Chapter 49 Ripples

Chapter 49: Turbulence

Outside the examination hall, patrol officers and soldiers stood ready, while other soldiers maintained order to keep unauthorized people from entering.

A group of Linseng scholars were leading the guaranteed examinees to fill out detailed records and register. Even though the prefectural exam was scheduled to start at the Mao hour (around 5-7 AM), many candidates were already waiting outside, with more students streaming in continuously.

They had arrived early. The crowd outside was divided into several clusters, mostly those from the same county standing together.

Feng Jinzhang gave a slight bow to Song Tingzhou, then, umbrella in hand and basket on arm, walked over to one of the clusters—presumably his classmates.

Song Tingzhou looked around and spotted Zhang Jizu and the others, as well as Zheng Linseng.

"Mother, Wan Geer, I'll be going now. The exam hall gates open at the Shen hour (around 3-5 PM). I'll head back on my own then, so no need to come pick me up."

Chang Jinhua patted his shoulder; rain slid off the umbrella, slightly dampening the fabric. "Da Lang, don't worry too much. Just do your best."

Song Tingzhou solemnly bowed to his mother. "I understand, Mother."

Meng Wan was sharing an umbrella with Chang Jinhua, half-hidden behind her, only showing half his face. "Cousin, when you come back at dusk, I'll steam some buns for you, how about that?"

Song Tingzhou gave a faint smile. "Good, of course."

Seeing Song Tingzhou join Zhang Jizu and the others, with more people gathering around, most bidding farewell to their families, Chang Jinhua said, "Wan Geer, how about we leave now? There's nothing to do but go home and wait."

Meng Wan wanted to see Song Tingzhou enter the exam hall himself; otherwise, his heart wouldn't rest. Just as he was thinking this, he saw Song Tingzhou arguing with someone in the distance.

Meng Wan's heart skipped a beat. Song Tingzhou was always steady, and with the exam about to begin, why would he get into an argument at a time like this?

The rain fell harder, but Meng Wan's heart raced even faster. He rushed over, heading straight toward Song Tingzhou.

Chang Jinhua chased after him, holding the umbrella. "Wan Geer, Wan Geer!"

---

As Song Tingzhou approached, he immediately sensed something was wrong. Zhang Jizu and the others looked at him oddly; two of them even avoided his eyes.

Cautious, he first went to greet Zheng Linseng. "Zheng Xianggong, sorry to have kept you waiting."

But Zheng Linseng was cold and aloof, acting as if he hadn't seen him.

Song Tingzhou clenched his fist inside his sleeve. "Zheng Xianggong, what's the meaning of this?"

Zheng Linseng snorted. "Even if one's literary talent is outstanding, it's useless if their character is lacking. I can no longer act as your guarantor today, Mr. Song."

The Mao hour was nearly here, and Zheng Linseng was backing out at the last moment?

A cold raindrop slid down Song Tingzhou's forehead. His voice was icy. "We had clearly agreed on the guarantee the day before yesterday, and I've already paid the fee. May I ask what made you suddenly change your mind?"

Zheng Linseng said self-righteously, "Hmph! I didn't know your character was so despicable when I agreed. If someone like you were allowed to enter the examination hall, wouldn't that be unfair to the others?"

Song Tingzhou had never been so furious. Anger showed on his face. "Zheng Xianggong keeps saying I have poor conduct. May I ask what exactly I've done that warrants your anger?" Zheng Linseng kept accusing him of misconduct without giving any reason, just brushing it off with vague words, ready to ruin Song Tingzhou's future!

Zheng Linseng turned his head away. "I refuse to talk about such dirty matters. Don't bother me. I'll return your two taels of silver. You'd better go back to your hometown and study the sages' teachings for a few more years to cultivate your character!"

He flicked his wide sleeve and tossed a small silver ingot onto the ground in front of Song Tingzhou.

Song Tingzhou lowered his head, looking at the ingot. Raindrops fell on it, and the splashing droplets should have been crystal clear, but instead they seemed to reflect his father's dying face, holding his hand, saying he would die with regret if he didn't see his son pass the exam.

Another raindrop fell: his mother Chang, wearing white mourning cloth, her eyes red from crying, telling him to set high goals.

Another drop: he saw Chang Jinhua taking him to Yangshu Village to meet Yang Bao'er, asking if he liked her. He saw his mother's rarely relaxed brows, touched his own flat chest, and nodded.

The rain came faster, pelting the silver ingot one after another. The nervous yet eager heart of his first exam; the helplessness as he stared at the exam hall gates the second time; the dead silence when he returned from the prefectural city after failing the third time...

When the Yang family broke off the engagement, he felt nothing inside—almost relieved.

Then he met Meng Wan...

That Meng Wan, face full of steam, standing dumbly in the vegetable garden, calling him "cousin."

That Meng Wan, who asked him why he studied and told him that reading opens the mind.

That Meng Wan, who got up early and worked tirelessly to earn travel money by making breakfast.

That Meng Wan, who embraced him in a pool of blood, frantically shouting his name, "Song Tingzhou!"

"Song Tingzhou!"

Song Tingzhou blinked. He seemed to really hear Meng Wan's voice.

"Song Tingzhou."

Meng Wan rushed to Song Tingzhou's side, picked up the wet silver ingot from the ground, and stood upright in front of him. His clothes were half-soaked, water dripping from the pretty cords of his jacket.

"Zheng Xianggong, what is the meaning of this? Why did you throw away the payment we prepared for you?"

Zheng Linseng raised his chin. "I've already explained the reason to Mr. Song. It's his poor character. I believe he is no longer worthy of being guaranteed by me."

Meng Wan gritted his teeth. "Fine, just fine! You didn't say anything earlier or later, only today at the exam! All the Linsengs in Changping Prefecture are gathered here, yet you loudly slander my cousin, saying his character is poor. How is it poor? And why is he unworthy? If you can't say it, then as a Linseng, can you just falsely accuse people with empty words?!"

No matter what he said, Zheng Linseng just wouldn't respond, repeating the same two sentences. Meng Wan was at a loss.

"Wan Geer, you'd better take Brother Song home. If you keep making a scene in front of the exam hall and attract the patrol officers, won't that be worse?" Zhang Jizu stepped over hypocritically, saying something that sounded reasonable but with malice and mockery barely hidden in his eyes.

So that was his plan. A poor farmer's son studying, with little money and shallow knowledge, Meng Wan had only thought to prevent Song Tingzhou from interacting with him too much before the exam, guarding against his petty tricks. Who would have thought he could get involved with the prefectural capital's Zheng Linseng and have him block Song Tingzhou?

Meng Wan completely ignored Zhang Jizu. Song Tingzhou had missed the exam repeatedly before, and it must have been this man's doing. But now was not the time to settle scores.

"Zheng Xianggong, you live in the prefectural capital and often act as a guarantor. Now that everyone knows you abandoned the guarantee without reason, who will come to you next year?"

Zheng Linseng saw Meng Wan's agitation and said with a complicated expression, "Young man, don't keep pestering. Go home."

The examination hall gates opened, and soldiers beat the gong three times. Zhang Jizu touched the jade hairpin on his head, bent respectfully, and said, "Father-in-law, the gong has sounded up ahead. Let's go."

Zheng Linseng suppressed his expression, looked at the hairpin on his head, and said flatly, "You haven't married my daughter yet; calling me that is premature. Besides, even if you do marry, you should address me as 'Father.'"

Zhang Jizu's smile stiffened. "Yes."

Meng Wan could only watch helplessly as the crowd surged into the examination hall, feeling powerless.

Still... no success?

Song Tingzhou had worked so hard, yet he hadn't even entered the examination hall once. How unfair!

"Wan'er, take this."

An umbrella covered Meng Wan's head. He turned to meet Song Tingzhou's determined gaze. "Wan'er, there's a way."

Meng Wan could feel that his earlier dejection had been swept away; in a short time, he seemed to have rallied.

He turned and walked toward the crowd at the tail end, tossing out over his shoulder, "Go back with Mother. Don't look back. Wait for me at home."

Meng Wan watched his back for a moment, closed his eyes, and turned around. Pulling Chang Jinhua, who had just rushed over, he said, "Auntie, it's okay. Let's go back and wait for him."

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the crowd behind them.

"Hey, why has that scholar knelt down!"

"It seems no one is willing to vouch for him."

"How is that possible? In all the past years of exams, there has never been a candidate without a guarantor."

"Why didn't he find a guarantor earlier? Doesn't he have the silver to hire a Linseng? That doesn't seem right."

"I saw it just now. It looked like Mr. Zheng from the west of the city had agreed to vouch for him, but then he changed his mind for some reason."

"How could Mr. Zheng act like this? Isn't he ruining the man?"

"I was listening nearby. Mr. Zheng said it was because of his poor conduct."

"What? I thought he looked extraordinary and assumed he was a talented young man. Truly, you can't judge a book by its cover!"

"The details aren't clear yet. I saw his family go over and plead with tears in their words, saying Mr. Zheng did it on purpose."

"What? This..."

"Sigh, these scholars have it hard too. My son often studies at home until the middle of the night."

"Mine too."

"Is that scholar still kneeling? It's useless. The law has no heart. He's probably come all this way for nothing."

Chang Jinhua's body trembled, and tears instantly burst forth. "Wan Geer, are they talking about Da Lang?"

She was about to turn around, but Meng Wan stood behind her and stopped her. "Auntie, Cousin is fine. He told us to go back and wait for him."

He swallowed his bitterness and pulled Chang Jinhua away. Once they left the outer compound of the exam hall, he couldn't help but look back. From such a distance, faces were no longer discernible, but Meng Wan could still see that blue-clad figure kneeling straight-backed before a blue-robed old man, probably saying something.

Meng Wan wiped the tears from his face and left resolutely.

---

"Please, sir, vouch for me." Song Tingzhou knelt directly before the last Linseng in the line.

The blue-robed old man was startled by his actions. "What are you doing, scholar? Not only do I not know you, making it impossible for me to vouch for you, but even if I did, I've already vouched for five others. How could I add you?"

Song Tingzhou did not rise but clasped his hands to the old man from his kneeling position. "I know you are a Linseng from Guwen County. Brother Feng Jinzhang, whom you vouched for, and I live in the same courtyard. He knows my family circumstances and my character."

Behind the old man, Feng Jinzhang, playing dumb, gave an awkward smile. "Brother Song does live in the same courtyard as I do, but we aren't close."

Song Tingzhou wasn't surprised—Feng Jinzhang was just stating facts. With the county exam right around the corner, who would want to take on unnecessary trouble?

He lifted the oil paper covering his basket and presented his household registration booklet to the old man. "If you are worried, sir, this is the household registration booklet stamped by the government. After I enter the exam hall, you can hold it as collateral. When I leave the hall and return home to get silver, I'll redeem it for ten times the silver."

The blue-robed old man drew in a breath. "Ten times?" That would be twenty taels. Even though he now had no worries about food and drink, making an extra twenty taels out of nowhere was still not something to scoff at.

Feng Jinzhang was also secretly stunned. No wonder his family can afford meat every meal and that young man dresses well—they must be loaded!

The old man was willing but unable. He sighed, "Even if you offered more, I've already agreed to vouch for these five. I can't just ditch one of them for your twenty taels. That would make me a man who breaks his word."

This remark was loud enough that Linseng Zheng at the front heard it and was steaming mad, while Zhang Jizu watched Song Tingzhou's miserable state from across the crowd, savoring the sight.

He still remembered the first time he went to the private school. Young and acclaimed, Song Tingzhou had been arrogant, as if he didn't even notice Zhang Jizu's presence.

Now look at him—manipulated by him time and again, kneeling outside the examination hall in utter humiliation. Truly a delight to behold.

Seeing the old man's resolve waver, Song Tingzhou pressed his advantage. "I am not trying to make things difficult for you, sir. But the laws of the Yu State say: if there is one candidate remaining in the courtyard examination, they may be placed under the sponsorship of another Linseng and treated the same as the other examinees!"

After being rejected by Linseng Zheng, his mind was a mess. His first thought was that he had failed his family again, that he was useless.

But then he saw Meng Wan, and suddenly recalled something he had once said: "The law is the common people's most powerful weapon."

After the incident at the Tian family, after their talk that night, Song Tingzhou had made it a point to study the laws of Yu and had even copied down many related precedents. And indeed, he had found one that fit his current situation.

Under the former emperor, Minister of Personnel Yao Fei had once taken the local exams. It wasn't that no one would sponsor him, but rather that his stepmother had deliberately blocked him from leaving home to take the exam.

Eager to take the exam, Yao Fei crawled out through a dog hole to get to the venue. But he had delayed so long that the Linseng who was to sponsor him had already led the other students inside.

In a stroke of wit, Yao Fei dropped to the back of the line and began to wail loudly, crying out for justice. There were over a thousand candidates for the courtyard examination—why should he alone be left out? Each Linseng could only sponsor five students. If there weren't enough Linseng to go around, what was to become of the remaining candidates?

At the time, this seemed like little more than a tantrum. But the examiner was a man of compassion, unwilling to see a worthy student fail. He personally sponsored Yao Fei, allowing him to enter the exam.

Later, Yao Fei not only passed the courtyard examination and became a Linseng but also made the examiner his mentor. After attaining the rank of Tanhua in the palace examination, he recounted this experience to the former emperor, who then added a clause to the imperial examination laws.

"If there is one candidate remaining in the courtyard examination, they may be placed under the sponsorship of another Linseng and treated the same as the other examinees."

The blue-robed old man was taken aback. "Is... is that really in the law?"

Song Tingzhou answered firmly, "Yes, it is."

"Then get up. Since you're the last in line, come inside with me and we'll ask. If it turns out to be valid, I see no harm in sponsoring you." Seeing Song Tingzhou kneeling in the rain, the old man couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.

Song Tingzhou took a deep breath and rose from the ground. "Thank you, sir."