Chapter 1462: Training (Part 1)

Recruitment exams add some new regulations every year or undergo partial modifications. By today, the policies and content of the recruitment exams have settled without major changes.

The current recruitment exam is divided into four levels.

County exams, regional exams, state exams, and national exams.

The national exam has two time periods: Initial exams in the fall, and after passing, a final exam the following spring.

This timing is similar to the imperial examinations, hence it’s also called the fall exam and spring exam.

The first place in the spring exam is called the Top Scholar, the second place is the Eye-Spot Scholar, and the third place is the Flower-Searching Scholar, and so on.

All officials from the County Magistrate upwards are chosen from the national exam.

Since the ninth year of Yuanzhen, it has been rare for anyone to be promoted by recommendation to a substantial official role above the County Magistrate level.

Thus, recruitment exams have become increasingly important, and the public values them more highly, pushing everyone to study hard.

A significant number of private schools have emerged after public schools.

However, only a small portion of people can pass the national exam. With the spread of education and over time, the number of candidates successfully passing each year has started to decline.

Aside from officials, the government still needs a large number of clerks.

Where do these clerks come from?

They are gathered from the three levels of exams below the national exam.

County exams, regional exams, and state exams.

Candidates must pass these three exams to reach the national exam, but some candidates can only pass the county level, regional level, or state level.

Will they have no future because of this?

No, the government has paved a path for them.

The County Government, Governor Mansion, and Inspector Mansion require not only officials but also a large number of clerks for each level of administration.

These clerks must be literate, knowledgeable about national policies, laws and regulations, and possess certain moral and cultural qualities.

Drawing talents from these levels of exams is the most suitable approach.

Therefore, candidates who have passed the county, regional, and state exams can choose to become clerks if they don’t want to continue pursuing further exams.

Of course, just because someone passes these exams doesn’t mean they immediately become clerks. These exams are merely their stepping stones.

After the door opens, there’s a clerk exam specifically tailored for them.

Zhao Mingming, looking at her fake residence papers, vacillates between the regional and state exams.

Zu Daosheng feels she is too confident and can’t help but say, "You only ranked ninth in the county exam this time. Don’t think about the state exam yet; what if you can’t even pass the regional exam?"

Zhao Mingming slams the desk and says, "I was ill and didn’t perform well this time, ninth place isn’t a reflection of my ability!"

Zu Daosheng still maintains, "We need to recognize our shortcomings, and anyway, we’re not relying on recruitment exams for official positions. Your goal is to become a clerk, the county exam should suffice."

Fan Lianyin: "You may not rely on recruitment exams, but we certainly will. Crown Princess, don’t listen to him. With your literary talent, even if you don’t make the top three, the national exam is still achievable for us, let’s go for it!"

Zu Daosheng: "But we’re not here for exams, we’re here for experience."

Fan Lianyin: "Exams are also a form of experience."

Zu Daosheng’s father is Zu Ti, having graduated from the Imperial College, he excelled in both martial and literary courses. If he takes the martial exam, he can immediately enlist and be appointed.

Moreover, due to his family background, he could secure a position as an imperial guard without needing to take the martial exam, so he has no need to compete in recruitment exams.

But Fan Lianyin is different.

She must take the recruitment exams.

Though her mother, Fan Ying, has a title to inherit, Fan Ying is extremely strict with her children, leaving Fan Lianyin no other choice.

Going out with Zhao Mingming this time is also an opportunity for her, a chance to pre-experience the recruitment exams.

In this exam among the three, Fan Lianyin performed the best.

She is now addicted to exams, keen to progress through the levels from regional to state exam. If she can make it to the spring exam, all the better.

Zhao Mingming quickly makes up her mind, waving her hand, "Alright then, we will go for the regional exam. I want to enter Xuzhou’s Household Department, passing the regional exam should be enough."

Soon, reality slaps Zhao Mingming hard, showing her that she was dreaming too boldly.

The Household Department is not so easy to enter!

She passed the regional exam, excelled in the clerk exam but was still relegated from the region back to the county, let alone entering the state Household Department, she didn’t even make it into the regional one.

She was sent back to her original region—Houqiu County!

Zhao Mingming, Fan Lianyin, and Zu Daosheng were all assigned back to Houqiu County, becoming three minor clerks in impoverished Houqiu County’s government.

Zu Daosheng, due to his martial skills and decent criminal law studies, was appointed as a constable upon his return.

Upon receiving them, the clerk scrutinized them suspiciously, "Are you from Houqiu County?"

He seemed to have no recollection of them.

The three replied with downcast heads, "Yes."

The clerk frowned, "Did you study in County One or County Two? Who supervised your county exam? Why don’t I recall anything?"

The three explained according to their records, and the clerk flipped through their files and found they truly studied at County One, which even had the county education instructor’s signature.

His expression softened a bit. Seeing their disheartened expressions, he asked, "You’re young and have passed the regional exam; why not strive for the clerk exam? Work hard, after passing the state exam, aim for the national exam, then even if you don’t pass the spring exam, you could pass the fall exam and seek official positions."

"Being a clerk means remaining a clerk for life; even if you manage to achieve a great feat, you’ll be capped at a seventh-ranked County Magistrate."

Zhao Mingming, with a drooping head, said, "I need to run a household now, so I have to work, I can’t keep studying."

Fan Lianyin: "My family prioritizes sons over daughters, my mother said she’d only support me up to this point. To keep studying, I need to earn my own money or marry and have my husband’s family support me, so I came to work."

The clerk, accustomed to such tales, sighed and looked towards Zu Daosheng.

Zu Daosheng: ...

His face flushed as he mumbled, "I, my family prefers my younger brother, I have a big appetite and eat too much, so they kicked me out."

Fan Lianyin explained for him, "He has a stepfather."

The clerk suddenly understood, looking at the trio with sympathy, he stamped their employment papers briskly, "Alright, go to your respective posts."

The three accepted their employment papers and breathed a sigh of relief in unison.

They walked out of the office, exchanged glances, unable to hold back tears.

They really just picked a county casually as their original residence, they never imagined they’d end up working here. What about the future? They don’t know anyone here; who assigned them back to their original area? Couldn’t they have been posted to a neighboring county?

Zhao Mingming, who insisted on not using connections, regrets momentarily, "Let’s hope no one finds out, everyone should be cautious in the meantime."

Fan Lianyin: "There’s always a way before the cart reaches the mountain, if questioned, we can find an excuse then. For now, the urgent matter is, where do we live?"

As three impoverished students in the eyes of outsiders, they certainly cannot afford to buy a house. They can only rent, and it has to be government housing.

So-called government housing refers to buildings constructed by the authorities and leased to government workers and some impoverished students.

The setups are similar, rents are cheap, resident groups are consistent, and they are highly favored by officials and students.