Top Scholar

Chapter 68 The Difficulty of the Shu Road (Bonus Chapter, Seeking First Subscription)
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Upon seeing his family members who rushed over, Chun Ge'er felt much better.

Moreover, the negative emotions such as shame, self-blame, worry, and fear of ridicule that I felt when I was alone before vanished without a trace in front of my family, like boiling water poured on snow.

True family members will only feel sorry for the injuries you suffer after your hard work; they would never blame you for not achieving your goal completely.

Especially Qiu-ge'er, who has such a heavy workload, took leave to walk two hundred miles of mountain road to see me, and has to walk another two hundred miles back...

With this thought in mind, what reason did he have to let himself be weak? For the sake of his beloved family, Chun-ge'er had to be strong!
Seeing the light in Su Man's eyes, clearly indicating a renewed fighting spirit, Su Lu had prepared a whole host of words of advice, including famous quotes such as "Everyone in the world is ashamed of failing the imperial examination, but I alone am ashamed of failing." Now, none of that was needed.

With their parents taking care of him, Su Lu no longer needed to worry about his health. So Su Lu prepared to return home that day... Just as his older brother had said, the monthly exams were coming up soon, and he had to hurry back to catch up on what he had fallen behind on.

"Rest for a day before you leave." But the older brother couldn't bear it and said in a low voice, "Since you're already here, stay with me for the night."

"Sigh." Su Lu still listened to his older brother, lay down on the large communal bed, stretched out his sore and swollen legs, and said, "That feels good..."

He barely exchanged a few words before falling into a deep sleep. Traveling for two days and two nights straight—even someone young couldn't withstand that…

On the contrary, Su Tai, who usually collapses into bed the moment his head hits the pillow, opened his round eyes and asked Su Man in a low voice, "Brother, didn't you bring the ancestral treasure?"

"I brought it," Su Man said, pointing to the blue cloth pillow behind her head. "It's the one I'm using as a pillow."

"Then why didn't it work? Is it no longer effective?" Su Tai pressed. This question had been bothering him for days...

He thought his elder brother would probably not believe it, or at least not so much, but to his surprise, Su Man said with a firm gaze, "Don't talk nonsense, how could the ancestral treasure not work?"

"Then, brother..." Su Tai asked, puzzled.

“I guess it’s because I didn’t lift it up.” Su Man had already come up with what she considered a reasonable explanation: “Didn’t I tell you, this thing only works if you lift it up, otherwise it’s useless.”

He sighed and said, "But I couldn't lift it by myself during the exam, so I had to leave the treasure in this thatched hut. Alas, of course it's useless now..."

"Then I'll help you lift it next time!" Su Tai volunteered, "I'll lift it for as long as your exam lasts, I'll definitely lift it all the way through!"

"Okay, let's try it next time." Su Man nodded.

~~
Su Lu slept until midnight before he was forced to urinate. He went outside, leaning against the wall, and found a spot to relieve himself.

Just as I was about to go back to sleep, I saw my older brother staring at me with his eyes open.

"Big brother, are you making a fuss?" Su Lu whispered.

"No, I've been lying here since the first night of the Lunar New Year, how could I possibly sleep?" The older brother shook his head gently. "If you're not sleepy, let's chat for a bit."

Actually, Su Lu was quite sleepy, but since his older brother had spoken, he quickly pinched his thigh and said, "Big brother, go ahead and say it, I'm listening."

"Sigh..." Su Man had some things bottled up inside her, and she couldn't hold back any longer, so she said, "I failed the provincial examination, I'm not convinced!"

“Yes, I’m not convinced either. Our Mr. Zhang said that judging from my elder brother’s county exam results, he should be able to pass the prefectural exam no matter what.” Su Lu agreed wholeheartedly.

“It seems that the county examination still has some fairness,” Su Man said bitterly, “because the candidates are a mixed bag, with good and bad. If the county magistrate acts out of personal bias and selects some useless people who are ignorant of literature and the Five Classics, it will not only cause public outcry, but also make him look bad in the prefectural examination and earn him the reputation of being ‘incompetent in education’.”

“Indeed.” Su Lu nodded. If the county magistrate’s selection process was too unfair, the students would definitely be cursing. Moreover, during the prefectural examination, all counties would be compared, so it would be inappropriate for the results to be too low.

“But it’s different when it comes to the prefectural examination.” Su Many said sadly, “After the county examination, there are no more ignorant students. Even if their knowledge is poor, they won’t be completely incompetent.”

“That gives us some room to maneuver,” Su Lu said softly.

"You actually know this?" Su looked at Su Lu with surprise. "I only learned it through my own experience."

"Ah, I often hear my uncle talk about the dark side of officialdom, and I can draw parallels from that." Su Lu mumbled a few words, then asked, "How do they operate?"

"Anyone wishing to be selected by the prefecture must seek the recommendation of gentry and the guidance of senior officials." Su Man said through gritted teeth, "Even if a candidate's essay is fluent, if he is not recommended by the prefecture, he will not be admitted!"

"How can one obtain an introduction from a gentry official?" Su Lu asked softly. "And how do gentry officials help one gain fame?"

“Through various literary and poetry gatherings,” Su Man sighed. “Actually, the teachers at the academy reminded me that I should participate in literary gatherings wholeheartedly when I arrived in Luzhou. But I didn’t understand the meaning of ‘wholehearted’. I thought that participating in literary gatherings meant learning from each other’s strengths or listening to the seniors’ profound insights.”

"As a result, I attended several literary gatherings and spent a lot of money, but I gained nothing." Su Man said with a wry smile, "Later, a classmate couldn't stand it anymore and reminded me that just attending literary gatherings was useless, and that I should first pay homage to the important people in Luzhou City."

"Which important figures?"

“They are retired officials, fathers and brothers of current officials… in short, families of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). These families have exceptionally high thresholds; you’ll definitely be turned away if you try to visit them directly. You should first visit their advisors and patrons and ask them to request a calligraphy or painting on your behalf.” Su Man continued, “These families have exceptionally high thresholds; you’ll definitely be turned away if you try to visit them directly. You should first visit their advisors and patrons and ask them to request a calligraphy or painting on your behalf.”

"So that's how it is. A painting or calligraphy piece must cost a lot of money, right?" Su Lu said suddenly. Isn't this what's called 'refined bribery'? "Yes, the starting fee for a painting or calligraphy piece is fifty taels!" Su Man said sarcastically, "Truly, every word is a gem!"

"They really dare to charge so much." Su Lu clicked his tongue in surprise and asked, "With such a high price, must it be a full-service package?"

“That’s true.” Chun Ge’er thought the term ’one-stop shop’ was very apt and nodded, saying, “Once the old master writes your calligraphy, he will call you into the inner room at the literary gathering to test your knowledge.”

"The prefect's advisor will happen to be there, and the old magistrate will introduce you to this gentleman and tell you that his calligraphy and paintings are truly excellent. You should be obedient and quick to ask this gentleman for another piece of calligraphy and painting. Of course, the fee will be even higher. The exact amount depends on how sensible you are."

“In short, the more sensible you are, the greater your chances of being chosen…” Su Man sighed for the umpteenth time, “and vice versa.”

"Passing the provincial examination requires at least a hundred taels of silver?" Su Lu asked, his scalp tingling. "Where are we going to get so much money?"

I never imagined the Hongzhi reign would be so corrupt. Wasn't it supposed to be a golden age of a wise and benevolent ruler with clean and efficient governance?

“Yes.” Su Man said with a self-deprecating smile, “I don’t even have the money to pass the first hurdle, so I don’t have the chance to be sensible. This result is unexpected, but it is also reasonable.”

"Could we report this?" Su Lu asked in a low voice.

"Report?" Su Man was taken aback for a moment, then realized and said, "You mean to denounce someone? Where can you denounce someone? The prefect didn't take your money, and he's never even seen you."

“His advisors accepting bribes is the same as him accepting bribes,” Su Lu said.

“You didn’t take a bribe either. It was because you insisted on asking him for the painting. Of course, you have to pay him for it,” Su Man said. “This is a long-standing bad habit. Everyone knows it, but they will blame the ignorant whistleblower.”

"..." Su Lu remained silent. It seemed that this method was safe in this era. Grand Ancestor, open your eyes! Those corrupt officials are back again!
After a long pause, he finally said in a muffled voice, "Does that mean poor people can't pass the imperial examination to become scholars?"

“There is still a chance.” Su Man shook his head and said, “If you pass the county exam with the highest score, you are guaranteed to pass the prefectural exam! If you pass the prefectural exam, the Grand Master will be in charge of the provincial exam, which will be much fairer.”

As he spoke, he stared intently at Su Lu and said, "I missed out, but you must strive to become the top scholar in the county. For families like ours, the only way to become a scholar is to achieve the highest level of the exam and avoid being eliminated."

"I understand!" Su Lu nodded emphatically, and then said to Su Man, "Brother, don't be discouraged. There are still two years until the next provincial examination. In these two years, we will definitely be able to remove all obstacles and strive for a fair chance to compete!"

“Hmm.” Su Man nodded and said, “Actually, there is another way—try to improve your reputation. Once you become a famous scholar in the state, you won’t need to scheme and plot anymore, and passing the state examination will be a breeze.”

"How can I increase my reputation?" Su Lu's mind raced.

"It's nothing more than becoming famous through poetry and prose, or creating some heartwarming story of utmost sincerity and filial piety to gain the appreciation of important figures..." Su Man said, then dejectedly added, "Alas, it's not that easy. It's more reliable to take the county examination to become the top scholar."

"Yes, but there are always more solutions than problems. Let's think about it again." After saying that, Su Lu couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep with his head tilted to the side.

Su Man, however, rested her head on her arm, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep all night.

~~
The next day, before dawn, Su Lu and his two sons set off to return to their hometown.

Su Lu has to go to school, Su Tai has to go to work, and Su Youcai has to help out at Sweet Water Restaurant. The three of them can keep each other company on the way.

The eldest uncle has a government job, and he doesn't lose a penny of his salary even if he takes leave. The younger uncle is a free man, so the two of them stayed to take care of Chun-ge'er, planning to take a boat back to the younger uncle's house in Jiang in a couple of days after he has recovered.

Luzhou and its three subordinate counties are all located along the Yangtze River, making water transport very convenient. However, the problem is that the Chishui River has countless treacherous shoals; taking a boat during high water is practically suicidal…

So the three of them had to walk home obediently. Fortunately, they had all developed strong legs and didn't find the journey too tiring.

Luzhou City is also surrounded by mountains. After the three of them spent three coins to take a ferry across the river, they traveled several miles before entering the vast mountains.

Through the dense forest, one can vaguely see the surrounding rocks, as if cleaved by a knife and axe, with light gray rock walls piercing the sky. This is a typical limestone mountain range in the southwestern Sichuan and Guizhou region. There is absolutely no buffer zone; it's like a city wall trapping people inside the mountains.

Fortunately, there is a post road said to have been carved out by Lady Shexiang, which helps people cross the mountains and connect with the outside world. However, this old road, hidden in the dense forest, has long been in disrepair. In addition, with summer approaching, many places are covered with weeds, making it difficult to find the road.

Knowing that Chun-ge'er was alright, Su Youcai and Su Tai were in a good mood on their return journey.

Su Tai strung his hunting bow, held an arrow in his hand, and walked around looking around, hoping to shoot a pheasant or rabbit for the two of them to have a treat.

Su Lu felt somewhat heavy-hearted; this trip had had a profound impact on him. Although he had actually measured the distance he had traveled out of the mountains, it wasn't as far as he had imagined.

But his elder brother's experience made him realize that it was easy to leave the real Wumeng Mountains, but it was far more difficult than he had imagined to leave the mountains built by privilege, injustice, and the huge gap between the rich and the poor!

He suddenly understood Li Bai's poem "The Road to Shu is Hard"...

P.S.: Thank you all for your enthusiastic support! The results are already quite good! With the atmosphere so lively, it would be a shame not to add another chapter!
Keep asking for first-time subscriptions! The more people subscribe, the more motivated I get to keep writing.

(End of this chapter)