But he couldn’t stay put, nor could he turn back. He could only follow the crowd forward to collect his number plate.
The person distributing number plates was so busy they didn’t even look up, rapidly calling out candidates’ names and issuing plates. When they called Shen Mi’s name, however, they suddenly stopped, picked up the examination cell plate to examine it again and again, as if verifying they had the right plate, then switched to a smile as they handed the plate to Shen Mi.
Such behavior naturally caught the attention of other candidates.
All candidates entering the examination compound looked up in amazement.
Before their eyes were densely packed examination cells arranged in rows, named according to the “Thousand Character Classic” content, starting from “Heaven and Earth, Dark and Yellow,” with “Heaven Character Number One” and so forth. Each character section contained fifty to one hundred cells, facing south in long alleys. The alleys were only about four feet wide, looking from afar like narrow hutongs, also called “number alleys.” Each alley entrance was equipped with barred gates, number lamps, and water vats. Each alley had eight to ten number guards, with each guard overseeing five or six candidates, helping with tasks like delivering tea and hot meals.
After all candidates entered the examination compound, the great gates slammed shut and were locked. The compound’s exterior was surrounded with thorns, which is why the metropolitan examination was also called the “Locked Thorn Tribute Examination.”
Shen Mi held his number plate, still unable to see exactly where his cell was located.
The positioning of metropolitan examination candidates’ cells was very particular. Those facing the exit caught the wind and were easily chilled. Worse were the cells at either end, where the latrines were usually located. The stench was overwhelming – taking the nine-day examination while eating, drinking, and relieving oneself in that tiny space while smelling nine days of foul odors could drive away any literary inspiration.
Generally, the middle positions were the quietest, most sheltered spots with naturally the best cells.
Shen Mi went to find his cell – Dark Character Twenty-five, located in the middle, not in the front or back rows that caught the wind. It could almost be said to be the best position in the entire examination ground.
The candidate who had earlier complained about being searched walked past him crying, apparently having received a very poor cell assignment.
He walked over, suddenly turned back, recognized Shen Mi, then looked at the cell behind Shen Mi. Jealous light shot from his eyes.
Shen Mi’s scalp tingled, feeling this person’s luck was really too terrible.
By comparison, the man was bound to hate him.
Someone walked past his side – it was actually Qi Yuansi.
The two men’s eyes met. After entering the cells, talking wasn’t forbidden, but neither spoke at the moment. Qi Yuansi walked past as if he didn’t recognize him.
Shen Mi saw him enter the cell right next to his own.
He frowned.
That unlucky fellow still stood there staring at him. Shen Mi cupped his hands in salute and entered his own cell.
The cells weren’t much different inside – everyone got one charcoal brazier and one candle. The cell contained two boards that served as desk and stool when separated, and could be combined and placed on the brick supports below to form a narrow plank bed for lying down to rest.
The space of just over one square meter had been utilized to its utmost. Shen Mi thought of nothing else, lay down to sleep, as exam papers would only be distributed at dawn.
He felt vaguely uneasy, tossing and turning, unable to sleep for a long time. When he finally dozed briefly, dawn had arrived and exam papers were distributed.
The first session tested three questions on the Four Books, four on classics; the second session tested one “essay,” five “judgments,” and one subject from “edicts,” “imperial proclamations,” and “memorials”; the third session tested five questions on “classics and history” and “current affairs policy.”
Shen Mi had been extremely outstanding at Yueli Academy – otherwise his classmates wouldn’t have been jealous enough to ostracize him. More rare still, he had no weak points in various classics, commentaries, or current policy essays. However, having experienced family upheaval, though he appeared slick on the surface he was actually steady. He cast aside all previous distracting thoughts and settled down to examine and answer questions.
He stored completed answers in the leather pouch he’d brought to prevent them being burned by candles or water-damaged. Though hot meals could be heated, food brought in easily spoiled after two days, so most prepared dried food. Shen Mi did the same, preferring to gnaw dry cakes with pickled vegetables rather than invite trouble.
He was extremely careful when eating, thoroughly inspecting his food, terrified something would go wrong. Even a stomach ache would be very troublesome in the examination hall, since urination was handled in chamber pots within the cell. If one needed to defecate and go to the latrine, one had to first report to the proctoring official, then leave the cell with exam papers sealed by the official under special escort. Moreover, such papers would afterward be stamped with a black seal. Though this stamp appeared harmless on the surface, when grading, officials would consider it inauspicious and directly reject such papers. Therefore candidates called this black stamp the “shit seal.”
Under such circumstances, Shen Mi was extremely nervous, fearing his food might be tampered with. But at this point he suddenly realized there was no possibility of tampering. The examination had already gone on two days, yet the number guards who usually patrolled constantly rarely came to his cell, and when they did come they didn’t linger, once again displaying that kind of “trust.”
Since they didn’t come, Shen Mi couldn’t drag people over, but he felt much more at ease about eating.
After three days he exited the examination ground, went home and collapsed into bed. Before his spirits had recovered, he entered the examination hall again.
When entering for the second session, Shen Mi again encountered that unlucky brother. This fellow had dark circles under his eyes, a numb expression, walking through the number alley like a wandering ghost. Nearby candidates said this person had diarrhea during the last session and his exam papers were stamped with the shit seal seven times.
Shen Mi: “…”
When some people had incredible luck, others were cursed with misfortune.
After the second and third sessions, nothing happened. When exiting the examination ground after nine days, Shen Mi breathed a long sigh of relief.
This time Qi Yuansi waited for him outside the examination ground, along with several other Yueli Academy candidates. Everyone gathered at a wine shop, and talking about this examination, all said they’d originally gone in with heavy hearts but had incredibly good luck with smooth sailing throughout.
After the gathering, Shen Mi felt uneasy thinking things over, so he wrote a letter about his experiences during the examination days, wanting to ask Rong Pu to deliver it to the palace. However, Rong Pu refused.
Rong Pu said this was the critical period for paper grading, and the relationship between Yueli Academy candidates and the Crown Princess was very sensitive. At this time it was best to have no contact whatsoever with the Crown Princess – not a single paper or word should enter the palace.
Shen Mi had no choice but to give up.
Rong Pu saw off the Shen family messenger, boarded his sedan chair, and went to attend a poetry gathering hosted by the War Minister’s son.
This poetry gathering was actually a disguised blind date for him, arranged by his domineering grandmother.
Rong Pu had originally refused. Though his grandmother was domineering, when he didn’t want to go, he always had ten thousand ways to deal with her.
But he heard that the Minister’s legitimate daughter had also sent an invitation to the Crown Princess.
Probably because she’d heard about the Crown Princess’s brilliant poetry display at Zhegui Tower?
However, though the poems and events from that day at Zhegui Tower had spread, the scholars spreading those poems had unanimously kept things vague, not mentioning that the poems were composed by the Crown Princess at Zhegui Tower that day – after all, having been warned, and since face-slapping was involved, actively speaking of it created psychological barriers.
Those excellent lines and that lyric had been popular and widely sung in the capital these past days. Since everyone was secretive about the original author, many uninformed people speculated which talented gentleman had composed them – such as Chang Yuan from Huichuan Prefecture or Ma Hetong from Li Province. When these rumors spread, these individuals were still writing furiously in the examination compound and naturally couldn’t come out to deny them. By the time the metropolitan examination ended, through repeated spreading of false information, the matter seemed increasingly real.
Tie Ci had been staying in the palace recently to recuperate and study government affairs, and wouldn’t pay attention to such things. But she had accepted the young lady’s invitation.
Naturally Rong Pu had to go – he’d heard those highly acclaimed talents were also among the invited.
Meanwhile, Tie Ci also left her quarters, casually donning a robe and casually mounting a horse, bringing two maids to the appointment.
She had never previously attended such poetry gatherings. The capital’s wealthy young masters didn’t like including her – half because they looked down on her as a little puppet, half because her status was too sensitive.
Because of this rare participation in a gathering with peers, both Dan Shuang and Chi Xue were somewhat excited, urging her to wear women’s clothing, which Tie Ci ruthlessly refused.
Nonsense – how could she ride a horse in women’s clothing? Take a sedan chair and go slowly? What a waste of time! She still had to rush back to help her old father with arguments.
Though the Empress Dowager had temporarily withdrawn to the inner palace, old Xiao was still in the front court with his gang causing trouble. The Censorate was all old Xiao’s people. Every day they were too busy dealing with various attacks and fault-finding by censors to manage anything else.
Because she was so busy, His Majesty the Emperor insisted on pushing her out to participate in young people’s activities, so Tie Ci had no choice but to go.
Rong Pu and she entered one after the other. As soon as Rong Pu entered, he was personally received by the War Minister’s son, led into the garden to admire flowers.
Admiring flowers was false – meeting people was true.
Rong Pu didn’t object.
Better to clarify things early.
The poetry gathering was also conducted in the garden. Minister Zhang’s household garden covered an extremely wide area and was excellently maintained. A clear stream and the nine-curve gallery bridge above it separated the male and female guests – men on the bridge’s east side, women on the west side.
Rong Pu was led onto the bridge, with continuous flower pavilions with hanging gauze curtains ahead. Inside were clothing fragrance and coiffured shadows with continuous delicate laughter, obviously many female guests had come.
Behind him the men affected a casual manner – some sitting on the ground, some wandering through the woods, some composing poems against walls, some chanting by the water.
Their voices weren’t small, hoping the wind would carry their excellent lines to fall upon the ears of beauties across the way, perhaps achieving one or two good matches.
This kind of poetry gathering was essentially a large-scale blind dating event. The Minister’s son had also invited many hot prospects for passing this year’s examinations, courting talent in advance.
Because Rong Pu was mounting the bridge, the male guests who had originally been posing on the bridge were all asked to come down. Everyone watched with both envy and jealousy as Rong Pu stood alone on the bridge in the wind.
His health was poor, so unlike those appearance-conscious fellows who had already donned thin spring clothing with flowing sleeves to add several points of elegant bearing, he was still bundled up tightly. However, his whole person still looked gracefully upright like a jade tree, with a pair of eyes containing lustrous light within, like crushed jade or arrayed stars.
Seeing him was like seeing even Heaven’s own romantic feelings, making spring breezes and spring feelings linger in one person’s features.
The delicate laughter from the flower pavilions across the bridge also diminished considerably, with countless hot gazes behind colorful precious fans peeping at the figure on the bridge.
Standing on the bridge, Rong Pu saw willow branches hanging from the white stone bridge railings, decorated with red lanterns and fresh flowers. The clear stream gurgled below. Somehow this scene felt familiar, though he couldn’t immediately recall why.
Surrounded by gazes from all directions, he maintained his composure with a peaceful smile, but his thoughts were far from peaceful.
How could he refuse this marriage proposal appropriately yet firmly, but without any future troubles?
“I’m sorry, Miss Zhang, I have a congenital deficiency and dare not delay Miss’s youth…”
No good – if this spread, it might become some unspeakable problem, and if it reached Ruixiang Palace…
A man who hasn’t yet achieved success cannot cut off his own future prospects!
“I’m sorry, Miss Zhang, my heart belongs to another, and I dare not delay Miss’s youth…”
No good – this would cause Miss Zhang to become ashamed and angry, making a scene, instigating Minister Zhang to trouble the Crown Princess. How could that work?
An excellent minister never adds any unexpected troubles for his sovereign.
“I’m sorry, Miss Zhang, I have not yet achieved success in my career and have no thoughts of marriage…”
No good – this sounds too false. If I count as not having achieved success, what do all the young masters in the capital count as? This would probably still anger Miss Zhang…
Thinking a thousand thoughts, wrestling with a hundred complications.
Ahead, a black-canopied boat suddenly came downstream.
On the boat was a boat woman in blue clothes and cloth skirt, wearing a bamboo hat, working the oars. At the bow was a bamboo basket filled with fresh melons and fruits, with water-bright dewdrops sparkling on them.
Rong Pu felt this scene was even more familiar.
He looked down and suddenly saw willow strings hanging from the bridge railings, with hooks dangling below, hooked with copper coins.
His mind flashed like lightning, instantly recalling where this familiarity came from.
That small town at the foot of Qingyang Mountain, the arched bridge in front of the town’s wine shop and the red lantern willow strings on the bridge, the boat maiden coming downstream through the bridge opening, people on the bridge dropping willow string copper coins to hook fruits from the boat maiden’s boat.
He had once stood in front of the wine shop and seen this beautiful scene.
He had also seen Tie Ci lying on the bridge railing dropping willow strings to hook fruits, only to be grabbed and pulled down from the bridge by that damned fake boat maiden, falling into the boat maiden’s embrace.
And then…
Rong Pu painfully didn’t want to think further.
Also because the boat maiden had already reached the bridge opening.
She pushed up her bamboo hat, revealing a pretty young girl’s face, smiling as she looked at him and pushed the fruit basket before her forward.
She indicated the willow strings with her eyes.
Rong Pu: …No, I don’t want to.
Recalling that scene was already sufficiently heart-blocking. Having this girl wanting him to imitate it was absolutely unacceptable.
He gripped the bridge railings with both hands, leaning slightly forward, saying gently: “Are you Miss Zhang? I am Rong Pu, I have something to say…”
“I also have something to say to Young Master Rong,” the pretty girl blushed slightly, looking up gently, “Young Master Rong, today’s meeting was arranged through my mother’s painstaking efforts…”
“Listen to me…”
“Please listen to me. This young lady didn’t want to meet so presumptuously and create improper misunderstandings. It’s just that this young lady has one matter she wanted to entreat Young Master about in person, which is why I agreed to my mother’s arrangement.” Miss Zhang paused, her cheeks flushing again.
At this moment Rong Pu heard commotion ahead and saw from afar a familiar figure approaching through the flowers. His attention immediately shifted direction, and not having heard the previous sentence clearly, hearing only the last part, he frowned and said slowly: “Miss Zhang, I’m afraid I must disappoint you. I have no other intentions toward you…”
“This young lady has no other intentions toward you.” Miss Zhang said simultaneously, “This young lady only wants to entreat Young Master, or simply ask Young Master – don’t you think Rong Wei and the Crown Princess are a match made in heaven?”
Rong Pu: “…”
No, I don’t think so.
I rather think there might be something wrong with my ears.
Why did the girl on a blind date with me ask such a bizarre question?
Miss Zhang gazed at him, gathering courage to say softly: “All members of our Miaoci Society greatly loved the seventh volume of Chronicles of a Compassionate Heart, and wept over the stirring story between Rong Wei and the Crown Princess, losing sleep over it. Surely Scholar Rong, as a witness to their friendship, must also be moved by their deep affection and righteousness… and would be happy to help them succeed.”
Rong Pu: “…”
I thought today’s blind date would involve me breaking someone else’s heart.
I never imagined the one getting heartbroken would be myself.
The seventh volume of Chronicles of a Compassionate Heart – I heard that fellow forged it, so I never read it.
Now it seems I must study it carefully.
To see how that shameless person beautified himself while uglifying other romantic rivals.
To the point of deceiving these naive girls into daring to do any foolish thing.
Scholar Rong, who had unknowingly become the villain, silently swallowed a mouthful of blood, smiling as he looked at the crazy book fan who didn’t hesitate to use a blind date pretext to entreat him to withdraw from the competition.
“Miss Zhang… story books are harmful!”
In the distance, Tie Ci, who was walking over, stopped in her tracks, looking at the man and woman facing each other on and under the bridge.
Spring wind passed over the bridge, stirring the flower strings and red lanterns all over the bridge, outlining the gentle waves below, then sweeping over the beautiful faces of the smiling young man and woman.
Everywhere it passed was like a painting.
Standing between new peach blossoms and old willows, Tie Ci felt in a daze that this scene seemed familiar.
Because of this sense of familiarity, she smiled slightly, not wanting to go over and disturb that beautiful pair.
She turned in another direction, heading toward where the male guests were gathered. She always wore men’s clothing, so no one stopped her, all assuming she was some noble young master.
Before getting close she heard thunderous praise. She vaguely caught a few lines – apparently they were reciting the water melody lyric she had plagiarized from Zhang Xiaoxiang.
Tie Ci stopped, not wanting to approach closer, afraid of hearing praise that didn’t rightfully belong to her.
Just as she turned around, she heard a man say loudly: “Such magnificent and heroic excellent work – it’s a pity we don’t know who composed it.”
Tie Ci immediately felt relieved, then heard another man laugh: “What’s regrettable about that? We can guess! With such talent, such heroic spirit – anyone can tell this is Young Master Chang’s style!”
Someone else said: “Perhaps it’s Young Master Ma – I hear he’s extremely skilled at poetry.”
“Young Master Ma failed in the examinations with continuous bad luck – he’s probably crying in his inn right now.”
“Then it must be Young Master Chang.”
Tie Ci paused and looked back, seeing in the crowd a blue-robed man of decent appearance with a pair of slender eyes that had some charm. He was currently gently waving a folding fan, smiling without speaking.
In everyone’s eyes, this inscrutable and profound attitude obviously meant acknowledgment. Immediately praise was endless, even the host Zhang Young Master smiled and said: “This water melody has been sung for over ten days, praised throughout the city. Some say it originally spread from Zhegui Tower – indeed Young Master Chang’s handiwork.”
Chang Yuan smiled and shook his head, only saying after a long while: “Young Master Zhang flatters me. How could I have such talent?”
In everyone’s ears this sounded like modesty, and praise became even more endless.
Dan Shuang’s face was already frosty with cold, saying icily: “What a talented scholar – stealing right from our heads!” She was about to step forward.
But Tie Ci pulled her back, casually picked up a half-face mask to put on, then gave masks to the two maids, saying: “Come, let’s join the excitement.”