novelSusiti Chapter 12 Your Majesty, save me! I, Ma Wenxiang, can't do it!
Chapter 12 Your Majesty, save me! I, Ma Wenxiang, can't do it!
"Those who act justly will find many supporters, while those who act unjustly will find few."
"The right time is not as important as the right place, and the right place is not as important as the right people. A city three miles in circumference and an outer wall seven miles in circumference can be surrounded and attacked, but none can be conquered..."
Inside the private school, Ma Wenxiang swayed his head and recited the first three chapters of Mencius with great enthusiasm, hoping to memorize them easily and even be able to recite them backwards.
He relied on the "sea of questions" strategy, coupled with his understanding of contemporary essays and the soon-to-be-formulaic eight-legged essay.
His self-confidence is gradually increasing.
Suddenly, a muffled "thud" drew the attention of all the students in the classroom.
Ma Wenxiang looked up and saw Wang Yangsheng, the teacher of the private school. His lips parted slightly, his eyes lit up, and a hint of excited smile suddenly flashed across his face: "The date for the imperial examination in our Great Ming Dynasty has been set for the beginning of February."
February?
It was already late January, and the first hurdle of the imperial examination, the county examination, was only a few days away.
It should be noted that even the preliminary examination for elementary school students, while not extremely difficult, covered the Four Books, a few of the Five Classics, not to mention other miscellaneous writings.
The "sea of questions" approach seems to be completely out of the question.
Even though Ma Wenxiang was quite outstanding in his essays, overall, the difficulty of passing the first hurdle of the Ming Dynasty's imperial examination seemed to have skyrocketed from the "beginner level" to the "hell level".
How could he possibly have time in just a few days?
Ma Wenxiang suddenly seemed dazed, and the focused look he had just been on reading vanished.
The bell rang again, but the other students didn't care about the imperial examination. The imperial examination had some impact on them, but not much; at least, it had nothing to do with them today.
Ma Wenxiang walked out of the school absentmindedly, only to find that Teacher Wang was blocking his way in the corridor.
"Wenxiang, remember to tell your father about this when you get back, Brother Xiulin."
"The imperial examinations have begun today, and this is the time for him to achieve fame and bring glory to your Ma family. If you wish to change your registered residence, you must not miss this opportunity."
Master Wang offered his well-intentioned advice.
A warm feeling welled up in Ma Wenxiang's heart, and he bowed his head gratefully, saying, "This student thanks you, sir."
He left the private school and returned home.
Ma Wenxiang immediately informed Ma Xiulin of the news that the imperial examinations were about to begin.
"The imperial examinations have begun. The stability of the nation is indeed a great thing for the Ma family and for me as a father."
Ma Xiulin was both surprised and delighted, and immediately declared, "From this day forward, I will study diligently day and night, only in this way can I live up to your grandfather's expectations."
"Shiyun! Prepare the food and bring it directly into the house. I won't stay with you. Time is money, so you must seize the opportunity to study."
Ma Xiulin truly lived up to expectations.
Although he did some farm work in the Ma family on weekdays, he spent most of his time holding books. Now that the imperial examinations were in session, it was time for him to show his talents.
"Understood, sir."
Wang Shiyun was beaming with joy upon hearing the good news. She responded and busied herself in the kitchen.
While helping out, Ma Wenxiang was secretly plotting how to get his grandson, Ma Wenxiang, to participate in the imperial examinations.
Even the minor county-level imperial examinations had no age limit.
However, a guarantee letter is required.
Firstly, if five students taking the exam together vouch for each other, and one of them cheats, all five will be held accountable.
Secondly, a local scholar who had obtained the title of Xiucai (a degree in the imperial examination system) was asked to act as guarantor; thirdly, an official appointed by the government was required to verify that the family had a clean background and no criminal record.
Only in this way can one embark on the ancient path of imperial examinations and rise to prominence.
As soon as the food was ready, Wang Shiyun scooped a full spoonful of steaming hot food into a bowl, intending to take it into the inner room for Ma Xiulin.
"Mother, I'll take it to Father."
Ma Wenxiang is crisp and authentic.
Wang Shiyun smiled gently after hearing this and did not refuse. She placed the bowl in his hand and, seeing that Ma Wenxiang held it firmly, she felt relieved and let him go.
Upon entering the side room, Ma Wenxiang said, "Father, dinner is ready."
"Put it aside for now, and eat it after it cools down a bit."
Ma Xiulin was now holding his breath and concentrating, his earlier excitement gradually subsiding. He was now looking at the books and the annotations left by his predecessor, studying them with great concentration.
After hearing this, Ma Wenxiang didn't disturb them and left the room first.
When he finished his meal and returned, Ma Xiulin had just put down the book he was holding.
Seeing this, Ma Wenxiang obediently sat to the side, mentally preparing himself, and said, "Father, I also want to participate in the imperial examination and take the next exam."
Ma Wenxiang had to get past his family's hurdle.
Otherwise, they wouldn't even be qualified to participate in the imperial examinations.
"You? You've taught yourself the Four Books and Five Classics, and you can even write essays?"
Ma Xiulin wasn't angry after hearing this. He supported his bowl and chopsticks with two fingers, eating and laughing at the same time, taking Ma Wenxiang's words as childish and not taking them to heart.
"Dad, I'm serious."
Ma Wenxiang took a deep breath and continued.
Ma Xiulin was eating and had some free time, so she didn't keep chasing him away.
The main reason is that the Ma family has a good family tradition, and the old master Ma really dotes on Ma Wenxiang, so even Ma Xiulin, as the father, has to deal with it.
In other farmers' homes in Majia Village, no one cares about the consequences; the prevailing belief is that "spare the rod and spoil the child."
Ma Xiulin casually picked up a piece of paper and placed it in front of Ma Wenxiang. He then added a few strokes to it, which was the "pasting scripture" that Ma Wenxiang's sea of questions strategy had not yet involved. It was the fill-in-the-blank question of later generations.
"In the application of rites, harmony is of utmost importance. This is the beauty of the way of the former kings. It is followed in all matters, large and small, but there are some things that cannot be done."
The blanks that followed were to be filled by Ma Wenxiang.
Ma Wenxiang racked his brains, and the first half of the sentence seemed to have a slight recollection of it; it should be from the Book of Rites, one of the Five Classics.
He kept muttering to himself, repeating the first half of the sentence over and over again, but he had absolutely no recollection of the second half and couldn't say it at all.
Ma Xiulin had finished her meal and hadn't really expected him to answer.
Even if he did answer correctly, people would probably just think it was lucky for Ma Wenxiang and wouldn't take it seriously. Besides, Ma Wenxiang's current behavior only confirmed to him that the child was just acting on a whim.
"Don't bother your father unless it's important. Go find your mother. What I'm doing right now concerns a matter of great importance to three generations of the Ma family."
Ma Wenxiang got up and walked out of the side room.
With a loud bang, the door slammed shut.
Ma Wenxiang felt utterly empty inside. Standing outside the door, all that remained was a mournful cry: "Your Majesty, save me! I truly cannot do it!"
Ma Wenxiang's calls went unheard.
Meanwhile, the Kunning Palace in the capital was much more lively than usual.
Smiling faces, laughter rising and falling, even the atmosphere of everyday life seemed much more vibrant.
"Your Majesty, you are becoming increasingly plump and your complexion is excellent. When will you teach your younger sister the methods of maintaining health?"
The one who spoke was Consort Li from the palace.
She was the mother of Zhu Bai, the future Prince of Xiang. After the death of Ma Xiuying, the mistress of the harem, she took charge of the affairs of the six palaces. Currently, she is the only one in the palace besides Ma Xiuying.
Her status was arguably the highest, and the two had always had a very good relationship.
"Sister, you absolutely mustn't keep anything from me, or I won't allow it."
Consort Guo Ning, arm in arm with Ma Xiuying, sat down beside the phoenix couch and smiled.
She was the mother of Zhu Tan, the future Prince of Lu, and had married him as a concubine long before Zhu Yuanzhang rose to power.
Guo Ningfei's two elder brothers, Guo Xing and Guo Ying, were both famous generals who helped found the country. The Guo family had a long-standing relationship with them when they were still in Haozhou, so she had a deep connection with Ma Xiuying and the two had a very harmonious relationship.
That's why.
Only then did she dare to temporarily set aside palace rules and speak somewhat informally, which made her seem even closer to others.