Chapter 122: The Palace Examination

Chapter 122: The Palace Examination

In the Yu Dynasty, the literary culture was more prominent in the south than in the north. Du Yunse, a northern scholar, winning the top spot in the metropolitan exam, caused a major uproar in the capital. Though skepticism waned after discovering Du Yunse's mentor was Wen Huiyang, many still wanted to see who Du Yunse was in person.

Du Yunse tuned out the noise and buried himself in studies at Cun Jin Academy, preparing for the final Palace Exam.

The Palace Exam, held in the imperial city, featured a single question from the emperor, focusing on strategy. But it still demanded literary flair and deep knowledge of the classics.

All ancient scholarship was rooted in the Four Books and Five Classics. Every argument had to cite the classics, using sage wisdom to counsel the ruler. It’s akin to writing a thesis today, requiring citations from authoritative sources.

While the Palace Exam didn’t require the eight-legged essay format, literary skill was still essential. They needed a mix of parallel and prose styles, with polished phrasing and elegant diction.

Even a brilliant argument would falter if poorly written or unclear. So, brushing up on the classics and reviewing exemplary essays was crucial before the exam.

Otherwise, even if the emperor favored you, he’d still need to save face. Du Yunse aimed to leave nothing to chance.

Wang Yinzhi also made the metropolitan exam list, though he ranked outside the top 200. He was content just to make the list and, like Du Yunse, was diligently preparing for the Palace Exam, hoping to land a good post after the exam.

Since arriving in the capital, Du Yunse had yet to meet the crown prince. Qiu Huanian was clueless about their plans, only noting that Sixteen delivered letters to Du Yunse one evening.

Sixteen bypassed the main gate, instead stopping Qiu Huanian’s carriage on the road. His silver-lined leather mask gave him a ghostly air, startling Qiu Huanian.

"It’s me," said Sixteen, calming Qiu Huanian.

He sent Xing Mi out and ushered Sixteen into the carriage. Sixteen sat quietly in the corner while Qiu Huanian kept eyeing the mask.

After a pause, Sixteen took off the mask.

Qiu Huanian smiled, relieved to see his face.

The carriage entered the residence, and Sixteen donned the mask again as he stepped out. Qiu Huanian dismissed the servants to their duties.

After handing the letters to Du Yunse, Sixteen strolled with Qiu Huanian through the residence.

"Du Yunse has won the top position in the metropolitan exam and should be among the top three in the Palace Exam. After being appointed to an official position, you will live in the capital."

Qiu Huanian was momentarily stunned, then laughed, "Yes, living in the capital from now on, Sixteen, you can visit often. Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng miss you a lot."

"You..." Sixteen paused but ultimately said nothing.

It was nearing evening, and the setting sun stretched their shadows very long.

The two walked through the passageway and the main courtyard, arriving at the side door of the Yuzhu Courtyard in the west.

Before leaving, Sixteen suddenly turned to look at him.

The setting sun was dazzling, and for a moment, the complex emotions in Sixteen's eyes made Qiu Huanian instinctively hold his breath.

Restraint, reluctance, sorrow, pity...

Qiu Huanian felt a bit dazed; these emotions seemed out of place for Sixteen.

The next second, Sixteen had already turned away and quickly left the residence.

Qiu Huanian's brows furrowed involuntarily. He never believed in illusions and would not deceive himself by ignoring the unusual details.

Something’s definitely off, he thought.

However, Sixteen made it clear he wasn’t going to elaborate, and Qiu Huanian hit a dead end in figuring out the truth.

Apart from Sixteen, another visitor was the Taiping Marquis. Unlike Sixteen, he marched right up and knocked on the door with flair.

The Taiping Marquis was given the name Kang Zhong by the Yuanhua Emperor, and he did not take the surname of Noble Consort Kang. He was quite adept at managing tasks, and since being enfeoffed as a marquis, he had been sent by the Yuanhua Emperor to handle many assignments, clearly a favored and powerful marquis.

Kang Zhong came to ask Qiu Huanian how the special cooling oil he had made was coming along.

Qiu Huanian had nearly forgotten about it, but now that the person directly came to ask, he had to give it some serious thought, which also helped take his mind off the upcoming Palace Examination.

Kang Zhong's symptoms were different from seasickness; it was a form of land sickness after getting off the boat, also known as motion sickness aftereffects.

While most people feel dizzy and nauseous after disembarking, lasting anywhere from a couple of days to two weeks, Kang Zhong had been dealing with it on and off for over a year.

This was because, as a member of the Tanka people, he had spent most of his life on the swaying sea, and the land felt alien to him.

"How’d the Marquis handle this before?" Qiu Huanian asked.

"The Imperial Hospital prescribed Siwu Decoction and Qiju Dihuang Pills. I take a dose when it acts up."

Qiu Huanian nodded. His own chronic illness had turned him into a decent doctor, as daily medication sparked his interest in traditional Chinese medicine. In the two or three years since he transmigrated, he had read many medical books and knew that these two prescriptions were appropriate for the symptoms.

The cooling oil was also suitable. Applying it to the temples could effectively treat dizziness and nausea. The nickname "cure-all" wasn’t just for show.

Qiu Huanian paused to think and asked Kang Zhong to take out the cooling oil he had used before.

The product was indeed from Qiu's Six Staples, but after last autumn and winter, the sales of cooling oil had dropped significantly, and Qiu Huanian hadn’t made much more. The shop was down to just some old stock.

The cooling oil Kang Zhong had was from last summer's batch. Although it hadn’t expired, it didn’t have the refined chemical agents, so its effect wasn’t as good as when it was freshly made.

Qiu Huanian just grabbed the raw materials and made a new batch in the capital, asking Kang Zhong to see if the new batch worked better.

After Kang Zhong took it, he returned two days later loaded with expensive gifts.

In addition to various palace silks, there was also a large amount of precious jewelry, including a full hu of perfectly round, gleaming pearls.

"Township Lord, no need to be polite. This Marquis has nothing else but plenty of money now."

Just the continuous rewards from the Yuanhua Emperor and Noble Consort Kang could fill several large storerooms.

Qiu Huanian gritted his teeth imperceptibly. Great, he was being flaunted at.

Kang Zhong sat down and said with a smile, "This cooling oil is really a good thing. If I’d had this out at sea, I’d have spared myself a lot of misery. Township Lord, keep the formula well; it will be of great use in the future."

Qiu Huanian glanced at Du Yunse, feeling that Kang Zhong seemed to have something more to say.

But Kang Zhong just talked about which family in the capital had good sea fish and which had genuine pearls, then bid farewell, saying he would invite them to try the top seafood in Haijin Town another day.

After Kang Zhong left, Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse returned to the back hall.

"Today, the Taiping Marquis kept mentioning the seaport in his words. Was it just my illusion?"

Du Yunse shook his head, "The court intends to establish a new seaport."

"A new seaport?" Qiu Huanian's eyes lit up.

The Yu Dynasty only lets a few ports near Fuzhou trade with foreign countries. Qiu Huanian had always wanted to understand the current situation of various countries in the world but had no opportunity.

"Where’s the new seaport going to be?"

Du Yunse unfolded a rough map of the capital and its surroundings, looked it over for a bit, and then pointed to a specific spot.

"The Crown Prince knows about the new seaport, but the exact location isn’t clear. According to the Taiping Marquis, it should be here."

Du Yunse pointed right at Haijin Town.

Qiu Huanian paused for a second before realizing that this area was kind of like modern-day Tianjin.

Tianjin’s a pretty young city. The first government setup in this area dates back to the Zhigu Fort during the Southern Song Dynasty, which was renamed Haijin Town during the Yuan Dynasty. It wasn’t until the Ming Dynasty’s Yongle era that Tianjin Wei was established, followed by the addition of Tianjin Left Wei and Tianjin Right Wei. During the Qing Dynasty, the three Weis combined to officially form Tianjin Prefecture.

Now, in the Yu Dynasty, Tianjin, located at the "Sanhui Haikou" and immensely prosperous in another timeline, is still only a small town famous for its seafood in the nearby region.

Qiu Huanian didn’t overthink why Kang Zhong revealed the plan to build a port in Haijin Town to Du Yunse and the Crown Prince. This wasn’t his job; his focus was on the seaport itself.

If foreign merchant ships were to come and go from Haijin Town in the future, he’d have a lot more opportunities.

Oyster sauce, cooling oil, and a bunch of other stuff he hadn’t even made yet could be sold for a hefty profit, and he could also search for overseas machinery, tools, and plant seeds.

He’d been dying to get his hands on potatoes!

Seeing Qiu Huanian’s keen interest in the construction of the seaport, Du Yunse couldn’t help but ask, "Brother Hua, got any bright ideas?"

Qiu Huanian launched into a long chat with Du Yunse, from new crops to staying safe in peaceful times, from self-ringing clocks and rifles to cannons and opium, and even tossed in "learn from the foreigners to beat them."

"..."

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse looked at each other, blinking.

"Ahem. Just think of it as a dream I had, something I heard from an old sage, or a random idea I came up with... just make up any reason."

Du Yunse laughed and shook his head, but soon his expression turned serious.

"I’ve got all of Brother Hua’s ideas down, but apart from me, Brother Hua must not mention these words to anyone else."

Qiu Huanian nodded repeatedly, "I know. If it weren’t for meeting you, I’d have kept these ideas to myself forever."

Du Yunse tapped his nose, "Brother Hua is still young; don’t speak of inauspicious things."

Qiu Huanian smiled, "Everyone dies... but I will accompany you to live a long life."

Du Yunse pulled Qiu Huanian into his arms, taking a deep breath, afraid that the person in his arms might fly away with the wind the next moment.

He had long noticed many peculiarities about Brother Hua, a secret they both silently acknowledged, and he had always helped to conceal it.

For him, Qiu Huanian was his husband, the person he had decided to spend his life with, and that was enough.

He’d stick by his side no matter what, always accompanying and protecting him.

Du Yunse lowered his eyes in deep thought. The things Brother Hua had said, though seemingly fantastical at first, upon closer consideration, were not without reason. He needed to carefully sort through them, clarify the pros and cons, and think of strategies that could be implemented...

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed. On the 18th day of the third month, the Palace Examination, which had been on the minds of countless people, was finally about to begin.

Du Yunse abstained from meat and strong-smelling foods a day in advance, carefully bathed and washed his hair, and went to bed as soon as it was Xu hour, quickly falling into a steady sleep.

Qiu Huanian, lying on the other side, couldn’t sleep and didn’t dare to turn over and disturb Du Yunse. He could only quietly hold his hand, gazing at Du Yunse’s young and handsome face in the moonlight, gradually feeling drowsy.

By the time it reached the hour of Yin, around 3 a.m., Bai Quan, anxiously watching the clock, roused the master of the house. Soon, the front and inner courtyards were brightly lit, and everyone was bustling about.

The clothes Du Yunse was to wear today had long been ironed and hung aside—the traditional blue round-collared robe worn by provincial graduates, which accentuated his tall and graceful figure.

Having made countless outfits, Qiu Huanian decided Du Yunse looked good in everything, but blue suited him best.

Qiu Huanian personally tied Du Yunse’s hair with a square Confucian scarf and stepped back to inspect him.

"Everything is perfect. Just looking at your attire and face today, you’re at least a Tanhua (the third-place finisher in the imperial exams)."

Qiu Huanian laughed, "Of course, I haven’t forgotten someone’s promise."

That was the second day after they first met. The family had barely ten taels of silver to their name, the kang was draped with patched quilts, and they could only eat meat every few days. In the drafty, crumbling thatched house in Du Village, Du Yunse held his hand and said—

"Alright, I’ll win the title of Number One Scholar for Brother Hua."

The memory of that voice echoed in his ears.

Now, in the blink of an eye, it was time to keep that promise.

The kitchen steamed white flour jujube and bean cakes. To avoid any mishap in front of the emperor, Du Yunse only drank half a sip of water to moisten his throat and ate two dry pieces of cake.

Qiu Huanian tied a pouch to his waist.

"Inside is the Sorghum Candy I made, with extra white sugar. If you get hungry, have a piece to tide you over."

Qiu Huanian worried Du Yunse might get lightheaded after a day without food, so he specially prepared sugar for him.

The Palace Examination wasn’t as strict as earlier exams in checking what candidates brought in. Firstly, because it only tested one policy question, cheat sheets were pointless. Secondly, because there were only three hundred candidates, and the exam hall was one vast, open space. Under the emperor’s gaze, along with guards and examiners, it was impossible for anyone to cheat successfully.

Deng Die, following Qiu Huanian’s lead, also packed small candies for Wang Yinzhi. By the time the two candidates were ready, it was just past 3:15 a.m. Bai Quan quickly fetched the carriage to take them to the imperial city’s Chengtian Gate.

Qiu Huanian stood at the gate, watching the carriage vanish beyond the lantern light into the dark night.

The residence where Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse lived was very close to the imperial city. After a short ride, the carriage arrived at East Chang’an Street outside the Chengtian Gate.

East Chang’an Street sparkled with lights from carriages ferrying tribute scholars to the Palace Examination. At the base of the imperial wall, no one dared raise their voice.

Du Yunse and Wang Yinzhi lived close by and managed to sleep until 3 a.m., but many tribute scholars had to get up as soon as the night was over.

When the carriage reached the East Chang’an Gate, which blocked East Chang’an Street, it could not go any further. Du Yunse and Wang Yinzhi got off the carriage and walked into the East Chang’an Gate.

After walking a short distance from the East Chang’an Gate, they reached the main gate of the imperial city, the Chengtian Gate. Only the side gates of the Chengtian Gate were open. The two presented their tribute scholar identification and were led into the imperial city by a special person. They walked along the central straight path, passed through the Duan Gate, and stopped in front of the Meridian Gate.

The three hundred tribute scholars had to wait here until the Palace Examination was about to begin, when they would be led into the Chengtian Hall within the Forbidden City to answer the questions.

Du Yunse, as the top scholar, stood at the forefront, calm and composed, unaffected by the majestic and solemn imperial city. Under extreme pressure, all the tribute scholars held their breath and no one dared to talk or communicate.

Finally, at the hour of Mao, officials from the Ministry of Rites appeared and led the three hundred tribute scholars to the Chengtian Hall.

Du Yunse quietly chewed two pieces of Sorghum Candy and followed. Once inside the Forbidden City, it would be difficult to eat anything.

The main gate of the Forbidden City, the Meridian Gate, was also not opened, only the side gates on the left and right were open.

The tribute scholars entered the Forbidden City through the left side gate, passed through the East Corner Gate, and finally saw the towering main hall of the Forbidden City, the Chengtian Hall.

The Son of Heaven would personally ask for strategies here in the court.

The Chengtian Hall was built on a nine-foot-high platform, with double eaves and a grand hall, resplendent and magnificent. The wide and orderly white marble steps led directly to the ninety-nine-room hall above.

If there was no wind or rain, the Palace Examination would be held in the open space outside the Chengtian Hall, and no one could enter the hall.

Once the candidates were in place, a sharp crack of a whip echoed through the vast expanse, signaling the arrival of the Yuanhua Emperor. The candidates knelt immediately, not even catching a glimpse of the emperor's robe.

The officials from the Honglu Temple had already set up three hundred desks with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones the day before. After the formalities, the candidates seated themselves one by one, and the officials from the Ministry of Rites held up the question board for all to see.

Du Yunse's seat was at the very front and center, with Jie Tanguang to his right. Neither of them showed any surprise upon seeing the question, and they calmly began to prepare their paper and ink, as if it were expected.

Inside the Chengtian Hall, the Yuanhua Emperor sat on the dais in casual attire, gazing down at the three hundred candidates outside the hall. To his left and right sat the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and Prince Jin.

In the silence, the Yuanhua Emperor suddenly spoke, his voice, neither loud nor soft, filled the vast hall.

"Who do you think will be the Number One Scholar in today's Palace Examination?"