The imperial examinations were a major affair of the Liang Dynasty, and news from the autumn examination grounds swept through every corner of Shengjing like a hurricane.

All the merchants on West Street came out of their shops, crowding the already narrow West Street until it was completely packed.

“Did you hear? That scholar who died in the examination cell was Scholar Wu from our West Street’s Fresh Fish Row!”

“Where did such rumors come from? Youcai has always been kind to others and honest. Besides studying and the fish stall, he never goes anywhere else. Who would have a grudge against him? You must have heard wrong.” These words came from the warm-hearted Sister Song.

Well-informed Widow Sun was passing by carrying a vegetable basket. Seeing the situation, she squeezed forward: “I just came back from the examination hall. The scholar wasn’t poisoned by someone else—he drank poison himself and died.”

“Drank poison himself?” Everyone stared at her. “For no good reason, why would he drink poison himself?”

Widow Sun was about to answer when another wail came from the end of the street: “Youcai—”

The crowd looked forward to see an old man with a sallow, thin face stumbling toward them, his whiskers gray and white, tears streaming down his entire front. Someone recognized him as Old Uncle Xun from the temple entrance and asked: “Old Uncle Xun, didn’t you also take the examination this year? What exactly happened at the examination hall?”

At these words, Old Uncle Xun’s tears flowed down again like a river. He sighed and said: “Youcai was driven to it by those people—”

People around him crowded closer, asking him questions with many voices. The people seemed to become like the dense ink characters on an examination paper when viewed from afar, swirling toward him, reminding Old Uncle Xun of the scene at the examination hall—

The Military Commission people had taken away those twelve examination substitutes, and the medical officials had also found the paper package Youcai used to store poison in his examination basket. These alone were not enough to prove that Wu Youcai had committed suicide by poison.

What truly confirmed the truth of his suicide was Wu Youcai’s final examination paper.

Since Wu Youcai had broken through the examination cell window before the final session ended, even if it was due to urgent circumstances, this year’s autumn examination results couldn’t count. The several chief examiners from the Ministry of Rites were taken away by Criminal Prison Bureau people for questioning, and the scholar from the Hanlin Academy took Wu Youcai’s examination paper.

At that time, the candidates were still immersed in the lingering fear of the death at the examination hall and anger over the examination fraud. But Old Uncle Xun saw the scholar staring at Wu Youcai’s examination paper with a somewhat strange expression.

Having the bond of fellow candidates with Wu Youcai, Old Uncle Xun felt sad about Wu Youcai’s fate, so he shamefully approached the scholar, wanting to see what poetry and prose Wu Youcai had written on his final examination paper before death.

He saw it—

“Sorrowful is he who pursues learning, studying diligently without knowing fatigue. Reading until his eyes grow dim, holding his brush until his hands grow callused…”

Old Uncle Xun’s eyes filled with tears as he looked up and shouted: “If those chief examiners and candidates hadn’t colluded, with examination substitution happening in broad daylight during the autumn examination, how could Youcai have remained obscure and unsuccessful for more than ten years?

“He knew fraudulent practices were rampant, that common people could hardly shake high officials, so he had no choice but to make his aspirations clear through death, using his own death to draw people to thoroughly investigate the examination ground.”

“Mountain seedlings and valley pines, their terrain follows the high and low… their terrain follows the high and low!”

His cries were mournful, and anger at the injustice to his own kind arose in his heart. Wu Youcai had used his death to expose the darkness of the examination ground. Those twelve substitutes were taken away, and the chief examiners were arrested and interrogated, but Wu Youcai had lost his life. Even in the past twelve years, perhaps he could have had his name on the honor roll, brought glory to his family, and let his mother see him succeed, but this possibility had been cruelly cut off.

He himself was the same.

A lifetime of pursuing scholarly honors, only to discover in the end that all his striving was nothing but emptiness. The most unbearable thing in this world wasn’t not getting something, but that you could have gotten it, yet lost it.

Unfair!

The old scholar’s pent-up anger had not yet subsided when the young apprentice from Tailor Sun’s family at the end of the street came running hurriedly, shouting as he ran: “Trouble, trouble, uncles and aunts! Many soldiers and constables have gone to Brother Wu’s house at Fresh Fish Row. They’re searching everywhere, as if they want to prosecute Brother Wu!”

“Prosecute?” Sister Song asked suspiciously. “Youcai is already dead—what crime are they prosecuting?”

“They say… they say Brother Wu’s taking poison in the examination cell was an act of disturbing the examination ground and shaking people’s hearts. They’re now searching Wu’s house to see if there are any relatives to take away together.”

Relatives? Wu Youcai’s only mother had been buried last month. He was alone in the world—where would relatives come from? The constables’ intention to implicate others would probably come to nothing this time.

But… disturbing the examination ground, shaking people’s hearts?

The surroundings gradually quieted down.

After a long while, someone in the crowd spoke: “Isn’t this obviously bullying people?”

“Ha, human lives really are cheaper than grass.”

…

Regarding whether human lives were really cheaper than grass, Master Hu was currently arguing this point with others.

In the broken thatched house at Fresh Fish Row, a group of scholars crowded at the door, confronting the sword-bearing constables.

After the examination hall case, constables from the Court of Judicial Review quickly occupied Wu’s house. The mourning banners from a few days ago had not yet been completely removed. White cloth lanterns were roughly torn down by the constables, and the inside and outside were in complete disarray, making this empty house seem even more desolate and forlorn.

Master Hu was so angry his face turned red. He blocked the door with his arms, not letting the constables leave: “You’re going too far!”

Scholar Wu was already dead, having committed suicide by poison in the examination cell, just because he discovered that in the examination ground he had worked hard for more than ten years, there existed another kind of ladder invisible to common people. In despair, he poisoned himself. No matter why he proclaimed in the examination ground that someone had poisoned the food, his final examination paper had already given the answer.

Common people had been bullied to this extent, even losing their lives, yet in the eyes of the high and mighty officials, they couldn’t see the people’s suffering, only saw the stigma of “stirring up trouble and disturbing the examination ground.” Even after death, there was no peace, and their former residence was to be trampled like this.

If Wu’s mother hadn’t already passed away, wouldn’t this seriously ill old mother also be implicated? Every step the constables took trampling through the broken house was like trampling on the hearts of common people.

Though Master Hu was usually pedantic, he had always been kind-hearted and was an old friend of Wu Youcai. Seeing Wu Youcai fall to such a state, he was already sorrowful and indignant for him. Now he was even more furious, leading a group of scholars at Wu’s door to seek justice for Wu Youcai.

The constables looked at the group of scholars with contemptuous eyes: “Move aside! If you continue disturbing official business, we’ll arrest you too!”

“We won’t move!”

The constables’ patience was exhausted. One roughly pushed the scholar in front of him. The scholar was frail and weak, and being pushed so viciously, he fell to the ground at once.

In normal circumstances, a group of common people naturally wouldn’t want to antagonize constables. But perhaps because this thatched house was too dilapidated, and the white banners hanging there were too glaring, or perhaps because when a group of scholars gathered together, their sense of justice and impulse combined to become much more turbulent, Master Hu’s blood rushed to his head. For a moment, he forgot about protecting himself wisely and suddenly rushed toward the soldiers in front of him.

“Going too far! I’ll fight you—”

…

When news that Master Hu was leading a group of scholars fighting with constables at the temple entrance reached Renxin Medical Hall, Du Changqing was also startled.

“Old Hu fighting? With his old bones, scolding people is fine, but how could he possibly fight anyone?”

“It’s true.” A’Cheng curled his lips. “Many neighbors from West Street went to help. It’s chaos like a pot of porridge now.”

At first, it was just the scholars getting into disputes with the soldiers over Wu Youcai’s matter. Those constables acted arrogantly, showing disdain and contempt for common people in their words, immediately angering the West Street neighbors who had come to help mediate. Somehow, the constables and common people started fighting.

Actually, this group of West Street neighbors looked unremarkable, but when fighting, each had their own advantages, and the constables didn’t get the better of them. However, if it continued like this, they’d probably get a beating when taken back.

A’Cheng asked: “Boss, should we go help?”

Du Changqing didn’t speak, looking toward Lu Tong at the medicine cabinet.

The master and servant Xia Rongrong had gone out. Lu Tong was examining newly received medicinal materials. The autumn medical hall wasn’t as hot as the previous period, and her serene expression made the surroundings seem even more desolate.

Du Changqing sent A’Cheng to sweep at the door and walked up to Lu Tong in a few steps, staring at her and saying in a low voice: “Scholar Wu’s matter—you did it, didn’t you?”

Lu Tong paused her movements and looked up at him.

He lowered his voice even more, unable to hide a certain anxiety in his eyes: “That day when you went to his house to deliver funeral money, you were gone for a long time… And he died by taking poison—did you give him the poison?”

Lu Tong looked at him quietly for a long time, then gently nodded.

This person Du Changqing appeared carefree and unreliable on the surface, not very dependable in anything, but in certain details, he had extraordinary carefulness and shrewdness.

“He’s crazy, and you’re crazy too!” Du Changqing couldn’t help raising his voice. Afraid A’Cheng would hear, he quickly bent down again, gritting his teeth as he stared at Lu Tong: “He asked you for poison and you gave it to him. You think you’re helping him, but you’re dragging yourself into this too!”

Lu Tong was startled.

Du Changqing actually thought Wu Youcai had actively sought poison from her.

That’s right—in Du Changqing’s eyes, for no reason at all, she had no motive to instigate Wu Youcai to kill himself.

“Scholar Wu too!” Du Changqing licked his lips, speaking with the frustration of someone who couldn’t make iron into steel: “Why did he think of taking poison in the examination cell? So inexplicable! No matter how disheartened he was, it wouldn’t come to not wanting his life.”

Lu Tong’s gaze moved slightly as she said calmly: “For the poor and lowly who have nothing, when facing death, they shed the word ‘disgust.’ For the rich and noble who have everything, when facing death, they carry the word ‘attachment.’ Shedding disgust is like being relieved of a heavy burden; carrying attachment is like bearing shackles.”

Du Changqing said irritably: “Don’t be so literary—I don’t understand.”

She was quiet for a moment, then spoke: “Poor people have nothing but their cheap lives. Since they can’t get fairness while living, then risking this life to drag a few people down is also good. For Wu Youcai, dying this way was a kind of liberation.”

“Is that so?” Du Changqing was puzzled. “Scholar Wu thought like this?”

Lu Tong smiled.

Wu Youcai certainly thought like this.

Because she thought the same way.

Du Changqing waved his hand: “I only know it’s better to live poorly than die well. Forget it, let’s not talk about this. The person is gone—talking about it is useless. Now things have gotten big. What if they investigate and trace it back to you?”

He pressed his forehead: “Although you only gave him poison, with such a big scandal in the imperial examination, those who suffered losses will inevitably look for a scapegoat. Scholar Wu is dead. If they trace it to you, you’ll be in big trouble. We’re now fifty-fifty partners in this business. I’m still counting on you to help me prosper. If you end up in Imperial Prison halfway through, who will I cry to?”

“Physician Lu,” he slapped the table, his tone becoming serious, as if he were about to conspire with someone on some big business: “We need to think of a counterstrategy in advance.”

Lu Tong was stunned.

She hadn’t expected that even at this point, Du Changqing still considered them as allies, still worrying so much about her future. For a moment, she didn’t speak.

While she was silent, the felt curtain beside them was lifted, and Yin Zheng’s face appeared from behind the curtain, looking at the two of them: “I have an idea. Do you want to hear it?”

Du Changqing widened his eyes. Yin Zheng quickly defended herself: “I wasn’t deliberately eavesdropping—I just happened to be standing here and heard.”

Du Changqing instinctively glanced at Lu Tong. Seeing that Lu Tong had no reaction, he grunted: “Speak up. What lousy idea do you have?”

Yin Zheng came in, also moving closer to the two of them. From a distance, the three seemed like an inseparable ball of thread. Yin Zheng said: “Now the constables and scholars are fighting. Either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind. If we let them get the upper hand and really prosecute Scholar Wu, it might implicate the young lady. Better to strike first.”

“Strike first?”

Yin Zheng smoothed her hair, her bright eyes gleaming with cunning: “Those officials dare to be so domineering simply because they rely on their official positions. If you strip away that official skin, there’s nothing to fear.”

Du Changqing chuckled: “You think it’s like peeling shrimp shells.”

Yin Zheng ignored him and continued: “Didn’t Old Uncle Xun say that Scholar Wu decided to die because he was disheartened by the examination substitution matter? He even left a poem on his examination paper before dying. There are so many scholars in Shengjing—surely they’re not all from wealthy families. When students from common people’s families see this, they inevitably feel sympathy, as all hearts are made of flesh. Those constables have guilty consciences, so we’ll deliberately make things bigger and make them panic. That would also be getting revenge for Scholar Wu!”

When she said this, her tone was firm and powerful, completely unlike her usual timidity. Looking carefully, there seemed to be a trace of eager anticipation hidden there.

Lu Tong thought that perhaps staying with her too long had an effect. Yin Zheng now also seemed to say she was afraid, but actually appeared to enjoy the sudden excitement brought by this kind of behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

Du Changqing stroked his chin and thought for a moment, humbly asking for instruction: “Please tell me, how can we make things bigger?”

“That’s simple,” Yin Zheng glanced at him. “As the saying goes, there are four kinds of people in the world you shouldn’t provoke: wandering monks and Taoists, beggars, idlers, and matchmakers. Shopkeeper Du has so many idle friends. Just call on them casually, and you can make those people suffer. Right?”

These words could be taken as either praise or criticism, making Du Changqing choke up too, unable to find words to respond. He stood there glaring at Yin Zheng with wide eyes.

But Lu Tong, hearing this, couldn’t help but lower her head and smile. When she raised her head again, she rarely showed some teasing toward Du Changqing.

“I think this idea is good.”

She said: “Shopkeeper Du, this time I’m completely counting on your help.”

Author’s notes: “There are four kinds of people in the world you shouldn’t provoke…” — from “Three Words and Two Slaps” “Sorrowful is he who pursues learning… Mountain seedlings and valley pines…” — from “Song of Sorrow”