Chapter 29: Jealousy

Chapter 29: Jealousy

After attending a social engagement as the headmaster of Qingfeng Academy, Min Taikang returned to the academy. As soon as he entered his room, Yu Min, who had been waiting, came to see him.

Min Taikang was not surprised by this. Yu Min was a well-known young prodigy at Qingfeng Academy, and Min Taikang naturally understood his temperament.

"Yu Min, have you come about the poetry contest?"

Yu Min clasped his hands and said, "I know this is abrupt, but I can't rest or eat in peace without getting a clear answer."

Min Taikang smiled faintly and shook his head, "You feel that your poem is not inferior to Du Yunse's, and even surpasses his in terms of literary embellishment, so you are dissatisfied with our decision to name him the champion?"

Yu Min remained silent, his expression speaking volumes.

Min Taikang gestured for him to sit down and sighed deeply, "Yu Min, what is your purpose in studying?"

Yu Min answered without hesitation, "Naturally, to pass the imperial examinations and bring honor to my family."

"That's it. Both of you are young talents destined to serve in the court, not carefree literati who indulge in the pleasures of life. When we evaluate poetry, we naturally place more emphasis on the poem's intent and vision."

Seeing that Yu Min was deep in thought, Min Taikang waved his hand and said, "Go to the desk and write down both of your poems from memory. I will explain in detail."

Yu Min wrote down the two poems he had memorized. Min Taikang pointed to the still-wet ink and commented, "In terms of talent and poetic style, your poem is graceful and exquisite, while Du Yunse's is rustic and vigorous. Each has its merits, and it's hard to say which is superior."

"But Yu Min, your perspective is too shallow."

"The examination commissioner's topic was 'Compose a seven-character regulated poem in the voice of the people of Xiangping Prefecture for the Dragon Boat Festival.' Yu Min, do you know who the 'people' are?"

"Naturally, the common folk in the streets," Yu Min replied, not seeing any issue with his understanding.

Min Taikang shook his head, "No, it refers to all the subjects of His Majesty living on the land of Xiangping Prefecture."

"Your poem describes the beauties enjoying the scenery on the streets during the Dragon Boat Festival, the talented scholars at the poetry contest, and the winners of the dragon boat race."

"But Du Yunse's poem, in addition to these, also includes the farmers still toiling in the fields during the festival, the tea stall owner who is overjoyed at earning money, and the children playing and laughing while tying silk threads..."

"'The old farmer, oblivious to the reason, still ties mugwort and diligently tends to the seedlings.'"

Min Taikang recited this line with emotion and continued, "At the end of the poem, both of you mentioned Qu Yuan, but you only said that people today celebrate Qu Yuan with laughter, wondering what Qu Yuan would think."

"Du Yunse, however, wrote—"

"'A thousand years hence, on this day, we share joyful words, and the gentle flow of the Chu River consoles the heroic spirit.'"

"Whether the people know who the Dragon Boat Festival commemorates or not, as long as they are happy and joyful on this day, it is enough to console the heroic spirit of Qu Yuan beneath the Chu River."

"This line uses ancient words to express the poet's own aspirations, elevating the poem's intent to a higher level."

"Under normal circumstances, your poem would be excellent, but compared to his, it falls short in terms of depth."

"Whether it's me, the prefect, or the examination commissioner, after reading this poem, we all unanimously chose it as the champion. This is not a poetry contest organized by wealthy merchants from the south, but one judged by the examination commissioner at the request of the prefect. The examination commissioner specifically mentioned 'the people' in the topic to test the depth of vision and strategic acumen of the scholars in Xiangping Prefecture."

Yu Min was silent for a moment before speaking with reluctant acceptance, "This time, I fell short, but next time may be different."

"Thank you, Headmaster, for your guidance."

"Go and think carefully about what I've said today. There are still three days until the prefectural examination. If you can grasp these points, you still have a chance to compete for the top position in the academy's examination."

Though proud, Yu Min was not blindly arrogant. Once the reasoning was made clear, he could accept reality. Otherwise, Min Taikang's assessment of him would not have been that he was intelligent and talented.

Min Taikang watched Yu Min's retreating figure and nodded with satisfaction, hoping that this small setback would allow this uncut jade to reveal its true brilliance.

Du Yunse, though young, was remarkably composed. If invited to join Qingfeng Academy, he could help rein in the academy's talented but overly impulsive students.

...

After Du Yunse won the poetry champion title, Zhu Jingwei's eldest grandson and senior brother, Zhu Jingcheng, quickly came over to host a meal in their honor.

Du Yunse declined, citing his upcoming academy exam and the need to focus on preparation. Zhu Jingcheng could only ask for his address and take his leave with regret.

Having watched the dragon boat race and participated in the poetry competition, Qiu Huanian took Du Yunse to familiarize themselves with the environment at the examination hall.

After asking around, they finally arrived at the examination hall. The examination cells were already set up, visible from outside the courtyard.

Qiu Huanian looked at the cells, each only two or three square meters in size, and lamented how difficult ancient exams were.

The academy exam was manageable, lasting only one day, with candidates entering in the morning and leaving in the evening. However, for the provincial exam, candidates had to stay in the cells for three days, eating, sleeping, and relieving themselves, all while racking their brains to write their papers—a truly harrowing ordeal.

"Exams don't allow items with hidden layers; blankets and cushions can't be brought in. I heard from Sister Yiwan that many candidates bring animal fur blankets. Let's buy one for you too."

Although the weather was already warm, the cells were densely packed together, with poor lighting and ventilation, making the humidity quite heavy in the mornings and evenings.

Qiu Huanian's legs started to ache just thinking about Du Yunse squeezing inside to take the exam for a whole day.

The exam environment couldn't be changed, but the personal equipment had to be up to par!

Du Yunse felt he wasn't that delicate and thought the money would be better saved to buy something Brother Hua liked. He was about to speak, but upon meeting Qiu Huanian's sparkling eyes, he swallowed his words.

Forget it, Brother Hua always had the final say on how the family's money was spent. Even if he objected, it would be useless.

Better to focus on the imperial exams and earn more things for Brother Hua in the future.

Du Yunse looked at Qiu Huanian, his eyes brimming with tenderness, like the glistening, half-melted snow atop a high mountain.

He wanted to walk this path with this person, far into the distance.

...

The two returned to their rented courtyard. As soon as they entered, Aunt Shu came over from the main courtyard carrying a large wooden box.

"A very impressive steward came to deliver something for Mr. Du. Seeing that Mr. Du wasn't here, he left it with me to pass on, saying it was from a friend of Mr. Du's with the surname Zhu."

Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian exchanged glances and took the wooden box.

"Did the Zhu brothers find it impossible to deliver the gift in person, so they sent it through a servant while we were away?"

Du Yunse placed the wooden box on the table. "Let's see what's inside first."

Wen Huiyang was the most renowned Confucian scholar of the time. During his travels with Du Yunse, they often encountered wealthy families and merchants who wanted to give gifts to curry favor. However, Wen Huiyang preferred to travel with clean hands and a pure heart, never accepting such unearned wealth.

"Everything in the world is governed by cause and effect. If they give you money now, it must be because they will ask for something from you in the future. If you greedily accept everything, it will inevitably lead to trouble."

Du Yunse always remembered his mentor's teachings and was very cautious about such unsolicited advances and investments.

Qiu Huanian also thought of this. He opened the wooden box and smiled, "This must be from Zhu Jingcheng. If it were from Zhu Jingwei, it would surely be filled with gold and treasures."

Inside the black lacquered wooden box was a neatly folded sheepskin blanket, a few books printed by a Xiangping Prefecture bookstore, and a letter.

In the letter, Zhu Jingcheng said he dared not disturb Du Yunse's academy exam but was concerned about Du Yunse's inconvenience as a traveler. He prepared some useful items as a gesture of hospitality and asked Du Yunse to accept them.

Qiu Huanian unfolded the sheepskin blanket to inspect it. The blanket was four feet in length and width, perfect for covering the knees when spread over the legs, and it could be folded compactly to fit into a basket.

In this era, sheepskin was far less valuable than fox or deer skin, but this blanket was exceptionally soft, with a snow-white color and excellent quality, clearly a fine item.

This showed Zhu Jingcheng's sophistication. If he had sent a more expensive fur, Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian would have surely returned it. Instead, he chose something thoughtful yet not overly costly.

It's not about how much you give, but how thoughtful it is. The sheepskin blanket, which could be brought into the academy exam, was exactly what Du Yunse needed at the moment.

"This blanket is probably worth about three taels of silver (a traditional Chinese unit of weight)."

A sheepskin blanket of this size would typically sell for two taels of silver, but given the quality of the one Zhu Jingcheng sent, the price would be higher.

Qiu Huanian draped the blanket over a chair and turned to the books in the wooden box. Besides two books containing recent provincial exam questions, Zhu Jingcheng had also sent a travelogue and a storybook.

Books from ancient times were costly, and these four books together were worth about one tael of silver.

Qiu Huanian was somewhat interested in the travelogue and the storybook but did not speak up, waiting for Du Yunse's decision.

"Let's keep them all. We'll thank Brother Zhu in person after the academy exam."

Du Yunse accepted Zhu Jingcheng's goodwill. The gift was thoughtful yet not overly valuable, but more importantly, Zhu Jingcheng's meticulous and seasoned approach was reassuring.

This kind of investment by a wealthy merchant in a scholar also required mutual selection.

Otherwise, one side feared encountering an ungrateful person, while the other feared getting into trouble with insatiable greed, making it difficult for both sides to feel at ease.

After tidying up the blanket and books, Du Yunse stepped forward to Qiu Huanian and took out the valuable Danfeng Chaoyang warm jade hairpin from his pocket.

"Brother Hua, let me pin your hair."

Qiu Huanian's throat tightened with emotion, and his cheeks flushed instantly. Back at the colorful pavilion, when he heard Du Yunse choose the jade hairpin over ancient books for him, Qiu Huanian's heart had raced like a drum.

The surrounding tourists, unaware of who the husband of the poetry champion was, all marveled at how fortunate that person was. Standing in the crowd, Qiu Huanian thought to himself that he was indeed fortunate.

Although he had traveled back to ancient times, he had at least gained a new life, the opportunity to live a good life through his own efforts, and had met Du Yunse.

—Someone so perfect that he couldn't find any faults, someone with whom he had already begun to imagine spending the rest of his life.

Qiu Huanian softly hummed in agreement and raised his hand to remove the rough vine hairpin from his hair.

His jet-black hair cascaded down, emitting a faint fragrance of soapberries.

Du Yunse carefully gathered his hair, revealing a smooth, fair, and delicate neck.

Though Du Yunse usually pinned his own hair daily, he now seemed a bit flustered, trying several times without successfully coiling the smooth strands.

Qiu Huanian wanted to laugh, his heart feeling like it was swelling with a sweet, expanding marshmallow.

He patiently stood still, slightly bowing his head, until Du Yunse finally secured the coiled hair with the Danfeng Chaoyang warm jade hairpin.

The hairstyle was simple, without any embellishments, but the crimson, crystal-clear jade hairpin paired with Qiu Huanian's smiling face seemed to light up the room.

"Do I look good?" Qiu Huanian deliberately tilted his head and asked.

Du Yunse gazed at him for a long time before replying deeply, "You look beautiful."

The room was filled with a radiant glow, and the courtyard outside was fragrant with the scent of flowers.

Three days later, at the first crow of the rooster, there was already movement in the Shu family's courtyard.

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse were dressed neatly, conducting a final check of the items they were bringing to the examination hall.

The brush, ink, and inkstone were all items Du Yunse was accustomed to using, and they had been checked in advance to ensure there were no issues; the tofu buns specially steamed by the chef at the Shu family's kitchen were tightly wrapped in oiled paper, staying soft and tasty even when cold; the sheepskin blanket and cotton towel were folded together to increase the comfort of the exam room.

After so many days of preparation, they finally welcomed the first step on the path to the imperial examinations.

Crossing this threshold would grant them the lowest scholarly title—xiucai (the first degree in the imperial examination system).

Du Yunse picked up the bundle, and Qiu Huanian closed the door, looking at the clear sky and smiling, "Let's head to the academy exam!"

Off to the academy exam!

The entrance inspection for the academy exam was extremely strict. Candidates from the same area first stood in designated zones, confirming each other's identities to ensure no one was impersonating another. Then, after the examination hall officials checked their identity documents, they could queue at the main gate of the examination hall.

Candidates were not allowed to wear layered clothing or bring any items with writing on them. Before entering, they had to place their belongings in designated baskets for inspection by officials.

Additionally, they had to undress in small sheds for inspection to ensure no hidden items were being smuggled in.

Du Yunse's victory at the Dragon Boat Festival poetry competition had already spread, and his poem was still posted at the entrance of the examination hall. The officials, not wanting to offend this promising scholar, did not give him much trouble.

Watching Du Yunse's figure disappear into the examination hall, Qiu Huanian exhaled, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

Although he believed in Du Yunse's talent and ability, there was always the possibility of the unexpected.

What if the exam room was too uncomfortable? What if the candidate next door suddenly went mad? What if a sudden downpour soaked the exam papers?

Qiu Huanian knew these were all extremely unlikely scenarios, but he couldn't help letting his mind wander.

He remembered back in modern times, after the college entrance exam, his mother had patted her chest and told him she had been worried he might fill in the wrong answer sheet, resulting in a zero score. At the time, Qiu Huanian had found it both amusing and exasperating, but now he began to understand. Perhaps this was a universal sentiment shared by all those who sent off examinees, transcending time and place.

Qiu Huanian stood at the entrance of the examination hall for a while. Other well-wishers gradually left. The exam would last until 5 PM, the hour of You (5 PM), and standing there was futile.

Qiu Huanian initially thought of leaving as well, but then he suddenly spotted a familiar face—the Zhao family was also at the entrance seeing off an examinee.

With over three hundred candidates, the number was neither large nor small, and the probability of well-wishers running into each other at the examination hall entrance was not low.

Qiu Huanian stepped aside, not wanting to get into any unnecessary chit-chat with them right now.

The atmosphere among the four members of the Zhao family seemed somewhat off, and no one noticed Qiu Huanian.

Zhao (female) held Fu Bao's hand, continuously scolding Li Guer, while Du Baoquan stood by with his hands in his sleeves, looking somewhat impatient and embarrassed. From Qiu Huanian's angle, he could see the resentment on Li Guer's lowered face.

Recalling how Li Guer had twice sneaked off to the back mountain path in Du Village to meet outsiders and had taken suspicious items, Qiu Huanian raised an eyebrow.

He was somewhat looking forward to what drama this family might enact next.

Qiu Huanian returned to the courtyard, taking out the storybook Zhu Jingcheng had gifted him to pass the time, but he couldn't settle his mind to read.

Before he knew it, he began wondering whether Du Yunse was drafting his thoughts or writing a rough draft, whether he had started transcribing his answers, or if he had suddenly hit a mental block.

Shu Huacai and Zheng Yiwan's only daughter, Rutang, ran over from the main courtyard, bringing a small stool to sit beside Qiu Huanian and watch the ants on the ground.

Qiu Huanian looked up and smiled, "What's wrong, Rutang? Not happy today?"

Rutang was about the same age as Jiu Jiu, and seeing her made Qiu Huanian miss his own child.

Rutang pursed her lips and remained silent, neither kicking the sandbag nor pestering Qiu Huanian to tell her stories from the book.

Qiu Huanian looked up to find that Shu Pozi had already come over. The Shu couple usually spent their days busy at the inn, so now there were only the three of them in the courtyard. Having finished her chores, Shu Pozi decided to stay and chat.

"Don't worry, Brother Hua. Everyone outside says Du Yunse is a reincarnation of the Literary Star, so he's sure to pass the academy exam!"

Shu Pozi, who went out to buy groceries every day, had long heard that Du Yunse from their courtyard had won the poetry competition during the Dragon Boat Festival. She also heard that Du Yunse had refused all sorts of rare treasures and only chose a hairpin for his husband.

In the streets and alleys, the latter story spread even more widely than the former.

In modern terms, it was an official event hosted by the Xiangping Prefecture magistrate, with prestigious figures like the examination commissioner and the head of Qingfeng Academy endorsing it. Coupled with the popularity of the Dragon Boat Festival, it was hard not to become famous throughout the entire prefecture.

Qiu Huanian touched the crimson crystal jade hairpin in his black hair and smiled, changing the subject. "I noticed Rutang seems upset today. Did something happen?"

Shu Pozi's expression changed slightly. "Oh, it's just the mood swings of a child. What could possibly be wrong?"

Rutang lowered her head, using her toes to block the ants on the ground, and said nothing.

Qiu Huanian thought for a moment and decided not to press further.

"The first session of the academy exam has already started. Is Huang Daniang almost in the prefecture city?"

There was a one-day gap between the two sessions of the academy exam. Three days after the second session ended, the results would be announced, and the Hundred Flavors Test would be held.

"I heard from Shu Wu that they are already on their way. Not only Huang Daniang, but Second Aunt is also accompanying her sister. They will stay at our house when they arrive in the prefecture city."

Shu Wu, like Shu Pozi, was a relative brought by Shu Huacai from their hometown. Shu Pozi worked at home, while Shu Wu served as a servant at the inn. Shu Wu was a distant grandnephew of Shu Pozi.

Qiu Huanian smiled. "Maybe we'll have a chance to taste Huang Daniang's new dishes in advance."

He hadn’t forgotten his plan to promote their red fermented tofu at the Hundred Flavors Test.

At exactly the hour of You, Qiu Huanian stood at the entrance of the examination hall with a water flask packed from Shuyi Inn, waiting for Du Yunse.

The gates of the examination hall opened, and the students who had finished the first session began to emerge. Some were beaming with excitement, while others looked pale and dejected. Their performance in the exam was evident.

Qiu Huanian spotted Du Yunse at once.

The young man, in his late teens, stood tall like a snow-dusted pine tree. His handsome brows and eyes, along with his cloud-like black hair, made him look like a figure from an ancient painting as he stepped out of the vermilion gates of the examination hall, carrying a basket. Qiu Huanian couldn't take his eyes off him.

Du Yunse's gaze swept across the entrance of the examination hall, and when he saw Qiu Huanian, his eyes instantly softened, like a frozen pond melting into spring water.

"Brother Hua," Du Yunse walked gracefully towards Qiu Huanian.

Qiu Huanian smiled and handed him the water flask, unscrewing the lid. "It's tremella soup made by the kitchen at Shuyi Inn. I timed it so it's just warm now. Try it."

Du Yunse took a few sips. The sweet and smooth soup warmed his body, easing the fatigue from sitting in the cramped exam room all day.

"Let's go back."

"Alright."

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse walked away together. Behind them, Du Yunjing, who had exited the exam hall around the same time, looked extremely displeased.

Why should someone like him belong to Du Yunse? It was just two measures of sorghum. Why had his mother missed the chance to buy him back then?

"Cousin Yunjing, I've come to pick you up," Li Guer's sweet voice sounded behind Du Yunjing.

"Why are you alone? Where are Father and Mother?"

"Auntie isn't feeling well and is resting at home. Uncle asked me to come alone to pick you up," Li Guer smiled and took out a water flask. "This is sweet soup I made with the help of the maids at the house. Try it, cousin."

Du Yunjing had always despised Li Guer's stupidity and shallowness, but today, he glanced at the water pouch and took it directly, drinking from it. The sweet soup entered his mouth, yet it still felt off.

Li Guer's face immediately lit up with a smile; her somewhat plain but youthful features showed a touch of charm.

Du Yunjing felt a bit of heat in his body, but he didn't think much of it, attributing it to his unsettled mood.

The questions set by the new examination commissioner for this academy exam were extremely tricky, completely beyond the scope of what Du Yunjing had prepared during his county studies, leaving him unsure of how well he had answered.

He just hoped the new examination commissioner would go easy on the grading and that the re-exam questions would be more familiar, so he could rank high on the academy exam list, ideally beating Du Yunse.

Du Yunjing had always considered himself a genius. When he was young and first tutored by Scholar Sun in Qingfu Town, no student in the private school could read or recite as quickly as he could. Scholar Sun often said that he would surely pass the county exam in the future, and possibly even the provincial exam.

However, his pride lasted less than a year when his clan uncle Du Baoyan suddenly spent most of his savings to send his eldest son, Du Yunse, to study at Scholar Sun's private school. This cousin, a few months older than Du Yunjing, caught up with his studies within a month, even though Du Yunjing had been there for nearly a year, leading Scholar Sun to frequently marvel at having encountered a prodigy, and he no longer praised Du Yunjing as before.

Feeling wronged, Du Yunjing sabotaged Du Yunse's paper and brushes, spread rumors, and stopped classmates from lending him books, hoping to make Du Yunse fall behind.

No matter how much Du Yunjing provoked him, Du Yunse acted like he wasn't even there, completely focused on his studies, which left Du Yunjing frustrated.

Three years later, Du Baoyan took his ten-year-old eldest son to the county to take the county exam. Before they left, everyone thought it was a futile effort, but Du Yunse aced the county exam and then the prefectural exam, and soon after returning to the village, he attracted the attention of the current examination commissioner and the great scholar Wen Huiyang, who personally visited Du Village!

After Du Yunse was taken as a disciple by Wen Huiyang on the spot, Scholar Sun happily had a few drinks in the private school and sighed, looking out the window, "This boy is extraordinary; his leaving is like a dragon plunging into the ocean—he's bound to make waves!"

Hearing Scholar Sun's words, Du Yunjing's nails pierced his palm. He was the first to be praised for his talent, and his family was better off in Du Village, so how did Du Yunse end up with such a huge opportunity!

Back then, Du Yunse just used his early smarts to mystify things and get ahead. Years had gone by without him taking any more imperial exams, and he'd likely just faded into the background. Du Yunjing was determined to prove he was better than Du Yunse!

Author's note:

The poem is just something I made up, with limited skill, so please just get the gist of the feeling.