Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 156 - 99: Winter Review and Temple Examination, Jingxin Sixteenth Year_2

Chapter 156: Chapter 99: Winter Review and Temple Examination, Jingxin Sixteenth Year_2

"From the announcements issued by the county seat, it can be seen that they were addressing the symptoms without tackling the root cause, resulting in excessive accumulation of yin energy in these twelve counties, while yang energy rises excessively."

"After the Start of Winter, the power of the Small Snow Solar Term increased exponentially."

"Among them, the Minister of Agriculture officials in Mingshan, Shuihe, and Dangyue counties made serious mistakes. They failed to identify the root cause and instead attempted to reverse the Small Snow Solar Term and reinstate the Start of Winter."

"As a result, the problem erupted completely, causing the earth veins in these three counties to descend deeply, with the yin energy spreading to adjacent counties, affecting them as well. This year’s evaluations for the Ministers of Agriculture from these three counties will likely be unfavorable, and if not handled well, they might even face demotion." Xue Wenzhong said.

Zhao Xing picked up the copy of the document to have a look. Fan Dongping had used the term ’edict’ for the decrees sent to these three counties, starting the text with ’Notice to Shuihe County Minister of Agriculture Supervision...’.

Just by looking at the format and opening of the official document, it was clear that the errors made by these three counties were significant.

For the rest of the counties, the decrees were in the form of ’memos,’ and the documents began with gentler terms like announcements, inquiries, and investigations. The tone was also more moderate, and the memos were for internal distribution only, not made public.

"You should take these mistake cases as a warning. Similar questions might appear in next year’s Temple Examination."

"Yes, I will study them carefully."

...

December 21, Winter Solstice.

The three days of Winter Solstice were also for the winter evaluations.

Due to the ice disaster, the Gucheng Minister of Agriculture Supervision did not conduct any field evaluations. Instead, following Nanyang County’s directive, they used the ice disaster as a case study for the clerks.

Zhao Xing didn’t need to participate, but he went anyway.

Three days later, Nanyang County Minister of Agriculture Supervision announced the winter evaluation results.

Gucheng earned only fifteen spots for the Temple Examination.

Customarily, only one-third or even one-fifth of these fifteen might pass and officially become officials.

As for the remaining four hundred clerks of the Minister of Agriculture Supervision, they were just on the sidelines, not even qualifying for the Temple Examination.

"Another year of hard work for nothing."

"Only fifteen slots for the Temple Examination. Last year we had twenty-five."

"What’s the use? Last year we had twenty-five, but only five were selected in the end."

"Those five were reassigned to places like Shangdang and Feng Mountain, a thousand miles away from home. What’s good about that?"

"Stop moaning, Brother Liu. At least that would be a Secondary Ninth Rank. If you were given the chance, you’d crawl there if necessary."

"That’s true too. Hahaha."

In front of the notice board, numerous clerks discussed animatedly.

Zhao Xing also took the time to have a look. When he arrived...

Many clerks made way for him.

"Zhao Xing has arrived!"

"Mr. Zhao, congratulations!"

"Make way, let Mr. Zhao have a look first."

"Among these fifteen, Zhao Xing has the greatest chance. He’s our hope at the Gucheng Minister of Agriculture Supervision."

Zhao Xing cupped his hands in salute, and after checking the notice, he soon left without lingering.

....

January 5, Lesser Cold.

The yang energy slightly increased, and with the joint efforts of the counties under Nanyang County, the prolonged ice disaster was mitigated, returning to normal levels.

Chen Shijie, who had been busy for over a month, also finally returned to Gucheng.

"The officials of the Minister of Agriculture in Mingshan, Shuihe, and Dangyue counties are truly idiots."

"I went over to help for half a month and was almost infuriated to death by those fools in those places."

Chen Shijie drank Small Snow wine while eating roasted meat, still visibly agitated even now.

"What happened?" Zhao Xing asked.

"What could it be? Just stupidity! Especially the Minister of Agriculture in Shuihe County!"

"Shuihe County is at the convergence of four rivers. Five hundred years ago, Li Erlang and his father Li Yu divided Binjiang into inner and outer branches, emulating Caoxi True Monarch’s methods by building dikes and dams and installing Guiyuan Water Wheels."

"They also established the Li Dui, Huisha Dam, Bao Pingkou, and Fish Enclosure arrays. Leveraging the terrain, they turned the water hazard of the four rivers into a benefit."

"Fifteen years ago, these arrays and structures began to show signs of degradation and needed regular maintenance."

"Originally, following Li Yu and Li Erlang’s methods to replicate their solutions would have sufficed."

"But for some reason, the Minister of Agriculture in Shuihe County decided to emulate Caoxi True Monarch’s methods and dug eight channels in his county."

"He also installed one hundred and eight Five Elements Water Wheels in one go."

"That place already had surging water veins and fragile earth veins. Although Li Yu and his son also learned from Caoxi True Monarch, they had considered the conditions in Shuihe County, with their solutions being the best possible choices."

"As a result, this fool from Shuihe County, thinking he had surpassed his predecessors, attempted to emulate Lord Cao Zhen by nurturing a Spirit Mountain in Shuihe County as well!"

"He spent fifteen years on this endeavor, not only without success, but also collapsed the earth veins in Shuihe County. Absolutely absurd!"

Zhao Xing curiously asked, "It took fifteen years to discover the problem?"

Chen Shijie scoffed: "How could that be? The problem emerged long ago, but that fool believed he could achieve it, refusing to repent, and used magic to forcibly alter the Heavenly Time and Earth Advantage whenever there were anomalies."

"I reviewed the records from the Minister of Agriculture Supervision and almost couldn’t resist hitting him. That damned fool secretly altered the Four Seasons over three hundred times in just fifteen years!"

"Especially during the summer and autumn seasons, he tampered with them over a thousand times!"

"Arrogant and foolish. When I went to help, he stubbornly insisted he wasn’t wrong and claimed he could resolve it given a few more years."

Zhao Xing asked in surprise: "How can someone be like that? What did you do then?"

Chen Shijie replied: "I can’t stand fools, especially pigheaded ones. After a few futile attempts to reason with him, I threw him into the river."

"Since he believed he wasn’t wrong, I let him feel if he was wrong."

Long Xiao, who was beside them, chuckled: "Old Chen used the Water Prison Technique. He couldn’t come up for at least ten days. Old Chen stayed in Shuihe County however long, he stayed submerged for that long. It wasn’t until officials from the county seat arrived that he was released."

Zhao Xing raised his cup: "Mr. Chen, impressive! This deserves a toast!"

Chen Shijie and Long Xiao raised their cups and emptied them. After the complaint session, Chen Shijie finally felt relieved.

After discussing official matters, Chen Shijie asked: "How goes your learning under the Old Minister of Agriculture?"

Zhao Xing replied: "I have a ten percent confidence."

Chen Shijie responded in astonishment: "Only ten percent?"

"Ten percent refers to the unexpected chance of failing. The remaining ninety-nine percent is seamlessly becoming an official."

"Hahaha, you rascal."

....

January 19, Great Cold.

End of the year, Weiya Festival.

At this time, inside and outside Gucheng, few people went out to work.

Every household cleaned out the old and welcomed the new. Neighbors began visiting each other, eating, and drinking.

They either ate at this house or that house.

Zhao Ruide no longer practiced martial arts but took Mrs. Cai to visit friends and relatives.

As for Zhao Xing, because he needed to prepare for the exam, he didn’t go out but spent a few days eating, drinking, and having fun with Zong Shichang, Chen Ziyu, and Qian Dong.

Even Zhao Zheng had rare free time, no longer practicing martial arts but joyously playing around all day.

That day, Zhao Zheng ran into Zhao Xing’s room, his black eyes darting around.

"What are you looking for?"

"Big Brother, do you still have those firecrackers from last time?" Zhao Zheng asked, "Give me some more, make them more powerful!"

"It’s good enough that I gave you some small ones. More powerful? Are you going to blow up the county government?"

"And didn’t I give you plenty? How did you use them up so quickly?"

Zhao Xing asked: "Tell me, what did you do with them?"

Zhao Zheng’s eyes darted nervously: "Nothing much, just played with Ergou and the rest."

"Hmm? Did you get into trouble?"

Just as Zhao Xing finished speaking, there came a rapid knock on the door from outside.

"Open the door, open the door!"

"Damn Zhao Ruide, I was in the latrine, and your bastard threw something at me?!"

"Open the door! You scoundrel..."

Zhao Xing: "..."

.....

February 3, the 16th year of Jingxin Calendar, spring.

Everything revived, and the ice rivers thawed.

Zhao Xing walked out of his house.

The annual Temple Examination for the Great Zhou officials had begun.