Upon returning to the Earl’s residence, since there was still another “re-examination” two days later, the Pei family dared not rashly inform Pei Shaohuai of what had happened with the Prince of Anping afterward, lest it distract him. It would not be too late to discuss it after the examination was over.
Pei Shaohuai noticed that every member of his family wore expressions of worry, as though they wanted to say something but held back. He understood they were concerned about whether the morning’s incident had hindered his ability to answer the questions, or whether it had disturbed his state of mind. He softened his expression, smiled lightly, and reassured his family, saying, “Although someone covertly tried to obstruct me during the fourth watch of last night, forcing me to rush along the way, I still managed to arrive at the examination hall on time. I rested for a moment outside the hall, composed myself, and had no difficulties answering what followed.”
He thought it over and added a sentence, offering a conservative estimate: “In my own opinion, I answered the paper rather well — I am sixty percent confident.”
Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
After washing up and eating some broth and congee, Pei Shaohuai planned to browse through some books in the study for a while before returning to his room to rest.
Pei Shaojin, seeing that his elder brother had been able to adjust his state of mind so quickly, was both delighted and filled with admiration. This gave him a deeper understanding of the words Tutor Duan had once spoken at the Mang Mountain Temple. He thought to himself that if it had been him in today’s situation, he would have found it very difficult to manage the same — for what good is a belly full of talent if one cannot put it to use?
……
Two days later, Pei Shaohuai hurried to the examination hall to sit for the re-examination. This time, the journey was entirely unobstructed — he encountered no ambushes along the way, no deliberate difficulties — and Pei Shaohuai completed the examination smoothly without incident.
It was a pity, however, that Pei Shaohuai still did not encounter that scholar of farming origins again. In an examination hall of two to three thousand people, meeting one particular person again was truly no easy task.
The provincial examination had ended, and it would be more than ten days before the examination hall posted the results.
From his family, Pei Shaohuai learned that Prefect Zhang had personally stepped in and dealt harshly with the Prince of Anping. The Prince had tried to steal the chicken only to nearly bury himself in the henhouse — a truly satisfying turn of events.
He also heard that even Prince Anping himself had personally intervened before the matter was barely smoothed over. The Young Prince’s house arrest made the old prince’s stance perfectly clear, and the Earl’s residence need not worry about the Young Prince coming out to cause trouble for some time.
That Prefect Zhang had handled the matter so thoroughly and with such a firm stance was somewhat beyond Pei Shaohuai’s expectations. He felt deep admiration in his heart — Prefect Zhang truly was a seasoned strategist of the officialdom. With one move, he had precisely seized the Young Prince by his weakness and left not a single gap.
Pei Shaohuai immediately sought out Lin Shi and said, “I must trouble Mother to prepare a gift on my behalf. I wish to go to the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen to offer my apologies to Magistrate Zhang.”
To suddenly speak of going to offer apologies out of nowhere gave Lin Shi quite a fright.
Pei Shaohuai quickly explained, “That day, in my urgency, I sent Chang Zhou to report the matter, intending only to use the authority of the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen to hold the Prince of Anping in check. I never anticipated that the Prefect himself would personally step in and deal with the Young Prince so harshly. The Shuntian Prefecture Yamen, if they wished to trace Chang Zhou’s identity, would find it no difficult task, and would naturally be able to trace it back to me. Now that the provincial examination is over, if I were to remain at home feigning deafness and ignorance, I might very well give people the impression that I had deliberately stirred up trouble — setting the snipe and the clam to fight, while a child of my years had already learned to scheme against a prefect. For this reason, I must take the initiative and offer my apologies.”
Lin Shi immediately understood, yet was still worried, and said, “But Huai, if you go, would you not be openly revealing to the Prince of Anping’s household that it was you who reported the matter?”
“Given how far things have already gone, is there still anything to fear about him knowing this?”
“I will go prepare at once.”
……
At the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen.
After a junior official announced him, Prefect Zhang received Pei Shaohuai.
Inside the office, Pei Shaohuai bowed properly and recounted the full sequence of events from beginning to end — including his own self-interest and scheming — without daring to conceal the slightest detail. At last he said, “This young one exploited the yamen’s authority for his own calculations. I beg for the Prefect’s judgment.”
Hearing his account, Prefect Zhang’s expression did not show much change, which confirmed that Pei Shaohuai had been right to come.
Prefect Zhang bade Pei Shaohuai rise and said generously, “As the head of this prefecture, it is my duty to govern and maintain order. That you were unafraid of power and sent someone to report the matter was a service to me — what offense is there in that?”
“This young one is grateful for the Prefect’s leniency.”
Prefect Zhang had long since investigated the full course of events. For Pei Shaohuai to come and acknowledge his error after the examination was over — there was no possibility that Prefect Zhang would hold it against him. Had Pei Shaohuai not come, what the Prefect might have thought of him was another matter entirely.
From the prefectural examination to the Grand Examiner’s assessment at the end of last year, Prefect Zhang had never concealed his appreciation for Pei Shaohuai, and today was no different. Prefect Zhang turned the conversation and said, “The last time, before the Grand Examiner, when you discussed the matter of military provisions — hearing what you said and argued, it seemed to me as though you had not finished what you wished to say, as though there was more left unexpressed, that you were deliberately concealing your brilliance in front of others. Today I would like to hear your views further.”
“Please do me the honor of asking, Prefect.”
“At the founding of the Da Qing dynasty, local militia battalions were established, soldiers were settled among the farming population to ease the burden of military provisions, three hundred and ninety-four garrison settlements were established, and over eighteen hundred hectares of land were opened for cultivation.” After saying this, Prefect Zhang then asked, “Tell me your thoughts.”
He was asking Pei Shaohuai how he viewed Da Qing’s policy of establishing military farmsteads.
The so-called military farmsteads referred to the system whereby certain military households bore the responsibility of cultivating farmland and delivering grain as tax. Da Qing had been founded by military force, and after its founding, large numbers of garrison soldiers were stationed along the northwestern and southern frontiers. If hundreds of thousands of troops were simply drawing salaries without producing anything, this would surely be unsustainable in the long run. To resolve this difficulty, the imperial court decreed that wherever troops were garrisoned, half of the military households would guard the city walls, while the other half would alternate between garrison duty and cultivating wasteland to pursue agriculture.
Prefect Zhang added, “There are only the two of us here — you need not be on your guard.”
The question was too pointed, and even without being on his guard, Pei Shaohuai needed to consider his words carefully before responding. After a long moment of reflection, Pei Shaohuai said, “The benefit of the military farmstead policy does not lie in easing the burden of military provisions — its true value lies in the construction of garrison towns along the frontiers, with large numbers of military households living within those towns.”
What he meant was: the greatest benefit of the court’s implementation of the military farmstead policy was not the production of grain, but rather the establishment of settlements and garrison towns, where military households lived like ordinary people in those places.
Upon hearing this, Prefect Zhang’s eyes brightened, and he continued to listen as Pei Shaohuai explained.
“Wherever subjects of Da Qing go, that place becomes territory of the realm.” Military households settling in the northwestern frontier were like blades of grass taking root there, firmly holding the land. Pei Shaohuai continued, “The northern nomads prefer to follow water and grass in their migrations. The military farmstead policy’s strength lies in its stability and permanence — it can resist them.”
Prefect Zhang gave a slight nod.
However, the words that followed were what Pei Shaohuai truly wished to say: “And yet, soldiers are valued not for their number but for their quality. Many but inferior, they will only place a heavy burden upon the court and the people. Military household members in the garrison settlements, long overburdened by taxes and toil in the fields — how can they be called elite soldiers and fierce generals? This is the first concern.”
“The second: the status of garrison soldiers is lowly — even lower than tenant farmers. Great numbers of soldiers risk their lives to flee. From this, the policy’s drawbacks can be clearly seen.”
“Therefore, the court’s urgency in resolving the provisions crisis by continuously placing its stakes on the military farmstead system — this young one considers it not to be a sound policy.”
He then used the Nine Frontier Fortresses of the Great Wall as an example, and the prosperity of Jiangnan and Chengdu as examples, arguing that the wealth of the people is the foundation of national strength, building his case layer by layer.
Pei Shaohuai had, after all, come from another world, and he truly could not bring himself to agree with the drawbacks of the military farmstead policy.
His words had clearly struck a chord deep in Prefect Zhang’s heart. The Prefect gazed at Pei Shaohuai with an expression as though he had unearthed a brilliant pearl — overjoyed.
Prefect Zhang asked, “From where did these views come?”
Pei Shaohuai felt a bit awkward — he had been waiting for this question after all. He had no choice but to conceal the truth, saying, “This young one often sits at home listening to his father, his tutor, his brother-in-law, and other elders discuss matters of statecraft. Through long exposure, he has gleaned some understanding. But I have never put any of it into practice — it is all armchair theorizing, and I have made the Prefect laugh.”
This explanation was passable enough.
“What I have seen aligns largely with what you have said.” Prefect Zhang replied, “If you can hold fast to this original intention and continue your studies without cease, you will surely accomplish great things in the future.”
“I am grateful for the Prefect’s guidance.”
……
Inside the examination hall, “the bitter work of marking papers continued through the night, the lamplight and red characters blurring together,” as the work of grading papers pressed urgently forward.
The seal-of-secrecy official first compared the provincial examination papers against the prefectural or county examination papers, verifying that the candidate’s handwriting was consistent, and checking whether there were any hidden marks. Only when everything was in order would the papers be sealed and sent to the associate examiners for grading.
The provincial examination was, after all, only a “preliminary examination,” and with so many candidates, papers were generally not transcribed or cross-read — they were graded directly.
In the end, Pei Shaohuai’s paper was without question recommended among the top ten. After the Grand Examiner personally reviewed and read them, he proceeded to rank them in order. By this stage, it was no longer a matter of the essays alone — consideration was also given to each candidate’s everyday reputation, the results of their annual assessments, and so forth.
Those candidates who had long since established their reputation for poetic talent and were well known would still have a chance of appearing on the list, even if they had faltered in the examination, backed as they were by their reputations.
Everything still depended on how the Grand Examiner decided.
……
In the latter half of the sixth month, the results were posted outside the examination hall gates.
On the list one could see: first place, Pei Shaohuai of Wanping County; second place, He Hanxue of Daxing County; third place, Jiang Ziyun of Daxing County; fourth place, Pei Shaowen of Wanping County…
By this time, after the prefectural examination, the annual assessments, and the poetry gatherings throughout the year, Pei Shaohuai had already made something of a name for himself among the scholars of Shuntian Prefecture, and quite a few people knew his identity — knew that he was only twelve years old.
So one could hear people below the list discussing: “He truly is someone who has been praised by the Grand Examiner and the Prefect himself — different from the rest. A young talent, only twelve years old and already able to surpass all others and claim the top position.”
Yet no matter how one listened, there was a distinct note of sourness in those words.
The top position in the provincial examination had been personally selected by the Grand Examiner — they could say nothing against it openly, but they could make cutting remarks and speak with veiled jabs, venting the bitterness of having failed to place.
Someone else said, “He Hanxue was delayed four years due to mourning — four more years of study, and he still came in second behind another. He must be full of bitter grievances as well.”
“And who is this Jiang Ziyun? I have never heard of him. How could he have placed above the youngest grandson of the Minister?”
“It seems he was the county top scorer in Daxing County a few years ago. It is unclear why he only sat for the provincial examination now — perhaps he was also in mourning.”
However, these whispers and rumors were soon swept clean, for according to regulations, the papers of the top ten candidates in the provincial examination would be publicly posted to demonstrate the impartiality of the Grand Examiner’s grading.
One had only to look at Pei Shaohuai’s opening thesis statement: first, “The crane cries from the deep marshes, its call heard across the wilderness — the character of the gentleman, once formed, cannot be concealed.” Drawing upon the Book of Songs’ “Minor Odes — The Crane Cries” and Zhu Xi’s Commentary on the Songs, he completed the opening argument on “frost and cold,” pointing out that the character of a gentleman is like the crane’s call — it will inevitably become known to the world.
And then there was his “Early Plum Blossom” verse: the tonal patterns and rhyme scheme were without error, and its artistic conception surpassed all others. Among the top ten papers, in the single category of the regulated verse composition question, none could surpass his.
Even setting aside the fact that Pei Shaohuai had already earned the appreciation of both the Grand Examiner and the Prefect, judging solely on the essay and the paper alone, Pei Shaohuai thoroughly deserved to claim this top position — it was won through genuine talent and learning.
Those who had been speaking with veiled sarcasm earlier could only cover their faces and retreat, for otherwise, others would take their words and use them to pin things on them, and they would find it very difficult to save face.
……
Pei Shaohuai came out with Chang Zhou, and upon seeing that he had taken first place, he was naturally delighted, and planned to return home to receive the yamen runners who would come to deliver the good news.
Just as he was about to leave, however, he spotted a familiar figure below the notice board — upright in posture, dressed in lotus-grey hemp cloth. Was it not the scholar of farming origins he had encountered that day?
He then heard people around that scholar offering their congratulations: “Congratulations, Brother Ziyun, on placing third in the provincial examination! The Grand Examiner has granted you the stipend student designation, and you may enter the prefectural academy.”
Pei Shaohuai thought to himself — so he was the third-place Jiang Ziyun.
Jiang Ziyun’s face held a mixture of joy and urgency. He dealt perfunctorily with the congratulations of those around him, seemingly in a hurry to leave on some matter. By the time Pei Shaohuai pushed through the crowd to reach him, Jiang Ziyun had already walked far away and disappeared around a turn into some alley, nowhere to be seen.
Just as Pei Shaohuai was feeling regretful about having missed him again, Chang Zhou said, “Young Master, why don’t we head back to the Earl’s residence first? The yamen runners bearing the good news should be setting out shortly.”
Pei Shaohuai suddenly thought — the yamen runners know the temporary lodgings of the examination candidates. Would following the runners announcing the third-place finish not lead him directly to Jiang Ziyun?
As for the Earl’s residence, Grandfather, Grandmother, and Mother would be there to receive everyone properly, and returning a little later would cause no problems. Pei Shaohuai immediately got into the carriage with Chang Zhou and had Chang Zhou follow the third group of runners bearing congratulations.