Chapter 131: The Grand Preceptor of Great Tang

The first day of the seventh lunar month, in the third year of the Zhenguan era of the Great Tang.

With autumn approaching, the common people across the nation were busy preparing for the harvest season. On this day, officials of all ranks in Chang'an City were equally occupied. Candidates from various prefectures and provinces had been waiting outside the Imperial Academy since early dawn, anxiously awaiting the posting of the imperial examination results.

The examinations had concluded the previous evening. The Emperor had ordered the Ministry of Personnel, in conjunction with the Imperial Academy, the Hongwen Pavilion, and select officials from the Ministry of Rites, to grade the papers with the utmost haste and select the successful candidates for the position of Jinshi. Given the Emperor’s urgency, the entire bureaucracy was operating at a frantic pace, and the candidates were filled with restless anticipation.

Tu Chengli had dragged Lu Xin and their companions to wait outside the Imperial Academy since daybreak, but it was not until noon that officials from the palace finally arrived to post the results. At that moment, at least eight or nine hundred people were crowded outside the academy, craning their necks and packing the street so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through.

"Make way, make way! His Majesty has personally selected the Zhuangyuan (first place), the Bangyan (second place), and the Tanhua (third place), with a total of twenty-one successful candidates. Those who have passed are listed on this imperial announcement. Candidates, do not panic; let me through."

The official delivering the list was from the Ministry of Personnel, escorted by elite guards from the Guard Garrison to handle protocol and crowd control. Behind them followed several high-ranking civil officials—eminent scholars over the age of sixty, figures of immense stature in the literary world. Li Gang, the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, was prominently among them, leading the group.

As the official finished his announcement, the crowd of candidates parted, though a cacophony of discussion erupted, a mixture of joy and sorrow.

This year, over a thousand scholars had traveled from all corners of the empire to sit for the exam, yet only twenty-one were chosen. The success rate was low. One must understand that those qualified to travel to Chang'an were already the finest scholars of their respective regions; some were already famous, while others had survived layer upon layer of selection at the village, county, and prefecture levels. In an instant, the official's announcement had extinguished the hopes of the vast majority.

"Sigh, it seems I shall return empty-handed once again. I pity my aged mother at home, who toiled so hard to support my studies, only to grow older by the day. I fear she will never live to see the day I place on the golden list."

"It is too difficult. The Jinshi examination is simply too hard. I, Liu Gongming, have studied for twenty-five years, taking exams since the Daye era, and have never succeeded. I shall return home and settle for farming."

"Hahaha, look at you cowards. The imperial exam is like the Dragon Gate; leap over it, and you become a dragon. If it were easy, wouldn't everyone in the world be an official? In truth, twenty-one Jinshi is quite a lot—several times more than during the Wude era."

"This gentleman speaks the truth. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, literary culture has flourished. Although this was a special decree examination, twenty-one scholars passing is a sign of immense imperial grace. I firmly believe that even if I failed this time, there will be opportunities in the future."

With eight or nine hundred people debating at once, the noise outside the Imperial Academy was deafening. Lu Xin and the scholar stood at the very edge of the crowd, feeling the heavy, suffocating tension.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... look at you scholars. Usually, you go on and on about the Sages and Confucius, but the moment your own future and interests are at stake, you show your true colors, casting the teachings of the Sages to the winds. It’s just a title; it’s not even guaranteed that you’ll become an official."

Yue Buhei watched the chaotic scene, snapping his folding fan open and shut with a look of utter disdain. The scholar, hearing this, flew into a rage and pointed a finger at him.

"You beast in human skin, what do you know? Ten years of hard study, hanging my hair from the rafters and piercing my thigh with an awl—all those years, wasn't it to earn a title and bring honor to my ancestors? Don't look down on us scholars. Even Confucius traveled from state to state to become an official, aiming to benefit the world. We study for the sake of the country and its people, unlike you—a blood-drinking beast who only cares about filling his own stomach."

"Pfft, you are human, I am a demon. Why argue? It has nothing to do with me! The list is up; why don't you get over there and look?"

Yue Buhei enjoyed nothing more than riling up the scholar. He snapped his fan shut and kicked the scholar in the backside. The latter was sent tumbling into the crowd, wincing in pain. With the list now posted, the mob surged toward the academy walls. The scholar, having no physical strength to speak of, was swallowed by the throng and unable to return, letting out a roar of frustration like a slaughtered pig.

"You dead fox, just you wait! If my name is on that list, I will boil you in a pot sooner or later!"

Watching Tu Chengli disappear into the crowd, Lu Xin shook his head with a helpless, bitter smile. If a buffoon like him could actually pass, there would truly be no justice in the world. In truth, Lu Xin had never held much hope for the scholar. This was a society dominated by pedigree; those who ended up as officials were usually from established aristocratic families. Moreover, the competition was fierce—from Lu Tingfang to the scions of the five great clans, and even famous scholars who had long been renowned. With the scholar's temperament, just passing would be a miracle.

"Brother Lu, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, just that the current Emperor is a man of great fortune."

Lu Xin snapped out of his thoughts, meeting the gaze of the Yang sisters, and offered a casual reply. He wasn't just talking nonsense; the reason Li Shimin could ascend the throne and eventually usher in the Zhenguan period was largely due to the abundance of talent around him. Talent was the primary element for a nation’s prosperity, and these scholars were the future pillars of the Tang.

After the results were posted, the crowd began to disperse. Most left with slumped shoulders, though a small few remained undaunted, walking away with heads held high. To the surprise of Lu Xin and his group, after half an hour, when almost everyone else had left, the scholar still stood alone before the golden list, his back looking incredibly desolate.

"No way, did he really fail? Even if he didn't get the top spot, he should have at least passed as a Jinshi, right?"

Yue Buhei grew anxious at once. He had spent more time with the scholar than Lu Xin had, and they were very close.

"Pass? Don't be ridiculous. With that lecherous nature, always thinking about his next meal, it would be a miracle if he passed. Fox, let’s go over and comfort him."

Yang Qin laughed; though she had criticized the scholar mercilessly, her tone betrayed her concern. They hurried over, only to find the scholar trembling, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"Damn it! I’ve studied for so many years, my back is bent and my health is ruined, and this is how you treat me? Heavens, you biased villain, I hate you!"

Seeing the scholar crying so bitterly, Lu Xin's heart sank. But when he looked at the golden list, the name "Tu Chengli" was clearly there, and in an exceptionally high position.

Zhuangyuan: Lu Tingfang, of Chengdu, Yizhou. Bangyan: Cui Xiangrong, of the Qinghe Cui clan. Tanhua: Tu Chengli, of Yinxian, Yuezhou. Jinshi: Liu Siyuan, Jin Heyun, Lu Houze, Wang Xiding...

"Damn, he really passed? Tanhua, third place! What are you crying for?"

Lu Xin was left speechless. Seeing Tu Chengli crying so hard, anyone would have assumed he had failed. He hadn't expected the guy to place third. While not the Zhuangyuan, third place was an outstanding achievement in any dynasty.

"Holy hell, this lecher placed third? The heavens are truly blind! I hate you too, Heavens!"

Yue Buhei reacted at the same time as Lu Xin, though he was even more dramatic, wailing at the sky. The scholar turned around, swearing at him through his tears.

"Hate, hate, hate! Hate your grandfather! You dead fox, just wait until I boil you in a fire."

"Oh, the Tanhua is angry, I'm so scared. Come on, before I get into the pot, I'll make sure you have no descendants."

"You beast, I'll bite you to death!"

The two went at it again. Fortunately, there were few people left, and none cared to watch the spectacle. Lu Xin was happy for the scholar, so he didn't intervene. However, seeing Lu Tingfang's name, he felt a twinge of unease.

His cousin was immensely ambitious. Having attached himself to Zhangsun Wuji and now entering the court as a Zhuangyuan, combined with the backing of his master Yuan Tiangang, Lu Tingfang was sure to stir up great turmoil in the Tang. Whether this would be a blessing or a curse, no one could say.

Lu Xin did not know how much a person who had traveled back in time could influence events. Perhaps history remained on its original course, or perhaps it had been irrevocably altered.

"Successful candidates, please remain. His Majesty will host a banquet at the Taiji Palace for the pillars of the nation. Shortly, you will accompany the Minister of Rites, the Prince of Hejian, on a tour of Chang'an. In two hours, you shall enter the palace through the Vermilion Bird Gate. His Majesty has decreed that imperial horses be bestowed upon you for the procession..."

As the scholar and Yue Buhei bickered, a group of officials emerged from the Imperial Academy. Leading them was Li Xiaogong, the Prince of Hejian. The twenty-one successful candidates bowed, then, led by the Zhuangyuan, mounted the imperial horses and began their procession through Chang'an. Fireworks filled the sky, and the people of the city poured out to catch a glimpse of the top scholars. Men and women, young and old, cheered in competition. That day, Chang'an was even more festive than during the New Year.

Just as the poem says: "The struggles of the past are not worth recounting, today my spirit wanders without bounds. In the spring breeze, my horse gallops fast; in a single day, I have seen all the flowers of Chang'an."