Thick clouds obscured the moon, and atop the Xuji Tower, only the sound of the whistling wind could be heard. The night wind cut through, slicing wild grass, and even though it was April, the chill reached straight to Tang Shen’s heart.

Initially, Tang Shen looked at Wang Zhen in astonishment, but he quickly composed himself, his gaze becoming inscrutable. He and Wang Zhen had trained under the same teacher, and by all accounts, they were already considered “peng” (companions). But Wang Zhen had said that only those with the same aspirations could be called “you” (true friends)! What were Wang Zhen’s ambitions? How could Tang Shen possibly know! So now, was Wang Zhen forcing him to take sides?

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Tang Shen, having recently placed third in the imperial exams, was certain to take up a position in the Hanlin Academy. For at least six months, he would be stationed there, which had nothing to do with Wang Zhen, who was in the Ministry of Revenue. He knew nothing of the current court situation, and it was only at tonight’s banquet that he learned a bit from Fu Wei and Wang Zhen. So, what use could he be to Wang Zhen? What were Wang Zhen’s ambitions, his standing in the court, his status? Tang Shen was completely in the dark!

Outwardly calm, Tang Shen’s mind was racing with countless thoughts.

Suddenly, a realization struck him: Was Wang Zhen really trying to force him to take sides?

He was only sixteen this year, born into a humble background, with no powerful connections. If it weren’t for Liang Song, Tang Shen would never have been able to become a disciple of Fu Wei. Reflecting on the past year of interactions with Wang Zhen—the times Wang Zhen guided him, helped him rise steadily in the imperial examinations, and even took him to release animals before the huishi—Tang Shen took a deep breath and concluded: Wang Zhen was merely asking about his aspirations! There might be some ulterior motive, but at this moment, playing dumb wouldn’t do any harm.

Looking at Wang Zhen’s smiling face, Tang Shen hesitated for a moment before responding, “Last March, I came to Shengjing, and it was only through the care of my teacher and senior brother that I found a place to settle in this unfamiliar city. When I left Gusu, I never imagined that my path in the imperial exams would be this smooth, all thanks to your earnest guidance, Senior Brother Zi Feng. I will never forget it.” Pausing, he concluded, “To me, Senior Brother Zi Feng is both a teacher and a friend.”

Wang Zhen looked at Tang Shen’s cautious and focused gaze for a long time before smiling slightly.

“Seeing you like this today reminds me of nine years ago.”

Tang Shen looked up at him, puzzled. “Nine years ago?”

Wang Zhen’s expression grew reflective, “Nine years ago, when I placed first in the imperial exams, I was as young as you are now.”

This time, Tang Shen was truly stunned for a while.

Wang Zhen was twenty-six years old, ten years older than Tang Shen. But Tang Shen had never considered Wang Zhen to be old. After all, in the modern world, twenty-six would still be considered young—probably still studying, not yet working. No one would call twenty-six old! But in ancient times, with Wang Zhen saying he wasn’t young anymore, Tang Shen found himself at a loss for words.

He glanced at Wang Zhen’s face, recalling that his fellow classmate at the Imperial College, Liu Fang, was also twenty-six, but looked much older than Wang Zhen. Wang Zhen, no matter how one looked at him, appeared like a twenty-year-old, a noble young man just coming of age, elegant as jade.

Tang Shen said, “Senior Brother, you still look very young.” This was one of the rare moments where he spoke with genuine sincerity.

Wang Zhen turned to look at Tang Shen and said, “The night wind is strong; let’s go downstairs.”

Together, they descended from Xuji Tower.

Before leaving, Wang Zhen suddenly asked, “By the way, do you know where your residence as a tanhua will be?”

Tang Shen replied, “Not yet. I heard it will be announced next month.”

Wang Zhen pointed to a location in the east of the city, very close to the Imperial Palace, coincidentally near both Fu Residence and the Minister Residence. He said, “Every time the top three scholars in the imperial exams are awarded residences by the emperor, this is handled by the Ministry of Revenue. How do you feel about that location?”

It was undoubtedly a prime piece of real estate, close to where both Fu Wei and Wang Zhen lived. Tang Shen had no complaints about living there.

But the Hanlin Academy was in the west of the city, with more than half of Shengjing separating the two places.

Tang Shen honestly replied, “It’s a great location, just a bit far from the Hanlin Academy.”

Wang Zhen responded, “Oh, I just wanted to inform you that this location was decided three days ago.”

The implication: just informing you, not asking for your opinion.

Tang Shen: “…”

Then why ask in the first place!

After they descended Xuji Tower, Wang Zhen offered to escort Tang Shen home, which Tang Shen did not refuse. Sitting in the spacious carriage, the seats covered with fine tiger pelts, the fur sleek and shiny, the drawers inside filled with various snacks and books, Tang Shen could tell that Wang Zhen knew how to enjoy life. The carriage glided smoothly over Shengjing’s already even roads, without the slightest bump.

The carriage bearing the Minister’s house lantern slowly arrived at the alley where Tang Shen lived. Tang Shen jumped off the carriage. He turned back and said, “Thank you, Senior Brother Zi Feng, for seeing me off.”

Wang Zhen lifted the carriage curtain and said to Tang Shen, “It’s late; walk carefully, little Junior Brother.”

Tang Shen responded, “You too, Senior Brother.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Tang Shen was about to turn and leave when Wang Zhen suddenly said, “A few days ago, while reading, I came across a saying. Thinking about it today, I find it quite interesting. Little Junior Brother, in some matters, you must know not only what can be done but also what cannot be done.”

Tang Shen froze, looking up at Wang Zhen in the carriage.

After a long pause, he chuckled lightly and said, “Isn’t that a variation of the phrase ‘knowing the impossibility and still doing it’ from the Analects? A clever twist.”

Wang Zhen smiled and said no more, as the carriage wheels creaked on the cobblestone road. Tang Shen stood at the alley entrance, watching as Wang Zhen gradually left, the smile on his face slowly fading away.

Back home, Tang Shen sat in his study. Feng Bi brought him a bowl of hot soup, but he had no appetite for it.

The Analects state, “It is said that knowing the impossibility and still doing it is an admirable trait,” implying that Confucius was someone who, knowing something was impossible, still pursued it. Wang Zhen had suddenly given him a variation of this saying, advising him to “know what can be done, and know what cannot be done.”

“What exactly is he trying to say?” Tang Shen pondered, then suddenly clenched his fists. “Does he know why I came to Shengjing?”

Immediately, Tang Shen dismissed the thought, “How could he? I have already become a disciple of Fu Wei, and over the past year, I have shown no unusual behavior. If Wang Zhen had been a bit more well-informed, he might have even known that I once scolded the members of the Songqing faction in front of the emperor at the Imperial College.”

As it happened, Tang Shen was spot on. Wang Zhen, closely connected with the Grand Eunuch Ji Fu, indeed knew about this.

Tang Shen continued to think, “I haven’t made any mistakes, and after Mr. Liang’s death, I immediately distanced myself from him and rarely mentioned him in front of Mr. Fu. Besides, I’m only sixteen, just a kid. I must be overthinking it.”

“But…what if I’m not overthinking it?”

“Could Wang Zhen really be telling me to consider carefully whether something should or shouldn’t be done? Is he advising me to think twice before making any decisions?”

In the study, the candles burned with a crackling sound.

After a long while, Tang Shen’s eyes were like torches, unwavering and resolute: “Even if ten thousand people stand in my way, I shall go forth!”

Having finally come to a resolution, Tang Shen felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He no longer dwelled on Wang Zhen’s words from that night, nor did he let them trouble him further. He picked up a bowl of meat broth, intending to take a sip, but found that the soup had already gone cold, with a layer of congealed fat floating on top, making it unappetizing. Tang Shen set the bowl aside in disgust. After some thought, he picked up some paper, ground the ink, and began to write. He copied the calligraphy practice book that Wang Zhen had given him and then took out a knife to bind the pages he had written into a booklet.

The next day, Tang Shen asked Yao San to make some qingtuan (green rice dumplings).

It was still April, around the time of the Qingming Festival. While the people of Shengjing didn’t have the custom of eating qingtuan, the people of Jiangnan did. In the evening, Tang Shen carried a basket of steaming hot qingtuan, along with the booklet of his writing, and went to the Minister Residence.

He waited in the flower hall for half an hour before Wang Zhen finally returned from the Ministry of Revenue.

Wang Zhen was surprised to see him there.

Tang Shen said, “Senior Brother mentioned the other day that I hadn’t visited the Minister Residence in a long time, so I came today to pay my respects. It so happens that we made some qingtuan at home. Though they were made rather simply, I thought I’d bring some over for Senior Brother to try. Also, this is the calligraphy booklet I wrote last month. Senior Brother’s calligraphy is exceptional. I can only replicate the form, but not the essence, so I’d like to ask for your guidance.”

Wang Zhen looked at Tang Shen and laughed, saying, “Why not stay at the Minister Residence tonight? In a few days, you’ll be taking up your post at the Hanlin Academy. Even though it’s a leisurely office, you still won’t have as much free time as you do now. Let us, as senior and junior brothers, talk through the night by candlelight, and I’ll take a look at your calligraphy booklet.”

Tang Shen hadn’t planned on spending the night at the Minister Residence, but he was still concerned about the things Wang Zhen had said the other night. From what he could tell, if he wanted to become a powerful official, the best shortcut was through Wang Zifeng.

Tang Shen said, “Alright, I had actually thought of that too, but I’ve always hesitated to trouble Senior Brother.”

Wang Zhen asked, “Really?”

Tang Shen, ignoring his conscience, replied with sincere tones, “Really!”

Wang Zhen said, “Then come and stay more often in the future. After all, the Tanhua Residence is close by!”

Tang Shen: “…”

Why does this feel a little off?

After dinner, Tang Shen took out the calligraphy booklet he had written, lying that he wrote it last month. Wang Zhen carefully examined the booklet and then asked Tang Shen to write a few more characters in front of him. After pointing out a few areas for improvement, Tang Shen wrote two more characters.

Suddenly, a hand reached from behind and grasped his. Wang Zhen held Tang Shen’s hand, guiding him in writing.

“Showing sharpness is good, but this stroke could be lighter.”

In the flickering candlelight, Tang Shen slowly raised his head to look at Wang Zhen standing behind him.

Wang Zhen released his hand and smiled, “Junior Brother?”

Tang Shen turned back, “Is this how it should be written, Senior Brother?”

“Yes, well done.”

In the dim candlelight, one person held his hand, teaching him calligraphy. A year and a half ago, there had been someone else who had done the same.

Tang Shen wrote earnestly, and Wang Zhen patiently taught him. When they finally parted, Tang Shen retired to the guest room in the Minister Residence. Lying in bed, he stretched out his hand and looked at his right hand in the moonlight, recalling the warmth of Wang Zhen’s touch. However, he could no longer remember the feeling of when Liang Song had once taught him calligraphy.

Liang Song’s hands were a bit cooler, while Wang Zifeng’s were warmer.

But when facing Wang Zifeng, he tread carefully, as if on thin ice. In contrast, with Liang Song, he dared to do anything, say anything, and be truly himself—Tang Shen, not Tang Jingze.

To Wang Zifeng, he was Tang Shen, but also Tang Jingze.

Only with Mr. Liang was he just Tang Shen—only Tang Shen!

“Sir…”

I miss you.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Tang Shen didn’t sleep a wink that night, staying awake until dawn. When he got up, Wang Zhen had already left for court. The steward invited Tang Shen to stay for breakfast at the Minister Residence, and Tang Shen didn’t decline. After eating, he returned home. It was still only around 5-7 AM. He had arranged to meet Zhao Qiong at Qianli Tower at noon.

There was no time to waste. Tang Shen freshened up, changed his clothes, and set off for Qianli Tower.

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Tang Shen was flustered and in the midst of panic when he suddenly had a flash of inspiration: “Da… Like the ocean, calm and clear!”

In the garden of the Fu Residence, it was spring, and flowers were blooming everywhere. The sounds of birds chirping filled the air. The shade of willow trees covered the rockery, and the shadow of the rockery concealed Tang Shen and the others. After Tang Shen finished speaking, the garden fell into silence.

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Tang Shen had suddenly blurted out this line of poetry in his moment of desperation. Wen Shu didn’t understand it, but Wang Zhen stared at Tang Shen intently. After a moment, he said, “Like thunder that has gathered and subsided its fury? Why did little Junior Brother suddenly recite this upon seeing me?”

Like thunder that has gathered and subsided its fury, like the ocean, calm and clear.

These lines describe Gongsun Da Niang’s sword dance, and this world also has them.

Tang Shen quickly composed himself. He lied with wide eyes: “It has been a long time since I last saw Senior Brother Zi Feng. Seeing you again now, you are just as refined and elegant as I remembered, like the clear light of the ocean, shining brightly. When I saw Senior Brother, this line of poetry came to mind, and I blurted it out without thinking.” He quickly complimented him, as flattery was a good distraction.

Wang Zhen looked at Tang Shen for a moment and then said, “I didn’t expect that after just seven days apart, Jing Ze would miss me so much.” Then he turned to his page boy and said, “Jing Ze hasn’t been to the Minister Residence for seven days, why didn’t you invite him? If not for the fact that Sir had us come together this time, who knows when I would have seen Jing Ze again! Do you realize your mistake?”

The page boy, who was suddenly blamed out of nowhere: “?” What were you all talking about just now, and what does it have to do with me?

Tang Shen: “…”

The page boy replied honestly, “It was my fault.”

Wang Zhen scolded, “There must not be a next time.”

Page boy: “…Yes.”

Wang Zhen grabbed Tang Shen’s hand and lightly patted it. The two of them walked out of the garden hand in hand like the closest of brothers, resembling the gentlemen of the Spring and Autumn period. Wang Zhen sincerely said, “We are fellow disciples. In the future, this kind of thing won’t happen again. If Jing Ze misses me, you can come to the Minister Residence anytime.”

Tang Shen nodded, feeling relieved. He thought that Wang Zifeng was not that difficult to deal with, and he had easily managed to get away with this “dad” situation. However, when they reached the flower hall, Tang Shen suddenly realized that he had only praised Wang Zhen when he saw him and hadn’t said anything about missing him at all. Wang Zifeng was blatantly slandering him!

He almost choked on a mouthful of blood.

Wang Zhen led Tang Shen to the flower hall. Tang Shen was annoyed but did not dare to say anything, so he just glared at Wang Zhen. But when Wang Zhen looked at him, Tang Shen quickly averted his eyes and said earnestly, “Senior Brother.”

Wang Zhen said, “It seems that Junior Brother really did miss me; you’ve been looking at me the whole way.”

Tang Shen: “…”

Fu Wei came out and said, “Jing Ze missed Zi Feng? It seems that you two brothers have been getting along quite well without my knowledge!”

Wang Zhen: “Sir.”

Tang Shen grumbled, “Sir.”

Both of them bowed and saluted Fu Wei.

In the flower hall, a small round table made of huanghuali wood was already set, with exquisite Jiangnan dishes placed on it. Both Tang Shen and Wang Zhen were from Jiangnan, where the food is known for being delicate and refined, with small portions and mild flavors. Though they called it a meal, it was more about conversation, and none of them ate much. Fu Wei wasn’t strict about the “no talking during meals” rule and asked Tang Shen, “As a newly appointed tanhua lang, is it as wonderful as you imagined?”

Tang Shen was miserable and blinked pitifully, “Sir, you’re teasing me!”

Fu Wei laughed heartily and pointed at Wang Zhen with his chopsticks: “The zhuangyuan of the 18th year of Kaiping.” Then he pointed at himself, “I didn’t do as well. Back then, I was in the same cohort as Zhong Taisheng. Unfortunately, he was the zhuangyuan, and I had to settle for bangyan (second place).” He then looked at Tang Shen: “And you’re a tanhua. Our school has now produced all the top three scholars!”

Wang Zhen quietly listened to Fu Wei speak, not saying a word.

Tang Shen glanced at Wang Zhen, and an idea came to him: “Senior Brother Zi Feng once made an analogy to me.”

Fu Wei: “Oh? What analogy?”

Wang Zhen lifted his eyes and looked at Tang Shen.

Tang Shen thought to himself, I’m only sixteen years old; I can say whatever I want, and it’s just childish talk! “Back when I placed second in the xiangshi, Senior Brother Zi Feng told me that he was the top scholar, and I was the runner-up. We were like a dragon and a phoenix, bringing good fortune to our school. Now that I think about it, Senior Brother Zi Feng is the top scholar, and you, Sir, are the runner-up. Aren’t you both like a dragon and a phoenix as well? Truly auspicious!”

Fu Wei: “…”

Wang Zhen smiled slightly.

During the meal, Fu Wei gave Wang Zhen several glares, which Wang Zhen pretended not to see, even pouring wine for Fu Wei at the end.

After the meal, the three of them enjoyed steaming hot Mingqian Biluochun tea while sitting in the flower hall, admiring the flowers. The Fu Residence’s garden was particularly beautiful under the moonlight, and they could faintly hear the croaking of frogs from the pond. They talked for quite a while, mostly with Fu Wei advising and instructing Tang Shen.

Fu Wei said, “The officialdom is not the same as ordinary life. I can only guide you this far; in the future, I can at most point you in the right direction. The rest will depend on you. As a tanhua, you are different from the other second and third rank scholars. You’ve already been appointed to the Hanlin Academy as a bianxiu (compiler) of the seventh rank. Although I hold the position of chengzhi (TN: Hanlin Academy Chancellor. The “Hanlin Academy” was an important academic and administrative institution in imperial China, and “chengzhi” refers to an official who carries out or receives imperial orders) at the Hanlin Academy, I only stayed because of the Emperor’s persuasion and rarely visit the Hanlin Academy. In a few days, when you take up your post, do you have any questions?”

This was Tang Shen’s first time becoming an official, especially in ancient times, and there were many things he didn’t understand, which he brought up one by one.

Fu Wei answered some of his questions, and Wang Zhen also helped answer a few.

As the moon rose high in the sky, Tang Shen and Wang Zhen both bid farewell to Fu Wei.

The two senior and junior brothers walked out of the Fu Residence together. Tang Shen originally planned to go home and was about to bid farewell to Wang Zhen when he saw Wang Zhen raise his head to look at the moon and point to the sky. Tang Shen followed the direction of his hand. The bright moon had naturally dimmed the stars, but in ancient times, without city lights or atmospheric pollution, even with a bright moon, dozens of stars still glittered in the sky.

“One could reach out and pluck the stars. Junior Brother, do you remember writing this line of poetry?”

Tang Shen thickened his skin and said, “I remember. Why does Senior Brother Zi Feng bring it up?”

Wang Zhen replied, “One does not dare speak loudly, for fear of startling those above.”

Tang Shen didn’t understand immediately, but then he saw Wang Zhen point to the sky and say, “Junior Brother has good fortune, already disturbing those above!”

A flash of inspiration hit Tang Shen, and he instantly understood what Wang Zhen meant.

There is only one person “above,” and that’s Zhao Fu.

So it turns out that Zhao Fu moved him up from fifth to third place in the dianshi because of the poem he wrote during the Imperial College’s class! Reflecting on his path to the imperial examinations since arriving in Shengjing, Tang Shen realized that the emperor’s presence at the Imperial College was the fundamental reason he ultimately became a tanhua. However, the emperor’s presence at the college was connected to the class, and securing one of the top three spots in that class was something Wang Zifeng had mentioned to him.

Sweat began to seep from Tang Shen’s forehead. He hadn’t expected even this matter to be related to Wang Zifeng.

Tang Shen bowed and said, “Thank you, Senior Brother Zi Feng.”

Wang Zhen smiled and said, “I don’t quite understand what Junior Brother is thanking me for.”

Tang Shen didn’t clarify, thinking, you practically said it yourself, aren’t you just waiting for me to thank you? Why act like a cunning fox? But outwardly, he said, “I’m thanking Senior Brother for your guidance!”

Wang Zhen smiled slightly. After walking a few more steps, he suddenly said, “Your poem mentions wanting to pluck the stars from the sky. Do you know the tallest building in Shengjing, and indeed all of the Song Dynasty?”

Tang Shen thought for a moment: “The Qianli Tower?”

Wang Zhen shook his head and said, “It’s Xuji Tower!”

Xuji Tower was in the northern part of the city. Riding in the Minister Residence’s carriage, Tang Shen and Wang Zhen arrived at the base of Xuji Tower. Tang Shen looked up and saw that it was a nine-story tall building!

Ancient high-rise buildings were usually temple pagodas. The structure of a Buddhist pagoda is different from a building; it can reach great heights and remain stable, unaffected by the wind. But in this era, Tang Shen had never seen a building taller than six stories, let alone nine! He had never been to the northern part of Shengjing before, so he had never seen this building. However, even if he had come, he probably wouldn’t have been able to enter.

The base of Xuji Tower was surrounded by soldiers in armor!

Wang Zhen said, “Let’s go up and take a look.”

Tang Shen didn’t doubt Wang Zhen’s words at all. Since Wang Zhen said so, they would definitely be able to get in. He followed Wang Zhen toward Xuji Tower. Sure enough, the soldiers parted to make way when they saw Wang Zhen, allowing him to enter Xuji Tower.

Nine floors! In his previous life, Tang Shen was used to taking elevators and hadn’t climbed such a tall building in years. In this life, it was even more out of the question. By the time they reached the top floor, even Wang Zhen was slightly out of breath. Seeing the sweat on Wang Zhen’s forehead, Tang Shen realized that his senior brother was also just a mortal.

However, just as he thought old Wang seemed more down-to-earth and not so distant, the clouds parted from the moon, and the moonlight bathed Wang Zifeng in its glow, making him look as though he could ascend to immortality at any moment, no longer seeming like an ordinary person!

Tang Shen suddenly felt exhausted.

Tang Shen asked, “Why did Senior Brother Zi Feng suddenly want to come here tonight? With so many soldiers guarding the base, I thought we wouldn’t be able to come up.”

“Do you know the meaning of Xuji Tower?”

If it were anyone else, even this year’s top scholar, Yao Shan, they might not have been able to answer Wang Zhen’s question. But Tang Shen had an eidetic memory, and he didn’t just read the Four Books and Five Classics; he had also memorized various other classic texts. After thinking for a moment, he replied, “Achieve utmost emptiness, maintain quietude steadfastly.”

This is from the Taoist classic, the Tao Te Ching.

Wang Zhen’s eyes showed praise as he said, “That’s right. It means ‘achieve utmost emptiness, maintain quietude steadfastly.’ Five years ago, the Emperor wanted to build the tallest building, to reach the heavens in search of the Way. The Ministry of Revenue started constructing this building four years ago, and it will be completed next month. The Emperor will personally visit to hold the Xuji Tower ceremony.”

“I see.”

But what does that have to do with him?

Wang Zhen turned to look south. They were now facing north, looking south, just like the Emperor, with all of Shengjing spread out before them! Wang Zhen suddenly extended his hand toward the sky and recited the poem Tang Shen had written: “A towering building a hundred feet tall, one could reach out and pluck the stars. One does not dare speak loudly, for fear of startling those above. Standing here, Junior Brother, do you think you can pluck the stars?”

Forget standing on a nine-story building; even if you stood on the sun, you couldn’t pluck a single star!

As a science-minded person, Tang Shen didn’t understand this kind of romanticism, but he couldn’t explain to Wang Zhen that stars were very distant suns. After thinking for a long time, he felt he was being quite romantic when he said, “If you have stars in your heart, you can pluck them.”

Wang Zhen suddenly turned to look at him.

Tang Shen felt a lump in his throat.

…What?

Wang Zhen suddenly burst out laughing.

Tang Shen: ???

Was he being mocked?

In the moonlight, Wang Zifeng, dressed in a white brocade robe, said softly, “The Master said: ‘Comrades in the same school are called friends; those with the same aspirations are called companions.’ Jing Ze, would you say we are friends, or companions?”

Tang Shen was shocked, alarm bells ringing in his head as he looked up at Wang Zhen.

He saw Wang Zhen smiling at him, his eyes clear, but with something deep and unreadable hidden beneath them.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Comrades in the same school are friends, but only those who share the same aspirations are true companions!

Wang Zifeng… was asking him to examine his heart!

AN: Old Wang from next door: Are we comrades or companions?

Little Tang [with a horrified face]: What do you want to do!!!

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On the seventh day of the fourth month, the 291 new scholars who excelled in the huishi changed into their scholar robes and once again stepped into the imperial palace.

On this day, the Zichen Hall was filled with the civil and military officials of the court. As they would during the morning assembly, the civil officials stood on the left side and the military officials on the right. Naturally, it wasn’t possible for all the over two hundred scholars to squeeze into Zichen Hall. At the third quarter of yin shi (around 5:45 am), as the first light of dawn appeared in the sky, the head eunuch Ji Fu stepped out of Zichen Hall and loudly announced, “In the 27th year of Kaiping, the jinshi who passed the huishi may enter Zichen Hall to meet the Emperor!”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

As his voice fell, two young eunuchs standing on the first step of the stone platform shouted in unison, “In the 27th year of Kaiping, the jinshi who passed the huishi may enter Zichen Hall to meet the Emperor!”

Further down, four more eunuchs echoed the shout.

Altogether, they repeated the call thirty-one times, their sharp voices ringing loudly through the palace.

Then, Ji Fu called out the names of the ten jinshi selected as candidates for the top three positions, summoning them to enter the hall.

Tang Shen’s name was fifth on the list, meaning he was ranked fifth by the exam readers among the ten. With a calm expression, Tang Shen lowered his head and stepped out of the line, walking with the other nine towards Zichen Hall.

Among the ten were Yao Shan, who had gained fame before the huishi, Wang Xiao, who topped this year’s examination, and Tang Shen’s two classmates from the Imperial College, Liu Fang and Mei Shengze.

However, even close friends refrained from conversing at this moment. The ten of them kept their heads bowed as they entered Zichen Hall and stood in two rows, five in each row, according to the order in which Ji Fu had called their names.

In the grand hall, only the faint sound of breathing could be heard; not a single unnecessary sound was made.

Zichen Hall was where the emperor summoned his ministers and held the morning assembly. It was nine bays wide and five bays deep, symbolizing the supreme power of the emperor. The ceiling was covered with yellow glazed tiles and adorned with colorful paintings in gold lacquer. At the center of the hall, a plaque hung high, bearing the inscription “To understand the One and complete all things.”—a phrase taken from the Daoist text Zhuangzi meaning “to be in harmony with the One, and all things will be completed without effort.” This inscription had been placed there ten years ago by Emperor Zhao Fu, replacing the previous emperor’s inscription “Cautious from Beginning to End”.

When all ten jinshi were assembled, the Minister of Rites, Meng Lang, presented their palace examination papers on a golden tray before Zhao Fu.

Zhao Fu did not immediately take the papers but instead smiled and said, “My dear ministers, take a look—every three years, I see ten new black-haired heads.” After a pause, Zhao Fu added, “But this time, I was wrong; there is someone with graying hair among them. What is your name?”

The person Zhao Fu referred to was the seventh-ranked jinshi, whom Tang Shen had heard of before the huishi—a jieyuan (top scorer) from Shanxi.

Overwhelmed with gratitude at being addressed by the emperor, the elderly jinshi, who was over fifty years old, knelt and reported his name.

Zhao Fu said, “Heaven rewards diligence.”

These simple words brought tears to the old jinshi’s eyes.

Zhao Fu then told the ten jinshi to raise their heads, and they did. For some of them, today might be the closest they would ever get to the emperor. Standing at the far edge of the first row, Tang Shen quietly looked down at the floor, remaining silent. He could hear Zhao Fu conversing with the officials, including the Minister of Rites, Meng Lang.

Such an emperor could not be called a foolish ruler. Even though he indulged in the pursuit of immortality, spending vast amounts of national resources to search for immortal islands overseas, the country remained prosperous. The people mourned the deaths of great scholars like Zhong Taiseng, but no one blamed the emperor.

Zhao Fu was not a wise ruler, but he was a ruler who maintained the state. He favored certain individuals (such as Li Xiaoren, the Director of the Astronomical Bureau) but did not blindly trust them. Today, he only spoke a few words, but Tang Shen, catching a glimpse of his friend Mei Shengze beside him, could see that Mei Shengze had already made up his mind to become the emperor’s most loyal subject!

Zhao Fu had mastered the art of ruling.

After a few more words, Zhao Fu began to review the ten jinshi’s examination papers. This was the “Imperial Review.” As the sole chief examiner of the palace examination, the ten exam readers could only rank the new jinshi in order, but until the final moment, no one knew how the emperor would alter the rankings.

Zhao Fu leaned forward slightly from the dragon throne and used his hand to shuffle through the papers.

He reviewed them quickly, clearly only skimming over the content. However, when he reached one particular paper, Zhao Fu paused briefly. He whispered something so softly that only Ji Fu, who was standing next to him, could hear. Even the Minister of Rites couldn’t make out what was said.

Ji Fu immediately raised his head and looked straight at Tang Shen.

Like the other scholars, Tang Shen had been discreetly observing the emperor, but the moment Ji Fu looked at him, Tang Shen quickly lowered his head, and their eyes did not meet.

As Ji Fu looked at Tang Shen’s youthful and handsome face, he thought: Who would have guessed that the emperor’s visit to the Imperial College would bring him such great fortune!

What had Zhao Fu just said?

Zhao Fu had said, “Will it startle the celestial beings? But since they are already startled, what should we do?” With that, Zhao Fu picked up the red pen and directly changed Tang Shen’s ranking from fifth to third.

During the palace examination, the 300 scholars were divided into three tiers.

The first tier is “jinshi jidi” (Presented Scholar), which includes only the top three: the zhuangyuan (first rank), the bangyan (second rank), and the tanhua (third rank). The second tier is “jinshi chushen” (passed as jinshi), which includes several people. The third tier is “tong jinshi chushen” (passed as tong jinshi). Ji Fu was shocked because Zhao Fu directly promoted Tang Shen to the first tier!

Others might not understand Zhao Fu, but Ji Fu knew that despite the emperor’s flowery speeches and his show of caring for his subjects like they were his own children, in truth, Zhao Fu had never shown any real interest in the palace examination for the imperial examinations over the years! Today, he might speak of “Heaven rewarding the diligent,” but tomorrow, when he is engrossed in his pursuit of immortality, he might have already forgotten the appearance of the old jinshi who had worked so diligently.

The emperor may be heartless, but the fact that Zhao Fu promoted Tang Shen to the first tier indicated that Zhao Fu had already taken notice of Tang Shen. Even if he was only a tanhua, his future might be even more brilliant than this year’s zhuangyuan!

Ji Fu secretly made a mental note of Tang Shen’s name.

After Zhao Fu finished reviewing the exam papers, the Minister of Rites retrieved them. He opened the papers, and when he saw the rankings that Zhao Fu had altered, his eyebrows twitched slightly as he discreetly glanced at Wang Zhen, who was standing among the officials.

He saw how Wang daren was focused on the ground, his gaze fixed downward as he mentally counted the number of floor tiles in Zichen Hall!

Meng daren cursed silently, “oh, keep pretending,” and then began to announce the rankings for the first tier of this year’s examination.

“On the 27th year of Kaiping, the new zhuangyuan is Yao Shan, also known as Yao Wenji!”

Yao Shan had already been ranked first by Meng Lang and the other examiners, so upon hearing his name, he couldn’t contain his joy and quickly stepped forward.

“Newly appointed bangyan, Wang Xiao, also known as Wang Daiyue!”

Wang Xiao, who was still ranked second, took a step forward.

“Newly appointed tanhua, Tang Shen, also known as Tang Jingze!”

Tang Shen was startled, his eyes showing surprise, but he kept his composure and walked forward calmly.

Next, the Minister of Rites announced the names of those in the second tier, and finally, the remaining were all given the title of “tong jinshi chushen” from the third tier.

Meng Lang loudly declared, “The golden palace ceremony is complete. All jinshi, bow to the Emperor and thank your mentor!”

At that moment, the ten jinshi inside the hall, along with the more than two hundred jinshi outside the door, and all the civil and military officials present, knelt to Zhao Fu, completing the final step of the ceremony.

After Zhao Fu left, Tang Shen and the other two exited the palace through the central gate of Xuanwu Gate, while the rest had to exit through the side gates.

As Tang Shen stepped out of the palace, he let out a breath of relief. Instinctively, he turned his head, looking among the departing officials for a glimpse of his senior brother. Unfortunately, Wang Zhen was not there, nor were several high-ranking officials; it seemed they had been summoned by Zhao Fu.

Tang Shen wasn’t entirely sure why he suddenly wanted to find Wang Zhen, but before he could think further, he was distracted by a thunderous noise outside the palace gate. As the jinshi walked out, they saw that the spacious path outside the palace was already crowded with the public!

It seemed like every girl in the capital had gathered there!

Seeing the top three scholars emerge from the central palace gate, the onlookers, especially the unmarried young women, widened their eyes in excitement. When they saw that the zhuangyuan, Yao Shan, was a brawny man of forty with a rugged appearance, their excitement dimmed.

When they saw Wang Xiao, hope flickered once more.

Someone in the crowd said, “That’s Wang Xiao from Jinling Prefecture, the bangyan. He’s distantly related to the Wang family of Langya! He’s thirty-one this year and already married.”

“What a pity!”

The crowd sighed in disappointment again.

But when Tang Shen walked out, everyone’s eyes brightened.

“Such a young tanhua must be unmarried!”

“So young, it must be Tang Shen, the tanhua from Gusu Prefecture!”

“As the stories and plays say, the zhuangyuan is talented, and the tanhua is handsome, like flowers and jade, a dreamlike tanhua!”

Upon hearing this, Tang Shen, “…”

You’re the one who’s like a flower! Your whole family is like flowers!

In the Song Dynasty, the people were open-minded, and the court allowed the public to cheer and celebrate along the streets when the top scholars paraded.

In both his lives, Tang Shen had never been the center of such attention. Riding a tall horse, even though he was behind Yao Shan and Wang Xiao, most of the crowd surrounded him instead.

Thankfully, the tradition of women throwing fruit and jade to express their admiration had faded, or Tang Shen might have been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic crowd!

After a busy day, Tang Shen returned home, took a hot bath, and just as he was beginning to relax, there was a loud knock on the courtyard gate.

Tang Shen couldn’t help but chuckle to himself, “This is worse than ranking fifth and blending in with the crowd!”

However, once his moment of glee had passed, Tang Shen sent all the congratulatory visitors back home, returned to his study, and took out the calligraphy copybook that Wang Zhen had given him.

Tang Shen placed the calligraphy copybook on the desk, ground some ink, and began writing. After filling an entire sheet of paper, Tang Shen let out a heavy sigh and sat down in the chair. He closed his eyes, his mind clear, as he started to recall everything that had happened since he arrived in Shengjing.

When he first came to Shengjing, he was just an ordinary xiucai, receiving care from Fu Xiru and personal instruction from Wang Zifeng. He entered the Imperial College, made a few close friends, and they all drank and celebrated together. He placed second in the xiangshi, and then second again in the huishi. During the dianshi, the emperor personally changed the rankings, lifting him from fifth place in the second tier to third place in the first tier.

Suddenly, Tang Shen opened his eyes. He hurriedly took out Zhong Taisheng’s calligraphy copybook, “Famen Temple Stele,” from the bookshelf.

Tang Shen looked at the “Famen Temple Stele” and then at the copybook that Wang Zhen had personally written for him. After a long time, he looked up at the ceiling and sighed, “Wang Zifeng, you had planned all this from the very beginning!”

When Tang Shen first arrived in Shengjing, Wang Zhen had him practice calligraphy using the “Famen Temple Stele” because Zhong Taisheng’s calligraphy was known to be excellent and easy to master. After the xiangshi, with half a year remaining until the huishi, Wang Zhen changed the copybook for Tang Shen.

At that time, Tang Shen guessed that Wang Zhen was preparing him for the dianshi, ensuring that his handwriting wouldn’t displease Zhao Fu when “the emperor reviews the text.” As Tang Shen had initially suspected, during the dianshi, four of the top ten candidates used Zhong Taisheng’s script. Since none of these four made it into the top tier, Zhao Fu didn’t say anything.

But was that all there was to it?

“During the dianshi, the ranking isn’t easy to manipulate. My being placed fifth in the second tier might also have something to do with him!”

An elder brother is like a father, and a teacher is like a father.

Wang Zifeng was his senior brother, but in essence, he was also his teacher.

Tang Shen thought with a strange expression, “…Dad?” As soon as the word slipped out, even Tang Shen was struck by the absurdity of it. Even if he were willing to accept Wang Zifeng as a father (which he absolutely wasn’t), Wang Zifeng would probably never acknowledge him as a son!

“So, why does he treat me so well?!”

Tang Shen fell into a tired sleep with that question lingering in his mind.

After the results of the dianshi were posted, Tang Shen spent several days attending various banquets and receiving guests who came to congratulate him. On the seventh day after the examination, Fu Wei sent someone to summon him, insisting that he come to the Fu Residence that evening to celebrate his success with teacher and student.

Tang Shen immediately declined several banquet invitations and hurried to the Fu Residence.

Wen Shu had been waiting at the door for some time. He led Tang Shen into the Fu Residence, through the garden’s moon gate, and chatted as they walked. “Tang gongzi, have you been worn out these past few days? Oh no, I should be calling you the ‘Tanhua Lang’ now! Nine years ago, when Wang daren became zhuangyuan, he was just as busy as you. I understand it all.” Wen Shu winked and said, “Before you ranked as the tanhua, no one paid you any attention. But as soon as you did, everyone, whether they know you or not, comes to congratulate you—it’s really bothersome!”

Tang Shen lamented, “You truly understand me, Wen Shu!”

Wen Shu grinned and said, “Please, Tang gongzi, come this way!”

As they walked through the garden and passed a rockery, Tang Shen suddenly bumped into someone head-on. Both of them took a step back. Tang Shen looked up and saw Wang Zhen, dressed in casual white robes, adorned with gold and jade, looking down at him. When Wang Zhen saw that it was Tang Shen he had bumped into, he raised his eyebrows and was about to speak.

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For the past two days, Tang Shen had been tormented day and night by the phrase “An elder brother is like a father, and a teacher is like a father.” Now, suddenly seeing Wang Zhen, he instinctively blurted out, “Dad!”

Wang Zhen was taken aback, “Huh?”

Tang Shen: “…”

The newly ranked tanhua’s “flower fair and jade-like” face instantly turned bright red!

AN: Little Tang: Dad!

Neighbor Wang: Daddy kink?

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Grand Secretary Li held the anonymized exam paper in his hand, clicking his tongue in amazement. The other examiners nodded in agreement and repeatedly praised it. One examiner said, “Although the first two essays were somewhat ordinary, this last one is the best among the more than ten thousand candidates.”

Someone asked, “Then how should we rank this session’s exam?”

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Grand Secretary Li thought for a moment and said, “Though it’s customary not to reveal the names on the papers even after determining the top ten, we’ll make an exception today. There’s a precedent for this from the time of the late emperor, where two candidates’ writings were so exceptional that their names were revealed to check their authentic handwriting. The final ranking for the top candidate was then determined by considering the other two exam sessions as well. My suggestion, colleagues, is that we first select the top three candidates, then reveal their rankings and decide the top three positions.”

“We shall follow your lead, Li daren.”

Thus, the examiners first identified the top three papers. Then they ordered the government officers to retrieve the papers from the other two sessions for these three candidates, this time with their actual handwriting. 

The papers had originally been transcribed by xiucai, whose handwriting was mostly neat and elegant; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been chosen for the task. However, when compared with these three candidates’ original handwriting, the difference was stark, like fireflies against the sun. The examiners felt utterly refreshed as they read the original versions of these three papers.

After reviewing all three papers, one of the vice examiners said, “I’ve come to a conclusion.”

The other two vice examiners also said, “So have we.”

Finally, everyone turned their attention to Grand Secretary Li.

The eccentric Grand Secretary Li stroked his dry, white goatee and said, “Then let’s vote. I’ll have three votes, and each of you will have two.”

“Agreed.”

The day before the exam results were posted, Tang Shen had completely forgotten about it and slept soundly. Who would have thought that early the next morning, before dawn, Feng Bi would wake him up. Startled, Tang Shen immediately remembered what day it was. Feng Bi suggested, “Gongzi, why don’t you wait at home today, and I’ll go to the Shengjing Exam Hall to check the results?”

Tang Shen thought for a moment and said, “I’ll go myself.”

He put on a thick cotton jacket, donned a cloak, and before dawn, he, along with Feng Bi and Yao San, went to the Shengjing Exam Hall.

It was now early spring in March, but Shengjing was still cold, with their breath visible in the air. It was still before the hours of yin shi (3-5am), and the wide, quiet road was deserted, save for the high-ranking officials heading to the morning court and the candidates heading to the exam hall to check their results. They walked in silence along the sides of the road, most of them looking anxious, with few showing any joy or confidence.

Tang Shen lifted the curtain of his carriage and saw the distressed faces of the other candidates, sighing helplessly, “The questions in this year’s huishi were indeed tricky!”

As they approached the exam hall gates, they saw from a distance a mass of dark heads under the moonlight—students gathered like a black sea. Despite the crowd, there was only the sound of breathing and an occasional cough, followed by a heavy, oppressive silence like still water.

Finally, the gates of the exam hall opened, and the wave of candidates began to move.

Tang Shen stood in the middle of the crowd and saw two officers holding up a large red list, posting the ranking board. The list was posted from the bottom up, and a total of 291 candidates were selected in this round of the huishi. Tang Shen noticed that Liu Fang ranked 217th. At first, he thought it was just a duplicate name, but upon closer inspection, it was indeed Liu Fang, Liu Keji, the student from the Imperial College who was most likely to win the top spot in this exam.

Some other students from the Imperial College also noticed Liu Fang’s name, and someone shouted, “Liu Fang, how did you only rank 217th? Ah, Liu Fang, what’s wrong with you… Sigh, I didn’t expect Liu Fang to be so upset that he left before the list was fully posted!”

Tang Shen thought to himself: If it weren’t for Grand Secretary Li coming up with such messed-up questions, how could Liu Fang not be in the top three? Storming off is a mild reaction; others with worse tempers might have cursed on the spot.

As he continued to scan the list, Tang Shen saw a few other familiar names. Most of the scholars who attended the banquet at Prince Jing Manor were ranked within the top hundred, though they were on the lower end. Moving further up, Tang Shen spotted the name of Mei Shengze, ranked 34th.

Tang Shen immediately turned and looked at Mei Shengze, who was not far away.

Mei Shengze cupped his hands and gave a bitter smile, “I’ve already come to terms with it, Jing Ze, don’t laugh at me.”

Tang Shen deeply understood, “I feel the same, utter shamelessness.”

As the list continued to be posted, Tang Shen saw two more familiar names. After two more quarters of an hour, only the top three names were left to be revealed.

Yao San held his breath nervously, and Tang Shen stared intently at the ranking board.

In the 27th year of Kaiping, the third place in the Shengjing huishi went to Yao Xun, Yao Wenji.

Second place, Tang Shen, Tang Jingze.

First place, Wang Xiao, Wang Daiyue.

Suddenly, someone grabbed him by the shoulder, and Tang Shen turned around in a daze, only to see Mei Shengze looking at him joyfully, “Jing Ze, you got second place!”

Yao San was also ecstatic, “Little Boss, you got second place!”

Tang Shen was momentarily stunned, then jokingly said, “Am I Tang Shen?”

Everyone burst into laughter, and the classmates from the Imperial College also offered their congratulations.

Mei Shengze said, “Look at you, you’re so full of yourself now.”

Tang Shen chuckled, barely able to contain his excitement, “You know me well, Sheng Ze! My friends, to Qianli Tower, lunch is on me today!”

“We must go to support Jing Ze!”

“I will definitely be there!”

Securing a high score in the exam was within Tang Shen’s expectations, but getting second place was beyond what he imagined. After a day of elation, he thought about it carefully and concluded, “It’s mostly because I’m naturally talented, plus I have a golden finger from my transmigration that lets me remember everything, so that’s 80% of it. Besides that, my first essay should have been quite good, but the second one was really just average, only solid writing. Getting second place must have been due to my third essay, ‘I Reflect on Myself Three Times a Day.’ Master Zhu Xi has blessed me!”

He wasn’t far off in his guess.

With such good results, Tang Shen immediately went to inform Fu Wei and Wang Zhen of the news. However, this time he couldn’t find Wang Zhen, as he had left the capital for some business and hadn’t returned for a few days. When he finally saw Wang Zhen again, it was in a situation Tang Shen had not anticipated.

Every time the huishi took place in February, the results were announced in March, and in early April, the dianshi would follow.

The Imperial College was full of talented people, and every time the results were released, at least one-sixth of the successful candidates were from the Imperial College. At this time, the head of the Imperial College, Dean Lin, would invite court officials to give lectures at the college, known as “official lessons.” This day, Tang Shen attended a lecture and learned that tomorrow’s official lesson at the Imperial College would be delivered by none other than the Minister of Revenue, Wang Zifeng. He was taken aback.

Mei Shengze also remarked, “Jing Ze, it’s your senior brother! You must have known this in advance, right?”

Tang Shen looked innocent, “I didn’t even know when my senior brother returned to the capital!”

The next day, Dean Lin led the examinees to the Shuaixing Hall. At one quarter past noon, Wang Zhen, wearing a bright red official robe, entered the lecture hall through the main entrance. Although he was in official attire, he did not wear his official hat. Standing in front of the hall, his gentle and calm gaze swept across the students below. He must have noticed Tang Shen, but did not particularly look at him.

Half of the students at the Imperial College were from official families and knew a bit about Wang Zhen. The other half were genuinely from humble backgrounds and had never seen a powerful court official like him. Seeing how young Wang Zhen was, the students from humble backgrounds, with Liu Fang as their representative, were surprised, and their initially composed expressions varied.

However, the students of the Imperial College maintained their composure.

Wang Zhen began, “My name is Wang Zhen, courtesy name Zi Feng. I am here today to give an official lesson at the Imperial College for the sake of our teacher-student relationship, not to discuss ranks in officialdom.”

The students responded in unison, “We listen to Mr. Wang.”

Wang Zhen then formally began his lecture.

Dean Lin had specially invited Wang Zhen to teach this lesson, not on the Four Books and Five Classics, but on current political affairs. Of course, Wang Zhen could not reveal state secrets, but through his gestures and casual conversation, he easily shared a few stories from the late emperor’s time. The sharp students understood immediately, gaining deeper insights into officialdom and some preparation for the upcoming dianshi.

The dianshi in early April did not test the eight-legged essays, only policy discussions!

When the official lesson ended, the students were still immersed in the lecture.

Wang Zhen’s clear voice rang out, “Is there anything that remains unclear?”

After a moment of hesitation, a few students asked their questions, which Wang Zhen answered one by one.

Throughout the lesson, Wang Zhen had not once looked at Tang Shen, making Tang Shen wonder if his senior brother was truly here just to give the official lesson.

“Is Wang Zifeng really such a kind-hearted person?” Tang Shen couldn’t shake the feeling that “kind-hearted” and Wang Zifeng didn’t belong in the same sentence.

As he left the Shuaixing Hall, a lecturer was waiting outside for him and said, “Jing Ze, Wang daren is waiting for you at the Chongzhi Hall!”

Perplexed, Tang Shen went to the Chongzhi Hall. He knocked lightly on the door, and Wang Zhen’s voice came from inside, “Enter.”

Tang Shen entered the room and saw Wang Zhen standing by the west wall of Chongzhi Hall, beside a painting of an old man riding a cow, looking up at it. When Tang Shen came in, Wang Zhen turned and glanced at him, his gaze pausing briefly on Tang Shen’s face before dropping to his shoulder.

Tang Shen said, “Senior Brother Zi Feng.”

Wang Zhen stepped forward and plucked a pale flower petal from Tang Shen’s left shoulder.

Tang Shen was taken aback.

Wang Zhen said, “An apricot blossom.”

Tang Shen replied, “It must have fallen on me earlier when I walked through the backyard of the Imperial College.”

Wang Zhen smiled and said, “Congratulations, Junior Brother, for being listed on the Apricot Roll and placing second in the huishi.”

Tang Shen had been congratulated by countless people over the past few days, and he had grown immune to it. But hearing this simple remark from Wang Zhen, and seeing the slight smile on his face, Tang Shen inexplicably felt a bit embarrassed. With genuine sincerity, Tang Shen said, “As Senior Brother mentioned, the huishi isn’t what’s important; what matters is the dianshi.”

Wang Zhen nodded and suddenly changed the topic, “How has your calligraphy practice been?”

Even as a modern person, Tang Shen was momentarily bewildered by Wang Zifeng’s abrupt shift in conversation.

Wait a minute, weren’t we just talking about the huishi? How did we suddenly switch to discussing calligraphy practice?

Tang Shen wondered in his mind, but he responded, “I’ve been practicing for quite some time.”

“There are still ten days until the dianshi. From now on, come to my residence every afternoon at shen shi (3-5pm).”

“Senior Brother?”

“I’ll teach you calligraphy.”

“…”

Is Wang Zifeng really okay today?

It wasn’t until much later that Tang Shen realized that Wang Zhen didn’t believe he could secure a top-three spot in the dianshi through true talent and skill!

Writing on current affairs seems simple but is actually harder than writing an eight-legged essay! The topics for the eight-legged essay are taken from the Four Books and Five Classics, and even poor scholars with no understanding of worldly affairs can still cite scriptures and compose decent works. But as for the current affairs essay?

Tang Shen was only sixteen this year. In terms of life experience, he couldn’t compare to Yao Shan, who placed third in the huishi, nor could he match the scholarly lineage of Wang Xiao, who topped this year’s examination. Besides these two, many other candidates on the Apricot Roll, from noble and scholarly families, were far superior to him! Tang Shen had a chance of placing in the top twenty, but getting into the top ten would be difficult, and securing a top-three spot seemed nearly impossible!

However, success is determined by human effort.

During the dianshi, the only chief examiner was the emperor himself, while all other examiners were called “exam readers.” The exam papers of the 291 candidates would first be reviewed by the exam readers, who would select the top ten and rank them in advance before submitting them to the emperor, who would then choose the top three.

If Tang Shen didn’t make it into the top ten, he wouldn’t even have the chance to catch the emperor’s eye.

On the second day of April, before the mao shi (5-7am), the candidates entered the palace through the Xuanwu Gate and arrived at the Mingyi Hall. Naturally, the emperor was not present on this day. Nearly three hundred candidates bowed to the empty throne, and the ten exam readers distributed the exam papers and began monitoring the exam.

As the second-place finisher in the huishi, Tang Shen sat in the second seat of the first row.

Even though he was mentally prepared, Tang Shen was momentarily stunned when he saw the four current affairs topics. In his previous life, Tang Shen had no experience in government, and in this life, he had only been in this world for three years. Not to mention analyzing these topics from an official’s perspective and proposing solutions, Tang Shen barely understood the “Battle of Yu Hu” mentioned in the fourth question and had only heard of it in passing!

However, Tang Shen remained composed, his demeanor calm as he began to answer the questions.

Not knowing what to write, he resorted to writing polite and respectful words to the emperor, wishing him good health. Tang Shen meticulously wrote each character and carefully transcribed them onto the exam paper following the specific format required for the dianshi.

Writing the policy essay was not difficult, but writing beautifully and adhering to the proper format was extremely challenging! It wasn’t until the sun had set that Tang Shen finally completed the last character. He dried the ink, set down his brush, and stopped writing.

After another hour, all the candidates were told to put down their brushes, and their exam papers were collected as they left the palace.

As Tang Shen walked out, Mei Shengze caught up with him. The two exchanged glances and both smiled wryly.

Mei Shengze asked, “Jing Ze, how did it go?”

Tang Shen sincerely replied, “I filled the entire paper, each essay with 1,500 characters.”

Mei Shengze responded, “Good for you, Tang Jingze. I only managed 1,200 characters. Oh no, my ranking in the dianshi will surely be lower than yours again.”

The two laughed heartily.

As the new jinshi filed out through the Xuanwu Gate, the exam readers, who were all senior officials of the court—half of them being second-rank officials, including most of the Six Ministries’ ministers—began reviewing the exam papers. The Minister of Rites, a tall and slender middle-aged man with a well-groomed mustache, was among them, though Wang Zhen was not, due to a conflict of interest.

During the dianshi, the exam readers reviewed the candidates’ handwritten exam papers. The Minister of Rites flipped through a paper and, upon opening the next one, his gaze froze on the first line. After a moment, he called over the Left Vice Minister of Rites and pointed to the paper, saying, “Does this handwriting look familiar?”

The Left Vice Minister of Rites glanced at it and couldn’t take his eyes off the paper. After reading the entire essay, he burst out laughing and called over the Right Vice Minister of Revenue, “Qin daren, come and take a look.”

This commotion soon attracted the attention of all the exam readers in the room.

The group gathered around, and Qin Si approached, his gaze fixed on the paper.

The Minister of Rites stroked his mustache, smiling, and asked, “Doesn’t this look like Wang daren’s handwriting?”

Qin Si responded with a wry smile, “It indeed has about seventy percent of Wang daren’s style. This must be the work of Wang daren’s junior brother, Tang Shen, also known as Tang Jingze!”

The Minister of Rites feigned a stern tone, “This level of calligraphy can’t be achieved without a year and a half of practice! Well done, Wang Zifeng, making such a blatant mark—it’s practically cheating and favoritism!”

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The senior ministers in the room all looked down at the floor, thinking: You should say that to Wang Zifeng’s face!

The Minister of Rites let out a snort and handed Tang Shen’s paper to the Left Vice Minister of Rites. “The arguments are well-reasoned, the writing is elegant and refined. Place it as a backup for the top ten.”

“Understood.”

Tang Shen had no idea about the earnest efforts his senior brother had gone through for him!

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To see a thousand miles further, climb one story higher.

Qianli Tower is in the west of Shengjing City. From the fourth floor, one can see the endless Grand Canal like a silver ribbon in the distance. On the day after the huishi ended, Tang Shen and Shopkeeper Lu arrived at Qianli Tower. Shopkeeper Xing, with a round, joyful face, had been waiting for a long time.

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Shopkeeper Xing looked Tang Shen up and down and laughed, “I didn’t expect gongzi to be so youthful, truly a talented young man.”

Tang Shen bowed slightly, “Shopkeeper Xing.”

Shopkeeper Xing said, “Our young master hasn’t arrived yet. Please move to the private room and rest for a while.”

The three of them went upstairs together. Tang Shen entered the private room while Shopkeeper Xing and Shopkeeper Lu waited outside.

Inside the private room, Tang Shen saw a screen depicting a thousand mile mountain. On the left was a multi-treasure shelf filled with various treasures and antiques. Looking to the right, he saw two closed windows. When Tang Shen opened them, the sights and sounds of the bustling streets and the grandeur of Shengjing were in full view.

“Upon climbing this tower, one feels a vast, refreshing joy, raising a cup in the breeze, filled with happiness!”

Gazing at the prosperous scenery of Shengjing, Tang Shen suddenly understood Fan Zhongyan’s words.

“What a feeling of vast joy, raising a cup in the breeze. Since that’s the case, how can there be no wine?”

Tang Shen quickly turned around and saw the heir of Prince Jing, Zhao Qiong, dressed in brocade robes and wearing a jade crown, had already entered. The two exchanged glances, and Zhao Qiong stood still, surprised to see him. After a moment, Zhao Qiong said in amazement, “It’s you!”

Tang Shen bowed, “Greetings to the heir of Prince Jing.”

With a bit of thought, Zhao Qiong quickly realized the connections. He understood that Tang Shen had intentionally submitted his card to the Prince Jing Manor and attended the Top Scorer Banquet. However, Zhao Qiong didn’t mind such minor matters. On the contrary, he was pleased that the soap business involved a scholar with official status.

Zhao Qiong called for Shopkeeper Xing, “Serve the dishes.”

Shopkeeper Xing responded, “Yes.”

Zhao Qiong turned back to Tang Shen, “The huishi just ended yesterday. Did you go?”

Tang Shen smiled, “Of course.”

“Great, then today let’s not talk about those business matters. Let’s just talk about poetry and beauty. We’ll discuss everything else after the results are out, shall we?”

Tang Shen hadn’t expected to finalize the soap and essential oil business on their first meeting. On the contrary, Zhao Qiong’s words indicated that he was genuinely interested in cooperating with Tang Shen. If Tang Shen passed the exam and became a jinshi, Zhao Qiong’s attitude might change even more favorably. Discussing cooperation afterward would be highly beneficial for both parties.

So, the two of them simply enjoyed drinking and chatting.

Being young and not very good at drinking, Tang Shen was not pushed too hard by Zhao Qiong.

Two hours later, the two had become friends. Tang Shen stepped out of the private room and bowed to Zhao Qiong, “No need to see me off, heir.”

Zhao Qiong replied, “Then I’ll wait for the results and celebrate with you properly when the time comes.”

Tang Shen and Shopkeeper Lu left Qianli Tower. Shopkeeper Lu, somewhat surprised, said, “I thought the heir of King Jing would be difficult to deal with since he is royalty, but he is quite approachable and didn’t put on any airs.”

Tang Shen remembered something and smiled, “Shopkeeper Lu, why do you think Prince Jing Manor runs Qianli Tower and Autumn Hall?”

Shopkeeper Lu replied, “It’s normal for the royals in Shengjing to have businesses in the city. Why, is there something wrong?”

“Indeed, there’s nothing wrong. But Prince Jing Manor deals in fine food, wine, and jewelry. The Prince is a wealthy royal with no real power. Those truly lucrative businesses, like last year’s canal repairs, where any official involvement meant huge profits, are out of his reach!”

Government projects like canal repairs often serve as significant sources of income for royals and high-ranking officials.

This doesn’t necessarily imply corruption, but there are numerous ways to profit from procurement and construction decisions. While not as much as through corruption, the profits are still substantial.

The Prince can run the largest restaurant and jewelry store in Shengjing but can’t influence government affairs. This shows he is merely a wealthy royal with a title but no power.

Some might become corrupt in such circumstances, while others would enjoy their leisure.

Tang Shen thought the heir of Prince Jing didn’t seem resentful. After all, the current emperor maintained a good facade, and no one could accuse him of being a tyrant; he was merely an emperor interested in Daoism and immortality. Throughout history, many emperors sought immortality, and in comparison, Zhao Fu could be considered a wise ruler.

The emperor didn’t mistreat his brothers, and the Prince was happy with his peaceful life.

As for the intricate royal secrets, Tang Shen wasn’t privy to them yet.

Shopkeeper Lu asked, “Little Boss, when will the results of the huishi be released? Will it be like the xiangshi, released ten days later?”

Tang Shen immediately laughed and said helplessly, “It’s not that easy!”

The huishi is the final stage of the imperial examinations. Once you pass the huishi, you won’t fail again, just waiting for the palace exam to give a ranking among the successful candidates. No matter how poorly you do in the palace exam, the worst you can get is the last place.

The huishi is so important that, in addition to the anonymized system, each examinee’s paper has to be copied by someone else before being reviewed by the examiners.

There are over ten thousand papers from the juren examinees nationwide, and the hired xiucai need three full days to finish copying them, and they might still not be done.

In fact, Tang Shen’s estimate of three days was an understatement. The exam ended in mid-February, but the examiners didn’t receive the papers until February 27. The names had already been covered, and the handwriting was not by the examinees. All the papers were neatly written in the official Guange script. After worshiping Confucius, the examiners locked themselves in a hall to concentrate on grading the papers.

Five days later, thirty examiners finally selected the top ten papers from the exam.

Taking advantage of the chief examiner, Grand Secretary Li, being away on business, one of the examiners quietly sighed to his colleagues, “The questions this time were indeed biased and strange. Some examinees’ essays were flowery but off-topic. The breaking open of the topic was so obscure that I find it hard to speak about it. It’s way off. We can’t select such essays for the top ten; we can only let them pass and hope they might shine in the dianshi later.”

When Grand Secretary Li returned, everyone reviewed the final ten papers together.

The huishi, like the xiangshi and tongshi, placed the most importance on the first session. In the first session, Grand Secretary Li set three questions: “The official requests to see the sage,” “Those who flee from Mohism will inevitably return to Yangism,” and “I reflect on myself three times a day.”

The first question alone eliminated a large number of examinees.

The three vice examiners of the huishi included two scholars from the Hanlin Academy and one assistant minister from the Ministry of Rites. One of them said, “I think this paper is an excellent choice for the top candidate. Gentlemen, please see, for the question ‘The official requests to see the sage,’ the candidate broke open the topic with Confucius teaching the world, the comparisons are clear, and the conclusion is insightful.”

Everyone looked at the paper and said, “Excellent!”

Another vice examiner said, “Gentlemen, why don’t you look at this essay?”

Everyone looked over again.

Grand Secretary Li, being older, was not as sharp-eared and keen-eyed as the other examiners. He picked up the paper and brought it close to his eyes to read carefully. “If Heaven gave birth to the sage but we couldn’t see him, we would request three times to see his sage words, seeing the sage without knowing it… Ha, it truly shows great respect for Confucius. Let me look at the second essay.” After a while, Grand Secretary Li said, “A mediocre piece, solid writing, and brilliant style, but the topic is broken open in a conventional way. This paper can enter the top ten, but how can it be the top candidate?”

The vice examiner being stared at by Grand Secretary Li was distressed. Grand Secretary Li was a pedantic old scholar, known for his eccentric temperament. The difficulty and bias of the questions he set this time reflected his difficult nature. He was not an easy person to get along with at the Hanlin Academy either.

The vice examiner said, “Li daren, have you seen his third essay?”

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Grand Secretary Li lowered his head to read the third essay. After a while, he suddenly paused, then brought the paper closer to his eyes, carefully reading it several times from top to bottom. Suddenly, he said, “Good! What a phrase ‘Correct mistakes if there are any, encourage yourself if there are none.’ The writing connects ancient and modern times, as if hearing the voice of the sage.” He couldn’t help but recite these words several times and called the other examiners in the hall to see the essay.

Grand Secretary Li, with his eyebrows raised in delight, praised, “Each word is profound, an excellent piece, truly the best work of this year’s huishi!”

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“‘Escaping Mohism inevitably leads to Yangism,’ originates from ‘Mencius: Exhausting One’s Heart.’ The original sentence is ‘Escaping Mohism inevitably leads to Yangism, escaping Yangism inevitably leads to Confucianism.’

During the Warring States period, it wasn’t as vibrant with a hundred schools of thought as the Spring and Autumn period, but there were three major schools that were widely accepted: Mohism, Yang Zhu’s school, and Confucianism. ‘Escaping Mohism inevitably leads to Yangism’ is Mencius’s evaluation of these three schools. It means that abandoning the Mohist school inevitably leads to the Yang Zhu school, and abandoning the Yang Zhu school inevitably leads to the Confucian school.

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In short, Mencius saw the Confucian school as the orthodoxy and the ultimate righteous path of all schools.

If we look at the topic itself, it isn’t particularly difficult to write about. The Mohist school advocates universal love and non-aggression, emphasizing self-sacrifice to benefit others and bringing prosperity to the people. The Yang Zhu school is about individualism, disregarding others and the world, not harming others and only benefiting oneself. Tang Shen could immediately think of two ways to approach the topic, such as writing from the perspective of benefiting oneself versus benefiting others, using the two schools to promote Confucian thoughts of benefiting both oneself and others.

However, all this is based on the premise of criticizing Mohism and Yangism and extolling Confucianism.

Tang Shen looked at the topic on the paper and then looked up at the distant Mingyuan Tower, sighing deeply.

But who in the world does not know that the current emperor Zhao Fu is pursuing immortality and refining elixirs, having long been inclined towards Daoism! 

Yang Zhu’s school is precisely one of the three classics of Daoism.

Although Zhao Fu has never publicly claimed to honor Daoism and values Confucianism greatly, even writing memorial articles on Confucius’s birthday every year, his obsession with Daoism is evident to all in the court. While there is no issue with Grand Secretary Li setting this question, if an examinee fully criticizes Yang Zhu, it might be reported to Zhao Fu if he ever rises to a high official position by a political opponent.

The emperor’s mind is difficult to gauge, serving the emperor is like serving a tiger; who knows how Zhao Fu will react!

Tang Shen thought there were only two possibilities. Either Zhao Fu is not a tyrant who punishes speech and won’t care, or Zhao Fu is sensitive to criticism of his pursuit of immortality. In any case, if Zhao Fu ever wanted to punish an official, this essay criticizing Daoism could be one of the reasons for his downfall.

Other examinees might not think so far ahead, but Tang Shen had to consider it.

He was not just seeing the current examination but also looking towards the future!

Closing his eyes, Tang Shen discarded all his initial ideas. He chose the simplest, safest approach, which was also the least impressive, and then began writing: “Observing those with different ideologies from Confucianism, they often become easily angered and fearful due to their exposure to these wicked principles. Thus, abandoning Mohism, they turn to Yang Zhu, seeking broad-minded tranquility. But why, after abandoning Mohism, do they turn to Yang Zhu?”

Yes, Tang Shen discarded all the broader, more expansive ideas and directly tackled the question, writing an essay on why people abandon Mohism for Yang Zhu’s school. This was a safe, generic essay; Tang Shen did not say Yang Zhu’s school was correct, nor did he greatly denigrate it.

Never had he written such a laborious essay. Tang Shen knew that his approach to the topic was not outstanding, so he focused on logic and argumentation, spending three hours meticulously choosing every word, finally completing the second essay. By the time he finished, he found his back drenched in sweat!

In the cold month of February, he was drenched in sweat!

After completing the essay on the draft paper, Tang Shen stared at it, unsure whether he had made the right choice.

Was he overthinking it? This was just an essay in the huishi; he shouldn’t worry so much.

But then he thought, “If it were Wang Zifeng, he would have done the same.”

Having written it, Tang Shen believed his essay, while not extraordinary, was certainly among the top tier of examinees. He copied the essay neatly and slept, exhausted. When he awoke, it was already the third day of the examination.

Before sleeping, Tang Shen had already seen the third topic: “I examine myself thrice daily.”

Zengzi said: “I examine myself thrice daily: in my dealings with others, have I been disloyal? In my interactions with friends, have I been untrustworthy? Have I failed to review what I have learned?”

This quote is from ‘The Analects: Shu Er,’ and it is a classic familiar to later generations. After finishing the second essay, Tang Shen was inevitably a bit frustrated, but upon seeing the third topic, his mood brightened, and he almost laughed out loud in the examination hall.

Typically, the three essays in the first session of the huishi would be two from ‘The Analects’ or ‘Mencius’ and one from ‘The Great Learning’ or ‘The Doctrine of the Mean.’ But Grand Secretary Li, the chief examiner, was not typical! The first topic was obscure and strange, the second could potentially anger the emperor, and the third topic was another from ‘The Analects’!

In his previous life, Tang Shen had been a pure science student with limited study on language and literature, but he could not possibly be unfamiliar with the phrase “I examine myself thrice daily.” He even knew another quote.”

“Correct mistakes if there are any, encourage yourself if there are none!”

This is Zhu Xi’s commentary on the saying “I reflect on myself three times a day.”

At such a moment, Tang Shen did not hold back and directly used Zhu Xi’s approach to start the essay. Following Zhu Xi’s viewpoint, he wrote an extensive piece: “Zong Sheng reflects on himself thrice daily, observes benevolence and loyalty, and aspires to learn. If a sage does so, then I must also correct my mistakes if there are any and encourage myself if there are none!”

The third essay was written in one go, and when Tang Shen reviewed it, he found it stirring. Even with just the phrase “Correct mistakes if there are any, encourage yourself if there are none,” he was sure to score high, even if the rest of his writing wasn’t perfect.

After copying the final eight-legged essay onto the official exam paper, Tang Shen looked at the last task, a five-character eight-line test poem.

The topic was: “The wind and rain are bleak.”

The wind and rain are bleak, the rooster crows. Now that I see the gentleman, why should I not be happy?

This is from “The Book of Songs, National Airs, Zheng Rain.”

This poem depicts a bleak scene of wind and rain and expresses a woman’s longing for her lover. After some thought, Tang Shen wrote his test poem:

I hear the news and search for the clouds, hearing the wind and startling the cicadas.

The rain hits the green plantains, and thunder rumbles in the depths.

…

The white-haired road to return is exhausted, the cuckoo cries in longing.

In the huishi, handwriting and calligraphy weren’t that important since the final exam papers the officials saw were not handwritten by the examinees. Nevertheless, Tang Shen carefully copied the test poem onto the paper, checked it thoroughly, and then stood up to hand in his paper.

As he walked out of his assigned cubicle and entered the corridor, he unexpectedly ran into Mei Shengze. 

Mei Shengze was also pleasantly surprised to see him and said, “Jing Ze, how do you feel?”

Tang Shen honestly replied, “What shamelessness!”

Mei Shengze immediately lost the joy of seeing his friend and gloomily said, “Utter shamelessness!”

The two laughed heartily and chatted as they walked out of the exam hall.

Mei Shengze said, “That first question took me two hours just to decide how to break it open. I’m not good at the eight-legged essay, and both you and Brother Liu Fang are better than me at it. Now great, the test poem topic ‘the wind and rain are bleak’ is extremely simple, but the first eight-legged essay was extremely difficult! Luckily, the next two eight-legged essay topics from Grand Secretary Li were simpler, otherwise, I would have definitely crashed my head into one of the pillars of the Mingyuan Tower today!”

Tang Shen immediately knew that Mei Shengze hadn’t spent as much time thinking about the second essay as he had.

The two walked out of the examination hall and bid each other farewell.

Yao San had been waiting for Tang Shen outside the gate with a doctor for a long time. Tang Shen said, “Let’s go home first. This time, my health is pretty good. Thanks to the experience from the xiangshi, I’m fine this time. Let’s go home, take a bath, and sleep, and I’ll come back for the exam tomorrow.”

Yao San and Accountant Lin both sighed in relief.

That night, after a hot bath and a good night’s sleep, Tang Shen returned to the gate of the Shengjing Examination Hall before dawn the next day.

Wang Zhen had once told Tang Shen that among the four grand secretaries of the Hanlin Academy, Grand Secretary Yang and Grand Secretary Pan liked “The Book of Changes,” while Grand Secretary Zhou liked “The Spring and Autumn Annals.” Only Grand Secretary Li’s preferences weren’t mentioned. Tang Shen didn’t ask because he knew that if Wang Zhen didn’t mention it, it was likely that Grand Secretary Li didn’t have a particular preference among the Five Classics. He might prefer “The Analects,” hence the two questions from “The Analects” in the first session of the exam.

Since Grand Secretary Li had a balanced liking for the Five Classics, Tang Shen chose the simplest topic and began answering.

Three days later, Tang Shen walked out of the exam hall, looking slightly pale.

Yao San immediately approached him.

Tang Shen said, “No worries, just tired.”

After a good sleep, Tang Shen gathered his energy and returned to the prison-like exam cubicle, where he stayed for another three days and nights, answering the current affairs questions for the third session of the huishi.

The nine-day-long huishi with three sessions finally ended. As soon as they returned home, Shopkeeper Lu came over. He had clearly timed his visit perfectly for when Tang Shen finished his exam, but upon seeing him, Tang Shen waved his hand and said, “Come back tomorrow.”

Shopkeeper Lu smiled helplessly and said, “Alright, I’ll do as the little boss says.”

The next day, Tang Shen slept until late morning. As he ate the Shengjing pastries bought by Feng Bi and drank porridge, Shopkeeper Lu knocked and entered. He saluted Tang Shen and said, “Little Boss, it’s done! The day before yesterday, while you were still taking the exam, Shopkeeper Xing from the Qianli Tower approached me. He bluntly pointed out that I am the shopkeeper of Xixia Tower in Gusu and then subtly asked if we wanted to cooperate with Autumn Hall to sell soap and the Golden Wisp!”

Upon hearing this, Tang Shen immediately put down his bowl and asked, “He knows you are the shopkeeper of Xixia Tower?”

“Of course. Two months ago, I handed him the gift box containing Golden Wisp, and I was puzzled. Little Boss, we made our intentions very clear that we wanted to cooperate with Autumn Hall. Why did Shopkeeper Xing act like he didn’t receive the gift and didn’t understand at all? Now I understand, he didn’t pretend not to understand, he was secretly investigating my identity before approaching us!”

Tang Shen smiled and said, “To make Qianli Tower and Autumn Hall the top brands in Shengjing, Shopkeeper Xing is certainly no ordinary person. How did your talks with him go?”

Shopkeeper Lu explained the preliminary agreements he had reached with Shopkeeper Xing, saying, “…I don’t see this as a problem. Shopkeeper Xing’s conditions are quite favorable. However, specific matters can’t be decided by just the two of us shopkeepers. Shopkeeper Xing wants you to meet the owner behind Qianli Tower to finalize the details.”

Tang Shen was surprised and asked, “Prince Xiaoyao, Zhao Ao?”

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Shopkeeper Lu replied, “No, it’s the heir of Prince Jing, Zhao Qiong.”

A figure flashed through Tang Shen’s mind, and he nodded, “Alright, a meeting is necessary.”

AN: Neighbor Wang: No scenes today?

Little Tang Lang: Huh, what kind of scenes do you want then?

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