Perhaps Mr. Sheng had simply set the questions without any of these convoluted hidden meanings.

But for an intelligent and thoughtful person like Zhao Jing, it was impossible not to read into each question, trying to discern the current state of the imperial court, Mr. Sheng’s political affiliations, and his stance on government affairs.

’So this examination paper... it truly is something one can’t afford to scrutinize too closely,’ he thought. ’The more you think about it, the more it silences you.’

Though a whirlwind of thoughts raced through his mind, Zhao Jing’s hand was exceptionally steady as he put brush to paper.

He transcribed the required passages onto the examination paper, stroke by meticulous stroke. He wrote exactly twelve characters per line, not a single one more. Each character had to be elegant and perfectly formed, such that even the most critical eye could find no fault.

The more Zhao Jing wrote, the calmer his mind became, until he entered a sublime state of focused transcendence, forgetting himself entirely.

He didn’t notice, as his brush flew across the page, that someone had unhurriedly approached and was now standing before him, watching him quietly for a long time.

It wasn’t until a soft THUD came from the side that Zhao Jing was startled back to his senses. It seemed a flustered candidate had knocked over an inkstone, which hit the ground with a CRASH and shattered into pieces.

Only then did Zhao Jing realize that Mr. Sheng was standing before him, and he had no idea for how long.

Behind Mr. Sheng stood the other proctors—professors and instructors from the prefectural school.

They too were gazing at the paper on his desk with pleased expressions, their eyes filled with admiration. They stroked their beards from time to time, a clear sign that his calligraphy and the overall presentation had thoroughly impressed them.

Their gestures were a silent chorus of praise: ’This calligraphy is even more handsome than the man himself! Even if this scholar doesn’t pursue an official career, he is destined to become a master calligrapher.’

Among the group, one man’s gaze was even more peculiar than Mr. Sheng’s.

He looked at Zhao Jing and his paper, a flicker of recognition in his eyes, as if he had discerned the young man’s origins and recalled some destined connection between them.

And so, when Zhao Jing looked up, the man offered him an especially warm and friendly smile.

Zhao Jing didn’t know the reason for this kindness, but it didn’t stop him from setting down his Wolf Hair brush and bowing respectfully to the proctors, as a student would.

Mr. Sheng nodded with a smile, and the other officials smiled in turn. The group then followed Mr. Sheng toward the candidate who had knocked over the inkstone.

Zhao Jing’s gaze followed them to the other candidate.

Zhao Jing had noticed this candidate before the examination began.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this was the top-ranked candidate from Guyuan County.

The essays from Guyuan County’s candidates had been so poor that the Lord Prefect had once berated them as "utter nonsense" and "painfully convoluted." In his disgust, the Lord Prefect had even reduced the number of Scholar positions available to Guyuan County from the original six to just four.

As it happened, Zhao Jing had had the dubious pleasure of reading this particular candidate’s work.

’In my opinion,’ Zhao Jing thought, ’while the Lord Prefect’s critique was harsh, it wasn’t an exaggeration. Based on literary skill alone, this fellow’s writing isn’t even as good as Li’an’s.’

’If this is the standard for the top candidate in Guyuan County, maybe Chen Lian should change his household registration and move there. A Scholar title would be in the bag.’

’As for why the man knocked over his inkstone, Mr. Sheng and the officials must have been standing beside him for too long, putting him under immense pressure. That’s why he panicked and made such a terrible mistake.’

Zhao Jing’s guess was spot on.

While Mr. Sheng and the others had been standing by Zhao Jing, the candidate from Guyuan County had grown increasingly tense. His hands and feet trembled, and large beads of cold sweat dripped from his brow.

Finally, as more time passed, he could no longer bear the pressure. A single careless movement was all it took to send his inkstone toppling over.

Fortunately, the inkstone had been placed in the upper-left corner of his desk, so spilling it only soiled his clothes and shoes. His examination paper remained clean.

It was, in a way, a stroke of luck.

As Mr. Sheng and the officials approached, the Guyuan County candidate squatted down in embarrassment to clean up the mess on the floor and on his clothes.

But whether from haste or sheer panic, he lost his footing and fell to his knees with a THUMP. In another clumsy move, he knocked his head against the desk. When he looked up again, a large bump was already swelling on his forehead.

What a disgrace to the scholarly arts! An absolute disgrace!

Mr. Sheng didn’t linger. With a flick of their sleeves, the other proctors also turned and strode away.

Their sighs were heavy with frustration at his incompetence and filled with utter disdain.

’How did such a clumsy fool ever pass the county exam,’ they wondered, ’let alone place first? It’s a miracle, truly!’

During the prefectural examination, candidates were not allowed to leave the examination hall, so all their needs had to be attended to within its walls, including personal, biological ones.

Zhao Jing ate his dry rations and drank some water. After a brief rest, he made a trip to the latrine. When he returned, he saw the candidate in the adjacent cell stuffing his face with a meat pie.