CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: ANOTHER TOP GRADE, WONDERFUL

Zhao Xing originally intended to turn in his paper and go eat, but since Chen Shijie had spoken, he had no choice but to stand by and wait.

The judges graded the papers separately, each responsible for part of the grading, then they cross-checked each other’s work.

After all, there were only a little over five hundred papers, not too many.

But they couldn’t afford any mistakes.

Xue Wenzhong first came upon the question "The wind blows from the south of the city with brutality."

Seeing that Zhao Xing had avoided the question’s pitfalls and answered perfectly, half of the weight in his heart was lifted.

"He thoroughly remembered Caoxi True Monarch’s methods, which makes sense, as most of his magic was taught by the True Monarch."

Next, he saw the question "The land is cold in the spring, unused by wood, steamed by the summer sun, and locusts thrive."

Upon reading Zhao Xing’s answer, Xue Wenzhong’s mind was at ease.

His gloomy face cleared up, even revealing a smile.

"I misjudged him. To answer this question so perfectly, his understanding of the Five Elements and Four Seasons is very deep. The rest of the questions should be no problem for him."

The Old Minister of Agriculture was very pleased. In a good mood, even his demeanor relaxed significantly.

He no longer worried about Zhao Xing becoming conceited due to his achievements.

Gao Linong, Tang Wanchun, and Pang Yuan were responsible for Zhao Xing’s transcriptions of classical texts.

He got all the easy points correct, without a single mistake.

Being well-read and with a strong memory was not unusual, but Zhao Xing’s speed was impressive: thirty sheets completed, burning the midnight oil without a single error, was indeed remarkable.

"Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous!" Chen Shijie suddenly exclaimed three times.

This startled the other judges.

With Chen Shijie’s voice being so loud, even the candidates outside must have heard it.

Indeed, some candidates outside did hear it. After all, they were not deaf.

Some even saw Zhao Xing hand in his paper and walk into the hall early.

But those who heard were puzzled. Just how brilliant could Zhao Xing’s answer be that the chief examiner imitated a cat’s cry in praise!

"Of the Five Elements, none is more esteemed than Earth. Earth resides in the center, governing the four directions, yielding to none. It does not vie with Fire for fame."

Chen Shijie was reading Zhao Xing’s answer to the last question.

He was so pleased purely because Chen Shijie himself belonged to the Earth Advantage Sect.

Zhao Xing’s answer undoubtedly struck a chord with him.

Moreover, this statement greatly aligned with the ideology of the Earth Advantage Sect, making any member of the sect naturally inclined to like it.

Because it further elevated the Earth element, even bestowing it with the title of "governing the four directions," though a bit flattering, it was done in a skillful way.

Zhao Xing’s answer hit the right points, not just random flattery, but precisely what struck Chen Shijie’s fancy!

"Ahem, I’ve lost my composure." Chen Shijie, noticing the astonished looks from the others, quickly realized his mistake and covered it with a dry laugh. "It’s nothing. Everyone, take a look at this paper. We must review it fairly."

"You still want to pretend? Your smile is even harder to suppress than the Guiyuan Water Wheel. With the chief examiner’s attitude so clear, how are we supposed to review it impartially?" Gao Linong thought to himself, finding this chief examiner utterly unreliable.

He didn’t take the paper because he didn’t want to give Zhao Xing a high score against his conscience, even if Chen Shijie made his views so clear. Gao Linong’s personality was rather straightforward.

But the others did not follow his lead. They immediately picked up the paper and seriously reviewed it.

"Hmm? Indeed, it’s marvelous!" Tang Wanchun praised after reading it. Though he wasn’t from the Earth Advantage Sect, objectively speaking, this answer was indeed worthy of a high score.

Pang Yuan and other reviewers also found Zhao Xing’s answer to the last question genuinely impressive and well-grounded, not just fabricated nonsense.

Upon cross-checking, the other officials also acknowledged Zhao Xing’s brilliance.

"Returning to Heavenly Time, supplementing one season of spring and one season of summer? Bing Fire adjusts yin, and Ding Fire continues yang? This answer is even more complete than what I had previously thought."

"Constructing a mountain in the south of the city with earth veins to block the wind; building canals in the east of the city, diverting water around the city, and constructing the Guiyuan Water Wheel. This is precisely what Lord Cao Zhen had done!"

"The question I posed was indeed based on Lord Cao Zhen and the ancient city; I didn’t expect him to see through it at a glance."

Gao Linong, seeing so many colleagues starting to praise, couldn’t help but take a closer look.

After a moment, his gaze toward Zhao Xing became complicated.

"Why isn’t this person my student? Instead, he was discovered by the Old Minister of Agriculture!"

"Hmph, at least his handwriting is poor!" Gao Linong thought sourly, "Yes, in the top-tier category, his handwriting is definitely the worst!"

......

Without a doubt, the reviewing judges unanimously deemed Zhao Xing deserving of a top-tier rating.

Even Gao Linong did not give him a lower rating out of spite because the judges’ scoring remarks had to be recorded and reported.

Giving him a lower rating due to poor handwriting would leave a bad impression of bias above. In this era, poor handwriting wasn’t considered a major issue.

Once formally inducted, one’s primordial energy allowed precise control of one’s hand, making writing akin to engraved print. Thus, such a minor detail could never cost a candidate his place.

Normally, deciding on a top-tier ranking wouldn’t be this quick, but due to the consensus, Zhao Xing, who had handed in his paper first, was the first to receive a top-tier rating.

Others were still continuing their exams, and the judges couldn’t keep him there for too long. Zhao Xing cupped his hands in salute and silently left the examination hall.

.......

The next day, more people gradually turned in their papers, and the exam results of over five hundred candidates were released by that afternoon.

Zhao Xing once again secured a top-tier rating. Due to the exam’s difficulty, only two others achieved a top-tier rating besides him.

They were Ding Shan and Liang Bai.

Ding Shan was quite familiar to everyone. He was the oldest scribe in the Huai Liu Courtyard and had been assisting Xue Wenzhong for a long time, handling documents and classics.

His aptitude in magic was mediocre. His top-tier rating was purely due to age and extensive experience in taking exams.

Liang Bai achieved a top-tier rating for the first time. This kind of theoretical exam didn’t assess magic proficiency but purely theoretical knowledge, so it was normal for someone with average cultivation to achieve a top-tier ranking.

Besides them, there were nine others on the top-tier list, including Li Chengfeng, Wen Nanxing, and Xiao Ze.

Zong Shichang ended up with a second-tier ranking, as he wasn’t particularly skilled in this area.

"He secured top-tier again. His magic is impressive enough, and now even his theoretical knowledge is so proficient? Is this person truly cut out for officialdom?" Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze, determined to surpass Zhao Xing in this exam, were greatly disappointed when the results came out.

How did he manage to get a top-tier ranking again?

"The Old Minister of Agriculture must have shown favoritism, giving his beloved student hints or special tutoring beforehand," Huang Tao said resentfully.

"Brother Huang, can’t you stand someone else excelling because you didn’t do well?" someone retorted.

"Exactly, it wasn’t just the Old Minister of Agriculture setting the questions; your teacher saw them too."

Mrs. Cai had cooked many times, and her efforts had not gone to waste; more people around started defending Zhao Xing.

"You lost to Mr. Zhao before; no need to harbor such resentment. You were the one who challenged and tried to take his territory."

"Brother Huang, stop deceiving yourself; it’s pointless."

"..." Feeling thoroughly stung, seeing more and more people defending Zhao Xing, Huang Tao did not dare to argue further, fearing it would only embarrass himself. He slunk away miserably.