CH 7

Zhao Su had pondered over this question many times before.

He was not so narcissistic to think that his performance touched the other person at first sight.

Dai Gongwang didn’t wait for his response and said “Because I am also a concubine’s son.”

Zhao Su blanked out a bit before looking at his teacher.

In the Ming Dynasty, the children of concubines were not only not legally entitled to any inheritance or property, and the treatment of these children in the home were poles apart. In the 35th year of Jiajing, only 19 out of the 305 participants who achieved jinshi were children of concubines. The difference is evident.

“When I saw you at that time, I could only think of myself back then.” Dai Gongwang recalled: “Back then, I also was bearing the stick of my family and siblings, until I passed the jinshi, that was something that gradually changed. After that, I continued to study but it wasn’t to stick it to them.”

He suddenly stopped and said: “Today is the last lesson that you will receive from me, from now on, it’s impossible to know when we will be able to meet again.”

Hearing him say that, Zhao Su couldn’t help but feel a little down, he took to heart everything that Dai Gongwang had ever said to him. Even though he wasn’t really a 17 year old boy, this kind of love and care was still very precious to him.

“This student will listen to teacher’s wisdom.”

“The 34th year of Jiajing was the year before I met you. I was dismissed from my Official post. But in reality, it was because I offended Yan Song and his son.”

Zhao Su nodded, Dai Gongwang had once mentioned this to him, but at that time, he had never gone into any details.

“I had a friend who also passed the jinshi during the 26th year of Jiajing. His name is Yang Jisheng. During the 32nd year of Jiajing, he presented a memorial to the Emperor impeaching Yansong, listing out the latter’s crimes but instead Yang Jisheng was imprisoned. At this time, I and some other court officials tried to save him. Even if we couldn’t save his position, we thought we could at least save his life. However, Yan Song was able to mix his name in with the list of known criminals. Without investigating, he was executed. Not only could he not be saved but I and all the other court officials who had tried to save him fell into Yan Song and his son’s trap. We were either dismissed from office or exiled”.

“It’s just a Court Official position, it didn’t really matter but Yang Jisheng…” Dai Gongwang sighed loudly and continued “he was a stubborn man, but he is the person that I respect the most.”

Zhao Su could understand how he felt. This was the same throughout the ages, to calmly deliver your life in the name of justice, that’s not something that any ordinary person could do. Yang Jisheng knew very well what would happen, but he insisted on fighting to his death. It’s important to know being put into imperial prison was not only about waiting for death, it was also being tortured to the point where you could only wish for early death.

Because he couldn’t do it, he respected it.

“Knowingly offering yourself up for death. He was a fool, but a brave one.”

“So how come teacher will be reinstated? Your student remembers that Yan Song and son are still very much in power.”

“You’re not wrong, but the Grand Secretariat isn’t only monopolised by that family. Regarding the remote border, Secretary Xu and Yan Song both recommended people, and the Emperor accepted them both.”

The Secretary Xu that he was referring to, was exactly the current vice Grand Secretary, Xu Jie.

Dai Gongwang didn’t say it out loud but Zhao Su had already understood, his teacher was the person that Xu Jie had put forward.

Actually, it wasn’t hard to imagine, Dai Gongwang was a follower of the school of Mind and so was Xu Jie, even though one was in Court and the other out in the field, they were inextricably linked.

Fujian and Zhejiang are suffering from Wukou invasions, the North is being eyed up by the Tartar tribe and the emperor is only concerned with finding immortality. Plus there was also Yan Song and his son…… Shao Yong, this magnificent land has danger lurking at every turn!”

For Dai Gongwang to be able to see the current situation and he could be considered an enlightened person of this era, But in the end, he would never see Renaissance of Western Europe, the arrival of the Great Sea Voyages, nor could he foresee that the future of this ancient country would gradually fall into decay. He wouldn’t never know that three hundred years later, a cannon blasted open the gates of the South China Sea. And a century after that, blood, tears and humiliation led to the end of the Imperial dynasty making every descendant of the Yan and Huang dynasty burst into tears.

Dai Gongwang’s worries came from his clear-headed knowledge.

But Zhao Su’s worries were from his understanding of history.

Everyone was always eager to attend these kinds of showy occasions, even if they weren’t able to show off, they still wanted to join in the excitement. Zhao Su was there racking his brains for excuses not to go, but he didn’t know that him trying to avoid the limelight also seemed strange in the eyes of others.

What happened at the restaurant had left a deep impression on Chen Zhu, so much so that when he bumped into Zhao Nuan on the street, he asked him where Zhao Su lived.

People who were able to take part in the Provincial Exam usually had some small fame. And the younger they were, the more they’d want to show off, who would be like Zhao Su and want to board themselves up in a house and not come out?

Chen Zhu invited him three more times, Zhao Su could no longer refuse, so he reluctantly agreed.

On August 15th, Fuzhou was lit up with lanterns, everyone had prepared mooncakes, waiting impatiently to admire the full moon with the whole family. The examinees were all congregated together in the city waiting for the Poetry Festival to begin.

Although it was called a poetry festival, it was in fact a form of tea party for the people of this time period. Everyone met up at the restaurant, it’d start off with a few poems of the season, then some people would offer up some topics for everyone to debate.

This era was more open compared to the Qing Dynasty that would be established a few hundred years later. In the Imperial Court at this time, there were even Imperial Censors who were giving the Emperor a hard time. You could critique contemporary problems with a few discontent words, but of course you couldn’t go too far.

The ambience appeared lively, but in fact, everyone was holding back and feeling restless, waiting for the release of the results. No one wanted to show it though, so they’d all force out smiles and act like they were indifferent.

Zhao Su didn’t really know the others, but because he was friendly by nature, he very quickly made a good impression on the others apart from Zhao Jin who was clenching his teeth.

“Xiong-zhang is looking carefree, looks like you’ve already got top marks?” Zhao Jin purposely emphasised on the two words Xiong-Zhang.

“Even if I come after Sun Shan, should I be here crying my eyes out?” Zhao Su smiled, he was looking for it, so he shouldn’t blame me. “Jin-di, you have already studied for so many years, you shouldn’t be surprised, even if your results are not good later, you mustn’t forget your manners in front of others.”

Zhao Jin never thought he’d get ridiculed in return.

Who do you think you are! He blurted out without thinking, gave Zhao Su a cold look, then reluctantly turned away.

Behind him, Zhao Su was holding back his laughter, he shook his head lightly.

Chen Zhu was sitting next to him, so he had watched all of this play out, he consoled Zhao Su: “Ling-di is still young, so Shao Yong shouldn’t take it to heart.”

Still young? Zhao Su smirked to himself, this half brother of his, under the influence of his mother, had always looked down on Zhao Su and his mother. Zhao Su even remembered that when the owner of his original body was 7 years old, he was pushed down a rock garden by his half brother Zhao Jin, and almost died. To be so young and to do something like that, well one can imagine how dark his soul must be.

“Bo Xun-xiong is right. He changed the subject: “Do you know what time the results will be released?”

“It’s almost time. To tell you the truth, I also participated in a provincial exam three years ago. However, I have only limited learning and didn’t make the rankings. Right now, I am really worried.” Chen Zhu smiled bitterly.

Author Note:

1.) 乙科 (Yike) is another name for juren. 甲科(Yake) is jinshi.

2.) The order of titles goes: Tongsheng, Xiucai, Juren, Jinshi.

Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, Tanhua = three titles of the Jinshi that make up the 1st rank.

2nd rank and 3rd rank have between 10 to 100 people.

3.) Chen Zhu is a real person in history, but in this novel, his fate may be different due to the actions and existence of Zhao Su, like many characters in this book. I won’t explain anymore for now.