Chapter 27: The Imperial Academy (1)

The paths were sparsely lined with red flowers, while the surrounding fields were covered in greenery. From the high platform, the shadows of trees could be seen. The spring breeze failed to stop the willow fluff from fluttering wildly in the air, brushing against the faces of passersby…

Inside one of the twenty-three alleys near Lake Ande Fang, Li Kuo was reclining on a wooden bed, gazing into the distance in a daze. The colorful falling petals and the swirling willow fluff seemed utterly unrelated to him.

Even though three days had passed since the battle at the apothecary on the outskirts of the city, whenever he closed his eyes, he could still see those blood-stained men in black knives approaching him with mocking smiles… With a faint smirk, Li Kuo inwardly sighed bitterly. If not for Yuan Bo, the manager of the Zhang family, who had informed the Jingzhao Prefecture, he would likely already be nothing but a skeleton. Ever since he could think for himself, Li Kuo had always kept a low profile, relying on his mother and staying away from conflicts. But sometimes, the more you try to avoid these annoying worldly matters, the more they seem to pursue you relentlessly, exhausting you to the point of collapse.

Although Pei Renhua, the general in charge of the Left Jinwu Guard, patted his shoulder cheerfully and assured him that the matter would not be handled by the Jingzhao Prefecture but would be directly reported to the Dali Temple, Li Kuo knew full well that he had now offended a powerful figure in Chang’an. Neither the Right Prime Minister nor the Crown Prince was someone a poor scholar like him could afford to provoke. Later, the wise and mighty emperor personally granted him the rank of a eighth-grade official as an encouragement for young talents to “eliminate threats to the country.” Yet this eighth-grade civil position was likely as worthless as an ant in Chang’an, where the powerful were as numerous as grasshoppers.

As he was lost in thought, he heard the wooden door outside creak open.
“Little Seven, I came to see you!”
Du Jingtian pushed the door open carelessly, sat down on the bed, and tossed the food box she brought along aside.
“You silly Little Seven, how careless! If you get hurt, who will play with me?”
Du Jingtian punched his chest lightly, complaining.
“Ow!”
Li Kuo gasped in pain and instinctively shrunk back against the wall.
“What’s wrong? I… I didn’t know you were hurt. Did I hurt you?”
Du Jingtian was startled and quickly leaned forward to check his injuries.
“No, it’s nothing,” Li Kuo said generously, waving his hand and smiling. “My Little Seven isn’t that easy to kill. Don’t worry too much.”

“Still trying to be tough! It’s all the grandfather’s fault. As soon as you returned, I wanted to come see you, but he said that those days, officials were coming and going at your house constantly, and as mere commoners, we’d only bring shame upon you. In my opinion, Little Seven Brother would never disdain me, unlike those vulgar people who go wild at the sight of meat as if they’re seeing a deity!”
Li Kuo burst into laughter and shook his head, saying, “Aren’t you my little deity? Come on, what good things have you brought for Little Seven Brother this time?”
Du Jingtian was overjoyed at hearing this. She moved slightly closer to the bed and said with a smile, “I personally cooked black-bone chicken soup for you—it’s extremely nourishing. Since you were just injured, drinking this will help replenish your blood!”
Gently lifting the lid of the box, she poured a full porcelain bowl of the soup and happily handed it to Li Kuo.
Li Kuo took a sip. His brows furrowed at first, then he smiled and said, “Your black-bone chicken soup truly has a unique flavor. Even the imperial chefs in the palace can’t create such a special taste!”
Du Jingtian raised an eyebrow proudly and said, “Of course! Not just anyone can drink the soup I make. Even that wretched Zhang Yanji tried to sneak a sip, but I gave him a good punch.”
Shrugging, Du Jingtian sighed and said, “But what the grandfather said is true—being an official really does have its perks. I didn’t believe it before, until you were granted an eighth-rank official position. Only then did I realize how many advantages such a title brings!”
“Oh? Then I really need to hear what benefits these official titles entail,” Li Kuo said with a light smile.
Du Jingtian prodded her cheek with her finger and replied, “You have no idea. Ever since the news of your official appointment spread to the teahouse, the entire Tongji Fang has been in an uproar. Do you remember Cheng Xiaojiu from the Cheng family’s rouge shop across from the teahouse? His eyes seem to stick to the top of his head. Our ‘Ah Huang’ is always bullied by his ‘Xiao Hei’. Every time I try to confront him, the grandfather stops me, saying that his daughter married the deputy magistrate of Wannian County as a concubine, so we can’t afford to provoke them. But this time, he personally brought high-quality rouge to the teahouse to apologize to me. His embarrassed look was hilarious!”
“Is that so…”
“That’s not even the best part. Qin San’er from the silk shop next door has been taking advantage of us for years. The grandfather tolerated him out of respect for his uncle, who’s a county magistrate. Now that you’ve been granted an eighth-rank official position, you’re on par with his uncle. So he immediately acknowledged his inferiority and sent three pieces of fine Suzhou silk to make amends with me. By seniority, he still has to call me aunt. Haha, it’s so funny, hahaha.”
“Oh, he…”

“Speaking of that Mr. Wang, I really feel relieved. His precious daughter, Wang Ajiao, always wears heavy makeup, as if trying to show off her family’s wealth. A daughter from such a noble family would never look at us commoner girls. Now that you’ve prospered, her attitude toward me has become more humble and sincere. Just yesterday, she even came to the teahouse and invited me to go for a walk by Qujiang someday. I played hard to get with her—you shouldn’t have seen how anxious she got!”
“…”
“Little Seventh Brother, what’s wrong? Is something wrong?”
Du Jingtian looked at Li Kuo doubtfully and said in a deep voice.
“No, nothing.”
The young man waved his hand and smiled, saying, “It seems being an official is really good. I need to keep working hard in the future.”
“That’s what I thought!”
Du Jingtian patted Li Kuo gently, her eyes full of pride. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. That kid Zhang Yanji asked me to tell you that once he’s recovered, he’ll return to the Imperial Academy. Although his grandfather has already spoken to the head instructor, it’s hard to guarantee those old-fashioned officials will follow the rules and think creatively!”
“You…”
The young man smirked bitterly. “As long as I can’t ride or shoot, my injury isn’t a big problem. Since I’m idle anyway, I’ll move back tomorrow so no one can criticize me.”
“Has your aunt found out? I haven’t seen her these past few days.”
“My mother went to Zhouzhi to visit my aunt. She’ll probably be away for about half a month. It’s good this way. If she were at home and saw me in this state, she’d worry again.”
As the two were chatting casually, they heard a noise outside.
“Brother Kuo, I’m here.”
Before the sound faded, Zhang Yanji stumbled into the room, picked up a teacup, and gulped down the tea.
“Drink slowly, or you might choke!”
Li Kuo shook his head helplessly and warned him.
Wiping the water from the corner of his mouth, Zhang Yanji waved his hand and said, “Brother Kuo, I didn’t plan to come out at first. After all, I’ve already told Sister Jingtian everything. But this time, this is truly great news!”
“What could make our eldest son Zhang so happy? I really want to hear it,” Li Kuo teased, resting his chin in his hand.
Zhang Yanji ignored him and continued, “You ranked first in the regular exams. Isn’t that great news?”
Li Kuo was shocked and quickly said, “Don’t joke. Those who took the exams were the best students from various counties in the Tang Dynasty. How could I possibly rank first?”
Zhang Yanji smirked and said, “Why not? Your talent is excellent, not inferior to those from noble families. Besides, if we really talk about family background, they’re…”
“Yanji!”

The young man sharply interrupted his friend’s monologue, frowning.
“Okay, okay, if you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t. But an announcement posted in black and white can’t possibly be false. That so-called ‘once-in-a-generation genius,’ Lord Chen, came in second. The eldest grandson of the Pei family from Hedong took third place. Xiao Ziqiao, who used to hang around with that guy Liang Zike, didn’t even make it into the top ten!”
Zhang Yanji took another sip of tea and continued, “Now all those noble young masters in the top tier are speechless; they can no longer boast about guaranteeing success in the imperial examinations next year. Among the top ten, there are three from the second tier and one from the third tier— theirs is a huge loss.”
Li Kuo, however, seemed indifferent, sighing, “I’m afraid things aren’t as good as you think. Those who stand out too much will be brought down. Showing off too much before the exams isn’t necessarily a good thing. Besides, the exams consider not just talent but also family background and appearance…”
“Why worry so much! As for family background and status, who can compare to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? I don’t believe you can’t outshine those so-called ‘noble families’ with his support!”
“What did you say?”
The young man stared at his friend in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.
“No wonder. You probably still don’t know that His Royal Highness, impressed by your integrity and decisiveness, asked the emperor for a position in the Eastern Palace. Now, your full title should be ‘Guest of the Crown Prince’ and ‘Imperial Clerk’.”
Zhang Yanji declared proudly, as if this honor were bestowed upon him.
“What does His Royal Highness mean by this? What is his intention?”
Li Kuo shook his head, speaking resentfully. In Chang’an these days, almost everyone knew the Eastern Palace was weak and in danger. Now that he held the honorary position of Guest of the Crown Prince, though without real power, he was tied to the Eastern Palace—sharing its fortunes and misfortunes.
Seeming to sense his friend’s thoughts, Zhang Yanji clenched his fist and said solemnly, “What’s there to fear? Paths are forged through struggle. Since His Royal Highness values you, just do your best. When he ascends to the throne, you’ll have contributed to his success.”