Chapter 148 The various tests during the physical examination have already shown that he is not Xiao Yinshi...
The morning bell shattered the chill of the early night, and outside the vermilion gate of the Shuntian Prefecture Examination Hall, hundreds of candidates had already formed a long line. Scouts patrolled back and forth, holding black flags that read "Search for cheating, investigate thoroughly without leniency," while candlelight flickered on the iron chains hanging from their waists, casting an ashen glow on their faces.
"The grand palace gates open in broad daylight, the emperor stands tall to test the talents of the masses. My son is a scholar, why worry about failing? Fate is in the hands of Heaven, and cannot be guessed." Li Xiucai patted his companion's shoulder, "We have studied hard for more than ten years, whether we can leap over the Dragon Gate depends on this one time. Look at how trembling you are, I'm scared."
Li Xiucai had been waiting in line for inspection for two hours. He was making a fuss in his head when a fellow scholar behind him teased him, "Is there anything in the world you're afraid of? I heard it last night. When you were beating your wife, even your chickens didn't dare to make a sound!"
Li Xiucai was known for his violent temper and was famous in the neighborhood for beating his wife. The neighbors all felt sorry for the woman who had entered his family three years ago, because she had never had a single patch of good skin on her body.
Li Xiucai spat and turned to Deng Tongdao behind him: "That woman deserves a beating! It's bad enough that she's always secretly reading my books, but she even dares to dream of taking the imperial examinations like me! Tch! She doesn't deserve it!"
"Silence!" Deng Tong quickly covered his mouth, glanced at the long line of women waiting for inspection, and only slowly exhaled after confirming that they hadn't heard him.
It's such bad luck to be around this bastard! It's bad enough that he beats his wife every day, but he doesn't even understand the simple principle that walls have ears.
He then subconsciously glanced at the bald "monk" who was taking the imperial examination behind him.
The monk was dressed in a pine and crane robe, with sword-like eyebrows that flew straight up to his temples, and his eyes, with their slightly upturned corners, seemed to hold the cold stars that had fallen into them. His thin lips were tightly pressed together beneath his high nose bridge, making his jawline even more angular.
The monk was extremely tall and had been standing silently ever since he arrived. He was taciturn and cold-hearted. Standing in front of him, he felt that the already chilly March had become even colder.
Thinking of this, Deng Tong quickly withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, and when he looked at Li Xiucai again, his eyes were filled with disdain. At this moment, the yamen runners' gongs and drums sounded again, "Next!"
Two burly yamen runners approached like hawks. One grabbed Li Xiucai by the collar, while the other's rough hand had already slipped inside his clothes.
Scholars vied for the imperial examinations, employing all sorts of schemes and tricks, and cheating was commonplace, especially in the tribute examinations. A common method of cheating was to smuggle mulberry paper or silk covered with tiny characters into their examination supplies or clothing.
The yamen runners were very skilled at searching for cheat sheets. They took Li Xiucai to the newly set-up search room on the east side of the examination hall's dragon gate, ordered him to untie his hair and take off his clothes, and carefully examined every seam and lining of his clothes.
He then picked up his flatbread, broke it open and crumbled it; he checked whether the bottom of the inkstone was hollow, whether the penholder was hollow... He checked everything in great detail before allowing him to leave.
Li Xiucai breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he lifted the curtain and stepped out, a woman suddenly appeared and shouted, "Sir! He's carrying cheat sheets!"
When Li Xiucai saw that it was Liu E, his face immediately changed. "You shameless woman! Where did you get the audacity to steal from the examination hall! Get home right now!"
The sun had just risen a little, and its soft light shone on Liu E's face. The yamen runner who had come out of the duty room following the sound saw that her face was covered with bruises from being beaten. His gaze was slightly surprised as he glanced at the fair-skinned scholar. Truly, appearances can be deceiving...
Li Xiucai slapped Liu E across the face again, angrily shouting, "The examination hall is not a place for you to bark! Get out!"
Liu E was beaten and fell to the ground, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. Her ears were ringing, and the surrounding sounds were like a humming noise, but she still insisted, "Sir, he brought a cheat sheet and stuffed it between his legs!"
The buzzing faded, and after Liu E finished speaking, she found the world was quiet. Everyone's eyes were on her. It was the constable who reacted first, "You, you said where he's hiding?"
Since marrying into the family, Liu E's hatred for Li Xiucai had turned into a kind of unrestrained joy at this moment. She felt that she could be shameless. What was face anyway? Cheating in the imperial examinations was a serious crime. He should have been in jail for a few days long ago and could never participate in the imperial examinations again in his life!
She stood up unsteadily, her voice rough but firm, "He's in the valley! If you don't believe me, sir, you can check for yourself!"
Li Xiucai's expression changed drastically, and the yamen runner was momentarily at a loss for what to do. He turned to the side, waved his hand, and whispered a few words to the yamen runner beside him, who then hurriedly entered the examination hall.
As the morning light pierced through the gates of the examination hall, the yamen runner emerged again, accompanied by a young-looking official. His wide, moon-white sleeves swept across the pillars, and the gold-embroidered peacock pattern on his rank-three official robe shone faintly in the light and shadow. A jade pendant with a dragon motif, suspended from his leather belt, swayed gently with each step, producing a clear, melodious sound.
Feng Tan had exquisite features, yet possessed an imposing aura that commanded respect without anger. Standing on the steps, she glanced at the audience below, her gaze lingering for a moment when she saw Wu Xiang before subtly shifting away to Liu E, who had been brutally beaten.
Feng Tan spoke in a voice as sharp as shattered jade against ice, saying, "Can you guarantee the truth of what you just said?"
After all, the person being examined was a scholar, and a scholar's private parts at that. No man would willingly endure such a humiliation. If nothing was found, Li Xiucai, a scholar from a poor family, would face a united attack from his faction.
She was the chief examiner for this imperial examination, which was crucial to the reform and could not afford to make any mistakes.
Liu E looked at Feng Tan, momentarily forgetting to answer. The constable said sternly, "I'm asking you a question!"
She then turned around and said, "I am certain!"
Liu E was meticulous and knew everything about Li Xiucai's despicable deeds. He had ruined her chance to participate in the provincial examination three years ago, and he wouldn't get away with it either.
Feng Tan waved his hand, signaling the yamen runners to take Li Xiucai away for inspection, and then instructed the yamen runners to continue inspecting the others.
Li Xiucai was indignant and unwilling to be inspected. His mind raced as he tried to escape the inspection. His face flushed red with anger, he roared and pointed his anger at Feng Tan, "Lord Feng, don't look down on me, a poor scholar with no support! My Li family has no official connections and is not comparable to those privileged families, but I, Li, am a man of principle! If you want to inspect me, then do it yourself!"
He steered the conversation toward the poor, which was enough to evoke sympathy from the poor scholars in the queue. It worked, and many in the long line began to defend Li Xiucai, their voices rising like boiling water, creating an uproar.
The long line of female candidates undergoing the examinations on the side also turned to look. Cheng Ruihui stood in the long line, watching quietly how Feng Tan would respond.
Upon hearing Li Xiucai's hesitant words, Feng Tan said, "Alright, I'll come myself. It won't be an insult to your pride."
Li Xiucai was dumbfounded when he received this unexpected offer. He never imagined that Feng Tan, a member of the imperial family, the only legitimate princess of the Great Huang Dynasty, and a powerful official of the third rank, would stoop so low as to touch his...buttocks...
Seeing Li Xiucai's face darken instantly, Deng Tong knew the situation had reached a stalemate. Lord Feng's expression was calm; any further hesitation from Li Xiucai would suggest something was amiss. Just as they were caught in this predicament, the monk behind him spoke up, his voice deep and clear, "The examination hall discipline is strict. Since you were reported by your own wife, there must be evidence to follow. It's only natural for Lord Feng to investigate. But to have Lord Feng, a woman, personally investigate is like hunting a tiger naked—it's both reckless and shameless."
The monk's words were sharp, but the logic was sound. Feng Tan was the emperor's darling. Although Emperor Chongming didn't support her on political matters, he personally handled everything else by appointing the Grand Eunuch. He had truly lost his mind, coming up with such a low-level tactic!
He was now like flesh between bones, caught between two opposing forces. What was he to do? What was he to do?!
As Li Xiucai was pondering this, the monk approached and whispered to him, "You should know that even the Hegemon-King Xiang Yu did not cross the river."
After he finished speaking, he said to Feng Tan, "Lord Feng, my name is Xiao Changgeng. I am a Juren from Fuzhou Prefecture. My family is not prominent, but that is not to disgrace Li Xiucai. Why don't you let me examine you, Li Xiucai? What do you think?"
Scholar Li dismounted from the tiger and hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, that's excellent."
Feng Tan looked deeply at Wu Xiang, Xiao Chang Geng... Chang Geng, Chang Geng, does it mean he will live to be a hundred years old? Since their parting that day, she had sent people to investigate his identity, and it was indeed as he said, there was no lie. Moreover, although he had just returned to secular life, he had participated in the provincial examination three years ago, passed the provincial examination, and entered the metropolitan examination.
The less suspicious there was, the stranger Feng Tan felt, but she really couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was.
Feng Tan nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Scholar Xiao..."
The constable brought over all the necessary tools, placed the thin leather gloves and ointment in the inspection room, and then bowed and withdrew.
Before long, Xiao Changgeng and Li Xiucai came out of the duty room. On the yamen runner's table was an oiled paper scroll filled with scriptures and documents. It was tied very small with fine thread, and the surface was waterproofed and covered with dirt and slippery liquid.
Feng Tan glanced at him and waved for the yamen runners to take Li Xiucai away.
Liu E breathed a sigh of relief, belatedly realizing that Li Xiucai's slap had loosened her teeth. She put her finger into her lips and took out a loose tooth.
Blood instantly stained her hands. Feng Tan turned to Meng Henabul and said, "Uncle Meng, please heal her wounds."
The long line moved forward again. When it was Xiao Changgeng's turn, Feng Tan stopped the yamen runners and said gently, "I will personally examine this person."
The yamen runners were completely baffled, but Xiao Changgeng's smile vanished in a flash, too fast to catch.
Before dawn, candlelight flickered in the duty room. Feng Tan sat upright behind a mottled wooden desk piled high with writing brushes, ink, and a list of examinees. In a dark corner, the water in a copper basin had turned from clear water to ink after washing the brushes.
Standing beside Feng Tan were a clerk with a refined appearance and an academic official with sharp eyes and an expert handwriting.
"Scholar Xiao, please sit down." The clerk's voice was calm as he gestured to the bare wooden stool in front of him.
He asked, "Where are you from?"
Xiao Changgeng replied, "I am from Fuzhou Prefecture."
The clerk then asked, "Oh? The dragon vein of Fuzhou Prefecture was blocked a few years ago, but it was Lord Feng who investigated and cleared up the dragon vein case. At the foot of Pagoda Mountain in the west of the city, there is a 'Qingfeng Teahouse.' What is its signature snack?"
Xiao Changgeng said, "I have been traveling with Master Yunwu since I was a child, so I don't know much about this."
The purpose of this question was to verify the authenticity of the place of origin. If the answer was fluent, the suspicion would be reduced; if the answer was evasive, further investigation would be needed. Xiao Changgeng answered frankly, and no information could be obtained from the question. Judging from the details, his accent was good, so the clerk did not ask any further questions and only nodded slightly to Feng Tan.
The senior academic official pushed over a sheet of white paper and a fresh inkstone, saying, "Scholar Xiao, please recite the first chapter of the Great Learning and the first three hundred characters of Zhu Xi's commentary."
The examiner had Xiao Changgeng's handwritten confession from when he registered, as well as a sample of his handwriting from the provincial examination. Under pressure, did his handwriting match the archived version? Were there any signs of deliberate imitation or distortion? The stability of his hand while writing could reveal his true feelings.
The only sounds in the duty room were the soft scratching of the ink stick against the inkstone and the faint rustling of the brush tip cutting through the paper.
The instructor didn't look at Xiao Changgeng, but instead picked up his teacup, seemingly relaxed, yet his peripheral vision kept a close eye on every subtle expression and movement. He noticed that this man had developed an air of composure and calmness from the moment he entered the duty room, his actions were deliberate and strategic, and he possessed remarkable self-control.
After he finished writing from memory, the instructor picked up the paper, compared the handwriting, and after confirming that they were the same, asked Feng Tan for instructions.
Feng Tan waved his hand, signaling the two to leave. He examined the Xuan paper carefully for a moment; this person's handwriting was completely different from Xiao Yinshi's. In two meetings and two tests, aside from some similarities in personality, he couldn't match Xiao Yinshi in anything.
Feng Tan asked: "How does the sentence 'When the mind is empty and clear, all principles are present and all things arise' in Zhu Xi's commentary connect with Cheng Yi's statement 'Nature is principle' in Volume Two of 'Reflections on Things at Hand'? Also, what is the fundamental difference between this and Lu Xiangshan's saying 'Mind is principle'?"
This is an extremely apt and incisive question, directly addressing the divergence and integration of the core tenets of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism. To answer this question, it is necessary to clearly analyze the logic of Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism itself and compare its fundamental differences with the School of Mind.
Xiao Changgeng answered, his voice clear and resonant like the striking of a jade chime, his tone unhurried and deliberate, each word clear and steady. "In my humble opinion, Your Excellency's question is: 'Nature is principle' is an internalized logical development, collectively constructing a philosophical system with 'principle' as its essence. The fundamental difference between this and Lu Xi's 'Mind is principle' lies in placing the moral essence (principle) within or outside the mind. In Zhu Xi's philosophy, mind and principle have a cognitive 'containment' relationship, hence the effort is outward; in the philosophy of mind, mind and principle have an existential 'identity' relationship, hence the effort is inward. This is the beginning of the divergence between 'the philosophy of principle' and 'the philosophy of mind.' Whether my humble opinion is correct or not, I humbly request Your Excellency's guidance."
Xiao Changgeng was familiar with classical literature, had a clear understanding of concepts, grasped the main ideas well, and had the ability to integrate knowledge. His score was no different from that of the first-place candidate in the provincial examination.
After her first meeting with Xiao Changgeng, she ruled out the possibility that it was Xiao Yinshi's body. Remembering the supernatural tales that a person's soul never leaves, she sent someone to investigate Xiao Changgeng's entire past. He had been a disciple of Master Yunwu for the past twenty years, and upon observation today, he was completely identical to the Xiao Changgeng of the past.
Perhaps she's just overthinking things and seeing threats everywhere.
Feng Tan's scrutinizing gaze lingered on him for a little longer. Perhaps because he had cultivated under Master Yun Wu, Xiao Changgeng possessed an invisible "tranquility," like a solitary pine tree, its roots firmly planted even as storms approached.
Feng Tan asked again, "When you said you wanted to become my disciple at Yongle Temple, was that what you meant?"
He entered officialdom through the imperial examinations, abandoned his status as a monk, and served as an official in the Daikoku period.
Xiao Changgeng said, "That's right."
"Why?"
"In the power struggle in the capital, two factions are vying for power. Chang Geng's heart belongs only to you, my lord, and I will follow the wind with my life and death."
The reply sounded like a joke, but upon closer listening, there was a hint of ambiguity. Feng Tan met his seemingly affectionate gaze and was momentarily stunned.
Don't be fooled by appearances. Feng Tan then asked, "Why not choose Prince Jing?"
Xiao Changgeng raised his lips, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. "My lord has an army under his command. With an army, there are endless possibilities."
Feng Tan narrowed his eyes, stood up from his desk, walked to Xiao Changgeng's desk, looked down at him and said, "Are you saying I would rebel?"
Xiao Changgeng raised his eyes, revealing a pair of dark eyes beneath long, fine eyelashes. "Winning or losing a coup is a gamble with fate. If you lose the gamble and don't rebel, are you going to have to humble yourself and build an imperial platform for Prince Jing?"
Feng Tan's heart skipped a beat. After a moment's thought, she gave him a somewhat unreal smile. "You're very bold."
Xiao Changgeng remained noncommittal, his shadow looming over Feng Tan as he stood up. "Not as good as Lord Feng."
His identity was confirmed for the second time. The gloom between Feng Tan's brows eased a little, and she said to him, "The Dragon Gate is about to open. You should go now, lest you miss the appointed time."
Just as Xiao Changgeng was about to step out of the duty room, Feng Tan fixed his gaze on his back and suddenly called out, "Xiao Yinshi."
Xiao Changgeng's back didn't pause at all, but the yamen runner outside the door called him to stop, saying in a gruff voice, "The magistrate wants to see you."
Xiao Changgeng then turned to look at Feng Tan, the sharp glint in his dark eyes hidden deep within, and returned a harmless smile, "Did you call me, sir?"
As the sun rose, Feng Tan could clearly see the man's exquisite features and bone structure outlined by the light and shadow. She exhaled slowly and calmly, and said, "If you can become the top scholar in the imperial examination, come and work under my command. I guarantee you a high career advancement."
All the tests had shown that he was not Xiao Yinshi. Feng Tan knew that he was shrewd and calculating, and would definitely be a sharp sword in the officialdom.
The number of women participating in the imperial examination was no more than that of men, and they had all entered their examination cells a quarter of an hour earlier. Feng Tan stood in front of the examination hall and asked the yamen runner in charge of inspection, "Just now, was it he who...pulled the examination paper...out of Li Xiucai's thigh...?"
The constable shook his head and said, "No, he told the scholar to fix it himself. Otherwise, if he did it, his anus would tear."
Feng Tan: "......"
A-Tan: I'll test the waters, test them again... [question mark]
Xiao Yinshi: I've been a performer since the very first chapter! [rainbow fart]
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