On the seventh day of the eighth month, Shen Huaizhi and Lin Yue set out early for the bookstore. Even before the shop opened, quite a few people were already waiting—all there to buy books.

Lin Yue leaned close to Shen Huaizhi’s ear and whispered, “They sure got up early. Let’s hurry inside later and buy a few extra copies.”

Lin Yue didn’t quite understand the purpose of these books, but he knew that people only scramble for good things. Since they were good, he decided to buy a couple of extra copies. Even if he didn’t need them right away, he could use them later. In a few decades, he could pass them down to the next generation—by then, his family would be considered a scholarly one. Just thinking about it made him happy.

Shen Huaizhi was a bit hesitant; these annotated texts, specifically designed for exams, were likely to be expensive.

“The door’s open. Let’s go in and take a look first. If the price is right, we’ll buy them.”

The shopkeeper looked like a scholar himself and treated the crowd pouring in with great courtesy, speaking in a gentle, soft voice.

“Please be patient, everyone. I have two books here with commentaries on the provincial exam and the Academy. One is a collection of model essays compiled by the scholars of our prefectural academy, known as ‘Shiwen.’ This is the most popular one, priced at two taels of silver. The second is a selection of outstanding essays compiled by Master Ma Er, known as ‘Xuanwen’ which is slightly cheaper at one tael and five wen. If you wish to purchase *Shiwen*, please head to the left; if you wish to buy *Xuanwen*, please head to the right. There are clerks waiting for you at the front. If you’d like to buy both, please follow me.”

Lin Yue was dumbfounded. That was far too expensive. Before they left, Song Xunchun had given them a little over four taels of silver. They had already spent 130 wen over the past two days; if they bought the books today, they would have only one tael left. Thankfully, he had brought an extra two taels!

Lin Yue whispered to Shen Huaizhi, “Is the provincial exam the one where you take the test to become a Juren?”

“Right. If you pass the provincial exam, you become a Xiucai. Xiucai are eligible to take the provincial exam, and if you pass that, you become a Juren.”

Lin Yue’s eyes lit up instantly. “Come on, come on, let’s go down the middle aisle and buy both books.” Shen Huaizhi stumbled as Lin Yue tugged him along, nearly tripping inside the shop.

“Don’t rush—slow down and watch your step.”

“Oh, I know. Hurry up, hurry up! What if they’re sold out?”

After returning to the inn from the bookstore, Shen Huaizhi didn’t go out again; he spent the entire day in his room reviewing his studies. Lin Yue, however, went out twice more. The meals provided by the inn were a bit more expensive than those at the street stalls, and the variety wasn’t as rich, so Lin Yue went out to buy food.

In addition to the street lined with various stalls, he also made a trip to Dong’an Alley. The food stalls there were doing brisk business, and Lin Yue wanted to see what they were selling.

The seventh day was overcast, and Lin Yue had been worried it might rain, but fortunately, it held off. By evening, the sun even came out, and the sky was filled with a beautiful sunset.

Before he knew it, the day of the provincial exam had arrived. At the hour of Yin, before dawn had even broken, voices could already be heard in the inn. Several nearby inns were housing Tongsheng for the exam, though their numbers were small—the Yuelai Inn, where Lin Yue and his companion were staying, had only three guests, all of whom had risen early that morning.

Lin Yue had been a bit nervous the night before; even after Shen Huaizhi had fallen asleep, his eyes remained wide open. Today, he was the first to wake up as well, and only after hearing movement outside did he call Shen Huaizhi to get up.

Shen Huaizhi: “You should get some more sleep. It’s still early. I’ll go by myself.”

Lin Yue shook his head. “I can’t sleep. I’ll come back for a nap after I take you there.”

Unable to dissuade him, Shen Huaizhi quickly dressed and washed up. The robe he wore today was the very one Lin Yue had made for him after their marriage—a brand-new garment that made him look even more vibrant.

Lin Yue examined him closely and said hesitantly, “Haven’t you lost a bit of weight lately? This robe doesn’t seem to fit quite right.” Shen Huaizhi glanced down at himself. “It looks fine to me. You made it beautifully.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The waist is clearly too loose. The clothes I make are barely wearable. I can’t even compare to Lingzhi, let alone Mother. And you call this ‘beautiful’?”

Shen Huaizhi nodded. “Yeah, it’s nice.” 

Lin Yue: “……”

He had to admit, he was actually quite pleased—he even felt like making him a whole new outfit.

“Hurry up and wash up. Let’s get going. We’ll grab breakfast out before heading over. I asked around yesterday—the exam will last all day. Many of the food stalls out there sell special flatbreads and dry rations for examinees. Buy a couple extra later. I just asked the shop assistant for some hot water; I let it cool and poured it into the water gourd.”

Shen Huaizhi had already changed into his clothes. Hearing this, he said, “I’ve got it. Don’t worry.”   

“Won’t you be a bit cold wearing just this?”

Lin Yue recalled Shen Huaizhi telling him before that, before entering the exam hall, soldiers would inspect candidates’ clothing, shoes, socks, hats, and bags. To prevent cheating by hiding items in one’s attire, clothing had to be simple; hats had to be single-layered; socks had to be thin; and shoe soles had to be thin as well.

He had originally made this outfit for summer wear; it was only a single, thin layer, so it did meet the requirements. But now that autumn had arrived, there was already a chill in the air when the breeze picked up in the mornings and evenings.

Shen Huaizhi patted him reassuringly on the shoulder and whispered, “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry—I know what I’m doing. As soon as I go in, you should come back and get some sleep. I’ll be back tonight.”

The provincial exam here lasted only one day. Candidates entered at dawn and had to submit their papers before nightfall. No candles or oil lamps were provided in the examination hall—a practice known as “no candles.”

Each time the papers were handed in, the doors would only open to let the candidates out in groups of ten. The first ten were called the “First Group,” followed by the “Second Group” and the “Third Group.” When the Third Group exited, they were sent off with a band playing music and drums, creating a deafening din that was extremely impressive. Those who left afterward did not receive this treatment.

Shen Huaizhi recalled his teacher mentioning that in the past, the provincial exam consisted of two sessions: the main exam followed by a retest the next day. For some reason, however, this practice seemed to have been discontinued in the past two years.

At dawn, Lin Yue and Shen Huaizhi arrived at the entrance to the examination hall. The scene was bustling: soldiers stood guard at the gate, and a table had been set up in the center—intended for the Education Commissioner to sit at later. Before the candidates entered, the Commissioner would emerge to oversee the proceedings.

Lin Yue and his group had barely arrived when two of the guards stationed at the gate stepped forward, one on each side, and shouted in unison: “By order of His Excellency the Education Commissioner, all Tongsheng are to gather their personal belongings and provisions and prepare to enter the examination hall. Anyone found with cheat sheets or engaging in misconduct will be immediately expelled. Furthermore, all accompanying persons are to step back immediately; anyone disrupting order will be expelled.”

Lin Yue visibly grew more nervous. He rummaged through Shen Huaizhi’s satchel once more to ensure nothing was missing before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Hurry up and go. It’s no good to be last; if you go in early, you might get a good seat.”

Not wanting to worry Lin Yue, Shen Huaizhi didn’t tell him that the seats might be assigned by lottery; he simply said, “Alright, I’ll head over now. You should go back too.” Lin Yue nodded, his expression resolute. “Don’t be nervous. I’m sure you’ll get in.”

Worried that Shen Huaizhi might feel too much pressure, Lin Yue added, “Even if you don’t make it this time, there’s always next time. Look at all the people waiting to take the exam here, you might not be the youngest, but you’re still relatively young—you’ve got decades left to take the exam.”

Shen Huaizhi was at a loss for words—Lin Yue was clearly very nervous himself, and his ability to offer comfort had plummeted.

“I’ll do my best to pass this time. If not this time, then next time—I definitely won’t be taking it for decades, I promise.”

Lin Yue realized his earlier words hadn’t been very comforting. He wanted to say something else but feared it might backfire, so he could only nod gloomily.

Shen Huaizhi couldn’t bear to see him looking so pitiful, like a wilted little eggplant. He raised his hand to ruffle his hair and said softly, “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got a whole day of exams ahead. The city is so big, and there are plenty of new things to see. You can go explore today. The money is all with you—buy whatever you want. It’s fine if you spend it all. When we get back tomorrow, I’ll start copying books; that’ll earn us a few taels of silver.”

“Alright. I’ll go back, get some sleep, and then head out. If I see anything suitable, we can stock up on some fresh treats for our little stall,” Lin Yue said.

Shen Huaizhi smiled. “Whatever you say. I’ll head over now—they’re already lining up.” Lin Yue slapped his forehead and hurriedly urged him, “It’s all my fault. You’d better go—we can’t delay any longer.”

Today’s inspection was bound to be a bit of a hassle. They’d only checked ten people when they caught one with a cheat sheet—a tiny scrap of paper sewn into the inside of his clothes. The middle-aged scholar had been quite smug, thinking he’d never be discovered, but the soldier conducting the search found it right away.

The sound of drums—”boom, boom, boom”—rang out instantly. In addition to the inspection team, another officer arrived from the side and immediately apprehended the scholar. “Caught smuggling scriptures with intent to cheat. By order of the Education Commissioner, he is expelled from the examination hall.”

Penalties for cheating caught before the exam began were relatively lenient; for instance, smuggling scriptures resulted only in expulsion. However, if discovered during or after the exam, the punishment was much harsher—ranging from expulsion from the examination hall to collective punishment and exile.

“Have mercy, Your Honor! Have mercy! Let me take the exam! I beg you, please let me take the exam!”

Before the Education Commissioner could speak, the escorting soldiers gagged him. No amount of remorse or tearful pleas would do him any good now. With the first incident, subsequent inspections became even stricter.

The family members and servants accompanying the examinees were all gathered in a corner outside the examination hall. Lin Yue was there as well, his entire being consumed by anxiety. His mind raced, frantically reviewing Shen Huaizhi’s clothing and food—had there been any issues? That pastry had been purchased from Hu’s Eatery; he had carefully broken it apart and inspected it piece by piece. It shouldn’t have caused any trouble.

Fortunately, Shen Huaizhi made it inside without incident.

Lin Yue didn’t rush off; he waited outside the entire time. Before long, the officers arrested another candidate for hiding something in his hat and another for hiding something in a pastry. Lin Yue watched with bated breath. Only after everyone had entered and the examination hall doors were shut did he turn and return to the inn.

Inside the examination hall at that moment, the Education Commissioner was writing the exam questions in the main hall. On a sheet of paper two feet tall and one foot wide, he wrote the questions in large characters, stroke by stroke. In just a few moments, the Education Commissioner set down his brush, waved his hand, and the people waiting nearby stepped forward to take the paper and affix it to a large wooden sign. They then carried the sign and walked around the hall.

As Shen Huaizhi read the questions, he quickly recited them to himself twice before copying them onto his paper. He pondered for a long time before finally picking up his brush to begin his answers.

The content of the provincial exam was largely the same as that of the prefectural exam: two essays on the Four Books, one on poetry, and one on contemporary topics. Shen Huaizhi answered the essays fairly smoothly, but the poetry portion proved difficult. He pondered intently for a long time before putting pen to paper; by then, it was already afternoon.

After Lin Yue returned from the examination hall at the Education Commissioner’s office, he lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. When he finally drifted into a light slumber, he was startled awake moments later, his mind filled entirely with Shen Huaizhi. One moment, he was worried Shen Huaizhi hadn’t been able to answer a question; the next, he feared Shen Huaizhi had defaced his exam paper. An entire hour passed without him falling asleep, so he simply got up and left the inn.

Yesterday he’d explored the restaurants and taverns; today it was time to check out other places.