Chapter 143: It Is Precious to Have Self-Awareness

There are seven grounds for divorce in ritual laws, with “no children” ranking first. Though in this world, divorcing a wife on the grounds of having no children is now rare, for women, not having sons or daughters is still a great regret. Even if concubines have children of their own, they are not the same as one’s own. Lady Wang was already middle-aged and no longer harbored any illusions about having children. So when she heard what the doctor said, her first reaction was “impossible,” and only then did she feel overwhelming joy.

Gu Shi and her three daughters-in-law were behind a curtain nearby. Hearing this, they were also overjoyed. Being older, she didn’t need to avoid suspicion like the others, so she quickly asked Lingxi to help her go out. She then questioned the doctor repeatedly to confirm that the positive pulse was indeed real and not a misdiagnosis. At last, she clasped her hands together and said, “Amitabha.” Bi Luo and Xi Yu also recovered from their extreme joy and rushed out as well. They sent someone to prepare generous rewards and asked the two old ladies to take the doctor out to write a recovery prescription.

“Sister-in-law, what great news!”
“Now that you’re pregnant, you must take good care of yourself!”
“I told you—sister-in-law is kind and generous to everyone. Now it’s true that good people are rewarded!”

As soon as the doctor left, Lady Feng, Lady Dong, and Lady Sun rushed out to congratulate her. Xi Yu and Bi Luo also said many cheerful words of good fortune. Lady Wang felt both sorrow and joy—sorrowful that she had been able to bear children all these years yet had been criticized behind her back; joyful that fate finally showed her mercy in her old age, allowing her to live up to her husband.

When she saw Gu Shi sit by the bed and smile as she took her hand, she couldn’t help but suddenly embrace Gu Shi’s neck and burst into tears. There was no trace left of the usual composed and dignified demeanor of a noble lady.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yue was in his small residence in Xicheng’s Archway Alley. The day before, he had learned that both he and his father had passed the exams. He immediately asked his father if Wan Shijie and Fang Rui were on the list. The former was his close friend, while the latter, though a distant relative, also lived in the Duke of Ying’s household. Learning that Wan Shijie had passed as well but Fang Rui had failed, he wanted to visit that shrewd young man, but after much thought, he decided not to. Would it be cruel to show up at someone’s time of disappointment when he himself was successful?

The small courtyard provided by Zhang Fusong was indeed small compared to grand British ducal residences, but it was already a three-section courtyard that only middle-class families could afford outside the city. Upon entering the main gate, there were a screen wall and a partition door; beyond the partition door lay the outer courtyard, with the servant quarters attached to the courtyard wall. Inside the second gate were neatly arranged east and west wing rooms and side rooms of the main house—over ten rooms in total, all rented out to six scholars. Wan Shijie occupied the east wing room alone, and Zhang Yue even assigned him a study assistant, allowing him to live quite comfortably.

Now that the imperial examinations were over, most of the six people living in the courtyard had failed. So when Zhang Yue went to see Wan Shijie, he found them all packing their belongings. The imperial examination system brought joy to some and sorrow to others. He and the others were merely landlord and tenants, with Gao Quan collecting the rent on their behalf. Not knowing these people well, he naturally didn’t bother to be friendly with those sighing in disappointment and went straight to the east wing room.

“The scholars of today aren’t as prestigious as those in the Tang Dynasty, but they’re less numerous than the over a thousand per examination in the Song Dynasty. In this Wuxu examination, there were hundreds of candidates. Aside from those who ranked highest in the first and second tiers and were selected to enter the Hanlin Academy through further evaluation, most were assigned to various counties and prefectures.”

“Brother Wan is right. Although the country is peaceful now, endless campaigns in the north and south have consumed vast amounts of money and resources. Even serving as a county magistrate might be tough. To be honest, if it weren’t for my family pressuring me to take the exams since I was young, I’d never bother. The capital is big, but living there isn’t easy. Beijing isn’t even the capital yet, yet these two small rooms cost so much. Brother Wan, you’re really generous to have the east wing room all to yourself!”

“Uh… how much did those two rooms cost?”

“How much? Including food expenses, it’s at least fifty taels of silver, over five hundred strings of cash! Fortunately, passing the provincial examination is equivalent to passing the imperial examination, so I don’t have to listen to my parents nagging when I return home. But then again, though our landlord here is unscrupulous, those next door are even worse. They charge a hundred taels for a small courtyard without even including food. Why doesn’t he just rob people?”

Zhang Yue didn’t want to be called an unscrupulous landlord, so he stepped one foot over the threshold while keeping the other outside for a while. Turning around, he saw Lian Sheng and Lian Hu trying to laugh but not daring to. He glared at them fiercely before clearing his throat loudly and calling out, “Is Brother Wan here?”

As soon as the words were spoken, the curtain in the inner room moved, and a head appeared—it was Wan Shijie. The moment he saw Zhang Yue, his eyes lit up, and soon he stepped out through the curtain, smiling and saying, “I figured you’d come! Someone went to your house yesterday to bring the good news—your family must have celebrated for quite some time, right? I thought you were the youngest among those who took the exam, but it seems someone else has taken the spotlight from you! If nothing goes wrong, there will be a scholar who is just fifteen years old this time! Come on, Young Xia, come out!”
While Wan Shijie was speaking, the other person he had been chatting with also stepped out. He was about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a blue robe with black trim. His appearance was simple; though not particularly handsome, his bright black eyes and facial features gave him a lively look. After glancing at Zhang Yue for a while and hearing Wan Shijie’s words, he began to laugh.
“You must be Zhang Yuanjie, the one Brother Wan mentioned. My surname is Xia, and my name is Ji. I don’t have a courtesy name yet. Brother Wan said you’re only a few years older than me?”
Zhang Yue hadn’t noticed before due to the clear voice, but now that he heard clearly that the other person was even younger than him, he was greatly surprised. After all, those stories about lifelong love and marriage after passing the exams were just folk legends. In reality, one usually had to reach his father’s age to pass the exams, and there had been very few young scholars throughout history. He himself had the advantage of having a renowned teacher and coming from a prestigious family, but this person was truly a prodigy.
After introducing the two of them, Wan Shijie didn’t mention that Zhang Yue was the same person Xia Ji had referred to as the unkind landlord. Instead, he led him inside to sit down. The three of them chatted about matters related to the examination hall, then discussed what kind of questions might appear in the final exam. When it came to ranking, the youngest Xia Ji smiled carefreely.
“To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes when I came here to take the exam. I never thought I’d pass at all. I’m not aiming for the top ranks; I’d be satisfied if I could make it to the end of the third tier. Besides, although being the number one scholar is prestigious, those who become high-ranking officials throughout history aren’t necessarily the number ones. Performance can vary from exam to exam, and even the most talented people can’t guarantee passing the exam, let alone becoming number one. I think Brother Wan might make it to the top, but as Young Xia and Yuanjie are too young, our essays will surely lack refinement.”
“Don’t belittle me like that, Young Xia!”

Wanshi Jie didn’t expect Xia Ji to be more talkative even in front of strangers he met for the first time, so he could only give up. After chatting a while longer and seeing Zhang Yue listening more than speaking, he quickly found an excuse to send him away, finally letting out a sigh. Then he stared at Zhang Yue intently once more before asking in a low voice, “I went to visit Scholar Xiao Yang right after checking the rankings yesterday and casually talked about Xia Ji. Do you know what Scholar Xiao Yang said?” Seeing Zhang Yue’s puzzled expression, he chuckled and said, “It took you only four years to go from a scholar to a juren to a jinshi—something that seems strange to others. If not for someone even stranger standing in front of you, given your family background, you would have been criticized mercilessly! But whether it was out of good intentions or just coincidence, without you, Xia Ji might not have passed the exams this time, and even if he did, he might not necessarily become a jinshi in the future. In this sense, you can be considered his lucky star.” Although Wanshi Jie didn’t directly repeat Yang Rong’s words, his explanation was clear and straightforward, leaving Zhang Yue fully understanding. Thinking of how Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang once suspended the imperial examinations because a young jinshi stood out too much, he naturally understood the advantages and disadvantages of being a young jinshi. Youth meant one could afford to waste time, but it also meant limited experience—would the common people trust an elderly official with gray hair or a young man who lacked experience? Seeing that he had convinced Zhang Yue, Wanshi Jie cleared his throat again and said, “Another thing—is that I just received a letter from Scholar Da Yang in Nanjing. He said that Scholar Du has now been sent to serve as a provincial governor and must assist the crown prince. Although you are the nephew of the Duke of Ying and have his support, being an official in the capital can easily lead to mistakes. It would be better for you to gain experience in the countryside. As a young and promising person, the best place for you is Shandong, where Scholar Du is stationed. It’s close to Beijing, allowing you to support each other.” With these words of advice, Zhang Yue returned to the Duke of Ying’s residence that day without much joy, instead burdened with worries. If he didn’t become an official, he wouldn’t starve or suffer poverty in this life, nor would he have to work hard. But the Ming Dynasty seemed to be in a prosperous era, yet its problems were countless—from the continuously devaluing currency to the endless Japanese pirates, from the endless corvée labor to the oppressive taxes that drove people to death, not to mention the later sea bans… In short, those were all future disasters.

It is valuable for a person to have self-awareness; he certainly wasn’t a uniquely talented individual. Yet since he was born into this world, he would eventually have children, and he certainly didn’t want future generations to become slaves to others. Thus, a louder voice began to sound in his heart, and the name he had long forgotten finally became clear to him.
“…Go to Shandong… There really can’t be… If things get chaotic there, it’ll be troublesome!”
“Young Master Yue!”
Zhang Yue, who had been muttering to himself, was startled upon hearing this voice. Looking up, he saw the head butler, Rong Shan, and felt relieved. He quickly tried to cover up his surprise, asking, “What brings Butler Rong to see me?”
“Nothing serious. I just have some good news to share with you, young master. First, after the doctor’s examination today, it turns out that your wife is pregnant. Second, Young Master Chao’s marriage arrangement has been finalized, and the wedding will take place in a few days. As for the third piece of news…”
Rong Shan smiled as he handed him a piece of paper. After Zhang Yue took it, Rong Shan explained, “Since early this morning, there has been a non-stop stream of people bringing congratulatory gifts. Not only are there noble families like the Marquis of Baoding, but also Scholar Xiao Yang and the Du family. Even the Prince of Anyang sent people with the Four Treasures of the Study to offer his congratulations. Young Master Yue, you really have great prestige this time!”