Chapter 59 Examination Passed

The old instructor was stunned, and Elder Ye's eyes widened in disbelief.

Magistrate Wang wore a blank expression.

Chen Ping's answer was utterly unexpected.

Earlier, when Chen Ping said he would forfeit the qualification if he could not solve it, cold sweat had already beaded on Elder Ye's forehead.

He had been silently weighing his words, preparing to cover for Chen Ping's youthful and unbridled boldness.

Only at this moment did Elder Ye realize that he had consistently underestimated Chen Ping.

Even Magistrate Wang, who had always been indifferent to mathematics, sensed the terrifying significance of the situation from the heavy atmosphere in the room.

Everyone gazed at Chen Ping, whose expression remained calm.

A deathly silence persisted for a long time.

It was finally shattered by the old instructor's laughter, which grew louder and clearer, soaring straight up to the clouds.

He had forgotten how many years had passed since he had laughed so heartily.

Like an excited child, the old instructor slapped the arms of his chair and laughed aloud, saying, "Yongshun County is truly blessed with unending fortune! Not only has the official road been repaired recently, but such a prodigy has also emerged among us!"

"For how many years has quiet Yongshun County remained obscure? Now, it is truly destined to be recorded in history! We must pour a great cup of wine to celebrate!"

In the old instructor's words, the repair of the Yongshun County official road and Chen Ping were clearly placed on equal footing.

The old instructor was ecstatic, while Elder Ye was caught between joy and anxiety.

His joy was that his closed-door disciple was truly exceptional, proving his judgment right.

His anxiety was that the boy was simply too exceptional.

That Chen Ping could answer the first question was still within Elder Ye's comprehension.

As for the second question, even Elder Ye himself could never have solved it purely through mental calculation without putting brush to paper.

Watching everyone's reactions, Chen Ping felt a pang of guilt and rubbed his nose.

I showed off too much!

Just as Chen Ping was feeling sheepish, the old instructor had already picked up his brush and written the letter of guarantee.

From this day onward, the first step on the path of the Imperial Examination for Child Scholars had officially been taken.

Holding the old instructor's guarantee, Magistrate Wang looked even more excited than Chen Ping himself, and exclaimed with overwhelming joy, "Young man, you have struck gold, do you know that?"

"If the old instructor had merely written that you passed the preliminary assessment, the prefecture yamen would still subject you to strict scrutiny, and there is even a chance your quota might be squeezed out by the scions of powerful nobles. To those people, my recommendation does not carry much weight."

"Now, with the old instructor's guarantee, even the prefecture yamen will show him enough respect not to make things too difficult for you."

"With this single problem, you have effectively cleared two major hurdles. It has been many years since a student in our county received such treatment."

Hearing Magistrate Wang put it this way, Chen Ping turned his head in surprise to look at the old instructor.

To think that such a towering figure was hidden within this small Yongshun County town!

A mere mention of his name could command respect from the officials at the prefecture yamen.

The old instructor rolled his eyes and self-deprecatingly remarked, "I am no great personage, and I do not hold much sway at the prefecture yamen."

"The ones with real influence are those former students of mine working in the prefecture yamen and the provincial administration commissioner's office. I am merely basking in their reflected glory."

* * *

Listening to the old man's affectionate, probing tone, Elder Ye and Magistrate Wang had already grown alert.

Sure enough, the old man was attempting to poach talents right in front of them without any reservation.

Elder Ye was so irritated that his facial muscles twitched.

Magistrate Wang was incensed: *I, a dignified magistrate, haven't even succeeded yet, on what grounds are you making your move?*

The old instructor was unbothered by having his face rebuffed and offered a reminder, "Since that is the case, let us forget about the master-disciple arrangement."

"However, when you go to the prefectural city and the provincial capital in the future, if you truly encounter matters that you cannot resolve, you may drop my name. It might just be of some use."

"Of course, I cannot guarantee whether it will be useful or how much help it will provide."

Even if not his disciple, they were at least fellow townsmen, and the old instructor genuinely cherished talent.

Hearing this, Elder Ye and Magistrate Wang felt a jolt in their hearts, realizing there was an unexpected harvest to be had today.

When the old instructor claimed he did not wield much influence, he was merely being modest.

The men he had personally taught included three presented scholars (Jinshi) and more than two hands' worth of provincial graduates (Juren), all of whom currently held official posts.

With such an interwoven network of connections, if truly placed at Chen Ping's disposal, it would undoubtedly benefit him for a lifetime.

Although Chen Ping did not fully grasp the weight of these words, he was no naive child and naturally understood the preciousness of human favors.

He immediately bowed to the old instructor and said, "Thank you, Senior, for your care. If this junior truly steps out of Yongshun County one day, I will surely seek out my fellow townsmen to draw closer to them."

"As the saying goes, who is closer than people from one's hometown? When traveling far from home, if one does not look to one's fellow partisans, to whom else can one turn?"

The old instructor clapped his hands and laughed heartily, holding Chen Ping in even higher regard.

This boy possessed extraordinary talent, resolve, and character.

When the old instructor mentioned his disciples, he had intended for them to look after Chen Ping, extending an olive branch.

However, such matters could never be a one-way street.

Even for the sake of the old instructor's reputation, they would at most offer slight assistance in minor matters; should a major crisis arise, they certainly would not intervene lightly.

Yet what Chen Ping said—that one must draw close to fellow partisans when away from home—struck right at the core of the old instructor's desires.

That he could grasp this layer of meaning within just a few words deeply gratified the old man.

As long as Chen Ping took the initiative to contact his fellow townsmen and used the old instructor's connection as a bridge, they would inevitably forge a mutually beneficial relationship.

And only mutual benefit could serve as a truly enduring strategy.

Moreover, looking at the talent Chen Ping was currently displaying, in another ten or twenty years, it would be hard to say who would be taking care of whom.

After Magistrate Wang and the old instructor offered a few more words of encouragement, they each returned to handle their official duties.

* * *

Elder Ye led Chen Ping to the pavilion in the back courtyard.

He said earnestly, "It seems I no longer need to worry about your mathematics. With all my time spent on planning the road repairs lately, I wonder how your self-study of the Confucian classics is coming along?"

Knowing his own shortcomings, Chen Ping had never dared to slack off.

After a period of intense remedial study, he had improved significantly compared to when he first started.

He answered truthfully, "This disciple has been reading whenever I have free time."

"Very well. Then today, I shall test you with a few questions."

Was this akin to a midterm exam from his past life?

Chen Ping cupped his hands and replied, "Please instruct me, Teacher!"

Elder Ye pondered for a moment and asked, "The three hundred poems of the Book of Songs can be summarized in a single phrase: what is it?"

This question was simple, serving merely to test his proficiency in reciting the Analects.

Without a second thought, Chen Ping blurted out, "Guileless in thought!"

"He who lacks trustworthiness is no good for anything! What is the next line?"

Chen Ping replied, "How can a large carriage be made to go without its cross-bar, or a small carriage without its yoke?"

"Good!"

Approval flickered in Elder Ye's eyes.

"It seems you have indeed studied diligently during this period, but you must understand that reading is one thing, and truly comprehending is another. If you merely rote-learn without understanding the meaning, it is like eating food without tasting its flavor!"

"This disciple has been instructed."

Elder Ye nodded slightly, pacing slowly with his hands behind his back.

After a moment, he continued his questioning.

"When things do not go as expected in your endeavors, always turn inward and examine yourself. How is this to be interpreted?"

Hearing this question, Chen Ping furrowed his brow.

This quote originated from the *Li Lou* chapter of the *Mencius*.

In its original context, it meant that whenever one failed to achieve the expected outcome in any matter, one should reflect upon oneself.

Yet that was merely the most basic interpretation.

After pondering for a long moment, he slowly said, "The superior person is cautious when alone and does not deceive his own heart."

It meant that even when others could neither hear nor see, one must act with caution and never violate one's conscience.

If one could achieve this state of cautious solitude, there would be no need to turn inward and examine oneself!

Hearing Chen Ping's answer, Elder Ye's eyes lit up slightly.

"Not confined to a single book or classic, using the words of the sages to interpret the words of the sages! There is indeed some substance to this! However... I believe there is an even better interpretation for this phrase: the superior person seeks within himself, while the petty person seeks in others."

"This disciple will remember it."

"If you were to take 'When things do not go as expected, turn inward and examine yourself' as a topic to write an eight-legged essay, how would you break the theme?"

The so-called "breaking the theme" meant deriving the profound implications of the sages from the phrase while ensuring novelty and originality.

In truth, imperial examination essays of ancient times were akin to dancing in shackles.

They required scholars to perform gracefully and brilliantly within a limited space, and the difficulty can well be imagined.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Ping answered, "A person washes their heart to cast off evil, just as they bathe their body to wash away dirt."

Hearing this, Elder Ye nodded in gratification.

Although this opening could not be called exquisitely brilliant, it was upright, balanced, and could be considered superior.

"Not bad, you have indeed made great progress."

Chen Ping bowed deeply and said, "It is entirely thanks to Teacher's instruction. This disciple will certainly not disappoint your painstaking efforts..."

Before he could finish, Elder Ye glared at him and impatiently waved his hand.

"Enough, I can't stomach these empty formalities."