The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 031 A Handsome Fifteen-Year-Old Boy
Early in the morning, Tang Shen arrived at the Fu Residence, where Wen Shu, the page boy, was already waiting for him.
Tang Shen was surprised, "So early?"
Wen Shu quipped, "Tang gongzi, as you know, sir is getting older. He doesn't have much else to do each day, so he sleeps and wakes up early. He just finished admiring a pot of roses sent by Yao daren. Right now, he's having breakfast in the flower hall."
After Tang Shen entered the flower hall, Fu Wei greeted him warmly, "Young lad, go fetch another pair of bowls and chopsticks for Jing Ze. Jing Ze, have you had your breakfast?"
Tang Shen replied, "Yes."
Fu Wei asked, "Stuffed?"
Tang Shen was puzzled, "???"
"No."
Fu Wei waved his sleeves, "Then fetch another pair of bowl and chopsticks. Sit down, Jing Ze."
Tang Shen: "..."
Fu Wei and Tang Shen sat together at the round table and started having breakfast. Unlike in Gusu, breakfast in Shengjing included porridge, side dishes, and some pastries and fried foods. After they finished breakfast, Wang Zifeng arrived.
Tang Shen hadn't expected Fu Wei to invite Wang Zifeng today as well. Seeing his prized disciple, Fu Wei remarked, "Zi Feng, you're a bit late. We've finished eating."
Unlike their previous meeting where he wore a crisp crimson official robe, today Wang Zifeng was dressed in a silk satin long shirt. Servants cleared away the empty bowls and plates from the table, and the three of them moved to the study.
There was no incense burning in the hollow incense burner at the center of the study. Surprisingly, Wang Zifeng took out a box of aloeswood from a drawer, trimmed one end lightly, placed it in the incense burner, and lit it.
Soon, the study was filled with the fragrance of aloeswood. Fu Wei sat at the head, with Wang Zifeng and Tang Shen sitting to his left and right.
Tang Shen looked at Wang Zifeng opposite him and said, "Senior Brother Wang."
Wang Ziruo replied, "Just call me Zi Feng. How did you like the pastries from Caiqi Villa?"
Tang Shen answered, "They were indeed delicious. I had my servant buy some to bring back home to taste."
Fu Wei looked at the two of them, "Oh, have there been some things between you two that I'm not aware of?"
Tang Shen was about to explain when Wang Zifeng interjected, “Sir has summoned both of us here for a reason?"
Fu Wei remembered the main matter and immediately straightened up. He first looked at Tang Shen, "Jing Ze, you have a little over four months until the autumn exam. Are you confident?"
In the entire Great Song, the two most difficult places to take exams were the Jiangnan Academy and the Shengjing Imperial College. Tang Shen had just left the wolf's den and entered the tiger's mouth. Moreover, the xiangshi exam was the third most difficult of the three imperial exam stages. Every year, tens of thousands of candidates come to Shengjing to participate in the exam, but only a hundred of them are recruited, with a very high elimination rate.
However, with the golden finger of perfect memory, and some unique insights and views of his own on the eight-legged essay examination system, Tang Shen was 90 percent confident that he would be able to become a juren. But it would be very difficult to get a good placement in the ranks, and he didn't dare to make promises.
Tang Shen: "As a student, I will do my utmost."
Fu Wei thought to himself that this was not a good sign, feeling that Tang Shen might not be very confident. Wang Zhen, however, said nothing. He picked up his teacup, gently brushed the surface of the tea with the lid to diffuse the strong aroma, and took a sip.
Fu Wei and Liang Song were both among the four great scholars of the empire. Over the years, Liang Song had taken in many students, while Fu Wei was more selective, only taking in Wang Zifeng. Twelve years ago, Wang Zhen still often sought knowledge from Fu Wei. By the time he was past twelve, at fourteen, Wang Zhen had achieved the honor of sanyuan in the tongshi examination that year. Two years later, he passed the xiangshi examination and gained the honor of jieyuan. The following year, he became the zhuangyuan.
He was the first person in this dynasty to achieve the top three ranks in all three imperial examinations.
Liang Song was a teacher with numerous students across the land. As for Fu Wei, he truly didn't have much teaching experience.
Back then, Wang Zhen didn't cause him any worry. Now, thinking about it, Fu Wei realized that Tang Shen came from a rural background, and his conditions for studying were naturally not as good as those of the Wang family from Langya. His foundation was inherently weaker than Zi Feng's. The fact that he could achieve the top ranks in Gusu's tongshi examination showed his exceptional talent. But to achieve the top rank for the xiangshi or even become the zhuangyuan within a few short years was as difficult as climbing to the heavens. Perhaps if Tang Shen waited another three years, he could achieve a good rank, but now, at just fifteen years old, expecting him to become the zhuangyuan like Wang Zhen was indeed too demanding.
Fu Wei sighed and asked, "How are things at the Imperial College?"
Tang Shen: "The lecturers and professors have all been very kind to me, thanks in large part to Senior Brother Zi Feng's earlier recommendation letter."
Hearing “Senior Brother Zi Feng," Wang Zhen's hand paused slightly while brushing the tea. He looked at Tang Shen and said, "No need for such formalities, Junior Brother."
Fu Wei turned to Wang Zhen: "Is the Ministry of Revenue busy these days?"
Wang Zhen smiled: "The country is at peace, the borders are free of conflict; officials are dutiful, and there are no reports of corruption. It is not the end of the year, so if you want me to say we are not busy, I will say we are not busy. However, while the Ministry of Revenue is not busy, I am somewhat occupied."
Fu Wei: "What are you busy with?"
Wang Zhen: "Playing with birds and watering flowers. Whatever sir is busy with, I'm busy with too."
Fu Wei: "..."
Fu Wei gave Wang Zhen a look: Your new junior brother is here, give your teacher some face.
Wang Zhen sipped his tea and didn't respond.
Tang Shen observed the interaction between the teacher and student, suddenly realizing something. Could it be that Fu Wei wanted Wang Zhen to teach him?
As the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father. It's not uncommon throughout history for senior brothers to teach in place of the teacher. But Tang Shen saw that Wang Zhen had no intention of teaching him, and in truth he wasn't bothered. He was quite wary of Wang Zifeng now, and if they faced each other daily, he didn't want to risk offending Wang Zifeng at some point.
Tang Shen said, "Regarding the xiangshi, I have confidence."
Fu Wei: "Oh?"
Tang Shen noticed Wang Zhen also put down his cup, looking at him with interest. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The xiangshi examination has three sessions. The first session tests three essays and a five-character eight-rhyme poem; the second session tests five classical texts; the third session tests three policy questions. Except for the poem in the first session, the other eleven essays are all in the eight-legged essay format."
Fu Wei: "That's quite accurate." He added indirectly, "Zi Feng's eight-legged essays are excellent. Even Liang Bowen praised them highly back then."
Tang Shen thought: The only person in our dynasty who won all three top ranks in the imperial exams, personally chosen by the emperor, his essays couldn't be anything but good.
He continued, "I've always believed that the eight-legged essay isn't without its rules."
"Go on."
"As everyone knows, the eight-legged essay is divided into eight parts: opening, amplification, preliminary exposition, etc., up to the conclusion. Many people think the xiangshi examination is the toughest of the three levels of the imperial exams, but I believe it's the easiest to pass! Take Shengjing as an example. If ten thousand scholars take the exam each year, about two thousand will be eliminated right away due to improper handwriting, mistakes, or format issues."
Wang Zhen suddenly said, "Continue."
Tang Shen glanced at him: "That leaves eight thousand people. Each year, the chief examiner for the xiangshi exam must be a scholar from the Hanlin Academy, dispatched from the capital. In the end, no more than ten people will remain in Shengjing to grade the papers. Along with lower-ranked officials like education officials and book compilers, there are at most thirty people grading the papers. These thirty people have to finish grading ten thousand papers in three days. On average, each person grades one hundred papers per day. For the first session, each person would read three hundred essays and one hundred poems daily."
Tang Shen changed his tone: "To err is human. If your handwriting is good, that's half the battle. Then, as long as your essays are on-topic and avoid taboos, you have a fifty percent chance of passing! If you put effort into the opening and amplification to make a good impression, even if the rest is mediocre, you'll still score well. So, sir, what I need to do is quite simple. For the eight-legged essay, I only need to focus on the first two parts. The rest, as long as they are not wrong, I should have no problem passing the exam."
After Tang Shen finished speaking, the study fell silent for a moment.
Fu Wei recalled the boastful letters Liang Song had sent him. Indeed, his old friend had never lied; this student of his was truly outstanding, with limitless potential.
Fu Wei suddenly felt a desire to teach again. Personally grooming another high-ranking official would be far more interesting than playing with birds and watering flowers. If this were the modern world, he might describe his feeling with one concept: simulation game!
However, before Fu Wei could speak, Wang Zhen chuckled: "Junior Brother, what you said is not wrong, but your argument assumes that your handwriting is praised and your openings are impressive."
Tang Shen was at a loss for words.
Theory is always rich, but reality is lean. He planned to use the scoring techniques of the college entrance exams in the modern world to take a shortcut, but he also couldn't guarantee success.
Fu Wei: "What's difficult about having good handwriting? Zi Feng's handwriting is famous throughout the land..." All because I taught him well.
Before he could finish, Wang Zhen suddenly laughed: "Sir, you say my essays and handwriting are excellent, could it be you are asking me to teach my junior brother for you?"
Fu Wei: “Ai?"
Wang Zhen sighed: "If it's sir's order, I dare not refuse."
Fu Wei: "..."
Tang Shen: "..."
Didn't you just say you were busy playing with birds and watering flowers!
But Fu Wei didn't refute Wang Zhen's words. Compared to himself, having Tang Shen interact more with Zi Feng would probably be more beneficial for his future career.
After sending off the two students, Fu Wei grabbed a birdcage and instructed the page boy Fu Qin to find bird food for him. As he played with the canary in the cage, he recited a line: "The moths are like golden wisps of snow and willows? Liang Bowen, Liang Bowen, you sent your student to me, digging a big hole for me. How could I not understand your intentions? We're old now, enjoying a peaceful life is best. Why get involved in those bothersome affairs again? This is the era of young people."
Tang Shen left the Fu Residence, still feeling bewildered.
How come Fu Xiru and Wang Zifeng don't follow common rules at all?
Before coming to Shengjing, Tang Shen thought for a long time about how to build a good relationship with Fu Wei and gradually approach Wang Zhen. Who knew that Fu Wei and Wang Zhen would hand him a pillow just as he was sleepy, the former sending the latter to his door, and the latter would also play along without refusal.
Tang Shen suddenly felt he might have misjudged them.
"They truly regard me as their student, as their junior brother!"
Tang Shen felt warm inside.
After leaving the Fu Residence, Wang Zhen asked, "Junior Brother, do you need a ride to the Imperial College? I can give you a lift."
Tang Shen shook his head: "No need, Senior Brother Zi Feng, I have taken leave from the Imperial College today. I want to buy some things."
Wang Zhen didn't say much. He got on the carriage and said: "Then see you in a few days. You know where the Minister Residence is."
Tang Shen asked: "Senior Brother, should I prepare anything for the visit? Perhaps write an essay or a poem for you to see my level?"
Tang Shen prepared himself to do a lot of coursework in the next few days.
But Wang Zhen said: "Just bring yourself."
Tang Shen: "What?"
Wang Zhen smiled gracefully: "When you come to the Minister Residence, just bring yourself."
Wang Zhen said so, but Tang Shen didn't really take it to heart.
Wang Zifeng could become the zhuangyuan, even personally awarded the title "Unparalleled Scholar" by the emperor, because he was indeed very talented. Liang Song once said: "I've seen people with perfect memories before," and it seemed that this person referred to Wang Zhen. Tang Shen also had a perfect memory, even able to recite texts backward, but this was a golden finger from the heavens after being reborn, which made him feel a bit guilty. Wang Zhen, however, possessed genuine talent and learning.
Tang Shen went home, first writing an eight-legged essay and then meticulously composing a test poem. After writing it once, he was still not satisfied and transcribed it multiple times with a fine brush before selecting the best two pieces in the guange text style.
At this time, Shopkeeper Lu arrived in Shengjing from Gusu.
Tang Shen settled him in his own courtyard.
Upon seeing him, Shopkeeper Lu said, "Everything is fine in Gusu. Those local gentry are just sycophants. When they heard that you came to Shengjing and apprenticed under Fu daru, the situation at Xiaxia Tower and Tang's Logistics improved, with fewer underhanded tactics. Yao San said you called me to Shengjing to open a branch of Xiaxia Tower here? I thought a lot about it on the boat; Shengjing is near Liao and has plenty of cattle and sheep, so it is feasible!"
Tang Shen: "I do have this idea, but now I'm busy with the autumn exam. After the autumn exam, I'll be busy with next year's spring exam, so I can't find the time."
Shopkeeper Lu: "No hurry, little boss. Actually, I'm not in a hurry either. I'll stay in Shengjing for now. We are outsiders here, so we need to understand the local ways before opening a shop. I'll start by hiring a few workers from the middleman agency tomorrow and familiarize myself with Shengjing."
Tang Shen smiled: "That sounds good."
Three days later, Tang Shen took an essay and a test poem he had written to the Minister Residence.
The steward of the Minister Residence already knew his name and directly led him to the garden, saying that Wang Zhen was receiving guests and asked Tang Shen to wait a while. Tang Shen wandered around the garden, which had a manmade pond with over a dozen koi fish of various vibrant colors, all fat and well-fed, seemingly well-cared for.
The garden's rockeries were jagged, flowers competed in beauty, and the willow trees by the pond stood independently, casting their reflections in the water.
After a while, a clear voice suddenly sounded behind him: "Mist envelops the cold water… moonlight shrouds the sand?"
Tang Shen was startled and turned around to see Wang Zhen walking from under the willow tree. The green willow buds brushed his shoulders and fell along his elegant white robe. Tang Shen composed himself and said, "Where did Senior Brother hear this from?" He then remembered, "I forgot, Senior Brother is from the Wang family of Langya and a native of Jinling."
Wang Zhen opened his hand, and Tang Shen noticed that he was secretly holding a handful of fish food.
Tang Shen stared at him blankly, and Wang Zhen smiled, "Shall we feed the fish?"
Tang Shen could only take the fish food and scatter it into the pond with Wang Zhen.
The fish food caused ripples in the pond, and the koi scrambled for it. Tang Shen suddenly realized who had been feeding these koi so well.
As he threw the fish food, Wang Zhen asked, "What is the next line of this poem?"
Tang Shen hesitated and said, "Not far from a tavern I moor my boat in the Qinhuai at night."
"And then?"
Tang Shen: "..."
Singsong girls, not knowing the bitterness of a conquered kingdom, sing gaily A Song of Courtyard Flowers on the river’s other side.
This was a poem about falling kingdoms!
Tang Shen: "...Then there's no more. I saw it in a book that I can't find now, and I don't remember the second half."
Wang Zhen: "What a pity."
After feeding the fish, Tang Shen took out an essay and a test poem he had written. Wang Zhen was not surprised that he had written them in advance. He picked up Tang Shen's writings and read them. After reading, he said, "Not bad." Then he placed the papers aside and asked, "Little Junior Brother, have you thought about who will be the chief examiner for the xiangshi examination of Shengjing in four months?"
Tang Shen widened his eyes in shock and looked at Wang Zhen in disbelief.
What?! Is this a joke?
The exam hadn't even started, and Wang Zifeng was already planning to open a back door for him to this extent?!
"It can't be you, Senior Brother!"
Wang Zhen suddenly laughed. Tang Shen had grown quickly with good nutrition over the years, but he was still shorter than Wang Zhen by a head. Wang Zhen looked down at Tang Shen's startled expression and found it both amusing and interesting. No matter how smart and quick-witted his little junior brother was, he couldn't hide his thoughts from him and their teacher.
After all, he was just a handsome fifteen-year-old boy.
Wang Zhen poured all the fish food into the pond, thought seriously for a while, furrowed his brows as if troubled, and after a long sigh, said earnestly, "Although I'm not a Hanlin Academy scholar, if you really think so, I can try to compete for the position of chief examiner for this year's autumn exams. However, since we're fellow disciples, you should first ask our teacher to expel you from the school, so you won't be disqualified from taking the exam because of me. With your guange style writing, I will definitely do my best to find your paper among the ten thousand, how about that?"
Wang Zhen smiled elegantly, but Tang Shen: "..."
Wang Zifeng is truly unreliable!
AN: Neighbor Wang: My junior brother is ultimately just a handsome fifteen-year-old boy.
Little Tang: You know I'm only fifteen?
Everyone: Beast!