The scholar who had just been in a conflict with them was now standing anxiously to one side.
A twelve or thirteen-year-old bookboy squeezed his way out of the crowd. He raised his hand and shouted loudly,"Young master, young master, you passed, you passed..."
The scholar took two steps forward, grabbed his bookboy by the shoulders, and shook him back and forth. "I passed?"
"Yes," the bookboy said. "Congratulations, young master, congratulations!"
"What's my ranking?" the scholar asked.
Fang Zichen turned his head to look.
The bookboy was in pain from being grabbed, the scholar's fingernails seemed to have pierced through his clothes and into his flesh. Yet, he did not dare show it, only saying joyfully, "Fifty-sixth place."
Hearing this, the scholar paused for a moment, but soon broke into a smile.
Although the ranking was not good, at least he had passed.
"Well..." Fang Zichen's voice cut in. "Fifty-sixth place? That's last!"
The scholar managed a tight smile. "It may be last place, but my name is still on the pass list. Unlike some people..."
"And what about 'some people'?" Fang Zichen retorted. "Before you continue, why don't you ask your bookboy who earned first place?"
The scholar looked at his bookboy.
The tension between these two was thick. The bookboy immediately said, "It's... it's Fang Zichen!"
The name was unfamiliar, it wasn't a classmate from the academy, nor from any local private school...
He looked up at Fang Zichen in astonishment, only to see him standing with his arms crossed, wearing an extremely punchable grin.
"It's... it's you!"
Fang Zichen nodded. "Indeed, it is."
The scholar:"..."
This kind of thing—no one would dare to impersonate or falsely claim it.
Fang Zichen shook his head, swaying slightly. "I am first place, and you are also a 'first place'... Tsk, what a fate."
Blood seemed to rush backwards, flowing upstream. His face felt hot and swollen. Not even daring to lift his head, the scholar grabbed his bookboy and tried to leave, but suddenly a weight of a thousand jin settled on his shoulder.
He looked sideways and saw a pair of hands in his field of vision—pale, distinct-knuckled, delicate, and slender like bamboo.
"Trying to leave?" Fang Zichen's grip tightened, preventing the scholar from pulling away. He leaned in, his posture deceptively casual. Though his tone was almost conversational, the scholar heard only a cold, mocking edge in the words.
"Don't be in such a hurry to leave!" Fang Zichen scoffed. "Weren't you quite arrogant just now? Didn't you tell my fulang to get lost? Didn't you tell me to wait and see?"
The scholar’s head sank toward his chest. Each of Fang Zichen’s words struck like a slap, one after another, across his face.
In all his life, he had never felt so thoroughly humiliated. He was last on the list—the very last. The other man was first. Dozens of candidates stood between them, there was simply no comparison.
The county exam was only the first stage of the Tongsheng exam.
If a candidate also passed the prefectural exam, he would become a full Tongsheng scholar.
Based on past patterns, the county’s top scorer was almost certain to pass the prefectural exam as well—unless some mishap occurred along the way: sudden illness, fainting, an untimely death, or an abrupt decision to renounce the world and enter monastic life (become a monk).
But for someone like him, clinging to the very bottom of the list? For him to pass the prefectural exam, his family’s ancestral graves would have to emit auspicious smoke, or his Ren and Du meridians would need to be miraculously unblocked. Otherwise, the odds were truly slim.
[任督二脉 (rèn dū èr mài): lit. the Ren and Du meridians; fig. In traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts, this refers to the two most important governing energy channels in the body, and "unblocking them" symbolizes achieving a profound breakthrough, a sudden enlightenment, or a massive improvement in one's abilities.]
At first, just having passed the county exam—even by the skin of his teeth—had filled him with satisfaction. But now…
How could he still have the audacity to provoke anyone?
He bowed deeply toward Zhao Ger and offered a formal salute of apology. Only then did Fang Zichen release him. "Get lost."
The group set off back home, everyone in high spirits, laughing and chatting.
The village chief mentioned wanting to buy two jin of meat from the market to properly celebrate once they returned.
But Zhao Ger led them straight to Old Man Li’s stall and bought three jin instead.
When the village chief moved to pay, Zhao Ger was quicker.
This was their family’s great occasion—of course they should provide the meat, prepare a proper feast that evening, and host everyone. It wouldn’t be right to let others pay.
Knowing that Zhao Ger had been doing well in his small business and that the family’s circumstances had improved—and recognizing it was only proper—the village chief didn’t press the matter.
All the way home, the mood was light and cheerful.
____
Meanwhile, inside the county government office:
The officials in charge of invigilating and grading the exams were packing their belongings, preparing to depart.
The authority responsible for the imperial examinations differed from one dynasty to another.
The chief examiner for this round was the Vice Minister of Rites, an official of the third rank.
Logically, an official of such high standing should be swamped with affairs of state. Even if assigned to oversee examinations, it ought to be for higher-level tests, such as the provincial exams.
For him to personally supervise a mere county-level exam seemed almost like using an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken.
[杀鸡焉用牛刀 (shā jī yān yòng niú dāo): lit. Using an ox cleaver to kill a chicken; fig. Deploying a major resource for a minor task.]
This chief examiner appeared to be in his middle years, with sharply defined features, a pronounced profile, and a notably handsome demeanor. He had been appointed Tanhua (Third Place Graduate) by the previous emperor.
The Zhuangyuan (Top Graduate), Bangyan (Second Place), and Tanhua represent the most distinguished honors on the highest tier of the examination ladder. They are the lifelong aspiration of countless scholars.
Rumor had it that this chief examiner, Vice Minister Li, had in his year possessed knowledge and literary skill no less than that of the Zhuangyuan. By test scores and performance in the palace examination, he had far outstripped the candidate who took first place that year.
But among the top three, one was advanced in age, and another, though learned, was unremarkable in appearance. Vice Minister Li, by contrast, excelled in both literary talent and looks—fully deserving of the Zhuangyuan title.
The emperor had deliberated carefully but finally named Vice Minister Li as the Tanhua.
There had been no real alternative.
The Tanhua serves as the "public face" of the top three graduates.
Aside from Vice Minister Li, neither of the other two could properly fulfill that role.
Now, his packing finished, Vice Minister Li waited. The magistrate’s carriage to see him off had not yet arrived.
Minister Li turned suddenly to an attendant nearby and asked, "Who is the county’s top scorer this time?"
Someone promptly replied, "Your Excellency, the county’s top candidate is a young man named Fang Zichen."
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