Top Scholar

Chapter 501 Dragon and Tiger Class, Leopard Room
Before the morning mist had fully dissipated, the newly appointed scholars, wearing black gauze hats and brand-new blue round-necked official robes, stood in neat rows outside the vermilion-lacquered, gold-studded palace gates of the Leopard Chamber, their young faces filled with excitement.

From this day forward, they will ascend to the Emperor's Hall, receive the Emperor's teachings, and become the first true disciples of the Emperor since the founding of the nation!
But when the doors of the Leopard Chamber slowly opened to the melodious chimes of bells, what greeted them was not the solemnity and grandeur of the Forbidden City, but a strange stench mixed with the barking of dogs, howls of beasts, and a fishy, ​​foul smell...

The newly appointed scholars were somewhat surprised when a eunuch wearing a steel-forked hat and a dark blue robe stepped forward, flicked his whisk, and said expressionlessly, "Come with me."

The scholars hesitated, glancing at the top scholar at the head of the procession. Only when they saw Su Lu walking ahead did they quickly follow.

Although it is called a house, the Leopard House is actually a vast royal garden with lakes, waterside pavilions, and palaces with upturned eaves and yellow glazed tiles hidden under the shade of trees.

The garden is planted with pines, cypresses, magnolias, crabapples and other flowers and trees, interspersed with rockeries and winding paths. Orchids are scattered in the crevices of the rocks. Walking through it, one can hardly feel the oppressive atmosphere of the palace. No wonder Emperor Zhengde was reluctant to leave once he came.

The newly appointed scholars had no time to appreciate the beauty of the forbidden garden in spring, for they were already surrounded by an endless barrage of dogs... Hundreds of dogs of all sizes and colors poured out from all directions, some as yellow as gold, some as black as ink, all wearing gold collars around their necks, and their barking was terrifying.

Su Lu frowned. He knew this was the dead eunuchs' way of intimidating him... Even Zhang Yong suspected that this Dragon Tiger Team was trying to steal the eunuchs' jobs, let alone the other eunuchs, who would definitely try to cause trouble in various ways.

So he said in a deep voice, “Don’t panic, everyone. This is the eunuch faction trying to embarrass us. It just proves that our Dragon Tiger Troupe can change the situation!”

"Understood!" Upon hearing this, the students felt their blood boil, and they suddenly felt that they were not surrounded by dogs, but confronting a criminal gang!

They tried their best to remain calm, undisturbed by the howling and barking of the vicious dogs, and even chatted and laughed as if nothing had happened.

"So many dogs, they're so cute."

"Yes, I've never seen so many kinds of dogs in my life."

What is that thing that looks like a bear?

“That’s a Tibetan mastiff that was presented as tribute by the Tibetans.”

"Then, what about this yellow dog with black rings on its body?"

“That’s a golden leopard…” a grand eunuch dressed in a python robe said quietly.

Seeing the pale faces of the newly appointed scholars, the chief eunuch Gu Dayong chuckled and said, "Don't be afraid. The dogs in our Leopard House are all imperial dogs, and they eat very well. The meat of you scholars is too sour; even one bite will make your teeth ache."

The group of torchbearers behind him, holding trays, burst into laughter.

The newly appointed scholars glared at him coldly, and Bai Yunshan sneered, "Yes, we certainly can't compare to the aroma of your meat, Father-in-law."

The scholars couldn't help but chuckle. Gu Dayong, not quite understanding at first, said smugly, "Of course."

"Hahaha!" Now it was the scholars' turn to burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at? Be serious!" Gu Dayong knew he couldn't outwit a scholar with words, so he waved his hand, and Xiao Huozhe brought over several wooden trays covered with red velvet, on which were neatly stacked stacks of waist tokens.

"Your names are on it, hang them up properly!" Gu Dayong said in a deep voice, "From today onwards, you must bring them when entering the Leopard Chamber. Not bringing them is considered trespassing!"

The newly appointed scholars picked up their waist tokens and examined them. Although they were made of wood, they were heavy and quite fragrant. The front was engraved with the words "Wuchen Dragon and Tiger Class," and the back had their respective names.

Strangely enough, when they put on their name tags, the dogs stopped barking. They came up, sniffed the dogs, wagged their tails, and scattered.

Seeing the surprised looks on the faces of the newly appointed scholars, Gu Dayong chuckled and said, "Because once you put up this sign, you're all the Emperor's dogs!"

The newly appointed scholars were indignant upon hearing this.

"Nonsense!" Su Man immediately retorted angrily, "We are the Emperor's disciples and officials appointed by the court, bearing the responsibility for the nation. How can we be compared to eunuchs?!"

"Well said!" the newly appointed scholars cheered.

"How dare you! May I ask your name?" Gu Dayong said in a sinister tone, "You are the chief eunuch of our Western Depot. You should get to know him better in the future."

“This is my older brother. You can find him at my house,” Su Lu sneered.

"Oh? So you're the third-ranked scholar! My apologies!" Gu Dayong, ever the pragmatist, quickly put away his ruthlessness and turned to lead the way, saying, "Please follow me, everyone. The Emperor is waiting for you in the Dragon and Tiger Hall." The scholars followed closely behind, passing through the courtyard. Along the way, strange and exotic animals were scattered about: peacocks spread their tails under the eaves, tigers roared in the railings, and many other unidentified birds and beasts flitted about, creating a bizarre scene against the backdrop of red walls and yellow tiles of the pavilions and towers.

The Dragon and Tiger Hall is located northwest of the Tengxi Hall, the core building of the Leopard House. The entire hall is topped with tin, which shines brightly in the sun. Therefore, it was originally named Taisu Hall, but Emperor Zhengde changed the name specifically to establish the Dragon and Tiger Troupe.

Upon entering the Dragon Tiger Palace, the high palace walls shut out the cries of birds and beasts outside, and the wafting sandalwood incense from the bronze incense burner masked the zoo-like smell. The newly appointed scholars finally regained their sense of solemnity.

They then lined up in the square in front of the palace according to their rank, holding their breath and waiting for the emperor's arrival.

At the stroke of Chenshi (7-9 AM), drums and music resounded in front of the Dragon and Tiger Hall, and the sounds of gongs and chimes echoed throughout the palace.

"His Majesty has arrived!" Amidst the loud announcement, Emperor Zhu Houzhao of the Ming Dynasty, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe and wearing a winged crown, stepped into the public eye with a majestic and resolute gait, followed by Zhang Yong and a group of guards, exuding an aura of authority.

When the emperor ascended the throne in the hall, all the scholars knelt and bowed, shouting "Long live the emperor!"

The emperor raised his hand in a gesture of greeting, and Zhang Yong then drawled, "Rise..."

After the 349 newly appointed scholars stood up, Zhu Houzhao's sharp gaze swept over their young faces as he began his address:

"Today is the opening day of the Dragon and Tiger Class. The first thing I will talk about is still the four words 'loyalty to the emperor and love for the country.' What I will teach you in the next two months is why you should be loyal and how to be loyal—this word 'loyalty' is the foundation of your official career, and it is also the basis for me to establish this Dragon and Tiger Class!"

The assembled officials listened attentively, then the emperor paused, his tone becoming more earnest as he spoke:

"Today I will tell you the truth: since I ascended the throne, I have been determined to be a good emperor, to bring happiness to all the people, and to make the Ming Dynasty, which my father and ancestors passed down to me, even more stable. But I soon discovered that I cannot accomplish anything by myself alone!"

These words sent a jolt through the newly appointed scholars, who knew the Emperor was about to open his heart—

Sure enough, a hint of resentment crept into Yu Yin's voice: "I ascended the throne at a young age, and I thought that once I became emperor, my words would become law and my orders would be obeyed. But what happened? As you all have seen, those old fogies treat me like a child, constantly using ancestral laws and the late emperor's instructions to pressure me. Do they want me to listen to our ancestors? No! They just want me to listen to them!"

The newly appointed scholars finally understood where the palace examination question came from, and why the emperor had appointed Su Man as the third-ranked scholar. It wasn't because he was handsome, but because his essays shared the same arguments as the top scholar—

"Times change, and governance adapts accordingly. To cling to old systems is like trying to find a sword by marking the boat—it's futile. Only by upholding our original aspirations and adapting to changing times can we find the right path to governing and prospering the nation!"

Then Zhu Houzhao continued, "What I say needs to be carried out by someone, but those people below me just want to evade my orders. Every one of my decrees, they either outwardly comply but inwardly defy; or they harbor selfish motives and use it to seek personal gain; and what's worse, some are old and lazy, and every day they just do perfunctory work and don't want to make any changes!"

"But the Ming Dynasty has reached a point where change is imperative, and I am filled with unease day and night!" He raised his voice, looking at the assembled scholars with deep sorrow.
"If this continues, the foundation of the Ming Dynasty will be hollowed out by these people sooner or later! That's why I made up my mind to set up this Dragon and Tiger Class for you newly appointed Jinshi—you are still young and have not been tainted by the outdated customs and bad habits of the court! More importantly, you have not yet been involved in the entangled relationships formed by those old fogies, and you still have a heart that is dedicated to the country and the people!"

Even more shocking was that the emperor himself admitted to them the conflict between imperial power and the power of the prime minister…

The young scholars, not yet truly integrated into official factions, were naturally loyal to the emperor. Each one was deeply moved, and tears welled in their eyes.

"Your Majesty, it's time to start cultivating our own people from our generation!"

Sure enough, Emperor Zhengde stood up, opened his arms emotionally, and said, "What I want is a group of loyal young people, officials who are willing to do things sincerely and obey my orders without question!"

The emperor's words resonated deeply, making the hearts of the newly appointed scholars pound: "Only by training you and entrusting you with power can my decrees truly reach all corners of the land, and only then can I truly do something practical for the people and the ancestral land! This is the original intention behind establishing this Dragon and Tiger Class!"

Finally, he softened his tone, speaking with great expectation: "Remember, I place immense hopes on you all. Never fail to live up to my expectations! From now on, whether in the court or in the provinces, always remain true to your principles and assist me in eradicating corruption and bringing peace to the land. Never emulate those old fogies who are complacent and seek only personal gain. Do not collude with them! If you can do this, it will be your greatest loyalty to me and the best reward you can give me!"

After the speech was finished, the excited responses from the assembled scholars echoed throughout the hall:

"Your Majesty, we obey! We will certainly live up to Your Majesty's high expectations! We will be loyal to the emperor and love our country, and revitalize the Ming Dynasty!"

The voice was powerful and resonant, echoing throughout the Dragon and Tiger Hall and lingering in the hearts of every newly appointed scholar.

"Good, very spirited!" Zhu Houzhao nodded emphatically with satisfaction. He had practiced all night for this lecture, and it seemed to be working well. He waved his hand and said, "Then the first lesson will be given by Grand Secretary Li, who will explain to you what it means to be loyal to the emperor!"

"Yes!" The newly appointed scholars responded respectfully and sat down at the small tables on the left and right sides of the hall to listen to the lecture... those small tables were the ones they used during the palace examination.

(End of this chapter)