Chapter 131: Junior
The examination system of Nanzheng State had been implemented three years ago, its regulation growing stricter with each passing year. When the unified examination was first introduced, most of Nanzheng, from high to low, viewed it with skepticism, with a faction of the aristocracy secretly deriding the initiative. Zheng Congyuan did not enforce the system with a heavy hand but rather implemented it gradually, like nurturing drizzle.
The unified examination did not consider the candidate’s aristocratic background or rely on elder recommendations. Any male from Nanzheng State, aged between thirteen to sixty, could enter into the government through this examination.
The first group of officials who had passed the unified examination had now permeated the bureaucracy. Three years was neither too long nor too short a time, yet it was sufficient for something once disfavored to slowly gain acceptance and even develop into a deeply rooted and growing force.
Ju Nanyi was among the first group of officials to rise through the unified examination. Although the aristocracy still saw such positions as marginal and inconsequential, significant seats of power remained in the hands of the major aristocratic coalitions. However, it was undeniable that over these three years, more and more new faces had emerged within the government, infiltrating almost every aspect.
This year’s examination was even larger, attracting many commoners eager to prove their worth. The first batch had just been appointed to seemingly insignificant positions, yet they still represented the fresh blood and future of Nanzheng State.
Yanjindu was the second largest city in Nanzheng State, adjacent to the Zheng Capital. In Linping Town near the outskirts of Yanjindu, where an ancestor had once been a high official, the thirteen surrounding villages greatly valued education. Any family with some means would strive to send their children to study.
Ju Nanyi had emerged from here, the first to pass the unified examination. Since then, Linping Town’s momentum had surged, with high officials in the past and now Ju Nanyi, who was highly regarded by the Crown Prince, causing the young talents of Linping Town to eagerly anticipate their own chances.
Luh Xingze followed Ju Nanyi by two years, and the town’s scholars often spoke of their proud disciple, Ju Nanyi. The primary agenda for Luh Xingze after passing the first round of the examination was to visit this fellow townsman who was his senior.
In Linping Town, his mother was very close to Ju Nanyi’s mother. Father Ju had passed away early, and Luh Xingze’s mother had taken great care of Ju Nanyi and his mother.