Chapter 99: Unmatched Talent

Liu Wenshan and Jiang Chen felt as if they had received a pardon. They hurriedly stood up and closely followed behind Fang Jifan.

Following their esteemed mentor did bring prestige. Even though they were severely scolded, they still found it fulfilling. Even being a dog was a happy existence under him.

Fang Jifan approached the stunned Tang Yin and smiled at him. “Young Tang, I will wait for you at my residence. You must come.”

“…” Tang Bohu felt his heart breaking.

Both of Fang Jifan’s disciples had surpassed him. Did that count as a loss?

At least among the common people, the betting rules stated that if any one of Fang Jifan’s three disciples could outshine the Jiangnan genius Tang Yin, then Tang Yin would be considered the loser.

Should he… truly become a disciple under Fang Jifan?

This Fang Jifan was a… was a…

He recalled that night when this prodigal suddenly threw a punch and beat him up while shouting, “I am the law!” After the beating, Fang Jifan casually told the officers, “Tang Yin hit me, but I forgive him.”

Tang Yin trembled all over. His old wounds suddenly ached faintly, and tears blurred his vision.

Fang Jifan played with his Xiangfei fan, tapping the fan ribs on Tang Yin’s shoulder. Fang Jifan said warmly, “There is no need to rush. When a bride gets into the wedding sedan, doesn’t she cry a few times and cling to the doorframe, refusing to let go? I… have plenty of time. Alright, look, my useless disciples didn’t do very well in the exam. I will go back and beat them.”

After saying this, he ignored everyone, put his hands behind his back, and surveyed his surroundings with a commanding gaze.

Wherever his eyes passed, the scholars who had been staring straight at Fang Jifan quickly averted their eyes in shame, not daring to meet his gaze.

It was a feeling of looking down from a great height. Ten years of hard study? Nonsense! The top candidate of the imperial examination? What was that? If I, Fang Jifan, gave him a kick, he would still lie on the ground and say, “The mentor’s lesson is right.”

Finally, Fang Jifan set his eyes on the Zhang brothers. “Two uncles… how are you?”

“…” The Zhang brothers looked somewhat dull. This time, they did not even force a hypocritical smile. Their faces were just stiff.

They still seemed unable to accept the reality of what had happened.

“Uncles, your nephew must leave now. Farewell.”

Fang Jifan pursed his lips and walked away.

Silence…

It was still terrifyingly quiet outside the examination hall.

Everyone’s faces were pale. This should be the first time since the imperial examination system began that there were no cheers when the results were posted.

Those who should have been proud and elated now felt somewhat empty, like a eunuch entering the bridal chamber—happy, yes, but with a bit of regret.

Tang Yin’s face was sallow, and his eyes were moist.

He wanted to cry, to weep bitterly, to vent his emotions.

But before he could start crying, someone next to him began to wail loudly.

“Heavens! My silver…” Zhang Heling clutched his chest and howled like a pig being slaughtered. “My fifty thousand taels of silver, my life savings! What sin have I committed? What kind of sin is this? I… oh heavens…”

Zhang Yanling beat his chest and looked up to the sky, crying out, “Brother… my heart aches terribly, brother…”

Their crying was truly sorrowful and heart-wrenching. Their wails seemed ready to pierce the sky.

And their grief was contagious. Those who had lost money secretly wiped away tears, while the more passionate ones started wailing openly. The scholars who had failed, initially trying to maintain some dignity despite their stiff, unaccepting faces, now found their emotions stirred as well.

“Heavens…” Countless accusations toward heaven shook the skies. People hugged each other and cried, their clothes soaked with tears. Some cried so hard they convulsed and collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

Sorrowful songs filled the air. Even those who had passed felt a sting in their noses, uncertain whether to feel joy or sorrow. It seemed… that passing the imperial examination had become something they could not boast about. So they slipped out of the crowd with grave expressions, returned to their inns, and closed their doors to visitors.

Passed? Yes, they passed, but what was their rank? Ah… how embarrassing!

…

Fang Jifan heard the mournful wails behind him. The faint sounds of crying were like a symphony. He stopped, and his three disciples stopped as well. Fang Jifan glanced back, and the three also looked back.

“How pitiful,” Fang Jifan sighed. “Just now, did I scold them too harshly and hurt their self-esteem?” He shook his head and smiled wryly. This must be what it meant to be a winner in life. It was hard not to get carried away sometimes. But… why did he still feel like laughing? Ah, he had fallen! When had he, Fang Jifan, become so corrupted? There were bad influences among the people who had led him astray.

He shook his head and said to his three disciples who followed him closely, “Look, this is the consequence of not studying hard. Don’t be like them.”

Ouyang Zhi and the other two felt extremely conflicted. Looking at their mentor, they suddenly felt his image was immensely grand and towering. Without their mentor, they would never have reached this point in their lives. The slight complaints they had about him before were now completely swept away. All that remained was utter admiration. Even the way he sat with his legs crossed, picking his toes, no longer felt inelegant. Instead, it seemed their mentor was like a transcendent sage, so free and unrestrained even in picking his toes.

Their mentor… was amazing!

…

The Forbidden City.

Today was an auspicious day for posting the results.

However, the results were posted directly from the examination hall. Before that, the examination hall was sealed, so even the imperial palace had to send someone to check the results. No one could get insider information beforehand.

The imperial examination was always highly valued by rulers. The selection of scholars every three years determined the direction of the imperial court ten or twenty years later. Emperor Hongzhi deeply understood that talent was rare. So early in the morning, he put on his heaven-reaching crown and ceremonial robe and waited in the warm pavilion.

He had no mind to deal with the memorials sent from various prefectures and counties across the land.

After all, compared to the trivial matters from various provinces and prefectures, what could compare to this grand event held every three years?

Liu Jian, Xie Qian, Wang Ao, Ma Wensheng, and others were all present.

Today, Liu Jian had specially requested the emperor to summon Ma Wensheng. On one hand, it was to discuss possible issues with horse administration, as Ma Wensheng held the position of minister of war and was in charge of the capital garrison. When Ma Wensheng arrived, he was a bit confused. But when he heard the emperor, Wang Ao, and others eagerly discussing the historical rankings of southern and northern scholars in the metropolitan examination, this minister Ma began to understand.

Although he knew that neither Xie Qian nor Wang Ao were the kind of people with ulterior motives—on the contrary, their characters were quite forthright.

But when they started talking about the imperial examination, counting the origins of past top candidates and zhuangyuans on their fingers, Ma Wensheng felt like dying. He also noticed that Liu Jian appeared calm on the surface but was actually listless.

Ma Wensheng was from Yuzhou, which made him and Liu Jian half-fellow townsmen, both under the jurisdiction of the Henan Provincial Administration Commission. He passed the imperial examination in the second year of Jingtai, ranking not very high, barely making the second rank. For a northerner, that was considered pretty good.

But Xie Qian was a zhuangyuan, and Wang Ao was the top candidate of the metropolitan examination. Their qualifications were impressive. Today’s imperial examination probably reminded Lord Wang and Lord Xie of their past glory, so they were very talkative.

Ma Wensheng gave a wry smile and glanced at Liu Jian, thinking to himself, Lord Liu, Lord Liu, we are fellow townsmen. Why did you drag me here to suffer? He felt too awkward to speak, so he decided to remain silent like a clay statue.

Emperor Hongzhi asked about the time several times and grew anxious. “Has the results not been posted yet? The auspicious hour has already passed. Why is it so slow?”

“Your Majesty,” the young eunuch said, “We have already sent people to hurry them. If there are no delays, the results will be sent as soon as they are posted.”

“Hmm…” Emperor Hongzhi then looked at Wang Ao and said, “Tutor Wang, based on what you said earlier, are you certain that the top candidate this time is most likely Tang Yin?”

“I am fifty percent sure. However, Your Majesty should also know that the top scholars from Zhejiang Provincial Administration Commission and Jiangxi Provincial Administration Commission are also highly talented. Historically, the top candidates mostly came from the Southern Metropolitan Region, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi. This time, however, the Southern Metropolitan Region’s top scholar Tang Yin has a greater reputation and overshadowed Jiangzhe.”

Emperor Hongzhi nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, Jiangxi originally belonged to Jiangnan West Circuit, while Yingtian Prefecture and Zhejiang belonged to Jiangnan East Circuit, collectively known as Jiangnan. The literary atmosphere in Jiangnan is indeed exceptional. I had not fully realized this before. After all, all of you serve together in the court and share my burdens. I did not realize the differences in your places of origin.”

Xie Qian smiled and said, “The Two Capitals and Thirteen Provinces all have their talents. The reason Jiangnan has such a strong literary culture is partly due to its wealth. So, we cannot generalize.”

He modestly deflected, but inwardly, he was still very proud.