On the ancient Chinese land with a long history, the imperial examination road was like a single-plank bridge, carrying the dreams and aspirations of countless scholars. They longed to use it to cross social classes and achieve the ambitions of cultivating themselves, regulating their families, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world. The protagonist of the story was named Yifei. He was born into a family of scholars and had shown extraordinary intelligence since childhood. He could recite classics, histories, and various collections of works at a glance and compose poems and odes with ease. His neighbors all praised him as a child prodigy and believed that he would surely shine brightly in the imperial examination hall in the future and bring honor to his family.

However, reality dealt Yifei a heavy blow. When he first entered the imperial examination hall, the solemn and solemn atmosphere, the cold gaze of the invigilators, and the nervous aura of the surrounding candidates instantly made him lose his composure. The knowledge that he had been thoroughly familiar with seemed to be covered by a layer of fog at this moment. His mind was in chaos, and no matter how hard he tried to recall, those scriptures and policy essays that he could recite fluently on weekdays became fragmented. Eventually, when the examination results were announced, Yifei failed the examination. Looking at the unfamiliar names on the list, his heart was full of loss and confusion, and his self-confidence, which had been built up over the years, was severely damaged.

But Yifei had an unyielding spirit deep in his bones. He firmly believed in his knowledge and was determined to make a comeback. So, in the following days, he studied even harder, staying indoors all day long and burying himself in books. He vowed to avenge his previous defeats in the next imperial examination. Time flew by quickly, and another imperial examination was approaching. Yifei went to the examination hall again with full confidence. But it seemed that fate played a trick on him once more. As soon as he entered the examination hall, the familiar feeling of nervousness overwhelmed him like a surging tide. His heartbeat accelerated rapidly, his hands trembled uncontrollably, and his thoughts once again fell into chaos. As expected, he failed again.

The successive failures plunged Yifei into deep self-doubt. He became depressed and gloomy, staying indoors all day long. The comfort and advice of his family and friends could not dispel the gloom in his heart. One day, Yifei was wandering aimlessly on the street. Unconsciously, he came to a quiet Taoist temple. Hidden among the mountains and forests, with towering ancient trees all around, the quiet atmosphere of the temple seemed to have an invisible power that attracted him to step inside.

Inside the temple, incense smoke curled up, and the believers knelt down piously to pray for blessings. Yifei was deeply touched and also knelt down with the others. He closed his eyes and prayed silently, pouring out his inner pain and longing for the imperial examination. Just as he was getting up, an old man in a magnificent Taoist robe and with a kind face quietly appeared beside him. The old man had deep and penetrating eyes, as if he could see through all the troubles and confusions in the world. He gently patted Yifei on the shoulder and said gently, "Young man, don't be too sad. The imperial examination road tests not only knowledge but also the state of mind."

Hearing this, Yifei was startled. Looking up, he felt that the old man exuded an extraordinary and otherworldly aura, as if he were an immortal descending to earth. The old man seemed to have seen through his thoughts and smiled slightly. He continued, "I am the incarnation of Wenchang Emperor. I know that you are troubled by the imperial examination and have come to give you a helping hand." After saying that, he slowly took out a gleaming talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Yifei, "This is the 'Examination Talisman of Wenchang Emperor'. It contains my divine power and can help you concentrate in the examination hall and have a clear mind. But you must remember that although the talisman provides external assistance, the key still lies in the cultivation of your own state of mind. When you are thinking hard, you must keep your mind pure and conform to the way of nature. You must not be distracted by the outside world so that you can perform at your best."

Hearing this, Yifei was both surprised and delighted. He took the talisman with trembling hands. The talisman was golden in color and as light as gossamer. Mysterious and complex runes were drawn on it with vermilion cinnabar. There seemed to be a faint glimmer between the runes, faintly exuding a solemn and respectful aura, which made people couldn't help but feel in awe. Yifei knew that this was his last hope. Immediately, he knelt down and kowtowed to the incarnation of Wenchang Emperor to express his gratitude. The old man smiled and nodded, then disappeared, leaving only a faint fragrance lingering around Yifei.

With the expectations of Wenchang Emperor and this magical talisman, Yifei cheered up and threw himself wholeheartedly into preparing for the examination. In his daily studies, he always remembered the teachings of the emperor. Whenever nervousness surged in his heart, he would close his eyes, concentrate, and take several deep breaths according to the Taoist mental method, allowing his state of mind to quickly calm down, as if he were in a quiet mountain forest, listening to the sounds of nature and feeling the rhythm of heaven and earth. As his state of mind gradually became calm, those knowledge difficulties that had once troubled him seemed to be solved one by one and integrated.

Finally, the day of the imperial examination came again. Yifei put the talisman in his pocket and walked into the examination hall with his head held high. This time, he seemed like a different person. There was no longer the nervousness and panic of the past in his heart. Instead, there was an unprecedented sense of certainty and calmness. He found his seat, sat down gently, placed the talisman carefully in front of the desk, prayed silently for a while, and then began to answer the questions.

In the examination hall, the nibs of pens rustled on the examination papers. Yifei's thoughts flowed freely, and the knowledge he had accumulated on weekdays poured out like a surging river. He quoted classics and answered questions fluently, and one excellent policy essay after another appeared on the paper. The nervous coughs and sighs of the surrounding candidates could not disturb him at all. He seemed to be immersed in his own world of knowledge, communicating with the sages and interacting with the spirit of heaven and earth.

The few days of the examination passed in a flash. Yifei handed in his answer sheets, feeling calm in his heart. During the days waiting for the results to be announced, he was no longer as anxious as before. Instead, he continued to study the classics with a calm state of mind, as if everything had been relieved. Finally, the day when the results were announced arrived. People crowded the streets and alleys, and everyone rushed towards the list. Yifei walked slowly with the crowd. When his eyes touched the familiar name at the top of the list, his eyes became moist. He had succeeded. He was on the golden list, and his dream that had been cherished for years had finally come true. He also became a famous scholar in the local area.

Yifei knew well that his achievements today were inseparable from the protection of Wenchang Emperor, the assistance of the magical talisman, and, more importantly, the nourishment of Taoist thoughts on his state of mind. So, with a grateful heart, he returned to the Taoist temple, offered rich sacrifices, and prayed piously to Wenchang Emperor. After that, he spread his experience widely, hoping that more scholars could draw strength from it.

Under his influence, the local scholars flocked to this temple one after another to pray for the blessing of Wenchang Emperor and learn the Taoist mental methods to face the challenges of the imperial examination with a calm state of mind. Seeing this, the Taoist priests in the temple also adapted to the situation and set up lecture halls to explain Taoist classics to the scholars, teach them the ways of self-cultivation, and instruct them not to forget to conform to nature, keep their inner selves pure, and follow the way of heaven and earth while pursuing fame and fortune.

As time passed slowly, the story of the "Examination Talisman of Wenchang Emperor" was passed down from generation to generation in this land, becoming the spiritual motivation for scholars to strive for progress. It made later generations deeply understand that on the road of life, difficulties and setbacks are inevitable. But as long as one has a firm belief, harnesses the power of faith, cultivates one's state of mind, and conforms to the laws of nature, one can be like a ship riding the wind and waves, sailing towards the shore of success and feeling the mysterious wisdom and endless grace of ancient Taoism. And Yifei's hometown, due to this strong cultural atmosphere, gave birth to generations of literati and scholars, adding rich and colorful strokes to the inheritance and development of Chinese culture.