Ming Shu couldn’t help rubbing her eyes, trying to see more clearly. However, as the students rose from their bows at Prince Zhao Jingran’s command, her view was blocked. Unable to see the people in front clearly, she had to give up. She reasoned that even identical people exist in this world, so a few similarities weren’t surprising. After some thought, she dismissed the idea.
Zhao Jingran and Lu Wenhan led the way, accompanied by the headmaster and several renowned scholars, guiding the group into the academy. Ming Shu followed Madam He, close behind the students. Past the gate, they proceeded directly to the academy’s Confucian temple to pay respects. After Zhao and Lu offered incense and bowed three times, this year’s examination candidates entered in groups of three to pay their respects, with Lu Chang among them. The other academy students followed.
After all the students completed their ceremonial bows, everyone gathered in the courtyard outside the temple to listen to the prince and the Minister of Rites’ teachings.
With the spring examinations approaching, their words were mainly to inspire the students. The prince spoke passionately, stirring the students’ blood, while Minister Lu Wenhan’s words were like a gentle breeze, equally touching.
Ming Shu observed from the periphery, her curiosity about Lu Wenhan’s appearance far exceeding her interest in others. Unfortunately, his position was backlit, and she stood too far away to see him.
After the speeches, the group didn’t disperse. Xu Yan led Zhao and Lu to Chongming Hall.
Chongming Hall was the largest lecture hall in Songling Academy, used for major lectures. The hall bore the inscription “Establish the heart for Heaven and Earth, establish destiny for the people, continue the lost teachings of past sages, and open peace for ten thousand generations.” The open hall faced a courtyard that could hold hundreds. Now, the prince and the Minister of Rites sat in the hall, drinking tea and chatting with the headmaster and others, while all the students stood in the courtyard.
Ming Shu and others followed Madam He into the back hall, each busy with their tasks – boiling water for tea, preparing writing materials, organizing student essays – everyone working efficiently.
Zhao Jingran and Lu Wenhan weren’t just there for casual conversation. After pleasantries, they would examine the candidates’ abilities. The essays prepared in the back hall were policy essays and seven-character quatrains written by the candidates in recent days. The best ten were selected by the academy’s scholars to present to the prince and minister. Additionally, other students each submitted a seven-character quatrain, also selected for excellence.
Of Songling Academy’s twenty-one examination candidates, only eight papers were chosen.
Ming Shu held a tray with the selected policy essays and poems, each rolled and tied with red string, concealing the authors’ identities. She stood at the doorway between the back hall and the main hall, waiting to be called. Seeing her eyes darting over the scrolls, Madam He came over and whispered, “Ming Shu, do you want to know if your brother’s essay is among them?”
Ming Shu nodded vigorously. Madam He pointed to one of the top two scrolls, saying, “There. Right at the top.”
“Thank you, Madam!” Ming Shu felt relieved.
Though confident in her brother, the confirmation made her happy.
“They’re calling you, go quickly!” Madam He smiled, gently pushing her forward.
As the call came to present the scrolls, Ming Shu took a deep breath and entered the main hall with the tray. She couldn’t approach the prince and minister directly, instead standing to one side as an attendant took the scrolls, checked them, and presented them to Zhao and Lu. From her position, even if only from the side, she could see Lu Chang standing in the courtyard.
The candidates stood in rows of three, with Lu Chang in the front row. Though all wore similar clothes, Lu Chang stood out noticeably. She smiled secretly. Lu Chang noticed and returned a glance. The siblings’ eyes met briefly, a wordless but understanding exchange. Ming Shu then glanced at the person beside him.
Well, Lu Chang wasn’t the only one who stood out. Like cranes among chickens, there were two.
Song Qingzhao also stood in the front row, center position, as striking as a jade tree. Sensing a gaze, he glanced over and saw Ming Shu. She raised an eyebrow and made a face at him. Song Qingzhao, for some reason, felt like laughing but quickly looked away, suppressing the sudden mirth.
No one in the hall noticed this small exchange of glances. The attendant opened the first scroll and announced, “Bianjing candidate, Song Qingzhao.”
Song Qingzhao composed himself, stepped forward, and bowed silently.
This scroll was presented to Zhao Jingran first. After some polite exchanges, Zhao began reading. The attendant took the second scroll and announced, “Jiangning candidate, Lu Chang.”
Lu Chang also stepped forward.
This scroll was given to Lu Wenhan.
Zhao Jingran, having read most of his scroll, praised, “Qingzhao truly deserves his reputation as Bianjing’s top talent. This essay is exquisite.”
Song Qingzhao humbly bowed, saying, “Your Highness is too kind. My meager talents are due to the teachings of the academy’s professors.”
“You’re still so modest! Come, speak with me. No need for formalities,” Zhao Jingran smiled.
Ming Shu, hearing his tone, guessed they were already acquainted. As the legitimate grandson of a duke’s family, it wasn’t surprising for him to have connections with the royal family.
Song Qingzhao, under the envious gazes of his fellow students, stood beside the prince. Zhao Jingran continued reading his essay and poem, praising as he went. At particularly impressive parts, he couldn’t help but lean over to share the writing with Lu Wenhan. However, Lu Wenhan had just finished reading Lu Chang’s entire scroll and suddenly exclaimed, slapping the table, “Excellent writing!”
Zhao Jingran was startled: “It’s rare for Minister Lu to praise someone so highly. This essay…”
“Your Highness, please take a look,” Lu Wenhan passed the essay to Zhao Jingran.
The students below watched as Zhao and Lu bent their heads over the writing, pointing and discussing in low voices, not knowing what they were saying. Only Lu Chang stood calmly, his face unperturbed, as if the essay being scrutinized wasn’t his own.
Song Qingzhao slightly lowered his head, silent.
After a while, Zhao and Lu finished reading Lu Chang’s essay. Lu Wenhan looked up: “Which one is Lu Chang? Step forward.”
Lu Chang took a few steps forward, standing in the center of the main hall, right in front of Lu Wenhan. He bowed, saying, “Student Lu Chang greets Minister Lu.”
His composed demeanor earned a nod from Lu Wenhan, who was about to speak when he saw Lu Chang’s face as he raised his head. Lu Wenhan froze.
“Minister Lu?” Zhao Jingran gently reminded, noticing his distraction.
Lu Wenhan snapped back to attention, staring at Lu Chang’s face as he asked, “Jiangning’s top candidate Lu Chang, how old are you this year?”
Unrelated to the essay, Lu Chang answered normally: “I’ve just come of age, sir.”
Coming of age meant he was twenty.
Lu Wenhan asked further: “Who else is in your family?”
This question was even stranger. Lu Chang’s brow furrowed slightly: “I have my mother and a younger sister at home.”
“How old is your sister?”
Ming Shu, hearing the question about herself, was also bewildered. She looked up, meeting Lu Chang’s gaze, and Lu Wenhan followed his look, spotting her immediately.
“My sister is eighteen,” Lu Chang replied.
“And your father?”
“My father passed away when I was young.”
“May I ask your father’s name?”
“My father was Lu Yuanchuan.”
As soon as Lu Chang’s voice fell, a nearby attendant rebuked, “How dare you!”
“It’s alright,” Lu Wenhan quickly gestured for the attendant to step back.
Zhao Jingran explained, “Yuanchuan is Minister Lu’s courtesy name.”
Lu Chang’s brow furrowed deeply. Zhao Jingran, sensing something odd, asked Lu Wenhan, “Master Lu, is there an issue with this student?”
“Not at all,” Lu Wenhan replied, his expression still relaxed. “I’m merely impressed by his writing. It’s sharp, concise, and incisive. I didn’t expect such maturity from someone so young, so I asked a few more questions. Surprisingly, we have some things in common.” He laughed heartily, his gaze shifting from Lu Chang to Ming Shu, who waited quietly nearby.
Though dressed as a book boy, Ming Shu was a young woman. The uniform, worn for convenience and consistency with other academy staff, didn’t conceal her gender. She felt puzzled by Lu Wenhan’s scrutiny, wondering how the examination had suddenly turned to her.
Lu Wenhan quickly returned his attention to Zhao Jingran, resuming their discussion of the essays.
Both Lu Chang and Song Qingzhao had written excellent papers, inviting comparisons. In policy discussion, Song Qingzhao’s writing was passionate and fluent, with ample classical references. However, his youth and inexperience showed through. Lu Chang, despite his similar age, demonstrated broader knowledge. His writing, though simpler in vocabulary, was grounded and incisive, far from superficial.
Lu Wenhan’s excitement stemmed from this revelation—a student of this age with such insight was truly remarkable.
In policy discussion, Lu Chang had the upper hand. However, in poetry, both excelled in rhyme and structure. Song Qingzhao’s seven-character quatrain surpassed Lu Chang’s in grandeur and word choice.
With each candidate winning in one area, it seemed a tie. However, the Da’an Dynasty prioritized practical ability in selecting officials. The imperial examination focused on assessing candidates’ potential to assist in governance, favoring policy discussion.
Overall, Lu Chang edged out Song Qingzhao by a small margin.
After reviewing and commenting on the papers, Zhao Jingran and Lu Wenhan passed them around. Song Qingzhao, reading Lu Chang’s essay carefully, found his initial resentment fading, replaced by a youthful competitive spirit.
“Brother Lu, I bow to your superior writing,” Song Qingzhao said, bowing respectfully.
Lu Chang returned the gesture, simply saying, “You’re too kind.”
Watching from afar, Ming Shu felt proud of her brother and admired the man who made her heart race.
As the remaining students’ essays were presented, they paled in comparison to Lu and Song’s work, though some were still commendable.
After commenting on all the essays, Zhao Jingran ordered rewards to be distributed. Unsurprisingly, Lu Chang and Song Qingzhao received the top prizes.
“Pillars of the nation,” Zhao Jingran declared. “I eagerly anticipate your performance in the spring examination and the palace examination.”
Standing up, he added cheerfully, “We’ve been talking for so long; you must all be tired. Let’s go enjoy the spring scenery.”
The headmaster stepped forward to lead the Third Prince out of Chongming Hall. Zhao Jingran called out, “Qingzhao, come with me.”
Meanwhile, Lu Wenhan turned to Lu Chang and said warmly, “Walk with me, will you?”
The group filed out of Chongming Hall. The headmaster led the way, following a pre-arranged route to show the Third Prince and others around the academy.
The century-old academy has produced many famous scholars and preserved countless treasures and anecdotes. At each stop, the headmaster offered explanations. Zhao Jingran was in high spirits, causing the group to move slowly. When they reached Huantao Pavilion, they paused outside. This building, where a great scholar had studied in Bianjing thirty years ago, housed many precious works and was a must-see at Songling Academy.
“Strange. Why are all the doors and windows closed?” Madam He muttered.
The Third Prince’s tour route had been planned, with all pavilions along the way opened early. They had been checked in the morning and were fine then. Why were they closed now?
“Ming Shu, go take a look and open everything up,” Madam He instructed, glancing at the Third Prince who was listening to the headmaster’s introduction. She quickly sent Ming Shu to open the doors and windows.
Ming Shu hurried over. Reaching Huantao Pavilion, she inexplicably knocked twice on the door.
No response came from inside.
Ming Shu laughed at herself inwardly. These places had been cleared out earlier; who would be inside?
As she thought this, she pushed the door open.
Her pupils contracted suddenly.
A person was slumped over the desk directly opposite the door.
Her heart leaped into her throat as she slowly entered the pavilion.
Outside, the Third Prince and Lu Wenhan had reached Huantao Pavilion, chatting as they walked. The headmaster was gesturing for them to enter when the half-open door was suddenly flung wide. Ming Shu stood in the doorway.
Her expression was cold, her voice carefully controlled and calm.
“Your Highness, Master Lu, Headmaster Xu… Yang Zishu is dead inside.”
As she spoke, she stepped aside, revealing the person slumped over the desk.
Everyone was shocked.
A murder had occurred at Songling Academy.