"Wei Tu?" Magistrate Chen stroked the three-inch-long beard beneath his chin, pondering for a long moment before ordering his clerk to bring the roster of this year's military examination candidates to his desk.
The Zheng Dynasty had enjoyed two hundred and sixty-three years of rule, but the administration had grown corrupt, far inferior to the previous dynasty.
Cheating in the imperial examinations occurred frequently across every circuit, prefecture, and county.
It was not limited to Qingshan County alone.
"However, if this Wei Tu's results are poor, I can find another excuse to brush it off; the risk is still too great..." Magistrate Chen thought to himself while flipping through the roster.
In literature, there is no first place.
In martial arts, there is no second place.
The military examination was different from the civil one; it was not as murky as literary essays. The skill level of a candidate was clear at a glance, even to a layman.
The three categories of martial prowess—stone lifting, mounted archery, and foot archery—were results that could not be faked.
"He actually achieved 'Grade A-Superior' in stone lifting, and his other subjects are also Grade A. Only his sword-dancing score is slightly lower, at 'Grade B-Superior'..."
After flipping to Wei Tu's results, Magistrate Chen was slightly surprised for a moment. With these scores, Wei Tu was arguably a top contender for the championship.
It was evident that the gifts the Huang family sent were not merely to ensure Wei Tu made the list and qualified for the prefectural examination, but to have him officially designated as the county's top martial scholar.
"Now, only the field combat trials and the internal military strategy exam remain..."
"Both can be tampered with."
Magistrate Chen tapped the roster on his wooden desk and ordered the clerk to summon the examiner for the county's "combat trials."
...
In the afternoon.
The field "combat trials" began.
The "combat trial" was the only practical assessment in the military examination. Candidates were paired off, and those who successfully advanced to the top ten were awarded a Grade A.
As for the specific skill levels of the top ten, no further comparison was made during the county or prefectural exams. After all, fists and feet have no eyes, and there was no need for candidates to suffer serious injuries during these stages.
Except for the top martial scholar, who earned the right to bypass the prefectural exam, there was no difference between the other candidates who made the list.
The second-place finisher was treated the same as the last.
There was no need to distinguish between them.
It would not be until the circuit examination, where the status of "martial scholars" varied, that their true rankings and standings would be determined.
"I hope I don't run into those few martial artists who got Grade A in sword-dancing during the combat trials, otherwise..."
As the examiner began grouping the candidates and calling out names, Wei Tu prayed silently.
By his best estimate, he had been practicing sword techniques for less than half a year, and he had no practical combat experience during that time.
Therefore, whether it was the performative "sword-dancing" or the practical combat trials, he was naturally at a significant disadvantage compared to these wealthy martial artists who had been practicing since childhood.
Soon.
The "combat trial" examiner had assigned the martial artist who would face Wei Tu.
"I have no impression of this martial artist; it seems he didn't make the Grade A list," Wei Tu thought, glancing at the man and comparing him to the list of martial artists in his mind.
Before the trials began, merchants at the City God Temple would purchase the results of every martial artist from the clerks and compile them into booklets for sale.
Martial artists who achieved Grade A in any category were known as "Grade A martial artists" and were the favorites to make the final list.
"Ma Hong from Wangdu Township. I ask that Martial Artist Wei please go easy on me."
Soon, Wei Tu and his opponent stepped onto the ring and exchanged names.
However, Ma Hong clearly recognized Wei Tu. After Wei Tu stepped onto the ring, his expression shifted slightly, and he cupped his hands in a salute.
"Wei Tu of Changming Township."
Wei Tu returned the salute.
After the formalities, the two immediately engaged.
A short while later.
After a dozen moves, Wei Tu forced Ma Hong off the ring, securing his first victory.
—A Grade B-Superior in sword-dancing was not weak; he only feared the dozen or so martial artists who had achieved Grade A.
Next, there were several more bouts.
To Wei Tu's slight surprise, every time he engaged in combat, the examiner assigned him to the same group of weaker martial artists.
"Could it be..." After the fifth match, Wei Tu seemed to realize something. He paused on the stone steps of the ring, his gaze subconsciously drifting toward Master Huang among the gentry.
When things are abnormal, there must be a demon at work.
In participating in this county military exam, Wei Tu had not publicized his status as a disciple of the Shan martial school, other than revealing it to the Huang residence.
—He hadn't been confident enough to win the championship, so he saw no need to mention the Shan background.
Thus, it was clear the examiner wasn't changing his opponents based on connections to the Shan school, but rather, someone behind the scenes was helping him.
Someone with the power to influence the county examiners and the willingness to help him...
Their identity was self-evident.
No one else fit the criteria except for Master Huang, with whom he had established a kinship.
"Exam fraud?" Wei Tu frowned.
—It wasn't that he was morally opposed to such filth, but he was worried someone might use this to harm him.
For a martial artist of his caliber, such petty tricks did more harm than good.
"I have established kinship with Master Huang; even if I didn't accept his patronage, he shouldn't be trying to harm me..."
Thinking of this, Wei Tu shook his head, suppressing these distracting thoughts.
Soon, several more matches began.
Without encountering any of the top-tier martial artists, Wei Tu faced no pressure, easily crushing his opponents and standing among the final top ten of the "combat trials."
The "small tricks" Wei Tu had noticed went largely unnoticed by the other martial artists and the onlookers.
After all, Wei Tu's scores before the combat trials were already strong, making him a favorite for the championship; it was only natural that he would easily defeat the other martial artists.
"Wei Tu?"
Among the top ten, a young man with eyebrows that swept up toward his temples looked deeply at Wei Tu, who stood beside him, his eyes showing a hint of disdain.
Others hadn't noticed Wei Tu's cheating in the combat trials, but he was an exception.
Because he was wary of Wei Tu's strength, he had been keeping a close eye on him, observing his moves to devise a strategy...
He just hadn't expected...
During this time, he had caught glimpses of the possibility that Wei Tu was cheating in the matches.
"Forget it. Making a scene wouldn't be good for me either," Wei Fei shook his head, withdrawing his gaze from Wei Tu.
Reporting exam fraud would not only target Wei Tu but also the various officials of Qingshan County.
He didn't have the guts to do such a thing during the examination.
Furthermore, even if the report were successful, his own future would be ruined.
"Officials protect their own"—that had never been an empty saying.
...
After the venue cleared.
Wei Tu sought out Master Huang to verify his suspicions about the combat trials.
The result was as expected.
For this military exam, Master Huang had indeed spoken to Magistrate Chen.
"The title of County Champion might seem useless, serving only to bypass the prefectural exam, but... in reality, when it comes to official appointments, the government will take into account that you are a County Champion and will use their discretion to assign you better martial posts..."
"Besides, even if I, your uncle-in-law, didn't do this, other gentry would do the same for their own nephews."
"Giving Magistrate Chen a heads-up beforehand was just to ensure your deserved results wouldn't drop simply because there was no bribe..."
In the carriage, Master Huang sat opposite Wei Tu, explaining slowly.