the order.
In one corner of the room was a middle aged man named Shi Delin. It was said he had once studied under a famous scholar. After the chaos in Guanzhong, he fled to Hanzhong and was nearly forced into the Five Pecks of Rice sect. Now he had returned to Chang'an with the Left General.
As for the one he mocked as Dog lackey Xu, that was Xu Ying, a powerful family from Fengyi. He kept slaves and seized land. He had once relied on his power to whip Zhang Ji thirty times. You Chu remembered this hatred clearly. From the moment they shared a room, the two had argued endlessly.
The last was Ma Zhong. He was the youngest and even had a Shu accent. At first, Xu Ying had looked down on him.
But when everyone saw this youth handle affairs on the orders of Doctor Lu, and treat both Wolong and Fengchu as teachers with disciple level respect, the dormitory gradually began to regard Ma Zhong as the most important among them.
Whether it was because You Chu and Xu Ying's dispute had disturbed others, or because Ma Zhong's words about tomorrow's examination stirred their thoughts, no one spoke again. Only the sound of pages turning and brushes rubbing against paper filled with ink could be heard.
When it was time to trim the lamp wick again, You Chu heard teaching assistants from the Imperial Academy knocking on each door, announcing that tomorrow's examination required waking at the hour of Mao, so everyone must sleep early tonight.
In spring and summer, waking at Mao was nothing. But now it was winter.
No one complained. One by one, they pulled open their bedding and lay down. Soon, someone extinguished the lamp.
You Chu listened as even the soft sound of falling snow outside gradually stopped. He could even clearly hear dogs barking in the city.
In the darkness, his thoughts began to run wild.
Would he truly win the Left General's favor tomorrow?
If not, what would happen to his elder brother trapped in prison?
But You Chu deeply understood that the best way to ease one's gloom was to drag someone else into it. So in the darkness, he lightly kicked the bed beside him.
"Master Zhou, if tomorrow the examination fails…"
Even in the dark, Zhou Shenglie's calm voice was still easy to recognize.
"My family is poor. I have no family background to rely on, no patronage to protect me. The only thing I rely on is my talent. Why should I fail?"
Zhou Shenglie did not lower his voice at all. Perhaps because he shared the same thoughts, a hoarse voice spoke slowly but firmly.
"Even if it fails… cough… then wait for the next examination. The Left General is saving the Han from collapse. How could this examination fail…"
You Chu recognized this as Jiao Xian from Hedong. Because he had once coughed blood from grief over Han's decline, his throat had never fully recovered.
The unspoken meaning was clear. It was nothing more than that this would be better than the old recommendation system. After all, in many places now, xiaolian and maocai titles were openly priced. That was no secret. But knowing it and being able to say it aloud were two different things.
However, Jiao Xian's words made someone unhappy. From the bed across the brazier came a heavy snort.
You Chu immediately became energized.
"What's wrong, Dog lackey Xu? Do you think your family's field slaves can be passed down for a hundred generations? Or do you doubt the Left General's examination order?"
Most people in this room came from humble backgrounds or families that had long declined. And if one had the heart to inquire, it was not hard to learn that the Left General himself had once woven mats and sold shoes. In such a situation, Xu Ying, from a powerful family, naturally stood out as out of place. Thus, he simply fell silent and said nothing more.
Having blocked his enemy again, You Chu also forgot his earlier nervousness and fell asleep.
In the darkness, he was awakened by Zhou Shenglie. Someone then lit a lamp.
Hearing the noisy sounds outside, You Chu reluctantly crawled out from under his bedding and put on his clothes. After confirming they all had their name slips, they went out.
Last night's report was correct. The snow had long stopped. The vast Imperial Academy was now brightly lit. Soldiers carrying torches ran back and forth, shouting orders.
"Form up and move forward. Walk straight along Xuan Street."
You Chu slapped his face in the cold air to wake himself up. Then he returned to the dormitory with the others and shared the hot water from the pottery basin on the brazier for washing.
In winter, fetching water was difficult. Like Chang'an's residents, they had broken ice at night, placed it in a basin on the brazier, and by morning it was ready for use. It also kept the room from being too dry.
After finishing preparations, they set out together, following the direction pointed out by the soldiers.
Only then did You Chu understand what Xuan Street meant. On both sides, white snow piled high. In the middle, a path had been cleared, dark and black. Was that not exactly the color xuan.
The examination hall was on the other side of the Imperial Academy. After walking along Xuan Street for a while, soldiers ordered them to line up to receive numbers and enter. Thus, the large group began lining up.
"Zhou Sheng Wenyi." You Chu heard the soldier in front verify Zhou Shenglie's name slip. He hurriedly held his own slip in his hand.
"You Zhongyun." The same soldier called out his style name. After verification, another soldier searched through a register and stuffed a wooden tag into his hand.
"Examination Room Twenty Four. Go straight ahead and do not delay. Someone will guide you."
Holding the wooden tag, he walked in a daze along the directions. At the door marked twenty four, a soldier checked the tag, explained the basic rules, and let him in.
After taking two steps inside, You Chu suddenly turned back and asked.
"Is there food today?"
The soldier nodded and pointed inside.
"Morning meal is here. Eat first. There will be another meal at noon."
The examination room was quite comfortable. There was a brazier, a low table, and food set on every table. You Chu hurried to find a seat.
The meal was simple. One bowl held two round steamed buns and one cooked egg. Another bowl held something white and unfamiliar.
You Chu was familiar with steamed buns. Smelling the fragrance, he eagerly grabbed one and took a bite. It was soft in the hand and sweet in the mouth, without the sour taste he was used to. This surprised him greatly.
As for the white food, he examined it. It smelled like beans mixed with sweetness. When he lifted the bowl, it wobbled like thick soup.
Steeling his heart, You Chu lifted it and gulped it down. It was sweet and smooth. After finishing the bowl, his stomach felt warm, leaving him very satisfied.
The Left General really is a good person, You Chu thought. The examination charged no money, yet provided both lodging and food. He was already looking forward to lunch.
With such a good person as the Left General, even if he failed the examination, as long as he could meet him and explain in detail that his elder brother Zhang Ji was a good man, that should still be possible, right?
Before he realized it, the room had filled up. After everyone finished eating, paper and ink were delivered to the tables. Soldiers then announced the topic.
"For the policy essay subject, listen to the question. How should Qiang children be transformed into Han people?"
This was not a difficult topic, but to answer it well required careful thought. Fortunately, You Chu had lived long in Guanzhong with his brother and had his own understanding of Han Qiang policy. He ground ink while organizing his thoughts, preparing to write.
He even had time to think about what the classics and history subject question for Master Zhou might be.
You Chu joined the examination partly to rescue his brother, but also because he was truly curious about this system. Just looking at the subject divisions showed that the Left General was no ordinary man.
The examination was divided into seven subjects: classics and history, policy essays, literary composition, mathematics, engineering and craftsmanship, military strategy, and medicine.
Zhou Shenglie had once told him that if a hundred years ago medicine, engineering, and mathematics were placed on the same level as classics and history for selecting officials, the capital would have erupted in outrage.
But now, even this old capital was set by the Left General. With such regulations, what could others say?
Thinking of this, You Chu became especially curious about how medicine would be tested. Would they bring a patient on the spot for diagnosis?
When the ink was ready, You Chu focused again on the question before him.
For Han Qiang relations, he honestly wrote based on what he had personally seen, reviewed past dynasty policies, judged their merits and faults, then proposed new strategies. By the time he finished writing, more than an hour had passed.
After another half hour, soldiers entered. The candidates were instructed to write their names on the sealing header, then seal it on the spot. The papers were then collected one by one.
Soon, the second question was announced. It was actually policy toward the Western Regions. You Chu silently cheered in his heart. This was another familiar topic.
He wrote another long essay. By the time he finished, the sky outside had already brightened. When lunch was delivered, You Chu immediately ate heartily.
It was another food he had never seen before. Chopped vegetables and diced meat were wrapped in dough and cooked, with a bit of fermented black beans. It made him feel especially comfortable while eating.
The policy examination seemed quite generous. After lunch, each person was even given a piece of cane sugar. The sweet taste made him extra alert.
The afternoon question would not be especially hard, would it?
In the morning, it was nearly one question per hour. In the afternoon, a single question was given a full two hours. But because the topic was too freeform, even after finishing, You Chu still felt dazed.
He wandered back to the dormitory almost on instinct. Only when he stepped over the threshold did he suddenly realize.
The exam was over. Could he still live here?
But what he saw after crossing the threshold was something he did not expect.
Xu Ying was kneeling in the corner like a scolded child. In the middle, a soldier sat boldly, armor battered, face weathered by wind and frost.
And that face was one You Chu had thought about day and night.
"Elder Brother!"
This was naturally Zhang Ji.
Seeing You Chu, the frost carved into Zhang Ji's face melted slightly. He spoke gently.
"Three months ago, I followed General Zhang under the Left General to Liang Province to suppress unrest. I am now free of all charges."
"After the defeat at Weihe Valley, I was sent by the Left General to dredge canals in Guanzhong. Later, I joined General Zhang at Chencang and went to Liang Province. That is why I could not inform you in time."
You Chu said nothing. He was not tall. He could only bury his face against Zhang Ji's elbow and speak in a muffled voice.
"I thought Elder Brother had died in battle…"
The two quickly exchanged their situations. Seeing that You Chu still looked troubled, Zhang Ji asked in curiosity.
You Chu did not hide it. He frowned and said softly.
"The final policy question today."
"The Left General asked."
"In this world, who should be the ruler?