My Promotion Story Through Time Travel

Chapter 42 Introduction Examination

Time flies like an arrow. After the Dragon Boat Festival, the entrance exams for the Academy's Preliminary Studies are drawing ever closer. Since only those who pass the Level 3 Preliminary Studies exam can participate in the prefectural exam, all the students at Moshan Academy who are at Level 3 Preliminary Studies are eager to prepare and are on high alert. Even the elementary and preschool students are filled with a cautious and tense atmosphere.

On May 30th, the preliminary examination was held, which lasted for three days and could be considered a mock examination for the prefectural examination.

Two days before the exam, elementary and preschool schools were given a holiday, while the third level of elementary school students were given a holiday the day before the exam. Based on his previous experience, Lin Ziping guessed that this was because the academy was setting up the exam venue.

Lin Ziping didn't rest that day and arrived at the academy early. He considered himself an experienced test-taker, having taken dozens of exams since childhood and watched many others take exams of all sizes. However, this was the first time he had truly experienced the high-level exams of the academy in this era, so he decided to come and broaden his horizons.

Roadblocks were set up at the foot of the academy mountain, prohibiting vehicles and horses from entering. The long staircase leading up the mountain was no longer bustling with activity, and the students' playful antics were gone. People coming and going had serious expressions and hurried steps.

The candidates were dressed in clean and tidy purple academic uniforms. Because it was a closed exam, the candidates prepared their own food, writing materials and some daily necessities. Before going up the mountain, they handed in all their items for inspection and entered a temporary room to take off their outer clothes and shoes for inspection.

I overheard someone nearby saying that in the previous dynasty, candidates had to take off their clothes and be shirtless for inspection before taking the prefectural and provincial examinations. However, Emperor Taizu believed that it was disgraceful for scholars to be poorly clothed, so he changed it to the current system where candidates are required to remove their outer garments, shoes, and socks for inspection.

Lin Ziping generally approved of Zhou Taizu's reforms, but considering her own identity as a girl, she was only fourteen or fifteen years old when she took the entrance exam. Wouldn't it be risky to expose herself if she took off her outer garments and shoes and socks? She could skip the prefectural exam, but the entrance exam was like a graduation certificate or degree certificate, and she couldn't skip it. She sighed again, "In this era where women are in power, why not increase the reform of the imperial examination for women?" She longed for the day when there would be electronic metal detectors.

Lin Ziping scratched his head. This body was six years old, and it would start developing in a few years. Moreover, life had just begun, and he couldn't keep dressing like this forever. It seemed he had to think of a way!

Temporarily setting aside her anxiety and worry about being disguised as a man, Lin Ziping turned her thoughts to the present moment and looked at the crowd around her. Suddenly, she saw Tao Ju'an. She hadn't seen him for many days; the boy seemed to have grown taller. He was carrying a basket and moving slowly with the crowd.

"Tao Ju'an..." Lin Ziping waved in Tao Ju'an's direction.

The boy must have heard Lin Ziping's voice, because he turned around and the two smiled at each other.

Lin Ziping mouthed, "You will pass every exam."

Tao Ju'an, whether he understood or not, cupped his hands to Lin Ziping, waved to him, and then walked into the academy.

Three days, both short and long.

Perhaps because there were less than ten days left before the prefectural examination, the academy teachers went all out to speed up the grading process, and the rankings were announced in less than two days.

At the foot of Shuyuan Mountain, a sign resembling a bulletin board had been placed, and it was already crowded with people. Lin Ziping and Tao Ju'an squeezed in and started searching for names one by one from the last person on the notice board.

"Tao Ju'an, ranked fifth!" Lin Ziping said happily. The boy's lips curled up and his eyes shone. People around him also cast envious glances.

Perhaps Lin Ziping's words provoked the people behind him, and the crowd became even more intense. Tao Ju'an led Lin Ziping out of the crowd.

"Brother Ju'an, you're really amazing!" Lin Ziping praised.

Tao Ju'an smiled and said, "Thank you very much for your help, Young Master Ziping. The test questions you sent are very useful!"

Lin Ziping laughed along with him.

"Isn't this Tao Ju'an, who is so beloved by the Master? How did you do on the exam this time?" Lin Ziping looked at the person who spoke. It was the same person he had met at the entrance of the Academy of Order last time. His name was Jia Daneng.

Lin Ziping thought of how he met Tao Ju'an, and how it was this Jia Daneng who had bullied him. He looked at Tao Ju'an with concern.

"Young Master Jia." Tao Ju'an withdrew his smile and bowed to Jia Daneng.

"Brother Jia, Tao Ju'an ranked in the top five this time," said the person next to Jia Daneng.

Jia Daneng was not as arrogant as Lin Ziping had been the previous times. He didn't say anything when he heard what the people next to him were saying, and even seemed to have a smile on his face as he walked into the crowd.

Lin Ziping looked at Jia Daneng's back with a strange expression. He wanted to tell Tao Ju'an his thoughts, but he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. What was normal? Was it normal for Jia Daneng to be sarcastic and to beat Tao Ju'an up like when they first met by the pond?

"Young Master Ziping, let's go." Although Tao Ju'an didn't say anything, he was clearly no longer as happy as before.

The two walked slowly towards the academy's steps.

"Brother Ju'an, have you seen who's at the top of the list?" Lin Ziping tried to break the silence.

Tao Ju'an replied without hesitation, "It is Fang Youzhi, young master Youzhi."

Lin Ziping thought of the aloof and arrogant young man he had seen at the entrance of Xuxue Academy when he last looked for Tao Ju'an. So he was a top student. It was understandable that a top student would have that kind of temperament.

“Young Master Youzhi has always been at the top of the list in all levels of assessments since he was a child. The headmaster is his mentor. If the headmaster hadn’t forbade it, Young Master Youzhi would probably be able to go to the Imperial Academy now.” Tao Ju’an said with a hint of envy.

So he's a genius, then it's only right that he's worshipped by the mediocre students.

Lin Ziping, puzzled by Tao Ju'an's words, asked, "The Imperial Academy?"

"Passing the teaching assessment allows one to participate in the provincial examination, but one must pass the prefectural examination to participate in the provincial examination. After studying at the Imperial Academy for two years, one can directly participate in the provincial examination. After the provincial examination, one studies at the Imperial Academy for one year and passes the assessment to participate in the metropolitan examination. The provincial and metropolitan examinations are held every three years. Passing the prefectural examination makes one a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination), after the provincial examination one becomes a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examination), and after the metropolitan examination one becomes a Gongshi (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examination). After the metropolitan examination, His Majesty the Emperor will personally conduct the palace examination, personally assessing the top thirty Gongshi. The top fifteen become Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest level of the imperial examination)."

The sea of ​​learning is truly vast. There are not only college exams, but also provincial exams, metropolitan exams, and palace exams. Each stage involves multiple rounds of selection, choosing the best of the best. Each hurdle is difficult, but you must overcome it all. In this era, those who can break through the encirclement and finally achieve success not only need outstanding abilities, but also need a family with a certain level of economic strength.

Tao Ju'an explained the journey to shore in this era to Lin Ziping in detail. Seeing that Lin Ziping did not speak, he stopped and said with a smile, "Young Master Ziping is still in elementary school. It may be a bit early for him to know these things now. When he goes to the pre-school level, the teachers will explain these things in detail."

Lin Ziping came to his senses and heard Tao Ju'an say, "I understand Brother Ju'an's intentions. It's better to know about this sooner rather than later. Thank you for informing me, Brother Ju'an."

Lin Ziping was indeed grateful. When he was in college, he was confused about the future, but some of his classmates had already started preparing for postgraduate entrance exams and civil service exams, while he was still struggling to find a job. They had already succeeded. If someone had told him back then, wouldn't he have been able to make plans earlier and plan for his life in advance, instead of stumbling around and getting hurt later?

Tao Ju'an smiled and said, "This is not a secret. I hope Young Master Ziping doesn't mind my talkativeness. We've arrived at the Elementary School. Young Master Ziping, please go in."

"Alright, I hope Brother Ju'an will pass the prefectural examination in five days!" Lin Ziping cupped his hands to Tao Ju'an.

Tao Ju'an smiled, bowed, and left.