Chapter 74: Releasing results

It was the early morning of the first day of the third month of the first year of Dao'an, and the results of the keju were about to be released. The announcement board was still empty as anything, but its surroundings had long since grown crowded. They'd waited been waiting far too long.

For some scholars, they'd merely waited an extra half year, but for many more, they'd waited decades. And there were even some who'd struggled for an entire lifetime, and hadn't managed to make it to this keju. But now, there was less than a shichen, and all the results were about to be published.

Xu Shuqiao was pressed amongst that crowd as well. She was too thin, and in the push of the crowd, she'd nearly fallen over a number of times. There were countless people like her in this crowd, and no one paid any attention. No one had heard of the name Xu Shuqiao before, but if the name Xu Lianzhao, then the scholars who'd stayed in the capital in recent years would all take a glance.

Xu Lianzhao was the tanhua candidate for the fourteenth year of Hejing, scoring third highest in the examinations. This was a terrific achievement, and the prospects for an official career were bright. Anyone related to someone who'd earned the title of tanhua would benefit by association. But after the results of the fourteenth year of Hejing were released, and they'd made it to the inn that Xu Lianzhao was staying in with great fanfare, they'd discovered that this newly-minted tanhua scholar had vanished into the night.

The tanhua candidate disappearing was naturally a major event. But in that year, with the Tai Emperor immersing himself in seeking immortality, this matter had simply been cast aside. But as for the name Xu Lianzhao, it travelled from mouth to mouth amongst the scholars in the capital.

Xu Lianzhao was Xu Shuqiao's pseudonym, and besides her, no one knew of this matter. When she'd been a youth, she'd been brash, and disguised herself with a male identity to take part in the imperial examinations. She'd made it to the dianshi without issue, and even then, during the dianshi, her true identity hadn't been discovered. But on learning she'd achieved the title of tanhua, she'd been struck with cowardice.

The fate of He Leyong had laid itself clearly before her, and she didn't dare to gamble any further, and could only flee, tail tucked between her legs. But now, she could finally enter officialdom honestly, using her true identity.

Her heart thus overwhelmed by emotion, she'd come to wait here before the heavens had even brightened.

A disturbance suddenly rose behind her, and the sound of voices rose and fell, calling out "give way, give way!". Xu Shuqiao turned her head with difficulty, and saw a group of officials striving to push their way to the announcement board. The crowd rapidly made a path, and with a clatter, a scroll fell open, and, astonishingly, Xu Shuqiao's name was there.

She'd passed the exams, but she was at the end of the list. It was as if Xu Shuqiao had been doused by a bucket of cold water, and there wasn't a trace of joy on her face. Those in the crowd who knew her congratulated her, and she could only force a faint smile.

Similarly, Jiang Changbai couldn't smile either.

With a bang, Jiang Changbai threw the list of jinshi^[1] names to the ground. "These are the jinshi holders you all picked out?!"

The male minister prostrated on the ground shivered, and he mumbled "Bixia, please quell your anger" on end. Song Juguang, at this moment, came in through the door and leaned over, picking up that memorial, and asked with a laugh, "How come Bixia's so furious?"

Jiang Changbai glared at her. "Take a look yourself."

Song Juguang had heard the sound of movement in the imperial study from a great distance away, and in the time it had taken her to walk over, she'd more or less realised the reason for Jiang Changbai's anger. Song Juguang brushed nonexistent dirt off the memorial, and before her gaze fell on it, she swept it fiercely across the people kneeling on the ground.

Those people had initially even assumed that Song Juguang had come to give them a helping hand, and were just raising their heads to cast Song Juguang grateful looks. But they hadn't imagined that, having just let out a breath of relief, they'd have to hold it again; Song Juguang had come from the battlefield, and the vicious aura that bled out of her was one that couldn't be matched by an ordinary person; having had her gaze cast over them, these people felt as if they'd fallen into a cave of ice, and they trembled with terror.

Song Juguang was a deft hand in battle, but when it came to matters such as these, her mind wasn't as clever. She carefully perused the memorial, and couldn't find any explanation. She could only effect calm and nod, and return the memorial to Jiang Changbai's desk. "Bixia, please calm yourself," she said, in an attempt to placate her. "Killing all of these people wouldn't be worth your health."

Jiang Changbai let out a cold scoff, and raised her gaze to look at Song Juguang. "Can't you see it?"

Song Juguang hadn't imagined that Jiang Changbai would be able to see through her with a single glance, and surprise flashed in her eyes. But she didn't feel embarrassed in the slightest, and merely smiled calmly. "Bixia, please forgive this minister's slow wit; I truly couldn't find any issues with this memorial. Bixia, please guide the way, and allow this minister to see clearly."

Jiang Changbai cast Song Juguang a sideways glance, an inquiring look in her gaze. She didn't know whether Song Juguang truly didn't understand, or if she was colluding with them to play at foolishness. Song Juguang could only give her a helpless smile. "Bixia, this minister truly doesn't understand."

Jiang Changbai didn't look at her any further; instead, she walked to one of the kneeling ministers. "You, explain to the Regent why We are angry."

That person hung his head, stammering, "This minister has a slow wit, I don't, don't know."

Jiang Changbai walked to another's side, and kicked him. "You explain it."

"This minister, this minister doesn't know either."

"What about you?" Jiang Changbai's voice carried a bit more indignation, and she came to the final minister's side, practically interrogating him. "Do you not know either?"

"Bixia, please quell your anger."

"Such a crowd of fools!" Before the end of the words "quell your anger" had been spoken, Jiang Changbai's voice rose abruptly. "You're all playing at ignorance here one after another—did Our money raise a crowd of good-for-nothings!"

As she spoke, she tossed the memorial before that minister once more. "Go on, say it, who in this world is the only master?"

"Of course it's you, your majesty."

"Then why did you release the results before waiting for Us to look at them? Who gave you the temerity!"

"Responding to Bixia," the man said, trembling, "it was Liu-daren, Liu-daren said that since this year's keju was already delayed, there were a not insignificant number of candidates who'd stayed in the capital for almost half a year already, and the money they had on them had long since run out, and he urged us to hurry to release the results…"

"How did We not know when Liu Zihe became the Emperor?"

"Bixia, please quell your anger," that person said, ceaselessly kowtowing, terrified that, at the slightest displeasure, Jiang Changbai would have him dragged to be beheaded. "We didn't have any way to wait—Liu-daren is our immediate superior, and we didn't dare to disobey his orders."

Jiang Changbai's expression was so dark it could practically rain. According to usual standards, the list of names for the dianshi would only be released after being given to her to look over; who could have expected that these people would act on their own accord, and release the results without waiting for her approval.

If they had chosen according to her desires, this matter wouldn't be an issue. But—

The more Jiang Changbai thought, the angrier she grew, and she lifted a foot to kick the minister. "Keep talking; the jinshi holders for this exam, what sort of people are they all?"

"Replying to Bixia," he said tremulously, picking up that memorial, "this exam had one hundred jinshi holders in total; among them there are ninety-seven men and three women. The zhuangyuan is…"

"Enough," Jiang Changbai said, cutting him off before he'd finished speaking. "Three women, and ninety-seven men. We ask you, are the women of our Great Li all so incapable? With so many women receiving a place to participate in the examinations, are there only three competent ones?"

"Bixia…" The man spoke somewhat hesitantly. "When this proctor graded the examination papers, it wasn't possible to tell which ones were whose…"

"Is that so?" Jiang Changbai glared at him. "What you said is the convention, but were the papers for this keju truly graded according to convention?"

The man remained silent, unable to say anything.

Jiang Changbai continued her berating. "You're all senior members of the court, and in some matters, you ought to have some self-awareness. The late emperor's lack of concern doesn't indicate Our lack of concern; don't assume that We don't know about those tricks of yours. In selecting you as the proctors, did Liu Zihe truly do it in order to allow you to help your own students? Of those listed at the start, do We need to tell you whose disciples they are?!

"We've only just ascended the throne, and this is the first time women have been allowed to participate in the keju, and you've done something like this. What is it, do you have objections to Us?"

Jiang Changbai truly was enraged. Actually, she'd considered it beforehand, the situation of men still outnumbering women when the list of names was released. But who could imagine that it would be unbalanced to this degree—even with women not having participated in the keju in countless decades, even centuries, how could not even a couple dozen talents be selected?

These people kneeling before her had all been recommended by important ministers of the court, and among them there were even famous scholars whose names were known far and wide. But now, these so-called famous, spoken of scholars were simply nonsense; being swayed by personal interests and engaging in fraud was foolish; even now, still being unwilling to admit was wicked—both foolish and wicked, they were no different were no different from treacherous court officials in history who everyone cursed and reviled.

If only there were more people she could put her faith in, she sighed to herself, still thinking.

"Bixia, we wouldn't dare…" that kneeling minister was still trying to justify himself. "Bixia, please understand, we didn't have the slightest bit of self-interest! More than that, when we were grading the papers, Xie-daren and He-daren were there to supervise as well…"

"You mean, Our teacher and Our study companion, in order to allow your students to pass the exams, collaborated to deceive Us? We merely live in the Imperial Palace; We aren't merely capable of hearing news within the Imperial Palace. He-daren has been convalescing recently—We just visited recently; Qianbing is busy with official affairs, and didn't have the time to supervise you. As for the rest, do you need Us to continue?"

If it could be said that these people had, before, held some wishful thoughts, now, each hope had turned to dust, and they could only ceaselessly kowtow. "Bixia, please quell your anger, this was our mistake, we ought to be punished!"

"Are a couple kowtows enough?" Jiang Changbai said sternly, the emotions flashing in her eyes cryptic and unclear.

Xu Shuqiao returned home in a daze. She didn't know how this matter had come to this end, either. Before, when she'd used the false identity of Xu Lianzhao and participated in the dianshi, she'd been on tenterhooks, and she'd still managed the title of tanhua.

She'd believed that, having concentrated single-mindedly on studying for so many years, and having entered into the examinations properly, she'd most certainly do even better than she had before; perhaps there was even the possibility of earning the title of zhuangyuan. How come this time, when the results had been revealed, she'd barely made jinshi, almost having failed?

She couldn't understand it.

But before she'd entered through the gates, a small figure rushed up from behind her, calling out as she ran, "You made it, jiejie made it!"

Xu Shuqiao recognised her younger sister at a glance, and if Song Juguang were here, she'd also be able to recognise this running young girl as the girl who'd gifted her the lucky bag during the Mid-autumn Festival.

"Shuyi!" Xu Shuqiao called out as she hurried over, wrapping her younger sister in an embrace. "Calm down, don't keep shouting."

"Why can't I shout?" Xu Shuyi asked, looking at her older sister with puzzlement. "You earned the title of jinshi; it's our family's pride, of course I'm shouting. I have to let everyone know!"

"You can't," Xu Shuqiao said, shaking her head. "Your A Hang-jiejie didn't pass. Her talent isn't below mine, and she failed the exams, and so now, her spirits are definitely low. Be obedient, don't shout anymore, and you absolutely can't let her hear it."

Xu Shuyi nodded, confused. Actually, she still didn't understand why she couldn't keep shouting, but she knew that everything her older sister said was right, and she just needed to listen. But Xu Shuqiao had only just set her down, when Xu Shuyi called out brightly, "A Hang-jiejie!"

Xu Shuqiao's expression flashed with panic. Yet Yun Shanhang wasn't dejected as she'd expected, merely pulling Xu Shuyi over with a smile. "Your jiejie passed; how about we eat something good today to celebrate?"

"Alright!" Xu Shuyi replied immediately, her smile so wide it nearly reached her ears.

Yet Xu Shuqiao pulled her aside, patting her shoulder. "Go on home. A Hang," she said, looking at Yun Shanhang, "I…"

Yun Shanhang's expression was one of calm. "What did you take me for—did you really think that I'd be estranged from you because you passed the exams and I didn't? I didn't even have the time to congratulate you."

"Then that's good."

"Now the results have been released, I have no reason to stay longer in the capital. Tomorrow I'll set out to return home; I've troubled you recently, so today's meal, I'll pay for."

"You're just going to leave like that?"

Yun Shanhang's home was at the Northern border, and she and Xu Shuqiao were incredibly distant relatives. This time when she'd come to the capital for the exams, she'd stayed the entire time at Xu Shuqiao's home. Xu Shuqiao knew that she'd leave, but she hadn't imagined she'd leave so quickly.

"Of course, I can't live at your home forever; with the roads being good now and the weather not being too hot, I'd best hurry home," Yun Shanhang said calmly, but only she herself knew how disappointed she felt. Having studied painstakingly for so many years and managing to get this opportunity, she'd originally believed that she could show off, yet the result had been that she'd failed to pass.

Xu Shuqiao wanted to urge her to stay, yet she didn't know how to say it. So, the two walked in mutual silence back home. However, they'd only just passed over the threshold when the two were both startled; there wasn't the slightest hint of joy on their family's faces, but rather anxiety and fear. Xu Shuqiao only discovered, on looking, that an unfamiliar figure stood in the central room.

She asked searchingly, "May I ask who you are?"

"This servant is her majesty's servant Qing Huai," Qing Huai said, making obeisance to Xu Shuqiao. "Her majesty wishes to see you; Xu-daren, you'd best hurry to tidy up and follow after me to the Palace."

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Translator's notes:

[1]: 进士, those who passed the highest levels of examinations.