Chapter 143: The Jingzhao Prefecture Examination, Late to Arrive...

Even though it was barely dawn, hundreds of people were already waiting in front of the Jingzhao Prefecture Office at the southeastern corner of Guangde Ward. The county examination and the prefectural examination, the two preliminary steps of the Imperial Examination, served completely different purposes. The first was merely a rehearsal, while the second could almost determine whether one could achieve the legendary carp leaping over the dragon's gate. Otherwise, many of these scholars, still speaking with their native accents, would not have needed to leave their homes and travel thousands of miles to this Chang'an of Jingzhao. There, they exhausted themselves over domicile registration documents, only to face the most cruel and fierce competition against the greatest talents from all under heaven before the provincial examinations even began.

Today was precisely the Jingzhao Prefectural Examination held to decide the forty regional quotas for the Jinshi candidates. Yet, despite the underlying tension, scholarly acquaintances gathered in groups of twos and threes. Most of them ignored the sensational gossip from the previous evening, discussing instead the biggest piece of news among their scholarly circles—a group of thousands trying to cross a single-log bridge—over the past few days.

"Who could have imagined such a bizarre coincidence? Missing it by just a few days, the Duke of Zhao actually passed away!"

"Passing away is one thing, but someone rushed all the way to Chang'an in such a panic just to fetch the Nineteenth Young Master Du back! Who was it that claimed earlier they were arranging a marriage alliance? If it were truly a marriage alliance, why would they so easily ruin a man's future prospects? The Cui clan of Qinghe is a prominent and distinguished family, and this move was thoroughly unchivalrous. If I could have competed against this man on the same grounds, it would have been worth the trip to this year's Jingzhao Prefectural Examination! Look, Lady Du's carriage is parked right over there; she must still be holding onto a sliver of hope."

"What kind of talk is that? The Nineteenth Young Master Du has long been lodging with the Cui family in Pingkang Ward. I heard he was even betrothed to the Cui family's daughter. To know about such a major event and refuse to return means he has at best lost his sense of integrity and loyalty! A man of such character is hardly worth associating with!"

"You gentlemen are overthinking this. Isn't it a good thing that a formidable rival for the top spot has vanished?"

This final remark, carrying a lighthearted and gloating chuckle, instantly drew furious glares from the three scholars standing in front. The young scholar who had just defended Du Shiyi as a man worthy of friendship even flicked his sleeves and rebuked sternly, "Competition is competition! To pin one's hopes on another person being unable to take the examination due to a personal tragedy is utterly despicable! Do not rejoice too early, Your Excellency. Even if the Nineteenth Young Master Du fails to rush back, the Thirteenth Young Master Wang of Taiyuan is likewise a talented individual whose reputation has long echoed throughout the capital!"

Glancing sideways at the scholar—who had failed to win the argument and now stood red-faced with righteous indignation—and recalling how the news of Du Shiyi returning to the Cui residence in Yongfeng Lane of the Eastern Capital to mourn the death of Cui Ezhi, the Duke of Zhao, had spread like wildfire over the past few days, with everyone praising his unparalleled loyalty and affection, while the bookstore in Pingkang Ward was packed to the doors, making a single stick of ink or an inkstone from the Qianbao Pavilion impossible to acquire, Liu Ximing let out a soft, mocking chuckle. However, when he saw the grand gates of the Jingzhao Prefecture Office slowly swing open, he quickly reined in his wandering attention. This time, Yu Feng, the Assistant Magistrate of Lantian County who presided over the examination, did not stride directly to the entrance to intimidate the examinees like Guo Quan had done during the Wannian County examination. Instead, he did not even show his face; two lines of bailiffs merely parted, watching him and the others file in one by one.

Compared to the main hall of the previous Wannian County examination, the main hall for this Jingzhao prefectural examination was visibly more spacious and airy, surrounded by temporary cloth barriers. The weather today was exceptionally pleasant—neither cold nor hot, perfectly suited for the occasion. When he reached his straw mat, Liu Ximing directly pulled a piece of white, lightweight damask from his bundle, shook it open, and sat down upon it, composing himself as he calmly arranged the Four Treasures of the Study beside him. Once most of the examinees had entered, he cast his gaze around and ultimately saw neither Du Shiyi nor Wang Wei, a faint smile of smug triumph blooming on his face.

Before long, a tall, thin official dressed in green robes walked in with his hands clasped behind his back. Reaching the front of the crowd, he maintained a rigid expression, cleared his throat lightly, and announced in a stiff, deliberate tone, "I am Yu Feng, Assistant Magistrate of Lantian County, acting under the orders of Yuan Weng, the Prefect of Jingzhao, to preside over this year's Jingzhao Prefectural Examination. The first session will test Explanatory Scripture Recitation, lasting until noon. Only those who pass six out of ten questions will be permitted to take tomorrow's second session!"

Guo Quan had already established this high standard and strict requirement of passing six out of ten during the Wannian County examination. Although it was already too late to cram at the last minute, many who had heard the news had mentally prepared themselves. This time, they only let out a low, buzzing murmur rather than the utter uproar that had greeted the earlier county exam. As the test papers were distributed one by one, the anxious examinees all heard no mention of the rule forbidding poetry to redeem failed scripture questions, and they collectively let out long sighs of relief. Liu Ximing, acting as though he had foreseen this all along, was in no rush to answer, simply sitting with supreme composure and eyeing the test paper before him.

Scripture recitation had never been his strong suit; getting four out of ten right was already his absolute limit, and answering six out of ten correctly was virtually impossible. Rather than racking his brain here in frustration, he would do better to conserve his vital energy and wait for the examiner to issue a prompt later so he could compose a poem to redeem his failed scripture answers!

As the water in the clepsydra dripped drop by drop into the bronze basin, the sun outside climbed high into the sky without anyone noticing. Realizing how tight time was, some scholars still tried to make a final effort on the scripture test, while others felt entirely helpless before the profound difficulty of the questions. The scope of the scripture examinations encompassed not only the Book of Songs, the Book of Documents, and the Book of Changes, but also the Rites of Zhou, the Book of Rites, and the Book of Etiquette, as well as the Three Commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals—namely the Zuo Commentary, the Gongyang Commentary, and the Guliang Commentary. Among these hundreds of examinees, perhaps not even one in a hundred could memorize every obscure corner of these vast texts. Liu Ximing simply filled in a few random blanks and waited with mounting anxiety for the ultimate judgment.

***

However, just as noon approached, a wave of loud commotion suddenly erupted from outside. Soon, among the examinees sitting closest to the outer doors of the hall, voices began shouting in agitation.

"The Nineteenth Young Master Du of Jingzhao was waylaid and attacked by assassins on his return journey! He is already at the gates of the Jingzhao Prefecture Office!"

Leaving aside the shock and horror on Liu Ximing's face and the expressions of the other candidates, Du Shiyi—who had spent the entire previous night meticulously cross-checking testimonies and had sent Chibi ahead at dawn to scout the city gates, choosing not to enter the city at the very break of day—now stood outside the Jingzhao Prefecture Office alongside his accompanying servants from the Cui clan. His white robes, which should have been immaculate, were stained with blood, and the crowd of onlookers grew steadily denser. Meanwhile, Du Shisanniang, who had just rushed over in a mixture of shock and joy with Zhuying and Qiuniang following closely behind her carriage, had a face drained of all color, completely devoid of blood. She gripped Du Shiyi's sleeve so tightly that she could not even utter a single word.

Facing his flustered and frantic younger sister, Du Shiyi could not offer a lengthy explanation. He merely squeezed her hand gently, covertly slipping a small roll of paper into her palm, and lowered his voice. "When the prefectural examination concludes in a few days, come to fetch me. Remember to bring the Luosha sandalwood pipa and find that musical score left for me by Master Sima. Also, deliver this letter to the Prefect at Zhupo—it must be fast and cannot suffer any delay."

Not until a green-robed official from the Jingzhao Prefecture Office hurried out did a stern composure settle upon Du Shiyi's pale, blood-loss-weary face. Before anyone else could speak, he raised his hands in a formal salute and said, "Du Shiyi, the Nineteenth of Jingzhao, pays his respects to Your Honor!"

Upon seeing the seven or eight men in civilian attire lying on the ground with indistinct injuries, and then looking at the bloodstains covering Du Shiyi and his retinue—with some nursing broken arms and limping legs—the green-robed official gasped in sudden alarm. He stood stunned for a moment before managing to ask, "A report was just received that Young Master Du was waylaid and attacked by bandits on his journey back from Luoyang. What on earth is going on?"

"Yesterday evening, I originally intended to enter the capital before the gates closed, but the gates had been shut early due to special circumstances, forcing me to linger outside the city walls. I planned to lodge at an inn, but was told every guest room was full. Unwilling to waste time searching elsewhere, I spent the night in a humble Earth God shrine. To my astonishment, the shrine where we sought temporary shelter was suddenly set ablaze by arsonists in the dead of night, followed by wave after wave of fierce combat. Only after a bitter struggle did we manage to capture these villains!"

Even though Du Shiyi made no mention of the hardship, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the blood on his person and the wretched, battle-worn state of the Cui clan retainers caused Cen Qi, the Judicial Military Inspector of Jingzhao Prefecture, to draw in a sharp breath. Gasps of astonishment and chaotic murmurs erupted from the surrounding crowd. Among them, some who recognized the Nineteenth Young Master shouted out his identity to others, compounding the official's predicament. Yet, before Cen Qi could utter a response, Du Shiyi bowed to him once more with cupped hands.

"Today is the day of the Jingzhao Prefectural Examination. Du the Nineteenth is late; I wonder if I am still permitted to take the test?"

During the Tang Dynasty, the imperial examination system was not yet rigid. Leaving aside cases with valid reasons, even those who had none—merely waking up late or lingering over wine—were still allowed to knock on the door and take the examination as long as they remained confident in passing the remaining sessions within the allotted time. The provincial examinations operated similarly. Although Cen Qi was not an examiner for this year's Jingzhao prefectural examination, he was well aware of the underlying currents. He cleared his throat dryly once more and said, "But Young Master Du, with all these injuries, are you certain you do not need to consult a physician first?"

"Treating these wounds can wait until after this first session of scripture recitation! These are all retainers of the Cui family from Yongfeng Lane in Luoyang; they can remain here as living testimony."

As soon as these words fell, many among the surrounding spectators chimed in with shouts of support: "It was already a miracle that Young Master Du managed to make it back alive! Hurry up and let him enter the examination hall!"

"Indeed! Stop dawdling and wasting Young Master Du's examination time!"

Seeing the crowd swelling larger by the moment, accompanied by an endless chorus of support, Cen Qi reasoned that as a mere minor official of the seventh rank, he had no business wading into such treacherous waters. He made a decisive judgment and shouted loudly, "In that case, I ask Young Master Du to enter the examination hall immediately!"

Hearing the surging cries of support, Du Shisanniang bit her lip hard. When Du Shiyi gently patted her hand as a signal to release his sleeve, she instinctively let go. Yet, just as Zhuying handed over the heavy package containing his writing implements with both hands, and Qiuniang offered a bronze water flask, she suddenly called out in a clear voice, "Elder Brother, you must win the top spot!"

Whatever task you have entrusted to me, I will surely accomplish to perfection!

For the Du family's young lady, who had remained silent throughout, to suddenly burst forth with such bold and stirring words caused the surrounding crowd to fall briefly silent. This was immediately followed by enthusiastic onlookers echoing her sentiment: "Well said! Having survived a great disaster, he is bound to enjoy great fortune! We wish Young Master Du complete victory!"

Although the ink and inkstones crafted by Du Shiyi were currently worth a small fortune at the Qianbao Pavilion, what had truly propelled his immense fame among the common people was his decision to open a free public bookstore. In the two or three months since the bookstore's inauguration, new hand-copied volumes had been added at regular intervals, many of which were classic texts of history and literature never before seen in the commercial book markets—all transcribed from his memories of a future age. Consequently, at this single cry of encouragement, voices rose in a massive wave of accord. When Du Shiyi turned and bowed deeply in gratitude, the din of cheering grew even louder.

As Du Shiyi turned to enter the Jingzhao Prefecture Office, he paused briefly beside Du Shisanniang and said in a deep, steady voice, "Thirteenth Sister, wait here for your brother to return!"

The commotion outside had persisted for a long time, and the news that the Nineteenth Young Master Du had been waylaid and attacked had spread like wildfire inside the examination hall. Yu Feng had tried to ban the rumors, but in vain. Consequently, the examinees who had despaired of passing six out of ten scripture questions kept glancing backward, waiting for the man to be escorted inside. Under these circumstances, Liu Ximing could no longer maintain his composure or conserve his energy. Though he forced himself to sit rigidly upright, tiny beads of sweat broke out across his forehead. Meanwhile, Du Wenruo, who had been wracking his brains over a particularly difficult scripture question, nearly snapped his brush in pure fury.

How on earth had that fellow managed to claw his way back here? It had taken him immense effort to implore several senior members of the Du clan to exert heavy pressure on Yu Feng!

Before long, someone abruptly called out, "He's here! The Nineteenth Young Master Du has arrived!"