Poor but talented scholar

Chapter 66 Head of Case

Lu Chuan didn't hesitate and wrote it down immediately.

In the section on "agriculture and sericulture," he did not cite classical texts to praise the pastoral scenery.

"Food is the paramount necessity of the people, and diligence is the foundation of the land. How can one who does not know the five grains talk about education? How can one who does not care about the labor of farmers hold a high position in the court?"

In the section on "rites and music," he takes a different approach, arguing that rites and music are not only about sacrifices and pomp, but also about contracts and the rules governing people's hearts.

In the most sensitive section on "officialdom," Lu Chuan's writing is sharp and incisive, directly pointing out that the ills of officialdom lie in "greed" and "superficiality."

He proposed using the virtues of local worthies to fill the gaps in government service and using strict rewards and punishments to pacify the minds of officials.

In the final exam, Lu Chuan wrote extremely slowly.

He not only had to deal with this profound policy discussion, but also had to write a beautifully written "Ode to Qingyang" in parallel prose at the end of the book.

As the final cannon shot rang out over Qingyang County, Lu Chuan gently put down his pen.

At this moment, the once packed cell was now empty, with only a few scattered students remaining.

Lu Chuan, carrying the much lighter exam basket, was the last to leave the examination hall.

Outside the examination hall, the once bustling crowds had thinned out, leaving only a few close relatives holding out.

"He's out, that's our Chuan'er."

Lu Shouye and his sixth uncle had been waiting so long that their eyes were sunken.

As the deafening cannon roared, the gate slowly closed.

The 15-day exam has finally come to an end.

......

The release of the county examination results is a major event for the entire city.

For the next three days, Qingyang County was unusually quiet.

All the restaurants and teahouses were quiet again, and the students gathered in small groups, their faces tense.

The day of the results finally arrived.

The entrance to the county government office was already completely surrounded by people.

This day is the day the final rankings are announced.

"The results are out! The results are out!"

With a burst of rapid gong and drumbeats, several constables carried out a huge red notice.

The previously noisy crowd stared intently at the red paper.

Lu Shouye and his sixth uncle, relying on their strength from farm work, managed to squeeze to the very front.

"Name, find the name!" Lu Shouye was sweating profusely with anxiety. He didn't know many characters, so he just stared intently at the shape of the two characters "Lu Chuan".

The rankings on the red list are written backwards, with higher rankings further to the left.

Lu Shouye started looking from the far right, and after looking at one row he didn't see it, and then he looked at another row and still didn't see it.

"Could it be that we've fallen?" Lu Shouye's voice was trembling with tears.

"Look to the left, look into the big circle." Uncle Liu pointed tremblingly to the far left of the red list, to the location of that big circle.

There, in the very center of a huge circle, were written:

"First place: Lujia Village, Luchuan."

"The top scholar, the top scholar!" Uncle Liu pulled Lu Shouye, who was still in shock, with tears streaming down his face. "Shouye, did you see that? The name at the very top is our Chuan'er. Our Lu family village has produced a top scholar."

Lu Shouye stared at the circle, as if he had been frozen in place.

He reached out his hand tremblingly, wanting to touch the name, but afraid of soiling the red notice board.

"You won! You got first place!"

The good news spread like wildfire, instantly reaching the Dragon Gate Inn.

"Great joy, great joy!"

Several errand runners, known for delivering good news, rushed into the inn, their voices booming: "Lu Chuan, the top scholar from the back courtyard of the Dragon Gate Inn, has achieved consecutive victories in the county examinations and topped the list!"

As the messenger's voice boomed through the inn's lobby, the people who had been anxiously waiting for the results were instantly plunged into a deathly silence.

"Who? Who are you saying is the top suspect?"

A bright candidate, about twenty years old and dressed in a silk robe, was holding a cup of wine. His movements froze in mid-air, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Replying to Young Master Zhou, it's Lu Chuan from the side room in the backyard of the Dragon Gate Inn." The messenger was also excited; this errand would certainly be well-paid. "The county magistrate has personally approved it in red ink: Lu Chuan, Master Lu, excelled in all five sections, and is hereby selected as the top scholar in this year's county examination!"

With a loud "bang".

The examinee, referred to as Young Master Zhou, dropped his wine glass, which shattered on the ground.

He was the eldest son of the Zhou family in the county town. He had been preparing for the county examination for six years, with guidance from famous teachers, and was determined to succeed before the exam.

"Absurd, utterly absurd!" Young Master Zhou stood up abruptly, his face flushed red. "I've seen Lu Chuan before. He's just a kid who doesn't even reach my waist. How old is he? Eleven years old! An eleven-year-old brat, to get first place? I think the examiner must have been blinded by greed!"

Whispers could be heard inside the inn.

"An eleven-year-old scholar who has become the top scholar in the imperial examinations—Qingyang County has never produced such a young scholar since the founding of our Great Qian Dynasty."

"I saw him in the backyard a couple of days ago, sitting quietly in the side room. I thought he was some kind of pageboy brought out to broaden his horizons, but who would have thought..."

"Oh my, Chief Lu."

At this point, the shopkeeper had no time to care about Young Master Zhou.

He rushed towards the backyard as if his backside was on fire, grabbing his robe and taking three steps at a time.

"Chief Lu, this is a joyous occasion, a truly auspicious occasion!"

As the innkeeper shouted, he personally pulled out an account book from his pocket, tore it to shreds with a ripping sound, and said, "I was truly blind to your greatness. All the previous rent and water fees are waived. Not only that, but whenever Chief Lu returns to the county town, this best room in the backyard will always be reserved for you, free of charge."

He rushed to the gate of Lu Chuan, just in time to see Lu Shouye and his sixth uncle walking out with blank expressions.

"Congratulations, gentlemen!" The shopkeeper's waist was almost touching his knees. "Look, I knew it! Look at the demeanor of this young scholar, he's no ordinary person."

Lu Chuan pushed open the door and came out.

The eleven-year-old boy was still quite young and hadn't grown to his full size yet; he even had a somewhat immature air about him.

That composure, that steadiness honed under the pressure of five high-pressure exams, is nothing like that of a child.

"Eleven years old..."

When the good news arrived, Lu Shouye was still in a daze from being the eleven-year-old top scholar. It was his sixth uncle who reacted quickly, tugging at Lu Shouye's sleeve and reminding him in a low voice, "Shouye, what are you standing there for? Quickly give the reward money to the officials."

Lu Shouye suddenly woke up and hurriedly pulled the cloth bag from his pocket.

The two messengers who brought the good news were all smiles.

They had traveled all over the country, but this was the first time they had ever seen such a small desk.

Eleven years old! Who knows which adult he'll become in the future? If we don't curry favor now, when will we?

"Chief Lu, you are a prodigy, the first of your kind in Qingyang County." The bailiff took the good news and showered praise on the bailiff. "We are delighted to deliver this good news. With your literary talent, even the good-for-nothing son in the family will probably learn a few more words."

Lu Chuan stepped forward and counted out two neatly bundled strings of copper coins from his father's hand, exactly fifty coins per string.

"You two have worked hard on your duties, take this money and have some hot tea. The county town is crowded today, and I will remember your message." Lu Chuan's voice was neither humble nor arrogant.