1, literary talent is average
This scholar named Deng is mediocre in literary talent. He took the exam by virtue of his knowledge and was born in poverty. There is no power in officialdom, and it is completely impossible to go to the end. According to common sense, he is a loser, but as the saying goes, everyone has his own experience. His words were appreciated by Kangxi, and it was understandable that he was finally chosen as the number one scholar.
Examiners also like calligraphy.
We all know that there is no way for a candidate to meet the emperor directly, so it is very coincidental that his calligraphy can be appreciated by Kangxi, because the examiner at that time also liked calligraphy very much, and he was shocked by his calligraphy. Moreover, the examiner also knew that Kangxi liked people who wrote well, and recommended this person to Kangxi out of the idea of pleasing the emperor. Kangxi was skeptical at first, but after the scholar was called into the palace to write a word, Kangxi praised the man greatly. Finally, he directly chose this man as the champion. After all, he is the emperor, and he has the final say in choosing the top scholar. Therefore, this scholar named Deng is also very lucky.
To sum up, this is not a person's special hobby, but it may be a hobby, because a person will always prefer what he likes.