The entire academy was working through the night grading papers, all squeezed into the academy library. The main gate was tightly closed. Until the papers were unsealed and names called out, no one here was permitted to leave. The papers were randomly selected—no one knew who the owners of the papers were. Originally, Yun Ye had planned to have the papers recopied once more. Xu Jingzong also agreed, but they were scolded by Master Li Gang. Guarding against people as if they were thieves was a gentleman’s disgrace.

It seemed there were only two shameless petty men in the academy, so these two shameless petty men were excluded from the circle of those grading papers. Helplessly, the two could only stand guard outside the library. They set up a small table and had the kitchen send over a few small dishes, drinking some wine to ward off the early spring chill.

“Old Xu, these years have been thanks to you. I’m often away. If you weren’t guarding the academy, it wouldn’t have today’s prosperity. Your contribution is indispensable. Come, let’s drink a cup together.”

The two drained their cups in one gulp, showed the bottoms, chuckled, and picked up their chopsticks to eat. After eating a couple of bites, Xu Jingzong said with a bitter smile, “Marquis Yun, tell me—we two have also worked ourselves to the bone for the academy, haven’t we? Why have we earned the title of petty men today? Everyone else is busy while only you and I sit here drinking?”

“That’s because we two really are petty men. Old Xu, don’t be unconvinced. I’m busy scheming all day long, gathering wealth everywhere. You’re constantly pinching and scraping, calculating carefully every day. I fight fiercely with others outside, while you practically endure insults without wiping them away at home. Tell me, where do we two have any gentleman’s bearing?”

“Although you put it that way, I still feel unwilling in my heart. Who doesn’t want a good reputation? Who would be willing to carry a bad reputation all day long?” Xu Jingzong drank the wine in his cup in distress.

Yun Ye peeled a salted duck egg, placed it in Xu Jingzong’s bowl, and said with a smile, “The Vice Minister of Rites is quite a noble and distinguished position. Why doesn’t Old Xu go? You’ve even refused three times—you’re determined not to go.”

Xu Jingzong drank another cup of wine and tapped the table, saying, “Noble and distinguished? Marquis Yun, you’ve been fighting in that circle for so long—aren’t you clear about it? Where are there truly noble and distinguished officials? You, an idle marquis, are already in constant peril in this whirlpool. If I, someone without backing or power, a minor official, get drawn into it, it would be strange if I weren’t ground to pieces. Look—these years, court officials have been changing like flowing water. Who holds office without being terrified? I, Old Xu, have a good place without trouble. Why would I go mix in that quagmire? These years at the academy, watching it gradually become a magnificent citadel—what am I dissatisfied with? Spending my whole life here isn’t bad. When I die, getting a statue in the academy would be enough to account for this lifetime.”

Yun Ye scratched his head and said, “The court now really isn’t a place for people. Except for those few big shots who remain unmoved, the rest rotate like a revolving lantern. Today you’re in the Ministry of Revenue, tomorrow you become an official of the Ministry of Works, and after some more days you become a regional governor. Wanting to settle down—it won’t work without five or six years.”

“Forget it, Marquis Yun. I’ve come to terms with it. Now my eldest son has gone to Yunzhou. I heard he’s doing well. With the academy’s connections supporting him, he can always make it through. At his young age, he’s already a seventh-rank official. I didn’t have this ability at his age.”

“Although your eldest son is good, compared to you, Old Xu, he’s quite far behind. Among the Eighteen Scholars of the Prince of Qin’s mansion back then, where were there any good-for-nothings? I valued your ability, which is why I schemed so hard to get you to the academy. To tell the truth, when I heard you were coming to the academy, I was facing a formidable enemy.”

“You even gave the students a holiday, leaving me standing stupidly for a long while facing the empty academy,” Xu Jingzong muttered. Finding this matter extremely amusing, he pointed at Yun Ye with his chopsticks and laughed so hard he swayed back and forth.

Gentlemen had their gentlemen’s pleasures, and petty men naturally had their petty men’s pleasures. The two revealed each other’s shortcomings, cups and dishes passing back and forth in pleasant conversation. Before long, a jar of wine went down their bellies. Just as they opened the second jar, Xu Jingzong covered the jar and said, “Today’s spirits are high—we’ve already drunk one jar. Now the academy has business. We can’t drink more. People must know how to cherish their blessings. This is a principle I’ve only comprehended these past two years. When spirits are highest is when one is happiest. To exhaust one’s wine interest is instead not beautiful.”

Yun Ye cupped his hands to express his teaching received. He instructed servants to clear away the remnants of the feast. One going east and one west, each went to the academy dormitories to inspect. Today the other teachers couldn’t spare the time, so only the two petty men could personally handle this matter.

The moonlight was cold and clear. Yun Ye wrapped his cloak tighter around himself and walked along the small path in the moonlight to inspect. Seeing candlelight in rooms, he would scold a couple of sentences. Only after the candles were extinguished would he continue forward. Before long, he arrived at the women’s academy. Lai Ying was guarding the gatehouse, her head nodding as she dozed. Sitting across from her, Chengxin was enthusiastically embroidering flowers, occasionally rubbing the embroidery needle on his head to get hair oil, his appearance indescribably strange.

Tapping the table, Lai Ying awoke with a start. Seeing Yun Ye, she embarrassedly lowered her head.

“How are things? This is the children’s first day living here. Is there anything they’re not used to?”

“My lord, it’s not bad. The young ladies played and frolicked for a long time before falling asleep—they’re happy. It’s just that they keep sneaking out to look at Chengxin.” Having said this, she covered her mouth and laughed, just like a hen that had just laid an egg.

Chengxin showed not the slightest embarrassment. As long as he could find his place of use, he was very happy. These few years at the Yun household had been almost the happiest days of his life. No one bullied him, no one discriminated against him. Even if several young ladies liked to tease him, that was out of childish innocence and couldn’t be taken seriously.

In his leisure time, he blended fragrances and embroidered a few flowers. Some days ago, the marquis had somehow obtained a painting of auspicious peonies and wanted him to embroider it, saying it was to be given as a gift to Old Master Qin for his birthday celebration. This made him even happier. These days, whenever he was free, he pondered how to embroider the charm of that painting.

“Chengxin, you’re doing very well. Take it slowly, step by step, integrating into the group. You’ve had a difficult life since childhood, suffering countless cold looks and mockery. Don’t overthink it. Heaven creates talent for a purpose. You’re always finding your own path—this is very good. I’ve discovered that in the art of embroidery, you will definitely have great development, no less than your perfume-blending skills.”

Chengxin happily bowed in thanks for Yun Ye’s praise. Only then did Lai Ying discover that Chengxin was actually embroidering a huge painting. Just looking at this embroidered peony, so vivid it seemed ready to drip with moisture, made her heart itch. After picking it up to examine it carefully, she had to admit that what Yun Ye said made great sense.

Liu Jinbao shook the lantern toward the upper floor, and immediately two women in green clothes flashed out from there. These were female guards from the imperial palace—there were eight in total here. Seeing everything was normal, Yun Ye finally left the gatehouse. He wouldn’t walk further into the inner courtyard.

Hearing the third watch drum sound, the library remained extremely busy. Many servants went in and out delivering soups and water. Xu Jingzong had already arranged for the kitchen to prepare midnight snacks for the teachers. The elderly even had ginseng soup. From a distance, he could see old Master Li Gang sitting on a soft couch, talking with Yushan. Before them were rolls upon rolls of exam papers. At such an advanced age, still laboring without rest.

Peace and stability were signs of a prosperous age emerging. Previously, Yun Ye had always attributed the demise of dynasties to those doomed rulers. But after coming to this era, he discovered that actually, rulers needed to take responsibility for very few collapses. The reasons truly leading to the fall of a massive empire were very complex. Completely blaming it on the emperor alone was unfair.

Even a fool knew that light corvée and low taxes would allow the people to rest and recuperate. As long as the common people had enough to eat and wore warm clothes, one’s dynasty could be extended indefinitely. The notion of Louis XV—”After me, the deluge”—had little market in China. The idea of treating the empire as family property had penetrated to the bone. Everyone wanted to leave the best possible legacy for their descendants, hoping to become a sage king who would be remembered forever by posterity.

A family head was actually similar in function to an emperor—both were responsible for their families, except one was more powerful and one weaker. Emperors understood very clearly that when the ruler was weak and ministers strong, heaven and earth would immediately change color. Therefore, what emperors feared most were powerful ministers, not the common people. Thus, using the people’s interests to strengthen oneself became the only choice.

The moon sank toward the western mountains. The moist spring air permeated heart and lungs. Yun Ye didn’t know how long he had been standing in the spring dew. The sky had already grown pale. The light yellow winter jasmine flowers in the academy were blooming brilliantly. Continuously, academy teachers emerged from the library, moving their stiff bodies in the open space in front. The busy day had ended. Today they could finally sleep well.

Xu Jingzong emerged from somewhere and walked up to Yun Ye, saying, “The teachers have finished their work. Now it’s our turn to be busy. Today, who knows how many people will be happy and how many disappointed.”

“Before you and me, there will definitely be countless invitations. Every two years it’s like this—it’s also when our academy is most imposing. Tell me, how many negotiable spots will we have this year?”

Yun Ye said with a bitter smile, “In this academy, despicable, shameless, harboring filth and taking in dirt—these things can only be done by us two. Master Li Gang said just thirty-one, not one more. I also want to reject all these unqualified people, but it’s unrealistic. The academy lives in this mortal world after all and cannot avoid worldly concerns.”

“The imperial family took eight spots—the Empress wanted them. Prime Minister Fang took four. Prime Minister Du took eleven spots on behalf of the military. You and I are left with just eight spots. Old rule—half each.”

Xu Jingzong said with a worried expression, “Only eight total—that’s too few. Never mind you and I and our old friends—just the local government offices, the Capital Magistrate, the Court of Judicial Review, the Imperial Guards, including the brokers—it’s not enough.”

“No way around it—just eight. Now even doing a little thing is difficult. If it won’t work, then say the women’s academy can have ten more spots. Yushan Academy absolutely cannot have more. Just these thirty-one—that’s what Master Li Gang gave after arguing against all opposition. One more, and the teachers will curse. They’ve even threatened me that if any innumerate fool gets mixed in, they’ll immediately throw them out without giving any face.”

Xu Jingzong sighed toward the heavens and said, “Next term, even if it kills me, I’m being a gentleman. This petty man reputation, Marquis Yun—you can bear it alone. I’ll stay up all night grading papers while you handle the miscellaneous affairs.”