In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!
Chapter 1210 - 1122 Retest!

Chapter 1210: Chapter 1122 Retest!

His Majesty liked to discuss and deliberate with his ministers repeatedly, and never had he hastily agreed to something as significant as he did today.

"Uh? Lord Wu, did my words just now not make myself clear?"

Qin Yi suddenly leaned forward.

Shocked by His Majesty’s sudden motion, Lord Wu was startled back to his senses and hurriedly stepped forward to receive the decree, "Understood, your humble servant receives the decree."

Having said that, he quickly knelt and then rose, pondering for a brief moment before hastening out.

Passing by Lord Gao, he paused in his steps, gave him a look, and then quickly walked away.

Cold sweat broke out on Lord Gao’s back!

What was His Majesty’s intention with this move?

The impenetrable imperial heart, he now fully understood the origin of these words.

Qin Yi looked up at the students in the Jiying Hall, but his heart was clear.

He indeed placed high importance on exam questions before, wishing the ministers could devise challenging questions to test the students of Great Zhou and thus select a batch of pillars of the state for his use.

However, his views had changed since his last conversation with Su Pan’er.

He felt that although Pan’er’s words were not entirely correct and shouldn’t be generalized, she was at least correct about one thing.

A person capable of writing might not necessarily be a good official; being a good official does not necessarily mean one can write well.

There are specializations in every field, and everyone has their own expertise.

Whether it’s a mule or a horse, it should be pulled out for a stroll.

Only after these talented individuals entered officialdom could he see which ones were the truly needed steeds.

As for the ambiguous words of Lord Gao, he pretended he hadn’t heard them.

Regarding the retest of tribute scholars in the court, on the surface, it was another examination to prevent mistakes in reporting or someone "fishing in troubled waters" during the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination. However, strictly speaking, this retest was merely a glancing interview.

Each candidate’s desk bore their name and place of origin for the invigilators to cross-check against their comprehensive abilities.

After all, these people would someday stand before the emperor.

Among these individuals, those with crooked mouths or eyes, stammering speech, or evil moles were not chosen. Those who were too ugly or too casual in appearance, or those whose names were inauspicious or conflicted with taboos, were also not selected.

However, once someone became a tribute scholar, there was no reason for them to be demoted.

Even if not demoted, these officials still had plenty of strategies!

Apart from the top scholar, second place, and third prize winners, the remaining students were divided into Jinshi Scholars and their counterparts.

Those who succeeded as Jinshi scholars were immediately assigned official posts, and as for their counterparts... sorry, they had to first experience three years in the Hanlin Imperial Academy and then be evaluated.

Thus, this world has always been one of appearances.

Since the retest mainly focused on appearance, the importance of the examination questions was not as critical as during the Spring Examination.

Of course, if you were a little less attractive, but truly talented and learned, you could still increase your chances of being selected.

Lord Wang quickly distributed the examination questions.

Su Ke picked up the examination questions, unfolded them, and instantly felt enlightened.

He remembered a story he had once heard.

In a previous dynasty, there was an official with surname Wang, known for his unique poetry and calligraphy, brilliant wit, and was reputed to be "with clean and incorruptible sleeves like the bright moon."

One day he was summoned by the emperor, "How is your family’s situation?" Wang replied, "A few mu of barren land, dependent on springs’ winds and rains; a few thatched rooms, half filled with farming tools and half with books." The emperor laughed after hearing this, "I command you to oversee coin casting in Tongshan, and in a few years, your family’s conditions will improve."

Wang obeyed and went to his post, staying for over three years.

One day, summoned back to the capital, the emperor asked again, "A term in Tongshan should suffice for your later years, right?" Hearing the hidden meaning in the emperor’s words, Wang smiled, "Your servant remains clean and incorruptible, without desires or demands." Saying this, he took out several polished coin molds from his sleeve to show the emperor, and had no money whatsoever on him otherwise. The emperor was deeply moved and sighed, "My dear official is truly a role model for my ministers!"

As soon as Su Ke received the question, he immediately thought of this story.

Setting aside whether the content of the story was true, this topic of "Uprightness in the face of wealth" at this moment, could it be that His Majesty intended to use this retest to warn these tribute scholars?

Just like that official named Wang from the previous dynasty, although he had spent over three years overseeing the coin casting, and had the emperor’s trust, he had every advantage—timing, geography, and human relations. If he had wanted to abuse his power for personal gain, it would have been as easy as reaching into a bag. However, he remained steadfastly principled and incorruptibly honest, unmoved by money.

This determination, perhaps, was what the examiners were looking for in setting this question?

With an idea in his mind, Su Ke quickly organized his thoughts, waiting until he had almost framed his content before he started writing on the draft paper.

His speed was naturally not slow as he began to write, but some of the outstanding examination candidates were even faster than him.

His essay was not yet completed on the draft paper when someone had already stood up to submit their paper.

This retest was different from the previous exams; as long as you finished answering the questions, you could submit your paper.

And this first candidate to submit was not just anyone but one of the students who had ranked on the "Beneficent Examination Special List" along with Su Ke, that bold and free-spirited student from the East named Li Wen Li!

During the days preparing for the retest, Su Ke hadn’t been idle either. He sent Little Shitou and Duan Yan into the marketplace, not only spending silver to buy several published dossiers but also purchasing information on the popular candidates from his bachelor’s course, including explanations of their names and backgrounds.

He thought these pieces of information would be difficult to obtain, but just like last year’s Autumn Imperial Civil Service Examination, this year’s Spring Examination also had bets placed openly, with different odds like one-to-one, one-to-two, up to one-to-ten. And behind Su Ke’s name, it was unexpectedly one-to-three.

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