In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!

Chapter 1183 - 1095: Flattery Never Gets Old

Chapter 1183: Chapter 1095: Flattery Never Gets OldZhang Han’s "Miscellaneous Poems" includes two lines from Sikong Tu’s poetry collection "Alone in Contemplation": "Green strips as if they’re all jade, yellow flowers like scattered gold." "Green trees darken the village, yellow flowers sparse among the wheat."

The yellow flower in this poem does not refer to chrysanthemums, but to the rape flowers of spring.

A cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

The poem for this trial essay was supposed to describe a spring scene; if he mistakenly depicted it as an autumn scene, he would be far off topic. Who knows how many students lacking in their studies would fall into this trap. If they actually wrote the answer on their dossiers, it would probably be difficult for them to get their names listed on the successful candidates’ roster.

It should be known that neither of these two anthologies is part of the "Four Books" and "Five Classics," and historically, they have not been given much attention. The reason he remembered them was that, before the Autumn Imperial Civil Service Examination, his fourth sister had "casually" mentioned a few topics that were easy to mistake when reviewing the questions. Among them, she mentioned the word "yellow flower."

That evening, he even went back to his room to specifically

Indeed! At the onset of Su Ke’s entry into the examination hall, Qin Yi had entrusted him with a task, imperative to unearth the worms entrenched within the Imperial Examination, to discover how they hid in the examination hall, their modus operandi, and how they dared to carry out such audacious acts.

Yet, the agents he dispatched, both openly and covertly, came back empty-handed, causing him considerable worry.

"If His Majesty is not at ease, perhaps this humble official should make another visit to ensure that nothing goes amiss."

Lord Wang, having received such a significant commission from His Majesty, also feared faltering in this matter. Regardless of his own exhaustion, he immediately proposed.

"Very well," Qin Yi pondered briefly before agreeing, "This matter will indeed be a great burden for Lord Wang. Once this affair is concluded, We certainly will not forget the merit of Lord Wang’s service."

"Merit is too grand a word. It is my duty to accept the ruler’s money and share the ruler’s worries, and I shall exhaust all efforts in serving His Majesty," replied Lord Wang.

Saying this, Lord Wang gave a fist-and-palm salute and turned to leave the Imperial Study, but Qin Yi called after him.

"There’s no need for such haste, Lord Wang. The Imperial Kitchen has sent delicious meals; you may as well dine before you go."

Unable to decline, Lord Wang ate his evening meal before braving the cold to head towards the examination hall.

The Chief Examiner this time was Deputy Minister of Rites, Lord Gao, and Lord Wang, as the inspection official, arrived at the examination hall when First Geng had already passed, by which time Chief Examiner Lord Gao had already retired for the night.

The members of the Imperial Guard responsible for security naturally recognized him and promptly escorted him to the side courtyard designated for entertaining the visiting angels.

Within the quiet examination hall of the examination hall, the faint crackling of candle fire echoed through the silence.

In the depth of night, the examination hall’s vigilance remained stringent.

The guards tasked with close surveillance stood firm in their posts, daring not to blink. The patrolling officers moved to and fro inside the hall, not slackening in their duties despite the late hour.

Su Ke, absorbed in intense writing, put down the final character, completing his verse.

He stood up to stretch his arms and legs.

This Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination tested not so much one’s scholarship as it did human hearts and natures. The students’ knowledge was only part of the assessment; the examination environment also tested their physical endurance. Without robust health, in the chilly early spring, one would likely have succumbed to the cold and fallen ill by now, much like the person beside him, whose sneezing could be occasionally heard.

Having completed one question, Su Ke felt a great deal more relaxed internally.

Now, only the fourth day, he still had two days to tackle the final question.

The topic for the last question was: "Essay on Five Colors."

To analyze the question simply, it suggested that the sun had five colors, prompting the vast number of students to praise the sun.

The significance of the sun is unquestioned, yet the appearance of such a topic during the Metropolitan Examination made it obvious that the examining officials intended to coax the students into a bit of flattery.

However, one must carefully consider how to execute this flattery, how to do it well, and directly hit the mark of human hearts; God forbid one should miss the mark completely and pave the way to one’s doom.

Even if one were to obscure names on these dossiers and find someone to do the copying, in the end, they must undergo scrutiny by several examiners who would finalize the papers before submitting them to the Chief Examiner. Once reviewed by the Chief Examiner, the dossiers would finally be presented before His Majesty’s imperial desk.