Having learned the entire story, His Majesty put down the letter and the wager, asking with a hint of confusion, "Can the sixty-four squares on this chessboard truly hold all the grain of Daqing?"
"This old minister is not skilled in mathematics," Gu Qingzhou replied with a light smile. The letter had been delivered to him at breakneck speed before the morning court, and Gu Qingzhou had only opened it in his carriage, so he was also unaware of the outcome.
Despite his royal lineage, Prince Yu was, at heart, a military man. He declared loudly, "Your Majesty, why not let the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works have their people deduce this?"
Moments later, Eunuch Liu led three individuals, the most adept at mathematics from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, into the imperial study.
"Your humble minister pays his respects to Your Majesty," the three said as they knelt, their expressions taut with anxiety.
The two from the Ministry of Revenue were merely sixth-rank officials, while the one from the Ministry of Works was a fifth-rank *langzhong*. Normally, these three would not have the privilege of an audience with His Majesty. Upon receiving the verbal decree from Eunuch Liu, they were filled with trepidation, fearing they had made some error.
"Eunuch Liu," His Majesty said, handing the signed and sealed wager to the eunuch.
Eunuch Liu, an imperial eunuch, said in a low voice, "Please come this way, sirs. The brush and ink are prepared. As you are skilled in mathematics, His Majesty requests that you deduce the result as quickly as possible."
Upon entering the side hall adjacent to the imperial study, the three finally relaxed their tense nerves. After thanking Eunuch Liu, they gathered together to examine the wager.
Meanwhile, Prince Yu, unable to sit still any longer, bowed to His Majesty and said, "Your Majesty, this prince shall go to the side hall to take a look."
Without waiting for His Majesty's assent, Prince Yu strode towards the side hall. His hurried demeanor showed no regard for protocol.
"Imperial Uncle cannot wait a moment longer," His Majesty chuckled helplessly, looking at Gu Qingzhou and remarking, "Your young disciple certainly knows how to stir things up."
Sensing the shift in His Majesty's tone, Gu Qingzhou momentarily set aside the distinction between ruler and subject, smiling as he replied, "The young girl is only nine years old, a bit lively. This wager was a spur-of-the-moment thing, and the girl was quite generous, donating all the silver from her perfumed soaps."
"You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a cub," His Majesty said, picking up his teacup and taking a sip, his words carrying a profound meaning.
It was somewhat understandable why Gu Qingzhou was so invested in Zhan Feiyu. Setting aside her intelligence and talent, the young girl possessed considerable cunning and foresight. However, her intention was for the border soldiers. For this reason alone, His Majesty felt a favorable impression of Zhan Feiyu, whom he had never met.
Gu Qingzhou and His Majesty discussed the salt tax, while hurried footsteps echoed from outside the hall. The emperor and minister exchanged glances; it seemed there was a result.
"Gu Qingzhou, when Zhan Feiyu arrives in the capital, this prince will personally go to the city gates to welcome her." A hearty laugh rang out. Prince Yu stroked his beard, his face a mass of wrinkles from his beaming smile, indicating his excellent mood.
Eunuch Liu entered, followed closely by the three officials. If they had not personally deduced it, no one would have imagined the final number to be so immense – all the grain of Daqing could not fill a chessboard.
"Your Majesty, since this grain is to be sent to the border, I shall not interfere. This wager shall be left to the Prince," Gu Qingzhou said, unceremoniously tossing the hot potato to Prince Yu.
Under normal circumstances, the usually idle Prince Yu would have refused. However, the Chen family was the maternal family of the First Prince, who had previously gravely injured Prince Yu's guards. The two families were, therefore, at odds.
Furthermore, this wager concerned the border soldiers. Prince Yu glared disdainfully at the shirking Gu Qingzhou and declared loudly to His Majesty, who sat on the dragon throne, "This matter is accepted by this prince. With the wager in black and white, if Old Man Chen dares to break his promise, this prince will beat him until his parents cannot recognize him!"
The Chen family's wealth was an undisputed fact. Ten years of donating fifty-five *shi* of grain would not fundamentally harm the Chen family. His Majesty would certainly not object. "Then this wager shall be entrusted to you, Imperial Uncle."
On the other side, the First Prince received a secret letter from the Chen family around noon. After all, it took time for the Chen patriarch to send the letter to the main family, and then for the head of the Chen family to send it to the capital, resulting in a half-day delay.
"A nine-year-old girl has played you all for fools? That's fifty-five thousand *shi* of grain!" the First Prince roared in fury, his face contorted with murderous intent, not only towards the culprit Zhan Feiyu but also towards the Chen family, who had lost the martial contest.
"Your Highness, please calm your anger." Chen Shuduo, the eldest legitimate grandson of the Chen family and currently a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel, and the leader of the Chen family in the capital, knelt and pleaded for forgiveness.
His Majesty detested the interference of maternal relatives in governance. Moreover, His Majesty was only in his early fifties, robust and healthy. Therefore, apart from Chen Shuduo, all other members of the Chen family were appointed to positions outside the capital, not remaining in the capital itself. However, this was merely the visible situation; many officials in the court had long since pledged allegiance to the Chen family.
The First Prince was somewhat violent in temperament. As the eldest prince, he had always acted imperiously and arrogantly. Yet, he had repeatedly stumbled in matters concerning Zhan Feiyu. First, it was Liu Jian, and now it was the Chen family. In his rage, the First Prince kicked a chair.
The huanghuali armchair was kicked away, smashing against the wall with a bang, breaking into several pieces. This was enough to show the First Prince's uncontainable fury.
"We have lost face and substance. I fear I will become a laughingstock at tomorrow's morning court!" The First Prince grew more indignant the more he thought about it. Moreover, this matter had already reached the imperial court, and with Prince Yu's involvement, there was no room for maneuver.
In truth, neither the Chen family nor the First Prince cared about these hundreds of thousands of *shi* of grain. Jiangnan was prosperous; it was not difficult to earn tens of thousands of taels of silver in a year with just a little effort.
However, this wager had caused the Chen family to lose face, which was equivalent to the First Prince losing face. Especially since the First Prince was skilled in martial arts and currently served in the Ministry of War. With the grain given away, the benefits were seized by Zhan Feiyu and Prince Yu. The First Prince could not swallow this bitter pill.
Yet, not fulfilling the wager was not an option, as it would mean offending all the military officials in the court. The First Prince could no longer expect to establish himself in the Ministry of War. "Enough, get up and report."
Chen Shuduo then stood up and hesitated, saying, "Your Majesty has always valued military power. Why don't we make some arrangements? Prince Yu spent twenty years at the border and is now involved in this matter, which could be seen as an attempt to win over the hearts of the army..."
This slander could not be directed at Zhan Feiyu. She was a nine-year-old girl who had not yet participated in the prefectural examination and was currently a commoner. To accuse her of disloyalty or rebellion would be laughable.
However, Prince Yu was different. If this were handled well, it could make His Majesty wary of Prince Yu, allowing the First Prince to seize the opportunity to plant his own people in the army.
The First Prince was tempted for a moment, but after careful consideration, he said coldly, "Father is not senile. Father intends for Imperial Uncle to take over the salt production matters. The military power has likely been returned to Father. If we spread rumors, we will only get ourselves into trouble."
If Prince Yu held military power, these rumors might have had some effect, at least making His Majesty harbor doubts. However, if not, it would be the First Prince, who played with power, who would incur His Majesty's displeasure.
"Forget it, let's put the wager aside for now." The First Prince thought clearly. He needed to establish himself in the army and could not interfere in this matter. Otherwise, even if everything was done flawlessly, all the officials in the court and the generals at the border would blame him. Therefore, the Chen family could only deliver the grain to the border cleanly and gain the reputation of being a good sport.
His sinister gaze intensified, and the First Prince looked at Chen Shuduo and said, "Cousin, convey my message to Grandfather. I do not wish to see Zhan Feiyu come to the capital."
Even though Zhan Feiyu was a young girl, the First Prince did not want to allow her to continue causing him trouble from afar.
"Yes," Chen Shuduo replied. A fleeting murderous intent flashed across his seemingly gentle face. The Chen family had suffered such a significant loss; if they did not retaliate, outsiders would consider the Chen family a pushover!
...
After sending the letter and wager to the capital, Zhan Feiyu paid no further attention to it. In the blink of an eye, it was April 12th.
At the first watch of the morning, the examination hall opened. Thousands of candidates underwent initial checks and entered in an orderly fashion. Led by four young attendants holding lanterns, they proceeded to their respective examination rooms. After another search by guards at the entrance, they finally entered the examination rooms and found their seats according to their examination permits (i.e., admission tickets).
For the prefectural examination, apart from the examination permit, candidates were not allowed to bring anything with them. Brushes, ink, and specially provided paper were all supplied by the examination hall.
The first two sessions each lasted one day, while the third session, the essay, required two days. Overnight bedding was also provided by the examination hall. Each candidate was separated, occupying their own space.
As the top scholar of Shangsi County, Zhan Feiyu was permitted to sit in the main hall, thus saving her the trouble of finding a seat. She was directly led into the hall by yamen runners and, after the examination began, would take the test before Prefect Zhang along with the other top scholars from various counties.
"Is that Zhan Feiyu?" someone asked in a low voice.
Among the candidates permitted to sit in the main hall, she was the only young girl. Even if some were resentful, or even naively believed that a woman's virtue lay in her lack of talent, no one dared to voice such opinions, as Zhan Feiyu was a disciple of Scholar Gu.
Secondly, two days prior at Li Ji's shop, Zhan Feiyu had won the martial contest against Fatty Chen, not only winning hundreds of thousands of *shi* of grain for the border soldiers but also donating the silver earned from her perfumed soaps to disabled soldiers. This had made Zhan Feiyu's reputation even more renowned before she had even taken the prefectural examination.
Receiving the attention of everyone, Zhan Feiyu smiled slightly as a greeting. After all, the examination was about to begin, and no one dared to speak loudly at this time.
However, amidst the crowd, a thin young man stared at Zhan Feiyu with a sinister gaze. The chilling look sent shivers down one's spine, making one think he harbored a deep hatred for Zhan Feiyu.
"That is the top scholar of Huaixian County, Kou Yuanxing," a young man standing beside Zhan Feiyu whispered. He then straightened his body and remained silent. After all, he was already of age, while Zhan Feiyu was short. At first glance, she looked like a six or seven-year-old girl. It was one thing to be in the same examination hall, but if he lost, it would be a great loss of face.
The top scholar of Huaixian County? Zhan Feiyu couldn't help but recall Wang Linlang, who was from Huaixian County. Kou Yuanxing's fierce gaze made Zhan Feiyu somewhat suspicious.
A moment later, a group of candidates entered the hall in succession and sat in their respective positions. After a while, the sound of the cloud gong rang out. Unlike the county examination where the questions were written on a question board, the candidates in the prefectural examination had to first copy the questions. The first session of the prefectural examination involved directly distributing the questions.
After writing her name, Zhan Feiyu looked at the questions: Three questions from the Four Books, four questions on classics, and one eight-line poem in five characters.
The first question was from the Analects.
Confucius said, "The one who is born with knowledge is superior. The one who learns and then knows is second. The one who is troubled and then learns is next. The one who is troubled and does not learn is the lowest among the people."
The second question was from the Doctrine of the Mean.
When one is sent forth, one is far-reaching; when far-reaching, one is broad and deep; when broad and deep, one is high and great. Broad and deep, they are the means by which all things are sustained; high and great, they are the means by which all things are covered; far-reaching, they are the means by which all things are accomplished.
The third question was from Mencius.
Establishing the worthy without a fixed method.
Compared to the "cross-cutting" questions that appeared in the county examination, Zhan Feiyu felt that Prefect Zhang was much more considerate. These questions from the Four Books were clearly more conventional, but there were advantages and disadvantages.
The candidates participating in the prefectural examination were those who had passed the county examination. Shangsi County was only a medium-sized county, with over thirty people passing the county examination. The entire Nanxuan Prefecture had more than two thousand candidates, and only about fifty would be admitted in the end. According to the established rules of the imperial examinations, the top scholars from each county were considered designated *tong sheng* (students), so only about forty would be admitted from over two thousand people.
However, for Prefect Zhang and the other examiners, the first session had three questions from the Four Books. For over two thousand people, that meant over six thousand essays. If the questions were difficult and tricky, then the questions alone could eliminate eighty to ninety percent of the candidates.
But the questions for the prefectural examination were standard and conventional, which meant that the difficulty of standing out had increased. One had to excel from the handwriting to the breaking of the topic, otherwise, one would be lost among the more than six thousand essays.
It was not only Zhan Feiyu who could think of this. The top scholars from various counties who were permitted to sit in the main hall were not foolish. Therefore, after the examination papers were distributed, everyone did not immediately tackle the mandatory questions but pondered how to break the topic and how to make the reviewing officials feel amazed and outstanding at the first glance of the essay.
Time passed little by little. Prefect Zhang sat behind his desk, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall. Unfortunately, all the candidates were looking down, preventing him from seeing their expressions.
A moment later, Prefect Zhang suddenly stood up and looked at each candidate one by one. This immediately made the candidates who were still contemplating how to break the topic tense, their minds becoming a chaotic mess.
Some of the more timid ones trembled as they held their pens, leaving a blot of black ink on the paper. Fortunately, this was only draft paper; if it were the examination paper, there would be no need to continue, as a stained paper would result in disqualification.
Compared to the tension and unease of others, Kou Yuanxing's back only tensed slightly. After a few breaths, he returned to normal, and his flowing handwriting appeared on the draft paper. While others were still deliberating how to break the topic or were writing and erasing on the draft paper, his essay was already one-third complete.
After looking for a few moments, Prefect Zhang's elegant face showed no expression. He paced to the next candidate...
The entire hall was estimated to have only Zhan Feiyu remaining with a calm expression. Upon sensing Prefect Zhang's approach, Zhan Feiyu's breathing rhythm did not change at all. She quickly wrote two sentences to break the topic on the paper.
Hmm? Prefect Zhang narrowed his eyes, and after a while, a smile flashed in his eyes. With these conventional questions, she had managed to come up with a unique way to break the topic. As expected of Scholar Gu's disciple.
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