Chapter 816: Silent as a Cold Cicada (Part Five)

Category: Fantasy Novel

Author:

Title:

Not long ago, over a dozen new stone tablets were erected in front of the Imperial Academy. Inscribed with Confucian classics transcribed by newly appointed Imperial Gate Officials from the Hanlin Academy, they were provided for scholars and literati from all over the empire to observe and proofread. The capital was abuzz with excitement. Not only civil officials, but even those old imperial relatives and nobles who lacked literary skills, flocked to the site to demonstrate their "reverence for culture."

Two middle-aged scholars arrived successively by carriage near the archway of the Imperial Academy. Perhaps due to the scorching sun, not many students were there to copy the scriptures. However, it still took them a good half an hour to squeeze their way to one of the stone tablets, whereupon they exchanged smiles. Squatting beneath the tablet was a young man with a small desk in front of him. His clothes were shabby, and it was unclear whether he was a student from another region who had come to study, or a dejected scholar who had failed the imperial examinations and remained in the capital awaiting the next spring examination by the Ministry of Rites. It was evident that the set of Four Treasures of the Study on his desk had cost him a considerable portion of his travel expenses. One of the middle-aged scholars leaned over with interest, admiring the young student furiously writing at his desk. The young man used very little ink with each dip and wrote extremely fast, likely to save money, yet his strokes remained meticulous, forming a beautiful hand in standard script.

The stooping scholar nodded slightly, while his companion did not look at the tablet or the person, instead shielding his eyes with his hand and gazing at the distant sky.

The young student was completely focused. Occasionally, he would put down his brush to rub his wrist, never lifting his head. Thus, he did not notice the two senior scholars beside him. Even if he had looked closely, he would not have recognized their identities.

After staring downwards for a long time, the scholar with a suet-white jade pendant at his waist finally straightened up. He moved quietly behind the young man, subtly shielding the poor scholar, whose clothes were faded from washing, from the scorching sun. Then he asked softly, "Mr. Xie, have they all arrived?"

The man addressed as Mr. Xie, whose words were always startling, nodded and said, "Indeed, they have all arrived. However, not many truly stand with Xu Fengnian. Besides Xu Yanbing, there's only Luoyang in white and that woman in red robes. Deng Tai'a merely wishes to make a gesture before Cao Changqing brings about his own demise; both sides will surely stop short of serious conflict. As for Cao Changqing's journey to the capital this time, he probably wants to say a few last words to Xu Fengnian. Otherwise, with Cao Changqing's usual temperament, why would he enter the capital secretly? Therefore, His Majesty's respectful invitation to Duke Yan Sheng to come here was unnecessary. With Wu Jian and Chai Qingshan there to intervene, along with Yao Jin and Han, the three Zhao Gou agents, it would be difficult even if Xu Fengnian were determined to commit an act of rebellion. Furthermore, Xu Fengnian's unauthorized entry into the capital this time is for the lifting of the ban on grain transport. In truth, Tai'an City needn't be so alarmed; it's a matter that could be settled with just a table and two stools."

The scholar standing behind the young man calmly said, "It seems Mr. Xie forgot to mention His Royal Highness the Prince of Shu."

Mr. Xie smiled slightly. "With Duke Yan Sheng, I don't bother to feign ignorance."

The brow of the current Duke Yan Sheng clouded with a hint of anger. He composed himself and said in a deep voice, "Does Mr. Xie truly wish for Beiliang and the Imperial Court to be utterly destroyed, so that the Prince of Shu, whom you assist, can profit from the chaos?"

Xie Guanying, who ranked at the top of the Terrestrial Immortal Ranking, dismissed the remark with a smile. He withdrew his hand and turned to look at the Duke Yan Sheng, who was deeply concerned for the nation and its people. "With the loyal Gu Jiantang commanding hundreds of thousands of crack Liaoyang troops, and Zhao Bing's Southern Border army eyeing them covetously, how could it be the Prince of Shu's turn to profit from the chaos?"

Seeming to realize that thoroughly annoying a Duke Yan Sheng was not a good idea, Xie Guanying stopped provoking him. He sighed and said, "To be frank, I did not approve of the Prince of Shu traveling north from Guangling Road to the capital. The capital is a place of trouble. Suppose Xu Fengnian went mad and started a killing spree; would your Chen Zhibao protect the emperor or not? If he stood idly by, it would spread throughout the empire and cause widespread disillusionment. If he intervened, there would be no benefit either. He has already served as Minister of War, and now he is the Prince of Shu. Even if he gained the title of Grand Pillar of the State, which would not add a single soldier, it would be of no help. At this moment, individuals like Lu Shengxiang and Tang Tieshuang can step forward boldly. As for Chen Zhibao, Gu Jiantang, and Prince Yan Che, whether they are the cicada, the mantis, or the oriole is separated by a mere thread. It is clear who has more patience will gain more."

Duke Yan Sheng frowned deeply.

Xie Guanying chuckled softly. "Since the fall of the Great Qin Dynasty, as for whose surname the empire bears, only two types of people remain unconcerned. The first are the common folk who can only resign themselves to fate. The second are those surnamed Zhang within the Duke Yan Sheng's Residence. No matter how earth-shattering the changes, the Duke Yan Sheng remains the Duke Yan Sheng. Have you not seen the fate of Longhu Mountain, Duke Yan Sheng? Of those immortal lotuses bestowed by the celestial beings, only a few purple-gold lotus flowers remain."

Duke Yan Sheng sighed with heartfelt emotion, "The rise and fall of dynasties is an inevitable trend, but amidst this flux, I hope fewer people die, especially fewer promising young scholars."

Xie Guanying said with a hint of sarcasm, "So that's why you went to meet Cao Changqing on the Guangling River? And what came of it? Did Master Cao listen to Duke Yan Sheng? Ah, Duke Yan Sheng, scholars study, but don't forget the 'person' in scholar. As long as one is human, they have the seven emotions and six desires. Even the immortals in Daoist scriptures cannot achieve true immortality, and scholars cannot always do just one thing, study. Xun Ping and Zhang Julu put down their books and entered the imperial court; one died young, and the other lost his integrity in old age. On the Great Snowfield of Huishan, there was a scholar named Xuanyuan Jingcheng, trapped by love, who never left Huishan until his death. Cao Changqing is no better; he never truly left the Western Chu Imperial Palace in his entire life. What Confucian Sage, what Master Cao? He's merely a court chess master!"

Duke Yan Sheng shook his head and said, "Mr. Cao is certainly not as worthless as you, Xie Guanying, make him out to be."

Xie Guanying, unmoved by being called by his full name for the first time, sneered, "He can't let go of a woman who died so many years ago, so how can he claim to be unbeatable in the endgame? He played chess and played chess, only to turn himself into a pitiful chess piece on the board. What a great absurdity!"

The current Zhang family sage looked at this "server" who looked down on the nation's elite, and shook his head at him.

Xie Guanying left with a loud laugh.

Duke Yan Sheng stood rooted to the spot, muttering, "Sir, sir, you foresee the empire's situation and save the people from misery. At a time of national crisis, perhaps you should die first. You, Xie Guanying, are merely a scholar who only wishes to personally record history. Just a scholar."

The illustrious Zhang family sage turned around and gazed at the stone tablets, remaining silent for a long time. The copying scholar let out a ragged breath; his wrist must have finally succumbed to soreness. He then noticed the shadow and turned his head to look at the unfamiliar scholar standing behind him.

Duke Yan Sheng smiled slightly at him and asked, "If you don't mind, may I copy a section for you?"

The poor scholar hesitated for a moment, as if making an extremely difficult decision, then finally nodded.

Duke Yan Sheng rolled up his sleeves, took the brush from the young man who was unsteadily getting up, sat cross-legged, and began to write.

The poor scholar squatted down again and tilted his head to look. A feeling of relief washed over him. At first glance, the senior's calligraphy did not appear particularly impressive; it was neat and orderly. While it didn't feel overly technical, it also lacked any striking ethereal elegance. Yet, over time, a sense of moderation and peacefulness settled upon the young man as he watched.

But as he watched the senior, sitting upright and respectfully, write over a hundred characters neither fast nor slow, the young man grew anxious. He softly prompted, "Sir, could you perhaps write a little faster?"

Duke Yan Sheng nodded and smiled, "All right."

Seeing that he indeed sped up his writing, the young man, who was worried that the inkstick wouldn't last to finish copying the inscription, quietly breathed a sigh of relief. However, after the man wrote another two hundred characters, the young man had to shamelessly say, "Sir..."

Duke Yan Sheng said apologetically, "I understand, a little faster."

As time passed, the young man grew anxious again. But one couldn't push their luck three times. He truly didn't have the nerve to bother the kind senior scholar again. However, he had only managed to secure this spot for copying the inscription today with great difficulty, and he might not be so lucky tomorrow. There was a curfew in the capital; only students of the Imperial Academy, who had the advantage of proximity, could get the officials to turn a blind eye and allow them to copy books by lamplight at night. Moreover, even if he, being financially strapped, were fortunate enough to study at the Imperial Academy, he would genuinely begrudge the money for lamp oil. Thus, he only had the chance to secure a spot under the scorching sun.

Although he hadn't looked up, the scholar seemed to sense the young man's anxiety. He continued writing as he said, "I really can't go any faster."

The young man had probably decided to give up on being polite. He gritted his teeth and chuckled, "Sir, no hurry."

The middle-aged scholar seemed to play along with him, saying solemnly, "Writing and composing, studying and learning—these are lifelong endeavors. Going slower and building a solid foundation will gradually bear fruit."

The young man, whose legs had gone numb, simply sat down on the ground. Hearing the words characteristic of a pedantic scholar, he couldn't help but laugh, "Sir is right."

As Duke Yan Sheng continued writing intently, he asked with a smile, "From your accent, are you from Beiliang?"

The young man hummed and softly said, "This humble one is from Yanzhi County, Youzhou, and failed the metropolitan examination."

Duke Yan Sheng continued to ask, "Why, did you not seek out Senior Regular Grandee of the Left, Lord Chen, or Grand Academician of Dongyuan Pavilion, Lord Yan? Or perhaps Libationer of the Left of the Imperial Academy, Lord Yao? These few are prominent figures from Beiliang, and it is said they are especially supportive of Beiliang scholars."

The young man confessed honestly, "It's not that I didn't think of it. It's just that I can't enter the main gate of the Imperial Academy. And the mansions of the Grand Academicians and Lord Chen's residence would likely be even harder. People in the capital say a Prime Minister's doorman is equivalent to a seventh-rank official, and I'm easily embarrassed. I was afraid that after walking over fifteen miles with great effort, I wouldn't even dare to knock on the door in the end. Besides, with the time it takes to walk twenty-odd miles there and back, I might as well copy more scriptures."

Duke Yan Sheng smiled slightly. "From what you say, you don't seem to be an impatient person. Why is that?"

The young man said awkwardly, "Well, I always think that if I write faster, I'll use less ink. We are not like you scholars in the capital, who also care about dark ink, light ink, dry brush, thirsty brush, and so on. Many of my compatriots from Beiliang, who studied diligently in poverty like me, would dip their fingers in water by the stream and write on bluestone slabs, and that was writing. Writing on the ground with reeds was writing. In winter, in the heavy snow, even a broom could be used to write. Ha, when I came to the capital, even on a snowy day, where I live, the little snow that accumulated at the entrance would be swept clean by all the households early in the morning."

Duke Yan Sheng smiled knowingly and teased him half-jokingly, "You say people in the capital are particular, well, I really must tell you something particular. Whether it's the metropolitan examination or the subsequent palace examination, the style of calligraphy you use is a profound matter. For instance, in earlier years, when the Song father and son presided over the imperial examinations, among articles of equal talent, the rankings would differ based on whether they were written in Song typeface. As for the next spring examination, if nothing unexpected happens, it will be overseen by Minister of Rites Sima Puhua and Left Vice Minister of Rites Jin Lanting. Minister Sima's calligraphy, which no one cared for before, 'naturally' became more widely circulated after he became the head of the Ministry of Rites. While it's not easy to imitate, it's not too difficult either; just remember one thing: abandoning standard script for running script will ultimately not be a major mistake. As for Jin Sanlang, he is arrogant, and flattering him on calligraphy would be meaningless."

Street vendors selling sugar-coated haws in the capital dared to claim they had seen seven or eight high-ranking officials. The young man was not surprised that a scholar would speak kindly and volubly. He said gratefully, "I will remember that, Sir."

Duke Yan Sheng nodded. "Not pedantic, very good. You cannot be a pedant."

The young man couldn't help but laugh again.

Duke Yan Sheng suddenly asked, "The last palace examination, there were no Beiliang scholars, were there?"

The young man hummed and didn't say more. Tai'an City was well aware of the inside story. On one hand, the Liyang court limited the quota for Beiliang scholars in the metropolitan examination. On the other hand, the last spring examination happened just as the new King of Beiliang successfully inherited his title without obstruction, and his refusal to accept the imperial decree caused great tension with the court. For Beiliang scholars to make a name for themselves, they had none of the favorable conditions: the right time, the right place, or the right people.

The young man thought for a moment and smiled bitterly, "Of the five of us who came to the capital together back then, four returned home this spring. The Xiamawei Post Station provides travel expenses for failed Beiliang scholars returning home, so the four of them gave all their remaining money to me. In truth, their moral character and literary skill were no worse than mine."

Duke Yan Sheng wondered, "Why did they return? You would have been much more successful in the next metropolitan examination. Even if you didn't know this... why didn't the five of you, who traveled thousands of miles to the capital, try one more time? Moreover, wasn't Beiliang about to go to war then?"

The young man grinned, "That's precisely why they returned."

Duke Yan Sheng stopped writing, deep in thought. He turned and asked, "May I ask presumptuously, what kind of person is your King of Beiliang?"

The young man said self-deprecatingly, "I am a poor scholar. In Beiliang, besides two county magistrates from my hometown, I haven't met any other high officials. How would I dare comment on whether the King is good or bad?"

Duke Yan Sheng returned the brush to the poor Beiliang scholar.

The two exchanged places.

This time, the young man was not eager to write. He glanced at the stone tablet close at hand, then turned to the scholar whose identity he couldn't guess and said, "Sir, do you know how many stone tablets we have erected in Beiliang? Perhaps one day, they will outnumber all the characters on the tablets at the Imperial Academy. I stay here not because I am greedy for life or fearful of death, but because I am afraid that the imperial court in the capital will only have Beiliang people like Jin Lanting. I am afraid that all of Liyang will mistakenly think that all Beiliang scholars are as worthless as Jin Lanting! I have been sickly since childhood; if I went to battle to kill enemies, I would probably only become a battle achievement for the Northern Mang barbarians. But by staying here, perhaps today I can only say these things to you alone, Sir, but perhaps one day, even if Beiliang is destroyed, I can still say these things to a hundred, a thousand gentlemen."

Duke Yan Sheng said nothing more. He stood up, walked a few steps, then turned back to look at the young Beiliang scholar's slender back.

This young man, who had twice urged the scholar to write faster, would never have imagined, even if he racked his brains, that while there could be several, even a dozen or so, emperors under heaven at any given time, for eight hundred years, and even a thousand years later, there would only ever be one Duke Yan Sheng, the Zhang family sage, passed down from generation to generation.

At that moment, the young man, focusing intently on copying, also did not notice the thousands of students gathered inside the main gate of the Imperial Academy, densely packed and dumbfounded, watching his casual chat with the "unknown" scholar.

Under the restraint of a large group of Imperial Academy officials, no one dared to cross the forbidden line and step out of the gate to disturb Duke Yan Sheng.

That day, the current Duke Yan Sheng left the capital.

The plot is full of twists and turns, captivating and suspenseful, making this a fantasy novel with excellent plot and writing, available for online reading.