Chapter 208: 130 Prodigy (First Update)
Strictly speaking, the blame couldn’t be laid on the two. The examination papers of Guozijian’s preliminary school change every year, and only one year had featured a foreign language examination, which was ten years ago.
The paper became unmarketable over time, so the bookstore stopped making copies. As a result, when Xiao Liulang went to the bookstore to buy examination papers from the past years, he didn’t get this particular one.
Xiao Jingkong is an exceptionally bright child. If he can’t pass the examination, the fault certainly lies with the adults.
The examiners certainly intended to humble these gifted children this time. Since these children, naturally brighter than ordinary people, could easily become proud and arrogant, they wanted to teach them a lesson during the examination, to cut them down to size.
As expected, when the examiners began grading the papers, the last three major questions caused a collective failure.
No one answered all correctly. The best attempt was a complete Zhao Country seven-word quatrain, but three characters were incorrect while the rest of the candidates wrote just a few words.
The examiners were overjoyed. It seemed this year’s youngsters would have to humbly attend their classes.
However, when they got to the last paper, their laughter suddenly stopped.
Who the hell is this? What on earth has he written?
“Is this nonsense written by the child?” one examiner asked.
Another examiner vaguely felt something was amiss: “I think I’ve seen this kind of writing somewhere before.”
The two called over the most reputable teacher for language studies from Guozijian. After looking at it, he could not confirm what it was: “I…I need to get my teacher to take a look.”
The teacher took Xiao Jingkong’s examination paper to a courtyard in Capital City, where he found an old man who had dedicated all his life to researching Sanskrit.
Finally, the old Sanskrit researcher came to a conclusion: the candidate wrote in Sanskrit.
Legend has it that Sanskrit is a language created by Brahma, the guardian deity of Buddhism, so it is also referred to as Brahmi.
“So what has he written?” an examiner asked.
The teacher replied: “He has written a Buddhist scripture.”
Is this even allowed?
They spent a day setting the paper, but took three days to translate Xiao Jingkong’s Buddhist scriptures.
For the first time, the lifelong examination markers were confused by a student.
Examiner one: “We can’t give points.”
Examiner two: “That’s right, he did not respond to the question as instructed.”
Examiner three: “Moreover, his handwriting is illegible.”
Examiner four: “…Isn’t that because he wrote in Sanskrit?”
Examiner four was collectively beaten up!
What nonsense is he talking about?
In the end, Xiao Jingkong got into Guozijian’s preliminary school seventh in the rankings.
Xiao Jingkong was very disappointed.
It was the first time in his life that he had tasted defeat.
He had boasted in front of his bad brother-in-law that he would definitely rank first, but he ended up seventh. Now he had lost his appetite.
Surprisingly, Gu Yan did not take this opportunity to ridicule him. He patted Xiao Jingkong’s shoulder: “It’s alright. You’re already a lot better than many children. When I was your age, I didn’t even know a single character!”
Xiao Jingkong thought carefully for a moment, then suddenly burst into tears: “So when I grow up will I be as foolish as you? Woo hoo——”
What was I thinking, a poor student trying to console a top student!
On the morning of October 27, Xiao Liulang also began his entrance examination for the Guozijian.
Guozijian had been closed for nearly four years, and a large number of previous students also rushed to take the examination.
Guozijian has three grades in total. After enrollment, they are not ranked by age or seniority but by scores.
Those with poor scores enter the three halls of Righteousness, Chongzhi, and Guangye, which are which are considered as first grade classes with the term lasting for a year and a half.
Those with average scores enter the two halls of Virtue and Sincerity, the second grade, also with a term of a year and a half.
Finally, there is Shuaixin Hall, the highest grade of Guozijian. Unlike the previous five halls which are divided into Class Alpha and Class Beta, Shuaixin Hall is only one class. New students rarely make it in. Typically, they have to study for a full three years in Guozijian and pass a very strict examination to get into Shuaixin Hall.
However, there is a guaranteed seat in Shuaixin Hall this year— for the legitimate grandson of the Grand Tutor, an heir of the Duke.
The Duke’s Heir was a recognised prodigy; his fame had spread to all six nations even when he was a hostage in Chen country. In theory, such a talent did not need to take the imperial examination to be favoured by the Court.
However, the family had ancestral rules: all clansmen must participate in the Imperial examination.
Over the years, the family has produced numerous exam-talent scholars, although some failed. It’s commonplace for such a powerful family to succeed, so the public didn’t think much of it. Those who failed, however, were ridiculed and laughed at by the public.