「The next day.」
「Cell No. D24.」
The prison guards brought a worn-out table and a long bench for Xu Xing. On the table were ink, a brush, paper, and an inkstone, along with a yellow jade armrest.
"These are the Four Treasures of the Study..."
"Top-quality Chengchi Inkstone, Gold Pine Ink, and paper and brush bought from Wenchang Pavilion..."
Captain Deng of Sky Prison entered the prison cell with a bundle of paper, glanced at Xu Xing, and said, "Commander Liu has granted your request, but within three days, we need to see results."
"Otherwise, all of these will be removed."
"Also, Old Wu, keep an eye on him. Don't let him write anything inappropriate."
Captain Deng instructed a clerical officer behind him.
The reason Sky Prison didn't provide writing materials was to prevent prisoners from falsely accusing others and leaving behind evidence. When people are pushed to their limits, anything can happen.
"Understood." Xu Xing nodded in agreement.
He didn't try to show off by claiming he would produce results today. Such temporary displays of bravado were useless. The reason he had requested writing materials through his connections wasn't primarily for mathematics; his true purpose lay elsewhere.
Captain Deng left with the prison guards, leaving only Xu Xing and Wu, the book handler, in the prison cell.
Wu, the book handler, was an old clerk. He sat in the corner of the prison cell sipping tea, but his sharp, experienced gaze never left Xu Xing.
Xu Xing ignored Wu, the book handler, treating him as if he were air.
First, he thanked Scholar Su. Then, he sat down on the long bench, rolled up his sleeves, picked up a wolf-hair brush from the brush stand, spread out a sheet of Xuan paper, and slowly began to grind the ink.
The faint scent of ink, carrying the fragrance of pine soot, wafted through the air.
He put brush to paper.
Rows of mathematical formulas and step-by-step logical proofs appeared on the plain paper. It looked extremely complicated.
After a short while, Wu, the book handler, holding his teacup, approached. He glanced at the paper and immediately felt dizzy. However, after carefully examining what Xu Xing had written on the Xuan paper, understanding each annotation for the strange symbols of the formulas, and then meticulously comparing and verifying them against the written equations, Wu, the book handler, found it all to be well-reasoned and sound.
These clerical officers inevitably dealt with mathematics in their daily work. Consequently, they had all studied some mathematics. Though not experts, they knew more than the average scholar.
Gradually, Wu, the book handler, became engrossed.
...
...
Fortunately, I managed to buy a copy of Mo Hai Bookstore's 'Talking About the Sky' from a bookshop early on; otherwise, with my current level of mathematics, I could only fool ordinary people. I wouldn't have the ability to delve any deeper...
「At Weijing Academy, inside his dormitory room.」
Xu Xing flipped through the thick book, silently congratulating himself. Through the Bronze Ancient Mirror, he could see what his counterpart in the Instance World was reading. By doing this, he could copy the Western geometry, algebra, and astronomy covered in 'Talking About the Sky' onto white paper, which would be enough to deceive the officials of Fengxi Country.
The cultures and customs of the two worlds might differ, but mathematics was universal. One plus one could only equal two, not three. The mathematical theories in the Instance World were clearly more advanced than those in Fengxi Country. As long as he faked it this way, no one would discover anything amiss.
Mo Hai Bookstore was established in Hu City on the third day of the eleventh month of the twenty-third year of Dao Guang's reign. It was the first printing house in modern Xia Country.
'Talking About the Sky' was a Western book co-translated by Li Shanlan and Wei Lieya, and it was extremely popular in the country. Weijing Academy, which advocated practical knowledge, even designated it as required reading for its students. Since the Academy didn't provide books, Xu Xing had searched for some time in external bookshops before finally managing to buy this book.
"Brother Xu, the Academy exams are in two days," Chen Jian'an said as he pushed open the door and entered the room, ready to talk business with Xu Xing. "You've been tutoring me in geometry these past few days. How about this: I'll give you two taels of silver before the exam, and if I pass, another two taels after."
Weijing Academy held exams once every ten days. The exams for Shimin Zhai and Day New Studio were different. Shimin Zhai only tested practical knowledge, while Day New Studio additionally included composition techniques for the Imperial Examination, testing students on passage completion from memory, textual explication, and, most importantly, formal essay writing. The number of subjects tested was nearly identical to the Imperial Examination itself.
Chen Jian'an was a young master whose father, Father Chen, had paid a hefty sum to get him into Weijing Academy; he wasn't a scholar who had passed the entrance examination. He was studying at the Academy not for learning itself, but primarily to broaden his network, hoping his classmates would help protect his family's business in the future. It is said that friendships formed with commoners are the truest. Of course, if he genuinely learned valuable skills at the Academy and achieved scholarly success, that would be an unexpected bonus for the Chen Family.
There were many young gentry like Chen Jian'an in top-tier academies. After all, not everyone was born to be a scholar. Under the Imperial Examination system, the County Exam selected only about fifty individuals, the Prefecture Exam about fifty, and the Provincial Examination also about fifty. This meant that in a Provincial Examination, held once every two to three years, only about fifty Scholar titles were conferred for an entire province. (Note: Fifty is not a fixed quota but an approximate number. County and Prefecture Exams select around fifty individuals, while the Provincial Examination selects about one-tenth of its candidates to become Scholars.) This was the level of competition: scholars from an entire province vying for these few dozen spots every two to three years. It was far more intense than the civil service examinations of later generations.
"Okay," Xu Xing replied, taking the two taels of silver Chen Jian'an handed him with a soft laugh. "Brother Jian'an, since you're asking for my help, I'm certainly not one to be stingy with what little I know."
These two taels are supposedly my tutoring fee, but they're actually just a way for him to curry favor. He saw through it but didn't expose it. Relationships deepen more quickly through mutual benefit. And right now, I do need this bit of money.
"However, Brother Jian'an, I also have a favor to ask you," Xu Xing said after tutoring Chen Jian'an in geometry. "The Confucian classics... well... I haven't fully mastered them, so I'm afraid I won't do well in the exam. I noticed you have 'The Small Questions Collection,' 'The 30,000 Exam Questions,' and 'The Small Questions Collection Continued.' I wonder if Brother Jian'an would be willing to lend me these books for a look?"
He wasn't asking to borrow just any books. 'The 30,000 Exam Questions,' 'The Small Questions Collection,' and 'The Small Questions Collection Continued' were essential Imperial Examination Sample texts for the Qing Dynasty Imperial Examination, published by the Hu City Tongwen Bookstore. These books, based on the Four Books, were divided into six major categories: 'The Great Learning,' 'Doctrine of the Average,' 'Upper Mencius,' 'Lower Mencius,' 'Upper Analects,' and 'Lower Analects.' Each category contained both minor and major question types. Each topic featured model essays in various styles by renowned scholars.
It could be said that once these Imperial Examination Samples are memorized, success in the Imperial Examination would feel like having divine assistance. The questions set by examiners almost never go beyond these samples... If I can copy all of them, passing the Provincial Examination might still be difficult. But the County Exam... What's so difficult about the County Exam? The standard can't be that high. I only need to pass the County Exam, and my Luck will surely improve significantly, and my Destiny will also change accordingly. The subsequent Prefecture Exam and Provincial Examination won't be too daunting either. With these Imperial Examination Samples as a guide, even if my essays aren't perfect—perhaps with a strong start but a weak finish—my chances of succeeding in the Imperial Examination will undoubtedly be much greater than others'.
"We're dorm mates, you and I. What's there to not lend?" Chen Jian'an said, generously opening his bookcase. "Just take them and read. Looking at them gives me a headache." He let Xu Xing choose freely.