Top Scholar

Chapter 442 The Grand Examiner

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs reeked of foul odors, and even the lowly cook kneeling there cleaning up the mess was about to vomit...

What's even more terrifying is Eunuch Liu's roar, which makes people's eardrums hurt.

"What exactly happened? Didn't the Emperor mock him as a 'first-class filial son'? Why did he go to see him again?"

“You know the Emperor’s temper. A superficial slap on the wrist won’t satisfy him. He’ll definitely have to be humiliated to his face,” Li Bin said tremblingly.

"When the Emperor went out, he even asked him to take his imperial brush with him, saying he was going to add a dot to the plaque for him, and it all depended on how well he answered. If he answered well, he would be promoted to 'First-Class Filial Son,' and if he answered poorly, he would be promoted to 'First-Class Dog-like Filial Son.'"

"So what did it end up like?" the eunuchs pressed.

"Nothing happened. After the Emperor finished talking with him, he happily went to have dinner with him and completely forgot about that incident," Li Bin said. "The Emperor was so happy that he said he wanted to go see him again tomorrow!"

"That won't do!" Si Hu shook his head in unison. Wei Bin said, "How can the Emperor be with him all the time?"

“Absolutely not!” Gao Feng said, “That kid… is Wang Shouren’s disciple! He’s got a rebellious streak and will corrupt the Emperor!”

"So what? I don't dare to touch him either." Ma Yongcheng didn't dare to make any more threats and said dejectedly, "The West Depot is definitely watching. If we touch him, we can expect Second Brother to complain to the Emperor."

"Who is your second brother? Why are you calling him so affectionately?" Liu Jin glanced coldly at Ma Yongcheng.

"I just got used to calling him that," Ma Yongcheng said sheepishly. "I was talking about that scoundrel Zhang Yong. He tricked me again, that old sly fox."

"We can't touch him, and we can't let the Emperor get close to him anymore." Gao Feng thought to himself, "We have to find a way to separate the two of them."

“How are we going to divide this? Even if we banish him from the capital, the Emperor will have to bring him back whenever he wants to see him. We can’t keep suffering this kind of loss again and again,” Wei Bin said in a muffled voice.

"..." Upon hearing this, Liu Jin gave Wei Bin another cold glance.

"Why do you have to bring up something that doesn't suit your taste!" Gao Feng quickly scolded the seventh brother on behalf of the eldest brother.

"Then let the Emperor forget about him," said Eunuch Liu, who had the best idea. "Our master has always been fickle, enthusiastic but also easily bored. We need to quickly find something new and interesting to distract the Emperor from that kid. In a few days, who will even remember who he is?"

"Brother, you're brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" the eunuchs quickly flattered. Luo Xiang said, "I'm currently training a variety show troupe from Wuqiao, planning to present them to the Emperor next month."

"No need to wait any longer, let's go take a look!" Liu Jin said decisively, "If it's interesting, send it to the Leopard House today!"

Having said that, he dressed neatly and left the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, which smelled of fermented mung bean juice.

~~
The backyard of Wenyuan Pavilion.

The four scholars were also having breakfast.

The cabinet had its own dining hall, and the meals were provided by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. As the saying goes, "The Hanlin Academy's articles, the Arsenal's weapons, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices' tea, and the Imperial Medical Academy's prescriptions," so just eat there, and I guarantee you won't utter a sound...

Anyway, both Grand Secretary Jiao and Grand Secretary Yang brought their own meals for all three meals a day. Only the Grand Secretary and Grand Secretary Wang, who were notoriously poor, had to endure the low-oil, low-salt, and bland working meals of the cabinet.

"Come, Zhenze Gong, try our hometown's Eight Treasures Soup, served with egg-stuffed fried dough sticks. I wouldn't trade it for a top scholar title." Jiao Fang, contrary to his usual self, shamelessly flattered Wang Ao.

"You can drink it slowly by yourself." Wang Ao didn't give him any face at all, and stood up, saying, "I'm full."

After saying that, he got up and left with a dark expression.

“No… I’m his superior, after all.” Jiao Fang then looked at Li Dongyang, meaning he should make things clear.

Li Dongyang nodded helplessly and said to Wang Ao, "Zhenze, wait for me."

He then followed Wang Ao out of the small canteen.

Throughout the entire process, Yang Tinghe never looked up, continuing to read and eat his breakfast as if he were an outsider.

"Zhenze," Li Dongyang and Wang Ao found a secluded spot. "What have you thought about that matter?"

"You should find someone more capable to be the chief examiner, Master Yuan," Wang Ao immediately declared. "I will not take the position."

"Who else can we ask?" Li Dongyang said helplessly, "Only you are the most suitable."

"You should let Jiao Fang take the position; that way, his son's chances of becoming the top scholar will be completely secured," Wang Ao said.

“He needs to avoid it,” Li Dongyang said.

"Hmph, burying your head in the sand!" Wang Ao snorted. "Then let Grand Secretary Yang take the place."

“Yang Yongxiu also needs to take the provincial examination, and besides, he has just served as the chief examiner.”

"Let the Grand Minister of Rites go up."

"Sigh." Li Dongyang sighed, "Minister Liu just sent a letter requesting the mourning of his stepmother..." "Young Master Zongbo."

“His nephew is also taking the imperial examination, so he has to avoid it as well,” Li Dongyang said with a bitter face.

"You're forcing me to jump into a fire pit that everyone avoids?" Wang Ao said, barely suppressing his anger.

"There's really no one else, Lord Zhenze, please make the difficult decision..." Li Dongyang bowed and scraped, a pleading look appearing on his face as he said:

“If you refuse this task, then we’ll have to replace you with one of Eunuch Liu’s men as the chief examiner. That would be a complete mess, with no basic fairness to be maintained… This first imperial examination of the Zhengde New Dynasty can’t let down all the scholars in the land!”

"Sigh..." Wang Ao lowered his head and sighed deeply, feeling utterly miserable. He knew perfectly well that he had already been chosen as the chief examiner for the University of Science and Technology of China, and there was no point in making excuses.

Seeing that there was a chance, Li Dongyang quickly pressed his advantage and said, "How about this, I'll try to help you get fifty more people admitted to this imperial examination. That way, it won't take up the original quota and won't ruin the future of the regular candidates. What do you think?"

Wang Ao's brows relaxed slightly, and he snorted, "That's more like human speech."

"So you agree?" Li Dongyang was not offended, but rather pleased.

"Hmm..." Wang Ao exhaled a long breath and looked coldly at Li Dongyang, saying, "I can agree to this matter, but the ranking in the imperial examination must be decided by me, and no one can interfere!"

“But…” Li Dongyang gasped, “But, Grand Secretary Jiao is hoping that Huang Zhong will win first place, so he has been very accommodating to our requests these past few months and has done a lot for us.”

"I didn't ask him for anything, and besides, Jiao Huangzhong's writing is utter nonsense..." Wang Ao made no attempt to hide his disgust for the Jiao father and son. How could the greatest writer in the world tarnish his reputation before and after his death?
“He begged me, and begging me is begging you, Brother Shouxi?” Li Dongyang was almost groveling in the dust as he pleaded, “And the key point is that Eunuch Liu has already given his approval. If we don’t comply with their wishes, I’m afraid it will cause a huge disaster.”

He lowered his voice and said, "We are currently conducting an external inspection, and next year there will be a capital inspection. This is a good opportunity for the eunuch faction to eliminate dissidents. If we handle things properly, we can protect many loyal and virtuous people; but if we insist on confronting them head-on, who knows how many upright and honest people will be destroyed at the hands of the eunuchs."

"If they are saved, then who will save us?" Wang Ao asked quietly.

"Yes, who will protect us?" Li Dongyang sighed sadly, then quickly regained his resolve and said:
"We can't worry about that now. In times of national crisis, someone has to make sacrifices. As prime ministers, we have an inescapable responsibility. Let's do our best to get through this most difficult period. As for right and wrong, let future generations judge!"

"Whether you know me or condemn me, only the Spring and Autumn Annals will tell?" Wang Ao choked, his fingertips clenched until they turned white, and for a long time he couldn't utter a single word.

~~
Mule and Horse Market Street, Su Family Courtyard.

Although he only got home in the early hours of the morning, Su Lu still got up on time. After washing up and waking up, he spread out paper and inkstone on his desk and picked up his pen to write.

Regardless of whether he was tired from traveling or physically exhausted, he never stopped his daily writing practice to hone his writing skills.

This is very important because the conditions for the examination are harsh, and you may encounter any situation that affects your performance. Does that mean you shouldn't take the exam if you're not in good condition?
Therefore, you should try to keep your writing quality as unaffected as possible by your current state of mind...

When the sun was high in the sky, he finished his article for the day and was about to review it when Zhu Zihe's voice came from the courtyard: "Senior Brother, a lot of guests have arrived at the guild hall, and they specifically asked to see you!"

Upon hearing this, Su Lu stood up and asked, "Who is it?"

“Eight top scholars from various provinces,” Zhu Zihe said. “There were also several other candidates who accompanied them, saying they had long admired your name and came to pay their respects.”

"Okay, I'm coming." Su Lu quickly asked Xiao Yu'er to help him get dressed and followed Zhu Zihe to the nearby Sichuan Guild Hall.

~~
The Sichuan Guild Hall is located in Sichuan Camp Alley, on the east side of Luomashi Street. It is a large courtyard house that has been around for some time. However, the plaque above the main gate with its golden pillars bears an inscription personally written by Yang Gelao, and the courtyard walls have just been painted, so it looks quite impressive.

Guild halls differed from government-run public offices; they were places for people from the same hometown to help each other in the capital. This was because, according to regulations, governors and provincial officials were required to stay in guild halls when they came to the capital, so the provincial governments naturally wouldn't fund any public offices.

The Sichuan Guild Hall was established by Sichuanese officials and merchants in Beijing, who raised funds to provide food and lodging for candidates taking the imperial examinations, lower- and middle-ranking local officials reporting on their duties, and merchants doing business.

At this time of year, most of the candidates from Sichuan lived here. As soon as Su Lu and Zhu Zihe entered the second gate, they heard a great commotion in the front hall, with accents from all over the country mixed together.

There were about twenty people standing or sitting in the hall. Apart from Yang Shen, Xia Bangmo, Xiao Tingjie and others who were accompanying the guests, the rest were all unfamiliar faces.

"Gentlemen, our Scholar Su has arrived!" Yang Shen stood up with a smile as he saw Su Lu enter from outside.

The others also stood up and bowed to Su Lu.

"I'm so sorry, everyone, I've kept you waiting. I'm late." Su Lu quickly clasped his hands in a fist and bow in return, apologizing.

"You're too kind, Su Jieyuan!" A tall scholar with a Beijing accent laughed loudly. "We have long admired your name and have wanted to pay you a visit, but we waited and waited until yesterday to hear that you had come to the capital."

"So we made an appointment and took the liberty of coming uninvited. Please forgive us," another scholar with a Hubei accent chimed in.

"Please forgive us, please forgive us!" The other candidates echoed.

"Not at all, not at all. I am flattered by the presence of you gentlemen." Su Lu asked with a smile, "May I ask your esteemed names?"

"Come, brother Jieyuan, let me introduce you to these new friends," Yang Shen said familiarly.

(End of this chapter)