The Academy began its major examinations again. Once a year, this was the Academy’s top priority and also almost the Ministry of Rites’ top priority for the Great Tang. Unlike the earliest students, current students who wanted to become officials still needed the court’s selection, so many students spontaneously diverted to other industries. In today’s Great Tang, whether merchants, academy teachers, brokers, or medical halls, one could see shadows of Academy students. A framed Academy graduation certificate was sufficient to prove this person was an elite among people.
Yushan City opened its gates at dawn. Countless young scholars humbly walked into this majestic city. Under Academy students’ guidance, they proceeded by category toward their examination locations.
Professor Yuanzhang wore his court robes, holding his ceremonial tablet, standing like a sculpture before Yushan Academy’s memorial archway, receiving salutes from all scholars. Behind him were similarly attired, similarly white-haired Professor Yushan and Professor Lishi, Professor Jin Zhu, Professor Zhao Yanling, Hypatia and other professors who also wore their court robes immaculately. As for Xiao Wu and a group of young professors, all arranged in three columns—rather than saying they were inspecting these scholars who would become their students, it was better to say this was a stage displaying the Academy’s formidable strength to the outside world.
Here were the best teachers, the best teaching conditions, the best learning atmosphere, and also the strongest political connections. For those wanting to serve the nation and display personal ambitions, this was undoubtedly the best launching platform.
Imperial Guards in gleaming armor stood at posts every three steps, sentries every five steps. Continuously, senior students loudly recited examination requirements and prohibitions. Before the major examination even began, the atmosphere here had already become solemn and dignified.
A group of colorfully dressed women entered the Academy, wearing conical hats on their heads. Light veils covered their faces but couldn’t conceal their graceful figures. These were students from the Women’s Academy. Only on this day could they change into their most beautiful clothes to show off. Seeing those silly geese about to enter the Academy for examinations looking foolish satisfied all their wishes.
Arranging spectator seating had always been their exclusive privilege. This was a right Hypatia, the Women’s Academy’s director, had fought for a long time to obtain. Though inconspicuous, it was the best opportunity to promote the Women’s Academy.
Professor Yuanzhang saw some mischievous female students quietly lifting their veils to peek out and couldn’t help but grunt with displeasure. His already dark complexion became even more unpleasant.
Yun Ye and Xu Jingzong could only stand outside the professors’ queue to observe the ceremony. Professor Yuanzhang absolutely refused to allow the Academy’s two vice directors to join the professors’ queue, having very clearly stated he was “ashamed to associate with them!”
Xu Jingzong looked at his own coronet, then at Yun Ye’s plain blue clothes, sighed and said: “Dressed so formally for nothing. I thought I could stand there receiving scholars’ salutes, but who knew I’d be chased out to be with you.”
Yun Ye glanced sideways at Xu Jingzong and said: “You’re also ashamed to associate?”
Xu Jingzong snorted and said: “If I hadn’t gone to ask Professor Yuanzhang for favor quotas, the professor wouldn’t have chased me out and cursed us as the Academy’s disgrace!”
“The quotas were requested by you—nothing to do with me. I’m now idle at home, only knowing to teach students and care for family. Don’t drag me into those dark dealings.”
Xu Jingzong chuckled: “This old man doesn’t believe your old friends and subordinates haven’t sought you out. This old man doesn’t believe the Cheng family, Yuchi family, and many old military clubs haven’t found you. With their club-like family traditions, could their descendants pass the Academy entrance?”
“If you have the ability, refuse Empress Mother’s requests and show this old man. When this old man went to find Professor Yuanzhang, the professor already said half the bullshit quotas were taken by you. Now pretending to be some worldly hermit—weren’t you also chased out by the old man just the same?”
Yun Ye smiled awkwardly and said quietly: “Professor Yuanzhang’s temperament has always been upright. He’s detested evil like an enemy his whole life. If he weren’t sitting in the director’s position, his scolding might be even harsher. Endure it, endure it and it’ll pass.”
Xu Jingzong shook his head: “No need to endure. The Academy is also this old man’s life’s work. Professor Yuanzhang being director is qualified. If you or I became director, that would be the Academy’s misfortune. What person does what work—Heaven decided long ago. I cannot refuse my family’s nephews outside the Academy gates. You can’t either, right? The old professor can, so when he scolds us, we just listen.”
Li Er sat in his wheelchair, imitating how Teacher Li Gang had once found a panda to pull a cart. However, perhaps due to temperament differences, the panda Li Er selected was the largest, most ferocious one. So sitting on it, Li Er completely lacked the tranquil comfort Teacher Li Gang had. That panda ran with clanging sounds, shaking Li Er back and forth. Li Er didn’t seem to mind these things but rather enjoyed it tirelessly. He fitted the panda’s mouth with a bit, so whenever the panda ran, white foam flowed from the corners of its mouth, just like a mad dog.
With difficulty controlling the bear cart to reach Yun Ye and Xu Jingzong, that massive panda sat its rear right on Xu Jingzong’s foot, lifting its front paws to ask Xu Jingzong for food, leaving Xu Jingzong unsure whether to salute the Emperor first or extract his foot from under the panda’s rear.
Li Er lazily reached behind the cart for a fist-sized vegetable melon, loosened the panda’s bit, and casually tossed the melon into the panda’s wide-open mouth. Tapping the bear cart’s armrest, he asked: “How many examinees this year?”
“Replying to Your Majesty, a total of eighteen thousand seven hundred thirty-three examinees!” Xu Jingzong never got wrong the numbers he should remember.
“Abundant talent indeed. But how many scholars can enter the Academy?” Li Er stretched his neck to look at the surging sea of students below, his mood apparently very good.
“Replying to Your Majesty, according to the Academy’s past admission ratios, one in six is the highest proportion. That means this year’s new students will number at most over three thousand.”
Li Er smiled and nodded. Reaching into the bear cart for his teapot and taking a sip, he pointed at the scholars before him and asked again: “One in six—what should the remaining people do? Many traveled thousands upon thousands of miles to reach Chang’an, all to gain Academy admission. Returning empty-handed wouldn’t be good for facing parents.”
Yun Ye moved closer to explain: “Your Majesty, after the Academy major examination, immediately following are the Hongwen Hall and Imperial Academy major examinations. Students rejected by the Academy still have opportunities. They can take exams for Hongwen Hall and Imperial Academy. Serving as minor imperial officials in the future is also a good choice. Moreover, top students from these two academies can still become censors and remonstrance officials, so the prospects are also quite good. Furthermore, the Crown Prince has already prepared to establish Inner Court Schools, specifically cultivating capable personnel for the Inner Court. So failing the Academy entrance isn’t the end of the world.”
“Good, good. These people rejected by the Academy will inevitably harbor little goodwill toward it. Having them supervise students from the Academy—doing this is very good. Chu Suiliang has been very shrewd about this matter.”
After Li Er finished speaking, he pointed at the panda. The guards behind him refitted the panda’s bit. Li Er shook the reins. The panda still grunted unwillingly. Not until Li Er extended his foot and kicked the panda’s rear twice did that panda very reluctantly drag Li Er swaying toward the Academy. Today he was here to watch the new students’ examination.
Seeing Yuchi Gong gave him a headache. His son had given him six grandsons. These six grandsons didn’t even match their own father. Yuchi Baolin at least could keep up with the Academy’s pace. These six grandsons were like using rolling pins to blow fire—completely clueless.
Xu Jingzong was shrewd. Seeing Duke of E very embarrassedly approaching with a dark face, he immediately understood what was happening. He said to Yun Ye: “Your two quotas are finished.” After speaking, he shook his robes, held his ceremonial tablet, and walked down the hillside.
Only after Yuchi Gong saw no one was around did he quietly say: “Just now seeing His Majesty here, I didn’t dare approach. How is it—did you get the quotas? I’m dying of anxiety!”
Yun Ye sighed, pulled out two blank admission letters from his sleeve, and placed them in Yuchi Gong’s hand, saying: “Professor Yuanzhang gave me a thorough scolding, but I still got the admission letters. This can’t continue. How is Xiao Huo managing these two children, Xiao Ling and Xiao Shan? She herself counts as a top student at the Academy, and Huo Zhu is even an elite among elites. How have the children not been influenced by their mother and uncle at all?”
Bringing this up, Yuchi Gong laughed heartily as if extremely proud. Stuffing the admission documents into his sleeve, only then did he say: “Children of the Yuchi family have this problem—immense strength, but reading is harder. Such children are truly Yuchi family children. If they were like their mother and uncle, they wouldn’t be Yuchi family children. Ha ha ha! Won’t say more. With you as uncle looking after them, our family’s children will still develop into good talent.”
Seeing Old Yuchi leave, Yun Ye’s heart was troubled again. The Yuchi family still had four more clubs needing placement. The reason he left so hastily was to look at the little girls in the Academy—not for himself, but for his two club grandsons to see. He was now wholeheartedly convinced that when marrying wives for the family, they must marry women from the Academy. He’d tasted the benefits.
Returning home, the reception hall was filled with guests—all former subordinates. Seeing Yun Ye, Lai Chuanfeng nearly bowed his waist to the ground. If not for his children, this fellow wouldn’t be so humble.
Yun Ye pulled out a stack of admission documents from his sleeve, placed them on the table, sighed and said: “Just these. Divide them among yourselves. I’ve been helping you for decades. How are you still like this now? At the end of the day, learning still must be pursued. Always deceiving and cheating develops laziness…”
Who knows if these people listened or not—probably not. Lai Chuanfeng, holding the stack of documents with a smile, immediately took his leave. In a flash, the reception hall was empty.
Xinyue walked out from the back hall, looked at Yun Ye and said: “This is still good. Some years when you weren’t here, those women would come to the house to petition this humble wife. When this humble wife couldn’t get several from Grandfather, it always resulted in Grandfather scolding this humble wife. Our family’s children all tested in—from Shou’er to Huan’er, all were like this. How can these people lack such aptitude?”
Yun Ye sighed: “They’re already nearly eliminated by Great Tang society. They’re all my old subordinates. Back then following me—sailing to sea, entering the great desert—they had no time to manage families. Whatever help I can give, I’ll discard this old face to help.”
“Absolutely cannot fall behind. Today’s Great Tang changes daily. One step late and you’ll never catch up in a lifetime.”