Chapter 56
The news of Xu Ming claiming the top spot in the imperial examination spread like wildfire throughout the capital. Compared to the previous time when Xu Pangda achieved the same honor, this time Xu Ming’s accomplishment was truly unparalleled in significance.
The number of participants in this year’s tongshi (children’s examination) set a new record in Wu Kingdom’s history. Many of the contenders were already renowned for their talents but had previously been unable to participate in the imperial exams. For Xu Ming to emerge victorious under such circumstances was an extraordinary feat.
Fearing potential criticism from the public, the officials overseeing the examination requested that Xu Ming’s answer sheets be published. Emperor Wu readily agreed, ordering Xu Ming’s work to appear in the weekly gazette. Furthermore, he rewarded Xu Ming with a prized Golden Hao Calligraphy Set.
The Golden Hao Calligraphy Set had once belonged to the first scholar from Wu Kingdom to enter the prestigious Bailu (White Deer) Academy. While not a rare treasure in itself, its symbolic significance far outweighed its material value.
It was clear to everyone that, despite never having met Xu Ming, Emperor Wu held him in exceptional favor. However, due to Xu Ming’s status as the son of a concubine, prior rewards had been measured and restrained. Now that the stigma of his birth had been lifted, the emperor’s reward of the Golden Hao Calligraphy Set was seen as a way to make up for past limitations, leaving little room for dissent.
To Xu Ming, the reward carried undertones of imperial favor and an attempt to win his loyalty—an entirely reasonable move. After all, Xu Ming was still young, unaffiliated with any faction, and likely, in the emperor’s eyes, had yet to form a solid worldview. Befriending him now was a low-cost, high-reward strategy.
A year later, Xu Ming turned ten.
By this point, Xu Ming had spent ten years in this world. Together with Xu Pangda, he participated in the xiangshi (provincial examination).
Xu Ming found it surreal to be taking part in the same kind of examination that had famously tormented characters like Fan Jin. Unlike Fan Jin, however, Xu Ming felt confident that he would succeed on his first attempt.