Chapter 170: Thousand Carps Swimming Through The River (1/2)
Chapter 170: Thousand Carps Swimming Through The River
Translator: Sparrow TranslationsEditor: Sparrow Translations
A fine drizzle floated down from the sky in Yan Capital. This was not supposed to the right weather for a stroll. However, the moment the first ray of sunshine touched the sky, countless of gifted scholars wore their traditional clothes or silk robes and made their way down the streets.
One after another opened their wax paper umbrellas.
A plethora of patterns was imprinted on these umbrellas. There were rivers and mountain in ink, paintings of rushing rivers. There were red, white, green and a variety of colourful flower imprints that looked like a bouquet from above.
This looked like a living breathing canvas.
Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu walked beside each other in the crowd. Yan Xiu wore Chinese traditional clothes with a decoration of rivers and mountains in ink on it. On the other hand, Fang Zhengzhi donned his usual blue Changshan.
Both carrying a wax paper umbrella each, drifting through the streets.
The location of the Imperial Examinations had always been at the Imperial Academy. As the largest academy in the whole of the Great Xia dynasty, its architecture was classic yet a strong historical aura permeated its walls.
Rumours have it that the history of the Imperial Academy was even longer than that of the Imperial Palace of the Great Xia Dynasty.
It was the previous dynasty's palace. After the establishment of the Great Xia Dynasty, the old palace underwent a renovation but the basic structures were preserved.
When Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu arrived at the gates of the Imperial Academy, they found that it was blocked by a sea of young scholars in their different upscale items of clothing.
Of course, there were some ladies all dressed up surrounding them and looking on. There were also some ladies dressed simply and elegantly, reading to compete in this examination on an equal level as the men.
Compared to the examinations in the River of Trust Province, Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu did not attract too much attention this time.
After all, in this massive Yan Capital, there were simply too many blinding talents. For example, Xing Qingsui from the Peace Province or the eldest son of the first-class official of the Su family, Su Donglin.
There were even rumours that there was even someone from the secretive Southern Palace Clan was coming.
Su Rui trusted the credibility of this information since it was from Yan Xiu.
Fang Zhengzhi once asked Yan Xiu how capable these people were and Yan Xiu had a veiled reaction and replied with one sentence, ” Extremely capable!”
Fang Zhengzhi did not inquire further.
Because, for Yan Xiu to admit their strength, those people must be the real deal.
”What do you think would happen if I became the Double Roll Champion again?” Fang Zhengzhi looked around the crowd surrounding the door and casually mentioned.
Yan Xiu stared at Fang Zhengzhi.
His face showed a hint of shock but it was fleeting. He immediately returned to his cold and aloof persona.
”That would be very difficult!” Yan Xiu opened his mouth.
Although it was an answer, it was not very informative.
Fang Zhengzhi knew very well. Although he achieved Heavenly Reflection State, the Imperial Examinations were different from the Provincial Examinations. Passing the Imperial Examinations meant that they could rise to become palace officials.
This clearly showed the height of the bar set.
Many young scholars who passed the Provincial Examinations were stopped at this stage. They then returned to their books to revise day after day, year after year, diligently preparing for the next one.
This resulted in a phenomenon.
It was the phenomenon of compression. For example, the first ever Imperial Examinations might only pass fifty people. That batch's fifty-first candidate onwards would be compressed to the next Imperial Examinations.
However, in the next Imperial Examinations, there would also be new candidates entering. After the even more merciless competition, there would be more people being compressed to the third Imperial Examinations.
Such was the cycle.
The history since the establishment of the Great Xia Dynasty was close to a thousand years. The biannual Imperial Examinations had their candidates getting compressed down all the way to today and its difficulty level had reached truly titanic proportions.
The limit of intake set by the Imperial Examinations made it similar to watching thousands of carps swimming through the river. It was a spectacular massacre.
Heavenly Reflection State?
Maybe, there were only two who achieved the Heavenly Reflection State by the age of eighteen in the whole of the Great Xia Dynasty. But what about those who achieved it before age twenty-eight? There was got to be at least fifty or sixty of them.
If the age was thirty-eight, forty-eight or fifty-eight…
Fang Zhengzhi did not know how many people have reached the Heavenly Reflection State in today's Imperial Examinations. However, as he looked forward, he could see that at the gates there were all kinds of middle age men from thirty to forty years old and old men from forty to fifty years old. This was truly like a bloom of a hundred flowers.
”Did Chi Guyan take part in the Imperial Examinations?” Fang Zhengzhi suddenly asked.
”Mm, the previous one before this,” Yan Xiu nodded.
”What position did she get?”
”Double Roll Champion!” Yan Xiu was puzzled when Fang Zhengzhi asked for her placing.
Fang Zhengzhi was shocked for a moment but he quickly recovered. Chi Guyan was already at the peak of the Heavenly Reflection State a year ago. She definitely would not be far from that just another year before that.
Taking the Double Roll Champion was not anything surprising to her.
It was just that since Chi Guyan was the Double Roll Champion, then wouldn't he lose face if he did not get the same title?
Would she look down on him?
”It seems like I have no choice but to take the Double Roll Champion title too!” Fang Zhengzhi helplessly sighed.