Top Scholar

Chapter 458 He's Different (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
In the courtyard of the Leopard Room.

The pipa was played wildly and joyfully, the foot pedals clicked crisply, and Liu Daban sang in his Shaanxi dialect at the top of his lungs:

"Alas! The pipa is playing in the Leopard Chamber, Your Majesty! This servant will sing a Western song for you!"

"Hey, Su Xiaoban is talking about the West over there, and Liu Daban is singing about the West over here." Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but laugh, "They're really going at it."

"Hehe..." Zhang Yong smiled on the surface, but cursed inwardly. Liu Jin really had the nerve to lower himself to compete for favor with a junior.

"Alright, let's hear my eldest brother's singing of Western songs. Can it replace my youngest brother's storytelling of Western songs?" Zhu Houzhao was very happy. He couldn't be more eager for his eldest brother's singing of Western songs to replace his youngest brother's.

Then Liu Jin continued singing:

"Eight thousand miles of vast ocean, eight hundred miles of waves, seven voyages to the Western Ocean, what a grand spectacle!"

"Sailing from Liujiagang in accordance with the imperial decree, the treasure ships lined up like a golden wall..."

"Yo—! The raging waves are higher than the wall, Zheng He stands firmly in the central command tent... When the barbarians see the Ming flag, they kneel down and shout 'Holy Emperor!'"

"Ah—! Champa presents a coral tree as a treasure, Siam offers an ivory bed! The ruby ​​red is like rouge, the fragrance of spices permeates the ship's deck! All nations come to pay homage and submit to Your Majesty's rule, all thanks to Your Majesty's holy virtue..."

Now that Su Lu is trapped in the thorny thicket and can no longer seduce the emperor, Liu Jin naturally wants to seize this opportunity to make the emperor forget about this 'little vixen'.

After much thought, the best solution was to replace him with a similar program, so that the emperor would no longer need him.

So when Su Lu talked about sailing to the West, Eunuch Liu would sing about sailing to the West. In order to make the emperor forget about that kid, he had been working day and night these days, diligently studying and practicing with his father, and picking up all the skills he had learned to make a living when he was a child.

Therefore, there is no such thing as success by chance. How many people, after achieving great success, become unable to humble themselves and endure hardship? But Eunuch Liu remained steadfast throughout, which is why he deserves to be the king of eunuchs!
But time waits for no man, and after singing for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Eunuch Liu's voice began to fade. So he changed the tune on his pipa, playing the closing interlude, and finally sang:
"This old servant will stop here for today, and continue singing Western songs tomorrow! May Your Majesty have joy every day, and enjoy good health and a long life!"

"Good, good, good, this is interesting." Zhu Houzhao slapped Zhang Yong's thigh and laughed heartily, then pointed at Liu Jin and said mockingly:
"With Liu Daban's skills, he won't go hungry even if he doesn't stay in the palace. Here's a reward of two ingots of silver for you!"

"This old servant thanks Your Majesty for the reward!" Liu Jin hurriedly bowed and expressed his gratitude, feeling extremely pleased with himself.

Let's see how that brat surnamed Su tries to fight us! By the time you finish your exams, the Emperor will have long forgotten about you!

~~
The questions on the Five Classics are much more difficult than those on the Four Books, hence they are called "major questions," with the questions on the Book of Rites being the most difficult.

The difficulty of studying the Book of Rites lies in the complexity of the text, the lack of textual research, and the high requirements for empirical evidence of its systems.

However, even during his arrest and on his journey to the capital, Su Lu never stopped reading the precious manuscripts from the Prince of Shu's residence over the past six months. With the support of these rich historical materials, he could bypass the disputes over Song and Ming commentaries and go straight to the source of the classic texts, making it much easier to solve the problems.

He finished all four major questions in just one day, and will finalize the draft after some minor revisions in the evening.

Su Lu felt much more at ease, so he put away the exam papers, prepared the stove, and waited for the soldier to shout, "Start the fire!"

He immediately lit a fire in the stove, boiled water, and started cooking. Tonight's meal was still rice and pre-cooked dishes, but these dishes were a bit more upscale—royal-style braised camel hump!
After thawing and heating, the camel hump pieces are glossy and tremble when gently picked up, with thick sauce slowly dripping out.

Su Lu poured the camel hump and its juices over freshly steamed white rice. The meat was tender, juicy, and melted in the mouth, with no fishy or gamey taste.

After taking a couple of bites, he discovered that the dish also contained dried scallops and ham, which not only cut through the richness but also added aroma, making it an absolute must-have for eating with rice!
After a hearty meal and a cup of fragrant tea, Su Lu began to refine the articles he had written during the day by the stove. By the time the second watch drum sounded, all four major topics were finalized.

Now Su Lu is completely at ease; tomorrow he only needs to transcribe the seven articles.

Seal the stove, make the bed, and go to sleep!
~~
The next morning, Su Lu woke up at cockcrow as usual, and just like yesterday, got up to light the stove, boil water, cook rice, and simmer charcoal. His movements were noticeably more practiced.

While he sat upright in his cell, concentrating and carefully copying the essays onto the exam paper, Zhu Houzhao in the Leopard Room had just woken up with a yawn.

"Oh my, Your Majesty, you're up so early today? Why don't you sleep a little longer?" Zhang Yong was heartbroken. Usually, the Emperor wouldn't get up until the sun was shining on his face, but now it was only just reaching his backside.

She's obviously preoccupied...

"I can't sleep," Zhu Houzhao said dejectedly. "I'm worried about that kid, Zhu Shou."

“Hehe,” Zhang Yong immediately realized and laughed, “Your Majesty, rest assured, Su Jieyuan will finish his exam and leave tonight. Although he will have to go in again tomorrow morning, there is still time for Young Master Zhu to meet him and have him give a speech.”

"Hiss..." Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up, clearly tempted, but then he shook his head: "Forget it, he must be exhausted after three days of exams. Even if we force him to speak now, he won't do a good job."

He paused, then sat up and said seriously, "Besides, Zhu Shou has to be a good friend. He can't just think about his own pleasure and ignore the hardship others have endured."

"Huh?!" Zhang Yong was dumbfounded—could the Emperor really say such a thing? When has this young master ever thought of others, even the slightest bit?

Does he have to be treated like an ordinary person, like Su Xiaozhi, for him to develop ordinary human emotions?
~~
After serving the Emperor his washing and meal, the usual music and drumming began outside. Zhang Yong knew that Liu Jin was here to perform again.

But this time he wasn't flustered. Because he realized that in Zhu Shou's heart, Su Jieyuan was different from others...

No matter how much Liu Jin, that old geezer, jumps around, he can't replace that young, fresh meat.

On the stage of Danchi Opera, Liu Jin, encouraged yesterday, performed even more energetically today, showcasing his skills in playing various instruments and singing. His aria was even an extended version, which should have made it even more outstanding. However, Zhu Houzhao only listened to half of it before beckoning someone to bring over a panda to pet and amuse himself, clearly distracted.

Liu Jin, standing on the stage, kept a close eye on everything. Seeing the emperor's half-hearted behavior, his heart skipped a beat. He knew something was wrong; the emperor was distracted!

But he was already in a bind and had no choice but to grit his teeth and finish the song. Fortunately, the emperor was kind enough to reward him with another two taels of silver.

Liu Jin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly bowed to express his gratitude, saying, "If Your Majesty enjoyed the performance, this old servant will go back and practice a new piece, and sing for you again tomorrow to amuse you!"

To everyone's surprise, Zhu Houzhao waved his hand and said, "Alright, my dear attendant, you should go and do some serious business. You're so old, spending all your time performing on stage, how can you possibly have the energy to help me review memorials?"

"Your Majesty, it's alright, this old servant has plenty of energy." Liu Jin still wanted to try and persuade him, so he said with a smile, "Besides, this old servant just enjoys this. I sing all day long and I don't feel tired at all. In fact, I feel even more energetic."

"Go sing for your disciples and followers, why are you always bothering me?" Zhu Houzhao finally said impatiently.
"Your Shaanxi folk singing is good, but even the best stuff can't be listened to all the time. You'll get tired of it, understand?"

“But this old servant doesn’t understand,” Liu Jin said, feeling unconvinced, and couldn’t help but ask, “They’re all talking about the voyages to the West, so why does His Majesty listen to that Scholar Su for half a month without getting tired of it?”

After saying that, he quickly knelt down and said, "This old servant was presumptuous. This old servant just wanted to know where my storytelling was inferior to his, so that I could understand why I lost."

"Who said Su Jieyuan was telling stories to me?" Zhu Houzhao raised an eyebrow and asked in return.

"Huh? It was a misunderstanding?" Liu Jin was dumbfounded.

"Of course it's a misunderstanding!" Zhu Houzhao raised his voice, speaking with righteous indignation, "He's not like you! I'm listening to him reconstruct the true history, to broaden my horizons and learn from him, understand?!"

"Ah, not just for fun? The Emperor can actually study?!" Liu Jin exclaimed in surprise.

"Nonsense!" Zhang Yong finally seized the opportunity to rebuke Liu Jin. "His Majesty has been intelligent and studious since childhood. Did he acquire such profound knowledge through mere eating? How come in your mouth he's 'good at learning'?"

"Do you think I, the emperor, only know how to seek pleasure all day long?" Zhang Yong's words inexplicably struck a nerve with Zhu Houzhao, who immediately nodded in deep agreement and boasted to Liu Jin:
"Let me ask you, do you know anything about astronomy? Have you heard of the 'equatorial calm' phenomenon? Do you know the law of buoyancy?"

"Huh?" Liu Jin was dumbfounded by the question. He couldn't even understand what it was asking, let alone answer it.

"What are you talking about!" Zhu Houzhao scoffed. "You know nothing, yet you dare to talk about voyages to the West? You're really overestimating yourself!"

"Your Majesty is learned and talented, a truly admirable figure! This old servant has misspoke, this old servant deserves to die!" Liu Jin, realizing his slip of the tongue, vigorously ripped at his hairless mouth. "I'll tear this piece of trash apart!"

"Alright!" Zhu Houzhao laughed, "You were already ugly enough, and now you have a cleft lip, how can you even look at you?"

"Sigh..." Liu Jin finally stopped.

"Go back to your Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. Eunuchs should just do their jobs properly and not compete with the top scholar for a living." Zhu Houzhao waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes, this old servant takes his leave." Liu Jin was rebuffed, his face flushed red and then pale, and he retreated dejectedly.

At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind—quickly find a teacup!

After seeing Liu Jin off, Zhu Houzhao looked towards the southeast of the capital and sighed, "There are still six days before we can continue the lecture. How am I going to get through these days?"

~~
On the other side, the examination hall.

Su Lu had already copied all seven articles and carefully checked them again, finding no errors or omissions.

By this time, the papers were completely dry, so he put them back in the paper bag and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; the first part of the imperial examination was over.

It was noon. Su Lu finished his last set meal, then packed up the cooking utensils and cooking tools, made his bed again, put on his bear-patterned clothes, covered himself with the quilt, and began his daytime nap.

What? Taking a nap during the day is a sign that "rotten wood cannot be carved"?

So what? Do seasoned veterans care about that?

There are still two more games in six days, and my condition will only get worse. I should take the time to get some sleep and recover my strength.

Sogaku is all about seeking truth and being pragmatic...

Throughout the afternoon, the sound of snoring echoed in the alleyway of Wangzihao.

The other candidates were both disdainful and frustrated. In fact, most of them had already finished their papers, but out of respect for the teachings of the sages, no one dared to take a nap.

But then I thought, well, bears hibernate, that's normal...

P.S. The next chapter will be available tomorrow morning. Please vote with your monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)