Xu Yancheng was again left dumbstruck — uncertain whether it was his own words that had been unclear, or whether Zhan Qingyuan had taken in only what he wished to hear, hearing none of the rest.

He did not know how to respond, and only let out an awkward laugh, offering no further explanation.

After Zhan Qingyuan had gone off in high spirits, half an hour later the second release opened, and another group of candidates who had submitted their papers came walking out. The Huai and Jin brothers were among them.

After Pei Shaohuai and Xu Yancheng met up, seeing that the hour was still early, he told his page Chang Zhou to go back to the Earl’s household with word that the brothers would first go to the Xu household to report the examination results to their teacher, and would return home a little later.

This was a sign of proper respect for one’s teacher — nothing inappropriate about it.

The Huai and Jin brothers boarded the Xu family carriage, and the three young students, all in one compartment, inevitably fell to talking about the day’s examination questions, in just the same easy manner as they always did when discussing their learning.

Xu Yancheng said, “For that regulated verse question, I thought for a long while and could not find the right image for a spring scene, so I simply gave up trying and wrote instead about its practical use — writing ‘In mid-spring the yellow petals fall, and new pressed oil, clear and fragrant, rises to the sky.’ I am not sure whether this kind of approach to the opening theme counts as acceptable or not.”

Pei Shaohuai responded with praise: “Of course it counts. And the way you opened the theme and seized on the meaning is inspired — you can set your mind at ease.”

“I thought the same as Elder Brother,” Pei Shaojin said. “Compared to the two of you, my poem feels rather ordinary. Now I finally understand why Teacher has repeatedly told me to go out and absorb the world with my own eyes — it truly is its own discipline.”

Xu Yancheng then asked, “Shaohuai, Shaojin — do you think this year’s county examination will see many candidates stumble on the ‘yellow flowers’ question? After all, the classics contain ‘chrysanthemum wine on the ninth day'[1] and ‘year after year I have broken my promise at the yellow flowers'[2] — taking ‘yellow flowers’ to mean autumn chrysanthemums would be the most natural interpretation of all.”

“I don’t think so, necessarily,” Pei Shaojin shook his head. With his exceptional memory, he explained, “Two years ago, this exact question was used in the autumn provincial examinations in the southern provinces, and a great many candidates failed on it — so the line ‘yellow flowers like scattered gold’ became widely known afterward. Surely the teachers at other academies have also taught their students from that example.”

Pei Shaohuai also concurred: “What Younger Brother Jin says is correct. County Magistrate Shen borrowed this question for a reason — beyond testing candidates’ skill at composing regulated verse, it was also to test whether candidates keep themselves informed about the examination world and pay sufficient attention to what goes on in it. Furthermore, the county examination is only the first stage of the preliminary examinations, and the marking has always been relatively lenient. Even if a candidate’s poem goes off-topic but the essays are written reasonably well, there is still a chance of qualifying — only with a lower rank.”

On their return to the Xu household, the three young students each reported their answers to Master Duan in turn.

Old Master Duan lightly stroked his goatee, nodding repeatedly, his expression considerably softer than usual. When he gave his comments, he spoke only words of praise without pointing out any shortcomings, and concluded by saying, “Shaohuai’s poetry and prose are both excellent; Shaojin draws richly on classical allusions, with writing that cuts deep; Yancheng’s approach to opening the theme is inventive… your diligent study all these days has not gone to waste. You may prepare for the examinations ahead with confidence.”

“Yes, Teacher,” all three young students replied, greatly pleased.

After all, this was the first examination on the path of the imperial examinations. To receive such an assessment from their teacher was to have taken this first step firmly and surely.

Step by step, firmly taken — that was the only way to go far.

……

Some were joyful while others were anxious. When Zhan Qingyuan returned to his household and reported to his grandfather how he had answered the questions, his eyes lit up and his face glowed as he recited the line he had written for the “yellow flowers” prompt: Autumn feeling seeps into the night unseen — the whole city blooms in golden yellow flowers. He had woven together the allusions to “quietly seeping into the night”[3] and “the whole city clad in golden armor”[4], fully expecting his grandfather’s praise.

And his learning, in ordinary times, was truly not poor.

What he had not expected was that the elder Zhan’s expression changed at once. He rebuked him sharply: “Did your teacher not tell you about the autumn provincial examinations in the southern provinces? The question is rather obscure, but it has already been used before — how could you have forgotten where it came from?”

Zhan Qingyuan’s heart sank — only now did he recall that the southern provinces’ autumn examination had indeed used this very prompt. No wonder “yellow flowers like scattered gold” had seemed somehow familiar to him.

What was done could not be undone. Elder Zhan could only console his grandson: “Your two essays are not bad — you surely won’t fail to pass the principal session outright. Keep a level head and prepare for the later sessions… take this as a lesson learned.”

……

That night, all the city lights had gone dim.

In the examination hall, the lights burned bright as day, and a thousand paper stacks towered like mountains. To mark and review all the papers within two days and fill in the results list was no easy task. Shen Zhixian, together with several co-examiners, was in the midst of the arduous work of marking.

The county examination was not so strict as those that followed, but the papers of the top few candidates had to be submitted to the Shuntian Prefect for review — a matter that could not be handled carelessly. After all, within Shuntian Prefecture under the imperial capital, there was more than one Wanping County.

Who was not competing to make an impression?

The quality of the county examination papers was an important measure of the scholarly spirit of a given county — and an important mark of the presiding official’s governance record. Shen Zhixian naturally set great store by it, and could only hope for some promising talents to emerge and earn him some recognition before the prefect.

After two days of arduous effort, he was indeed not disappointed.

……

On the third day after the principal session, the area outside the examination hall was packed with pages from various households and townspeople who had come to read the posted list, the noise and bustle of a market in full swing.

The cluster list was posted, and the crowd surged forward to surround it.

The cluster list took the shape of a large flat cake — small rings and large rings, three rings in all. Only seat numbers were written, with no names or places of registered origin — so each candidate still had to look quite carefully to find their own number.

The innermost ring held ten names; the center position read “Jiapai Seat Thirteen” — the top scorer of the principal session. The second ring was somewhat larger, written closely together, and held sixty names.

The seventy candidates in the inner ring and second ring were placed on the top list.

There was one more outermost ring, holding eighty names — this was called the secondary list.

Whether on the top list or the secondary list, all one hundred and fifty candidates had passed the principal session and qualified to sit the prefecture examination. That said, for those hoping to finish with a good final standing in the county examination, they would still need to sit the subsequent review sessions.

Before the Xu household’s literate page went out to read the list, Xu Yancheng gave very calm instructions: “Start looking for my seat number from the third spot in the inner ring.” His poetry had been better than Shaojin’s, but his essays were not as good, and Xu Yancheng knew his own standing well.

Chang Zhou was literate and had come early to wait at the posted list. His eye immediately landed on “Jiapai Seat Thirteen” and “Bingpai Seat Seven” side by side, and he was beside himself with excitement, hurrying back in high spirits to claim his reward.

Zhan Qingyuan, to his surprised delight, discovered that despite having gone off-topic on the poetry question, he had still managed to land in the middle section of the second ring. A faint sense began to take hold that he might yet have room to push higher — he resolved to press forward in the remaining sessions.

That Pei Shaohuai, Pei Shaojin, and Xu Yancheng should rank among the leaders was entirely expected — in the first stage of the preliminary examinations, the competition was essentially limited to peers of the same generation, most in their teens.

The real difficulty of the imperial examination path lay in what came later. From the academy examination onward, the candidates who had accumulated year after year — the numbers swelling like a snowball — grew larger and more formidable with each round, and the difficulty rose accordingly.

……

The following day was the second session of the county examination — the first review.

Fewer than eighty candidates came to sit this session. For one thing, many had not made the top or secondary list and had no eligibility to continue; for another, some had made the list but knew they had no chance of a top placement, and chose instead to save their time and review their learning carefully in preparation for the prefecture examination in the fourth month.

The first review also had an interesting rule: whereas the seats in the principal session were assigned at random, in the first review they were assigned in order according to the cluster list rankings, proceeding from the top outward. This was to allow the chief examiner to observe whether those who had ranked highest continued to answer properly and in good order.

As the eastern sky turned faintly pale, Xu Yancheng arrived at the examination hall once more. Whether Zhan Qingyuan had been intentionally waiting for him or it was simply chance, at any rate, they met again outside the hall.

“Because I went off-topic on the yellow flowers question, I can only sit at the secondary row — what a lesson this has been,” said Zhan Qingyuan.

Xu Yancheng knew Zhan Qingyuan’s manner well enough to understand that the true meaning behind these words was: even though I went off-topic, I still have a seat in the secondary row. And so he obliged with flattery: “The secondary row is still quite a respectable standing. Perhaps in the next review, Brother Qingyuan will be able to move up to the main rows.”

Zhan Qingyuan suppressed a satisfied smile and went into the examination hall ahead of him, saying they would find time for a longer talk after the examination.

……

Xu Yancheng waited for the Huai and Jin brothers to arrive, and the three of them entered together after the inspection.

The moment the three of them were inside the examination hall, a fixed gaze followed after them.

Zhan Qingyuan had first been surprised to see that the two brothers had come at all — had he not been told their learning was terribly lacking? Then, further astonished, he watched as they walked past the secondary rows and the third rows, and then swept past him, walking straight on toward the main rows.

His gaze followed the three of them closely, until he watched Pei Shaohuai take his seat at the center position of the first row, and Pei Shaojin sit down at the second seat.

His expression passed from shock, to anger, to burning shame. His ears grew red and hot, and breath escaped him in a rush of heat. The faint glow of satisfaction he had carried out of the examination hall just moments before vanished without a trace.

Xu Yancheng caught sight of Zhan Qingyuan’s reddened neck, let out a quiet sigh, and murmured to himself, “Truly humbling indeed.” He took his seat at the third position of the main row and paid no further attention to the “daggers” trained on his back.

……

The first review tested one eight-legged essay on the Four Books, one discursive essay on the Classics, and one passage of classical text to be written from memory.

The difficulty was slightly less than the principal session.

In the sessions that followed, the general pattern was much the same.

That day, before the afternoon hours had even arrived, thirty candidates had already submitted their papers. Shen Zhixian broke the seal and opened the gates for the first release. This time, all three young students had finished and submitted — they left together.

Outside the examination hall.

Xu Yancheng was just about to board the carriage when he heard a voice calling from behind: “Xu Yancheng, wait!” — with just a trace of something fierce underneath.

“Shaohuai, Shaojin — wait just a moment, I’ll be right back.”

Xu Yancheng had known Zhan Qingyuan would come looking for him — he simply had not expected him to be quite so impatient.

Zhan Qingyuan came rushing up and said, “Xu Yancheng, we have known each other for years. How could you play such a trick on me? Did you not say those two brothers’ learning was terribly lacking? The humbling was supposed to be on their side!”

“What I meant was: compared to their learning, even I feel deeply humbled — how was I to know you would take it the way you did?” Xu Yancheng said plainly. “It is precisely because we have known each other so long that I thought better of spelling it out for you.”

Then he said, “Why come looking for me in such a rage?”

“That is not what I meant at all,” Zhan Qingyuan said, covering up his indignation and somehow swallowing down his anger. He put on a smile and said, “I was simply concerned for you — why would I be in a rage? We are old friends, let us not misread each other and create a rift between us.”

He drew closer to Xu Yancheng, leaned in near his ear, and said in a low voice, “I have always known how good your learning is… Your family’s teacher pours everything into his teaching, yet he trains two outsiders better than you — putting them a head above you. Isn’t that like nursing a viper in one’s own bosom? I was anxious just now and spoke without thinking — what I truly meant was to warn you.”

He wore the expression of a man who was indignant on Xu Yancheng’s behalf.

At this point, Xu Yancheng’s heart was thoroughly stirred to anger. He said, “Do you know why a dye shop would sell salt at its door?”

The Xu and Zhan households had dealings with one another, and Xu Yancheng, as the eldest grandson, would never allow himself to make a complete break with Zhan Qingyuan. So he said nothing directly — only leaving behind the remark “Brother Qingyuan, think about it some more,” before turning and walking away.

Zhan Qingyuan stood there in a daze. This time, he had not misread the meaning. Xu Yancheng had mocked him — for wanting to save face while still meddling in what was none of his concern.

……

Did Zhan Qingyuan really think he could drive a wedge between the three of them? He was not going to succeed.

Before any of this, both Xu Yancheng’s father Xu Wang and his second uncle Xu Zhan had spoken openly with him, saying this: “There are countless talented people in this world. The Huai and Jin brothers are but two of them. Walk with them in harmony, and you will progress together. Walk against them, and it still will not change the fact that countless talents compete to cross a single narrow bridge.”

One tree alone cannot make a forest; ten thousand trees striving toward the light, growing straight and tall toward the sky.

At this point, with the Xu and Pei households bound together by marriage, teacher-student bonds, and shared schooling — all these layers stacked one upon another — how could any outsider’s provocation take hold?

……

In the sessions that followed, for reasons unknown to the others, Zhan Qingyuan did not appear again.

Half a month later, all five sessions of the county examination were concluded. Based on the combined results of the preceding four lists, the county office posted the final results — the long roll. Pei Shaohuai, having written the best essays, placed first — taking the title of county examination first-place graduate. Pei Shaojin and Xu Yancheng followed close behind.

Master Duan said, “You may continue to sit the prefecture examination in the fourth month. As for the academy examination in the middle of the year — that still needs some further consideration. You are still quite young, and it would be better not to rush ahead too eagerly, lest overconfidence trip you and prove counterproductive.”

The three students’ strong standings in the county examination meant the prefecture examination should present no great difficulty. But the academy examination was another matter — ranging from men in their twenties all the way to those in their fifties and sixties, there was no shortage of old scholars who had spent decades building their learning to compete for a single licentiate title. The difficulty rose sharply.

Aside from Pei Shaohuai, who by virtue of the “county first-place graduate” distinction stood a strong chance of making the list, neither Pei Shaojin nor Xu Yancheng could be certain of passing.

And so it was that Master Duan suggested they consolidate their learning for a few more years after the prefecture examination before attempting the academy examination.

Since the three young students were occupied with reviewing their studies and preparing for the prefecture examination, neither the Pei nor Xu households held any grand celebrations or spread the news widely.

……

……

With the Huai and Jin brothers having passed the county examination and placed near the top, a certain change came over the Jingchuan Earl’s household.

Mainly in the direction of Fengyu Pavilion.

Pei Ruozhu — Zhu Jie’er — had already turned fourteen, and was a girl of fiercely competitive spirit. In the arts of chess, music, calligraphy, and painting, she could not claim mastery of them all, but she handled each with skill and grace, and was by no means inferior to girls from other households. She had also studied account-keeping and household management under Lin Shi’s guidance, and Lin Shi had trusted her to oversee several shops on a trial basis — and she had not made any significant mistakes.

At the end of the year, when Lin Shi was too busy to attend to everything herself, she would even call Zhu Jie’er to the accounts room to help review the year-end accounts.

A girl like this — Lin Shi had not been able to help remarking to her sister-in-law when she visited her maternal family: “Ying’er’s third elder sister has both temperament and capability, which are truly admirable. It is only a pity that she was born of a concubine… I have the will to help her, but not the means.”

Ever since Jin Ge’er had passed the county examination, Zhu Jie’er’s outings had grown fewer and fewer, and she was rarely seen. Concubine Shen first said that Zhu Jie’er had been feeling unwell these days, and used that as grounds to decline on her behalf the tasks of overseeing the shops. Before long, she also came to speak with Lin Shi, asking her to dismiss the female teachers who had been instructing Zhu Jie’er in the arts, saying, “These days, with her feeling poorly, she can only do a little embroidery — light things that are not too taxing on her. She simply cannot manage so many other things. My lady, why not let the female teachers go?”

Concubine Shen’s meaning was transparent enough. Lin Shi understood exactly what it signified.

After Concubine Shen left, Lin Shi sat for a while in a melancholy mood, and sighed softly, “A mother’s heart — all of it for her daughter’s future. Ah — “

……

That day, Lin Shiyun returned from Yangzhou, bringing back many fine bolts of fabric. He had someone send a generous portion over to his younger sister Lin Shi.

Ying Jie’er was delighted and selected several bolts of plain, lustrous silk, saying, “These fabrics would be perfect for making spring skirts.” She thought for a moment, then said, “Elder Sister Zhu’s needlework is the finest of us all — the clothes she makes are beautiful and well-fitted. I should go fetch her so we can put our heads together and plan a few lovely sets, and wear them out together when we go to Fan Garden to enjoy the spring blossoms.”

The two sisters were close in age and had always been good company for each other.

But Ying Jie’er had not seen Elder Sister Zhu for several days now.

Before she could even step out the door, Lin Shi called her back: “Ying’er, come back here.”

Lin Shi had her daughter sit beside her and, choosing her words with care, said, “From now on, your Elder Sister Zhu will not be going to Fan Garden — nor anywhere else to visit other people’s homes. Be good and do not go disturb her in her courtyard.”

Ying Jie’er was not foolish.

She could vaguely grasp part of it, though not the whole of it. Hearing her mother say this, her eyes went a little red. She blinked back tears and asked, “Mother, why? Elder Sister Zhu does everything so well — why should she be shut away in her courtyard by Concubine Shen and not allowed to go out?”

And then: “Did Grandmother not say before that once Elder Sister Zhu came of age, she would find a good family for her here in the capital?”

Hearing her daughter ask this, Lin Shi knew the girl had guessed something of the truth.

Lin Shi said, “The family Grandmother has in mind may not be what Concubine Shen considers a good match. Do you understand, Ying’er?”