Any household with nocturnal prowlers constantly appearing would go mad. Previously there was only one, but now it was worse—two had suddenly appeared. The family’s yellow dog, Huang Gou, would shrink into Hong Cheng’s room at night and dare not come out. The first night it merely barked once and someone nearly broke its jaw with a stone. The second day, before it could even bark, its mouth was tied with thin hemp rope and its four legs were bound together and thrown beside the chicken coop. The yellow dog would rather die than live such days—it was safer to stay with its master.
Hong Cheng, fully armored and helmeted, stood through the entire night in the cold dew but discovered no nocturnal prowlers. However, early in the morning when he saw his daughter beaming with joy while hugging a huge stuffed animal, fury surged up from the soles of his feet. After his daughter lived at the Yun family for three months, she had transformed into a charming great beauty. Such a daughter would be qualified to be sent into the palace. The current Hong Cheng was no longer the dejected, unlucky father who went around begging people to marry his daughter, but rather one who strutted about everywhere bragging about how lovely his daughter was. Don’t believe it? The Countess had already hosted eight family banquets, attended by ladies from noble families. When leaving, who didn’t praise his daughter’s beautiful features?
Knowing who the black-clad person was, Hong Cheng squinted his eyes and disagreed with this marriage. Previously, he just needed to find a promising young man for his daughter. Now, merely having prospects wasn’t enough—the young man should at least have substantial family wealth and great power and influence. Gou Zi? Why should he marry his beautiful daughter? This lord looked down on him.
He went to find Wu She to argue the matter, only to be threatened and chased out. If he agreed to this marriage, fine; otherwise, don’t blame this old man for personally leading his grand-disciple to snatch her. Complaining to His Majesty would be useless—this old man has served His Majesty for many years. If not meritorious service, at least there’s hard work. Who do you think His Majesty would help? When the time comes and an imperial decree is issued, be careful that Gou Zi marries your daughter and doesn’t even acknowledge you as his father-in-law!
To guard the sheep pen well, one must first confirm one’s own sheep pen has no holes. Hong Cheng had been making quite a fuss these days, but ever since those two black-clad people appeared, he had no solution. One led him around in circles everywhere, while the other secretly met with his daughter.
Hong Cheng was so angry his lungs were about to explode. When his daughter was plump and plain, why did they hide far away? Now that she had become beautiful, they were eagerly pursuing her. His daughter also had no backbone—as soon as the stinking brat came, she forgot all the hardships she had suffered before and smiled like a flower.
“Marquis Yun, lend me an Eight-Ox Crossbow to use. If there are four, that would be best.”
Today was the academy entrance examination day. Yun Ye got up early, dressed and ready, preparing to take Wang Cai to the academy. Who knew Hong Cheng would arrive at the Yun family home with a haggard face and immediately ask to borrow an Eight-Ox Crossbow.
“The Eight-Ox Crossbow is a national treasure, a military essential. How could there be any principle of private lending? Moreover…”
“Will you lend it or not?” After Yun Ye had been talking about national law for a long time, Hong Cheng seemed not to have heard and pressed his question with a stiff neck.
“It’s in the back courtyard—Old Jiang manages it. Do me a favor and just take one, alright?”
“At least two. There are two little thieves. One shot can’t kill them both. This old man needs two—one shot for each would be best.” After speaking, he went to the back courtyard himself to ask Old Jiang for the Eight-Ox Crossbows.
“Old Qian, you go tell Gou Zi and Xiao Ying not to go to the Hong family tonight—it’s too dangerous.” Yun Ye turned his head and gave Old Qian an instruction, then mounted Wang Cai and went to the academy with Liu Jinbao and a group of guards.
The sun had just risen, but the front of Yushan Academy was already a sea of people. The originally spacious plaza was filled with various horse carriages, ox carts, and donkey carts. The ball field was the same. It seemed all the carriages and horses of Chang’an had come to the academy. The sounds of friends calling out to each other and addressing each other as brothers were endless. Peddlers with bamboo baskets hanging from their necks constantly squeezed through the crowd, loudly hawking their wares. In the distance under the awning, bowl after bowl of Huang Shu’s fermented rice wine was being sold. The bowls in the bamboo basket beside it were stacked almost to the ceiling. Four assistants were so busy they didn’t even have time to catch their breath. The academy’s side gate was wide open. Sixteen warriors in full armor, leaning on their horizontal sabers, stood with legs apart on both sides. Not a single person dared to cross that massive stone inscribed with “Imperial Yushan Academy.”
Today was the day for Master Li Gang to display his authority. Wearing the academy’s sky-blue robe, he sat upright at the main gate. The white hair on his head was combed without a strand out of place, his expression stern. Yun Ye and Yuanzhang stood behind Li Gang. Xu Jingzong, Yushan, Lishi, Zhao Yanling, Jin Zhu who had just rushed back to the academy, and Hypatia all waited inside the gate. They were today’s proctoring teachers, each dressed neatly. Even Hypatia, who was most capable of making trouble, was properly wearing an oversized blue robe, her hair in a bun with just a single gold hairpin, without any other decoration.
Master Li Gang raised his eyes to glance at the sun. Supported by Yun Ye, he stood up from his wheelchair and walked before the statue of Confucius. After washing his hands, he respectfully offered incense and bowed three times. Then he turned around and declared loudly, “With Heaven as witness, we Yushan Academy shall be fair and impartial. With Earth as judge, we Yushan Academy shall treat everyone equally. Whether official’s children or students from humble families, whether distinguished disciples or self-taught talents, as long as you achieve excellent results, you can enter the academy to study. This is Yushan’s oath. If violated, may gods and men abandon us.”
After Li Gang recited each line, the other academy teachers followed with the same line. After finishing, everyone together paid respects to Heaven and Earth, and a huge time-incense stick was lit. The Ministry of Rites ceremonial official dragged out his voice and shouted, “Open the Dragon Gate!”
The academy’s main gate was symbolically opened. If anyone considered themselves superior or believed ordinary examinations were insufficient to display their talent, they could choose to enter the maze to try their luck. As long as they could enter the gate and finally walk out safely, the academy would line up to welcome them. At that time, they would no longer be students but would be qualified to serve as academy teachers.
Unfortunately, except for Hypatia, no one had successfully walked into the academy. The examinees were all very sensible. Each one who passed before Li Gang bowed respectfully before walking through the side gate, showing their admission ticket, and being led to the examination hall by senior students. The open-air examinations of earlier years had long been cancelled by the academy.
Li Er came very early today. Fang Xuanling and Zhangsun Wuji accompanied him as he stood in the distance to observe, all wearing ordinary clothes. Each held a large fan—this item had now become standard equipment for scholars. Without this item in hand, one would be embarrassed to admit being a scholar.
“Mm, the regulations are strict indeed. Compared to the first examination, it now looks more like an official state examination. Good! I just wonder if their exam questions this year will be more difficult? I heard from Yun Ye that Master Li Gang wouldn’t let him participate in setting questions, saying his personal relationships were complicated and it would be difficult to guarantee examination fairness, so he knows nothing.”
Fang Xuanling said with emotion, “That lad is busy using a sand island to deceive people—how would he have time to attend to these trivial matters? So the fact that he doesn’t know doesn’t surprise this old minister.”
“So the matter of the self-growing soil was spread through false rumors? No wonder he insisted there never was any self-growing soil. This gave him enough of an escape route. But why could he obtain those plots in Yuezhou in the blink of an eye? I’m truly curious. I heard he only spent just over thirty thousand strings of cash, which is equivalent to land prices in Chang’an’s suburbs. Isn’t it a bit expensive?”
The academy examination was organized far more thoroughly than the imperial examinations. Now everyone only needed to wait for the results. One of Li Er’s reasons for coming to the academy was to ask Yun Ye about the self-growing soil matter and Yuezhou land prices. He had never believed in the self-growing soil matter. This affair was probably intimately connected with Yuezhou—it would be better to clarify it.
Zhangsun Wuji shook his head and said, “It cannot be confirmed. Those miraculous phenomena still exist. The sea island is still moving toward the sea—this is fact. Multiple sources corroborate that this matter is true. However, the self-growing soil cannot be verified. A sand island, as the name implies, is entirely sand. The government deployed manpower and resources to try digging pits on the island. Unfortunately, at a depth of less than one zhang, spring water would gush out. After using salt well methods to drill holes, they found the underground was entirely mud and sand. There was simply no way to confirm the location of the self-growing soil. Trying to find the legendary self-growing soil is like fishing for a needle in the ocean.”
Li Er chuckled and pointed at Fang Xuanling, saying, “My dear minister should have sold that sand island to Yun Ye back then. No matter what he discovered on that island, in the end it would all fall into my hands. This self-awareness of being a minister, Yun Ye never lacks. A good hundred thousand strings of cash flew away—hahaha!”
“This old minister is muddle-headed. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
“What muddle-headedness? Just joking. Yun Ye would never give a hundred thousand strings of cash to the court for nothing. With his love of money like his life, he probably just wanted to make this affair a huge commotion so he could fish in troubled waters. Never mind—anyway, the court has no losses. Let’s go into the academy now. Observing those examinees is the real business.”
Li Er walked toward the academy together with the two great ministers. Of all matters, no one was clearer than Li Er himself. Those people had lost their bets and suffered heavy losses, yet they showed great grace. Many lingering doubts in Li Er’s heart suddenly became clear. The smiling corpse brought peace of mind, the weeping corpse resolved doubts—these two corpses benefited Li Er greatly. He just didn’t know what kind of corpse would appear next.
Masters Li Gang and Yuanzhang went to the examination hall, leaving only Yun Ye at the gate waiting for the Emperor’s arrival. Yesterday a eunuch had already notified that His Majesty would come today, so Yun Ye stood under the blazing sun, unable to go anywhere.
Upon seeing Li Er, there was no need for formal salutations. When the Emperor traveled incognito in plain clothes, naturally he didn’t wish to be recognized. Fang Xuanling said with ill intent to Yun Ye, “Marquis Yun, this old man now tells you good news. The court permits your Yun family to purchase that sea island. In a moment, deliver the gold and silver to the Ministry of Revenue, and this old man’s documents will be prepared shortly.”
Yun Ye’s eyes widened as he said, “Why does Minister Fang say such things? Some days ago, this humble official’s thoughts were unclear and he became deranged. Who in Chang’an doesn’t know this? That’s why he committed such absurd acts as competing with the imperial court for self-growing soil. That His Majesty generously did not pursue the matter is already the greatest grace. Now that my mind is completely clear, how could I again commit such muddled and perverse acts? This matter absolutely cannot be done. Self-growing soil, such a divine object, only His Majesty can possess. If anyone else possesses it, this humble official’s opinion is: execute them without mercy!”