Chapter Fifty-Nine: Discussion

The group stayed in Master Xun’s house for an hour. After Master Xun once again guided them through several recent essays and offered his thoughts on each person’s exam habits, he urged them to relax and focus on preparing for the upcoming academy examination in three days.

This time, the academy exam would be presided over by Scholar Fan, with the prefect and the instructors from each county present. The exam would last two days: the first day testing the classics, the second day covering policy essays and poetry.

All three sessions would feature numerous questions and complex content, making the tasks truly arduous. Yet the process was also entirely fair. The exam papers were no longer composed by the Jiangnan Western Circuit’s academic official, but instead drafted by the Ministry of Rites in the imperial court and distributed across the academies via the Ascendant Literary Pavilion.

Because of the exam’s fairness and notorious difficulty, Master Xun could only repeatedly advise the students to keep a careful eye on the timing during the exam, familiarize themselves with the exam room’s layout, and prepare thoroughly for all eventualities.

Overall, it was much like the examination halls in later eras: before the test, one should understand the basic procedures, the location, and what preparations are necessary.

After leaving Master Xun’s residence, Song Mu bid farewell to his friends. Kong Zong was headed to visit his father’s friend, so Song Mu continued alone, planning to buy a few items to use during the examination.

He had brought many things this time, mostly dry rations, but some snacks and sweet pastries would be useful in the exam hall.

However, just as he left the academy, Song Mu was stopped by someone.

It was Cui Kexing, the student from Taihe County who had struck up a conversation with him the day before. Now, a few others accompanied him.

“Brother Song, what a coincidence! I didn’t expect to meet you here,” Cui Kexing greeted him with a smile. Song Mu quickly returned the gesture, and Cui Kexing immediately introduced Song Mu to the others.

These students were not from Taihe County; they seemed to be scholars from the local academy or other places, here to take the exam. Song Mu wondered how Cui Kexing knew them, but everyone stepped forward to greet him, and Cui Kexing invited Song Mu to join them.

“Brother Song, since fate has brought us together, why not find a place to sit? We can discuss the academy exam and talk about your expertise in poetry,” Cui Kexing suggested.

Song Mu considered his original plans and saw that it was still early. He nodded in agreement.

The group found a nearby teahouse, sat down, enjoyed some snacks, admired the scenery, and discussed matters related to the academy examination.

“You may not know this, but the current Deputy Tutor to the Crown Prince once served in the Ministry of Rites. He composed many exam papers for the academy and provincial exams, all notoriously difficult.”

“Oh? Our county instructor mentioned that his questions are always a bit obscure, hard to grasp.”

“That’s not all. There was once a poetry exam with the topic ‘Golden petals scattered like coins.’ What do you think it refers to? Sounds like chrysanthemums and autumn, doesn’t it? But guess what it really was?”

“It should be. Isn’t that from the ‘Monthly Ordinances’ in the Book of Rites—‘In the month of late autumn, chrysanthemums bloom yellow’? What else could it be?”

“Ah, but that’s where you’d be mistaken. It was actually rapeseed blossoms! Springtime!”

“This comes from Zhang Han’s ‘Miscellaneous Poems’ of the Jin Dynasty, and Sikong Tu’s ‘Solitary View’: ‘Green stalks gathered like emerald, yellow flowers scattered like gold, and in the dim green villages, yellow flowers are mixed with wheat.’”

“How could one possibly get that right?”

The group exclaimed in surprise, clearly intrigued by the story.

Song Mu was nibbling on pastries and gazing out the window when Cui Kexing and the others launched into their discussion. Song Mu raised his eyebrows at the tale.

The content of the poetry exam was always highly unpredictable. The classics at least drew from the Four Books and Five Classics; policy essays from current affairs. But poetry could be drawn from anything.

If the examiner was traditional, he might cite classical sources. But if he favored unconventionality, the topics could be utterly bizarre.

Listening now, it seemed this year’s examiner was indeed a maverick.

“Brother Song, what do you think is the best way to handle such situations?” Cui Kexing turned to Song Mu, and the others looked at him expectantly.

Song Mu sipped his tea and replied softly, “The answer is already clear: one must accumulate knowledge daily and strive for comprehensive mastery of poetry.”

“But if one guesses the topic wrong, the entire poem is ruined,” someone interjected.

Song Mu shook his head. Such challenges test a person’s lifelong accumulation and exposure to various subjects; sometimes, it requires breaking conventions and developing new ideas.

Any scholar in these times can craft verses with proper rhyme and meter, but many lack depth, nuance, and an understanding of human nature—thus, they lack true talent.

To compose a good poem, one must rely not only on fleeting inspiration.

“Gentlemen, composing poetry is much like carving stone. Before one begins, the shape is already formed in the mind. As for capturing the topic, there is only one method: know its origin, then infuse it with creative insight,” Song Mu said quietly, offering a vague answer.

The group looked somewhat resigned.

Clearly, they did not fully agree with his explanation.

Yet Song Mu spoke the truth: there was no easy solution. Only steady accumulation could prepare one for the unpredictable.

Cui Kexing’s gaze lingered for a moment before he changed the topic, turning again to Song Mu. “Brother Song, what are your thoughts on this year’s academy exam?”

Song Mu kept a calm expression, his eyes flickering as he smiled wryly and shook his head. “The intentions of the officials are beyond our guessing. I dare not presume.”

Seeing Song Mu deftly sidestep the question, Cui Kexing smiled, his gaze growing more thoughtful.

One student beside them spoke up.

“Rather than speculate about that, why not discuss who will take the top spot in this year’s exam? Cui, you must have aspirations as well?”

At this, everyone’s curiosity was piqued. Such fame and honor naturally excited them.

Cui Kexing was stirred by their words but composed himself, turning to Song Mu. “I wouldn’t dare presume. Brother Song, with your skill in poetry, I imagine you are well-prepared. Perhaps the top spot will be yours.”

The others looked at Song Mu, their expressions varied, eyes filled with surprise.

Clearly, they considered Cui Kexing’s words mere courtesy.

After all, in the last prefectural exam, Song Mu ranked thirty-second—respectable, but hardly remarkable. While his talent in poetry was evident, it was not enough.

Of the three tests—classics, policy essays, and poetry—the first two were the true measure of a scholar’s strength. Though they did not produce the deepest literary aura, the essays broadened the mind and all but decided the outcome.

Excelling in only one area was never enough.

So they saw Cui Kexing’s remarks as flattery.

Song Mu was unfazed, but another student suddenly remembered something and continued, “Speaking of which, there’s Xue Kaiwen from the academy. I’ve heard that in the past six months, he studied under a successful scholar, and his essays are truly impressive now.”

“Indeed! Xue Kaiwen is barely over twenty, but he took the top spot in both the county and prefectural exams.”

They murmured, while Song Mu noticed Cui Kexing’s expression darken.

But then someone interjected again.

“Now that you mention it, have you forgotten someone?”

“Who?” Everyone paused, and Song Mu looked up.

The student took a deep breath and replied earnestly, “Zhang Yiqi from Flowing Water Village in Wan’an County. He ranked second!”

“You mean the one who brought his mother to the exam, and finished all three papers in just three hours?”

…