Chapter 68: Such Remarkable Insight from This Young Man!

A crowd of people all looked up at Li Su, astonished that after the exam, he could recite his entire essay from memory.

“It’s all right, it doesn’t matter if you can’t recall it,” Li Su said, noticing Yun Qin’s expression and refraining from suggesting that they write it out. Instead, the two discussed their essays in detail.

Both found elements in each other’s arguments that were useful for themselves.

“Since you can recite your essay, could you let me appreciate the whole piece?” Yun Qin couldn’t help but ask, his request sincere—he truly wished to see the essay in its entirety.

“No problem,” Li Su agreed readily, feeling no offense at the request.

Lin Ze volunteered, “I’ll grind the ink for Brother Su.”

Li Su took up his brush and wrote out both of his essays. When Yun Qin first saw the calligraphy, a look of amazement flashed in his eyes.

Li Su wrote in standard script, each stroke powerful yet lively, the spacing balanced, the proportions harmonious, as if unfolding a beautiful painting.

Everyone crowded around to watch; Yun Qin took the best spot, reading intently, his admiration growing deeper.

He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—within Li Su’s essay, he saw traces of the style of the Grand Chancellor. Perhaps all excellent essays share some similarities.

At the same time, a hint of disappointment crossed his eyes. The Grand Chancellor had refused to take him as a disciple—perhaps he truly wasn’t outstanding enough. Seeing Li Su’s essay, he realized there were always those greater than oneself.

Had Brother Li been born into a prominent family in the capital, surely his fame would have spread far and wide by now.

Yun Qin’s essay was actually quite good, but upon reading Li Su’s, he recognized his own shortcomings. After their discussion, Li Su also felt his essay could be improved.

Both saw their own deficiencies, and their appreciation for each other deepened.

Lin Ze, Qin Ming, and Ren Shuhua, seeing Yun Qin happily conversing with Li Su, felt glad for Li Su, but also relieved that Yun Qin wasn't from their region—otherwise, they feared they’d never get a chance to speak with Brother Su.

They couldn’t help but think their scholarly abilities were still lacking. If only they had Yun Qin’s level, they wouldn’t be relegated to listening on the sidelines, unable even to join the conversation.

Whether or not they passed the exam this time, they resolved not to relax in their studies—they would strive harder, not hoping to catch up with Brother Su, but at least not to lose sight of his shadow altogether.

In the following days, the scholars anxiously awaited their results, while also making friends with other examinees, hoping to find like-minded companions.

They talked of everything, their conversations broad and varied.

Li Su saw in them the youthful vigor and ambition, the confidence to command and debate.

Each had their own ideals; perhaps they would be changed by life, but for now, they possessed youthful zeal, lofty aspirations, and friends who shared their dreams.

When a question arose, differing opinions would spark lively debates.

In this environment, Li Su felt his own blood stir with excitement.

During his stay in the provincial capital, he made several new friends, all from different places. Perhaps they would meet again, perhaps not, but all would remember these lively conversations.

...

Inside the grading room.

The examiners were buried in piles of papers, their expressions focused, the red pens in their hands moving constantly, circling and marking.

One examiner casually opened a paper, at first reviewing it in a routine manner. When his eyes fell on the handwriting, his brows relaxed a little.

He found nothing amiss in the initial sections.

Arriving at the poetry section, his eyes widened in surprise—how exquisite! This poem delighted his heart. Only after a while did he calm himself and continue reading.

He was full of admiration, and when he reached the essay, after reading the opening lines, his gaze froze, his expression grew serious and attentive; unconsciously, he straightened up, pulling the paper closer.

“This candidate’s insights are so unique!” he exclaimed.

His voice broke the silence of the grading room; the chief examiner and others looked up at him.

Unable to contain his excitement, he beckoned the others, “Come quickly!”

The other examiners gathered around, their expressions shifting from curiosity to shock and admiration.

“This writing, this brilliance, truly extraordinary!” the chief examiner sighed after reading the poem and essay.

“My previous favorite was impressive, but I didn’t expect there would be a candidate even better!”

“This year Cangwu has produced such talent—both papers are outstanding, but I do think this one is superior.”

“A blessing for Cangwu; given time, he will surely achieve greatness!”

The examiners took turns admiring the paper. “This truly is the star of this year’s cohort!”

“This candidate is surely the top scorer in this exam!”

“I wonder who he is?”

They all hoped the candidate was from their own jurisdiction.

After finishing all the grading and finalizing the results, they were eager to unseal the names. The supervising official was puzzled by their urgency—after all, none were first-time examiners.

Still, he began unsealing at once. The first was the top scorer; the examiners crowded around, “Li Su? Does anyone know him?”

“Li Su? I know! The Triple Scholar! Cangwu has produced a Triple Scholar this time!”

“What? The Triple Scholar?”

“Yes! I know him—Li Su is a student from Ningxin County, Tanzhou Prefecture. He topped both the county and prefectural exams!”

“He will surely shine in the future!”

Even the supervising official couldn’t help but widen his eyes—Cangwu had produced a Triple Scholar?

The Triple Scholar is not as rare as the Sixfold Laureate, but still uncommon; to top the county, prefecture, and academy exams consecutively requires both skill and luck.

“Tomorrow, when the results are announced, have the yamen runners deliver the news to him personally, and send word to Ningxin County as well—don’t neglect this. Choose the runners carefully; the procession should be larger than for other scholars.”

“Right, the runners should beat drums, raise flags, and prepare firecrackers in advance.”

The Tanzhou Prefecture examiner was especially elated—he hadn’t expected such a brilliant candidate from his jurisdiction, and though Li Su wasn’t originally from Tanzhou, as an official there, this achievement counted toward his record.

The other examiners looked on with envy; Tanzhou Prefecture had always performed modestly in the Cangwu exams, but this time, they’d exceeded all expectations.

The Tanzhou examiner raised his head proudly—now, none of the others dared tease their prefecture’s performance.

This was the true meaning of silent brilliance bursting forth!

The chief examiner praised the Tanzhou official and reminded him, “Don’t skimp on the celebrations—this candidate may surprise us further in future exams.”

“You mean...”

No one spoke the words “Sixfold Laureate,” but the heat in their hearts was palpable, their minds electrified.

A Sixfold Laureate might not appear once in a century. If Cangwu truly produced one... it was too much to imagine.

Having seen Li Su’s papers, they knew his talent—if luck was on his side, it might just be possible.

The chief examiner said, “He’s taking the exam this year, so next year he can sit for the provincial exam.”

The provincial exam is held every three years; because it’s scheduled for next year, many students who hadn’t previously taken the children’s exam chose to do so this year.

The examiners eagerly anticipated next year’s provincial exam, hoping to witness Li Su’s astonishing performance.

So excited were they that they barely slept that night before finally calming down.