Chapter 3: Magistrate Chen Sells an Examination Pass on a Letter from the Capital — Ling Guixing Sits the Provincial Examinations After Lifting His Mourning

After parting from Ma the Half-Immortal, Ling Guixing brought his manservant home. On the way he asked carefully, "What business brings Magistrate Chen?" The manservant's name was Xilai — not so young anymore, being fifteen or sixteen years of age — and Guixing had always treated him as a trusted confidant. Xilai answered, "I don't know what the important matter is. He came the day after the Master left for Nanyong. I told him you had gone to Nanyong. He asked when you'd return; I said I didn't know. Since then, he has come every three or five days to ask. Today he saw the luggage come back, so he came over. He's been waiting in the study for quite some time without seeing you return, and so I came out to find you. I had no idea where to look, but then I happened to run into Mr. Yi Xing from the main house over there, who said he'd seen the Master here getting his fortune told — and so I found you." Talking as they went, they arrived home, and Guixing went straight to the study to meet with Magistrate Chen.

Now, this Magistrate Chen was a native of Zhejiang. He had originally been a compiler at the Hanlin Academy and had served a term as Education Commissioner, which was why people called him "Magistrate Chen." In time he fell afoul of public opinion, was censured by the Censorate, and was dismissed from office by imperial decree. After losing his post, he took a liking to the prosperity of Guangdong and settled there. He had rented lodgings next door to Guixing, and as neighbors they had frequent dealings. His visit this time was on a particular matter.

After the usual courtesies were exchanged, Magistrate Chen drew near and lowered his voice: "I have called on you several times of late, but Your Honor was away on business..." Guixing quickly asked, "What is it you have to tell me?" Magistrate Chen said, "I have received a letter from a classmate of mine in the capital. This classmate's surname is Wang — I cannot say his given name at present. Next year, the year Bingwu of Yongzheng's reign, is a provincial examination year. This classmate of mine is the favored disciple of the current Grand Secretary of Wenhua Hall, who also serves as Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy. It has been quietly arranged that the classmate will be named Chief Examiner for Guangdong. He has written to ask if I can sell one or two examination passes (connections allowing a candidate's paper to be identified and selected by the examiner). I am only a sojourner in your honorable province, and selling examination passes is a weighty matter — I can hardly go about announcing that I have passes to sell. So I have come especially to discuss this with Your Honor, to see whether there might be anyone willing to buy."

Guixing was secretly delighted and thought to himself, "The words of Ma the Half-Immortal are coming true!" He counted on his fingers and calculated that his mourning period would expire exactly in the fifth month of the following year. He said to Magistrate Chen, "How does one go about buying such a pass? And what guarantee is there?" Magistrate Chen said, "Your Honor has never dealt in these matters, so it is understandable you do not know the art of it. Suppose the price is agreed upon — the examiner need only tell you a few characters, which you commit firmly to memory. When you enter the examination hall, you embed those characters in the opening lines of your first essay. When he sees them, he will naturally select your paper." Guixing asked, "But since one cannot meet the examiner in person at this point, how does the arrangement work?" Magistrate Chen said, "That too is easily managed. If someone buys a pass, I will of course need to make a trip to the capital. I can tell him the characters directly, or I can communicate the characters to my classmate once I arrive in Beijing — it amounts to the same thing." Guixing asked, "How much does this cost?" Magistrate Chen replied, "To guarantee placing as a juren (a graduate of the provincial examination), the price is five thousand taels of silver; my commission as the go-between is fifteen hundred. To guarantee placing as a jing kui (one of the top five provincial graduates), the price is ten thousand, and my commission is three thousand — those are my firm prices. Whatever more you can get selling further passes is your own advantage; I take no interest in that." Guixing hesitated and said, "Is that not rather expensive?" Magistrate Chen replied, "It seems expensive, but for those who burn with desire for examination success, it is really not. Besides, in your province a provincial degree carries great distinction. The moment you pass, from the yamen clerks right down to the gambling dens and houses of pleasure, every one of them will come fawning and flattering you — what a fine air that gives a man! In village disputes you can step forward to arbitrate, and when you have matters to settle at the yamen, even the local officials will not dare treat you lightly..."

This speech set Guixing's spirits soaring. He said, "In that case, there is no need to look for anyone else — I shall buy one myself. Only, to trouble Your Honor to make one journey to Beijing on my account alone seems like too great an imposition." Magistrate Chen said, "I will not deceive Your Honor — I already have two juren spots filled. If I can add two more, or perhaps one jing kui, bringing the total to twenty thousand taels, I will set out." Guixing jumped up on the spot and said, "Do not worry, Your Honor! I will take a jing kui. When does Your Honor plan to depart? I shall transfer the silver at once." Magistrate Chen said, "Your Honor, please lower your voice — what kind of business is this to shout about? If others hear, that will be serious indeed!" Guixing quickly fell silent, then asked what day Chen planned to leave. Magistrate Chen replied, "Since Your Honor has already committed to a jing kui placing, I will prepare to depart within three to five days. The examination is still months away, but I fear unexpected delays on the road. Moreover, once everything is arranged in Beijing, it would be good to send word back here early, so everyone may be at ease." Guixing hesitated again and said, "But what if your classmate does not, in the end, receive the appointment as Guangdong examiner?" Magistrate Chen said, "He will naturally have a plan for that. If another examiner is appointed, he can sell the pass on to that person at the last moment — he will still recover some money, and in any case he will ensure that your investment is not wasted."

With this settled, Guixing went into the inner chambers to see his wife, Lady He. His younger sister Guixian came over to pay her respects to her brother, asking about the sights of Nanyong. Guixing said to Lady He, "Good news, my lady — I met with a great piece of good fortune today upon my return. Prepare yourself to be a provincial graduate's wife!" Lady He smiled and said, "The provincial examination is not until next year — why prepare so soon? And besides, you are still in mourning, husband; surely you cannot sit for the examinations?" Guixing said, "My lady! How can you have let the days slip by like that? Our mourning period expires in the fifth month of next year!" He then told her everything about Magistrate Chen selling the examination pass. Lady He said, "It would indeed be fine to pass as a juren — but losing more than ten thousand taels of silver is another matter!" Guixing clapped his hands and replied, "My lady, you haven't thought this through! Consider — our Ling family has never been particularly prosperous. Next year when the examination-pool betting opens (a custom in which people bought lottery shares on candidates' family names), very few people will be buying on the character 'Ling.' And Magistrate Chen already has two others — tomorrow I'll simply go and ask what surnames they belong to. Next year I'll bet heavily on all three names in the examination pool. Am I not certain to win back my investment from the pool? There may even be a profit!"

While they were talking, Xilai came in to announce, "Mr. Yi Xing from the main house has come to pay his respects." Guixing replied, "He has come for nothing more than to borrow grain or rice again. Tell him I am tired from the journey and have already gone to bed." Xilai turned and left. His sister Guixian said, "Uncle Yi Xing's circumstances are dire, and even if he comes to borrow, it would not be much. He is family — why must you treat him so, Elder Brother?" Guixing replied, "Sister, you don't understand the man. He has, as the saying goes, 'neither wit in his words nor charm in his face.' He comes here with a pout on his lips, and besides begging for help, he hasn't a second thought in his head. Not at all like Uncle Zongkong from the second house — he's just as poor, but he's lively and willing to put himself out for others. Someone like Uncle Zongkong I am happy to help regularly and gladly." Guixian, hearing this, said no more.

But enough of such matters. A day later, Guixing had a bank draft drawn for ten thousand taels and took out three thousand in cash, then went to call on Magistrate Chen in return. He entrusted him with the affair, received the key phrases for the examination pass, and asked the surnames of the other two juren candidates, planning to use them for the examination-pool betting to recover his investment with a profit. He also said, "When Your Honor goes to the capital, please convey my warmest regards to Minister Wang. If I happen to place as the Number One Graduate next year, I have another ten thousand taels of gratuity ready for him here." Magistrate Chen accepted the full amount, offered Guixing his congratulations first, and Guixing was overjoyed. Another day passed, and Guixing hosted a farewell banquet for Magistrate Chen. Chen also instructed him in purchasing recommended examination compositions and hiring copyists for his paper, all of which Guixing committed carefully to memory.

After seeing Magistrate Chen off, ten days passed almost without noticing, and Guixing sent Xilai to collect the fate volume from Ma the Half-Immortal. When Half-Immortal saw Xilai, he offered him tea and tobacco and chatted, using the conversation to draw out details about Guixing's household affairs. Then at last he said, "I have been rather busy these past few days and have not quite finished the analysis — come back in three more days and it will be ready." Xilai could only report this to Guixing. Three days later he went again and brought the volume back. Guixing read it over: it predicted that in the year Bingwu he would achieve the top provincial placing, and in Dingwei he would succeed at the palace examination to claim the Number One Scholar title — first under Heaven. It noted the year he would receive official honors, the year he would receive the highest appointment. Guixing was so delighted he danced and laughed like a man unhinged, repeating, "This master truly speaks truth!"

At the height of his elation, his clan uncle Zongkong arrived and said, "Young Master! What are you celebrating? It seems you've had some wonderful news — why not tell me, so I can share in your joy!" Guixing replied, "Uncle, you don't know — ever since I was small, my father had all sorts of fortune-tellers read my fate. Every one of them said something about triple harm and six afflictions, blood calamities and sun blades — all pure nonsense without a shred of accuracy. But look at what Ma the Half-Immortal has predicted — now that is true skill!"

Zongkong took the volume and read it through, making out perhaps half the characters. He said, "Bingwu... next year is Bingwu! He says you will 'achieve a sending-off' — where will you be sent, I wonder?" Guixing laughed and replied, "Uncle, do you not understand this?" He thrust out his thumb and said, "To 'achieve a sending-off' (fajie) means that next year I will place as the Number One Provincial Graduate!" Zongkong immediately performed a deep bow and exclaimed, "Congratulations, young master!" Guixing burst out laughing. Zongkong looked further and said, "And after placing Number One, in Dingwei year it says you will 'be the great ghost under Heaven' (da gui tianxia)?" Guixing laughed even harder and said, "That is the character kui, not gui — 'great' not 'ghost.'" Zongkong replied, "But even if it is kui, I still don't know what it means!" Guixing raised another thumb and declared, "That character means Number One Scholar!" Zongkong was so startled he tumbled to the ground and kowtowed before Guixing, who hastily helped him up. Zongkong said, "Amitabha! I can hardly congratulate you quickly enough! If it comes to pass, not only will I, Zongkong, bask in your glory — even our Ling ancestors will bask in your glory!" Guixing replied, "And more than that! Guangdong has not produced a First Tier Scholar in over eighty years — if I break new ground and become Number One Scholar, perhaps the very sky above Guangdong will brighten!" The uncle and nephew chattered on like men in a dream. Eventually Zongkong mentioned the real purpose of his visit — to borrow two qian of silver to buy rice. Guixing gave it to him, and he departed with many thanks.

In short, as time passed, events moved on. In no time the old year ended and spring returned. A letter arrived from Magistrate Chen in the capital, saying that all matters had been properly arranged and he looked forward to coming to drink at the celebration feast. Guixing was once again delighted. By the fifth month he had shed his mourning clothes. Some time passed; he sat for the additional-round examination (遺才, a supplementary examination for mourning candidates who had missed the main sitting). One day the official Beijing gazette arrived, confirming that the Chief Examiner for Guangdong was indeed surnamed Wang, and the Vice Examiner surnamed Li — his heart brimmed with joy. When the eighth month arrived and the examinations began on the sixth day, Zongkong was there to see him off to each session. For all three sessions it was Zongkong who was busy seeing him in and receiving him back out.

When the three sessions were done, Guixing spent every day at home drinking and making merry, holding fast in his heart the certainty that he was already a provincial graduate. Zongkong, currying favor still further, had already gone to the signboard workshop to inquire about the price of plaques, to the timber merchant to ask the price of flagpole wood, and to the engraving shop to ask the price of having examination papers cut in print — asking about one thing today, another thing tomorrow, then reporting back to please Guixing. The good-natured Ling Guixing was kept in a state of half-intoxicated bliss, gazing forward eagerly toward the ninth day of the ninth month.

On that day, word spread that the results would be posted the following morning, and Guixing fell into a flurry of restlessness. What exactly was he so busy about? Read on to the next chapter.