Do you know that my grandfather was entitled to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple?

Chapter 32 Announcement of Results

Ma Ping knew Wang You better than Zhao Sheng. When they chatted before, no matter what the topic was, Wang You could always chime in and offer some insightful opinions.

Seeing that Wang You wasn't very talkative today, I thought about it for a moment and understood a bit, so I became much more restrained when I spoke.

Zhao Sheng had drunk quite a bit of alcohol and didn't realize this; on the contrary, he became more and more excited as he talked.

Aside from occasionally chiming in with a few words, Zhao Sheng did most of the talking, while Wang You and Ma Ping did the other two.

The ordeal didn't end until Zhao Sheng was drunk and unconscious.

Wang You summoned Zhao Sheng's attendants and ordered them to escort Zhao Sheng back.

"Ziqian, is there something wrong with this?" Ma Ping asked.

"The topic of reform is not sensitive, but it's pointless for us to discuss it privately. Besides, according to you, reform is entirely beneficial but not beneficial at all. If that's the case, why did it fail?" Wang You said.

"This…"

Ma Ping hesitated and said, "It was because there were treacherous officials in the court who obstructed the reform that it failed."

"Then let me ask you, if there is a stream that normal people can cross at will, but only the elderly and children need to take a detour."

"The government is going to spend money to build a bridge to make it easier for the elderly and children to cross. You are able to cross it. Do you think this bridge shouldn't be built?" Wang You asked.

"No, building a bridge is convenient for others. Although I can cross it, having a bridge to walk on is also convenient," Ma Ping said.

"What if you need to contribute some money to repair this bridge?"

"This…"

Ma Ping was speechless upon hearing this.

He really wanted to say he was willing, after all, it would benefit the people.

But his family wasn't particularly wealthy. If he were to ask himself honestly, would he be willing to do something like that?

"Ziqian's words are wise; I have learned a great deal!"

Ma Ping, being a clever man, quickly understood Wang You's meaning and bowed respectfully.

"We don't need to cross the stream, nor do we need to pay anything, so it's essentially none of our business."

Of course, this doesn't mean we can't talk about things if there's no connection, but we shouldn't be too subjective when we do.

Reform is a good thing, but the fact that so many people oppose it speaks volumes.

We are still young and have not yet entered officialdom, so it is difficult for us to distinguish right from wrong.

Normally, one can reflect on right and wrong, and while reflecting, one can also delve deeper to understand and corroborate the findings.

"There's no need to rush to explain your point of view to others," Wang You said.

"I understand." Ma Ping nodded seriously.

"It's getting late, you should go back and rest. The results will be posted in three days, and the palace examination will be soon."

"Although it's difficult to prepare much for the palace examination, doing more preparation can put your mind at ease," Wang You said with a smile.

"There's something I don't understand. Why didn't Ziqian advise Brother Zhao just now?" Ma Ping asked.

It's normal that Zhao Sheng doesn't have a courtesy name yet; not every parent will give their child a courtesy name when they first come into contact with society.

There are still quite a few families who insist on giving a courtesy name after the child has reached adulthood.

"He's different from you. If I talk to him about these things, he won't listen. He'll just argue with me, which will only damage our relationship." Wang You smiled and shook his head.

Zhao Sheng came from a respectable family, so the reforms should have been a bad thing for his family.

However, he was very supportive of it and looked down on those officials in the court who opposed it.

Either his father and grandfather supported the reform movement, or he was just a bookish idealist.

But no matter which approach you take, it's hard to convince anyone.

If Wang Youruo offers a suggestion, it will only escalate into an argument.

A person's thoughts are the hardest to change. Emperor Wu of Han promoted Confucianism as the sole state ideology in order to unify thought.

Many people believe that Emperor Wu of Han was ranked alongside Qin Shi Huang because he destroyed the Xiongnu.

In reality, Emperor Wu of Han was a tyrannical ruler who exhausted the people's resources with his military campaigns, causing them great suffering. In the eyes of the people, he was a complete tyrant.

Although ancient scholars did not rate Emperor Wu of Han highly, and considered him neither a wise ruler nor a foolish one, they also did not hold him in high regard.

The fundamental reason is that he respected Confucianism. If scholars criticize him as worthless, wouldn't it be wrong to say that he respected Confucianism?

This shows that respecting Confucianism merely makes morality a means of restraining people.

Whether they are truly moral or just putting on a show for others, scholars who read the classics must be full of talk about benevolence and morality.

This is also why Confucianism has been revered throughout history.

No emperor would be so naive as to believe that Confucianism could truly make everyone consistent in their words and deeds.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many treacherous officials, and the ideal of universal harmony would remain just that—an ideal.

Even Confucianism cannot completely change a person's mind, let alone him.

Ma Ping came from a humble background, and his support for the reforms was merely a matter of self-interest.

Therefore, Wang You was able to persuade him.

In fact, Wang You doesn't want to make friends, at least not now.

It's not that he doesn't like it, but most of the friends he makes now are immature.

As they grow older and their thinking matures, their personality will also change.

Today's friends may become tomorrow's enemies due to differing ideologies.

Humans are social animals, and it's alright in Shouzhou, where family members are there to make up for the loneliness.

In Bianjing, Xiaoman and Shitou were usually by his side, and he couldn't find anyone to talk to.

Wang You still cherishes his two friends, Ma Ping and Zhao Sheng.

……

Before long, the day for posting the results arrived. During this time, Wang You did not see Ma Ping or Zhao Sheng again.

They simply sent a servant to inform him that they had arranged to meet today to view the results.

Outside the examination hall, there was a place where notices were posted, known as the Dragon and Tiger Wall. Every time the results of the imperial examinations were announced, they were posted on the Dragon and Tiger Wall, and it was also called the Dragon and Tiger List.

The list of child prodigies who passed the exams was naturally not qualified to be posted on the Dragon and Tiger Wall, otherwise the older scholars would have made a fuss.

The list of candidates for prodigies was posted on the wall outside the Ministry of Rites.

More than two thousand child prodigies from various regions participated in this prodigy test.

Half of them were eliminated in the first round, leaving only a thousand people in the end.

Although the prodigy exam received far less attention than the provincial exam, not many people came to join in the excitement.

The mere presence of students and their entourages was enough to completely block the area surrounding the Ministry of Rites.

After Wang You met up with Zhao Sheng and Ma Ping, they waited in a restaurant not far from the Ministry of Rites, and then had them accompany their attendants to see the list.

"Why aren't you guys nervous at all?"

Ma Ping was anxious and paced back and forth in the private room, but he was puzzled to see Wang You and Zhao Sheng looking so calm and collected.

"My family has already inquired, and I didn't pass the exam. Ziqian must be overconfident, right?" Zhao Sheng said with a smile.

Wang You was somewhat surprised. Although the prodigy test was not as strict as the imperial examination, it was still organized by the imperial court.

Without a very close relationship, it would be difficult to know in advance whether you have passed the exam.

"I'm not confident, after all, with so many people, who dares to say they'll definitely pass the exam?"

Wang You smiled and said, "I just think it doesn't matter if we don't pass the exam. We're still young, and as long as we work hard and are willing to learn, we can still participate in the imperial examination in the future."

Upon hearing this, Ma Ping's tension and anxiety subsided considerably.

Before coming to Bianjing, his teacher told him that the prodigy exam was more like a training exercise, allowing him to experience the tension and excitement of the imperial examinations.

Whether you pass the exam or not has no impact.

However, when you're caught up in it, it's hard to remain calm.

"Young Master!"

Just then, Wang You and Zhao Sheng's attendants, along with Shi Tou, returned.

Xiaoman exclaimed excitedly, "We passed! We passed! Young Master, you've made it onto the list of successful candidates!"